Club cricket season is going to be a humdinger

A new season always brings about fresh changes and in the ECU region it is no different.

Eight new clubs have entered teams into the ECU’s senior Saturday and Sunday club cricket leagues for the 2016/2017 season.

There will be two new faces in the elite competition, the Premier League, as highly rated Alberton Cricket Club and Bedfordview Cricket Club have made the move from the Gauteng Cricket Union to make the league a 12-team competition.

They bring with them an abundance of talented players and excellent facilities.

The team which finishes top of the table will automatically advance to the final while second and third will battle it out for a spot in that final.

Benoni’s cricket clubs will be aiming to put up a strong fight in the Premier League and qualify for the Cricket South Africa’s National Club Championships next year.

With two-time Premier League winning coach Thys van Lingen moving on a new man has taken over the coaching reins at Benoni Northerns Cricket Club (BNCC).

Kempton Park Cricket Club old boy Nicolaos Moregamos has filled that position and is aiming to adapt a more “hands-on” approach with the players.

Moregamos told the City Times that he is mightily impressed with the abundance of young prospects at BNCC and is extremely excited for his first campaign with Northerns.

“It is a squad game and we have certainly got a strong squad of about 35-plus players to work with between our three teams [Premier, Promotion and Directors],” he said.

The new coach made it clear that his first and main goal is for BNCC to win the Premier League.

“There is no reason why we cannot do it.”

Moregamos added that he hopes to bring nothing but positivity to his new club.

Meanwhile, Actonville Spurs Cricket Club (ASCC) will be aiming to improve on last season’s fifth position in the Premier League.

Coach Thomas “TP” Pekane is into his second spell with the club and is hoping that his young team can improve on that position.

“Obviously we are hoping to have a better season.

“We have got the players to do it, but we need to work well together and make sure that we move forward.

“We did a lot of building and growing last season and this time we more or less know what we want and where we want to go.

“The crop of players from last season must now understand where we want to go.

“I am looking to get into the Top Four in the first half of the league and see from there.”

BNCC will open their campaign at Willowmoore A against Tembisa on Sunday while their Promotion League team has a bye first up.

Actonville will be the first team to travel to Alberton Cricket Club’s Lindeque Oval this season while their Promotion League side will play newcomers Bedfordview away.

The first Benoni cricket derby between BNCC and ASCC will take place on Sunday, October 16 at Northern Areas.

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