The University of the Western Cape successfully chased down UCT’s target of 127 in the final over, to move into the top four on Wednesday afternoon at the Ibbies Oval.
UWC’s spinner Emmanuel Sebarame opened the bowling for his side, making a breakthrough with just his fifth ball, sending Khwezi Luthuli’s bails flying, as the opener was sent back to the dressing room for a duck. Brandon Tattam arrived at the crease as he and Robert Koenig steadied the ship, taking UCT to 43/1 after 6 overs.
But it was Sebarame yet again with the breakthrough. Brought back into the attack, he toppled the second opener’s stumps too, this time claiming the wicket of Koenig for 22. Just three overs later, Sebarame made it a clean sweep of the top three batsmen, this time trapping Tattam LBW for 25.
Craig Meier and Joshua Coetzee enjoyed a healthy partnership, taking UCT past the 100 mark before it all crumbled. UCT lost their next four wickets for just 26 runs to end on 127/7. Josh Schippers and Abubkar Samodien got UWC off to the perfect start in their run chase. The two put on 38 in the first four overs, scoring regular boundaries before Yelani Bonga rattled the stumps of Samodien.
Schippers fell next, leaving his team on 58/2 and still in a good position. But the coaching staff would have been furious when Axola Ngwana, Mujaahid Toffar and Karl Vermeulen only added another four as all three lost their wickets in a middle-order collapse.
Luke Philander kept the strike rotating as a gutsy Mihlali Mpongwana steered UWC to victory with an unbeaten 40.
FNB Player of the Match: Craig Meier (UCT)
MTN Pulse Bowler of the Match: Emmanuel Sebarame (UWC)
Steers Best Batsman: Mihlali Mpongwana (UWC)
Teams
UCT: Robert Koenig, Khwezi Luthuli, Brandon Tattam, Joshua Coetzee, Craig Meier, Mphokuhle Dube, Matthew Benning, Jack Reinbach, Yelani Bonga, Samuel Alexander, Siyabulela Ntuntwana
UWC: JoshSchippers, Abubkar Samodien, Axola Ngwana, Mujaahid Toffar, Karl Vermeulen, Luke Philander, Mihlali Mpongwana, Lwando Tywaku, Keane Solomons, Emmanuel Sebarame, Kyle Pluke
