The battle for Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA) First Division 1A top spot continues as Milnerton Cricket Club, Northern Goodwood Cricket Club (NGCC) and Primrose Cricket Club registered well-deserved wins, in the one-day league campaign, at the weekend.
Log leaders, Milnerton went up to a stubborn Tygerberg Cricket Club, in Ravensmead, on Saturday morning. After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Tygers set a score of 139 runs in 35 overs.
Tygerberg’s opening batsman, Chayden Hendricks came to work on the day. He scored a formidable 51 runs off 32 balls, before he was dismissed for an LBW by Milnerton’s Keegan Fortune.
Tygerberg needed a plan B, and fast. In the middle order, Fortune (22 runs) and Sinalo Ngobeni (28 runs) slowed down the game by facing 94 balls between them.
That was short lived as Milnerton’s bowler, Malcolm Cloete had other plans. Cloete’s five wicket haul demolished Tygers hopes of setting a big score. He picked up 5/35 runs in 7.4 overs.
Milnerton’s trio, Cloete, Fortune and Ryan Milne are in the top 10 for most wickets taken this season. They are second, third and fifth, respectively.
Team manager, Craig Phillips said after Ryan Milne took over the captaincy, he has led from the front and coach Robbie Van Harte has been a pillar of support.
“We have been trying to keep things simple and giving the players their freedom to play to their strengths. The selections has allowed for consistency which allows the team to bond well, a great team spirit also prevails,” he said.
Opening batsman, Dillon Smit registered a 51 runs in 57 balls before he was dismissed by Tygerberg’s Andley Adams.
The winning runs of 140/4 were scored by Justin du Toit (26 runs) and Kieron Paterson (13 runs) in the middle order. Milnerton won by six wickets.
“We would have batted first, but having lost the toss, we had to get our mindsets on bowling. TCC came hard at Van Harte and Milne and after 10 overs were 70/1.
“At drinks the guys were still positive and bowling changes curbed the runs, with Cloete having the batters, all ends up… Cloete ended with 5/35, bowling four of his victims. Target set at 140 and Smit and Peters set the platform for Millies to win by 6 wickets,” said Phillips.
From the 17 games played this season, Milnerton won 14 and lead the log with 66 points. Six points behind them is NGCC with 12 wins in 17 games, followed by Primrose with 59 points from 12 wins in 16 games.
Meanwhile, Primrose’s trio leads the WPCA First Division 1A one-day batting and bowling figures.
Sohail Mahmoed is on top of the leaderboard with 540 runs in 12 league games. In second spot, Qaasim Salie has 539 runs in 16 games. In seventh-position, Justin Pringle scored 466 runs in 14 matches. Together the three batsmen have contributed to 1545 runs, in 12 league wins, off 16 matches played.
Primrose bowler, David Schierhout leads the highest-wicket-taker pack with 42 wickets in 16 games. In ninth-spot, he is joined by fellow Primrose bowler, Yusuf Keet with 22 wickets in 15 games. Primrose’s form with the ball and the bat sees them in third position on the log.
The Roses beat UCT by 121 runs, in Claremont, at the weekend. The students won the toss and elected to bowl first. Primrose set a score of 273/7 in 50 overs, thanks to half-centuries by Mahmoed (75 runs) and Justin Pringle (96 runs). They bowled out UCT for 152.
Primrose are the only team to beat Milnerton twice this season. The other team that beat Milnerton is Avendale Cricket Club in November.
In second-position, former champions, NGCC played to a 175-run win over Pinelands.
NGCC won the toss and elected to bat first, setting a score of 272/3 in 50 overs in Pinelands. Tertius Raubenheimer scored the highest runs in club cricket this season, setting an unbeaten 141 runs off 147 balls.
Bowler Eric Osner picked up one of his best figures in the league with the ball. In 5.1 overs, Osner received 4/7 runs and averaged 1.7 runs an over. NGCC used only four of their bowling attack on the day; Morne Pentz (1/41 runs in nine overs), Kazimierz Szymanski (2/29 runs in nine overs) and Marcel Rautenbach (3/19 runs in six overs).
Milnerton will head up to Vikings Cricket Club this weekend. NGCC will head over to the students, UCT, on Saturday. While Primrose prepare to battle it out against Victoria Cricket Club away.
