Frustrating weekend for Northerns Prems

After winning their Eastern Club T20 Competition victory over rivals Kempton Park at Sahara Park Willowmoore on February 1, the team was involved in an Eastern Premier League match against the very same opponents a few days later (February 5) where a result could not be determined following a spell of afternoon rainfall.

That particular matter is still being attended to by the powers-that-be at the Eastern Cricket Union.

Before the team stepped out to play their next league match against Brakpan’s United Cricket Club at Northern Areas on Sunday, February 12, they were rocked by the news that their skipper Kurt Francis would most likely be out for the remainder of the season with a broken foot following a freak accident.

Another former Premier XI captain, Matthew “Traddle” Wright, would also miss the clash after picking up an ankle injury while playing golf.

Experienced opening batsmen Ernest Kemm (captaining the Easterns amateur side in Cape Town) and Rhenier Jordaan would also be unavailable for the match.

Veteran clubman Mark Robey, who last skippered the team nine years ago, took the captaincy reins to lead a young BNCC outfit.

His first act as captain saw him lose the toss and be put into bowl by his opposite number Justin Gamble on a wicket that has lately offered more to the bowlers in the afternoon.

Four dropped catches would be the bugbear for the team and their coach Nicolaos Moragemos.

United’s opening batsman and former BNCC player Vaughn Humphrey, who would go on to blitz 44 runs from 35 deliveries, was dropped in the first over on zero off his older brother Lance’s bowling while another former BNCC player, Rian van der Merwe, capitalised on being put down on 20 runs to score 67.

The injury misery also piled up for Robey’s men when spinner Stiaan Jordaan did damage to a troublesome knee and was aided off the field.

He was replaced in the field by coach Moragemos who showed his fielders how it should be done by taking a difficult catch on the boundary to claim the last wicket and have United all out for 194 in 44.1 overs.

Regardt Verster (3/30 in 10 overs), Kundai Matigimu (2/36 in 7.1 overs) and Lance Humphrey (2/57 in 10 overs) achieved the best figures for BNCC.

With the bat it was slow going from the Northerns top order with excellent bowling from openers Tshepo Motaung (2/23 in 10 overs) and Kevin Hinton (1/25 in 10 overs) causing problems while JP Meade (3/43 in nine overs) also contributed with wickets.

The only glimmer of hope for BNCC with the bat came in the form of St Benedict’s College learner Aron Visser who showed great maturity and confidence to put some pressure on the United bowlers with a top score of 70 runs.

Lance Humphrey, who looked good in a partnership with Visser, would feel unlucky to be dismissed for 25 runs after a dodgy LBW decision.

When Visser’s wicket was claimed (and with Stiaan Jordaan unable to bat) United would emerge as the deserved victors by a 43-run margin.

“We let ourselves down in the field and weren’t close to where we can be,” said Robey.

“We will bounce back strongly though and I still have faith in our ability to go all the way.”

Northerns will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they host Kwa-Thema at Northern Areas on Sunday, February 19.

• Meanwhile, Twayne Stewart’s BNCC Promotion League XI enjoyed a 129-run win over Kwa-Thema at the Prince Thethe Oval on the same day.

Batting first, BNCC scored 241/10 in 49.3 overs.

Kevin O’Connor (67 runs) and Suleiman Ebrahim (61 runs) were the best of the batsmen.

Northerns bowled their opponents out for 112 in 24.5 overs to win the game.

Alex Rudolph, with figures of 4/27 in seven overs, and Brett Martindale (3/27 in seven overs) did most of the damage with the leather.

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