Pinetown Cricket Club off to winning start
In its first match of the season, the Pinetown Cricket Club took on and beat the Railways team.
THE Pinetown Cricket Club got its preparations for the new club cricket season underway perfectly with a comfortable victory over Railways from Tongaat in a 40-over friendly on Sunday 8 September.
Having won the toss and elected to bat first on a well-used and deteriorating Maidstone deck, Pinetown posted a strong 201 all out three overs short of their allotted 40 before a good effort from all of the highway side’s spinners saw Railways struggle to stay on top of the run rate, eventually falling 32 runs short.
Opening batsmen, Grant Olivier (18) and newcomer Grant Romeril (16), got the men in green and white off to a brisk start. The vastly experienced Bruce Kruger (38) and Tim Spence (30) enjoyed the most significant stand of the day as the pair quickly came to terms with the inconsistent pace and bounce of the pitch.
However, the notorious drinks break worked its magic once more as Kruger had his off-stump knocked back two balls after the break, his departure also signaling the start of a disappointing middle order collapse which saw the men from Tongaat claim two more Pinetown wickets in just two overs.
However, with Spence still on the other end, the hard-hitting bowling all-rounder Andrew Dyer (50) strode to the crease and continued to dispatch the bowlers to all corners of the ground as he blasted his way to a rapid half century.
Another mini collapse from the tail saw PCC fall short of the 230 mark they looked well on track for earlier in their innings yet still content they had enough on the board on a crumbling and turning track.
A rusty first few overs with ball from Pinetown’s new ball pair saw Railways get off to sharp start however the introduction of left arm orthodox, Barry Dyer, soon saw the first wicket fall which, together with a further two scalps two overs later, put the brakes on the run rate immediately.
With his first ball in the colours of Pinetown, Romeril then rattled the stumps and regular breakthroughs from then on ensured the highway-based outfit always remained on top despite a few explorative bowling options later on in the innings which saw some of the team’s part-timers get a few much needed overs under the belt.
Despite Shalden Sewshanker (50) and Naeem Khan’s (36) best efforts Railways eventually fell for 169, handing Pinetown a comfortable 32 run victory and their first win of the season.
On Sunday 15 September Pinetown’s 1st XI will play against Simplex Reservoir Hills at Pinetown Boys’ High School in another 40-over clash.
Senior practises take place every Monday and Wednesday from 4.30pm at Lahee Park for the next week and will shift back to their regular Tuesday and Thursday slots the week before the season begins. Junior practices are also underway and all those interested in playing junior cricket are encouraged to attend training every Friday at 4.30pm at Lahee Park.
