Many positives after Premier League debut
United Cricket Club made their highly anticipated Easterns Premier League debut on Sunday, October 6, against Boksburg's CBC Old Boys, at Hosking Park.
Although the team were defeated by seven wickets, they have many positives to take from the game.
Skipper Justin Gamble’s young charges did not embarrass themselves in the match and fought hard, particularly with the bat, to send out a message to other teams in the Premier League that they will not be a walkover.
United lost the toss and were put in to bat by CBC Old Boys captain Willie Bernhardt.
The Brakpan team were given a quick introduction to the standard of Premier League cricket when their top four batsmen fell cheaply and left United in a precarious position at 19/4.
Up stepped Gamble, who played a superb captain’s innings of 82 to save the blushes of his team.
He was well supported by Aidan Justus (27), senior player Brendon Frost (25) and decent contributions from the tail to reach a score of 226/9 after 50 overs.
The pace of the pitch slowed after lunch and CBC’s opening pair of Wesley Coulentianos and Henning du Plooy put on an excellent opening stand, before du Plooy lost his wicket in the 37th over.
A further two wickets fell, but it was the left-handed Coulentianous who scored an unbeaten 116 not out, to guide CBC to victory in the 47th over.
United’s coach, Frans Bezuidenhout, said after the match that he was pleased and proud of the way his young team played in their first Premier League encounter.
“I thought we held our own and put up a good fight,” he said.
“The fact that we recovered from 19/4 down was awesome and showed a lot of character from the boys.
“They reached the target in only 47 overs, so that will give us some positives going forward.”
Mark Kingham, Eastern Cricket Union’s director of club cricket, was a special guest on the day and said: “It is a very proud day for me to witness United Cricket Club entering the Premier League.
“The club has come from humble beginnings; from initially having only three teams in the junior ranks to graduating into the elite league is a huge achievement.”
He praised the club’s management committee for their vision, passion and commitment.
“Their involvement in the league can only benefit the union and I am sure that, in time, they will be one of the top dogs in the competition,” he said.
Kingham added that cricket in the Brakpan area was basically dead and buried after the demise of Brakpan Cricket Club, so to see United grow from the ground up again has been nothing short of brilliant.
