News DeskHarare – Cricket fans at the Harare Sports Club were treated to a riveting day of action, as Colin Munro and Rassie van der Dussen delivered standout performances to help the Durban Wolves and NYS Lagos register comprehensive victories. The day concluded with a nail-biting contest in which the Cape Town Samp Army edged out the Bulawayo Brave Jaguars by three wickets.
The NYS Lagos finished the day on top of the table with two wins from two games, continuing their impressive run in the tournament.
In the first game, the Harare Bolts posted 99/3 in their allotted 10 overs. Contributions from Sean Williams (35) and George Munsey (37) helped the Bolts reach a defendable total, but Durban Wolves’ bowlers were on point. Dawlat Zadran led the attack with figures of 2/12, while Mohammad Irfan chipped in with 1/11. In response, despite losing Sharjeel Khan off the first ball, Colin Munro’s brilliant knock of 58* from 29 balls led the Wolves to victory. Supported by Will Smeed (13) and Mark Chapman (12*), the Wolves chased down the target with four balls to spare, winning by seven wickets.
Next, NYS Lagos produced a dominant performance, spearheaded by South African Rassie van der Dussen, who scored an explosive 81* off 32 balls, including eight sixes and four boundaries. Along with contributions from Avishka Fernando and Najibullah Zadran (20 each), NYS Lagos posted a daunting total of 133/2. In reply, Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers struggled despite efforts from Hazratullah Zazai (18) and Charith Asalanka (17). NYS Lagos bowlers, led by Bodugum Akhilesh Reddy (3/19) and Thisara Perera (2/11), restricted the Tigers to 117/7, sealing a 16-run win.
The final match of the day saw the Cape Town Samp Army defeat the Bulawayo Brave Jaguars in a low-scoring thriller. Bulawayo posted 83/6, with Kobe Herft’s 38 being the top score. David Willey’s 3/13 and Amir Hamza’s 2/11 kept the Jaguars in check. The Samp Army’s chase was a tense affair, but contributions from Brian Bennett (20) and Rohan Mustafa (19) saw them through. Wesley Madhavere’s 3/17 and Akila Dananjaya’s 2/19 threatened to derail the chase, but Qais Ahmad sealed the win with a six, as the Samp Army triumphed with more than an over and three wickets in hand.
Brief Scores:
- Durban Wolves: 101/3 in 9.2 overs (Colin Munro 58*, Will Smeed 13; Dasun Shanaka 1/23)
defeated
Harare Bolts: 99/3 in 10 overs (George Munsey 37, Sean Williams 35; D Zadran 2/12, M Irfan 1/14) by 7 wickets. - NYS Lagos: 133/2 in 10 overs (Rassie van der Dussen 81*, Najibullah Zadran 20; Karim Janat 2/14)
defeated
Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers: 117/7 in 10 overs (Tashinga Musekiwa 21, Hazratullah Zazai 18; B Akhilesh Reddy 3/19, T Perera 2/11) by 16 runs. - Cape Town Samp Army: 87/7 in 8.4 overs (Brian Bennett 20, Rohan Mustafa 19; Wesley Madhavere 3/17, Akila Dananjaya 2/19)
defeated
Bulawayo Brave Jaguars: 83/6 in 10 overs (Kobe Herft 38, Nick Hobson 21*; David Willey 3/13, A Hamza 2/11) by 3 wickets.
