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Groot Drak vs Gardens Old Boys – 16 January 2022

After having our last two games of the year rained off, it looked like the same fate might befall the first fixture of 2022. Luckily, the rain ceased and we were able to start play just an hour later than scheduled.

Groot Drak elected to bat on a slightly spongy surface, but knowing that there were 11 capable batters raring to go, it was the only option. MC Uys and Claude Chantler put on a handy opening stand, surpassing 100 runs without losing a wicket.

MC missed a straight one on 34 and made way for Quintin van der Westhuizen at number 3, who got in to his work immediately.
After batting himself in to some much needed form, Claude retired on 54 and brought Mike Devine to the wicket.

Mike (26) rotated the strike well and allowed Quintin to free his arms, who also notched up a half century in quick time with 8 boundaries to boot.

Rikus Walters at 5 had a rare lapse in concentration at the wicket and punched an easy catch to mid-wicket for 10. He was replaced by Alan Sherratt, who struck the ball cleanly from the start, smashing 27 runs in virtually no time.

Another batter looking for some form was Jono Boulton (36 not out), who got after the bowlers in tandem with Tim Whitfield (23 not out) in the last few overs of the innings. Both did exactly as required, carting several boundaries to all parts before running out of deliveries.

A monster total of 302 was posted after 35 overs, which was seriously helped by the fact that 41 extras were conceded in the process.

After a dip in the pool and a bite to eat, Gardens started the run chase with the track drying out nicely in the afternoon sun.

The visitors got off to a flyer, with Admire Manyumwa seeing it like a beach ball from the outset and punishing anything in his strike zone. Another 100 opening stand kept Gardens in the hunt, with Morne Maritz (1/55 from 7) and Hugo Brink (0/23 from 4) unable to get the new ball to talk.

Alan Sherrat (1/46 from 7) bowled first change and took some severe punishment in his first few overs of leg spin, while Craig McNaught (1/21 from 3) from the other end managed to break the opening partnership. Jono Boulton took a sharp stumping chance from Alan’s bowling, which had Gardens 2 down at drinks.

Meanwhile, Admire was loving the flat track and cruised to 100 and showed no signs of relenting.

With some wily pace bowling, Tim Whitfield (2/40 from 7) found some rhythm after a few overs and picked up 2 wickets, exposing the middle order.
Claude’s (0/27 from 6) first over went for 13, but he soon pulled it back and did a great job of restricting the runs.

In the end, the runs were just too many, but a valiant effort from Gardens saw them put on 230/5 after their allotted overs – a total that would have been a winning one more often than not. Admire carried his bat, scoring 161 not out in an incredible display of innovative batting.

After having given us 533 runs, it was only fitting that the pitch be honoured after the game with a quick salute and a refreshment. Fines were well-deserved and thoroughly enjoyed before parting ways with the Gardens lads after an epic day of cricket.

Groot Drak vs Claremont Gents – 14 November 2021

At Groot Drak, we count ourselves incredibly lucky to play most of our cricket at home, but travelling to Claremont Cricket Club is a special outing for everyone. We were welcomed at the stunning ground, promptly lost the toss and were sent in to the field.

Struggling into the wind, Andri le Roux (0/14 from 2.5) was unceremoniously expelled from the attack after his third beamer, exposing an already stretched bowling unit.

Craig McNaught (0/24 from 6) kept things more or less tidy, while Claude Chantler finally got amongst the wickets for the 2021/2022 season. Even though he got smashed for 23 in one over, he dislodged 4 Gents batters for 44 runs in his 6 over spell.

Francois ‘Frenchy’ Vermaak made a welcome debut with the ball, getting rid of Steve Palframan for a duck and posting returns of 1/38 from 7. With similar figures from the other end, Hugo Brink (1/35 from 7) found fantastic rhythm late in his spell and pulled off a spectacular caught-and-bowled chance on the stroke of the drinks break.

