Gugulethu Cricket Club were out for the hunt when they travelled over the railway tracks to face Avendale Cricket Club in Athlone on Saturday, January 27.
The young squad, led by the experienced captain Mbulelo Nkomo and player-coach Mondli Mahlombe batted first and scored a total of 185 runs in 43.1 overs in the Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA) First Division A one-day match.
Avendale started their bowling innings rather slow, but began to settle in as soon as the ball began to wear off, late in the morning.
Storm Matthews picked up three wickets. Tyler James Alexander, Taswill Carolus and Chester Alexander each picked up two wickets. Mo-shaf Manual then picked up a wicket to set up an early lunch for the visitors.
Gugulethu’s batting order was rather impatient with the ball. Opening batsman, Lwando Kulati scored 41 runs off 44 balls before he was stumped out by the bowling of Manual.
Mangaliso Mthiya (31 runs), Mbulelo Dube (27 runs) and Nkomo (21 runs) each scored above the 20 runs mark but the majority of their runs came as a result of boundaries rather than running between the wickets.
Gugulethu’s bowling plan saw the pairing of Luvuyo Gquma and Mbulelo Dube. Coming in as a first change bowler, Dube picked up 4/57 runs in 10 overs. He was expensive, but it was effective in picking up a wicket.
On the other hand, Gquma walked away with the match ball following his five-wicket haul. Gquma took out Avendale’s danger man, Chad Reece Josephs with a stumping. Two balls later, Gquma won an LBW decision over Tariq Benjamin. He picked up 5/31 runs in 10 overs.
Gugulethu bowled out Avendale for 157 runs in 30.1 overs, claiming a 28-run victory.
Gugs have won four and lost nine out of 14 games. They are on 20 points in ninth position.
Avendale have lost four and won 11 out of 15 games. They are also on 20 points in eighth position.
Meanwhile, in the Women’s First Division A (AMA 20) results, Gugulethu’s women’s first team won by 48 runs over the Western Province Cricket Club’s women’s first team, at the Walley Wilson Oval, last Saturday. Gugs defended a total of 77/6 in 20 overs by bowling out WPCC on 29 runs in 11.4 overs. Bowlers, Elihle Norongo (3/7 runs), Mbali Gqumayo (4/12 runs) and Buchule Nguza (1/2 runs), played an instrumental role in the women’s first team victory in Rondebosch.
