Northerns cricketers on a roll
Benoni Northerns Cricket Club’s (BNCC) defence of their Easterns Premier League title gained further momentum on Sunday, November 17, when they blew away the challenge of visitors KwaThema, in a horribly one-sided encounter, at Northern Areas.
Across the road, on the B field, BNCC’s Promotion League XI also proved to be an unstoppable force against the same opposition.
In the main match of the day, two youngsters ruled the roost for Northerns and one, in particular, Marlou Moore, came up with a sublime exhibition of the art of swing bowling that was simply too much for the KwaThema batsmen to handle.
Having foregone the toss because the visitors were keen to bat first and the Benonians wanted to bowl, the team got off to an absolute flyer, thanks to their opening pair, who rattled up a half-century stand before being separated.
This was until Ernest Kemm, captaining Northerns for the first time in the absence of Kurt Francis, had a stroke of genius and decided to introduce Moore into the attack.
The medium pacer, from Boksburg’s Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen, making his first appearance for BNCC’s flagship team, responded by simply tearing the visitors’ batting line-up to shreds.
When KwaThema’s effort was finally snuffed out, with just 93 runs on BNCC’s brand new electronic scoreboard, Moore’s startling figures read: 7/14 in nine superlative overs.
Spinner GC Pretorius also contributed with the ball, weighing in with 3/25 in 8.1 overs.
In reply, Northerns showed no mercy and fairly raced to their target for the loss of just three wickets, thanks mainly to the efforts of young JP Kok, who scored a fine 56, and left-hander Levon Shields (25).
The “contest” was done and dusted five minutes before the scheduled lunch break, as Benoni won with a vital bonus point.
Northerns coach Thys van Lingen praised his team for another solid all-round effort.
“Their opening batsmen were scoring quickly off our pace bowlers and they were 50 for none at a stage, until Marlou used his opportunity as a first timer in the Premier side to take seven wickets with disciplined bowling,” the coach said.
“Skipper Ernest kept Marlou on to bowl his allotted overs all on the trot, which proved to be a good move.
“Then our first five batsmen saw us home before lunch.”
The Benoni side will go into this Sunday’s (November 24) away match against arch rivals Kempton Park full of confidence for a clash they basically have to win, to keep their title defence on the right track.
- In the Promotion League game, BNCC’s stand-in captain, Jaco Kruger, lost the toss and the home side batted first.
Both their openers were out early, but the middle order came to the party and the home side ended up posting a healthy 256 for three in their allotted 50 overs.
This was thanks largely to a brilliant knock of 104 off 119 deliveries, including eight boundaries, by the Premier XI’s regular wicketkeeper Rian van der Merwe, who batted at number four in his comeback game, after a few weeks on the sidelines following a car accident.
He was ably supported by number three Stiaan Jordaan, who scored a run-a-ball 52, and number five Stefano di Bartholomeo, who compiled an excellent unbeaten 70 off 114 balls.
In reply, KwaThema, despite a fighting 41 from number three Brian Songo, were rolled for a meagre 113 in 33.5 overs, having no answer to the spin of Nicholas Govender, whose brilliant bowling was rewarded with 5/27 in 10 overs, including three maidens.
Jordaan followed up his half-century with 2/11 in six overs, as Northerns romped to a bonus-point victory by 143 runs.
The team is also away this Sunday, facing Duduza at Willowmoore Park.
