Rainbow CC’s new signing Zee Jaji’s attacking innings of 92 not out was not enough to avoid defeat to Cuylerville in a GCB 2nd league encounter at Hospital Fields on Saturday.
Cuylerville had to pull out all the stops to beat a plucky Rainbows outfit by three wickets.
Rainbows batted first on a cool morning with Thandoxulo Shotana and Athabile Ngwenda starting cautiously against the fast bowling of Thomas Knight and Chris Japp who hit the deck with some pace. The openers both scored 50s as they took their time to get their eye in on a matting surface that showed signs of deterioration in places.
Shotana at first cautious, unleashed some powerful shot-making, especially on the pull. His five sixes in his innings of 53, showed his intent to attack the bowlers. Ngwenda was patient too, showing grit and determination in his innings of 57, that included eight fours. Shotana was first to go when he was out caught off the bowling of Warren Tarr – after being involved in a partnership of 99 with Ngwenda.
Next in was Jaji who joined Rainbows from Station Hill in the off-season. The lanky Jaji did not waste any time as he pasted the loose ball to the boundary at every opportunity.
His innings of 92 not out was punctuated with nine fours and three sixes off only 40 balls. Ngwenda did not last long at the crease after his opening partner’s departure, clean bowled by Japp having spanked the Cuylerville bowlers for six fours in his innings of 57.
Scala Booi arrived at the crease and proved the perfect foil for Jaji, despite ambling to 20 not out with two fours. Rainbows quickly ran out of overs and had to settle for 255/2 off their 50 overs.
“We did very well,” said Rainbows captain, Shotana. “However I should have batted longer, though we only lost two wickets to Cuylerville’s seven.
“Our batting gives us hope, but our fielding was unfortunately at times a let-down and we actually dropped Jamie (Renton) twice. We did not have four regulars in our team because they were unavailable. This meant we had to use young juniors to play with us which put them and us under pressure. But we can go with a lot of confidence in to our upcoming games.”
Cuylerville came in after the lunch break with opening batsmen Kyle Handley and Dylan Geldenhuys putting on a partnership of 90 for the opening wicket before Handley who hit three sixes and two fours in his 27, was bowled by Rainbows’ speedster, Vuyani Pupha. Gary Fletcher was next to go following a 39 run partnership with Geldenhuys, caught from the bowling of Asakhe Saki.
Jamie Renton with the highest score of 70 with five sixes and four boundaries, put the Rainbows bowlers to the sword before eventually being bowled by Paphu for a well-played innings.
He and Simon du Plessis who made 34 out of a valuable 75-run partnership was out too to Paphu. Cuylerville managed to pass the score successfully in the end, despite losing seven wickets for 257, with Tarr playing and important cameo to be not out with 16 at the end, with three fours. Paphu was the best of the bowlers with 3/52 and Shotana’s 2/52.
Shotana said that a loose matting wicket at Hospital Field made batting very difficult. “Our next league game this week which was scheduled for that field has been moved to Salem.
“A few teams in our league have complained about the matting wicket which is loose in some places and there is an area in the wicket which is cracked or torn. When the ball hits that part of the pitch the ball lifts very dangerously and difficult to contend with.”
Head of umpires Barry Smith said that Hospital Field was fit to play and that cricket league matches have been moved this week to accommodate a football tournament.
“The Hilpert grounds though are not fit for play because the carpet there has come loose; it is hoped that it will be fixed up as soon as possible as we can’t afford to postpone matches. The outfield though has been cut and is fit to play on.”
The match between Station Hill and Seven Fountains was called off at Hilpert Fields as a result, and the points would be shared.
- This article was first published in Talk of the Town, November 6, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
