With no 1stXI game, Wanderers 2ndXI captain Cam Coles was able to bolster his ranks with a splattering of more senior players as his side travelled to Ajman to take on Meritorious CC.
After winning the toss, the Wanderers invited their hosts to bat first with a sticky looking wicket and plenty of overnight dew on the outfield still.
Opening bowlers Clint Berkenshaw and Dan Pawson soon found their stride reducing Meritorious to 26-3 inside the power play. Berkenshaw had claimed two wickets in that period and Pawson one, but would come back to take his second in the final throws of the innings with the pair finishing with 2-29 and 2-24 respectively.
Following their spells, it was over to the four off-spinners in the side who all offer their captain something different. Youngsters Kushaan Sainani and Trish Shetty were again impressive and the latter was particularity unlucky not to claim at least one wicket in his five over spell. The experienced Avi Karia bowled his five overs tidily claiming 1-32 and Ivaashan Nair, arguably with the hardest job of the lot, bowled the final three overs from one end claiming a wicket along the way. Again he was unlcuky not to claim more as he was most definitely targeted by the powerful Ramesh Kumar. The hosts finished their innings on 189-6 which was somewhat of a recovery.
Coles decided to fight fire with fire and opened the batting with Jack Luffman and Will Parkinson, slotting Berkenshaw in at three and Pawson at four, as the Wanderers focused on gaining those winning points.
The run chase didn't get off to the greatest of starts when Luffman inexplicably called for a suicidal single and ran partner Parkinson out by a country mile. He knew he had to repay his team and, while not at his fluent best, managed to do just that by posting another half-centruy. In partnership with Berkenshaw the pair took the score to 101 before the former lost his wicket. This brought the left handed Pawson to the crease who, to begin with ,watched as his partner blitzed his way to a fine half century before being well caught on the boundary for a fine 67.
With 50 still to win in seven overs the game was somewhat in the balance but Pawson showed all of his class and experience to steer the ship home and he was equally well supported by Thinus Steyn who announced himself at the crease with a positive mindset and was quick to pounce on anything loose. Pawson finished on 33 from just 22 balls and Steyn 23 from just 16 as the pair guided the Wanderers to a well deserved victory.
Captain Cam Coles patrolled his troops well to victory on Saturday.
18 year old Trish Shetty bowled five very impressive overs of off-spin.