Match against log leaders a stretch too far for Quins batsmen

THE final league match for Umbilo Harlequins Cricket Club was played out at Asherville when Quins’ flagship team took on log leaders, Clares in a 50 over challenge league stream one match in sunny conditions.

Fresh dry northerly, winds prevailed and intensified during the course of the day.

The outfield was shortly grassed, allowing for good ball velocity over the deck and a hard, quick dry wicket with good bounce and carry, all of which were conducive to the scoring of hordes of runs.

Quins elected to bowl and field first in an attempt to extract some lateral movement in the early morning, when humidity is usually at its most intense and to utilise what little dew may have remained overnight. Kevin Kettle delivered 10 overs with zest and zeal, extracting good pace with some unwelcoming bouncers for the Clares openers, dismissing one opener with a failed pull shot to a Quins square leg fielder, but conceding excessive runs. Abdur Rehman was Quins’ most economical bowler with four overs for a dozen runs, but was wayward and non-penetrative.

Sean Edward was surprisingly the best of all Quins’ bowlers, delivering with superlative rhythm and balance, capturing one wicket for 22 runs in a five over stint. Quick bowler Adam Mather was superb at times, in the good length zone, but expensive at other junctures. Left arm orthodox slow bowler Joshua Henry’s eight over spell was refreshing to behold especially initially, to newer batsmen. Quins unsuccessfully utilised the part-time services of left arm orthodox spinner Sheldon Swanepoel in an attempt to up the over tempo and to reduce the run rate, with the ball displaying advanced symptoms of wear through abrasion on the dry surfaces. Medium pacers Josh Brady, and left hander Jonty Morris bravely bowled into the wind near the termination of Clares’ innings with the compromised ball. Unfortunately all three of these bowlers conceded an excessive amount of runs to batsmen who were not only overly endowed with batting skills, but were well set through duration at the crease. Clares amassed 350 runs, losing just two wickets in their successful execution.

While Quins realistically realised they had little chance of surpassing this tally, they gave it their best shot.

Opening batsman Josh Henry struck three boundaries, but was undeservedly run out before reaching double figures. Sheldon Swanepoel managed the same score and appeared quite confident and comfortable during his all too brief innings. However a refreshing yet dynamic intervention by number six batsman Kevin Kettle saw Clares bowlers under the cosh for a half hour period during which he struck two sixes and four fours in an innings of 32 runs. The rest of Quins’ lower order and tail-end batsmen however succumbed quite easily, perhaps with the exception of young Josh Brady at number nine who was depleted of partners, ending up undefeated with a dozen runs. The standard of umpiring by officials Omkaar Panday and Saxon Blake Colling was fairly commendable. Quins lost this encounter to a superior team comprising some of the best players in the league.

Through the non-availability of some established Quins players for this match, the club was able to afford young players, currently participating in the third and fourth teams, the opportunity to participate at the highest possible level in the club. This in itself is sheer reward and Quins Cricket Club is delighted continue with this policy of affording such opportunity. All cricket activities have terminated for the current year, however junior coaching sessions will resume on Thursday, 8 January 2015 at 5pm at the Harlequins nets. Seniors will commence with practise sessions on Friday, 9 January 2015 at 4.30pm at the same venue. With the exception of the first and fourth teams, all Quins sides have scheduled league matches on 10 and 11 January, 2015.

The club wishes all its players, associates and supporters, a joyous festive interlude.