GABRIELLA FERREIRA
Tuks 1 successfully defended their National Club Championship title after defeating Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) at Supersport Park in the tournament’s final on 27 April.
The competition, which took place between 22 and 27 April, saw Tuks play against some of the country’s top clubs, such as Maties, the KwaZulu-Natal Crusaders and Western Province Cricket Club.
Tuks 1 reached the final after winning all of their group matches to finish the group stages on top of the log in their division. NMMU also came into the final undefeated after winning all of their games to end on top of their log.
The game began with NMMU winning the toss and electing to bat first. NMMU had a good start to the match after reaching a score of 102/2 after 25 overs but started to drop form over the next 25 overs, losing all their remaining wickets for only 119 runs. NMMU ended their innings with a total score of 221. Tuks 1’s Gerhard Linde put in a good performance after taking five wickets and conceding only 35 runs.
Tuks 1 had an achievable target of 222 to reach when they began their innings but started off slowly. Tuks 1 made 104 runs in the first 25 overs, losing four wickets in the process. The team’s performance picked up in the second half of the innings with Graeme van Buuren and Cobus Pienaar’s 130-run partnership. Tuks 1 were eventually able to reach the target in 44 overs, winning by five wickets. Van Buuren was Tuks 1’s best batsman scoring 88 runs not out and shared the man of the match award with Gerhard Linde.
Tuk 1’s successful title defence sees them close off a prosperous season, having defended all their titles. They are currently the number-one ranked cricket club in South Africa.
Photo provided
