KOMANI Royals Cricket Club received maximum points for the second week in a row after they thrashed East London’s Kwelerha Cricket Club by 201 runs in their second official match of the Border Promotional League at Queen’s College on Sunday.
Last week, Royals received soft points as Black Lions failed to pitch for their match in Komani. This week, the home side automatically won the toss after the visitors arrived late for the toss. Royals’ captain, Anathi Joe, elected to bat first.
Mkululi Takane (34) and Siphiwo Ndaba (54) went in to bat and had a satisfactory day in the middle as they got through the first power-play with 71 runs on the board at a 7.1 run rate.
Kwelerha got their first breakthrough in the 13th over, as Takane was trapped LBW attempting to punch the ball to mid-wicket. Luvuyo Dastile lost his wicket three balls later without troubling the scorers, as he nicked one to the keeper from the bowl of Mzuvukile Mfana, who was one of Kwelerha’s better bowlers on the day with figures of three overs, one maiden, 2/11.
Joe came in at number four and bulldozed his way to 48 runs, as he mostly dealt in boundaries. He only had six singles in his 48 runs. Thereafter, all the batsmen chipped in as Royals posted 264 all out in 34.1 overs.
The two bowlers went through Kwelerha’s batting line-up with relative ease. They bowled the opposition out in 15.3 overs as Mfana was the only batsman to get to double figures with 11 runs. Joe ended with the bowling figures of 5/29 from eight overs, while Takane took 4/26 from his 7.3 overs, which included two maiden overs.
The Royals team was very energetic on the field and they put their bodies on the line, making sure Kwelerha worked for their runs. Royals were clinical on the day, wearing their new whites.
Komani Royals now have their sights set on Masakhane Cricket Club, as they face them at Queens College’s Wilkinson grounds on Sunday. – THANDO MGEDEZI
