Clean sweep for Quins cricket teams this week
From the onset of Railways' innings, Quins team members were full of hype and were determined to defeat their old adversary.
UMBILO Harlequins Cricket Club first team played their fifth 50 over stream one Challenge League match of the current season at Maidstone Country Club in the Tongaat north precinct on Sunday, 29 November.
The surface of the Maidstone wicket displayed absolutely no indication of any compaction, with loose sections of bully soil throughout, showing dangerous characteristics. The outfields lawn was acceptably short, but messy with bark and fragments from the eons-old blue gum trees on the periphery of the park which incorporates a golf course next to the sugar mill.
Quins were delighted with the win of the coin toss and had no hesitation to bat first on a wicket which they anticipated would fragment early on, which it did. The overhead conditions were clear with a moderate and dry northerly wind which intensified during the late morning. Opening batsman Huey Naicker playing with his unique compact wristy technique, struck four boundaries as well as a six over long off. He also nudged the ball safely between fielders for a number of risk-free singles. Number six batsman Kevin Kettle struck five powerful boundaries in his 30 runs, the highlights of which were three skilful sweep strokes of the opposition’s medium pacers. Quins were dismissed for 132 runs in 34 overs, a relatively disappointing effort due to being 16 overs short of their allocation.
From the onset of Railways’ innings, Quins team members were full of hype and were determined to defeat their old adversary. The first Railways wicket only fell when the score was on 36 runs, with Railways being clear favourites to achieve victory with only 96 runs to get and nine wickets in hand. Paceman Kevin Kettle bowled 10 consecutive overs with sheer determination, was expensive in conceding 62 runs, but instrumental in capturing four vital opposition top order wickets, as well as a crafty run out and a brilliant extended diving catch at cover. As expected, right arm wrist spinner Dieter Liebenberg achieved significant purchase off the degraded wicket surface. He had no trouble in bamboozling and removing the last three Railways batsmen, to leave the opposition stranded with the team total just 10 runs shy of Quins’ number. This was a closely contested match which perhaps was not played in the usual, true spirit of the game, but nevertheless a fine deserved five-point victory for Quins first team.
Quins second team travelled to the diminutive Fairfield Park at Hillary to take on Hillary Malvern’s second side in a 40 challenge reserve game.
Quins 2 scored 263 runs, losing half their wickets during their 40 over endeavour. T Jacobs topscored with 73 runs. W Van Der Sloot managed 63 runs, W McLean got 51 runs and Saint John Piek chipped in with 22 runs. Hillary Malvern second team responded with 224 runs, being dismissed in the 33rd over. T Jacobs was Quins’ most successful bowler, taking three wickets for 31 runs in four overs. Quins second side won by 39 runs.
Quins fourth team played a 30 over division two match against KwaDabeka at Harlequins 1 on Sunday afternoon. Some nifty pace bowling by Willem Fourie in which he took three wickets for 17 runs in five overs, helped to dismiss the opposition for 83 runs in 10 overs. Quins’ innings was largely in cloudy conditions, placing their batsmen at a disadvantage during their innings. Opener Quinton Oosthuizen scored 23 runs and it really did appear as if Donavan Steele would run out of batting partners prior to achieving victory when the last four batsmen fell in quick succession due to indiscriminate strokes and poor execution. However number 11 batsman Theo van Heerden showed his experience allowing Donavan to eventually strike the winning runs, taking Quins through to a victory by just one wicket. Donavan top scored and was undefeated with runs.
The Saturday team took on DHS/Rhythm in a 30 over division five match-up at Lt King Park, Fynnland. DHS/Rhythm 8 batted first but were soon in heaps of trouble, losing four wickets for three runs in the first four overs.
As a consequence, Quins captain Keith Tuckshop Baxter allowed everyone to bowl, eventually dismissing the opposition for 80 runs in 20 and a half overs. Gavin Hazell was Quins’ best bowler, taking three wickets for five runs in four overs. Zane Gaze took three catches, Dean Jordan and Keith Baxter held one catch each. The combination of Tyler Badenhorst in the outfield and Lionel Cow Gaze were responsible for a well-executed run out. Warren Jordan with the bat on 27 runs, Ian Karg undefeated on 23 runs and Zane Gaze on 17 runs required just 10 overs to surpass the set target. Quins 5 won by nine wickets.
This was a clean sweep weekend for Umbilo Harlequins Cricket Club with all four participating teams scoring victories and earning log points.
The Saturday team takes an early restive interlude until 9 January when they take on Verulam at home, but all other senior sides have games this coming weekend. The first and third team have matches at Harlequins. The second team play Clares at Asherville and the fourth team take on INK/Inanda at Badulla Drive in Merebank.
Contact Ernest on 031-467-3270 for further club information.
