Report by Tshepiso Mametela

The second innings got under way with the home side looking to keep their stranglehold on what has been a tight grip on the annual Inner City Corporate Match.

Ambitions of a fourth victory in as many events were however dealt a quick blow as JCC got off to a shaky start losing wickets at regular intervals.

Chatsworth Old Boys (COB) were rampant and would not let a chance at taking full control of matters go a-begging. They continued to mow at the opponents’ lawn and exposed the weakness in JCC’s middle order – leaving the home side teetering on 66 for 6 after 10 overs at lunch.

After the lunch break, some clever bowling by COB ensured that they kept the pressure on the defending champions – John Robbie undone by a back of a length delivery which he steered back to the bowler – the ball striking the bowler (Emmanuel Mahlangu) on the foot and crashing into the stumps at the non-striker’s end.

Mark Rock Perring struck a flurry of boundaries in a quick fire 24 run, 16-ball cameo to restore some parity to the JCC course before retiring out with the home side already eight down.

A further woeful batting effort compounded matters for JCC with Chatsworth making further inroads as they made head way by dismissing David Nagle for 16 runs off 11 balls and exposing a brittle challenge to a modest total.

Nine wickets down and clutching at lost hope, club chairman and perennial stalwart, Indarin Govender strode to the middle.

With his side facing a mountain to climb, the chairman got off the mark with the first ball he faced, much to the delight of JCC’s senior squad contingent.

Any hopes of sparking a mighty resurgence would finally fade with the imminent fall of the tenth and final wicket, rousing a first win for Chatsworth Old Boys who fought valiantly to end a three-year winless drought and in the process helping to shape the vision behind the ethos of the Corporate Match.