Three Pretoria schools and Johannesburg’s King Edward VII (KES) performed impressively on Friday, day two of the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Week, but nobody did a better job at the crease than Christiaan Visagé of St Alban’s College.
He went big, and his team went big, tallying 317/4 batting first against Glenwood High in their 50-over match on Hannah’s Field at Michaelhouse.
Visagé was in sensational form. He shredded the Glenwood attack, crushing 13 sixes and six fours in his 123 not out, which came from only 54 balls, giving him a jaw-dropping strike rate of 227.78.
He and Thomas Hall also shared an astonishing unbroken partnership of 181 in only 14.1 overs, with Hall contributing 66 not out from 77 balls.
St Alban’s opening batsmen, Ethan Detert and Reabetswe Mokoka, laid a solid foundation, making 79 for the first wicket in 20.1 overs.
Glenwood captain Kreesan Pillai bowled well under heavy pressure, claiming 2/46 from 10 overs, while Kamo Moloto took 2/27 from five. Glenwood’s bowlers, though, conceded 20 wides, which made up most of the 35 extras that amplified Cornwall Hill’s total.
Glenwood‘s response was steady. Unsurprisingly, though, none of the Durban school’s batsmen were able to produce a sufficient counter to Christiaan Visagé’s swashbuckling knock, and that told in the end.
Sebastian Oertel batted well for 59, Jonah Chaita weighed in with 34, Charles Nkwanyana made 29, and Kreesan Pillai tallied 24, but Glenwood was dismissed in the 42nd over for 230, leaving St Alban’s the victors by 87 runs.
Luke Ward followed up a five-for against Clifton College with 3/49, while his fellow opening bowler, Kyle Earle, did a good job, capturing 2/10 in 6.2 overs. Christiaan Visagé backed up his outrageous knock with 2/32, and Will Hewett picked up 2/35.
Kearsney College vs King Edward VII
After struggling at the crease against Northwood on Thursday, King Edward VII bounced back strongly at Howick High, where they ran through Kearsney College‘s batting order in just under 30 overs after winning the toss and fielding first.
Kearsney was never able to build momentum. In fact, only three batsmen reached double figures, with Aaron Blackburn‘s 23 their top score. Rivan Moodley added 18, and Sebastian De Broglio chipped in with 14, but the Botha’s Hill boys slid to only 83 all out.
The reason for that was a good all-round team bowling performance by KES. Two bowlers picked up two wickets each, while five others claimed one, and Matthew Bromley ran out Christo Badenhorst.
Ryan Erasmus sparkled with 2/10 from 5.5 overs, while Keegan Hendey bagged 2/15 in six. Matthew De Jong, who shared the new ball with Erasmus, ratcheted up the pressure, returning 1/14 from eight tight overs.
Tasked with chasing down a moderate total, KES handled the assignment with aplomb, cruising to 84/1 in the 18th over, to record an emphatic nine-wicket win.
Tiago Dias and Matthew Bromley posted 67 for the first wicket, and it was all over bar the shouting. Bromley fell to Matthew Gorrie for 41 from 43 balls, while Dias went on to finish with 30 not out.
Gorrie returned 1/12 in 2.3 overs.
Michaelhouse vs Affies
Affies overwhelmed Maritzburg College on the opening day of the Michaelmas Week, and they continued their good form on Michaelhouse’s Roy Gathorne Oval on Friday, dismissing Michaelhouse for 156 in 39 overs after electing to bowl.
Eight House batsmen made it into double figures. The problem for the home side was that Ben Heuer‘s 22 was their highest score, and he was the only batsman to make it beyond the teens. Their best partnership was a modest 32 for the fifth wicket between Heuer and Riley Muir.
Affies’ bowlers struck regularly, starting with Vihan Pretorius, who took the new ball. He dismissed the top three in the Michaelhouse order and captured a damaging 3/19 from eight overs.
Nico van Loggenberg matched Pretorius, with three wickets of his own, but they cost 36 runs from seven overs. Zian Labuschagne, who opened the bowling with Pretorius, claimed 2/34 in nine.
