Gugulethu Cricket Club beat Vikings Cricket Club by three wickets in a Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA) First Division A one-day match, at the NY49 sports complex, on Saturday.
Good running between the wickets played a crucial role in helping the young Gugulethu side to reach the 197 mark set by Vikings. Gugulethu scored 201/7 in 45.2 overs.
Gugulethu’s young prodigy, Mduduzi Mdlabantu scored an impressive 88 not-out to steer his team to victory.
When Gugulethu looked like they were struggling to make the score, Mdlabantu had a fifth wicket partnership with Olwethu Mathabeni, who also scored 22 runs, before he was dismissed with an LBW by Vikings’ Fronick Kasner.
Kasner, alongside opening bowler Brent Orana (3/44) and Asriel Snell (2/45) received good wickets, but were expensive with the ball on the day for Vikings.
During Viking’s batting innings, opener Brandon Rhoda scored 49 runs before he was dismissed for LBW by Feza Fihla. In the fifth wicket, Kasner scored an impressive 56 runs.
Gugulethu’s Mondli Mahlombe (2/16) bowled good channels in his eight overs. Fihla (2/35) supported Mahlombe well, while Luvuyo Gquma (2/35) and Mbulelo Dube (3/47) limited the Vikings from reaching the 200 mark.
Gugulethu made it their first win in five games, moving them to 10th spot above UCT. Vikings remain winless at 12th spot after losing all five opening games in the First Division A campaign.
Meanwhile, Ottoman Cricket Club beat Avendale Cricket Club by one wicket at Ottoman, during the Athlone derby.
Proper batting by Mohamed Sohail Imran (53 not-out) and Mujaahid Toffar (27 runs) moved Ottoman to third spot with four wins and one loss in five games.
Zubair Safodien (4/23) and Sadiek Davids (3/34) did all the talking with the ball, helping Ottoman to dismiss Avendale for 117 runs all out in 35.5 overs.
Avendale’s Juan Collison (3/33), Fawaaz Gallie (3/15), Chester Alexander (2/32) and Taswill Carolus (1/18) bowled well on the day as they helped to pick up nine wickets against Ottoman. However, it was a little too late as Ottoman reached 118/9 in 32.5 overs.
For Avendale, it was back-to-back losses this past weekend. On Sunday they lost by five wickets to United Cricket Club. They batted first, set a score of 129 in 38.4 overs. United reached 130/5 in 29.1 overs.
Avendale dropped to nine spot in the campaign after winning two and losing four games. United moved up to seven, after two wins and three losses, with a game abandoned, in six matches.
At the top of the log, Northern Goodwood Cricket Club (NGCC) remain unbeaten in five games. In their opening fixture last month, they made light work of UCT, winning by nine wickets. They then proceeded to beat Hottentots Holland, Strandfontein, Tygerberg and United, convincingly.
NGCC are on 25 points and are closely followed by Brackenfell Cricket Club in second spot with 20 points. Brackenfell won four games and lost by one wicket to Tygerberg in their five opening matches.
Avendale will host NGCC, Gugulethu will play home against Brackenfell, Ottoman will travel up to Pinelands, while Vikings will host Strandfontein, respectively, on Saturday.