KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union Media Release

 No: KZNCU1706

04 March 2017

Embargo : None

Club Champs return for Crusaders following dominant season

Durban – The end of another exciting local club cricket competition brings the curtain down on the 2016/2017 cricket season in which Hollywoodbets Crusaders continued their dominance of the Castle Premier League, taking home their eighth consecutive league title.

‘The Good Guys’, as they affectionately refer to themselves as, have created a monopoly on the local club cricket scene with the 1st XI registering the double this season, winning the 50 over competition as well as the T20 tournament.

In a change from previous seasons the winners of the KZNCU league fought it out with the winners of the KZNICU for a spot at the national club championships. Crusaders took on Standard Cricket Club from Pietermaritzburg in both the T20 and the 50 over finals with the Durban outfit coming out on top in both fixtures.

This means that the Crusaders side will return to the Momentum National Club Championships in Pretoria for the eighth straight year and will look to emulate their incredible championship victory in 2015.

The side’s first job will be to take on the six other winners from around the country in what will essentially be a franchise based T20 tournament starting in Pretoria this weekend.

“We had to take on Standard to be the winners in KZN and now we will play each of the other franchise winners in the T20 section of the Club Championships,” Crusaders captain Michael Alexander said.

“This will then be followed by the 50 competition at the end of the month from 23 to 27 April.

“We are going into the competition open-minded and still taking the tournament as a learning curve with plenty of young talent coming through our ranks.

“It is a great opportunity for them to play against the best club players in the country and it helps them improve their game and help them build the confidence that they need,” Alexander mentioned.

The Crusaders side that won that momentous club championships title in 2015 has fractured with a number of the team retiring from the game meaning that the younger generation of Crusaders talent will need to carry the mantle in 2017.

“We do have a strong side with a number of talented players but we will just take each game as it comes.

“I hope that the senior guys can help guide the younger, less experienced players through what is always a tough tournament,” Alexander commented.

The Castle Premier League season always ends in heartache for one club that is relegated to the Challenge League for the following season.

There is also joy for a club in the Challenge League as they gain promotion into the Premier League and for the 2017/2018 season DHS Rhythm will return.

More information can be found at www.dolphinscricket.co.za

ENDS