Tears of joy, tears of sorrow, expectations met and expectations missed. The 2016 Varsity Cricket tournament is now over and history will record the name of Tuks as two-time champions.

Tuks defeated the University of the Western Cape (UWC) by 21 runs in the final of the 2016 Varsity Cricket tournament on Saturday night at Senwes Park. Tuks ended on 174/5 and UWC were restricted to 153/6.

By retaining their Varsity Cricket crown, Tuks fortified their reputation as a team who is prepared when big opportunities come knocking, having also won the prestigious Red Bull Campus Cricket tournament in India last year.

UWC were the archetypal underdogs going into the final and deserve praise for their outstanding performance, but in the end they were no match for their opponents. Tuks needed to put in a team effort and they did just that. Evan Jones (56 from 35), Gerry Pike (45 from 48), and Blake Schraader (40 from 24) formed the fulcrum around which the Tuks innings revolved.

UWC was unnecessarily reserved. They lacked the urgency and big-match temperament of their opponents. Maybe the occasion was too big, maybe Tuks were too good, maybe it just wasn’t UWC’s time. A telling statistic can be found in the fact that Tuks delivered 20 dot balls within the first six overs. If UWC went for it and lost wickets, that would have been one thing, but they erred on the side of caution. It was a fatal decision. Wickets fell but the required runs were not attained. Dean Mazhawidza managed to strike 53 off 50, but it was as futile as it was valiant.

‘I wanted to contribute in the final on the big stage,’ said Man of the Match, Evan Jones, after the match. ‘Its all for the boys.’

His captain, Murray Coetzee, promised that there is still room in Tuks’ trophy cabinet. ‘I’m absolutely ecstatic about the win,’ he said. ‘We know how to play well in the big games. We showed that in India last year and this was, once again, unbelievable. We are going to Sri Lanka for the 2016 Red Bull Campus Cricket championships and we hope to bring back the trophy again.’

FNB Best Bowler: Zain Webster (UWC)

Edgars Active Best Batsman: Evans Jones (Tuks)

Steers Best Catch: Shaun Phillips (Tuks)

Samsung Man of the Match: Evan Jones (Tuks)