The West Coast Rollers made it seven wins from eight games on Sunday with a comprehensive 46-run victory against Kelvin Grove.
It was the second time we played Kelvin this season, and like with the match back in November, it was a low-scoring affair on a ground where we’ve scored plenty in years gone by.
With Der Fuhrer Michael van Dewenter losing his first toss of the season, the Rollers were asked to bat on a two-paced pitch with plenty of bounce. Hannes Moore (5) fell early; the victim of a peach from Kelvin debutant Andre 'Eurotrash' Wagenaar, who would finish with figures of 3/29.
Cornell Keulder (13) departed soon afterwards, before Jarryd van Wyk and Ryan Cooper got together for a 36-run partnership, with the former hitting some monster sixes before missing a straight one on the pads on 28.
Still, we were feeling confident of a big score when we took drinks at 95/3, but Ryan’s departure for 39 the first ball after the resumption sparked a mini-collapse as Ruan de Jongh (5), Mike (1) and Kobus Muller (0) fell in the space of 13 runs, with former first-class cricketer Keith Ingram doing the damage with 4/20.
Enter Charl Bester, batting for the Rollers for the first time. His first six was massive, as was his third. The second six, however, was Kieron Pollard levels, hitting the railings on the upper level at Newlands Rugby Ground. He departed for 25 off just 13, but along with Peter Muller (11*) and Nish Khan (14) had taken us to a competitive 159 all out.
What followed in the field was something to behold, with four catches taken which would have all made SuperSport’s ‘Did You See That?’ segment. Ruan took a diving catch on the boundary, Ryan a one-handed stunner behind the wicket, and Kobus two of the best outfield catches seen in social cricket - first a one-handed effort above his head, then a running full-length diving catch at long-on (both caught on camera, below).
In between all of this there was some fantastic bowling, with Cornell picking up 3/12 in his 4 overs, Nish 2/29 in five, and Ruan 1/4 in three. But the pick of the lot was the Supreme Leader Mike, who bagged 3/3 in 3 overs.
So Kelvin bowled out for 113 inside 28 overs, with only Ricci Gerstner (47) and Nathan Rockhill (16) reaching double figures.
One more game to go for the Rollers this season, against the brilliantly named Craig Matthews Band.
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