United continue where they left off
United Cricket Club’s Premier XI did not show any signs of a festive season hangover when they achieved their first win (and 10th straight win overall) of the second half of the 2015/2016 Eastern Premier League fixtures, on Sunday, January 17.
The team, who were unbeaten in nine first half matches, met KwaThema on Willowmoore Park’s A-field and carried their winning momentum into 2016 with a convincing eight-wicket win.
While the wickets column was dominated by the spinners in the first half of the campaign, the hard Willowmoore A pitch proved to be a seam bowler’s paradise, with United’s JP Meade obliterating the KwaThema batsmen with some fantastic bowling, to pick up a five-wicket haul.
His figures of 5/18 in a mere four overs were testament to the trouble he caused for the opposition batsmen.
Fellow seamer and last season’s top wicket-taker in the Eastern Union, Kevin Hinton, was equally devastating with the cherry.
He bagged statistics of 4/34 in 6.5 overs, while Tsepho Motaung picked up the sundry wicket to wrap up the KwaThema innings for 108 in 24.5 overs.
United’s chase was a relatively straightforward one, despite the loss of Jose van der Berg and Rian van der Merwe.
Debutant left-handed batsman Vaughn Humphrey, who made the transfer from Benoni Northerns Cricket Club, kept his head down and grafted hard to score 63 not out.
He and Eden Links (14 not out) took the team to the target in the 28th over.
Team manager Des Gamble praised the side for another confidence-boosting win.
“There were no hiccoughs and we dominated the game; it’s another step in the right direction for this team,” he said.
With second-placed Kempton Park surprisingly losing to CBC Old Boys on the same day, the team will be buoyed to continue their strong winning form in upcoming matches.
Their next assignment sees them travel to Springs on Sunday, January 24.
- Meanwhile, the club’s Promotion XI enjoyed a cruising victory over Actonville Spurs in Actonville by 118 runs on Sunday.
