Baring one season when Dippies hit seven shades of shit out of us, the Rollers and Coastal Strikers have always enjoyed massively close games. On Sunday, we took that to the next level.
On a windy afternoon at Brackenfell Cricket Club, the game swung from side to side before the visitors secured a tie off the final delivery of the match.
Early on though, the Rollers would have backed their chances for a victory. After a solid start, Jakes Oberholzer (5-1-11-2) and Cornell Keulder (7-3-22-1) rattled the top order to leave the Strikers reeling at 33/3.
But ‘Pyp’, fresh off a 100 in his previous match, steadied the ship and rode his luck to an unbeaten 50 and, with the help of Theo, Herman and Dirk, saw the hosts to a competitive total of 147/5 in their 35 overs.
The chase got off to a horror start though. Hannes Moore, playing his first game in a year, was bowled for three, before the triple blow of Ryan Cooper (11), Hannes Carlson (14) and Neville Cooper (1) left the Rollers stuttering at 34/4 after 14 overs.
But up stepped Francois Geldenhuys and Michael van Dewenter to get us back on track with a 40-run partnership.
Big Mike perished for 16, but enter the unlikely hero, Andrew Young, whose 60-run sixth-wicket partnership with Francois not only got us back in the game, but set up a very likely victory.
However, the tables turned again when Francois was run out for a brilliant 49 in which he only scored he two fours, but manipulated the bowling expertly.
Francois Siebrits (4) hit out and got out before it came down to the final over, with the Rollers needing nine to win.
Some hard running between Andrew and Cornell meant we needed two off the last delivery to win, but Riaan van Eeden’s full-length diving stop at midwicket limited us to one, resulting in the Rollers’ first ever tied game.
As always, a great time was had afterwards with plenty of beers going down and plenty of good stories shared. And once again the Strikers won the boatrace, if not slightly unfair given Marco’s presence in the line-up.
Our next assignment is on Sunday against Roger Moult and his Cape Town Cricket Club boys.
BATTING
Hannes Moore 3 Ryan Cooper 11 (1×4) Hannes Carlson 14 (1×4) Neville Cooper 1 Francois Geldenhuys 49 (2×4) Michael van Dewenter 16 (1×4) Andrew Young 34* (1×6, 1×4) Francois Siebrits 4 (1×4) Cornell Keulder 3*
Extras: 11 TOTAL: 147/7
BOWLING
Cornell Keulder 7-3-22-1 Hannes Moore 3-0-17-0 Jakes Oberholzer 5-1-11-2 Ryan Cooper 7-0-17-0 Jacques Laubscher 2-0-13-0 Francois Siebrits 3-0-22-1 Hannes Carlson 4-0-16-0 Michael van Dewenter 4-0-18-1