Sights set on successful season

Infrastructural concerns and various municipal issues at the club put a massive dampener on last season’s otherwise successful run, but there has been some good progress in the lead-up to the 2015/2016 Eastern Cricket Union campaign.

The sight-screen on the north side of the A-field, that came crashing down last year, has since been replaced after the club managed to acquire corrugated iron from the union, which has been painted white and constructed into the new sight-screen.

The club was forced to create a makeshift sight-screen from an old container in order for cricket matches to take place.

“It was a real bugbear for us last season, but we are looking up,” said facilities manager Des Gamble.

“We have also been fortunate to scarify the A-field, which is something that has long been overdue.

“I don’t think it has been scarified for about 10 years,” he added.

The work done on the Hosking Park outfield will give batsmen value for shots during the season.

“Our only challenge remains the sewerage problems that plagued us last season and we are waiting to see what the metro can do to assist us.

“We cannot have guys playing cricket in sewage and we also cannot afford to forfeit any games as a result.”

Gamble praised club captain Henk van der Kruit who, he says, “has brought structure and innovation to the United club system”.

In terms of cricket, the club recently held its junior trials and registration of senior players is, according to Gamble, going well.

For the Premier XI, the club has brought in Jose van der Berg from Springs Old Boys and also has a few potential strong signings in the pipeline, but Gamble said that the crux of the team will comprise the young players who took to the field last season.

“We really have a good team that is growing with each experience,” he added.

On the bowling front, the team will welcome back last season’s top Easterns wicket taker Kevin Hinton, who has enjoyed a successful spell in the United Kingdom, where he picked up numerous scalps and a number of five-wicket hauls for Ludlow Cricket Club, in the Shropshire County League Premier Division.

He also enjoyed a number of solid innings with the willow and this all-round ability will prove invaluable to coach Frans Bezuidenhout and skipper Justin Gamble’s team.

United Cricket Club will also field two Colts teams this season (a move that bodes well for the future), a President’s League team, a Saturday First League team, a women’s side and a Promotion League side (as Easterns have reverted back to the old 12-team league and done away with the Premier Reserve concept from last season).

Overall, the Brakpan-based outfit is striving to make it a season to remember.