Rob Browne stars as Ballies sneak a T20 win
The Ballies beat their Gamalakhe counterparts by only four runs last Sunday.
ROB Browne, a vital cog in the South Coast Ballies’ batting line-up, has two things in common with Protea star Faf du Plessis.
Or he did at least last Sunday.
While the Proteas were bashing out a historic ODI series win in India, Rob was carving the Gamalakhe Keg & Galleon attack apart in a T20 match played at Port Shepstone Country Club.
Where Faf du Plessis made an unbeaten century, so too was Rob unbeaten, albeit on 54, which is not bad in a T20 game.
And like Faf, he couldn’t really run at the end, opting to flay for the fence as opposed to sprinting a single.
Faf had former SA skipper Graeme Smith in hysterics. Commentating on the game, Biff could barely contain his mirth, mentioning that Faf had been taken out by a sniper on the stadium roof.
Or so it seemed. In reality, Faf had severe cramp, and every time he struck a boundary, he recoiled like he had been shot, often falling to the ground.
Rob appeared to have tweaked a muscle towards the end. He also had his teammates laughing. “Rob is a skilled runner between the wickets. He is able to make an easy two into a quick single,” quipped one.
In the end, the Ballies, a team comprising a few senior primary pupils, managed 148/3 in 20 overs, with Gareth ‘The Old Fox’ Olivant contributing 39 at the top of the order before being caught in the covers.
Chad Laycock, still only 12 years-old, notched up a classy 24 not out. This boy can bat. He struck it beautifully through the covers, and showed soft hands on defence.
There is something effortlessly Brian McMillan-ish about his style of play. He’s a big lad but plays with such touch. He’s also a more-than-useful bowler, and bagged 4/25 on a day when bowlers seemed to struggle a bit.
Gamalakhe’s bowling, led by Hopewell Zulu, was enthusiastic and tenacious. Sbonela Shinga was the pick, taking 2-22.
Their batting too was pretty decent, and with a bit of luck they could have snatched a win.
Sbusiso Manqele almost got them over the line, with a well-played 69.
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