It was a weekend of two home matches for the first team of Macassar Cricket Club, as they hosted two Western Province First Division D matches at Riverside Oval on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 November.
The Seagulls faced Sherwood-Manenberg CC on Saturday and Nyanga CC on Sunday, picking up victories against both teams to make it three from three for the local lads to date.
On Saturday, the hosts lost the toss and were sent in to bat and produced a bit a mediocre display to start with, losing wickets quite cheaply.
But the young opening batter Brandon Williams showed resistance and carried his bat, notching up a brilliant 116* in a great innings. He was well supported by Cameron Mitchell (46) as the pair took Macassar to 231/5 after 50 overs.
In their innings, Sherwood-Manenberg’s batsmen knuckled down and made things difficult for the Seagulls’ bowlers, scoring with ease until Franklin le Fleur got the breakthrough for the hosts. The visitors’ resistance continued, but the Seagulls kept their cool and bowled out Sherwood-Manenberg for 218 with a ball to spare to take a 13-run win.
Le Fleur (3/37) and Celenschi van Graan (3/45) were the best bowlers.
The following day the Seagulls locked horns with Nyanga CC, the latter winning the toss and asking the hosts to bat.
Williams picked up were he left off the previous day, showing sheer class and intelligence as he navigated his way to 62 runs. He was well supported by veteran Thomas Kemp (30) before Williams was run-out. Van Graan (28) also contributed to the home side’s total of 200/10.
The visitors struggled to get going in their innings as paceman Robin Pretorius and spinner Morten Jantjies restricted them from scoring and clinched wickets regularly. Nyanga was eventually bowled out for 105 as Macassar claimed a bonus-point 95-run victory.
Pretorius (4/29) and Chad Bailey (3/24) were the pick of the bowlers.
The Macassar CC second team was also in action on Saturday, travelling to the north to face their Kuils River CC counterparts. The visitors batted first and scored 88/10 in a poor batting display. Only veteran Franco Delis (26*) showed some resistance.
The opening bowlers Steven Levendal (2/21) and Tristan de Wet (3/33) put their team in a good place as they took wickets from the first over. At one stage, Kuila were struggling on 52/5, but a sixth-wicket partnership and a couple of dropped catches saw the hosts claim a five-wicket victory.
This Saturday (12 November), the Macassar first team will in action against Khayelitsha at home.
