Cricket season gets underway for Quins cricketers

Harlequins Cricket Club commenced with the official 2019/20 season with three scheduled matches.

The first team took on a strong Topham side in a T20 group match from 9am at Harlequins main field on Sunday, 29 September. Fast bowler George Badenhorst delivered accurately with good velocity into the wind, capturing two wickets in two overs striking the stumps on both occasions. Topham’s number four batter, Vishal Thino, accumulated 22 runs off 25 deliveries and Bradley Pillay managed 17 undefeated runs. But it was all the while that the entire Quins bowling attack could not dismiss Topham’s opening batsman T Patel who ended up with 83 runs off just 52 deliveries which allowed Topham to set a very fine target of 149 runs in 20 overs. Topham lost just three wickets during their endeavour. Right arm off cut bowler, Mohammed Patel, was outstanding in his four over spell conceding only 22 runs.

Sadly right arm orthodox slow bowler, Brandon de Melion, was introduced far too late into the attack an error which probably cost Quins considerably. George Badenhorst was the best of Quins bowlers in capturing two wickets for 19 runs in four overs. The rest of the team’s bowlers performed well below expectation.

The batting endeavour was equally abysmal with Quins batsmen missing too many deliveries failing behind the required run rate from the onset of their innings. However, opening batsman, Sheldon Spindler, performed admirably getting 13 runs off 14 balls. Badenhorst was outstanding in the middle order striking 18 runs off 16 deliveries and Kevin Kettle was superb in executing some well-improvised sweep shots and an explosive six over the clubhouse scoring 22 runs in just a dozen deliveries, being undefeated. Quins accumulated a mere 99 runs in 20 overs losing eight wickets in the process. The club is aspirant that the team will improve its performances as the season advances.

The second team played a 40 over match at Phoenix Rainham against Rhythm. Rhythm tallied up 149 runs in 38,2 overs losing all their wickets. Coetzee de Villiers bowled seven overs for 24 runs capturing three wickets. Quick bowler, Tyler Jordan, got two wickets conceeding 22 runs in seven overs. Quins 2’s Hancko Vosser top scored for the team with 39 runs. However, light deteriorated to such an extent in the late afternoon, that the match was abandoned due to risk at a juncture where Quins were well ahead of the required run rate with the score at Nelson for six wickets in 20 overs. Quins 2 won on superior run rate.

On winning division four last season, Quins requested that their fourth team be placed in the highly competitive third division this year along with the third team. The much awaited derby took place at Quins main oval in the afternoon. Quins 3 batted first with Brett Williams getting caught in the gully off pace bowler, Sylvester Sauli, for a well-deserved tally of 44 runs. Warren Torguis was bowled by Clinton Abrahams for 28 runs and Pierre Horn was dismissed in the same manner by the same bowler for 27 runs. Quins 3 amassed 148 runs in 30 overs losing six wickets. The most economical bowler for Quins 4 was Phillip Smith, who captured a solitary wicket for 18 runs off six overs. By the 23rd over of Quins 4 innings, the team was ahead in the match through superb efforts by Sylvester Sauli, who got a quarter of a ton of runs.

However, with luminescence deteriorating in the late afternoon due to hazy conditions to the west of the ground, a middle order capitulation of Quins 4 occurred, primarily through successes by K de Beer of Quins 3, who captured three wickets for 21 runs in five overs and right arm wrist spinner, Brett Williams, who claimed two wickets for 19 runs in six overs.

Quins 4 were restricted to 124 runs in their 30 over allotment, losing just seven wickets in the process. Mark Goviea was Quins 3’s most economical bowler conceding just 13 runs off four overs.

This was a long awaited derby comprising outstanding performances by both teams and the ultimate success was that the club now can vindicate its decision to elevate it’s fourth team which will hold its own in division three league cricket, during the course of the current season.

On Saturday, 5 October, the team commence the season with a 30 over division seven match at Dhubri Road against Merebank 2 from 1.30pm. On the day after, Quins U13 team start their league match season with a 30 over game Phoenix Northcroft at 8am. The first team take on Railways in a group T20 match at Crawford College, from 9am. The second eleven verse Crimson in a 40 over division two game at Harlequins 1 from 1pm and the fifth team play against Durban Cricket Club in a division five match from 1.30pm at Harlequins 2.

Practice sessions are from 4.30pm Tuesdays to Fridays at the Harlequins cricket nets. Contact 073-795-0363 for further club information.