CCD Tigers won the T20 Premier League title with a comprehensive eight-wicket win against United at the Wanderers field on Saturday.
Pikky Ya France played a starring role in their victory, taking five wickets as United were restricted to a mere 120 runs, and then scoring 44 as CCD easily reached the target with eight wickets and six overs in hand.
After being sent in to bat, United had an early setback when Lohan Louwrens was bowled in the groin and had to leave the field. Hendrik van der Walt soon followed, dismissed by Albert Mbwembwe for 13, while Christopher Coombe was out for one, and although Louwrens later returned he didn’t last long and was out for 10. Danie van Schoor (20) and Darren van Dyk (33) led a brief revival, while Luan Reinders scored 15 and Dian Theron 19 further down the order.
Ya France however took a grip of the match to clean up United’s middle and lower order and returned excellent figures of five wickets for five runs off three overs, as United were all out for 120. Ya France then teamed up with Joshuan Julius to put CCD on course for victory with a century opening wicket partnership. Ya France went on to score 44 off 39 balls, which included four fours and two sixes, while Julius scored 58 off only 35 balls (2×6, 7×4).Nicol Loftie-Eaton (4 not out) and Ramon Wilmot (6 not out) took CCD to victory with six overs remaining.
It was a remarkable victory by CCD especially after they nearly didn’t even make it to the final. In their semifinal against Wanderers, they were heading for defeat before a great revival saw them winning the match by one run. CCD scored a modest 115 runs for seven wickets off their 20 overs, with Ya France top-scoring with 45 off 43 balls (1×4, 3×6).
Wanderers lost Karl Birkinstock early on for 7, but Wessel Myburgh and Jan Frylinck put them in command with a 57-run partnership. Led by their spinners, CCD, however, turned the match on its head as Wanderers lost their next nine wickets for only 50 runs.
Frylinck scored 36 and Myburgh 23 but they regularly lost wickets and eventually fell two runs short of the victory target. Ramon Wilmot (three wickets for 19 runs) and Norbert Manyande (3/14) were CCD’s best bowlers.
The other semifinal between United and Windhoek Old Boys was highlighted by a brilliant century by Lohan Louwrens.He hit Old Boys’ bowlers to all corners of the field before he was eventually out for 112 off only 58 balls, which included nine sixes and seven fours.Darren van Dyk added 44 off 14 balls (including six sixes) as United reached a huge total of 228 for three wickets off their 30 overs.
Old Boys were never in the hunt as they regularly lost wickets and were all out for 147, to hand United a commanding 81-run victory. Vernon Cloete top-scored with 41 runs, while Christopher Coombe took three wickets for 26 runs.
Source: The Namibian (Helge Schutz)
