United bowled over in Benoni
January 21 is a date that will not live long in the memory banks of those in the United Premier League team set-up.
The Brakpan-based team, fresh off a victory over Actonville Spurs at Hosking Park the weekend prior, were striving to add an away win over an always difficult opponent in the shape of Benoni Northerns Cricket Club (BNCC) at Northern Areas in Benoni on Sunday.
Despite the absence of their captain Justin Gamble (away with the Titans Academy at Cricket South Africa’s Franchise Academies tournament in Oudtshoorn), United would have been confident with the strength of the side that they fielded.
Batting first, United’s opening pair of Jose van der Berg and Andre Johnson looked like they were going along swimmingly in the early stages of the innings.
The batsmen hung around for 7.5 overs with the score at 32/0 until BNCC seamer Stefan Jordaan got the first wicket of van den Berg.
First-change bowler Stefano di Bartolomeo soon bagged the wicket of Johnson with his second delivery of the match and then another scalp four balls later to start a sequence of wickets falling.
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Di Bartolomeo bowled a quick and accurate spell that had the United willow-wielders in worlds of trouble.
His figures of 4/12 in seven overs bears testament to his superb spell with the ball.
The only real source of salvation for United came from number seven batsman Wickus Germishuizen, who scored 37 runs from 47 deliveries.
His was the final wicket to be claimed as United were wrapped up for 101 runs in 32.5 overs.
With the ball the visitors would have felt they were in with a sniff when they removed BNCC opening batsman Ernest Kemm for five runs, but former United man Vaughn Humphrey had other ideas.
The left-hander took his team home with 55 runs from 61 balls in 22 overs to hand United an eight-wicket defeat.
They will strive to get back to winning ways when they host CBC Old Boys at Hosking Park on January 28.
The first delivery is scheduled to be delivered at 10am.
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