• Cricket

Gobabis’ Opperman leads run-scoring in T20 series

• 3 Days Ago 03 June 2025

After another satisfying and entertaining weekend of matches in the Nedbank Desert Ice Challenge T20, the CricGeneration team has maintained its log-leading position despite having a bye.

Under the captaincy of spin bowler Mauritius Ngupita, CricGeneration is already the only unbeaten team among the league’s twelve competitors.

At this early stage of the tournament, Gobabis’ Henré Opperman is ahead of the overall run-scorers list with 193 runs in four innings (strike rate 141.9; average 64.33).

Alex Volschenk (Run Whisperers) is a force to be reckoned with, totalling 181 runs in two innings with only one dismissal (average 181; strike rate 192.5) in overall second position so far.

Willem Groenewald (Tsumeb) is third with 166 runs (three innings; average 55.33; strike rate 140.6).

Zacheo van Vuuren (Okahandja, 139), Nichol Loftie-Eaton (CCD, 127), Nyashadzaishe Nyasha (Run Whisperers, 124) and Jan-Izak de Villiers (Over-40s, 123) are also among the leading batsmen who have surpassed the 120-run mark.

The batsman with the leading strike rate so far is Nicol Loftie-Eaton (three innings, 127 runs; strike rate 270.2).

The competition to hit the most sixes in the series is currently led by Alex Volschenk (12), with Loftie-Eaton (11), JJ Smit (Green Mambas, 11), Sean Silver (Tsumeb, 9) and Wessel Myburgh (Over-40s, 8) also among the frequent big hitters.

Volschenk (134), Loftie-Eaton (125) and Van Vuuren (111) are the only three to have hit centuries in the T20 series so far.

At the top of the wicket-takers list is Willie Swart of Gobabis (8), with Jamil Aziz (Unam Zebras Strikers, 6) and Gerhard Genis (United, 6) his nearest challengers.

• In the highest-scoring match last weekend, played at Swakopmund, Tsumeb successfully chased down the 178 all out set by Unam Zebras Legends.

The summarised results of the last week:



SUNDAY 1 June, 2025

• WAP Affies Park: Run Whisperers (151/6) beat Gobabis (150/6) by four wickets. Player of the match: Karl Birkenstock (Run Whisperers) 18 off 16 and 3/27 in 4 overs.

• Unam field: Green Mambas (160/5) beat Tsumeb (156/5) by 5 wickets. Player of the match: Willie Junius (Green Mambas) 67 not out off 56 balls, 7x4 1x6.

• United field: United (136/3) beat Over-40s (133/7) by seven wickets. Player of the match: Derick Colmer scored 29 (22 balls) for the Over-40s, while Louis Burger junior took 3/21 in 3 overs for United. Ruben Trumpelmann (52 off 31 balls, 3x4 4x6) and Burger junior (48 not out off 54 balls, 4x4) combined in a 73-run opening partnership for United.

• WAP field: WAP (167/4) beat Unam Zebras Legends (146/6) by 21 runs. Player of the match: Willem (WP) Myburgh (WAP) 44 off 36 balls (5x4) and 3/19 in 4 overs.



SATURDAY 31 June, 2025

• Unam field: WAP (183/2) beat Tsumeb (161/6) by 22 runs. Player of the match: Willem (WP) Myburgh (WAP) 68 not out off 57 balls (9x4).

• Pro-Ed field, Swakopmund: Tsumeb (179/3) beat Unam Zebras Legends (178 all out) by seven wickets. Player of the match: Willem Groenewald (Tsumeb’s captain) 78 off 52 balls (9x4 4x6). Groenewald and Fungayo Hlupo (52 off 35 balls, 9x4) built an opening partnership worth 146 runs. Earlier, Unam Zebras Legends’s total was built around fifties for opener Muhammad Waqas (57 off 32 balls, 7x4 3x6) and number seven Shafiek Abduraghman with a captain’s innings 58 off 40 balls (7x4 2x6).



FRIDAY 29 May, 2025

• Walvis Bay Oval: Gobabis (180/8) beat United (73 all out) by 107 runs. Player of the match: Willie Swart (Gobabis) four wickets for four runs in 3.5 overs (19 dot balls. Henré Opperman, batting at five, scored 64 runs off 38 balls (4x4 3x6) for Gobabis.



TUESDAY 26 May, 2025

• Pro-Ed field: Unam Zebras Legends (131/7) beat WAP (130/6) by three wickets. Player of the match: Deepak Pareek (Unam Zebras Legends) 3/7 in 4 overs (18 dot balls).