Pretoria (South Africa) - It took only a few overs for the first
controversy of the national club championship to emerge in
Groenkloof yesterday with Omar Henry, the Stellenbosch University
coach, voicing a strong complaint over the pitch conditions at
Memorial Park. While Rand Afrikaans University, the defending
champions of the MTN event, eased their way to a comfortable 112
runs victory over Lafarge, the club from North West, at
Harlequins, and Free State University thrashed Old Grey from Port
Elizabeth, Henry was none too impressed with the green surface
prepared for their game against CBC Old Boys.
We have played on some very good pitches in this tournament in
the three years it has been hosted by Northerns, but this was not
a fair batting surface, the former left-arm South African bowler
said after his side were bundled out for 75. Not at all the sort
of comments which are going to sit well with those in charge at
Memorial Park where CBC Old Boys are based.
As it is the tougher section of the two, Section 1 contains a
couple of games which can almost be billed as semi-finals than
league matches. This year's host club, CBC Old Boys won the toss
and sent Maties in to bat on a green strip and instead of Rudi
Bryson and David Townsend ripping through the Stellenbosch
batting it was Michael Houghton, a steady seamer, who caused the
panic in the Maties ranks. In a matter of 30 balls Houghton
collected five for 12, one of the better returns in the 12 years
of the event as Riaan Walters apart the innings slipped into a
swift cardiac arrest with seven wickets falling for 24 runs in a
matter of 7.2 overs.
Henry said he had decided to opt for four fast bowlers, also
feeling aggrieved that his best side was not available because of
exams. The pitch must have really been an interesting one for the
batsmen as CBC Old Boys opener Quentin Still spent 98 minutes
over his undefeated innings of 15; it was his technical skills
and expertise which enabled the well-organised batsman to help
his side to a nine wicket victory. Still is not one to surrender
his wicket lightly and was batting with Aldin Smith, undefeated
on 11 when the end came.
Down at Quins, David Terbrugge caused a minor scare when he went
off after six overs against the North West side Lafarge, the
right ankle, which was operated on nine months ago, a trifle
stiff but nothing too serious. Terbrugge is not available for the
next two days because of transformation meetings at the UCB today
and tomorrow. As it is Andre Seymore nursed RAU to an impressive
269 for five, declared in their 45 overs with 13 fours in a wellpaced performance. A first wicket partnership of 168 between
Seymore and Tiaan Vorster enabled RAU to mount their impressive
total against a bowling attack which was generally moderate on a
surface which generally favoured the batsmen.
Free State University opener Gerald Fourie put together the day's
second century as Kovsies ran to an easy six wickets victory over
Old Grey at Technikon Oval. It was an impressive display as well
as Fourie's 110 was scored of 112 balls with 15 fours and two
sixes while Morne van Wyk, with 51 off 59 balls added to the
Eastern Cape side's woes during a partnership of 122 runs for the
second wicket with Fourie. In the weaker of the two sections Zoo
Lake, from Gauteng, dished out a hiding to West End, of
Kimberley, with Alwyn Vorster smashing 90 off 81 balls in a bighitting act against pop gun style bowling while Boksburg squeezed
Cape Town University a little harder than the students would have
liked. With this section wide open, any one of the six sides can
get through and Boksburg although losing by 19 runs came a lot
closer to upsetting the Section 2 favourites than UCT would care
to admit. Collegians, the side from Natal appear the biggest
threat to UCT's bid to reach the final on Friday. They gave a
good impression of how to win in a tight finish when they beat
Police, of East London by three wickets with 18 balls remaining.