Crusaders makes club cricket history

CRICKET is no stranger to compelling storylines. The pursuit of victory has always been important, but the tale of the unlikely hero or the underdog is without doubt the best of them. It’s all about defying the odds, making history and disturbing the natural order.
That’s exactly what happened in the final of the Momentum National Club Championships as the HollywoodBets.Net Crusaders pulled off a heroic, one-wicket victory over the Steinhoff Maties to clinch the club title for the first time recently.

They are the first KZN club to win the championships, and the first community club team to win the tournament in more than 10 years after the competition had been dominated by tertiary institution clubs.

The history-making started earlier this season as the club secured its sixth successive premier league title.

The team had previously made the finals in the competition three times before this match and had lost all three games, so it was a case of fourth time lucky for the local lads. Chasing the mammoth total of 217 set by Maties, the Crusaders title ambitions looked to have ended before they started, as the ‘Good Guys’ (as they are known in cricket club circles) stared down the barrel at 30/6 in the 14th over.

In a truly remarkable turnaround, uMhlanga’s Sean Dixon showed his class and determination, blasting 83 runs from 57 deliveries. Dixon, along with Bevan Williams (35), put on a 110-run, ninth-wicket partnership with another crucial 37 runs added by Kyle Simmonds to give their side a thoroughly-deserved victory via the Duckworth/Lewis method.

Crusaders club chairman, Andrew Bennison, said winning the club champs had been a dream and an aim for a number of years.

“This current team has won the premier league numerous times and we have always hoped to win the National Club Champs at some stage. We have achieved what many people thought was impossible. To win the game with nine wickets down shows that every person in the team contributed towards this victory. I must admit, when the score was 30 runs for six wickets, chasing 210, I thought we had blown our chance of winning.

“I am very proud of the team and the way they fought back, showing true Crusaders spirit. We were competing against the top sides from around the country and came out victorious. We are the first cricket club in KZN to win this prestigious trophy and hope this will be the first of many titles. We are extremely grateful to our title sponsors for their fantastic support and friendship,” Bennison said.