Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Cricket 2021/2022 Season Back in Full Swing
- Sharmin Naidoo
The Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ 1st XI Team have got off to an electric start to the CGL Enza Premier League season with two wins on the trot over the first two weekends. This team has certainly showed good form coming into the season with good preseason wins over CUT, Pukke and UJ.
The league 50 over opener saw Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ take on the UJ on The Walter Milton Oval on Sunday 17 October. Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ won the toss and chose to bat as the conditions looked good to put a good total on the board. Opener Mo Manack got Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ off to a good start scoring 37. Number three batter, Connor Esterhuizen was however the pick of the batters scoring 95 not out helping his team get to 249/7 in 50 overs. In the second innings, UJ managed to get themselves to 238 runs before being bowled out in the 48th over falling 11 runs short of the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ total. Wickets were shared amongst the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ bowling attack with Mo Manack, Reese Scheepers and Connor Esterhuizen all getting 2 a piece.
The second game saw Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ travel to Delfos Cricket Club’s Cecil Payne Oval to take on the 2018 National Club Champs. This time it was Delfos who batted first with opener Billy Van Zyl steering the ship upfront scoring 72 runs assisted by Connor Dale who notched up 40 runs. Delfos were eventually bowled out for 158 runs in the 42nd over of their innings. The pick of the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ bowlers, Juan Landsberg, got 6 wickets for 20 runs assisted by Haydan Bowman who took 3 for 31. The Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ batting line always looked in control from the start and comfortably found their way to victory in the 28 over winning by 5 wickets. Opener, Mo Manack, scoring 30, Josh Streak getting 37 and man of the match Juan Landsberg scoring 69 not out.
The team took on Old Eds this weekend on Sunday, 31 October in an away fixture at The Alan Lawson Oval, winning by 6 wickets in that encounter. Final Results: 1st Old Eds 206/10, Tumelo Yeki 3/27, 1st Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ 211/1, Connor Esterhuizen 108*, Brandon McCabe 90* Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ won by 9 wickets