United Cricket Club head off to Pretoria today as they look to kick off their assault on the National Club Cricket Championships tomorrow.
United’s first game of the competition is against the champions of Easterns, Benoni Northerns CC, tomorrow morning and the team will be looking to get their campaign off to a positive start.
United will head into the match a bit undercooked having not played much since the end of the Border cricket season and they will need to adjust as fast as possible.
Their final warmup game this past Saturday was washed out.
The match was played against the Border Invitational and Academy combined team at Police Park and with United batting first they managed to reach 96/3 off around 20 overs before rain put paid to any chance of a full game, leaving players a little frustrated at not getting a good run out.
United, who dominated the current Border Cricket League, finished unbeaten while claiming the league and Twenty20 titles, qualifying for their sixth club champs in the process.
The team had a difficult time of it at the champs last year where they were unable to win a game. However,their current form is a promising sign and could see them back with a vengeance this year.
Having lost a number of senior players at the end of last season, United had to dig deep this year and with the majority of their main players who featured for them throughout the season available, the team will basically be at full strength.
“This season we, as a unit, started to perform more consistently,” said United captain Kevin Bennett.
“Confidence and belief in our abilities arising from good preparation was key in our success this year and we will be looking for the same at club champs.”
United are in section two along with mainly club sides Western Province champs Erdinger Durbanville Cricket Club, Benoni Northerns CC, KwaZulu-Natal regional winners Crusaders CC and the representatives from South Western Districts, Union Stars CC.
The University of Johannesburg, as the final team in the section, will be representing Gauteng.
In section one there are a host of university sides including double defending champions Assupol Tuks who had a momentus season last year.
Free State champs, the University of Free State, Boland winners the University of Stellenbosch, Eastern Province reps Madibaz NMMU and NWU Pukke representing the North West are the other university sides in the group while Griqualand West victors, Burma Lads Cricket Club round out the teams in the competition.
United will play all their group games against the teams in their section and the top placed team in each section will take each other on in the final on April 27.
United off on a mission for national crown
United’s first game of the competition is against the champions of Easterns, Benoni Northerns CC, tomorrow morning and the team will be looking to get their campaign off to a positive start.
United will head into the match a bit undercooked having not played much since the end of the Border cricket season and they will need to adjust as fast as possible.
Their final warmup game this past Saturday was washed out.
The match was played against the Border Invitational and Academy combined team at Police Park and with United batting first they managed to reach 96/3 off around 20 overs before rain put paid to any chance of a full game, leaving players a little frustrated at not getting a good run out.
United, who dominated the current Border Cricket League, finished unbeaten while claiming the league and Twenty20 titles, qualifying for their sixth club champs in the process.
The team had a difficult time of it at the champs last year where they were unable to win a game. However,their current form is a promising sign and could see them back with a vengeance this year.
Having lost a number of senior players at the end of last season, United had to dig deep this year and with the majority of their main players who featured for them throughout the season available, the team will basically be at full strength.
“This season we, as a unit, started to perform more consistently,” said United captain Kevin Bennett.
“Confidence and belief in our abilities arising from good preparation was key in our success this year and we will be looking for the same at club champs.”
United are in section two along with mainly club sides Western Province champs Erdinger Durbanville Cricket Club, Benoni Northerns CC, KwaZulu-Natal regional winners Crusaders CC and the representatives from South Western Districts, Union Stars CC.
The University of Johannesburg, as the final team in the section, will be representing Gauteng.
In section one there are a host of university sides including double defending champions Assupol Tuks who had a momentus season last year.
Free State champs, the University of Free State, Boland winners the University of Stellenbosch, Eastern Province reps Madibaz NMMU and NWU Pukke representing the North West are the other university sides in the group while Griqualand West victors, Burma Lads Cricket Club round out the teams in the competition.
United will play all their group games against the teams in their section and the top placed team in each section will take each other on in the final on April 27.
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