Edgemead aiming to collect a clean sweep

EDGEMEAD Bowling Club’s men are favourites to win the Premier League Flag competition that for six years has alluded their grasp.

Their bid for silverware last season was tame to say the least.

Surprise defeats at the hands of SAP (now relegated) and Oakdale dented their cause, and the other loss was against Glen Country Club, who went on to be crowned champions.

Edgemead start their campaign today away to former champions Plumstead. Their 12-man team will be spearheaded by WP No 1 Robby Piketh and Proteas star Nicholas Rusling. Piketh has won myriad titles at district and national level, while left-hander Rusling has also had a fair share of success in various formats.

“It’s a tough league and we know that we need to be at our very best to stand a chance of landing the soughtafter silverware,” said Rusling. “We’ll be treating all nine games as cup games. Plumstead will be no pushovers on home turf. I just hope they prepare a green that runs at a decent pace and plays true, and the quicker the better.

“The goal is to try and pick up a clean sweep first time out.

“We will be chasing a 15-point haul and the boys want that badly. We have three fours sides that can match and beat any opponent when firing on all cylinders.”

Glen are away to Stellenbosch van der Stel.

The holders are expected to make a winning start, but underestimating the hosts is courting disaster. Stell vd Stel are lively challengers. This is a club that has more than held their own against the more fancied clubs.

AD Fourie is their talisman. Now a WP selector, he brought the first team up some five divisions in as many years and in the top flight their men have at times threatened to win the league.

“We love nothing more than to show up the big boys,” said Fourie. “We don’t have any superstars, just guys who play for one another.”

Glen have Kevin Campbell, David Epstein, Johan du Plessis and Dave Ellman to call on.

Campbell is a former Proteas great and the only man to have won the SA Masters singles in four different decades, while new recruit Du Plessis is an active Protea. Epstein and Ellman played many years for WP and remain deadly back-rankers.

Other Premier league fixtures (home teams first): Goodwood v Helderberg; Oakdale v WPCC; Durbanville v Constantia.