Northerns open cricket season with wins

Benoni Northerns Cricket Club’s (BNCC) Premier XI, defending league champions who placed sixth in April’s National Club Championships, in Pretoria, got off to winning ways with an opening day 155-run bonus point victory over KwaThema, at home, on Sunday, October 4.

Skipper Kurt Francis, who has had his woes at the toss in recent times, again lost the flip of the coin and his team was put in to bat by his opposite number.

The team didn’t have it easy early into proceedings, on a tricky start-of-the-season Northerns track, as opener Vaughn Humphrey’s wicket fell without him troubling the scorers, and number three wicketkeeper/batsman Rhenier Jordaan falling for just five.

Left-handed opener and Easterns semi-professional Ernest Kemm’s 41, at the top, helped steer BNCC in the right direction before he was caught out.

Kemm, who recently skippered Easterns at the Africa T20 Cup, was ably backed by veteran all-rounder Mark Robey, who grafted hard for a score of 46 runs, before he was caught on the boundary going for a maximum.

Stefano di Bartolomeo’s 44 (also caught going big) and contributions from Werner van Linger (25) and Stefan Jordaan (31) helped Northerns to a score of 265/9 in their 50-over innings.

KwaThema’s Mongezi Ngcwabe was the best performer with the ball for his side, with bowling figures of 2/49 in nine overs.

The visiting side never really got out of the blocks in their reply and top scores of 23 from both Nkosana Mqoco and Ernest Mbalane were all that they could muster, as they were bowled out in the 32nd over, for 110.

The away side struggled against the spin of Stiaan Jordaan, Charl Steyn (who returned to the side following a year’s absence from cricket) and Kemm.

Steyn managed figures of 3/11 in six overs, Kemm 3/26 in 8.3 overs and Stiaan Jordaan 2/14 in five overs, to set up the first victory of the campaign.

Coach Thys van Lingen said he was happy with a good, winning start for his BNCC team.

“Our batsmen all got a chance with the willow and they did a good job,” he said.

“They took responsibility with the bat and built good partnerships, so I am happy with that.”

The Premier XI will next play Duduza at Northerns, on Sunday, October 11.

• Meanwhile, on Willowmoore Park’s B-field, the BNCC Promotion XI cruised to a five-wicket victory in their first match versus Tembisa.

Skipper Jaco Kruger lost the toss and was asked to field first on a wicket that offered little for the bowlers.

BNCC bowled well in the first 32 overs, but let it slip a bit afterwards, as Tembisa ended on 178 all out in the 49th over.

Thulani Thembela batted well for a deserved 60 runs.

BNCC took to the crease and never looked to be in trouble in getting the runs.

Jaryd Beer was the pick of the bowlers, with figures of 3/28 in 10 overs, while Tristan Dunkerley and Joshua Thomas each bagged a brace of wickets.

Wicketkeeper/batsman Richard Thompson hadn’t played cricket for three years and looked like he never stopped, on his return.

“He kept up like a champion and his batting was even better,” said Kruger.

He was backed by a well-played 49 not out, by Divan Prinsloo, and 25 from Shane Nel.

CLICK HERE for a GALLERY from the BNCC bowling innings.