Fort Hare B take charge
Students hammer Zululand to secure third place
THE University of Fort Hare B team finished their University Cricket B Week on a high when they cruised to a six-wicket win over the University of Zululand at Police Park yesterday.
The win secured them third place in the C division and capped a solid week that saw them come close to making the final, before falling in the semis to Vaal University of Technology (VUT).
VUT went on to play the unbeaten Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) side in the final.
CPUT, relegated from the University B division last year, returned at the first time of asking after hammering VUT by 83 runs to win the C division and this year’s University B week.
East London side Walter Sisulu University (WSU) Buffalo City finished in style, crushing North West University (Mafinkeng) by 158 runs.
WSU, playing in the D division this year,finished the week unbeaten.
Against Mafikeng they posted 179 in their 20 overs, with opener Xolisani Sodumo smashing an unbeaten 103.
They then bowled out Mafikeng for a paltry 21 – although two of their batsmen couldn’t bat due to injury – and WSU’s Sithembele Makhongolo claimed figures of 4/7 in 1.5 overs.
In the C division third/fourth playoff Zululand won the toss and elected to bat.
They got off to a steady start with Xolani Shobede (13) and Xolani Mazibuko (8) negotiating the first few overs. However, with the score on 18, Mazibuko was caught by Xolani Delman off the bowling of Thabo Ngcethe.
Shobede was next out, trapped leg before by Abuyisiwe Nguna.
Wickets continued to fall with none of the Zululand batsmen managing to keep a partnership going.
Zululand’s sixth batsman, Siphiwe Bembe, batted as the tail fell around him before he fell for a top scoring 15. Zululand were all out for 79.
Delman was the pick of the Fort Hare bowling unit with 3/7 off his four overs, backed up well by Ndyebo Mnyanda who took 3/17 in 3.2 overs.
Fort Hare’s chase got off to a bumpy start as Chumani Ngcokovane (1) was trapped leg before by Bembe off the third ball of the innings.
Thabo Linake (37*) and Aviwe Sentwa (19) steadied the ship with a 53-run partnership before Sentwa was bowled by Mkhonza.
Edwin Toroveyi then came in and hit a quickfire 16 off 11 balls (2x4) taking Fort Hare to the brink of victory, but was then run out by Mkhonza.
Delman (1) then came and went before Linake guided Fort Hare home with 35 balls to spare as they finished on 80/4.