Durban – Clares Cricket Club and Maritzburg Cricket Club were crowned champions of the KZN Coastal and Inland T20 Premier League competitions respectively this past weekend and will face each other in the provincial final this weekend.
In the KZN Coastal Premier League final, Clares took on Pinetown Cricket Club at the Chatsworth Oval on Sunday.
With a stacked side that featured a number of current and former Hollywoodbets Dolphins players, Clares bowled first against their Upper Highway-based opposition.
The decision to bat by PCC did not prove to be fruitful as the combination of Brandon Scullard and Dolphins seamer Kerwin Mungroo made light work of the top order, claiming three wickets with only fourteen runs on the board.
A lethal spell from Proteas star Imran Tahir proved to be too much for the PCC middle order as they lost three wickets further for just seven runs.
With Pinetown struggling, Desigan Naidoo and Matthew Kimber dropped anchor and attempted to revive the innings with a gritty thirty run partnership.
However Tahir continued to spin a web and was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with five wickets in 3.4 overs for just eight runs, as Pinetown was eventually dismissed for 64 in 16.4 overs.
Needing just under four runs an over, Hollywoodbets Dolphins star Cody Chetty and former SA U19 all-rounder Andile Mokgakane saw Clares home, scoring 29 and 24 respectively, Clares finished on 68/2 after 9.2 overs.
Meanwhile in the province’s capital, Maritzburg Cricket Club took on Zingari Cricket Club in what was a high scoring final at the Pietermaritzburg Oval.
Maritzburg CC won the toss and sent in Zingari to bat first.
Zingari enjoyed a dream start as Kevin Strydom and Josh Landsberg put together a fifty run opening partnership, before Landsberg fell with the score on 54.
After the loss of some relatively quick wickets it was up to Lyndon Brown and Ross Klusener to ensure that Zingari finished on a competitive total, combining for a crucial 49 run partnership.
Zingari ended up on 162/7 in their twenty overs with Strydom and Brown finishing on 45 and 40 respectively.
In the chase, Zingari started well with the ball as the two MCC opening batsmen were removed before the score had passed ten.
The experienced duo of James Greenwood and Matthew Wills had other plans, and the duo combined for a healthy 82 run stand, with the former powering his way to a solid 71 in 43 balls, smashing five fours and one six in the process.
Zingari’s Kevin Strydom eventually got the better of Wills as he fell for a well-played 40 off 39 balls.
Regardless, the damage had already been done as a 22 run cameo from Campbell Farr, who had joined Greenwood at the crease, was enough to see MCC over the line by six wickets and crowned as KZN Inland Premier League T20 champions.
Clares Cricket Club will face Maritzburg Cricket Club in the provincial final at the Pietermaritzburg Oval on Sunday, 10 November.
The winner of that will take part in the National T20 Club Championships in Pretoria from 6-8 December.
For more information visit www.dolphinscricket.co.za
