United Cricket Club’s Premier XI have, over the last two seasons, slowly been earning their stripes in the Eastern Cricket Union’s elite Eastern Premier League.
On Sunday, January 18, skipper Justin Gamble’s team proved that the club are not in the league to merely make up the numbers, and showed that they are rapidly becoming a force to be reckoned with after a tough, winning home performance against Actonville Spurs Cricket Club.
After winning the toss the home captain put his team in to bat.
They were in for a difficult time right from the get-go against the Actonville bowlers, as wickets fell early.
It was not only difficult for United’s batsmen to establish significant partnerships, but they experienced the real heat of Premier League cricket as the opposition tried their utmost to ruffle their batsmen’s feathers.
It was the skipper, Gamble, who held firm, though, and top-scored for his team with a gritty 44, while Zander Els, Rian van der Merwe (off the back of a century against Duduza, last weekend) and Kabelo Sekhukhune all got going, but could not get out of the 20s.
The Hosking Park-based side would eventually be bowled out for a disappointing 142, in the 42nd over.
An experienced Premier League outfit like Actonville are always expected to make light work of a target like the one set by United, but the batting collapses that they have experienced in recent games came back to haunt them as they lost two wickets before lunch.
Following the lunch break another wicket was lost, until Charl Prinsloo (25) and Ahmed Mohammed (24) forged a decent stand, but the inevitable batting collapse ensued as they went six down for very few runs.
Wahab Mehmood (16) and Theo Naidoo (13) started a fight-back of sorts and almost clawed victory for the away side, until three wickets fell for no runs and United secured the victory by just six runs.
Top bowlers for United were JP Meade (3/20), Oswaldo De Sousa (3/16) and David Zweni (2/15).
This is the team’s fourth win on the trot at Hosking Park.
A relieved and delighted Gamble, commented on the result: “It is fair to say that our boys are now fully-fledged Premier League players in terms of the way they handled the sheer intensity with which Actonville came at them.
“We did not put enough runs on the board, but, rather than losing the match from a position like that, as we did many times last season, we rose to the challenge.”
He added that the team handled the game with professionalism and took command of their performance.
“I am extremely excited about where this team is heading,” Gamble said.
The team travels to the home of second-placed CBC Old Boys on Sunday, January 25, in a match where all CBC’s semi-professional players are expected to play.
