GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - Mossel Bay's Sussex Cricket Club A team hosted Pacaltsdorp United at home, at the D’Almeida cricket field on Saturday, 11 November.
It was a thrilling, top-of-the-table clash in the fourth round of the Six Gun Grill SWD Premier League competition.
Pacaltsdorp won the toss and opted to bowl first. Sussex’s fragile top order slumped to 13/3 after 8 overs and the team found themselves in the deep end 55/5 after 19.4 overs.
Relentless
The experienced Pacaltsdorp outfit was relentless in its bowling and a low score was on the cards.
Surprisingly, the experienced spinner, Grant Simpson, opened the bowling and took a wicket in his first over and kept scoring low, giving away few runs in a tight opening spell.
Heath Richards and the born-and-bred Sussex man, Lindl Trim, took the game by the scruff of the neck by showing that the best form of defence is attack.
The batters put in a partnership of 151 runs in 20 overs, pouncing on anything short, punishing full deliveries as well as playing delicate paddle shots, to manipulate the field, much to the frustration of the Pacs captain and fielders.
Attacking skills
Heath showed his T20 attacking skills, hitting five boundary fours and clearing the rope six times, much to the dismay of the Pacaltsdorp bowlers.
Lindl had the best view in the house, with Heath going at full tilt, but he also climbed into the bowling attack, hitting six boundary fours and a six, scoring 62 runs off 57 balls.
After bringing up his century and the 150-run partnership for the sixth wicket in the 40th over, Heath was dismissed for 100 off 94 balls.
The lower order could not build on the momentum and Sussex was eventually dismissed for 231 runs in the 47th over.
The Pacaltsdorp innings got off to a disastrous start, with opener Randy Wesso out with the first ball of the innings, after captain and spinner Rowan Groenewald decided to try his arm.
Batters in a spin
Rowan had the Pacs batters in a spin and took his third wicket in the fifth over, with the score on five.
Pacs were on the ropes, much to the delight of the appreciative crowd, who gathered at D’Almeida cricket field.
Rowan’s suffocating spell of 3/10 in six overs was instrumental in the match. Ravin-Lee “Ravi” Kemmies took a page out of Rowan’s book, bowling attacking lines and he finished with exceptional bowling figures of 6/53 in nine overs.
Sussex bowled Pacs out for 124 in 28 overs, earning what could be crucial bonus points, with a victory margin of 107 runs.
The Sussex coaches and bowlers will be disappointed with the tally in the extras column, specifically 13 wides. This discipline will require extra attention during training.
Next game
Sussex’s next mission is against Union Stars 1, the other undefeated team in the league, at the Bridgeton A field in Oudtshoorn tomorrow, Saturday 23 November.
Match summary
SUSSEX 231 all out (46.5 overs) (Heath Richards 100, Lindl Trim 62, Ruall de Reuck 21, Grant Simpson 3/46, Ricardo Majolla 2/37, Duren Felix 2/50, Enathi Kitshini 2/46)
PACALTSDORP UNITED 124 all out (28 overs) (Leroi Bredenkamp 35, Robin Hector 28*, Matthew Thorne 25, Ravin-Lee Kemmies 6/53, Rowan Groenewald 3/10)
Sussex won by 107 runs.
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