Old Parks trumps Marks Park in Premier League match
A lack of maturity in the ranks was the undoing of Marks Park after a decision went against them.
Winning the toss and having home-ground advantage did not help a younger Marks Park side in their Premier A League cricket match against Old Parks.
The start of the match was delayed due to a wet pitch thanks to plenty of rain the day before, but by the time the first ball was bowled around 11:00, the weather was warm, though sometimes overcast, sometimes sunny, at the Emmarentia grounds.
Conditions were still good for bowling, and Marks Park sent the visitors from Bordeaux in to bat in the shortened 38-over match.
They started well by taking two wickets cheaply, but a decision by the umpires went against them and a partnership built between Hancke van Rauenstein (73) and Anthony James (42).
As Marks Park captain Yasin Manack would later say, it was here the lack of maturity would show, and the side would struggle to pick themselves up for the rest of the game.
The pair ended up being the two top scorers from Old Parks who finished on 185–7 in their 38 overs.
No bowler from Marks Park picked up more than one wicket.
Momentum was with Old Parks and the home batsmen were not up to the challenge, save for Usaamah Kara who scored an excellent 76 off 74 balls.
They ended up being bowled out for 156 in 35.4 overs, Tiaan Barnard (3–8) and Anthony James (3–47) being the pick of the bowlers.
“I felt we were actually 20 or 30 runs light in our innings but we bowled well, kept taking wickets and made it over the line in the end,” said Old Parks captain George Barry.
Manack explained that when those in the club found out it was a no-relegation season at the start, they placed many youngsters in the side to make it the youngest team in the league.
“We have five schoolboys and you don’t see that in the other teams at the moment,” he said.
“Our club has always been about giving chances to youngsters and producing players for varsity, franchise and provincial cricket. We don’t worry about keeping our older players going every year so we can keep winning. We like to bring the youngsters through the ranks at this top league.”
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