A loss and a (bigger) win
MARLBORO GARDENS – Midrand Knights Cricket Club may have lost to Jubileum but they won something much bigger.
Midrand Knights Cricket Club can celebrate the success of its 1st team, which has done enough to earn league promotion.
The side might have lost its last Sunday 4-League match at home to Jubileum Cricket Club, but it had done enough throughout the season to finish in second place and book a spot in the Sunday 3 League next year.
It was a mild day on 8 April, with the sun peering from behind the clouds now and again to watch a thrilling match at Marlboro Stadium.
Midrand had not played much cricket for three weeks and showed they were out of sorts when they were bowled out for 170 in 42 overs, after losing the toss and batting first.
Adam Peloakgosi, with 48 runs from 75 balls, was the mainstay of the innings.
While Midrand started well with the ball, and had Jubileum two wickets down for 22 runs in the first 10 overs, afterwards it all went south.
“Our bowling wasn’t as good as it always has been, again a sign of not playing regularly the last three weeks,” said club chairperson, Jeremy Meiring.
“We started well, with Ramji Namasivayam and Avesh Surajlall [leading the attack].”
But the batsmen from Mayfair showed grit to fight back, upping the run rate to cross the line in the 35th over with only four wickets down.
Namasivayam was the pick of the Midrand bowlers, taking two wickets for 11 runs in six overs.
Meiring explained that despite the loss, Midrand was able to hold the second place even though Jubileum and Western Warriors Cricket Club had the same number of points.
Midrand had the better net run rate among the three.
“I would like to congratulate the lads for all the hard toil they put in Sunday after Sunday. It was a difficult season with a number changes that we needed to get used to, with the new venue the most notable one.”
Midrand Knights moved to Marlboro Stadium in the middle of last year.
The club’s 2nd team is sitting fourth in the Sunday 5 League and could end there, pending other results.
The same goes for the club’s 3rd team in sixth spot and 4th team in third place in their respective leagues.
Also read: Midrand Knights Cricket Club grows at new stadium https://www.citizen.co.za/midrand-reporter/186284/the-rise-of-the-midrand-knights/
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