Cape Town Cricket club find their groove

Mark Ward|Published 3 weeks ago

Cape Town Cricket Club’s Justin Gilliland plays a defensive shot during a Western Province Cricket Association Premier League match against Milnerton, at the Boon Wallace Oval, in Plumstead, on Saturday. Milnerton wicketkeeper Duanne Grobler keeps a close on the ball. Picture: Mark Ward

Cape Town Cricket Club signalled its intention to cling onto their Premier League status following a deserved win over Milnerton and now prepare to host Kraaifontein.

Playing at home, at the Boon Wallace Oval, in Plumstead, on Saturday, coach William Hantam’s men registered a deserved 53-run victory over Milnerton thanks mainly to an unbeaten century by opener Justin Gilliland (103*) while seamer Alex Draai took 4/54.

The club has not enjoyed a good start to their 2024/2025 campaign but it would seem that their fortunes have turned with some players producing excellent performances.

Cape Town Cricket Club head coach William Hantam, shares a few words of advice with one of the players after his side's win over Milnerton, at the Boon Wallace Oval, at the weekend. Picture: Mark Ward.

This much needed win propels Cape Town to 23 points, leaving Milnerton and Kraaifontein in the relegation zone as the season heads for the home straight.

Gilliland and Tristan Coetzee opened the batting for the home side but things went a bit awry when Coetzee (22) lost his wicket in the sixth over with the scoreboard stuck on 38/1.

More trouble was to follow when Robin Das (6) also got early marching orders back to the dressing room when he was caught by Dillon Smit off the bowling of Ryan Milne (2/32) leaving the home side treading in troubled waters on (2/53) after 12 overs.

Cape Town Cricket Club’s Josh Chippendale during his stint in front of the crease in a WPCA Premier league match against Milnerton, on Saturday. Picture: Mark Ward

But then Josh Chippendale (63 off 59 balls) joined forces with Gilliland to stabilize the innings with a fourth wicket partnership of 108. Hilio De Abreu joined Gilliland after Chippendale’s departure with the score on 161/3 and together with Gilliland took the score to 228/4 with a partnership of 63. Gilliland’s innings included 11 fours and two sixes. These efforts help the home side to reach 291/6 in their allotted 50 overs.

Log leaders Western Province Cricket Club meanwhile thumped Ottoman by 108 runs after setting the homeside a target of 232 in 48.1 overs. Justin Behrens 3/21 and Givon Christian 3/6 in three overs helped to dismiss Ottoman for 124 in 36.4 overs.

The University of the Western Cape students, meanwhile, clichéd a much-needed win when they edged out Rondebosch by two wickets.

While still in contention despite their mid-table position leaves Rondebosch in a difficult position to defend their title.

Durbanville meanwhile remains in the hunt for the double with an emphatic seven wicket win over Claremont. Chasing 198 for victory Durbanville found themselves in a spot of bother when they lost both the wickets of Jean Strydom (0) and Fritz De Beer (0) with only two runs on the scoreboard. Kyle Pluke (3/35) took both wickets. Late last year Durbanville won the national Community T20 cup.

But then Ruben Senekal (3) and Daniel Lategan (80*) stepped to the crease with 140 third wicket partnership to keep their side within striking distance of the log leaders WPCC.