Rondebosch Cricket club enjoy ‘surreal’ WPCA premier league title after ‘shaky campaign’

Sean Hendrieck cricketSean Hendrieck (centre). ©M. de Lange Photography

Rondebosch Cricket Club have effectively been crowned 2023-24 Western Province Cricket Association premier league champions after last week’s win over Green Point Cricket Club.

The result moved first-placed Rondebosch Cricket Club to 77 points on this season’s WPCA premier points table. They are an unassailable nine points ahead of second-placed Western Province Cricket Club.

Overall, Rondebosch Cricket Club collected 16 wins, five defeats and one no-result. Two defeats were to Primrose Cricket Club, who ended this season’s premier league in second-last position.

What Rondebosch Cricket Club player-coach Sean Hendrieck said

“It’s somewhat surreal that we are champions because this season has been a bit of a shaky campaign in comparison to last season, when I thought we should have won the title,” Hendrieck told the Southern Suburbs Tatler.

“During the 2019-2020 season, we were 14 points ahead and heading towards winning the title but a boardroom issue popped up which denied us the title.

“But for now, barring any boardroom decisions, we are the champions, and we will celebrate this achievement with passion. Needless to say, it has been a challenging, hard season.

“If you had to ask me at the beginning of the season if we would win the league, I would have told you no. But as the season progressed we became more consistent and that is what pulled us through.”

The WPCA have not formally confirmed Rondebosch Cricket Club’s title yet. They will likely do this after this week’s final round of premier league fixtures – or after the members’ council meeting later this year, when other league titles, promotions, relegations and other placements are ratified as well.

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Rondebosch Cricket Club’s top performers

Hendrieck and captain Lenert van Wyk were Rondebosch Cricket Club’s joint-leading run-scorers in the WPCA premier league this season.

Hendrieck collected 597 runs in 18 innings at an average of 37. Van Wyk, who missed several fixtures due to injury, hit 597 runs in 12 innings at an average of 75.

Fast bowler Ali-Akbar Shaik was Rondebosch Cricket Club’s most prolific wicket-taker. He took 29 wickets in 22 matches at an average of 22.

Their second-highest wicket-taker was seamer Morne Pentz, who collected 25 in 21 matches at an average of 18. This was Pentz’s first season with Rondebosch Cricket Club after joining from Northerns Goodwood Cricket Club in the first division A.

Lenert van Wyk cricket

Lenert van Wyk. ©M. de Lange Photography

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