AMANZIMTOTI Cricket Club’s first team travelled to the Bluff on Sunday to face Harlequins Cricket Club.
For once Tegan won the toss and asked Harlequins to bat on a damp pitch.
Quins started slowly and although they never lost early wickets, good tight bowling by Adam and Sheldon restricted them to 20 runs after eight overs. Jordan then bowled four overs, taking two wickets for seven runs. Jarryd bowled seven overs from the other side, taking a wicket for seven runs. The pressure of not being able to score freely and the loss of three wickets began to tell on their batters.
With only 43 runs after 19 overs, they started to try and hit the leather off the ball. Adam produced a superb second spell of bowling and finished with nine overs for 13 runs and took four wickets. Quins were eventually all out for 147 runs.
Kevin Kettle opened the bowling for Quins and took four quick wickets. At 28 for four, ACC was in real trouble. Robin and Stumpie then began to calm their chirping by taking the score to 95 before Stumpie was out for 22. Tegan rotated the strike with Robin at a rapid rate before he was out. Robin then finished the game off for ACC in the 36th over with his score on 70 not out. ACC gratefully accepted the bonus point win and returned to Hutchison Park for a cold beverage.
Meanwhile the second team also played Quins at Kingsway High.
The normal second team were missing five of their regular players due to some call-ups to the first team and the unavailability of others. Fortunately the third team had a bye and five of the ‘ballies brigade’ stepped in to help out. Mark and Travis with 55 runs apiece, ably supported by Dylan with 35 runs, were the main contributors to their total of 208 for nine off 30 overs.
Dean took two wickets for 13 runs in six overs to help restrict Quins to 174 for six off their 30 overs. Another win for the second team has them pulling slightly away at the top of the table from the rest of the teams in their league.
The junior teams had mixed results, with the U15A narrowly losing. The U13A team won by seven wickets. The U11A team recorded a 10 wicket win while the U11Bs lost.
Next week the firsts are at home to Railways, the second team and U11A play away, U11B and U13A will play on Toti 2. All other teams are finished until 14 January.
