The defending champions were well aware that a win over their long-time foes was absolutely essential in their push towards the successful retention of their league title.
They did just that with a 48-run bonus-point victory in front of a good crowd that had gathered at the grounds to cheer on their respective teams.
A slightly wet wicket (on the outer edge of the square) delayed the start of the match by 45 minutes and both teams’ innings were reduced to 48 overs each.
Losing the toss under overcast skies meant that skipper Kurt Francis and his team, put in to bat by opposite number Johan Fourie, were in for a troublesome time with the willow right from the word go as openers Ernest Kemm and Rhenier Jordaan fell cheaply.
The batsmen that followed also battled to get the scoreboard ticking and at one stage BNCC players found themselves struggling at 44/6 as a result of some excellent bowling from their visitors.
Up step captain Francis (who always seems to save his best performances with the bat against Kempton Park) who carried his team to a low yet, what would eventually prove, to be defendable score of 125 all out.
The skipper held firm in his innings of 55 not out to provide one shining light from the Northerns batting display.
David Jacobs (4/15 in 6.5 overs) was the standout Kempton bowler followed by Kyle Marshall (2/30 in eight overs).
After lunch and as the cloud cover above faded, Northerns knew that they needed an early breakthrough to revitalise their energy and buoy their spirits.
A real moment of magic, a sublime diving catch from Mark Robey in the slips off the bowling of Lee Cothill, provided that early confidence and from that point on the bowlers and fielders played with positive vigour.
Robey would take three more good catches in the field that would contribute to the winning result, but it was an overall team effort that took BNCC home.
Opening bowler Cothill again proved his value to the side with 3/24 in seven overs, including another sublime delivery that he (like the week before against Duduza) described as one of the best he has ever bowled.
The spin of Ernest Kemm (3/6 in 4.2 overs) also proved vital, while Stefano di Bartolomeo (1/21 in seven overs), Robey (1/12 in six overs) and Stefan Jordaan (1/4 in two overs) all played a role and claimed wickets in the Kempton collapse.
The run-out of the Unlimited Titans all-rounder Grant Thomson was also a major morale booster for the BNCC XI as the players wrapped up their nemeses for just 77 runs.
“It was a great feeling to pull a victory out of the bag against the number one side in the league at the moment,” Francis told the City Times.
“We were on the back foot from the start, but we kept on fighting like we always do.
“Our bowlers were superb and the fielding kept things going in our favour.
“A big thank you must go to the crowds that came out. They made a huge impact on the game for us and kept our spirits up.”
The win was as huge for BNCC’s upcoming opponents, United Cricket Club, whose players stretched their lead at the top of the table after a bonus-point win of their own in Boksburg.
Northerns will travel to Brakpan on Sunday, February 28 to play United in what will be as important a match in the hunt for a spot in the play-off final in April.
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- Meanwhile, across the road, skipper Jaco Kruger’s BNCC Promotion XI enjoyed an important win over United Cricket Club, bowling them all out in 49 overs.
Kruger was the star performer with the ball with statistics of 5/44 in 10 overs (his fourth five-wicket haul of the season and 41st wicket in total).
Tian van der Walt’s 3/36 in eight overs and Shawn Wessels’ 2/14 in six overs were the next best figures.
With the bat it was Matthew Wright (50), debutant Fabio Lomgueira (37) and Harley Steyn (31) who took the team home.
- Suleiman Ebrahim’s Saturday First League also enjoyed success for the club on Saturday, February 20 with an 82-run over United who were at the top of the table.
Batting first, BNCC scored 182/9 in their 35 overs.
Tian van der Walt top-scored with 46 followed by Andrew Macfarlane (42) and Ebrahim (41).
They bowled their opponents out for 100 in the 25th over.
Macfarlane was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets for 21 runs in six overs.
