Stars come out to play at Pineapple Cricket Week
120th celebrations hit off with exciting action and fanfare
It’s down to the business end of the 120th edition of Pineapple Cricket Week currently playing out at various venues in the Port Alfred region.
Wickets, runs, and a hat-trick to boot have been in the mix and added to the excitement of the milestone Pineapple Week celebration.
Special VIP guests Hugh Page, Sunrisers Eastern Cape players Jordan Hermann and Beyers Swanepoel, whose franchise won the first two editions of the SA20, brought their own brand of entertainment to the fringes of the tournament.
This took the form of a question and answer session anchored by former Proteas selector and top cricketer, Page, at the Port Alfred Country Club’s “Pineapple tent ”– on Monday night, where the two cricket stars gave the audience a glimpse of the inner workings of SA20 which has taken the country by storm.
Not forgetting the presence of experienced sports journalist, Luke Alfred, who launched a book brochure entitled “Pineapple – An Astonishing Cricketing Story” on the same night.
Co-sponsors of the event, Rosehill SUPERSPAR owner Lesley Theunissen and Kowie Toyota’s dealer principal Noleen Acton, showed they were good sports by handing out player prizes to various cricketers on prize-giving night.
Pineapple Cricket Committee president Dave Duncan was in his element doing emceeing duties in the tent and handled it with his usual slickness that the local cricket community have come to appreciate.
Besides night emcee duty, and playing one or two games for Manleys Flat, and the East v West Legends fixture, Duncan could be seen checking on fields and pitches throughout the tournament.
Former president and MCC
member, Ross Purdon, has also been ever-present talking to players, officials and families at the fields and doing speaking duties at the tent.
Groundsman, popularly known as “Foxy”, who has been a stalwart of the PA Country Club and Pineapple Cricket for more than 25 years, received a special award on the night.
“This year is a ground-breaking year, having as joint sponsors of the tournament Rosehill SUPERSPAR and Kowie Toyota,” Duncan said on Saturday’s opening night.
“We managed to convince Noleen [Kowie Toyota] that only good things can come from it [co-sponsorship] … so we’d like to say thank you Noleen for giving up your sole title sponsorship for the sake of our event.”
Acton, in officially launching the event, said she was excited to once again be part of Pineapple Week.
“It’s exciting to be co-sponsors with Rosehill SUPERSPAR, Nemato SPAR and together with Tops … we are doing it for the betterment of the tournament and we trust we as main sponsors will
be able to take this tournament to 130 years. We are in for eight days of great cricket and good times.
“Let’s not forget all the other sponsors and we believe together we can be stronger for our community and take this tournament even further.
“So thank you to the committee, community, cricketers and family and friends – and our staff members in the tent and in the background.”
But it was also all about the happenings on the cricket field where 24 teams are doing battle for the 120th
Pineapple silverware. Defending champions, Cuylerville, got of to a fine start at PAHS A field, making short work of GHT Invitational on Saturday’s first day to win the match by 142 runs.
Evergreen Francois Klopper was Man of the Match, scoring 72 runs and returning figures of 5/ 22 with his medium pacers. The Makhanda side could only manage 53 all out in response to Cuylerville’s 195.
Salem 1sts, who have been in excellent form, got out of the starting blocks by rolling over a hapless Rhodes team by 10 wickets.
Rhodes cobbled up an under-par score of 107 off their 50 overs with lanky Leard King snaring 4/19 with medium pace and Buster Brotherton 3/34. Simon Amm 43 and captain Nic Wilmot 53* knocked off the required runs for Salem without the loss of a wicket.
Wayde Mayes’ 148 for Manleys Flat was the highlight of day one in their match-up against the Kenton side.
Manleys reached 248 off their 50 overs, with Mayes’ innings comprising over half of their runs. Kenton could only manage 125 in reply, conceding victory by 123 runs.
