THE second team of Paarl Cricket Club was crowned champions of Boland’s Premier Reserve League (60-over competition) after crushing their opponents Van der Stel with a 201-run victory at the Pen Basson Oval on Sunday.
Paarl was sent in to bat by the team from Stellenbosch and steamed ahead as openening batsmen Darryl Hendricks (63, 12x4) and Graham Adams (88, 11x4 and 5x6) shared a hundred partnership before losing their first wicket on148.
This wicket sparked a mini-collapse in Paarl’s top order with three wickets going down for only five runs.
Kurt Martin (48, 5x4) and Zurich Muller (30, 5x4 and 1x6) steadied the ship before Martin was caught with the score on 192/4.
Randall Groenewald (21, 4x4) also joined the party when he entertained the crowd with some lusty blows taking Paarl to 286/8 in their allotted 60 overs.
Van der Stel’s openers looked to be on par as they scored 21 runs from the first three overs, but after their first wicket fell, the remaining batting line-up came tumbling down.
The team from Stellenbosch especially struggled to get their rhythm going against the tight and accurate bowling of Randall Groenewald (5/23) and Denver van Reenen (2/32) who did most of the damage.
Van der Stel was all out for 81 runs in the 26th over.
* On Saturday Paarl II (211/2) defeated Malmesbury (209 all out) at the Parys Sports Groend by eight wickets.
A poor bowling and fielding display by the home team assisted Malmesbury in reaching more than 200.
Craylon Rhaman (3/34) and Wade Anderson (2/30) were the pick of the bowlers.
A hundred partnership by Paarl’s Darryl Hendricks (111 not out) and Cameron Cupido (44) in the first 15 overs took the match away from Malmesbury.
Graham Adams (35) also contributed with the bat after Cupido was dispatched.
