Samodien in fine form for Udubz

Mark Ward

Leg spinner Abubakr Samodien’s five-wicket haul helped the University of the Western Cape to bounce back to their winning ways on Sunday, following a 69-run defeat against log leaders Western Province Cricket Club (WPCC) the day before.

Samodien, 22, a BCom Honours degree student at UWC took 5/23 in 9.5 overs in his side’s five-wicket win over Bellville in a Western Province Cricket Association Premier League match played at the university’s grounds on Sunday.

The win comes just a day after they went down by 69 runs against the log leaders, Western Province Cricket Club, at the Vineyard Oval. This weekend another double-header awaits the students as they have to play catch-up having missed games when they participated in the Varsity Cup, late last year.

Bellville elected to field but soon found out that the students who lost to Western Province Cricket Club just a day earlier were out to make amends and restricted them to 97 in 37.4 overs.

“I guess it’s a combination of hard work and dedication,” was Samodien's reaction when he was probed on his achievement.

“I have taken a couple of fivers before but this is my first this season. The season is halfway over and we are playing some catch-up games which are keeping us busy. I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of the season and us winning the league,” said Samodien.

He recalls having taken 8/24 playing against Paul Roos while playing for an Academy side.

While he took the lion share of the wickets, fast bowler Imraan Philander took 2/12 in five overs with Daniel Bell-Drummond (1/17) and Shabir Mallie (1/9) cleaning up the tail.

The students took 32.1 overs to reach the target with Bell-Drummond top scoring with 33 (5x4) while Kai Curran added 38, paving the way for the victory.

At the Vineyard on Saturday, the students’ bowling could not stop the home side from reaching 291/7 with hard-hitting Dan Da Costa slamming an unbeaten 54 from 38 deliveries, which included three sixes and five fours.

Ridaa Isaacs also did not hang around and went on the rampage with a fine contribution of 61 off 58 deliveries. The students were skittled out for 222 in 37.4 over.

WPCC remains at the top of the log with 58 points from 15 games while UWC remain in fourth place with 48 points.

In other action, Brackenfell vs Bellville (match tied), Cape Town Cricket Club beat Rylands by 41 runs, Claremont beat Green Point by 72 runs, Durbanville beat Ottoman by 79 runs, and Rondebosch won by 9 wickets against Kraaifontein.

Saturday fixtures:

Green Point v UWC; Bellville v Cape Town; Kraaifontein v Brackenfell; Ottoman v Claremont; Rondebosch vs Durbanville; Rylands v WP Cricket Club

Sunday fixtures:

Cape Town v UWC