First win of 2019 for United
Batting first, in a shortened innings (by four overs due to overnight rain) the team performed well to put together a score of 230/8.
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Brakpan-based United Cricket Club’s Premier League XI enjoyed their first win of the second half of the 2018/2019 Eastern Cricket Union season with a comfortable 92-run victory over Actonville Spurs Cricket Club at Lords Cricket Grounds in Actonville on January 13.
It was a good one for the Johnson family with father and son duo André (56 runs) and Juandré (42 runs) Johnson the star performers with the willow for the visitors.
Branden Grutter’s 30 runs and skipper Justin Gamble’s 27 were valuable contributions as well.
With the ball, Gamble’s bowlers managed to wrap up the host team’s batting order with little fuss, bowling them all out with 35 overs for a score of 138/10.
Also read: United clobbered in Kempton
Grutter was the star performer with the leather, bagging figures of 4/31 in 10 overs and was backed up well by Shane Wallace (2/10 in 2.3 overs), Adrian de Vries (1/23 in six overs) and Gamble (1/6 in four overs).
“It was a good start to the year for us,” said the United skipper.
“We batted first on a slightly sticky pitch, but our top order did a good job and some steady partnerships got us to a good total.
“We initially thought 200 would be a great score, so to get 230, in the end, was a terrific effort.
“Grutter and Juandré were very good up front, seeing off the moving new ball then André played great innings to give us some momentum at the backend.
“With the ball, we were quite disciplined and a lot better in terms of not conceding many extras.
“Some steady wickets kept us ahead in the game.
“It was great to see Grutter back to his best with the ball, he was well backed up by everyone else.”
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