Bishop cousins play key role

THE new year got off to the best possible start for the Southern KwaZulu-Natal cricket team with a second premier league victory recorded.

Playing at Port Shepstone Country Club against Chatsworth Sporting the home team beat the visitors by two wickets in an enthralling game of cricket.

This wasn’t the hit and giggle provided by T20, it was closer to a test match from many moons years ago, when pitches weren’t covered, batting was extremely difficult and the track favoured the bowlers.

The hosts won the toss and sent the visitors in to bat. Chatsworth was restricted to 112 all out after 46,1 overs, thanks to some excellent bowling and fielding.

Eugene ‘Ankles’ Naude bowled superbly upfront, taking 1/8 in seven overs. Spinner Raja Kazi picked up 3/21 in 10 overs, while Yugeshan Pillay claimed 2/14 in his 10 overs and Garreth Bishop 3/17 in four overs.

The final wicket was snapped out by by Prantosh Kalkapersad who returned figures of 1/9 in two overs and one ball.

In reply, Southern KZN put its best foot backward in a spectacular way, with four men out with only 11 runs on the board.

“With good aggressive bowling, the visitors, in the blink of an eye, had us in all sorts of trouble,” said Niko Potgieter.

But Garreth Bishop, who prefers to play flambouyant cricket, changed things.

He provided a mature and patient innings, chipping away steadily to make 46 not out and win the game.

And this he did with wickets falling at the other end.

However, the tail wagged, with Kazi, batting at nine, making 17 in a vital partnership of 30.

Jhean Ludick stuck around to make a valuable four runs (not out) in a partnership of 14 to get the home team across the line. No one was more pleased with Ludick’s four runs that number 11 batsman Naude.

Southern KZN won the match in the 45th over.

The Bishop cousins have certainly played a key role in Southern KZN’s success. Last year they played a lot of representative cricket.

As well as playing for Southern KZN, they played for the KZN Country Districts team, the KZN U23, and the South African U23 indoor cricket team.

Morne usually bats at the top of the order and bowls occasionally. He keeps wicket for the country district team.

Garreth’s main strength is his spin bowling, but he is known to provide very useful middle order runs as well.

A double-header awaits this weekend, with a match against Uthangula at Port Shepstone this Saturday (January 18) and then a match against Topham in Durban this Sunday, January 19.

Scores:

Batting – Morne Bishop 4, Junaid Khan 0, Yusuf Moosa 0, Matthew Denton-Cooke 5, Garreth Bishop 46*, Prantosh Kalkapersad 5, Yugeshan Pillay 4, Niko Potgieter 10, Raja Kazi 17, Jhean Ludick 4*.

Bowling – Eugene Naude 1/8 (7), Jhean Ludick 0/16 (6), Raja Kazi 3/21 (10), Niko Potgieter 0/23 (7), Yugeshan Pillay 2/17 (10), Garreth Bishop 3/17 (4), Prantosh Kalkapersad 1/9 (2.1).

Fixtures (Southern KZN 50 overs)

January 19: PSCC vs Knights at PSCC; Sezela vs DMCC Old Boys at Sezela; DMCC Colts vs Hibiscus Colts at DMCC.

January 26: PSCC vs Hibiscus Colts at PSCC; Sezela vs Merlewood at Sezela; DMCC Old Boys vs DMCC Colts at DMCC.

Matches start at 9am.