Spirited friendly fight against Jozi
The amateur cricket side of Marks Park Cricket Club from Johannesburg toured to Polokwane for a friendly match against locals, Eagles Cricket Club.
POLOKWANE – Dewald Weterman, captain of the Eagles, says former Nirvanna resident and Eagle’s player, Fahim Walliat, who now plays for Marks Park, organised the friendly.
Weterman says Marks Park is one of the top amateur sides in Johannesburg and their recent encounter gave the Eagles a clear indication of how they fair against top Gauteng teams. He says the sheer pace of the Marks Parks bowlers was quite impressive and gave his team’s batsmen a tough time at the crease.
The match took place on the cricket ground of Hoërskool Pietersburg.
“We are certainly not used to the pace of these Gauteng players and that showed in our overall score. Under the circumstances, I think our side did not fare too badly. Considering Gauteng teams have more experience and better training facilities, we did as well as anyone else could in these conditions,” Weterman said.
He added the Eagles learned much-needed lessons in the match and will build on their efficacy and confidence for the next match.
The visitors batted first and posted a formidable 370 runs (370/10). Walliat posted a competitive 73 runs until he was bowled out by Quinten Havenga.
Havenga took four superb wickets on the day, he got rid of Marks Park opener, Walliat before he was able to cause any more devastation to the Eagles’ self-esteem.
Christo van Zyl (two wickets), Pedri de Kok (one wicket) Sias Willemse (one wicket) and Riaan Rudolph (one wicket) each contributed to the fall of Marks Park wickets.
In reply, the Eagles batsmen gave up a brave fight. Charles van der Walt who scored a half century, with seven fours and two sixes to reach a score of 54 before he was caught in the field at the hands of Walliat’s damaging bowling attack. He got his revenge on Havenga who was caught leg before wicket for only five runs.
It was a dismal spell after Van der Walt’s departure, with Dewald Weterman put on 24 runs, Pedri de Kok managed 27 runs and Christo van Zyl who contributed 24 runs to the tally.
Eagles were dismissed for 221/10 with 149 runs off target.
