United exceed season’s expectation
The 2014/2015 Eastern Premier League has been one of steady progress for Brakpan-based United Cricket Club’s Premier XI.
In their second Premier League campaign since the amalgamation of Brakpan Cricket Club and Airfield Youth Cricket Club, in the 2008/2009 season, the United first team have shown that they are making substantial headway in the elite cricket competition in the Eastern region.
Under young skipper Justin Gamble, the side is steadily wracking up the experience points needed to be truly competitive in the league and concluded their season with a better than expected fourth-place finish behind league winners Benoni Northerns, runners-up Kempton Park and CBC Old Boys19 (the team finished in ninth position in their first ever campaign during the 2013/2014 Premier League).
On Sunday, March 14 the team hosted Tembisa at Hosking Park in their final match of the season, which the team manager described as a “mere formality”, as the team were guaranteed to end in fourth spot.
“I don’t think we would have said that in the past, but it just goes to show how much we have improved and grown,” said Gamble.
“We are extremely excited about our showing in the league and we have certainly achieved better than what we initially set out to.”
“On Sunday, the guys were jolly and did the job they that they needed to do out there.”
Batting first, captain Israel Hlengani’s Tembisa outfit was easily cleaned up by United’s bowling attack in the 25th over, two runs shy of a 100-run score.
Tshepo Motaung starred with the cherry and attained magnificent bowling figures of 5/16 in 6.4 overs (four maiden overs).
Oswaldo de Sousa (although a bit expensive) also stood out with figures of 4/52 in his allotted 10 overs.
The club’s leading wicket-taker, Kevin Hinton, picked up the remaining stick.
With the willow, United easily chased down the 99-run target in the 13th over, but lost the wickets of Zander Els (20) and JP Meade (21) in the process, while Rian van der Merwe saw them home with a good knock of 48 not out.
Had the team not lost matches in the first half of the season that they should have made light work of it could have perhaps been an even better finish.
