Old Bens cricket is reborn as UCC abandon Brakpan home
The well-known United Cricket Club has abandoned their Hosking Park home ground in Brakpan and relocated to Benoni, where a fully-fledged, operational cricket main oval suitable for Premier League games will be in use by the beginning of the 2020/21 cricket season.
Old Benonians Cricket Club is set to become an integral part of the Benoni club cricket scene again after 30 years.
The new cricket facility, with a projected budget of R300 000, is being developed on the original land that Old Bens leased more than 30 years ago before it was utilised as a council landfill site.
While the UCC may cease to exist in name only, they are to retain their Eastern Premier League (EPL) status under the Old Benonians name. Effectively cricket will be revived at Old Bens after 30 years and add another top-flight Benoni club to the EPL.
Hosking Park had been a cauldron of highs and lows for UCC but a severe sewerage problem constantly flooded the A and B fields as well as the clubhouse.
“That forced us to throw in the towel in January. Despite many appeals to the metro council year after year, we were told that there was no expertise or budget to fix the problem,” explained UCC facilities manager Des Gamble.
The field maintenance at Hosking Park fell directly within the club’s budget and the constant flooding not only disrupted matches, but was also detrimental to the clubhouse turnover, which generated income to maintain the facility. There were also instances where the pitch covers were stolen and the periodic spillage also became a health hazard.
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“A chance meeting with a good friend and an Old Benonians committee member was enough to sow a seed for us moving there,” added Gamble.
“We put it to the chairman and committee that we wanted to develop the open bit of land just to the left of Old Bens as a cricket field and just two weeks later work started. The main field will also be shared by football in the off-season.”
Funds have been raised for the project via various fund-raising initiatives like a golf day, as well as generous donations from members of the club and friends.
“Easterns has committed to helping us with fields for this season at Willowmoore Park to ensure continuity until our facility is ready next season,” added Gamble.
A synthetic pitch has been prepared at Old Bens for juniors to play on in the interim and the first under-eight match was played there last weekend.
