Apparently quite a lot for Benoni Northerns Cricket Club’s (BNCC) Premier XI ,who buried the disappointment of last Sunday’s 22-run home loss to Boksburg.
The team defeated another Boksburg outfit and perennial rivals CBC Old Boys by a large 149-run margin, on Sunday, October 25, to invigorate their defence of the league title, which they won in the 2014/2015 Eastern season.
With four defeats against these opponents in as many matches, in the last two seasons, the result was well received at Northern Areas on Sunday.
The match also highlighted the vital all-round ability of Easterns semi-professional Ernest Kemm.
Batting first, on a flat track, the left-handed opening batsman provided a cool and composed head for the partners who joined him at the crease, a far cry from their collapse versus Boksburg.
Kemm top-scored with 80 runs, to help guide his team to a score of 285 for 5 in their 50-over batting innings.
He enjoyed some good partnerships along the way, including a 65-run stand with Mark Robey (33), who struggled through his innings with a quad injury sustained while he was on 10 runs.
The BNCC bowlers were clinical with the ball and all chipped in with wickets to bowl their challengers all out for 109 runs in the 28th over.
They also bagged a valuable bonus point in the process.
Northerns knew that the wicket of talented opening batsman Wesley Coulentianos, who scored runs for fun against them in previous encounters, was the key to success and it proved to be so, after Lance Humphrey claimed his wicket courtesy of a sublime catch behind the stumps from Rhenier Jordaan.
Werner van Lingen (3/11 in three overs), Kemm (2/21 in six overs) and Stiaan Jordaan (2/23 in seven overs) were the pick of the bowlers.
Coach Thys van Lingen said the win was a much-needed one after the Boksburg display the previous week.
The team will host Tembisa at home on Sunday, November 1.
- Meanwhile, across the road, the club’s Promotion XI made it four wins out of four matches, with a 10-wicket win versus Daveyton.
The visitors could post only 71.
Skipper Jaco Kruger (2/21), Harley Steyn (2/26) and Joshua Thomas in particular (with figures of 5/17) made light work of their opponents.
They also, however, made it difficult for themselves in the field, with six dropped catches in total, of which two would be considered difficult.
The team stormed to the target, with Andrew Smith promoted up the order to open the innings and play the big shots.
He and Diaan Basson both scored 31 not out, to reach the runs in 6.1 overs.
“We want to keep the momentum going and play our best game, which will be our toughest game of the first half, against Kempton Park, on Sunday,” said Kruger.
