IN a tightly-contested encounter at Harare Sports Club, Cape Town Samp Army edged out Bulawayo Brave Jaguars by three wickets in Sunday’s final match of the ongoing T10 Zim Cyber City tournament.
Batting first, the Jaguars found themselves in early trouble and were 18 for 4 after losing four wickets.
However, a gritty 47-run stand between Kobey Herft (38) and Nick Hobson (21* off 8 balls) helped the Jaguars post a respectable 83-6 from their 10 overs. David Willey was the pick of the Samp Army bowlers, claiming 3-13.
In the run-chase, the Samp Army got off to a blistering start, with Brian Bennett smashing 20 off 12 balls and Rohan Mustafa contributing 19.
But the Jaguars fought back through the spin of Wessly Madhevere (3-17), who removed three quick wickets to put the brakes on the Samp Army’s momentum.
However, the Cape Town side managed to cross the line with seven wickets down, reaching 87-7 with eight balls to spare. Akhilesh Bogudum was the most successful Jaguars bowler, taking 3-19.
Despite the defeat, the Bulawayo Brave Jaguars can take heart from the way they fought back in the match, led by the heroics of Herft and Hobson. The Samp Army, on the other hand, will be relieved to have clinched a close-fought victory to maintain their unbeaten run in the tournament.