THE Glenwood 1st cricket XI took on Maritzburg College on Saturday at Dixons.
With hot and humid conditions the entire week, the match was set to be a lowering scoring affair due to the dry, slow wicket.
Glenwood lost the toss and were asked to bat first. Glenwood found themselves at 20/2 after five overs after some good bowling from the College openers.
Joel Veeran and JJ Fourie settled in well and steadied the Glenwood innings. Glenwood scored at a good rate but lost wickets at regular intervals. Veeran and Jared Paul shared in Glenwood’s best partnership of the day, batting with good cricket awareness matching aggression with some good single options.
Glenwood were set for a score in excess of 200 runs but a mini collapse at the end saw them reaching a par score of 184 runs all out. Veeran was the last batsman out finishing on a well played 84 runs.
The game was evenly poised at lunch and was set up for a close finish. Glenwood took the field after lunch with good intensity and energy and were rewarded with two quick wickets by captain Jordan Grobbelaar.
The College batsmen then knuckled down and started to build some good partnerships. Glenwood managed to pick up some wickets at key moments of the match. The match bounced back and forth throughout the day. College needed 52 of the last 10 overs with four wickets in hand. Glenwood sensed this opportunity and did well to push the rate required to six runs to the over.
The College batsmen counter attacked with some creative batting and swung the game back in their favour. With 21 runs to win and still four wickets in hand, College were favourites to win but Grobbelaar bowled a great over picking up two wickets in the 46th over.
Daelen Fynn then followed and bowled a tight 47th over which forced some nervous calling which lead to a run out. College now needed 19 runs to win with only one wicket left. Grobbelaar bowled the 48th over and the first ball was a dot ball. His 2nd ball was hit along the ground to long on, the College batsmen called two but Daelen Fynn and Jordan Grobbelaar combined showing good composure to run out the last batsmen. Jordan Grobbelaar ended on figures of 4/21 and Turlock Davies 3/47.
Glenwood won the match by 19 runs.