Just missed it, chaps
Knysna Cavaliers narrowly fall to George in cricket club clash
Knysna Cavaliers Club's second team suffered their first loss of the season in a nailbiting encounter with George Cricket Club on Saturday 19 October, while their Sunday match was cancelled as Madibaz George did not pitch up for the game.
Cavaliers' 2nd XI had kicked off its season two weeks prior with an emphatic 125-run victory over Pirates United, and were undoubtedly on a high heading into the clash with George. On the flipside of the coin, George had a bit more match practice as they had already played three games having won two with one being rained out before locking horns with Cavaliers.
Cavaliers won the toss at Loerie Park, and decided to send George into bat first, a decision that seemed to pay off when Byron Jantjies claimed the first wicket with only nine runs on the board for George. After falling to 69-4, the away side would stabilise their innings thanks to a 54-run partnership between Leon Marais and Enver Arries, with the former eventually dismissed for 55. Arries would further kick on in his innings, scoring 69 to help steer his side to 191 all out in 44.5 overs, with Jantjies finishing as Cavaliers' pick of the bowlers with four wickets for 44 runs in 9.5 overs.
Cavaliers' run chase did not look positive at first, as the first wicket fell with only three runs on the board, and the second coming at 26 runs. Eight runs later and George's Leroy Nortje would rip through Cavaliers' batting order with three quick wickets to leave the home side reeling at 34-5. Cavaliers' chase looked dead and buried when they found themselves at 85-8, but a defiant innings by Alan Gerber in partnership with the tail would help revive the hope within the side that they could pull it off. Number 11 Divan Luiters batted well with Gerber, putting on 55 runs together to come within eight runs of what could have been one of Cavaliers' best comeback victories.
It wasn't meant to be, however, as a great catch by George's Nortje at short midwicket dismissed Gerber for 59, handing Cavaliers a crushing seven-run defeat. Cavaliers would have been hoping to make amends for the loss against George with a game against Madibaz on 20 October, but they wouldn't be given this opportunity as Madibaz did not show up for the match, forfeiting all available points to Cavaliers.