Grooteman and Clark lead KES to victory over Northcliff

Steele Grooteman and Luke Clark starred with the ball and bat in King Edward VII’s (KES) convincing nine-wicket win over Northcliff in a Johnny Waite Trophy contest on the John Hurry Oval, in Johannesburg, on Wednesday afternoon.

KES won the toss and opted to bowl first on an overcast afternoon. Making good use of the favourable overhead conditions, they dismissed Northcliff for a modest 76 runs in 20 overs.

Clark, then, took control of the chase and raced to an unbeaten half-century to lead KES to 79/1 and a comprehensive win.

When his side took to the field, Matthew Bromley, the KES captain, threw the ball to his main spin bowling threat, Steele Grooteman, and he delivered immediately.

With his very first delivery, he claimed a wicket and, by the seventh over, Grooteman had taken four to reduce Northcliff to 36/4. By the end of his four overs, Grooteman had sent down 17 dot balls and snared 4/16.

He received good support from by Abdullah Mohammed and Connor Kuijers, who took two wickets each, while Uthmaan Khan and Tyler Cloete dismissed a single batsman each.

Only Mabutho Mbambo and Tristan Stanley reached double figures for Northcliff, with Mbambo top-scoring with 25 from 21 balls, while Stanley contributed a more defensive 15 from 34 deliveries.

When KES batted, Clark was unforgiving and aggressive. The opener carved an unbeaten 24-ball 60 that featured seven fours and four sixes and shared a 71-run opening partnership with Tiago Dias, which broke down after 5.2 overs.

Clark and Troy Gordon, then, saw KES over the finishing line, with Gordon ending unbeaten on four from four.

Summarised Scorecard

Northcliff 76/1 (Mabutho Mbambo 25, Tristan Stanley 15; Steele Grooteman 4/16, Abdullah Mohammed 2/8, Connor Kuijers 2/15). KES 79/1 (Luke Clark 60*, Tiago Dias 12; Mohammed Bux 1/6, Regan van der Walt 0/23). KES won by nine wickets.

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CS Chiwanza

CS Chiwanza is a former poet and now a full-time storyteller of Southern African sports. He jokes that those who can't do a thing well enough either teach or write. He knows the right way to hold a cricket bat and the right grip for the wobbleball, but can't do either well enough to be picked for a good team. So he writes. However, he mastered the best dart grip and spends hours stat-padding against his wife and kids.

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