Lesotho Cricket Premier League changes format

40 overs is now 35...

The Lesotho Cricket Premier League has announced it will reduce its annual 40-Over championship from 40 overs to 35. The league says the move is an effort to improve the standard of cricket in the country.

This year’s championship will be contested by five teams – the National University of Lesotho, Vampires, Bails, Tigers, Lerotholi Polytechnic and Linare cricket clubs. Machabeng College cricket club did not confirm their participation for this year’s tournament.

There will also be awards for the tournament’s best bowler and batsman.

The Cricket Premier League says it hopes to return to the 40-over format next year.

To football and Sundawana captain Johannes ‘Mathoho’ Molapo is recovering well after fracturing his leg in a Vodacom Premier League tie at the start of the month.

Molapo suffered the injury in a 2-0 loss to Lioli on October 8.

He has been ruled out of action for the remainder of the first round but the Lesotho Under-20 defender is expected to make a full recovery and return to action in the New Year.

Finally, this weekend’s crunch Vodacom Premiership tie between champions Lioli and Matlama at Setsoto Stadium has been moved from Saturday to Sunday. The date has been changed because the stadium is booked for Saturday.

The clash will be a hotly contested affair as usual between Lesotho’s most supported sides. Lioli, in fifth place with 14 points, will be looking to bounce back from their shock 2-1 loss to Rovers this past Sunday. On the other hand, Matlama, who are third with 15 points, will be out to keep their impressive unbeaten start to the league season intact.

Cricket to hold camp, Likhopo to hold meeting

Lehlomela Ramabele (right) and his Likhopo teammates
have had a rough start to the season

The Lesotho Cricket Premier League has confirmed it will host its annual life skills and youth development camp for a third year. The camp was first hosted in 2014 and is usually held during the December school holidays.

In 2014, it was held in Leribe before shifting to Mafeteng last year. The Cricket Premier League has not confirmed the dates and venue for this year’s camp but it is believed the host will be Maseru.

The four-day camp aims to motivate cricketers and equip them with knowledge and skills to tackle daily life challenges. The initiative also has a HIV/Aids prevention element.

The camp is open to cricketers at all levels in Lesotho’s cricket pyramid and this year’s get-together is set to be themed ‘The uncommon beauty in sports’.

The Cricket Premier League says the camp is held in December because this is when students are home for their vacations. The majority of players in the Cricket Premier League are still in school and the league says it wants to keep them away from negative influences during the December holidays.

To football and struggling Vodacom Premier League outfit Likhopo will hold a crisis meeting today.

The meeting will involve the team’s management and technical staff and the club says it will strive to find solutions to Likhopo’s current poor run.

Likhopo have endured a dreadful start to the 2016/17 season and are 12th in the 14-team Vodacom premiership after seven matches.

The two-time league champions have undergone significant upheaval in recent months.

In May, the Red Army sacked Shalane Lehohla as coach just before the end of last season then, in the off-season, four senior players – Bokang Mothoana, Sefoli Ntoi, Nyakhane Nyakhane and Tefo Maipato – had their contracts terminated in an unexpected squad shake-up.

Former Lesotho captain Tšepo Hlojeng took over as coach for this season but the team has struggled. Likhopo have registered just one win and have lost five times in their seven league games this season.

Busy sporting weekend in store

Matlama looking to celebrate this weekend

This weekend is a busy sporting affair headlined by the Independence Cup championship at Setsoto Stadium. The annual showpiece contested by Lesotho’s top four teams from the previous league season will be disputed by Lioli, Matlama, LCS and Sundawana this year.

The tournament kicks off today with the semi-finals with the final on Sunday.

Today’s action starts at 1pm with league champions Lioli battling Sundawana before Matlama and LCS go head-to-head at 3pm.

The winner of this year’s Independence Cup, which is celebrating Lesotho’s 50th independence anniversary, will take home a record M150 000 cheque.

Tickets for both days are M20 for the open stands and M30 for the Royal Stand. Because of the Independence Cup, there are no Vodacom Premier League or A-Division games scheduled for this weekend.

There is also plenty of basketball action to enjoy this weekend with a total of nine games in the National Basketball League today and Sunday.

Today the show takes place at the Lesotho College of Education with four ladies league games and one A-Division encounter. The pick of the ladies action is log leaders and reigning champions Lichocha Shooting Rifles facing South Warriors while two unbeaten teams clash when Leseli meet Bokamoso South.

The lone A-Division game will see Leseli face hosts LCE. The action begins at 9am.

On Sunday the action moves at the CTC courts with four games starting from 10:30.

The sole ladies match-up will see Rovers play South Warriors. In the A-Division, LCE will tackle Khubestate and Bokamoso North will face Lerotholi Polytechnic. The weekend’s schedule will then conclude with the main event which is the battle between reigning champions KTA All-Stars and rivals Bashana Baheso at 3pm.

KTA All-Stars and Bashana Baheso meet again

One NBL game has already been played. Last night Lichocha shot to the top of the A-Division with a 118-27 demolition of Limkokwing University.

This weekend’s NBL action:

Saturday at LCE 09:00 LCE v Bashana Baheso (Ladies League) 10:30 Bokamoso North v Leseli (L) 12:00 Bokamoso South v KTA All-Stars (L) 13:00 South Warriors v Shooting Rifles (L) 15:00 Leseli v LCE (A-Division) Sunday at CTC 10:30 LCE v Khubestate (A) 12:00 Rovers v South Warriors (L) 13:30 Bokamoso North v Lerotholi Polytechnic (A) 15:00 Bashana Baheso v KTA All Stars (A)

There is cricket action as well with the 35 Overs Championship continuing with three fixtures this weekend. Today, Tigers host NUL Vampires at PTC from 11am. On Sunday, Linare host Bails in Hlotse and Lerotholi Polytechnic face Tigers at PTC. Both matches start at 11am.

Cricket action this weekend:

35 Overs Championship Saturday: Tigers v NUL Vampires (PTC) 11:00 Sunday: Linare v Bails (Hlotse) 11:00 Sunday: Lerotholi Polytechnic v Tigers (PTC) 11:00

Finally, the start and finish for this year’s Motul Roof of Africa will be situated at Bushman’s Pass between Likalaneng and Nazareth, race organisers have announced.

The new location is not the race’s traditional Bushman’s Finish but a bit further away. The Bushman’s Pass area will be the start and finish for the time trial and for the racing sections on the final two days.

Race organisers also released details on the areas for service crews, officials, the Motul bike wash and vendors. The Roof of Africa will run from November 30 to December 3.