United’s new ‘Links’ in the chain
There was a sense of blissful tranquillity and positive optimism around United Cricket Club’s Hosking Park, at the weekend, when the 2015/2016 Eastern Cricket Union club season commenced.
The Brakpan-based club enjoyed fruitful and positive results, with their women’s team and Premier League side the stand-out performers, in particular.
On Sunday, October 4, skipper Justin Gamble’s team stepped onto the field for their third consecutive campaign in the elite Premier League, and looked a promising outfit in their encounter with Springs Old Boys.
With valuable Premier League experience steadily growing in their ranks, and the addition of semi-professional all-rounder and Titans player Eden Links to the set-up, the side showcased bright and encouraging signs that they could well fight it out in the upper echelons of the table this season, however, as the old cliché goes: “it is still early days”.
Links showed his class with the willow as he romped his way to a brilliant 110 runs (the third century scored in United’s Premier League history, following centuries by Aidan Justus and Rian van der Merwe last season).
His innings was not that straightforward and easy, though, as he worked hard to help United recover from a tough period, where they lost five wickets for a mere 60 runs.
He knuckled down and formed a solid partnership with Justus (48), to set the tone for a score of 265 all out in the 49th over.
Check out this video from UCC Brakpan’s Facebook page of Links reaching his century:
Springs Old Boys could only manage 109 runs in their reply, as they succumbed to a strong bowling display from Gamble’s men.
Branden Grutter continued where he left off for the Saturday Firsts, the previous day, when he picked up three sticks for 16, to claim four Springs scalps for just 19 runs.
Links also contributed with the leather and picked up figures of 3/22 with his off-break, while paceman Tshepo Motaung, fresh off receiving his Premier League cap at the start of the match, achieved statistics of 2/17.
The impressive performance saw United achieve a bonus-point win by 159 runs.
CLICK HERE for a GALLERY of the Links/Justus partnership.
- The women’s team had set the ambience around the place on Saturday, October 3 with a convincing victory over Kempton Park on Hosking Park B.
The women defeated Kempton Park by a mammoth 202 runs.
United scored 210 batting first with Adele Van Eck top-scoring with 69 and Jessica Poley 51 not out.
The hosts then bowled out their Kempton opponent for just eight runs in 5.1 overs.
Van Eck picked up four wickets for five runs, Kyla Styles two wickets for two runs and Bernadette Greeff with one wicket in one ball to wrap up the match.
- In other results, the Saturday First League team defeated Daveyton by three runs.
The Promotion League team was on track to defeat Bakerton on Sunday when their opponents abandoned the match due to player/umpire disputes.
United’s Directors side suffered a 47-run loss to Kempton Park A.
More articles:
United win edge-of-seat thriller
‘Small negative in hugely positive win’
Sights set on successful season
