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GARDEN ROUTE CRICKET NEWS - Knysna Cavaliers managed to earn an emphatic 27-run victory over Plettenberg Bay Pioneers in a rain-affected match in New Horizons last weekend.
Both Cavaliers and Pioneers had begun their 2019/20 SWD Premier League seasons on the weekend of 12/13 October, with Cavaliers falling to Madibaz George (the latter of whom has meanwhile been suspended) while Pioneers lost to Harlequins Forces.
Both sides then had a lengthy break until they would lock horns last weekend, with the Knysna side travelling to New Horizons for the clash on Sunday 3 November.
The pitch on which the sides were due to play was ill prepared, however, due to the rain and nasty weather that had swept through Plettenberg Bay the previous day, with the pitch taking on a lot of water. This meant the game would only begin at 13:00, with the ground staff managing to dry the pitch and surrounding areas sufficiently for play to commence in a game reduced from 50 overs to 32 overs a side with no drinks breaks.
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Cavaliers would lose the toss and get sent in to bat first, and openers Neville McClean and Francois Bonthuys weren't quite able to kick the innings off with Danrick Moodien dismissing McClean with the team on 13-1. Cavaliers' partnership between Bonthuys and Maurice White would be the game changer for the side as they carried Cavaliers to 98, when Bonthuys was dismissed by Kirwin Christoffels. Another quick wicket fell courtesy of Christoffels, with White falling for 50 as the top scorer, leaving two new batsmen at the crease for Cavaliers on 111-4.
The tail would see out the rest of the overs, as Cavaliers managed to reach a reasonable total of 132-8 with Claude Terblanche the pick of Pioneers' bowlers with four wickets for 21 runs in seven overs. Cavaliers would need an inspired bowling effort to hold Pioneers to 133, with the home side boasting an impressive batting lineup that included the likes of former Zimbabwean international cricketer Mark Vermeulen.
Pioneers' openers would take the bowlers on early, but a great run out from Irvin Campher dismissed Christoffels, with Brendon Louw falling 17 runs later and another shortly thereafter with Pioneers on 40-3. With wickets beginning to fall around him, responsibility lay with the experienced Vermeulen to possibly steer the home side to their target, but he fell with the home side on 83-5, needing 49 off the last 10 overs.
A stellar bowling effort by Cavaliers coupled with some good fielding would prevent the home side from reaching the target, however, with Pioneers bowled out for 105 in the second-last over. Campher would be Cavaliers' top bowler with two wickets for only 10 runs in his 5.4 overs, while Vermeulen top-scored for Pioneers with 21 with bat in hand.
Neville McClean warms up for Cavaliers. Photos: Blake Linder
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