Quins 6 celebrates sensational victory despite fading light
Zane Gaze was Quins 6's most successful bowler.
UMBILO Harlequins Cricket Club achieved a 100 percent success rate in their three league matches match last weekend.
On Saturday, 8 March, Quins’ sixth team played Chatsworth Sporting six in a 30 over a side, division five league match at Lt King Park, Fynnland.
Sporting 6 batted first, using the best conditions to post a fairly good total of 173 runs, losing all 10 wickets in 28 and two thirds overs.
Zane Gaze was Quins 6’s most successful bowler, taking four wickets for 28 runs in six overs. C Laing was the most economical bowler, conceding 18 runs in 30 deliveries and Ozzy Charlton having captured two wickets for 28 runs in six overs, was quite impressive. However it was the final three overs or so in which Quins appeared somewhat jaded, where performance diminished and the opposition tail-enders took advantage of Quins 6’s altered mode, slamming an array of boundaries and conceding a six to overthrows which placed Sporting in a reasonable position to defend their total.
However impressive top order contributions by Ian Karg 16 runs, Strongman Moses, 58 runs and Dean Jordan 23 runs saw Quins 6 with an outside possibility of surpassing their target with seven overs to go. However it was when Moses softly returned a delivery back to the bowler in rapidly diminishing luminance, when Quins 6 required in excess of six runs per over, that all seemed lost. However there were spasmodic contributions by the lower middle order and tail, in atrocious light conditions, with C Laing on 14 runs. Andrew De Beer 10 not out and Darryl Lavender 11 not out were the last standing batsmen at the wicket, requiring one run to victory when a ball was looped off the edge of the bat towards a backpedalling opposition keeper who decked the catch, allowing Quins six through to a sensational but well deserved victory, having had to endure by far the worst of the conditions on offer on the day.
On Sunday, 9 March the first team took on challenge league log footers Dawn Heights in the final 50 over league match of the current season. The game took place in inclement conditions with the prediction of high rainfall probability about and some light drizzle at times. The prospect of this match reaching conclusion seemed rather remote throughout the duration of the game which commenced at 9.15am.
Quins were fortuitous to have fielded first with the constant threat of rain in a match they were expected to win. As a consequence there was nothing parsimonious in their approach, as they went into an all-out attack mode, in a bold attempt to beat both the opposition and the inclement conditions. Again fast bowler Kevin Kettle delivered with zest and zeal and a great deal of pace, with the southerly wind extracting good bounce and carry to keeper Tyrelle Smith who also performed well. Kevin took two wickets for 20 runs off 10 overs. It was however the endeavours of chinaman-style wrist spinner Dylan Labuschagne who initially lagged when bowling into the fresh southerly wind, but soon came good with proper length deliveries taking six of the Umzinto middle order and tail enders out of contention for 16 runs in 5,3 overs. While at the other end, right arm wrist spinner Dieter Liebenberg bowled ultra-economically to a fairly weak batting line up, creating sufficient pressure to allow for Dylan to achieve due success. With the weather condition perpetually deteriorating throughout the morning and the lunch break not far off, Quins had to bat with abandon and this was done by openers Kevin Kettle and Dylan Labuschagne who scored 30 runs not out and 26 runs respectively, during the final two overs when light drizzle was as menacing as a swarm of irritating mosquitos. However victory materialised in 8,4 overs providing Quins with five points from the match. Quins probably end up in seventh position in the 10 team stream one Challenge league. This concludes a relatively unsuccessful league season for the team.
There seemed to be a misunderstanding as to the correct venue of the second team’s opposition, and as a result the 20 over group match was not played. The third side took on Newlands East Kensea in a 30 over division one league game at Harlequins 1. Quins 3 top and middle order applied their skills, performing admirably against the opposition’s bowling. Opening batsman Brett Williams scored 22 runs. Number three batsman Warren Torgius top scored with 42 runs and John Meintjies was undefeated with 26 runs at number five, enabling Quins three to score 145 runs for the loss of six wickets in their full allocation of 30 overs. While some of the less experienced Quins 3 bowlers were flayed in all directions by a fairly skilled Newlands East Kensea batting line-up, it was right arm seamer and senior member of the bowling attack, Coennie Germishuisen who continued with his impressive season by taking four wickets for five runs in four overs, aiding Quins 3 to a victory which could have gone to either team right up to the 26th over Newlands East Kensea 3 were 26 runs short of their target.
The fourth team played ACC 4 in a 30 over division two match at Wentworth Park, Bayview. ACC were restricted to 86 runs by being dismissed in the 21st over. Jarrod Murgatroyd took three wickets for 15 runs in 5 overs, Donavan Steele claimed three wickets for 17 runs in 3 overs and Theo van Heerden bagged three wickets for 15 runs in 6 overs. Quins 4 piled on the runs in sunny conditions, requiring just 12 overs to surpass the target, losing two wickets in their successful endeavour. Clinton Abrahams was undefeated on 45 and Ryan Baronet was not out with 32 runs. Quins 4 beat ACC 4 by 8 wickets.
Next weekend, 8 and 9 March, is the final big bout of cricket for the club. The first side commence their 20 over campaign with a match versus ACC at Hutchison Park, Amanzimtoti on Sunday morning, moving to Harlequins 1 to take on Ilembe in the afternoon. The second side have completed their season. The third team play their final league match of the season against Pinetown 3 which usually proves to be quite a formidable opposition. The fifth 11 have a bye. The sixth side takes on Asande 2, hopefully at Lt King Park, as opposed to the scheduled Highbury 2. The sixth team plays Sporting at Lt King Park on Saturday and the U11 team plays its final 30 over south stream youth league match of the current season at Chatsworth 1111 against Umlazi U11s.
The annual awards event will be held at the Combined Fynnland Sports Club at Lt King Park on Friday, 28 March commencing at 5 pm.
Contact Ernest on 031-467-3270
031-467-3270 for further club information.
