ON Sunday, Amanzimtoti Cricket Club’s first team traveled to Stanger to play Elembe.
They are a very strong team and to have to play them in their own backyard is always difficult.
ACC left Toti in pouring rain, hoping that Stanger would remain dry as reported by their chairman before the departure.
On arrival they found a damp pitch devoid of any form of proper grass and covered with weeds.
Put into bat first, Toti’s misgivings were quickly realised with the opening batters struggling to get bat to ball. Every ball bowled did something different, from almost rolling along the pitch to flying head height past the batters.
The first three batters were bowled with balls that stayed low and passed under the bat. On 34 for three after nine overs, it appeared that ACC were once again going to be bowled out for a low score, mainly due to the condition of the pitch. Robin and James came in at number four and five. They batted together for 17 overs and took the total to 138 before Robin was caught for a well played 59 runs off 57 balls. James then saw Tegan, Jordan and Quinton go in quick succession before Adam arrived at the crease with the score on 152 for eight. Adam batted as though he was playing on a pitch prepared for a high scoring game and struck four fours and a six to finish 24 not out. Although the pitch had dried out a lot, it was still favouring the bowlers when James was given LBW with the score on 170. He compiled a very patient 48 off 81 balls and really deserved to at least make his 50. Ru-Juan and Bradley did not bother the scorers and at 180 all out off 41 overs,
ACC’s bowlers were licking their lips in anticipation of bowling at them before the lunch break. Adam and Bradley had Elembe in serious trouble with accurate seam bowling that saw them go to lunch on 21 for three. After the lunch break they lost a further two wickets for the addition of seven runs. Bradley bowled 10 overs, five wickets for 35 runs before he took a well-earned rest. Adam bowled six overs and took two wickets for 15 runs before he got a rest. As soon as Elembe started to look comfortable against Ru-Juan, Adam was brought back on to continue where he and Bradley had left off and finished with nine overs, three wickets for 37 runs. Elemble were all out for 123 runs.
The only blip on this performance was that Mr Extras was their highest scorer with 25 (eight byes, 12 wides, one leg bye and four no balls).
To leave Stanger with a win and a bonus point is something that very few, if any other teams have managed to do in the last few seasons.
Next week ACC travels to Chatsworth to play Chatsworth United. The team needs to be at its very best for the final six games if they are to have any chance of catching DHS and hope that they slip up a few times in order to be in the challenge for the title and promotion.
The second team beat Simplex, scoring 210 runs all out and then bowling Simplex out for 150. Faf scored 61, Chevon 57 and Donavan 20. Donavan then bowled eight overs and took three wickets for 26 runs. Cameran, Anele, JP, Hennie and Faf shared the rest of the wickets to complete a good win.
The U13 north team continued along their winning ways, by beating INK KwaMashu by 12 runs in a very tight game between two very good junior teams.
All other games were washed out due to rain.
