IT was all-round wins for Amanzimtoti Cricket Club (ACC) as the first, second, third and veterans’ teams played various matches at home and away, on December 2 and 3.

The first team:

ACC bounced back to winning ways on Sunday, with a weather-affected run-rate win against Crusaders Cricket Club in Northwood.

Also read: Mixed bag of results for Amanzimtoti Cricket Club

The club’s scribe, Peter Lonie, said winning the toss and batting first, ACC found themselves in trouble at 78/5 and then 135/9 before a fighting unbeaten 101-run partnership between Corné Nel (84*) and JJ Fourie (52*) for the 10th wicket saw ACC to 236/9 in their 50 overs.

“Chasing a target of 237 to win, Crusaders were in early trouble at 14/2. ACC managed to keep the run rate below what was required, and this became important when the clouds gathered and lightning arrived,” he said.

Three balls into the 32nd over the umpires took the players from the field because of lightning. Lonie said conditions did not improve and the umpires called the game.

The second team:

ACC hosted Chatsworth United Cricket Club at Toti’s second oval in a 30-overs-per-innings match.

ACC won the toss and had no hesitation in electing to bat first. “Sheldon Maistry and Kevin Thöle batted superbly with both players getting to three figures before being dismissed. Maistry scored 107 and Thöle 114, with ACC posting a mammoth 351/8 in 30 overs,” said Lonie.

Chatsworth United, needing 352 runs to win, found the going difficult with wickets falling at regular intervals slowing their momentum. Lonie said, “Wickets were shared among the ACC bowlers with Maisty’s 2/38 being the pick. Chatsworth United’s innings closed on 217/9 after 30 overs, handing ACC a win by 134 runs.”

The third team:

ACC hosted Railways Cricket Club on the Toti Oval on Sunday afternoon.

Skipper Bradley Naidoo (33) and fellow opener Martyn Hall, got ACC’s innings off to a good start. Lonie said they were ably supported by Cameron Warner and young Steven Dennill (32*), who made his senior cricket debut. “ACC scored 154/9 in their 30 overs. Railways, chasing 155 to win, came agonisingly close and scored 152/9 in their 30 overs, with ACC winning by just 2 runs,” he said.

The veterans’ team:

ACC’s veterans team hosted Dawnheights Cricket Club in the KZN Castle Veterans League at the Toti Oval on Saturday.

ACC’s bowlers set about their task, and between the five bowlers in the bowling attack, 10 wickets were shared. Lonie said, “Pick of the bowlers was Hendrik Nienaber with 3 wickets while Leon van der Westhuizen, Chris Cronje and Johan van Niekerk took 2 apiece and skipper, Marc Shepard, picked up 1. Dawnheights were all out for 117 in 25 overs.”

Set 118 to win, ACC openers, Shepard and Van Niekerk, got the hosts off to a good start with a 45-run partnership. “Desmond Hughes came to the wicket, and he and Van Niekerk took the score to 103 before Van Niekerk was dismissed for a well-played 58. Frans Gerber joined Hughes, and the two saw the veterans across the line with the target of 118 reached in the 14th over. ACC won by 7 wickets,” said Lonie.

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