Erasmus: I'll never forget the Worsley epic (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Erasmus: I'll never forget the Worsley epic

8:16am Tuesday 17th July 2012 in Sport By Matt Donlan, Sports reporter

KING of spin Ockert Erasmus says he will never forget the epic Worsley Cup quarter-final with Enfield – even though his mates back in South Africa can’t quite believe that a one-day match stretched out for more than a month.

The East Lancashire captain and professional finally brought about the end of the astonishing game last Thursday night with a match-winning display as he claimed a hat-trick and still can’t quite believe what happened as a tie that should have started on June 9 finally ended on July 12 thanks to the bad weather.

“It was unbelievable,” smiled the 22-year-old South African. “It had everything you could imagine and I suppose it was bound to take a special ending after so long.

“The hat-trick was amazing really. Not only was it the major turning point in the match but it was my first hat-trick ever – so I will always remember the Worsley Cup tie.”

The game will be mentioned in next year’s Wisden after staticians at cricket’s bible noticed the length of the clash as it went into double figures of actual days.

“Obviously no-one here has known anything like it before,” added Erasmus.
“But my mates back home don’t believe it. They can’t understand that a one-day match of 50 overs per side managed to go on for a month.”

The epic game, which was switched from East Lancashire’s rain-sodden Alexandra Meadows to Enfield’s Dill Hall Lane, was witnessed by Erasmus’s parents and sister, although his girlfriend Robyn missed the conclusion as she headed back to South Africa a day before.

And having his family present made the win even more special, even though the off-spinning all-rounder is glad it is now over.

“It was great to do that in front of my family, it is something I will never forget,” he said. “But by the same token it is nice to have it over and done with.

“It is nice to spend time with my parents while they are over rather than going to play the midweek match or to have to go to the ground just to call it off.”

Erasmus, who is in his second season at East Lancs, had plenty to celebrate after the tie as well as his men claimed a maximum 24-point haul from the weekend’s double header to move up to sixth place in the Lancashire League with wins over Bacup and Colne.

“It’s been a good few days,” he said. “I had looked at this weekend as one to try and claim maximum points and that’s how it panned out.

“The Bacup game was closer than it should have been but we played well to beat Colne on Sunday - and that was good as their pro is Shadley van Schalkwyk, who I have known since we were kids playing for Boland and Western Province.

“It’s always good to beat another South African and hopefully we can continue in the same form.”