Hope reigns supreme for Border’s top club side
Team is upbeat for the SA Champions
THERE was an absolute nail-biting end to the Premier League season, with log-leaders Good Hope and United clashing at Buffalo Flats.
Good Hope had already won the league before going head-to-head with the number two team. In Sunday’s showdown, Kevin Bennett scored 162 not out and there were contributions from Romano Ramoo (75) and Marco Marais (75) in United’s huge 329/2 in 50 overs. Good Hope collapsed for 189 all out.
Good Hope won the title – the first black African club to win the Border Premier League – and will now represent the province at the SA Club Championships in Pretoria from April 22.
Simphiwe Ndzundzu, chairman of the club, is justifiably proud of the Good Hope team. “This is great news. For the past two seasons Good Hope finished in the top four, and unfortunately last season we lost two or three games and lost narrowly to United,” said Ndzundzu.
“Our players live in Alice, Middledrift, King William’s Town and even East London so it was difficult to hold practices, but at the beginning of the season we targeted winning the league.
“The senior players took on the responsibility, everyone responded and we are now going to Club Champs. We will do our best there and hopefully return with some wins under our belt.”
Good Hope’s leading batsman this season was left-handed Cebo Tshiki, who also represented Border this summer. On many occasions he was the batsman at the crease when the winning runs were scored. Tshiki has the ability to score quickly and his shots through the off-side normally scorch through the cover area. The club will look to him for big runs in Pretoria.
Senior player, Border captain Abongile Sodumo, is also upbeat about the chance to play at the SA Club Championships.
“I went with the University of the Western Cape once a long time ago and Good Hope has been working to this end for about 16 years,” he said. “This is amazing for the club.”
Tomorrow four teams clash at Buffalo Park in the semifinals of the Border Club Twenty20 competition and for one team in particular, history beckons.
Willows-WSU have fought their way to the semis with some exciting and innovative play, with their 47-year-old allrounder Lefty Ngece being the hero.
Nothing would give Ngece more pleasure than seeing his club win a senior trophy for the first time.
His left-arm spinners and his batting, were match-winners week after week. Will he be denied so late in the season?
In the first semi, British Travel Clinic Old Selbornians play United and the Buffalo Flats club's match-winner could be Bennett who has scored two centuries in consecutive matches.
But keep an eye open for United opener Marvin Lazarus, who is famed for his big hitting and who could take the game away from Old Boys in a twinkling with his rapier-like bat.
The second semi, when Willows challenge Bohemians, should be just as entertaining.
Veteran Bohs’ allrounder Brendan Fourie and Murray Spence could play a big role with the ball, as should Border’s Shaun de Kock with his left-arm spinners and with the bat.
The two winners go through to the final later in the day.