Schalk Burger is known for his big hits, and the Rollers experienced some of that pain on his dad’s farm on Saturday after being schooled by the Wellington Socials at Welbedacht.
We haven’t had the pleasure of facing the boys from Wellington in many a year, and after Saturday’s carnage there may be a few bowlers opting out of facing them in the coming years as well.
But it had all started so well …
Losing the toss on a two-paced wicket and in blisteringly hot conditions, the Rollers got off to a great start, with Ryan Cooper and Andrew Young putting on 90 for the first wicket.
Andrew was bowled for an easy-on-the-eye 35, and when Cornell Keulder came in and hit his first ball over extra cover for six, the visitors looked in firm control at 96/1 and going at around six to the over.
But then the wheels came off …
96/1 soon became 142/9 as the remainder of the batsmen struggled with the nature of the pitch, and it looked as though an early afternoon was on the cards.
However, Ryan came back after retiring on 50, and along with Jacques Laubscher added 44 for the 10th wicket, with Ryan finishing on an unbeaten 83.
So a target of 187 – very defendable giving our bowling line-up and the two-paced pitch. Our confidence was up even more after a brilliant opening burst from Cornell – he picked up a wicket with his second ball and 3/11 after five as Wellington stumbled to 19/3.
But that was as good as it got.
Two youngsters, Louis Koen Jnr and Christo, set about the bowling with some glee, though – to be fair – we were bowling a heap of shit.
They smashed us to all parts, with Louis finishing unbeaten on 50, before Pieter Wessels – such a star for us as an umpire – hit four sixes in his 43 which ultimately guided Wellington home with 10 overs and four wickets to spare.
So tired were we of fetching balls in the bushes that when the winning runs sailed into the trees, a unanimous decision was made to leave it there – for the snakes and vlakvarke to play around with.
So a lesson learnt, though the Rollers would claim the post-match session – our saving grace in recent times. Thanks again to Nic and his team for the hospitality; but next time you fuck us up like that, at least use some vaseline.
BATTING Andrew Young 35 (1×6, 5×4) Ryan Cooper 83* (3×6, 11×4) Cornell Keulder 11 (1×6, 1×4) Claude Louw 1 Neville Cooper 5 Ruan de Jongh 0 Dylan 1 Hannes Carlson 1 Mark Haselau 1 Jacques Laubscher 7* Izak de Beer 2
Extras: 36 TOTAL: 186/9 (35 overs)
BOWLING Cornell Keulder 7-2-34-3 Claude Louw 5-0-32-1 Andrew Young 2-0-22-0 Jacques Laubscher 2-0-23-0 Hannes Carlson 3-0-39-0 Ryan Cooper 5-0-31-2 Izak de Beer 0.3-0-7-0
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