Quins dominate at league matches
The second team’s match was moved from Harlequins 2 to Lt King Park due to the disastrous condition of the outfield through ongoing and persistent neglect by eThekwini Municipality.
THREE of Harlequins Cricket Club’s seven teams were engaged in league matches on Sunday, 12 January.
At 9am the first team took on formidable opposition Topham Cricket Club from Chatsworth in a 50 over promotion league match on a good wicket with a slow outfield.
Quins trio of fast bowlers were non-penetrative in the early juncture of the match primarily due to an initially slow wicket, which livened up later on during the course of the match. Sylvester Saulis’ bowling with a good deal of zest and zeal was nevertheless economical through conceding just 23 runs in 10 overs, capturing a solitary wicket during his endeavour. The two medium pacers were ineffectual. The stand out bowlers in the Quins arsenal were their two right-arm orthodox slow bowlers.
Regular spin bowler, Andrea Dal Moro, delivered admirably in his spell comprising 9 overs conceding just 24 runs capturing one wicket. Best of the lot was the not-so-much part-time bowler these days, Momedtalha Motalha.
Motalha captured 2 wicket for 9 runs, but sadly was removed from the attack after just 3 overs, which was possibly an error on the part of Quins in their strategy.
When Topham were on 79 runs for just 6 wickets, it seemed evident that the home team was well in the ascendancy. However, Quins’ inability to remove the lower middle order at low cost and tail-enders in their entirety, proved to be diabolical, as Topham progressed to a tally of 173 runs for eight wickets. Nevertheless, on a curing wicket surface, one would have expected Quins to have advanced beyond the target as typically batting becomes easier during the afternoon sessions at Harlequins.
However, a trio of negative legs before wicket adjudications against Quins contributed toward the failure of four batsmen and their consequential premature demise. On the positive side of the home team’s batting endeavour were four meaningful contributions.
Heath Manicom dug in while most of the top order capitulated, scoring 15 well-deserved runs off 47 deliveries. Kevin Kettle had no inhibitions during his charismatic but short innings of 26 runs striking 4 boundaries. Mohamed Patel was dynamic yet flamboyant in his contribution of 30 runs at number 8 in the batting order striking five boundaries.
Sylvester Sauli initially scratched around during his innings, but started to acquire some ascendancy and was undefeated on 11 runs, but ran out of partners when Quins lost their 10th wicket, 39 runs shy of their target in the 38th over. Topham won by 38 runs. Quins lost to a superior team who deserved the victory.
The second team’s match was moved from Harlequins 2 to Lt King Park due to disastrous conditions of the outfield through ongoing and persistent neglect by eThekwini Municipality. Quins 2 batted first on a small cricket field with a fast outfield in an innings which consisted of an above-par total of 282 runs in 35 of their 40 overs. Jaques Strydom top-scored for Quins with 54 runs Coetzee de Villiers got 28 runs. Justin Coskey managed 21 runs, Kalvin Venter scored undefeated 47 runs and Jarod Murgatroyd totalled 27 runs.
The latter mentioned, who is also a right-arm orthodox slow bowler, was most successful during Quins defence of their total in capturing 5 DUT wickets for 17 runs in 8 overs and Deneshan Pillay claimed 2 wickets for 9 runs in 3 overs.
The splendid contributions by Jarod Murgatroyd were instrumental in this victory for Quins and were supported by his teammates. Quins won this division 2 match by 202 runs.
Results for the U13 youth league played at Dubhri Road were not available at time of publication. All seven of the club’s teams will be involved in league match activity during the upcoming weekend of Saturday, 18 and Sunday, 19 January.
Contact 073-795-0363 for further club information.
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