Challengers outmuscle mighty Wolfpack
It has been a season where all players have made contributions along the way.
After a stuttering start to the Southern KZN 30 Over Cup, Challengers XI found their rhythm and saw it through to the end, defeating favourites Wolfpack in a hotly contested final to win Division 3.
Wolfpack won the toss and chose to bowl first. Challengers XI made 189 all out off 25.1 overs.
This was thanks to a swashbuckling 58 (31) from Azhar Suleman and a more measured but crucial 52 (45) from skipper André Ellapen.
Wilko Kunz made 12 (13) and Ayoob Ebrahim 12 (15), otherwise there wasn’t much forthcoming from the Challengers and they gratefully accepted the 33 extras Wolfpack dished up.
Ashlin Naidoo was the pick of the bowlers with 3-34 (6) with Raphael Smithwick taking 2-42 (4).
In response, Wolfpack got off to a fast start before tall quick Daniel Westbrook bowled Kaveer Surujpal and then shortly thereafter claimed the massive wicket of Ayanda Jili for just four runs, caught by wicketkeeper Suhail Peerbhay.
Ayanda can be sensationally destructive and on the Port Shepstone High School ground, if he got going, only time was going to stop him.
Classy opener Trishay Ramdhaw made an elegant 53 (49) but other than him, only Ashley ‘Dhings’ Pillay 18 (20) and Kreesen Naicker 13 (22) got into double figures, and Wolfpack fell short by 54 runs.
Ayoob Ebrahim did the damage in the middle order, halting Wolfpack with 3-15 in three game changing overs, his skiddy-quick deliveries proving Wolfpack’s undoing.
Westbrook, meanwhile, after providing the early explosives, wasn’t called on again and ended with 3-20 in four overs.
In Division 1 the semi-finals proved to be somewhat lopsided.
RESULTS
* Legends CC beat Vikings CC by 49 runs.
Legends 172 for 9 in 30 overs.
Yakub Patel 41 (28), Abdullah Dhudat 32 (23), Rizwan Bhula 18 (30), Zakir Meitar 17* (15).
Ethan Whitfield 3-30 (6), Christiaan Louwies 2-11 (5), Johan Kotze 2-17 (5).
Vikings 123 all out in 25 overs.
Christiaan Louwies 27* (22), Marko Sukkels 16 (35), Anton Potgieter 15 (19).
Zakir Meitar 3-28 (5), Sahal Mansoor 3-36 (6), Ahmed Nakhuda 2-19 (5), Junaid Mall 2-30 (3).
* Port Shepstone CC beat Kokstad Bombay by 208 runs.
Port Shepstone 267 all out in 29.3 overs.
Ashley Lombard 76 (42), Jayden Scholtz 65 (39), Gershion Lawrence 31 (19).
Ilyas Surti 3-41 (5 ), Gaffar Abdul Sattar 3-43 (6),
Kokstad Bombay 59 all out in 14.3 overs.
Tosif Godar 19* (10), Yusuf Surti 18 (31).
Garreth Bishop 5-10 (3.3), Saeed Patel 2-13 (4).
The final will take place at Port Shepstone Country Club this Sunday at 11:00.
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