2nd team 1st, 1st team 2nd in cricket clashes

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KNYSNA CRICKET NEWS - Knysna Cavaliers Cricket Club enjoyed a bittersweet day of preseason cricket last weekend, with their first team losing at the hands of SWD while the second team swept aside the Knysna Villagers on Saturday 7 September.

The matches formed part of the Villagers Spring Festival, which saw SWD playing cricket in Knysna for the first time this century, with the provincial union's Invitational XI locking horns with Eastern Province on Thursday and Friday, 5 and 6 September.

The Invitational XI would play one more game as part of the festival, against Knysna Cavaliers' first team on Saturday 7 September, at the Knysna Villagers Cricket Club a few kilometres outside Rheenendal.

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Cavaliers has been training hard in the preseason since late June/early July, so would have undoubtedly been hoping to cause an upset against a team which is mostly made up of contracted provincial cricketers. SWD would go in to bat first, and things wouldn't quite fall into place for Cavaliers, with the first setback of the game coming in the form of captain and opening bowler JP Ellis turning over his ankle in the early stages.

SWD's batsmen would dominate the innings too, with some slightly sloppy fielding costing Cavaliers, as the provincial side managed to reach 185-6 in their allotted 35 overs. Cavaliers' batsmen would be unable to match up to SWD bowlers however, as the home side was bowled out for 76, giving SWD a 109-run victory.

While the first teams were battling it out on the one field, Cavaliers' second team was taking on Knysna Villagers' First XI, where Villagers won the toss and sent Cavaliers in to bat.

Cavaliers' second team was able to put a strong total on the board thanks to impressive innings from Alan Gerber (48), Werner Mels (30), and Dean Dollie (50 n/o) that saw Cavaliers reach 190-8 in their 35 overs.

With the afternoon sun beating down, and the heat taking its toll on both teams, Cavaliers set out to defend their total. Despite some fielding errors later in the innings, early wickets from Mels and Chris Budu put Cavaliers in a strong position to defend their total. Despite the heat bordering unbearable, an air of friendliness between the two sides took over the game the longer it drew on.

Cavaliers was able to restrict Villagers to 101-9 in 35 overs thanks to good bowling from Mels (7 overs, 1 wicket, 13 runs) and Budu (6 overs, 3 wickets, 18 runs).

Irvin Campher bowls a delivery for Cavaliers' first team. Photos: Blake Linder