Benoni Northerns Cricket Club’s (BNCC) Premier League XI put up another dominant display in the Easterns Premier League, on Sunday, November 2, by trouncing visiting Tembisa by eight wickets in a lopsided encounter that was all over well before the scheduled lunch break.
On the same day, BNCC’s second side extended their impressive winning streak and increased their lead at the top of the Premier Reserve League after dumping Duduza by 94 runs at Willowmoore Park.
At Northern Areas, Benoni captain Kurt Francis won a toss for a change and had no hesitation asking Tembisa to bat first.
The batsmen were never comfortable against the varied home attack and lost their wickets at regular intervals to be dismissed for a paltry 84 in just 22 of their allotted 50 overs.
Only number four batsman Thanda Bula showed any resistance, with a top score of 22, which included five boundaries.
Spinner GC Pretorius was Benoni’s star with the ball and was rewarded with figures of five wickets for 22 runs in six overs.
Marlo Moore weighed in with two for seven in two overs, while fellow pacemen Lance Humphrey and Lee Cothill claimed a wicket apiece.
Northerns’ reply was brutal, as the home side raced to their target in the 14th over, to secure yet another bonus-point win; the match done and dusted in less than three hours.
Opening batsman Renier Jordaan led the assault as he scored 31 off 40 balls and had a 38-run opening partnership with JP Kok.
Down the road, at Willowmoore, Juan Schaerer’s Northerns side were asked to bat first by Duduza and managed to compile a respectable 247 before being bowled out in the 49th over.
Thirushen Naicker top-scored with 65, which included two huge sixes and a bagful of fours, to hold the top order together, while towering all-rounder Mark Robey, coming in at number seven, smashed an undefeated 55 at a sensational strike rate of over 150.
Spearheaded by speedster Jaco Kruger, Northerns then tore into the home side’s batting line-up and skittled them for just 153 in 42 overs.
Kruger snaffled three for 31 in his 10 overs, while Robey claimed two for 18 in eight and spinner Schaerer two for six in four tight overs.
That would have been a bonus-point victory for Benoni but, for some strange reason, Easterns decided there would be no bonus points at stake in the new Premier Reserve League, which was instituted this season and is open only to clubs whose first teams play in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, this Sunday, November 9, Benoni’s first XI has a bye while the second side hosts Kempton in what should be a top-of-the-table cracker.
