Umhlali Prep’s U13A and B teams put on dominant home performances to beat Penzance Primary on Saturday.

The A team batted first at Paul Prokopiak field and scored a massive 267/8 in their 45 overs. Opener Knox Croxford led the way with a knock of 89 off 85, most of which was scored with Cameron Kock (47 runs) during a century fourth wicket stand. Umhlali’s solid lower order added another 68 runs in the last 16 overs. Sameer Singh was Penzance’s stand-out bowler with figures of 4 for 33.

The excellent batting performance was followed up by a devastating bowling display. Penzance stumbled to 22 for 2, before completely collapsing in the face of a relentless attack. Umhlali claimed the remaining eight wickets for just 16 runs, led by top spells from Jack Denholm (3 for 9), Sam Stewart (2 for 10) and Matthew Ivey (2 for 11). The home team won by 229 runs, good for their eighth win from 11 matches this season.

On the neighbouring Cas Steyn field, Umhlali’s U13Bs put on an equally impressive display.

The home team chose to bat first and it proved the right decision as Panth Valand and Mason Hulsen put on an opening stand of 98 runs before loss. Valand kicked on to score a sublime ton, registering 101 off 105 to put the hosts in a commanding position. Support from Yusuf Dawood (34 off 43) and Tyler Stewart (28 off 17) helped Umhlali post 259/6 in 40 overs.

Penzance never got going in their chase, with four of their top six batsmen falling without troubling the scorers. They stumbled to 73 all out, giving Umhlali a 186-run win – their second in a row. Elijah White and Jared Marais were the heart of the attack and both claimed 3 for 15, while Wandile Zulu took 2 for 5.

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