With limited bowling options, young debutant Tristan Harley (son of Groot Drak legend, Conrad) was tossed the ball and asked to bowl towards the death. At just 14, the schoolboy turned many heads with his fiery pace and accuracy, leaking only 32 runs from his 6 over spell.

At the end of their 35 overs, the Gents had posted 211/7 – a total that felt just about par on a good wicket.

Gary Seaman (22) made a welcome return to the Drak side, opening the batting with Charl Ackerman (4) against a classy bowling attack.

Batting at number 3, Rikus Walters looked to steady the ship with Andri le Roux. Both players batted extremely well and played their shots before Andri was sharply stumped on 19.

Claude Chantler pitched in with 5 from 13 before making way for Francois Vermaak.

Frenchy and Rikus, having battled together many times before, put on a show for the crowd with a veritable batting clinic.

Neither gave any chances up as Rikus breezed past yet another 50 and Francois found boundary after boundary, giving Groot Drak a real chance towards the end of the match. Making the bowling look very easy, Francois (52* from 39) got to his 50 just as Groot Drak toppled the total, with Rikus not out on 84.

One more wicket and the game could have been very different, but as it was, the visitors recorded a 3 over victory over their great friends, Claremont Gents.

A few fines on the field surrounded by the awesome Cape Town vista was the perfect way to end a classic day of cricket.

Thanks to the Gents for their wonderful hospitality.

Match report by Craig McNaught.

Groot Drak vs Newlands Squirrels – 07 November 2021

It’s been ages since the Squirrels visited Drak and we were very happy to reinvigorate what was always a fantastic fixture in the past.
Groot Drak won the toss and elected to bat first, which, given the overhead conditions might not have been the wisest choice. However, the rare prospect of setting a total was too appealing to pass up.

Quintin van der Westhuizen (13 from 25) and Christo la Grange (24 from 38) got off to a decent start, seeing off the new ball and playing a few shots, but neither could kick on to a big score.

Rikus Walters continued his epic form by putting on yet another steady half century at number 3, despite surviving several missed stumpings. Finally fulfilling his oodles of potential, young Chad Ayford hit an incredible unbeaten 82 from 72 deliveries, while Wade Robyn (8), Morne Maritz (5) and Claude Chantler (4) were strangled by some great bowling in the death overs.

Groot Drak posted a respectable 209 for 5 from their 35 over allotment – a total that, given the track, felt a few runs light.

Morne Maritz may have landed himself a permanent job of opening the bowling after his performance with the ball. His return of 3 wickets for just 18 runs in his 5 overs meant that he had to be pulled from the attack before finishing his spell. His first wicket was that of the Squirrels skipper, Andre Wagener, who edged one behind to produce the catch of the season (or any season) from keeper, Jono Boulton. The ball swung and then began to die before a full-stretched, one handed diving catch saw Andre depart for just 7. Obviously inspired by this catch, Jono put on a flawless performance behind the stumps, giving away not even one bye in the innings.

From the other end, Hugo Brink struggled to control the enormous amounts of swing he was getting in his first over, but settled in to a great rhythm to nab 1 for 33 from his 7 overs.

Craig McNaught (1/11 from 3) turned his arm over before bringing on the spin options of Bruce Taylor and Claude Chantler.

Finding great areas, Claude leaked just 8 runs from his 5 overs, picking up ‘Pukkie’ van Rooyen in the process. Tidying up the tail, Bruce Taylor was his usual unplayable self, narrowly missing out on his five-fer – taking 4 wickets for only 12 runs in his 5.4 overs. A sharp stumping saw the end of the Squirrels for 84 runs.

While the Squirrels were understandably rusty in just their first outing of the season, the game itself was played in a great spirit and we look forward to the next time we get to enjoy time out in the middle with the fine chaps from Newlands.

