Odds favour Quins in weekend league games

ALL seven Harlequins Cricket Club’s teams had league matches scheduled for the past weekend.

The Saturday side had a full match, in hot pre-frontal weather conditions on Saturday afternoon. Crimson 3 who batted first were restricted to a modest tally of Nelson, being dismissed in the 25th over of their 30 over allocation.

Accurate bowling by medium-paced seamer, Daryl Lavender, earned him four wickets for just 19 runs in 36 deliveries. Craig Laing was superlative in capturing 3 wickets for 30 runs in 30 balls and Ian Karg got 2 wickets for 8 runs 22 deliveries. Quins 6 had no inhibitions about chasing down this total on their favourite ground Lt King Park, Fynnland, acquiring 114 runs for the loss of only 3 wickets in 17 overs.

Chief participants in this total were Zane Gaze who scored 16 runs. Dean Jordan who retired hurt with 34 run, Ian Karg who managed 27 undefeated runs and Wayne Stuck who accumulated 19 runs for his team. Quins 6 won by 7 wickets.

On Sunday morning, 19 January, Quins flagship team took on Newlands first team in a 50 over a side KZNCU promotion league match in cool overcast conditions, on a difficult wicket with a fast outfield.

Fast bowler, Kevin Kettle, claimed 5 wickets for 29 runs off 10 overs. Quick bowler, George Bronkhorst, captured two wickets for 49 runs in 10 overs and medium-paced off-cut bowler, Mohamed Patel, bowled effectively for the duration of 3 overs taking two wickets for 5 runs.

Despite Quins’ endeavour at achieving victory in this important match being successful, it was disappointing in the mere manner which they achieved their objective. Only a 50 run partnership between the upper-middle-order batsmen, Aziz Khan and Fayaz Safri, who scored 25 and 26 runs respectively, was anything to report about.

An unfortunate leg before adjudication against opener Jeran Pillai, two unnecessary run outs of the top order batters and three consecutive failures by the lower middle order caused some trepidation in an otherwise entertaining encounter at the oval in Newlands. Quins surpassed the target in the 29th over earning 4 log points for the victory and a bonus point for achieving their target in just 29 overs.

The third team took on Silver Saints in a 30 over division game at Bayview Sports Club, Bluff. Silver Saints 3 scored 117 runs in 24 and a half overs, being bowled.

Right arm wrist spinner Brett Williams captured two wickets for 19 runs in 5 overs and pace bowler Theuns Jacobs claimed two wickets for 18 runs in 5 overs. However, most successful by far was part time bowler Warren Torguis who got four wickets for just 11 runs in 14 deliveries.

In reply Quins top order batsmen Brett Williams and Josh Brady scored 29 and 20 runs respectively, Josh being run out and Brett held out at Long off. The match however was abandoned by mutual agreement when Quins had the ascendancy and a vastly superior run rate, by mutual agreement due to persistent drizzle.

The fourth side bowled 9 overs to Phoenix 3 in their division 3 encounter, which the opposition scored 18 runs off, for the loss of two wickets when both teams mutually agreed to abandon the match, due to persistent rain streaming in from the south. The fifth team played a 30 over a side division 5 league match at Lt King Park in Fynnland on Sunday afternoon.

Quins 5 scored 104 runs for 5 wickets in a match reduced to 20 overs. John Hitchcock and Jonty van Eck scored 14 runs each, Jonathan Jansen managed 16 runs and Brennan Roger top scored with 21 runs. This was a below par total on a fast outfield which Rhythm 6 had no problem in surpassing in the 29th over with 5 wickets lost. Rhythm 6 won by 5 wickets.

Brennan Roger was Quins’ best bowler taking 2 wickets for 21 runs in 24 deliveries. Quins 3 won by five wickets.
Inept maintenance of the Harlequins 2 field by the municipal parks south team without any contrition has rendered this primary facility currently un-utilisable necessitating that many of the clubs scheduled matches will have be rescheduled to other facilities.

Practice and training sessions will continue as usual. Contact 073-795-0363.

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