United bounce back with home win
Former football player and manager Ian Dowie is credited with coining the sporting word ‘bouncebackability’, meaning the capacity to recover quickly from a setback.
After their eight-wicket defeat away to Benoni Northerns Cricket Club in the Eastern Premier League on January 21, Brakpan-based United Cricket Club’s Premier XI showed true bouncebackability when they charged to a convincing six-wicket win over Boksburg’s CBC Old Boys at Hosking Park on January 28.
CBC Old Boys skipper Casey Arnold won the morning coin toss and elected to bat first, a move that would prove to be a bad one as his side were bowled out for 146 runs in 40 overs.
Ruaan Janse van Rensburg (3/29 in seven overs), Eden Links (3/32 in 10 overs) and Peter Trewick (2/33 in seven overs) were the best of the United bowlers while skipper Justin Gamble and Xolane Shongwe each claimed a stick in the bowling innings.
With the bat, United’s José van der Berg (34 runs from 43 balls) and Brandon Grutter (23 runs from 19 balls) put on a good opening stand of 55 runs before the latter was dismissed.
Van der Berg, Wickus Germishuizen and Gamble would be dismissed, but Links proved his value with the willow as he guided the team home with 43 not out in the 37th over.
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“It was a good bounceback win from the Benoni Northerns game,” said Gamble.
“We lost the toss, but we were happy to bowl first.
“Three early wickets from Ruaan gave us the perfect start and the rest of the bowlers worked well together to restrict them to what was probably 70 runs below par on the day.
“José and Grutter gave us a good start with the bat and a few smaller partnerships took us over the line.
“I’m delighted with the performance after last week and the guys showed some guts to come back stronger, we will need to keep the momentum going against the Springs Old Boys team which has put in a few good performances this season.”
That match will be played at Springs’ Pollak Park home ground on February 4.
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