Madibaz 1 hope to continue success
FORMER champions Mecer Madibaz 1 will look to maintain their successful run in the NMB Premier League by winning both of their cricket encounters this weekend.
There is a loaded programme for tomorrow and Sunday, with 10 fixtures taking place over both the 50- and 20-over formats.
Madibaz 1 are only involved in the longer version and will be buoyant after their double victory last weekend, which included a win over league title rivals Jendamark United.
Tomorrow, they host their second team, Madibaz 2, in a game they should win, although this fixture has produced varied results in the last few seasons.
On Sunday, they face another tricky outing against United Brothers, who have also not lost yet this season.
United Brothers have a busy weekend, too, as they are scheduled to play Schauderville tomorrow.
Last season’s runners-up, Gelvandale, will want to bounce back after losing to SA Home Loans Union last Saturday.
Tomorrow, they host PECC, who can expect their opponents to come full tilt at them, and then again on Sunday when they meet in a T20 (10am) game.
PECC’s third game this weekend is another T20 against United (2pm), also at Gelvandale.
Union play Mechatronic Uitenhage twice this weekend, with a T20 fixture slated for tomorrow and a 50-over encounter on Sunday. Both matches will be played in Uitenhage.
Both Seaman’s Renault Old Grey and Despatch lost their matches last weekend and will be wanting to turn that around when they meet at Freeplay Park tomorrow.
The fixtures are (home teams first): 50 overs (10am start) Tomorrow: Schauderville v United Brothers, Gelvandale v PECC, Mecer Madibaz 2 v Mecer Madibaz 1, Seaman’s Renault Old Grey v Despatch, Jendamark United v Motherwell Sunday: Mechatronic Uitenhage v SA Home Loans Union, Madibaz 1 v United Brothers T20 Tomorrow, Pool B At Old Muir, 10am: Uitenhage v Union Pool A, at Gelvandale, 10am: Gelvandale v PECC, 2pm: United v PECC THE Eastern Province Rural cricket team recorded their second consecutive win in the CSA competition when they defeated Boland West by 75 runs at Shaw Park last weekend.
Batting first, EP scored a daunting 275/9 in their 50 overs, putting the Boland bowlers under pressure throughout their innings.
After a slow start, SA Rural player Brandon Handley played a captain’s innings, hitting a flamboyant 105 from only 104 balls (11 fours, three sixes).
He was well supported by the inform Grant Stone (54 of 96 balls) and Kevin Bennet (32 off 34 balls).
Sipho Dapu (4/39), Darren Smith (2/54) and Gerhard Brink (2/42) were the best bowlers for Boland.
Boland West also started slowly in the face of some disciplined and accurate bowling by the EP attack.
Handley (2/7), Tayler Ntukela (2/33) and Greg Evans (2/45) led the way as Boland were dismissed for 200.
EP will face Border Aloes in their next CSA fixture in Healdtown on November 4.