County cricket all-rounder appointed Claremont Cricket Club captain

Darren StevensFile image: Darren Stevens.

Claremont Cricket Club have named veteran county cricketer Darren Stevens captain, for the 2018-19 Western Province Cricket Association premier league.

Stevens has succeeded former captain James Cameron-Dow, who has moved to Ireland.

The 42-year-old Stevens will also partner former Proteas all-rounder Justin Kemp in Claremont Cricket Club’s coaching structures.

Justin Kemp

File image: Justin Kemp.

This will not be the stalwart seamer’s first club cricket stint in Cape Town. Stevens, indeed, played for Pinelands Cricket Club several seasons ago.

“Darren will join us and he will bring a lot of experience through many years in county cricket and, previously, some years in club cricket in South Africa,” Claremont Cricket Club representative Alex Staub told Club Cricket SA.

“We are very excited to have him come over. He will work in conjunction with Kemp. They’ve got some good history together.”

Stevens has relished a lengthy first-class career for Leicestershire and later Kent, since 1997’s debut. He has scored almost 15,000 runs and clinched over 450 wickets. He also played for the Dhaka Gladiators in the Bangladesh Premier League and Otago in New Zealand.

The talented right-armer and right-hander’s all-round prowess was on display in the County Championship Division Two earlier this month, when a telling seven wickets and steely half-century contributed to Kent’s win over Middlesex at Lord’s.

Claremont Cricket Club occupied fifth position in 2017-18’s 12-team premier league standings, prior to the season’s early closure due to water shortages in Cape Town. They managed victories over Cape Town Cricket Club, Milnerton Cricket Club, Rondebosch Cricket Club, Langa Cricket Club and the University of the Western Cape Cricket Club, but were defeated by Durbanville Cricket Club and Victoria Cricket Club.

According to the WPCA’s first draft of fixtures for the 2018-19 premier league, Claremont Cricket Club’s opening match will be against Bellville Cricket Club on 27 October.