Old Eds premier league cricket team retain title

Going into their last match of the season against league leaders The Wanderers, Old Eds were just two points behind, so the winner would claim the title.

Old Eds batted first, but quickly lost their opening batsmen with just 11 runs on the board. Gareth Harte, stand-in captain for the day, then joined the young SA schools player, Grant Roelofsen, and they set about, firstly rebuilding the innings, and then slowly took the game by the scruff of its neck. They put on a magnificent partnership of 142 before Roelofsen was out for 66. It was yet another superb innings from the young King Edward schoolboy who has shown consistent form all season, both with the bat and behind the stumps.

Harte was joined by Ross van Buuren (57), and they too compiled a century partnership as Eds pushed on for maximum batting points. Harte was truly in a class of his own. Having promised so much all season, this was the first time that his talent had come full-force as he compiled a masterful 132 which included 17 fours and one six.

Eds reached 280/6 and picked up seven batting bonus points to set a testing target for the home side. It was now up to the Old Eds bowlers to capitalise on the batters’ performance, and they did just that. Wickets fell regularly with Wanderers only able to mount one solid partnership of 66 between Martin Coetzee and Paul Hawken.

Again, it was Harte who controlled the show taking 3/55, with Matthew Varner (3/70) and David Sator taking two wickets giving excellent support. All credit to the home side as they made a good fist of trying to get the runs, as with wickets falling and Eds picking up vital bowling points, a win for Wanderers was the only way they would garner the title.

The early evening gloom gathered, and although the Wanderers batsmen appeared to still be seeing the ball well, the umpires called the game off with 3.5 overs remaining, with Wanderers on 245/9 and the win going to Old Eds.