Benoni Northerns Cricket Club’s Premier XI began the second half of their league campaign with a bang as they consolidated their place at the top of the Easterns Premier League, by mauling Tembisa in a lopsided encounter at Northern Areas, on Sunday, January 18.
The visitors arrived late – for which they forfeited five batting overs – and short of players, but won the toss in cool, overcast conditions and sent Kurt Francis’s Northerns in to bat first.
The home side got off to an absolute flyer as openers JP Kok and Renier Jordaan blazed their way to a century partnership by playing shots all around the park, but particularly a number of exquisite straight drives, before the latter was dismissed soon after he had reached his half-century.
Kok was involved in another big stand with next man in, young Vaughan Humphrey, who went for a well-played 32, but was, unfortunately, dismissed for 99 – nonetheless a valiant effort.
Kok deserved a century after some of the splendid strokes he played and would have got to triple figures with ease had it not been for a frightfully slow outfield.
Just when it seemed the Benonians were cruising towards a score of over 300, they lost a flurry of wickets, but batter Werner van Lingen played a late cameo of 23 not out, that enabled the hosts to get to 271 for eight in their allotted 50 overs.
That target proved way out of reach for Tembisa as they wilted under the pace attack of Shawn Wessels and Humphrey’s older brother Lance – the only two bowlers required by Benoni – and were dismissed for a measly 69 inside 20 overs.
Two of their lower-order batsmen were the only ones to get into double figures as Northerns wrapped up yet another bonus-point victory.
Wessels, returning to the Premier XI after a stint with the Premier Reserves, proved almost unplayable as he posted stunning figures of six wickets for 22 runs in 9.5 overs, while Humphrey grabbed four for 40 in 10.
This Sunday, January 25, sees Northerns go to Lords for a Benoni derby against struggling Actonville.
Across the road on Sunday, BNCC’s Premier Reserve League side crushed United by five wickets to cement their top position.
Skipper Juan Schaerer invited the visitors to take first strike and the Brakpan outfit never got going as they were skittled for just 90 in the 30th over.
Teen medium-pacer Joshua Thomas, promoted from Benoni’s Directors League side, led the assault as he snaffled five for 32 in his 10 overs, while Jaco Kruger was super-stingy after conceding just 15 runs in 10 overs and taking two sticks, while Andrew Smith also claimed a pair.
Northerns then raced to their victory target in the 21st over, largely thanks to Richard Janse van Rensburg’s unbeaten 35.
The next two weeks will be season-defining for BNCC’s second XI, as they host third-placed CBC Old Boys on Sunday, January 25, before travelling to second-placed Kempton Park a week later.
Meanwhile, BNCC’s Colts side won the toss and elected to bowl against Etwatwa on a challenging pitch, at Willowmoore Park, on Sunday.
A disciplined bowling performance in the first 20 overs saw Etwatwa reeling at 26/9, but an excellent last-wicket stand helped the home team to a more respectable total of 107.
Opening bowler Brett Martindale returned figures of 3/15 in seven overs and Harley Steyn bowled superbly in taking two wickets in two overs without conceding a run, before a back niggle prevented him from bowling any further.
De Wet Miller had another gutsy batting performance at the top of the order, scoring 37, and Keyan de Klerk, who also kept wicket superbly on the day, scored 21 not out to take Northerns to a four-wicket victory.
The club’s Director’s XI continued their remarkable unbeaten record on Sunday, with an eight-wicket win over Tembisa, at Barnard B, in Kempton Park.