Match report by Craig McNaught

Groot Drak vs Scorpions – 30 October 2021

Scorpions always put together a fantastic team, which generally results in a humdinger of a game. Groot Drak traveled to Oude Libertas on the 30th of October, up for the challenge and keen to keep the friendly rivalry going.

Every once in a while, losing the toss can be a blessing, especially when the home team sticks you in to bat. With smiles all round, Groot Drak sent in Quintin van der Westhuizen and Francois Vermaak to face the new ball.

Both batters looked solid on a wicket that was hard to get to grips with. Quintin chased a wide one and nicked off for a run-a-ball 15, bringing Jono Boulton to the crease after an absence of several months.

Jono and Francois toughed it out until drinks, where Groot Drak found themselves 77/1 after 17. The Scorpions bowlers had kept things very tidy and made run-scoring nearly impossible during the first quarter. With a host of talented batsmen still in the dugout, the Drakies needed to get a move on if they were to post a respectable total.

Francois’ technique stood him in good stead before being gunned for 38 from 53, making way for Rikus Walters at number 4.

Jono Boulton (19 from 55) departed shortly thereafter, following an innings that wouldn’t have looked out of place during the final day of a Perth test match.

Rikus, going well, was joined by Alan Sherratt, brandishing a piece of willow straight from the shop floor. Alan found things a lot easier than the other batters, needing just 4 balls to smash his first maximum. From there he was relentless on anything near the slot and raced to 56 runs from just 36 deliveries. Alan’s first half century for Groot Drak could not have come at a better time nor at a better clip. A mistimed sweep shot saw Alan depart to the relief of the Scorpions, as Craig McNaught (19 from 22) joined Rikus, but struggled for timing before being mercifully run out in the final over.

With just two balls remaining, Hugo Brink (1* from 2) didn’t have much time to make an impact, while Rikus Walters ended his day with the bat, contributing a perfectly weighted 40 not out from 55 balls.

Groot Drak had gotten up to 197 for 5 from their 35 overs. The total felt a little light, but with a solid bowling attack, the boys were ready to make a fist of it.

After the break, Corrie Brand (0/28 from 7) was welcomed back to his usual role of opening the bowling with his twin cousin, Danie van der Nest (1/36 from 7). Both openers showed their fitness by bowling their full quota of seven overs on the trot. Danie managed the breakthrough in his fifth over when he trapped Johan Kapp in front for 21.

Bowling first change, Colin Myburgh (0/35 from 7) and Tim Whitfield joined the attack and kept the pressure on. Having not had a chance to bat, Tim was adamant to make his mark with the ball, which he did consistently from his third over, knocking over four Scorpions batters at crucial intervals. Among his scalps were Nico Ras, Andre Geldenhuys and Wiaan Smit – all of whom have hurt Groot Drak on previous occasions. Tim finished with figures of 4/39 from his 7 overs, agonizingly close to his 5-fer.

Despite Tim’s heroics, Scorpions were still firmly on top when Hugo Brink (1/33 from 3) was introduced in to the attack. After a disastrous first over that traveled for 20 runs, Hugo brought his length back and managed to pick up a wicket. Alan Sherratt (2/19 from 3) bowled a short spell of world-class leg spin and put Groot Drak right back in to the contest by nabbing two wickets late in the game.

Scorpions found themselves needing just six runs from the last over with only one wicket in hand. A friendly full toss on middle stump first up from Craig McNaught was met with a hoick towards the long on boundary, pouched effortlessly by Francois Vermaak to end the game.

Another epic encounter between these two sides, that could have easily gone the other way, has us all licking our lips at the prospect of the return fixture in January next year. Thanks to Kloppies and the Scorpions lads for their hospitality and for always showing us a great time when visiting Stellenbosch. We look forward to returning the favour in a few months’ time!

Congrats to Alan Sherratt on his man of the match performance, which went a long way to securing the result for Drak.
Special mention must also be made of Mike Divine’s contribution – giving up his Saturday to score and cheer from the sidelines!