And in more first day action, Chris Japp’s 7/20 for Cuylerville 2nds, who have progressed to the second league semifinals later today against rivals, Salem, wreaked havoc among the Rainbows outfit who were bowled out for 73.
Cuylerville reached the score for the loss of only two wickets for an eight-wicket win.
Southwell, who were Cuylerville’s opponents in the 1sts final last year, won their match on Sunday’s second day against a plucky Rhodes outfit on PAHS B by 59 runs. All-rounder Dylan Kruger weighed in with 41 with the bat.
Despite a resolute innings of 45 not
out by Lubabalo Tshongweni, Rhodes crashed to 138 all out in their pursuit of 242. Josh van Rensburg, with 4/15, and Kruger, with 4/34, shone with the ball for Southwell.
Rain threatened to spoil the day when Sidbury took to the field to play GHT Invitational at PAHS B with the Invitational team reaching 181 in their 50 overs. Ronnie Roth, with 4/42, starred with the ball.
Sidbury were 174/4 when rain intervened and won the match by 6 wickets via Duckworth-Lewis.
At Hilpert Field, Station Hill 2nds, who last won the tournament in 2018, and have progressed to the semifinals against Port Alfred later today, are fancying their chances after opener Rustin Baartman’s 92* against Tiger Titans at Hilpert on Saturday.
Baartman and Zee jaji (45) both took a liking to the Titans bowlers. Tiger Titans only managed 117 off their 40 overs to give Station Hill victory by 141 runs. Sipho Saki was wrecker- in-chief for the Station Hill team with his 4/29.
Station Hill go unbeaten into the semis, despite a rained-out match against Salem at Hilpert on Monday after being 94/1, chasing Salem’s 276 for victory. They went one further, beating Sidbury 2nds at Hospital fields on Tuesday, with Rudy Williams, who carted the bowlers all around the park, finishing on 108 not out.
Sidbury could only manage 122 in response to Station Hill’s 289/8. Marvin Groep (5/58) and Cody Jones (4/42) were the standout bowlers.
Monday’s violent storm over the Ndlambe region wreaked havoc towards the tail-end of some of the fixtures. Umpires had to take out their calculators and, fortunately teams were happy with the outcomes as the storm threatened to take control.
Sidbury 1sts put up a more than respectable score of 282/6 at School A
and against the crack Cuylerville it outfit was an excellent showing. Brian Upman’s 123 and Luke Birrell with 53* were the main contributors.
Cuylerville were 150/5 when the heavens opened and were declared winners on run rate. Brandon Handley was still at the crease with 50*.
Southwell put up a great fight on Monday against the rampant Salem, amassing 254/4 off their 50 overs.
Dylan Kruger’s 92* and James Stirk with 62 batted with confidence. Salem were 114/2 when the rain came down and were declared winners by 8 wickets on DL method.
A highlight on Tuesday at School B was a hat-trick by Cuylerville 2nds’ Kyle Handley in their match against Manleys Flat. Handley’s spin wizadry helped him to figures of 5/36, which saw Manleys only managing 156/10 in their pursuit of a mammoth 364 for victory.
“It was just a point in the game where the momentum shifted a bit …
there was a lot of excitement with the guys rushing and hugging me. It’s my first hat-trick and something special for me,” said Handley.
Port Alfred, who are in to the second semifinals on Thursday, put the hapless Tiger Titans, who have underwhelmed, to the sword bowling their opponents out for a measly 21.
Rod Fisher’s 5/11 stood out among the bowlers. The match was all over in two-and-a-half hours.
B League semifinals Thursday [today]
PAHS A Field:
Cuylerville 2nds v Salem
PAHS B Field:
Port Alfred CC 2nds v Station Hill
Plate semifinal Thursday [today] Manleys Flat 2nds v Sidbury – Hospital Fields
Southwell 2 v Kenton – Hilpert Fields
Shield Final
Rainbows v Tiger Titans – Air School
A League finals Friday March 8
School A – TBA
School B – TBA
A and B Section finals take place at PAHS School fields on Saturday March 9.