Paul Roos pull off yet another upset win

PAUL Roos pulled off yet another giant killing act with an 18-run win over home side Rondebosch on Saturday.

Earlier this term they beat Wynberg by five wickets and it is no coincidence that their revival started after the appointment of Deon Botes, formerly of Affies, as head coach in January.

Paul Roos were sent in to bat and after losing an early wicket, opener Josh Jordaan (32) and Comrey van der Watt (94) laid a solid foundation, taking the score to 94/1 before Jordaan was dismissed.

Van der Watt batted with fluency in an innings which lasted 96 balls and included eight fours and two sixes.

He was unfortunate to be dismissed six runs short of a deserved century when he was trapped lbw by Alex Combrinck.

With wickets falling regularly, lower order batsman Beor van Reenen (20*) contributed valuable runs as the innings closed on 227/9 in the allotted 50 overs. For Bosch, spinner Graeme Engelbrecht (3/28) was the pick of the attack.

In reply, none of the Bosch top order could build on useful starts, and the pressure built as off-spinner Callum Appollis (2/23) kept it tight in his 10 overs.

It was left to all-rounder Raeeq Daniels (34) with a run-a-ball innings to keep them in the hunt, before Van der Watt got rid of him. The latter completed a fine double with 3/32 to wrap up the Bosch tail as the innings closed on 209 to gain his side an historic victory.

In a day/night 45-over game hosted by Bishops, Wynberg pulled off a Houdiniact with an six-run win.

Wynberg batted first with Kyle William (60) opening without regular partner Paul James, who batted lower down the order because of exams. It was only Williams who kept the innings on an even keel as the Bishops left-arm quick Tiaan Louw (5/42) made a huge impact up front.

The timely arrival of James steadied the innings. His half-century (52) included three sixes and was largely responsible for Wynberg recovering to reach 154 in 39 overs. Leg-spinner Storm Matthews (3/42), meanwhile, bowled tidily for Bishops.

In their innings, Bishops lost two early wickets to Ebrahim Fakir. But the consistent opener Adenaan Lagadien (48) and skipper Cole Crawford (29) took the score to 94/2 and Bishops were seemingly cruising to victory.

But calamity struck when Lagadien was run out, and when Divan Linde, the Wynberg leg-spinner, took two scalps in successive overs, the writing was on the wall.