By Chesley Daniels
Makana Sona Cricket Club recorded their first win in the Grahamstown Cricket Board GCB 1st League competition with a dominant and smoking 9-wicket bonus point win at Rhodes Great Field on Saturday.
On Sunday, a totally different Sidbury side got the better of Willows, while other GCB 1st League victories were recorded by Salem over Willows, Southwell hammering Rhodes and Cuylerville way too strong for Rhodes over the weekend.
The GCB 2nd League title race is wide open with a few matches remaining and a very tight race to determine the winner and champ for 2024/2025 season. Salem, Sidbury, Swallows and Manleys are all in with a shot to win the league and all have two games remaining.
Summarised scores:
GCB 1st League
Makana Sona vs Sidbury – Saturday
Sidbury 132 (36)
* Weeks 31, Horne 40, Rippin 25*
* Klaas 4/15 (7), Sauli 3/10 (10), Qinela 2/5 (6)
Makana Sona 135/1 (19.3)
* Haya 52*, Xanise 38*
* Smith 1/13 (5)
Makana won by 9 wickets + bonus point
Willows vs Salem – Saturday
Willows 85 (28.4)
* Emihle Mgoqi 38, JJ Kilani 17, Romario Fritz 12
* Bradley Wilmot 5/13 (9.4), Ronnie Roth 2/21 (5), Buster Brotherton 2/2 (2), Kevin Zimmerman 1/25 (6)
Salem 86/5 (12.3)
* Justin Dollery 36, Bradley Wilmot 16, Bradley Van Heerden 15
* Alanzo Gysman 3/31 (6), Devan Duiker 2/24 (4.3)
Salem won by 5 wickets+ bonus point
Southwell vs Rhodes – Saturday
Rhodes 83 (29.4)
* Darius Eswalal 25, Lindani Mbenya 16
* Guy Bladen 2/16
Southwell 84/1 (9)
* Kashka Crampton 42*, Guy Bladen 30*
Southwell won by 9 wickets + bonus point
Sidbury vs Willows – Sunday
Willows 84/9
* Keagan Jattiem 21, Seviano Jasson 11, Ethan Bokbaard 11
* Schoeman 5/20 (7), Shakeel 2/5 (4)
Sidbury 85/1 (12)
* Shakeel 36*, Wesson 37*
* Devan Duiker 1/14 (2)
Sidbury won by 9 wickets + bonus point
Rhodes vs Cuylerville – Sunday
Cuylerville 246/5 (50)
* Neil Van der Linde 103*, Francois Klopper 55 Brandon Handley 22
* Breyton Johnson 2/45, Yoliswa Qoboshiyane 1/34
Rhodes 84
* Tshongweni 18
* Kevin Geldenhuys 5/29 (8), Murray Tyson 2/22 (8), Neil Van der Linde 2/2 (1)
Cuylerville won by 161 runs + bonus point
GCB 2nd League
Port Alfred vs Swallows
Port Alfred 67 (27.5)
* Luvane Daniels 3/35 (10), Ndyumbu 2/6 (4), Benedict Nelson 2/8 (7), Marco Loutz 1/16 (7)
Swallows 68/5 (22.3)
* Monray Evans 26*, Benedict Nelson 19*
Swallows won by 5 wickets + bonus point
Tiger Titans vs Sidbury
Sidbury 112 (27.4)
* Steenkamp 37*
* Klaas 6/45 (9.4), Ponoshe 2/14 (3), Tyonashe 2/13 (1)
Titans 55 (14.3)
* Simanga 12, Vulindlu 11
* Juandre Nel 7/19 (8.4), Daniel Webster 2/20 (7)
Sidbury won by 57 runs + bonus point
Salem vs Station Hill
Salem 245/7 (50)
* Lorrimer Pittaway 61, Simon Blom 30*, Riaan Labuschagne 22, Mike Mattison 21*
* Sipho Saki 3/32 (10), Marvin Groep 3/53 (10), Cody Jones 1/43 (10)
Station Hill 191 (42.5)
* Zee Jayi 59, Rudy Williams 31, Rustin Baartman 20
* Wayne Howarth 3/38 (7), Richard Davies 3/36 (9), Mike Mattison 2/30 (7)
Salem won by 54 runs
Rainbows vs Southwell
Southwell 426/8 (50)
* Reece Naude 105, Jarryd Harty 102
* Saki 3/36, Ngwenda 2/44
Rainbows 179 (41.3)
* Booi 50, Shotana 43
* Oliver Ripley 4/46
Southwell won by 247 runs + bonus point
Cuylerville vs Manley Flats
Cuylerville 201/8 (50)
* Craig Fourie 2/57 (10), Dale Walters 2/38 (8), Dagan Wiblin 1/17 (6), Jo Balmer 1/37 (6)
Manleys 202/9 (48)
* Dave Duncan 69, Jo Balmer 26, Anton Ferreira 19, Frank Van Eck 17
Manleys won by one wicket
Latest GCB Logs:
GCB 2nd League Log
As 16th February 2025
Salem 36 (7)
Sidbury 35 (7)
Swallows 33 (7)
Manley Flats 29 (7)
Cuylerville 29 (8)
Southwell 29 (8)
Station Hill 16 (7)
Tiger Titans 6 (7)
Rainbows 3 (7)
Port Alfred 0 (7)
GCB 1st League Log
As 16th February 2025
Cuylerville 59 (10)
Southwell 46 (10)
Salem 39 (10)
Willows 22 (9)
Sidbury 19 (10)
Makana Sona 8 (9)
Rhodes 5 (8)