MARK WARD
In Western Province Cricket Association action at the weekend, Cape Town Cricket Club used their familiar surroundings in Plumstead to their advantage to beat Bellville by four wickets mainly due to some excellent bowling from Christiaan Oberholzer 3/8 in 4.1 overs, Kieron Adams (2/20), Geoff Dods (2/27) and Darren Rolfe (2/3).
Milnerton continued their gatecrash re-entry into the Western Province Cricket Association’s Premier League to remain one of only four unbeaten teams after two rounds of fixtures.
In other action, Kraaifontein, who surprised champions Claremont in their opening match last week, showed it was no fluke when they beat the University of the Western Cape by 33 runs after they set the home side a target of 170, this despite some good bowling performances from the students’, Liyema Waqu (3/28) and Shabir Mallie (3/10) performed exceptionally with the ball for the home side.
The visitors’ seam attack led by Elliot Moses who took 4/28 in 7.1 overs and Diego du Plessis (3/29) proved too much to handle for the home side who could only manage to reach 136 in 35.1 overs.
Rondebosch, led by seasoned campaigner Alistair Gray who scored 122 off 143 deliveries, registered an 11-run win over Claremont in a tense encounter in Constantia.
The match was alive until the last over with Josh Breed (44*) and Harlan Greig (8*) left stranded 11 runs short of the visitors target of 271, who earlier elected to bat first.
Elsewhere, Milnerton, who returned to the Cape’s elite club cricket competition since the 2018-19 season, finds themselves among the pacesetters, along with Durbanville, Rondebosch and Kraaifontein, which sport unblemished records thus far.
On Saturday, Milnerton thumped Rylands by eight wickets with seamers Sean Roach (3/21) and Malcolm Cloete (3/25), each picking up three wickets while Robin van Harte (1/15), Keegan Fortune (1/11), Benjamin Ward (1/24) and Kieron Paterson (1/4) contributing with fine bowling efforts to skittle the visitors out for 101 in 44.5 overs.
Darren Butler (55*) and Matthew Snyman’s (30*) unbeaten contribution, after Kyle Peters (0) and Kuda Samunderu (5) who both fell to Rylands’ Riaaz Teladia, losing their wickets early in the innings, drove the home side to victory in front of their home supporters.
