Quins 1sts batsmen hand Railways five wicket win

THREE Umbilo Harlequins Cricket Club teams engaged in league matches on 4 and 5 November.

On Sunday morning, the Quins first team played a scheduled 50 over stream one Challenge league match against Railways near Tongaat.

The outfield’s lawn was superbly maintained although the wicket surface was poorly compacted and the outfield was rather diminutive on the southern periphery.

After winning the coin toss, Quins inexplicably chose to bat first in initially hazy atmospheric conditions, which were conducive for successful seam bowling. Quins accumulated a half century without any calamity, primarily through the endeavours of opening batsman Mohmadtalha Motalha, who executed a few effective cut shorts but was unable to keep a chest high delivery down, thereby playing the ball into the hands of Railways’ point positioned fieldsman for 16 runs. Kevin Kettle scored the same quantum of runs and Trevor Campbell executed some textbook cover and straight drives for a dozen runs. Ryan Baronet played a responsible innings of 34 runs and S Cassim got 21 runs to take Quins’ score to a well below-par of 149 runs in 28,2 overs. This was generally a poor execution by Quins batsmen, some of whom never seemed to have transformed from the 20 over to the 50 over format.

The changeover of innings commenced at noon with two consecutive opening bowlers being knocked out of the south end bowling attack by some aggressive Railways batting. However Kevin Kettle’s six-over spell of pace bowling was commendable, having beaten most of the opposition batsmen on occasion, taking a single wicket for 31 runs. Medium pacer Faiyaz Safri was most successful in capturing three wickets for 14 runs in four overs. Right arm orthodox spin bowler Eric Cavanagh was relatively economical with his 31 ball spell, taking a single wicket for 34 runs. Quins were unable to take five remaining wickets before Railways passed the target of 150 in 21,1 overs, thereby winning by five wickets.

Quins’ fourth team took on Delta 4 in a 30 over division one encounter at Harlequins 1 on Sunday afternoon.

Delta accrued 62 runs for the loss of 10 wickets in 14,1 overs. Right arm slow bowler Jarrod Murgatroyd captured five wickets for four runs in 13 deliveries. Quins responded with 63 runs, losing five wickets in 14,1 overs, thus winning by five wickets.

Quins 6 took on Simplex 5, who batted first and never looked capable of scoring a big total on a ridiculously underprepared wicket which is making a joke of club cricket. The bounce was completely uneven with many deliveries shooting through at ankle level and the odd ball going through at head height off the same length. Simplex 5 were 88 all out, with Craig Laing 4/9 off four overs and Russell Mackenzie 3/16 off 5.5 overs being the main wicket takers.

Quins 6 were soon in serious trouble, losing the first three wickets for just one run. This continued and at 23/5, the win seemed a long way off. At this stage Ozzy Charlton joined Dieter Liebenberg and they slowly started the chase. Their unbeaten partnership of 69 was the difference as they took Quins 6 to a five-wicket win. Dieter finished unbeaten on 36 and Ozzy on 23 not out. This was Ozzie’s first knock in about three years and he never looked in trouble.

There are only three league matches on Sunday, 12 November. The first team takes on a composite district team Ilembe from Stanger at Gledhow in a 50 over a side Challenge league match which starts at 9am. The third team takes on Phoenix 3 at Harlequins 1 in a 30 over division one match commencing at 1.30pm and the fifths play Railways 3 at Harlequins 2 in a 30 over division four game which starts at 1.30pm.

Junior coaching sessions continue on Thursday at 4.30pm. Seniors will practise at 4.30pm on Friday. A six-a-side tournament will be held at Harlequins on Saturday, 16 December commencing at 7am.

Call 073-795-0363 for further club information.