Robey and Smit’s centuries help Sabres to victory

Benoni – Centuries from Mark Robey and Kyle Smit, backed by a commanding bowling display, powered the Benoni Northerns Sabres to a resounding 191-run victory over Avion Park in the Eastern Storm Veterans League on July 6.

Smit laid a solid platform with a blistering 100 off 58 balls, featuring 12 fours and three sixes, while Robey dominated the middle overs with a rapid 105 from just 45 deliveries, smashing 12 sixes and three fours. Their heroics lifted the Sabres to a formidable 328/6 in their 30 overs.

With the ball, Eddie Taute and JJ Coetzee did the damage, each claiming three wickets to restrict Avion Park to 137/9 and seal the Sabres’ first win of the season.

Batting first, openers Andre Steyn and Smit added 17 before Steyn fell to Willem Krügel in the second over. The Sabres soon found themselves in trouble at 24/3 after Neill Barnard trapped Christopher Thompson lbw and bowled Nicolaos Moragemos in successive deliveries.

Smit and Robey then staged a match-defining 170-run stand for the fourth wicket. Smit, the reigning Benoni Northerns Sports Club Sportsperson of the Year, contributed 88 to the partnership, while Robey added 66.

Smit reached his century in the 18th over, and Robey followed suit with a six in the 21st, with both retiring shortly after as per league rules.

Bruce Gilson added 17 off 9 in a 77-run stand with Robey before falling to Werner Botha. Taute followed three overs later off Jaco van Niekerk, before Jan Grobbelaar and Dirk Bloem pushed the score to 328/6 with a steady 38-run partnership off 31 balls.

In reply, Avion Park struggled from the outset. Openers Barnard and Rudolph Lizemore could manage only 32 runs in the first eight overs, with Bloem and Grobbelaar bowling tightly.

Taute broke the stand in the 11th over, dismissing Barnard, before Coetzee removed Lizemore the next over. Taute struck again in the 15th, having Pieter de Klerk and Francois Pienaar caught behind by Thompson in quick succession, reducing Avion to 53/4.

AJ Henning and Dries Nell attempted a brief fightback, adding 27 for the fifth wicket, but Marc Fourie removed Henning in the 20th over. Moragemos trapped Casper Booysen lbw, and Steyn bowled Nell in the 27th to seal the visitors’ fate.

Coetzee closed out the innings in style, taking two wickets in the final over to dismiss Marius Conradie and Van Niekerk and secure a dominant Sabres victory.

Other results:

• Springs Old Boys (152/7) beat Duduza Wild Dogs (148/10) by three wickets
• CBC Crusaders (226/5) beat Bedfordview Poly’s (155/6) by seven runs
• Alberton Strikers (105/2) beat Elsburg Eagles 2 (102/10) by eight wickets
• Calypso Legends (179/4) beat Bedfordview Lions (134/10) by 44 runs
• Alberton Old Stars (211/6) beat Sunward Tigers (210/6) by four wickets.

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