Pinetown cricketers defeat defending champs
The club beat Crusaders, who have been the most successful club in KZN for the past 10 years.
THE weekend’s action in the KZN T20 Premier League saw Pinetown Cricket Club 1st XI defeat defending champions Crusaders by 22 runs on Saturday, 21 October.
Skipper Kyle Buckthorp won the toss and elected to bat. Opening batsman, Dale Kinsey, got the team off to a flying start scoring 14 runs off the first over from former Dolphins bowler Nick Hewer.
A 101 run partnership between Bruce Kerr (75*) and Matthew Ford (42) helped the Highway outfit to a final total of 175/4 in their 20 overs.
Opening bowler, Ruben Naicker (2/21), struck with two early wickets and combined successfully with opening partner Andrew Dyer (3/27). Skipper Buckthorp strangled the Crusaders batsmen in the middle overs, conceding just 22 runs in his four overs with the home team ending their innings on 153/8.
Buckthorp said he was very proud of the way the team played, “We showed that old Pinetown fighting spirit.”
There is always room for improvement but no player gave less than 100 per cent on the day.
The Pinetown 2nd XI bounced back from last week’s defeat to UKZN with a comprehensive 125 run away win against Crusaders.
Winning the toss and batting first, Pinetown amassed a mammoth 316/6 in their 50 overs.
No bowler was spared as the Pinetown batsmen dispatched the bowling to all parts of the Ranleigh Crescent.
Dale Kinsey continued with the aggressive intent shown on Saturday with a powerful innings of 84 runs with middle order support from captain Dylan Agnew (58*), Jayme Crouch (40) and the clean striking Matthew Helm (66).
Chasing an impossing total, the Durban North team came out swinging but lost wickets at regular intervals.
Kinsey’s contribution of 3/39 helped bowl out the home team for 191 in 29 overs.
The 3rd XI made it a clean sweep for the senior mens teams this weekend in their match against Hillary-Malvern.
Batting first, Pinetown were powered to an imposing 219/6 in their 30 overs thanks to a second consecutive century by opening batsman Wesley Roberts.
Roberts carried his bat through the innings whilst racking up 124 runs including sixteen 4s and two 6s. Tight bowling from Sundar Sainathan (2/28) and skipper Michael Harvey (2/38) helped restrict the opposition to 192/6 in their 30 overs resulting in a 27 run victory for Pinetown.
Junior training continues at Forest Hills on Friday evenings. Contact Ian Wild on 082 452 5451. For women’s cricket enquiries, contact Cynthia Daye on 083 941 3324.
