MTN National Club Cricket Round-up

Gary puts Claremont back in the hunt

PRETORIA - Claremont's cavalry in the form of test opening batsman Gary Kirsten arrived in good time to get the national club champions title plans back on the rails at Memorial Park yesterday.

As Section 1 was opened up with a possible decider tomorrow between Claremont and Free State University, Section 2 leadership should be decided today when Rand Afrikaans and Port Elizabeth clash in another battle of the universities.

It didn't take the South African vice-captain too long to make himself at home yesterday with an impressive display of all-round talents: three wickets were followed by a century to eased the Cape Town side to an easy 10 wickets victory over East Randers CBC Old Boys.

While Free State ended Pretoria's success run in the battle of the senior tertiary institutes with a three wicket victory at Aloe Park, Claremont, after a couple of indifferent performances, reset their sights. Today they meet Stellenbosch University at NKP in a game billed as the match day.

Maties, who demolished West End CC from Kimberley, were confident last night they can upset the side they lost to in last year's final. Defeat for either club will rule out their chances of further progress.

In Section 2 RAU and Port Elizabeth remain unbeaten although their outing at L C de Villiers Oval today should decide which of the two are likely to go through. RAU have the more impressive team (on paper that is) but UPE also fancy their chances with Carl Bradfield leading a tight unit who know how to overcome the odds.

In fact the lads from Algoa Bay have played with impressive ability and foresight so early in the season.

For Rentmeester Tuks it was a case of not getting enough runs on the board. Dirkie de Vos scored 60 off 66 balls in a total of 170 for seven but Free State wasted little time in establishing a match-winning platform with Sys Myer and Gerald Fourie adding 90 for the first wicket.

Myer went on to score 75 as Free State needed 40 overs to wipe out the Tuks challenge.

At Memorial Park Kirsten first picked up three wickets for 27 and then the CBC Old Boys bowlers felt the full might of the Western Province openers as Kirsten lashed and undefeated 101 off 81 only balls with 11 fours and three sixes. With Lloyd Ferreira not out 69, Claremont finally displayed the form of a champions side.

Claremont's 186 without loss was accomplished in a mere 27.5 overs.

West End, with Pieter Koortzen scoring an undefeated 120, must have thought they had an outside chance of upsetting Maties when they scored 239 for four. But the students, after a small hiccup at the top of the order but Grant Cilliers managed 105 not out of 107 balls and a 161 runs partnership with Lance Grayson who hammed 82 off 71 balls ended what flickering hopes the Griquas side had.

Section 2 was turned into a battle of the institutions when RAU engineered an easy eight wicket victory over a Potch University side which has rarely looked as though they would challenge reserve league side. Neil McKenzie and Mark Benfield steered RAU home without any problems.

For UPE it was another stroll in the park as the students beat Cape Tech/Green Point by eight wickets, the match finishing shortly after lunch as the hapless Western Province champions pondered whether to have a net to try and do something positive about their embarrassing record or indulge in another team fines meeting.

Old Selbornians, already out of the tournament, eventually climbed off the canvas and floored Zingari, the Natal side who arrived full of hope but have run out of luck that goes with it. Zingari were beaten by three wickets in a match notable for indifferent performances by both sides.