Empangeni 'gun' down the Bay

Champagne flows as ERC celebrate winning the Saturday Afternoon League at Addison Park

The Empangeni Rugby Club are once again the Saturday Afternoon League champions, after beating the Richards Bay Rugby Club (RBRC) at Addison Park. Batting first, the mighty ‘Gunners’ posted a competitive total of 184, after losing two early wickets - NJ van Wyngaardt 10, and Christoff van Tonder 3. This was thanks to a stabilising partnership between Justin Gourlie, who top scored with 74, and Chris Nel 56, who hit some powerful sixes. Etienne Korb supported with 20, before being caught at midwicket. The spotlight, though, must shine on the outstanding bowling figures of Julius Truter, who finished with a magnificent 7/46 off only four overs, including a hat-trick off the last three remaining balls of ERC’s innings. RBRC set about chasing down the total in a business-like fashion. They lost opener Cameron Atkins for a duck, clean bowled by Van Tonder, but then Jeff Geldenhuys 33, and André Dekker 49, combined well for a solid partnership, although risking one or two quick singles to keep ahead of the run rate. But once Geldenhuys departed, caught by Gourlie off Paul Gouge, followed by Dekker, the writing was on the wall. Needing 43 off the last two overs in the lengthening shadows proved too much for the lower order batsmen and they wilted to 153/7 as their innings came to a close. Van Tonder finished with the best figures of the ERC bowlers with 3/38.

Second division
eSikhawini must have woken up today shaking their heads in disbelief after losing their final against the Richards Bay Rugby Club’s second team at Veldenvlei’s astro turf. Batting first, eSikhawini crumbled to 60 all out, which the Bay team surpassed. More details in the Weekender edition.