Match report by Craig McNaught

Groot Drak vs Spin Doctors – 10 October 2021

Having the opportunity to bat first twice in successive games was one that Groot Drak cherished on Sunday, when they took on their good mates, Spin Doctors. With Vitalis having prepared a belter of a wicket, combined with one of the strongest batting lineups in a while, there were bound to be a few runs scored.

Settling in nicely to his role as an opening bat, Quintin van der Westhuizen got off to a flying start. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for his partner at the other end, Jaco Swarts, who lobbed a long hop to point without troubling Ken Lumb behind the scorebook.

Bruce Taylor was catapulted up the batting order to number 3, where he looked to “stabilize” the innings and enjoy some rare middle time. He managed to nudge 21 useful runs before lofting a leg glance to fine leg.

Rikus Walters joined Quintin at the crease and struggled to find the middle early on, but importantly, didn’t get himself out. Fortunately, Quintin was seeing it big and as his innings went on, he heavily favoured the boundaries over quick ones and twos. This stood him in good stead as he passed 50 with relative ease and went on to smash 76 from 57 balls.

Making his home debut for the club, Francois ‘Frenchy’ Vermaak came in at 5 and wasted no time, dealing in fours and sixes from the get-go. Rikus started to find some rhythm and became the second batter to pass 50. From there he decided to really kick on.

These two great friends were clearly feeding off of each other’s positivity, while simultaneously draining that of the bowlers. Some massive sixes were dispatched in to parts of the ground that haven’t been explored since the moon landing. Rikus was eyeing three figures and Frenchy was looking to cement his middle-order spot with his new team. Not to be left out, Francois also joined the half-century club as the run-fest continued and Groot Drak breezed past 250 with 3 overs to go.

An almighty pull shot into the car park for six had Rikus celebrating an incredible hundred, rubbing further salt in to the wounds of the Doctors, who had nowhere to hide on a flat track.

The last 18 balls of the innings went for 46 runs as Drak recorded a monster total of 297/3, with Francois not out on an exceptional 68 from 44 and Rikus not out on 114 from 77 deliveries. Sean Petzer, all dressed up with nowhere to go, had spent around 25 overs with the pads on and unfortunately didn’t get to face a delivery.

Both teams enjoyed a very welcome half-time break and some time in the shade before heading back out for the run chase.

Having done nothing other than cheer from the clubhouse, Craig McNaught and Tim Whitfield were the only non-spinning Drakies and were tasked with opening the bowling.

Craig (1/12 from 5) found some swing early on and managed to keep the runs down by bowling full, outside off. Reluctantly pushing up the hill, Tim took some punishment early on in his spell, but gathered momentum and earned a wicket for his troubles, finishing off with 1/27 from his 6 overs.

Bowling first change, young Ethan Williams (0/26 from 3) struggled for rhythm against the Spin Doctors’ firing middle order and was replaced by Claude Chantler – another in a long list of ‘did-not-bat’s.

Helping out for the day was Dawie Morris (0/34 from 7), who bowled some super off-spin and was unlucky to not pick up several wickets. Claude (0/45 from 6) toiled hard and was on the receiving end of some good batting, getting paneled for 7.5 runs per over by Rodders (72) and Thoks (32).

Dealing with some severe pad rash, Sean Petzer was eventually asked to join the bowling attack. With several variations, his bowling flummoxed the batsmen as he pocketed 4 massive wickets and recorded his best bowling figures for Groot Drak – 4/34 from 4.

Bruce Taylor was his usual wily self, tying up the game with four overs for 15 and two wickets for his efforts.
Spin Doctors were bowled out in the 34th over for 198, securing a 99 run win for Groot Drak.

Despite the rather one-sided result, the game was, as always, played in a great spirit and with plenty of humour to boot. Thanks to load-shedding, a few drinks were shared in the dark before the players went their separate ways.

Best of luck to the Doctors for the season – we look forward to seeing you all again very soon!

Match report by Craig McNaught