Alexandra Cricket Club held their nerve to chase down Soweto Pioneers in a gripping pre-season T20 encounter at East Bank Oval on September 20.

The two sides had not met since last year’s fixture was washed out, denying the home team a shot at bragging rights.

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Batting first, Soweto Pioneers posted 107, a total that ultimately proved chaseable as Alexandra reached 108 to win the match.

Early pressure

Alexandra’s bowlers set the tone early, with Tebogo Leboya giving his side the ideal start with the new ball to choke off the run rate.

Spin bowler Bongani Potsane maintained the pressure through the middle overs, extracting a stream of dot balls that restricted Soweto to 107.

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Chasing the target, Alexandra batter Polite Shingane held the innings together, rotating the strike to keep the scoreboard moving.

It was that level-headed batting that got Alexandra over the line. Speaking after the match, Alexandra coach Martin Rathogwa reflected on a rivalry that has not always favoured his side.

“For the past couple of years, owing to the fact that they have more players, they have been on top of us in terms of performance,” Rathogwa said.

He added, however, that the tide has been turning in recent months. “We feel like we are at a stage where we can compete with our rivals,” he said.

Despite the win, Rathogwa quickly pointed out that neither side had gone in prepared to settle for less than their best.

The defeat, for Soweto Pioneers, will sting given how close their total came to being enough to defend. Batter Professor Mkhwanazi said the team went in with high ambitions but ultimately fell just short of setting a match-winning score.

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