Michaelhouse fought hard when they fielded, but they hadn’t scored enough runs. Joshua Nicholson gave House hope by knocking over 4/30 in 7.5 overs, but Affies overhauled Michaelhouse in the 36th over of their innings to record a four-wicket victory.
Their reply was steady and solid, with Zian Labuschagne showing off his all-round ability by top-scoring with an undefeated 40, which featured seven fours.
Christian Linde, with 28, AJ Morkel, with 23, and JP Botha, with 20, made useful contributions to see their side to a second win.
Clifton College vs Cornwall Hill College
While some teams struggled at the crease, Cornwall Hill College, like their Pretoria neighbours, St Alban’s College, did not. Facing Clifton College, they tallied a healthy 316/9 from their 50 overs on the MP Oval in Pietermaritzburg.
Connor Alexander was at the forefront of their challenge, striking 16 fours and one six in an aggressive 105 from only 81 balls. He and Zander Davel added 104 for the fourth wicket at just better than a run a ball, lifting their side to 164 in the 32nd over, before Davel departed. He had made 44 off 59 deliveries.
Number eight batsman, Khumo Kgagodi, also made a big impact. He cracked seven fours in a hasty 51 not out from 35 balls to give Cornwall Hill a welcome late-innings’ boost.
Clifton’s Caleb Naicker came in for some stick with the ball, conceding 80 runs from his nine overs, but he also got rid of four batsmen. Shiraz Perumal picked up two wickets, but he was also expensive, going for 64 from his 10 overs.
George Gooch, with an economical 1/16 in six, and Blake Johnson, with 1/37 from 10, prevented matters from getting out of hand.
Unfortunately for Clifton, their batting failed to fire, with wickets tumbling at regular intervals, and their challenge fizzled out in the 36th over of their reply, all out for 168.
Hayden Drieselmann resisted strongly, hitting seven fours in his 44 off 40 deliveries, but no other batsmen made it to 20, although four were dismissed in the teens.
Mohale Pitso undermined Clifton’s reply, snapping up 5/37 in 10 overs, while Rourke de Lange did his bit, picking up 2/40 from his 10.
Again, Neo Makwela made a telling contribution late in the innings, taking two of the last three wickets, and finishing with 2/11 from 3.5 overs.
Scorecards
St Alban’s College 317/4 (Christiaan Visagé 123*, Thomas Hall 77*, Ethan Detert 57, Reabetswe Mokoka 24; Kreesan Pillai 2/46, Komo Moloto 2/27); Glenwood High 230/10 (Sebastian Oertel 59, Jonah Chaita 34, Charles Nkwanyana 29, Extras 26, Kreesan Pillai 24; Luke Ward 3/49, Christiaan Visagé 2/32, Kyle Earle 2/10, Will Hewett 2/35). St Alban’s College won by 87 runs.
Kearsney College 83/10 (Aaron Blackburn; Ryan Erasmus 2/10, Keegan Hendey 2/15); King Edward VII 84/1 (Matthew Bromley 41, Tiago Dias 30*). King Edward VII won by nine wickets.
Cornwall Hill College 316/9 (Connor Alexander 105, Khumo Kgagodi 51*, Zander Davel 44, Keagan van Wyk 22, Rourke de Lange 21; Caleb Naicker 4/80, Shiraz Perumal 2/64); Clifton College 168/10 (Hayden Drieselmann 44, Extras 24; Mohale Pitso 5/37, Neo Makwela 2/11, Rourke de Lange 2/40). Cornwall Hill College won by 148 runs.
Michaelhouse 156/10 (Ben Heuer 22; Vihan Pretorius 3/19, Nico van Loggenberg 3/36, Zian Labuschagne 2/34); Affies 158/6 (Zian Labuschagne 40*, Christian Linde 28, AJ Morkel 23, JP Botha 20; Joshua Nicholson 4/30). Affies won by four wickets.
