Salem took double honours in GCB League

By Chesley Daniels

On Saturday, both Salem 1^st and 2^nd were crowned as the new Grahamstown Cricket Board’s (GCB ) 1^st and 2^nd League champions for the 2023/2024 season, respectively.

Both teams won their respective last-round fixtures and ended on top of the log with a clear margin ahead of the second-placed teams. Salem 1^st also won the GCB 1^st League back in 2022. The champions deserved to be crowned overall winners as they played brilliant cricket throughout the season. Nick Wilmot was the star performer for the Salem 1^st XI with the bat and scored many runs, including three centuries. Buster Brotherton and Marquin Loutz made the EP  rural side and represented Salem.

Salem 1^st vs Sidbury – Salem Cricket Ground

Salem 281 All Out (42 Overs)

• Marquin Loutz 85
• Buster Brotherton 53
• Bradley Wilmot 42
• Ed Butler 29

Sidbury 110 All Out

• C Pieterse 3/12 (2)
• Bradley Wilmot 2/10 (5)
• Leard King 2/52 (10)

Man of the Match:  Marquin Loutz

Result:  Salem Won By 171 Runs + Bonus Point

Sidbury 2^nd Vs Salem 2^nd – Sidbury Cricket Ground

Sidbury 165 All Out

• Mike Mattison 4/47 (9.3)
• Rob Davies 2/8 (10)
• S Blom 2/15 (6)
• Royden Horne 2/46 (6)

Salem 166/7 (44.2)

• R Labuschagne 36*
• T Scheepers 34
• C Labuschangne 31*
• O Were 15

Man of the Match:  Mike Mattison

Result:  Salem won by 3 Wickets

Station Hill vs Rainbows – Hospital Field

Station Hill 383 All Out (47)

• Rudy Williams 109
• Franklin Jacobs 67
• Zee Jayi 50
• Sipho Saki 35
• Cody Jones 26*
• Roy Mwalo 24

Rainbows 34 All Out (10.4)

• Franklin Jacobs 5/15 (5)
• Sipho Saki 3/7 (2)

Man of the Match:  Franklin Jacobs

Result:  Station Hill won by 350 Runs + Bonus Point

Manley Flats vs Swallows – Manleys

Swallows 282 (50)

• Luvane Daniels 107
• Ludwe Bavuma 64

Manleys 50/2 (19) – Rain and bad lighting, game called off

Final GCB 1^st Log

1. Salem – 64.5 (12)
2. Southwell – 50.4 (12)
3. Cuylerville – 45.6 (12)
4. Willows – 40.8 (12)
5. Sidbury – 22.66 (12)
6. Rhodes – 16 (12)
7. Makana Sona – 2.66 (12)

GCB 2^nd League

1. Salem – 55.71 (10)
2. Sidbury – 45.55 (10)
3. Station Hill – 45 (10)
4. Cuylerville – 28.75 (10)
5. Southwell – 31.42 (10)
6. Kenton – 27.13 (10)
7. Port Alfred – 26.25 (10)
8. Manley Flats – 23.74 (10)
9. Swallows – 17.14 (8)
10. Tiger Titans – 9 (9)
11. Rainbows – 0 (9)