Champ of Champs all set for a grandstand final

IT is all set up for a grandstand finish as the Champ of Champs final of the 2018 Ngumbela Cricket Tournament will be battled out between Five Great Powers and Lamyeni Hard Catch in Healdtown tomorrow.

It is the 29th edition of the ever popular annual cricket extravaganza and will see the best of Alice up against the best of Healdtown in the showpiece finale.

This year will see a new champion after 2017 champs Fear Not were knocked out in the semifinals of the Healdtown section, while Lamyeni went on to claim that title and Five Great Powers were crowned champs of Alice.

Both teams will be to get the win.

“It is going to be an exciting final,” said tournament director Foster Ntshona.

Lamyeni progressed to the main match when they defeated fierce rivals and neighbours Tyatyora Hard Catch in the Healdtown final yesterday afternoon.

In a surprisingly easy performance, Lamyeni blew Tyatyora away, skittling them all out for 98, before making relatively short work of the low target to win by seven wickets.

Tyatyora had accounted for defending champs Fear Not in the semis and were expected to put up a bigger highly motivated fight but it was unfortunately just not their day.

“It was surprising that it was so easy, I can't believe it. I think Tyatyora were just caught off guard today,” admitted Ntshona.

Five Great Powers beat Township United Brothers Cricket Club (TUBS) in an entertaining Alice final on Wednesday afternoon.

“The Alice final was fantastic. Five Great Powers and TUBS are two very strong teams but unfortunately we could have only one winner in the end,” admitted Ntshona.

In the final TUBS batted first and scored 214 all out.

Mlibo Tsewu and Thobile Hlathuka were the chief contributors, both scoring 54, while Five Great Powers bowling attack shared the work load, with Sandile Bokwe, Phumzile Yiba and Mayibongwe Ngebe all picking up two wickets each.

The chase was then a tricky one but Five Great Powers got over the line with five overs to spare scoring 215/7.

This was largely down to the efforts of former Warriors and Border batsman Vuyisa Makhaphela who scored an unbeaten 89 in a top batting performance, while TUBS’ star bowler was 15-year old rising talent Akhona Ratyana who claimed 4/40. Current Warriors and Border allrounder Jerry Nqolo claimed 3/25.

As the Alice representatives in the main final, Five Great Powers will now be hoping to bring the title back to Alice after it has been held in Healdtown over the past year.

“A big thank you must go to Mr Ngumbela who is the founder of the tournament which has been now going on for more than two decades,” said Alice Cricket Board President Elliot Fana.

Tomorrow's Champ of Champs final is set to start at 10am and a packed stadium is expected to cheer on the two teams in what should be a thrilling match.

The third place play-off between Tyatyora and TUBS will be played at Ngwevu in Healdtown today starting at 10am.