UP-Tuks finished on top of the Varsity Cricket standings thanks to a seven wicket victory over a plucky Kovsies side.
The Bloemfontein side put up a good fight in their final game of the tournament, but UP-Tuks were simly too strong in the end and they will take some valuable momentum into the play-offs on Sunday.
Kovsies got off to a rough start as Michael Erlank fell in the first over off the bowling of Lungi Ngidi, but Andries Gous and Jacobus Dreyer managed to score at a run a ball as they put a partnership together.
Dreyer was on his way in the ninth over when he played across the line and was trapped LBW by Ruben Claasen in his first over for 27.
However, Gous stuck around and eventually went on to notch a half-century, with good supprt from Leus du Plooy as they started to put UP-Tuks under some pressure.
Gous finally fell when he was caught in the deep trying to force the pace for 66, but Du Plooy was able to continue the onslught in his absence.
Du Plooy was joined by the energetic wicketkeeper Ian Finlay in the final stages, and the pair were able to take Kovsies to a competitive total of 171/4.
UP-Tuks got off to a sound enough start until Murray Coetzee dragged a Corne Dry delivery back onto his own stumps in the third over.
That did not seem to worry his opening partner Aiden Markram, who set about the Kovsies bowling along with Gerry Pike.
Markram went to his half-century off just 23 balls and the UP-Tuks 100 came up soon afterwards in the ninth over.
After 10 overs UP-Tuks were 109/1 with the partnership between Markram and Pike worth 91, with 63 runs to get in the last 60 balls.
Markram was bowled by Erlank for 63, and Heinrich Klaasen did not last long, but Pike managed to reach his own half-century and then kicked on to steer his team to victory.
Scores:
Kovsies: 171/4 (A Gous 66, L du Plooy 40*; L Ngidi 2/30, R Claasen 1/20)
UP-Tuks: 172/3 (A Markram 63, G Pike 63*; L du Plooy 1/11, C Dry 1/22)
Teams:
Kovsies: Jacobus Dreyer, Andries Gous, Leus Du Plooy, Michael Erlank, Ian Finlay, Dirk Bruwer, Anton Muller, Corne Dry, Keagan Rafferty, Sinebhongo Ntshona (captain), Flippi Cronje.
UP-Tuks: Aiden Markram, Murray Coetzee, Gerry Pike, Heinrich Klaasen (captain), Johan Wessels, Jacques Snyman, Corbin Bosch, Ruben Claassen, Bantu Dandala, Vincent Moore, Lungi Ngidi.
