CBC hoodoo strikes again
Sunday, February 22, was a forgettable day on the cricket field if you were a player, or supporter, of the Proteas and/or Benoni Northerns Cricket Club (BNCC).
Much like the ICC Cricket World Cup mauling in Melbourne, where South Africa were outplayed in all departments by India and were on the receiving end of a proper hammering, Northerns’ Premier XI were also handed a cricketing lesson by CBC Old Boys, at Northern Areas.
And, like the Proteas, what plays out over the next few weeks will have a major impact in determining whether BNCC’s 1st XI are champions or chokers.
A few weeks ago, Northerns, bidding for their second Easterns Premier League title in three seasons, were sitting pretty, 11 points clear at the top of the standings.
Today though, the Benoni side and Boksburg’s CBC are level on 49 points apiece, Northerns’ superior run-rate the only thing keeping them on top, following Old Boys’ nine-wicket massacre of their hosts on Sunday – their fourth successive win, home and away, against Northerns in the last two seasons.
So, a seemingly one-horse race to the title has become a straight shoot-out over the next three weeks between the first and second-placed sides.
Northerns, however, may still have a slight advantage over CBC in the run-in, as they have three matches of the season left to play, with the team from Boksburg only having two.
This Sunday, March 1, BNCC are away to Springs Old Boys – a difficult assignment considering that the Pollak Park pitch is traditionally not great – while CBC host KT (Kwa Thema) Windies.
The following week, March 8, Northerns face Duduza at Willowmoore Park, while CBC have a bye; and on the final Sunday of the season, Northerns host the Windies and CBC entertain defending champions Kempton Park.
Therefore, the message to Kurt Francis and his Benoni players couldn’t be clearer: Your destiny is in your own hands, so win your final three matches, clinch the league title and qualify for the National Club Championship later in the year.
On Sunday, skipper Francis lost the toss and the home side was forced to bat first on another sub-standard pitch.
A poor batting display, coupled with some fine Old Boys bowling, followed and wickets tumbled like clockwork before Northerns were rolled for a shocking 107 runs, their lowest total in a long, long time.
CBC, and destructive left-handed opener Wesley Coulentianos in particular, made a mockery of the so-called bad surface to plunder the runs in 17 of their allotted 50 overs, the opener smashing 75 of them, for the bonus-point victory which enabled the Boksburgers to catch the league leaders.
It wasn’t too long ago that BNCC’s top three Sunday sides were seemingly powering to their respective league titles.
Now, though, the Premier Reserve League XI have given up hope of successfully defending their crown; the Directors League XI relinquished their grip on top spot after being hammered by third-placed Springs Old Boys at home last Sunday; and the Premier XI are following the Proteas’ form.
In both cases, however, it is too soon to mention the dreaded ‘C-word’.
