Hottentots Holland Cricket Club (HHCC) returned to club-cricket action over the weekend when they hosted Avendale Cricket Club in a First Division A clash at the Naval Grounds in Gordon’s Bay on Saturday 11 January.
But it was not the start to the new year they had hoped for, as they suffered a dismal loss.
HHCC were asked to field first and started off good, bowling good lines and getting the early breakthrough as they restricted the visitors to 54/2 after 14 overs.
After the drinks break, the Avendale CC batsmen returned to the crease with a positive approach. A 142-run partnership gave the visitors an advantage, and they eventually ended their innings on 277/7. The pick of the HHCC bowlers were Jameel Ismail (4/50) and Guillaume Jansen (2/51).
The home team started their innings on the back foot, loosing two wickets in the first two overs, but substantial partnerships got them back on track as they stabilised the ship on 62/3 after 16 overs.
But after the drinks break, the Avendale bowlers applied pressure and the local boys unfortunately stumbled, lost wickets at regular intervals and failed to build partnerships.
HHCC were all bowled out for 110 in the 31st over, with Shakoer Baderoen (26) and Junaid Daniels (19) as the top run-scorers.
This coming weekend, HHCC are in action in a double-header on the road against Gugulethu CC on Saturday 18 January and hosting St Augustine’s CC on Sunday 19 January.
In Second Division A, Macassar CC (MCC) hosted Ikamva CC at Riverside Oval, with the visitors wining the toss and electing to field.
Macassar lost two wickets early and tried to stabilise the ship on 40/2. They succeeded and lost their third wicket on 121. Pinch-hitter Peter Samuels was joined by 14-year-old Wayden Mampa, the youngest first-team player in the club’s history.
The pair did not disappoint as Samuels dispatched the deliveries over the boundary ropes. Mampa kept his cool and rotated the strike and hitting a boundary here and there. The partnership was eventually broken when Samuels (82) lost his wicket.
It was left to Mampa (52) to carry the innings and he did well, losing his wicket with three overs to spare. MCC finished their 40-over innings with score on 281 runs.
At the change of innings the MCC bowling attack, led by left-arm opener Robin Pretorius, took charge of proceedings. Ikamva showed some resistance, but wickets fell regularly and they were eventually bowled out for 62 runs in 22.2 overs to hand the hosts a bonus-point win. Pretorius (5/18) and Julian Salie (2/1) were the chief destroyers.
This coming weekend, MCC travel to take on Cape Forces CC, while Somerset West CC host Belhar CC in a First Division B match. In First Division D, Helderberg CC are at home to Bellville South CC and Strand CC travel to to take on Mitchells Plain CC.
