Black Batts spin Rollers to yet another loss

It’s been something of a stinker of a season for the West Coast Rollers, with the Black Batts inflicting a third consecutive loss on Sunday.

The game was played at the Gary Kirsten Oval, but it could well have been in Kolkata on Day 5 such was the searing heat and mad spin on offer. That said, both sides had to bat on it, and one just did a much better job of it than the other.

The Rollers took first strike and actually got off to a very decent start, with Rohan van der Mescht and Bryan Bowler putting on 67 for the first wicket inside 15 overs, though helped by some very ‘generous’ fielding from the hosts.

Bryan (20 off 48) eventually ran past one before Rohan (41 off 43) was castled by a delivery that came through ankle height at best but, at 85/2, the visitors were still in a very good position.

Enter the spinners, and in particular the Rollers’ old nemesis, Graeme Cann. Bowling just fast enough for the ball to reach the other side of the pitch, he ran through the middle order to end with 3/39, with Brendon Thorpe catching on quickly and swapping his usual seamers for left-arm spin to finish with 2/24.

A very fragile Ryan Cooper swapped the runs for actual runs, finishing unbeaten on 53 as the Rollers limped to 162/7 in the allotted 35 overs.

We actually thought anything over 150 would be hard to chase given the conditions, and when Michael van Dewenter (5-1-22-1) took a blinder of a caught and bowled to dismiss Mike Wilson, the confidence was even higher.

But in taking the catch, our ‘heavy Roller’ may have just flattened out the pitch because for 24 overs thereafter, nothing seemed to bother the batters. Gustav Pienaar (72) and Jason Bader (58) put on 140 for the second wicket, running the fielders ragged and completely taking the game away from the Rollers.

It took our 6 foot 4 captain and opening bowler, Tom Staypylton-Smith, to fulfil his lifelong dream of bowling spin to break the partnership, eventually finishing with 2/31 to lend the result some respectability.

Jacques Labuschagne came on at the other end for a brilliant spell of 3-0-7-1, but by then the damage had been done as Batts won by six wickets with five overs to spare.

Still, a belter of a day out, and thanks again to Palfers and his team for a game played in a fantastic spirit. For sure one of our highlights every season.