This season has seen a Lichtenburg born and bred fast bowler taking wickets at regular intervals for Potchefstroom Dorp Cricket Club in the North West Premier Club Cricket League.

Hussein Alli, who travels from Lichtenburg for weekend matches, has been a revelation for the Potchefstroomers with the ball in hand this  season as the 26-year-old has slowly started making waves again, after two years away from the North West Cricket scene.

Alli’s best performance with the ball this year came in the recent North West Premier League T20 tournament  where he picked up 5/9 in a memorable bowling display. If he can keep this up, then a few more five-fors could come his way in the remainder of the season.

Cricket has been Alli’s big love ever since seeing Proteas legend, Allan Donald, bowl as a youngster and his association with Potchefstroom actually goes back to his days playing for NWU Pukke Cricket Club and the North West Dragons in late 2010.

‘I have always been involved in North West age group cricket from primary school.   I played u.11 provincial cricket until high school before playing for North West during my years at the Puk,’ he says.

After spending two years in Pretoria after graduating with a BCom Hons. Economics degree, he returned to his home province, and this enabled his old teammates at the Puk to give him a call.

‘Tjokker (Rohan Kruger) and Boemies (Stefan Gericke), asked me if I wanted to come play club cricket for Potch Dorp seeing I was back in the province. I agreed and, so far, it has   gone really well and I am enjoying my cricket and the atmosphere in the squad.’

Evidence of his enjoyment can be seen in the way he consistently picks up crucial wickets with his      combination of consistent line and length and keeping the ball up to the bat on    predominantly bowler-friendly wickets at Witrand.

‘Primarily, I want to bowl well for the sake of the team, so they can win. The main goal for me, personally, is to play for the Dragons once again,’ he claims. According to him, his most   memorable game this season was against Ibbies at Witrand where he bowled the final over.

‘Ibbies needed 7 runs from six balls and I bowled six yorkers. The match eventually ended in a draw which is quite strange for a 50 over game,’ he adds.

Alli’s involvement in club cricket throughout the years has also led to  numerous memorable moments on and off the field. But, according to the pace bowler, most of it would not be  publishable in a newspaper.

‘There are a lot of stories that I could tell you but I think it would be better to keep them in the dressing room,’ he jokes.