Crusaders beat Sabres to defend title

Thinus Neethling anchored the CBC Crusaders to a successful Eastern Storm Veterans League title defence against Benoni Northerns Sabres with a gritty unbeaten half-century at Willowmoore Park on September 21.

After an early scare following the Sabres’ Craig van Dyk and Eddie Taute’s destruction with the new ball, Neethling notched 66 off 36, which included four boundaries and six maximums, to secure the Crusaders’ second title by four wickets.

Chasing 173, things got off to a rocky start when Van Dyk trapped Nico de Klerk in front with the first ball of the chase before power-hitter Brett Luck edged him to keeper Christopher Thompson to leave CBC in trouble on 39/2 after five overs.

However, Andre Johnson and Pieter Booysen wrestled back control with 52 for the third wicket. Johnson was caught and bowled by Taute in the 12th over, and Marius Lubbe only faced five balls before Jan Grobbelaar sent him back to the shed an over later.

Neethling joined Booysen in the middle, and they shared 37 runs before Craig Turton and Thompson combined to run Booysen out.

Kandas Pretorius (10 off 7) followed, but Neethling and Johan Fourie reconstructed the innings with a quick-fire 50-run seventh-wicket partnership to take their team across the line, with the destructive Neethling sealing the win with back-to-back sixes off JJ Coetzee.

At the start of the innings, the Crusaders won the toss and elected to field and immediately had the Sabres by the ropes with three wickets in the opening nine overs.

After a 24-run opening stand between Andre Steyn and Kyle Smit, Robert Mutch broke off the partnership when he bowled Steyn (1) with the first ball of the fifth over, and Turton followed off Fourie, trying to clear the field, but his shot lacked power and height and landed at Mutch at mid-on.

Thompson didn’t stay long in the middle, facing eight balls for his four, before he nicked Fourie to keeper Neels Grobbelaar as the Sabres fell to 38/3.

After being dropped in the 10th over when the fielder at short third man fumbled his catch, Smit (34 off 30), who kept the Sabres’ innings together with some well-calculated strokes, fell to Neethling when the seamer’s ball swung to the leg-side, only to change direction mid-air before brushing Smit’s bat and went straight to the keeper.

Taute followed off Fourie, but Nicolaos Moragemos and Bruce Gilson fought back with 65 for the sixth wicket before Moragemos (25 off 34) was caught and bowled by Thys Neethling, while Gilson was stumped by Grobbelaar off Thys four overs later, falling for a well-crafted 53 off 44, which included three fours and two sixes.

Booysen dealt with the tail, dismissing Mark Robey, Jan Grobbelaar and Coetzee as the Sabres posted a competitive 172 in their 30 overs.

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