Joy and disappointed for Old Eds cricketers

The Old Eds Premier league cricket team qualified for the knockout stages of the Gauteng Cricket Board T20 competition and faced Alberton in the first round.

Putting Alberton into bat they took early wickets, but some rather lacklustre fielding allowed the batsmen to build partnerships.

They managed a very competitive total of 176 for Eds to chase.

In reply, Old Eds lost Stephen Cook early after he and Craig Lyons had started promisingly. Schoolboy, Grant Roelofsen joined Lyons and Roelofsen was happy to rotate the strike so that the aggressive Lyons was able to dominate the bowling.

Lyons, in a return to Old Eds cricket after six years away from the game, struck seven fours and seven sixes in an innings of 105 off just 58 deliveries.

Roelofsen put the finishing touches to the innings with 46 not out, taking Old Eds through to the semi-final with an eight wicket win.

In the semi-final they faced UJ and put the students in to bat. Ryan Cook opened the bowling and took 3/10 off his four overs. With the other bowlers backing him up, UJ set Eds a relatively comfortable target of 123 for a place in the final.

Lyons could not repeat his form of the morning and was dismissed cheaply. The Eds team showed some changes for the afternoon game, and the young and less experienced batsmen failed to build partnerships with only Cody Gordon (28) making a meaningful contribution.

Eds were dismissed for 92 handing UJ a place in the final. It was a very disappointing exit from the competition.