KwaDukuza and Tongaat cricket clubs have enjoyed a successful first few weeks of the new season, with some convincing recent wins in the local leagues.

Dawnheights Cricket Club defeated Simplex Reservoir Hills Crimson by 40 runs on October 11. Adnan Hameed top-scored with 51 and Adesh Bageloo added 46 towards their total of 186/6, before Shaldon Maduray claimed 4/23.

A week later, Adesh smashed 70 off just 36 balls as Dawnheights posted 212/9 against Lindelani. His twin brother Santir then tore through the batting line-up, taking 5/25 to dismiss their opponents for 49, securing a 163-run victory and a place in the KZNCU T20 semi-finals.

Dawnheights B also tasted victory on October 11, defeating KwaDukuza neighbours Warriors by seven wickets. Tyrik Moonsamy scored an unbeaten 51 and Rakesh Maraj took 3/21.

Warriors bounced back on October 25 with a crushing 151-run victory over Maphumulo. Mohammed Ganie struck 54 and Riyadh Hajaree 49 to reach 211/3, before Rishen Mathapershad ripped through the opposition with outstanding figures of 7/12.

Manor Cricket Club earned a six-wicket victory over Mandeni on October 17. Kyle Chinakanu struck 61, while debutant D’Artagnan Munro contributed 32 and 2/29. Keean Naicker similarly impressed on debut with an important knock of 24 to help the team home.

Tongaat’s Railways Cricket Club enjoyed a particularly successful three weeks across its teams.

On October 11, the first team completed a T20 double-header sweep, beating Tongaat by nine wickets and West by eight wickets.

Umar Raja claimed seven wickets across the two matches.

The veterans beat Chats Sporting by four wickets on October 10, with Malik Awan unbeaten on 41. They have since defeated Saints and Phoenix in successive weeks. Railways’ third team thrashed KwaMashu by 151 runs on October 11, with Sugen Naidoo hitting 106 runs and Sebastian Govender and Linoshen Moodley claiming four wickets apiece.

The fourth team beat Simplex on October 17, with Jared Williamson scoring 93 and taking 3/21. The following day, Trishane Pillay struck an unbeaten 112 in the fifth team’s nine-wicket victory over East Coast.

On October 25, the second team beat Lindelani by 106 runs, Sajid Ilyas’s 80 and 2/7. Railways also recorded a nine-wicket victory over Harlequin, with Dhiren Balwanth scoring 42 and Sugen Naidoo unbeaten on 41.