Willows cricket club finished top of the Central Albany League after beating Sidbury at their home ground.
Willows cricket club finished top of the Central Albany League after beating Sidbury at their home ground.
Willows went into the game as joint leaders with Makana Sona. Both sides were on nine points and both teams needed a bonus point win to clinch the league.
Willows won the toss and posted 233 all out in 46 overs. Willows got off to a hurricane start, putting up 35 runs in six overs with the batsmen taking full advantage of the new pitch.
Opener Nico Plaaitjies controlled the innings brilliantly, top-scoring with 67 runs (including five 4s and a 6), before he departed in the 42nd over. He shared a good 70-run third wicket partnership with Eldorique Gouws, who contributed 29 runs.
Notable batting performances also came from Clinton Gill (25), Chesley Daniels (17) and Melville Daniels (14). William Peacock was the best of the home side's bowlers, as he took four wickets for 59 in nine overs.
Sidbury came in to bat against Willows bowlers, who had only one thing in mind: Bowling out Sidbury for under 75% of the runs (172) to win the Central Albany League with a bonus point.
As a result, Sidbury played carefully and gave Willows the chance to bowl more accurately and economically. When they retired to their newly built clubhouse and change rooms for the drinks break, Sidbury found themselves at 48 for 3 in 25 overs. They were 126 all out in the end.
Cole Wessels picked up 3/23 off 6 overs and was well supported by Plaaitjies with 2/25 in 6 overs and Gouws 2/6 in 6 overs. In the end, Willows bowled economical spells for a deserved victory.
Only Jonathan Hart, with 20 runs, showed resistance for Sidbury.
Willows won by 17 runs and went on to win the Grahamstown Cricket Board Central Albany League. Wally Biggs, of Sidbury, congratulated Willows and thanked them for their good sportsmanship over the years.
Willows team manager, Percival Brooks, echoed Biggs's sentiment and said the spirit in which the game had been played was "fantastic". He said his team had played exceptionally well and that they deserved to be the league winners.
