BHS looking forward to premier league challenge
"I do believe we can finish in the top half of the league. We will have our ups and downs but we are definitely not going to get swept away. "
After being steamrolled by the Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) in a preseason match on August 4, the Benoni High School senior cricket team will take the lessons and carry them into the Eastern Schools Premier League.
They will make their league bow against Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen in the top division on August 31, after winning the second division championship last season.
Their pre-season has been successful, despite some ups and downs. But that baptism of fire against one of the country’s top cricket schools provided a moment of self-reflection for coach Andrew Smith and his team.
Though Smith understands that pre-season wins are crucial confidence boosters, especially going into a tough league season, the Affies match determined where they are and where they need to improve.
“The game against Affies was necessary. It brought the boys down a bit. It was good to have a tough fixture. It humbles you a bit. It’s going to be a massive help,” said Smith.
The lessons have been plenty for Smith’s side. They understand that it’s going to be tough in the premier league and would have to cut down on their mistakes to compete.
“In the second division, your mistakes aren’t punished badly. You can bowl a bad ball and get away with it. However, in the top league, the top schools will capitalise on those mistakes. What the boys realised against Affies is that what you got away with last year, you won’t get away with it now,” added Smith.
“The pre-season is about getting the basics right and ensuring everyone, from the batsmen to bowlers and fielders, understand their roles and responsibilities,” said Smith.
He’s got a solid batting department, with a settled top-order led by Josh Hurst. They are supported by ferocious and speedy seamers with senior and provincial cricket experience.
The one issue giving the coach sleepless nights, though, is his batsmen’s struggles to play spin bowling. But he has a solution.
“We noticed against Affies that the top order is on. We were in a good position. But once they went out and Affies introduced spin, they ran through us.
“The biggest lesson was that we need to work on slight basics like covering the stance better when to play on the front and back foot and never to play a negative game.”
The coach said he’s mostly been impressed by the team’s character on the field, which he attributed to skipper Robbie Birch’s leadership.
“Robbie is a natural-born leader. He has got a difficult job out of everyone. He deals with a group of boys with massive personalities. Some are older and more experienced than him. He has to keep them in control and he does.”
The team will play their last pre-season matches before their first division debut at St Dunstan’s College.
“Our intensity has increased. The boys have realised they have to always switch on to compete. I do believe we can finish in the top half of the league. We will have our ups and downs but we are not going to get swept away. We have a very good bunch of boys in the U19 team.”
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