Damp wicket scuppers Quins’ hopes of victory

UMBILO Harlequins Cricket Club’s first team played their 18th match of the season against DHS /Rhythm at the DHSOB venue, Durban North on Sunday 13 March.

Evident prior to the start of the match was the inherent dampness in the wicket’s surface, caused by the home team having left covers on before the match. The outfield’s lawn was superbly maintained, despite the abundance of an undesirable contamination of broad leafed, aggressive species of grass, which seems prolific on most outfields on the Natal coast in contemporary times.

Quins won the coin toss and most surprisingly elected to bat first on the moisture-laden wicket with cloud-free skies. The choice to bat first backfired profoundly on Quins as their top four batsmen were dismissed by virtue of deliveries holding up on the sticky wicket surface and consequently being caught out in front of the stumps with the team tally on 14 runs in the sixth over.

Number five batsman Josh Henry played a delightful innings with superb balance though nifty footwork and favourable head position, sensible selection of strokes and most importantly great execution, enabling him to top score with 36 runs, which included three boundaries. Dieter Liebenberg compiled a dozen runs inclusive of a six and one four to take Quins to a disappointing total of 95 runs in 33 overs on a wicket which was ever the more drying, presenting the opposition with a considerably easier surface to bat on.

Quins hoped to capture successive early wickets in the DHS/Rhythm innings and thus utilised quick bowler Devyn Scott who was Quins’ most penetrative bowler in taking two early wickets in his nine consecutive over spell. However he proved to be too expensive in the context of the match by conceding 41 runs. Seamer Sean Edwards was undoubtedly the most economical bowler of both teams, conceding just four runs in three overs and the Quins slow bowlers were ineffectual in defending the low target set by their batsmen. This allowed DHS/Rhythm to achieve victory in the 26th over with three wickets being lost. Quins lost this match by seven wickets.

This was a match which Quins never expected to win from the outset, but would have fared considerably better had protective synthetic covers not been left on the wicket for the duration of Saturday, or if the team had elected to field first on winning the toss.

On Sunday, 20 March, the first team plays its second to last match of the season in the form of a 50 over stream one Challenge league match at Harlequins from 9am, against ACC from Amanzimtoti and the U13 side take on Simplex RHCSC in their final 30 over league match of the season, commencing at 8.30am.

Quins will hold a social six a-side day on Saturday, 19 March at Harlequins. Anyone wishing to join in will be accommodated.

The club’s annual awards event will be held at the Fynnland Combined Sports Club, Lt King Park, Fynnland on Friday, 8 April. Call Ernest on 031-467-3270 for more club information.

THE fourth team played their final 30 over division three match of the season at Harlequins 1 against Phoenix sixth side.

Phoenix 6 accrued 113 runs on a good wicket and a decent outfield.

The determined efforts of medium fast seamer Clinton Abrahams enabled him to capture six Phoenix wickets for just 13 runs in 30 deliveries. Jarod Murgatroyd took two wickets for 19 runs in five overs. Both Quins’ opening batsmen were removed in quick succession without adding any real value. Some of the middle order batsmen however, got set but were dismissed before being damaging to the opposition. Chris Schulenburg struck 15 runs Donavan Steele and J Lubbe compiled 18 runs but Quins 4 were dismissed in the 24th over, seven runs short of victory.

THE U13 team played their second final youth league match of the season at Dubhri Road against Merebank.

Merebank U11s batted first, scoring 40 runs and losing all 10 of their wickets by the 14th over.

Gareth Govender took two wickets for five runs in three overs, Aaron Govender took two wickets for seven runs in two overs and Heath Manicom claimed two wickets without conceding a run in two overs. Quins responded in resounding fashion by chasing down the target in five overs, losing five wickets with Tyler Jordan undefeated on 10 runs and Heath Manicom not out with 11 runs.