Tuff Dogs, Renegades and High Flyaz turned up the heat as The Associates and CV Chargers faltered in the latest round of Evening Cricket League matches, which also saw two KPMG players taken to hospital after a clash of heads.

Tuff Dogs, the only remaining unbeaten side, thrashed West XI by nine wickets, Renegades punctured Chargers’ title drive with a 20-run win, and High Flyaz saw off The Associates, who played one short, by 26 runs.

Jayde Albertze, one of the league’s most explosive batters, plundered five sixes and six fours in an unbeaten 79 as he and Riaan Engelbrecht (43) rattled up an opening stand of 105, before Christof van Tonder chipped in with 20, to guide Renegades to 155 for two, setting up an intriguing cross-group clash next week against Tuff Dogs.

Renegades removed danger man Matty Watson, captain of Chargers, cheaply, but Piers Carr kept his side in the hunt with an unbeaten 78.

“Jayde [Albertze] carried his bat against a very strong bowling attack,” said Ryan Miller, Renegades’ captain. “We knew early wickets would be crucial against the Chargers and we managed to get Matty Watson out in the second over, which was a big moment in the game.”

“Despite a fantastic knock by Piers Carr the Chargers finished up on 135 for four. Pick of our bowlers was Charles Slabbert, who conceded only 21 runs in his four overs.

Miller added: “We are pleased with the win over a strong Chargers side, who are in good form.

“We’re happy to take some momentum into our next game.”

Jim West, the West XI captain, got his side off to a perfect start with a 47-ball innings of 52, which contained three fours and two sixes, but although Steve Jones chipped in with 39 — and later claimed the one wicket to fall — the innings petered out from 79 for one to close on 105 for seven.

Terence Corday, the captain, and Adam Petty snapped up three wickets apiece for Tuff Dogs, whose dominant opening pair, McLaren Lowe and Azeem Khan, then fired up the reply with a stand of 72.

Lowe finished unbeaten on 50 from 40 balls, hammering four sixes and two fours, while Khan made 36 as Tuff Dogs won with 20 balls to spare to secure their seventh victory.

Having been sent in, High Flyaz posted 133 for four, thanks principally to Swadish Gond’s 41 and Noel Woods’s 22.

In reply, Gary Knight made a patient 43 and Simon Jones, the captain, weighed in with 32, but The Associates fell well short of their target, closing on 107 for four.

“The Associates found the runs hard to come by in the early stages with Herbie Bascome, Noel Woods and Shawn Riley pegging the early order back,” Gerald Simons, High Flyaz’s spokesman, said after the team’s sixth win.

Two matches — hit by rain and injuries — are under review by the league with no points yet awarded after both were abandoned during the second innings.

Tuff Dogs dismissed PHC for 72 and were 26 for one from three overs when rain washed out further play.

The two KPMG fielders were taken to hospital for scans after a clash of heads as they both went for a catch and their game against Bailey’s Bay was halted, KPMG having made 140 for two with Bay 39 for one from four overs in reply.

KPMG’s total was spearheaded by Alistair Lynch’s unbeaten 55 from 45 balls and Henry Banks’s 46 not out from 28 balls.

“It was a fairly serious head clash, but amazingly one of the players managed to hold onto the catch,” said Michael Campbell, the KPMG captain.

KPMG were due to face The Associates the following night, but defaulted because of a shortage of players — a hollow victory that kept The Associates ahead of Renegades by virtue of a superior run rate in group one, both teams having won six of their eight matches.

“We had only nine to play on Tuesday, which would have been fine, but after the injuries we were down to seven with very short notice to get more people, so it wasn’t worth going ahead,” Campbell added. “The scheduling was unfortunate but understandable as the fixture list is very tight this season with the addition of [two] new teams.”

Campbell later reported that both players, one of whom broke his nose in the collision, had recovered.

“Both are good,” he said.

Groups one/two

Shelly Bay (Renegades won toss): Renegades 155-2 (16 overs; Jayde Albertze 79 not out, Riaan Engelbrecht 43); CV Chargers 135-4 (16 overs; Piers Carr 78 not out). Renegades won by 20 runs.

Shelly Bay (The Associates won toss): High Flyaz 133-4 (16 overs; Swadish Gond 41); The Associates (ten men) 107-4 (Gary Knight 43, Simon Jones 32). High Flyaz beat The Associates by 26 runs.

(Tuff Dogs won toss): West XI 105-7 (16 overs; Jim West 52, Steve Jones 39; Terence Corday 3 for 26, Adam Petty 3 for 29); Tuff Dogs 106-1 (12.4 overs; McLaren Lowe 50 not out, Azeem Khan 36). Tuff Dogs beat West XI by nine wickets.