Randburg Cricket Club draws with Lenasia after 606 run affair on home ground
A flat pitch and hot weather ensured bowlers could not take all the wickets needed for a result.
Insufficient time was the only reason Randburg Cricket Club did not win their Presidents A-League match against Lenasia Cricket Club.
Instead, a draw between the sides unfolded at Randburg’s field in Praegville as a flat pitch and windless, hot weather saw the batters carry the day.
There was nothing for bowlers to work with and fielders laboured hard on January 15, as Randburg won the toss and captain Cornel Eksteen made the right decision to bat first.
There was support by Charlie Dowling (48) and Tony Ferreira (44) but Bright Njanji deserved his man-of-the-match award for his exceptional innings: 153 runs off 155 balls, which included 14 fours and three sixes.
Randburg posted 364–6 in 60 overs in the ‘time cricket’ match – a format where 60 overs are given to each side but there is no limit to the number of overs each bowler can bowl, and the second team has to reach the target score, or be bowled out, for there to be a result.
No visiting bowlers had good returns as Njanji dispatched them for boundaries all around the ground.
In their innings, Lenasia’s batters dug in for the long haul and lasted 50.2 overs until the umpires called time when they were 242–6.
Talha Bhabha and Adeeb Davids shone for Lenasia with 101 and 88 runs respectively.
Randburg bowlers Charlie Dowling (4–59) and Njanji (2–60) took the wickets while everyone else was economical.
The bowlers were just getting into Lenasia’s lower order when time was called.
“If it was a normal 50-over match we would have won easily,” said the club’s media liaison, Bonang Nkiti, who also played on the day.
“It was a good game on a tough flat wicket, and I am happy with how we did. The heat was the real challenge and both teams probably played more against the sun than each other. We did drop Bhabha when he was in his 30s, so it did not help for him to go on and make a hundred.”
Otherwise Nkiti was satisfied with the team’s performance in this match half way through the season, where the outfit finds itself about halfway on the log.
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