With only 28 matches to determine the best of the best Last Man Stands (LMS) cricket team among 10 sides, anything can happen. Everyone starts on equal footing—judged by the points on the scoreboard. The players know each other intimately, so it becomes a battle of skill, experience, and wit. Here’s what happened in the final, decisive matches.

The tournament was hosted at the Kovsie Varsity cricket fields from 16 – 18 May 2025. If you’ve missed it, don’t worry- there will be others, but hopefully this will bring you up to speed.

 Match-by-Match Breakdown

1. Cup Final Cricket: Grizzly Wolves vs CPI Masters

CPI Masters won by 49 runs

CPI Masters opened the game and took the opportunity to play an aggressive brand of cricket, scoring 170 runs for the loss of five wickets in their allotted twenty overs. While no one reached a half-century, Seth Fledermaus came close before he was bowled out on 49.

Grizzly Wolves could only respond with 121 runs.

The Player of the Match award went to Seth Fledermaus of the CPI Masters.

CPI Masters

2. Challenge Cup Final Cricket: CPI Strikers vs CPI Hot Shots

CPI Hot Shots won by 6 wickets

The CPI Strikers batted first, scoring 141 before losing their eighth and final wicket in the 19.4th over. Nobody managed to reach a half-century. However, the Hot Shots brought the heat, matching and surpassing the target by scoring 142 runs by the 17th over—without losing a single wicket.

As a result, the Hot Shots earned bragging rights, especially among family members of the team like Rikus Allen, who scored *54 off 30 balls, and the ever-reliable Eduan Coetzee, who contributed *51 off 29.

It was also Eduan Coetzee of the Hot Shots who walked away with the Player of the Match award.

CPI Hot Shots – Winners Challenge Cup Final Free State Champs 2025

3. Plate Final Cricket: Toxic Bloem vs CPI Bom Squad

Toxic Bloem won by 15 runs

Toxic Bloem didn’t need to be asked twice to open the first innings, scoring 162 runs without losing a single wicket. The Toxic legends once again showed exactly what they’re made of—Johannes Liebenberg scoring *50 off 31 balls and Bennie Lubbe adding *50 off 32.

CPI Bom Squad responded with equal enthusiasm but could only muster 147 runs while losing five wickets. Showing off some family pride, Jonathan Hickley played a beautiful knock of *51 off 30 balls.

However, it was team leader Bennie Lubbe of Toxic Bloem who earned the Player of the Match award.

Toxic Bloem – Winners Plate Final Free State Champs 2025

4. Bowl Final Cricket: Istanbul Rising Stars vs Good Fellas

Istanbul Rising Stars won by 2 wickets

Good Fellas opened the match hoping to limit any “rising” from the stars of the Istanbul team. But after a tough innings with the bat, they only managed to accumulate 124 runs, losing seven of their comrades along the way.

Istanbul Rising Stars, on the other hand, came out to prove that cricket runs in their blood—and that blood is thicker than water. They chased down the target with style, reaching 130 runs in the 17th over while losing just six wickets. Istanbul’s champion, Ozair Hanware, made it look easy with an unbeaten *51 off 26 balls—and tucked the Player of the Match award under his arm before heading home.

LMS Free State Champs Cricket Final Log Positions

1) CPI Masters, Grizzly Wolves
3) CPI Challengers, Grizzly Roses
5) CPI Hot Shots
6) CPI Strikers
7) Toxic Bloem
8) CPI Bom Squad
9) Istanbul Rising Stars
10) Good Fellas

6. Whats Next in Bloemfontein Cricket

Last Man Stands winter league starts thsi coming Sunday if the weather allows. One highlight about the winter league in Bloemfontein is that although it’s pretty nippy in the morning, chances of rained out matches are nearly non existent.