On March 29, 2000, a 20-year-old Justin Ontong walked to the crease in the domestic One-Day final with Boland in deep trouble against a strong Eastern Province team.
Ontong had taken strike with the score on 55/2, which soon became 89/4. The Boland Park faithful, who braved the Paarl heat during the day, started to get just a little nervous. It was up to the Paarl-born local lad to try and make something happen after the senior pros lost their wicket.
Ontong had come through the Boland junior structures a classy right-hand batsman. The year before he played SA School before going straight into the Boland team as a teenager. He was always looked at as a future Proteas player.
But it was in that final when Ontong announced himself on the scene with a final-defining knock against an Eastern Province side that featured Meyrick Pringle, Shafiek Abrahams and youngsters Justin Kemp and Garnett Kruger.
Ontong and wicket-keeper Steve Palframan put on a stand of 90 to get Boland to 209/6 in their allotted 45 overs. Ontong scored a brilliant 67 off 73 balls with a mix of power and touch to give Boland a fighting chance.
The home team’s bowlers then restricted EP to 173/8, Boland winning their one and only 1-Day title by 36 runs, while Ontong was given the man-of-the-match award.
Almost 25 years later Ontong has guided Boland to their second 1-Day final, this time as coach of the team. His cricketing career has come full circle a couple of weeks before that historic first win’s anniversary.
For Ontong it wasn’t difficult to cast his mind back to that balmy Paarl day, with the memories coming flooding back when he was anointed the “Prince of Paarl”.
“Wow, it's been 25 years already? It feels like yesterday!” Ontong told IOL Sport.
Current Boland bowling coach and former Proteas speedster Henry Williams was supposed to play in the match, but had sustained a shoulder injury after a tour of India. But he would unwittingly play a part in Ontong’s day of days.
“Henry brought back some bats from India. I asked him before the game if I could use it, because at that time rookies didn’t get the best bats from the sponsors,” Ontong joked.
“To be voted man of the match in a final was special, especially playing in front of your family and friends. It was a packed stadium, and I remember we couldn’t finish our lap of honour because the people were running onto the ground.
“It would be special to do it as a coach in front of the people of Paarl.”
Ontong is in his second season as head coach of Boland. His first year was quite difficult, with the performances seemingly suffering because of an apparent split in the dressing room.
However, Ontong has rebuilt the team and the culture this season and Boland have started to play good cricket. They were unlucky to miss out on the CSA T20 playoffs earlier this season, and are still in good position in the First-Class competition.
Boland will now host Sunday’s final after winning four out of four matches at home, a remarkable turn around for Ontong, who says hard work has been key to their revival.
“I learned a lot of lessons last year. It was my first stint as a head coach and things happened quickly,” Ontong said.
“It was a big learning curve and I did a lot of reflection about the way forward and things that held us back as a team, where we could improve. It’s good to see that things are coming together.
“It’s been hard work, but consistency has been the key for us as well as a solid team environment, with everyone’s energy flowing in the same direction. The senior players have been great in that regard.”
Ontong’s boss, Boland chief executive James Fortuin, took a punt on the former Proteas fielding coach and is pleased with the trajectory of the team this season.
“Justin joined us a year ago and it was a difficult year, as he inherited a team from the previous coach,” Fortuin said.
“But now he is starting to shape the team in his image, as a person who believes in hard work, dedication and camaraderie. His approach to coaching is similar to how he operated as a player - one of the great professionals our game has ever seen.”
Fortuin hopes Ontong’s story will have another fairytale ending on Sunday, but views the final as just the start of something special at the province.
“This is just the beginning, we view this as a highlight on the road to further success. The roadmap we have set out for ourselves is to build a team that will be the best,” Fortuin said.
“It's a fairytale, because two of our coaching staff played massive roles here in their playing days. Justin and Bollie (Williams) have a wonderful connection and a relationship built on a Boland first ethos. Long may that continue.
@JohnGoliath82