Howzat for a rollercoaster season?
It has been a season filled with a bit of everything for United Cricket Club’s Premier XI.
In their third campaign since gaining promotion to the Easterns Premier League, the club has been faced with numerous ups-and-downs in pursuit of a first-place finish in the Eastern Cricket Union’s elite club cricket competition.
“We have had to deal with every kind of incident and permutation possible and, although they have been difficult to handle, there have been a lot of smiles that have gone with it,” said team manager Des Gamble.
From dealing with administrative issues and the ongoing sewerage problems at Hosking Park, to the drama of a tied fixture against perennial league powerhouses Kempton Park at the end of January, there have been a number of tales from the season.
After the threat of an abandoned final league stage match against Actonville Spurs Cricket Club on Sunday, March 13, due to a sewage spill as a result of last week’s heavy rainfall, the Hosking Park A-field was eventually declared okay to play on at the last minute.
Winning the toss and bowling first in the damp early morning conditions, captain Justin Gamble’s side capitalised by bowling their guests all out for 98 in 25.4 overs.
Eden Links was the golden arm for United, as his spin claimed five Actonville scalps for just 10 runs in 4.4 overs (two maidens).
JP Meade’s 3/20 in seven overs were the next best bowling figures.
With the bat, Gamble’s side (knowing that net run-rate could be key in the final league standings) went out guns blazing to chase down the low total.
They lost five wickets along the way, the skipper top-scoring with 48, as they reached the target in 20.4 overs to claim a bonus point win.
The win means that United ended the campaign tie on points, in first position, with defending champions Benoni Northerns Cricket Club.
Net run-rate was therefore used to determine who the overall top finisher would be.
On Wednesday, March 16 this final calculation, confirmed by the Eastern Cricket Union, determined that BNCC had squeezed ahead on net run-rate.
It was remarkably close with United achieving a net run-rate of 1.59 in contrast to BNCC’s 1.628 (a tiny difference of 0.038).
United will therefore play Kempton Park in the second versus third semi-final while first-placed BNCC will play fourth-placed CBC Old Boys in the second semifinal on Saturday, April 2.
The final will be played between the winners of the respective semi-finals on Sunday, April 3 on Sahara Park Willowmoore’s main oval.
A completely rained-out finals weekend would see the number one placed team automatically qualify as the Eastern Cricket Union’s representative team at the National Club Championships, in Pretoria, later in April.
