Northerns defeated at the final hurdle
It all came down to a Sunday skirmish between two longstanding adversaries in the Eastern Cricket Union’s Premier League playoff final.
The clash between Benoni Northerns Cricket Club (BNCC) and Kempton Park’s Premier XI, at Sahara Willowmoore Park, on Sunday, April 3, had all the makings of a real classic, but it would be the team from the Barnard Stadium who would overpower BNCC to take all the plaudits and book a ticket to the elite National Club Championships, in Pretoria, at the end of the month.
Northerns advanced to the final after defeating CBC Old Boys by 26 runs at the same venue, the previous day, in the semi-final.
Admittedly, for BNCC, who batted first in the semi, it was not the most convincing display with the willow as they mustered up a score of 210/9, with Matthew “Traddle” Wright’s 46 runs the best of the Northerns batsmen.
With the ball, it was that man Wright who again caused problems with his slow bowling.
He achieved the best of the bowling figures, with 3/24 in 10 overs, while Mark Robey (2/21 in seven overs) and Stefano di Bartolomeo (2/40 in eight overs) did enough to get their Boksburg opponents all out for 184 in the 43rd over and set up a final date with their old foes, who cantered to victory over Brakpan’s United Cricket Club, by 118 runs, on Willowmoore’s B-field.
On Sunday, BNCC skipper Kurt Francis won the toss and elected to bat first.
The decision didn’t pay dividends, though, as Kempton, a team packed with Easterns semi-professionals, were clinical with the cherry in hand.
Kempton spinner Jurie Snyman’s 4/1 in five overs, captain Johan Fourie’s 2/29 in nine overs and quick David Jacobs’ 2/19 in four overs were the catalyst in restricting Northerns to 124 all out in 30 overs.
Wright looked the team’s best hope with 29 runs, but when he was bowled by Jacobs the writing was on the proverbial wall for the Benonians.
Francis’s team had defended 125 against their great rivals at Northern Areas in February, but this time Kempton did not make the same mistakes.
With the fall of openers Wesley Marshall and Anton Muller BNCC were off to a good start, but a solid 50-run stand from Wesley Coulentianos (33) and Casey Arnold (51) ended the hopes of another famous win.
One shining light from the innings was the bowling display from 16-year-old left-arm seamer Harley Steyn, who was impressive with economical statistics of 1/7 in five overs.
The six-wicket victory for Kempton means that they will fly the union’s flag at Club Champs.
A disappointed Francis commented: “It is a bitter pill to swallow, knowing that we played the best cricket over the last 16 weeks of league matches to end top of the log, and all it took was one day to lose the opportunity to go to Club Champs.
“All credit must go to Kempton Park, as we were outplayed and outclassed in the final.
“I am incredibly proud of what we achieved this season, and a big thank you must go to our coach, Thys van Lingen, and to all the players involved over the course of the campaign.
“Our never-say-die attitude will definitely see us compete at a high standard again next season.”
CLICK HERE for a GALLERY of images from the finals weekend.
