Northerns keep title defence going forward
Benoni Northerns Cricket Club’s (BNCC) Premier XI kept the dream of defending their Eastern Premier League firmly alive, with a cruising nine-wicket victory over Duduza, on Willowmoore Park’s B-field, on Sunday, February 14.
It might have been Valentine’s Day, but BNCC skipper Kurt Francis and his team showed their opponents no love as they cantered to an easy win on a hard and green Willowmoore wicket, which offered the bowlers plenty to work with.
After winning a rare coin toss, Northerns elected to field first and made the most of the swing and seam movement on offer.
The ever-consistent Lee Cothill was the star of the Northerns bowling display as he capitalised on the favourable bowling conditions to achieve figures of 4/27 in eight overs, which included a remarkable wicket-crumbling delivery that he described as one of the best balls he has bowled in his cricket career.
The on-form Regardt Verster was equally impressive with the cherry as his spin accounted for three Duduza scalps for just 20 runs in 9.4 overs.
Stefano di Bartolomeo, Mark Robey and Stiaan Jordaan each picked up a wicket as Northerns had their opponents all out for 119 in 40.3 overs.
With regular opening batsmen Ernest Kemm (playing mere metres away for the Eastern semi-professional team against KZN Inland, on the main Willowmoore oval) and Rhenier Jordaan not on the BNCC roster, the latter’s brother, Stefan, and Shane Nel took control at the top of the order.
Jordaan quietly top-scored with 50 not out, while Nel (47) fell just three runs short of what would have been a second half-century in as many matches.
His was the only BNCC wicket to fall as the team comfortably wrapped up the target by the 26th over.
The bonus-point win could prove telling as big matches await last year’s league champions in coming weeks.
The first of these behemoth tasks comes against arch-rivals Kempton Park, at Northern Areas, on Sunday, February 21.
Skipper Francis has urged all Northerns members and sport-loving Benonians in general to come down to the club on Sunday, to support the team in this crucial clash.
The match is scheduled to start at 9.30am.
- On Saturday, February 13, the club’s Saturday First League team enjoyed a crushing victory over CBC Old Boys at Northern Areas.
Skipper Suleiman Ebrahim’s side wrapped up a 10-wicket win in no time, with Mark Robey blitzing his way to a score of 53 not out, off 14 deliveries.
Stefan Roodt’s Saturday Second League team also enjoyed a victory by a big margin (nine wickets) over Actonville Spurs.
