The Cape Town First XI dug deep to grind out a hard-fought victory over Ottoman in a gritty yet enthralling contest at the Hassan Howa Pavilion. Indeed, for all but the first two hours or so and the final half-hour, the visitors had their backs against the wall, and it says volumes for their fighting spirit that they stayed in the contest until the tide finally turned back in their favour.
The match had been switched to Ottoman’s home ground at the eleventh hour – a venue where the match just the week before had been abandoned after just 3½ overs due to reportedly unsafe conditions. Cape Town did not experience that, but they did have to contend with a slow-paced pitch surrounded by an even slower outfield – which made hitting boundaries something of a premium. Notwithstanding, there was enough opportunity for running between the wickets to give the visitors a decent enough start after electing to bat first, taking 47 from the opening ten-over Powerplay at the cost of just one miscued bunt to mid off.
The introduction of Zain Galant’s off-breaks proved almost immediately effective though, as he had Cape Town skipper Tristan Coetzee out lbw on the sweep in his second over – and then induced an ambitious loft to long on in his third to have the visitors three down by the first drinks break. But Mathew Goles and Justin Gilliland then combined to slowly drag back the initiative into Cape Town’s favour. There were just two boundaries (as opposed to 47 singles) in their first 19 overs together, as Ottoman used the slow outfield to good effect with sweepers easily able to guard the rope, but that didn’t prevent the pair from working their way to a fifty partnership within 15 of those overs. In the over after that, Goles pulled a short ball away to the man at deep square for the single that secured the individual statistical highlight of the game – his 5 320th career run for the Cape Town First XI, to break Dominic Telo’s 14-year 277-day reign as the side’s leading run-scorer (as recorded from the start of the 1997/98 season).
Goles would continue on to reach his sixth half-century of the new season’s first two months, taking his stand with Gilliand to 81 as the visitors set up a fine finishing platform for the final 15 overs at 146-3. But at this juncture Gilliland bottom-edged onto his stumps looking to force through the covers, and the home side had their opening at long last. Galant wasted no time in exploiting it either, rejoining the attack to prise out Goles too in his first over back, and then adding a fourth scalp in the over after that. Seamer Matthew Wilson followed this up from the other end by bagging two of his own in an over, and in a dramatic turn of events Cape Town lost their last seven wickets in less than ten overs, for the addition of just 20 runs – a confused run out and opening bowler Mogamad Fredericks completing his brace accounting for the last two to fall.
Suddenly the home side were firmly back in contention, and four quick boundaries off the bat of opener Isma-eel Adams gave their run chase a bright start at 27-0 after five overs. But the visitors’ back-up bowling quickly settled into a good rhythm, and as had been witnessed earlier, a lack of wickets falling did not equate to the batters ruling the roost. On the contrary, the Ottoman opening pair of Adams and his captain Mujaahid Toffar found the going just as slow and tough as Cape Town had done, and while singles were relatively freely available, it would be another 24 overs before the next boundary would finally be found. In that time though, the pair put the home side well on top with an opening stand of 70, such that with all ten wickets in hand and less than 100 still needed at less than four to the over, Cape Town found themselves looking down the barrel of a rather large gun.
But almost just as suddenly as had happened to the visitors themselves, the tide turned again: Adams took on the fielder in the ring for a needlessly tight single, and the resultant direct hit found him short of his ground. Craig Jeffery then got in on the act by prying out Toffar as well three overs later, and the home side was obliged to rebuild with two new batters at the crease. With spinners now being the prize assets in the conditions, two sharp return grabs in relatively quick succession left Ottoman four down at the final drinks break – and the door of opportunity had been thrown open to whichever side was able to use it. Ottoman’s veteran ex-skipper Taariq Behardien used his skill and experience to hold the remainder of the middle order together for a while, and ultimately the home side entered the final nine overs needing another 44 to win with six wickets in hand.
But that would prove to be the highwater mark of their victory chances. Cape Town opening bowler Alex Draai returned to the attack and, bowling straight and full, he castled two batters in successive overs. Jeffery’s leg breaks at the other end then benefitted from a stellar running and diving catch on the wide long off boundary, an over before luring Behardien just far enough out of his crease to pick up his third scalp. In a flash, Ottoman had lost five wickets in six overs, and with just three overs now remaining, still wanted an unlikely 26 runs.
They still had one trump card left up their collective sleeve though, in their provincial batter Isma-eel Prince – who had rushed to the ground after the completion of his Western Province Colts match, replacing Wilson and arriving in time to go in at number ten. He duly fulfilled some of the expectation resting heavily on his shoulders by lofting a straight six back over the bowler’s head, but even he had not yet had time to accustom himself to the slow nature of the pitch. Thus, next ball he chipped to extra cover, giving Cape Town the win that moved them back into the top half of the Premier League points table.
Leave a Reply