Spurs chase down Old Boys in season closer
Old Boys’ performance had its glimpses of brilliance like Bennie’s innings and Nzimande’s haul, but inconsistency with the bat cost them – which sums up their season.
Actonville Spurs spoiled the party for their hosts CBC Old Boys when they edged them by a single wicket in the season’s penultimate game on March 25.
Spurs denied the home side a celebratory end to the season following their biggest win of the season and, arguably, the biggest upset of the campaign when they defeated title contenders Benoni Northerns on Human Rights Day.
Identical to the Northerns clash, Old Boys opened the game’s innings with the bat but the slow start would go a long way in costing them, and dearly.
Opener Sherwyn Pillay was dismissed for a duck and so was his captain and fellow top-order batsman Casey Arnold.
On his day, Old Boys wicket-keeper Dylan Bennie is an impressive hitter of the ball and this was one of those days as his half ton brought some calm in what was otherwise a disastrous start from Arnold and co.
Bennie’s innings ended on a boosting 62 runs. Pillay’s opening partner Matthew Wright added 24.
Old Boys’ innings took a big knock when another duck dismissal occurred, this time to the reliable Mark Pearse.
With Craig Parker an exception (on his day), the home side suddenly had little to nowhere to look for that single man to put pressure on the scoreboard.
Bennie’s dismissal seemed to have triggered a collapse within his team’s ranks and it was bowler and former captain WillieBernhardt who offered the last bit of resistance with 18 runs.
Credit must be given to Spurs bowler Mekyle Pillay, who conceded just 23 runs from his 10 overs of delivering. Pillay took an impressive four wickets including a single maiden.
He and teammate Devon Botha took a total of six wickets between them with Botha finishing with 2/17; 1 including two maidens in seven overs of bowling.
The best performance with the leather on the day, however, was from Old Boys’ Mpho Nzimande who single-handedly eliminated half of the visitors’ batting attack. Nzimande produced an outstanding 5/35; 1 in his allotted overs.
His captain also impressed with a hat-trick of wickets, Arnold ended his season with 3/22.
Old Boys yielded a collective 138 all-out before watching Spurs overhaul it with their haul of 142.
