PCC cracks against UKZN
In its first season opener game, the Pinetown Cricket Club counted its losses aginst UKZN but is looking forward to its game against Quins.
THE UKZN cricket team overcame a spirited but disappointed Pinetown Cricket Club 1st XI in the club cricket season opener on Sunday by four wickets.
Having lost the toss and electing to bat first, Pinetown’s batsmen, led by newcomer Grant Romeril (45), put the early wayward bowling of UKZN to the sword as they quickly amassed 103/3 after 20 overs.
The well-set pair of Romeril and Kyle Stirling (15) sought to continue to build on the platform that had already been laid however Pinetown slipped from 117/3 to 119/7 in a matter of overs.
With earlier hopes of posting a possible 220 target well dashed, Pinetown’s players looked to grab as many runs as they could before the inevitable. A top quality patch of spin bowling from UKZN’s Sahil Bissoon (4/36) and Senuren Muthusamy saw the final wicket fall with the total on 160.
Needing early wickets Pinetown’s new ball pair attacked immediately, but an aggressive counter-attack from UKZN’s opening batsmen saw the visitors get off to a breezy start.
Three quick wickets from stand-in captain Kyle Gilham (3/20) helped stem the run flow temporarily but a poor display of ill-disciplined bowling soon saw PCC against the ropes once more.
Despite two wickets for leg-spinner Grant Olivier and one from left arm seamer Romeril giving Pinetown a glimmer of hope, boundaries continued to flow for UKZN’s batsmen. Muthusamy (45) and Khalipha Cele (39) steered the visitors to the brink of victory before Sumanth Sunkari and Bissoon took their side across the line in the 26th over to secure a bonus point victory and hand Pinetown a disappointing loss.
Pinetown 1st XI’s second clash of the season is against Quins at Lahee Park on Sunday 6 October at 9am while the club’s 2nd XI get their season underway against Umlazi on the same day.
