The two semifinals of the Titans rain Schools SA20 competition, played on Friday afternoon at Cornwall Hill College, didn’t produce big totals, with Affies‘ 133/8 in a 20-run win over Cornwall Hill the best of those, so their 152/8 against Hoërskool Garsfontein in the final appeared to be a good score.
Affies chose to bat first and received a solid start from AJ Morkel and Ethan Williams, who hustled to 37 inside the first five overs before Morkel fell, caught by Arrie Verster off the bowling of Katlego Lebelo, for 15 from 14 deliveries.
Williams and Dylan Stander advanced the total to 61, adding 24 runs in only three overs before Stander fell for eight to JJ Thom. Three runs later, Williams exited, a victim of the same bowler, after scoring 28 from 22 deliveries, with three fours and a six.
Affies needed a boost, and Zian Labuschagne provided it, smashing five fours in a 27-ball stay that brought him the innings’ top score of 41.
Meanwhile, Alex Potgieter and Franco van der Mescht stifled Affies’ scoring, with Potgieter picking up one wicket and Van der Mescht two as Affies lost three wickets for nine runs, leaving them on 117/7 in the 17th over.
That became 126/8 at the start of the 18th over when Labuschagne’s vital knock came to an end.
Affies, however, kept pushing hard, and Paul Bester and Nico Loggenberg added an unbroken 26 in 17 balls to lift their side’s total to 152 runs. Bester was unbeaten on 15 off 13, and Loggenberg finished with 12 not out off eight.
JJ Thom claimed 2/16 in two overs, while Alex Potgieter snapped up 2/20 in four, and Franco can der Mescht returned 2/28 from four.
Garsfontein’s reply started smoothly, with Ruan Cuyler and Joshua de Villiers making 34 for the first wicket before Nico Loggenberg trapped De Villiers LBW for 16. He struck again the very next ball, also trapping Nathan Ferreira in front, and altering the complexion of Garsies’ response in the space of two balls.
In the end, Loggenberg finished with a telling haul of 2/18 from four overs.
When Paul Bester had Ruan Cuyler caught by Zian Labuschagne for 23 from 22 balls in the 10th over, Affies was in the driving seat, with Garsfontein reduced to 46/3.
Arrie Verster and Alex Potgieter fought back, adding 71 runs for the fourth wicket. However, Affies kept the scoring rate under control, and the Titans region’s defending champions struggled to attain the required run rate.
The 18th and 19th overs added 23 runs to Garsfontein’s total, but that left them needing 36 runs to win – the maximum possible from a six-ball over. When Zian Labuschagne bowled a dot ball with the first delivery of the last over, the outcome was already decided. Affies would be crowned the champion.
Arrie Verster fell off the second ball of the over, caught by Tristan Blunden, for 36 from 41 balls, which included two fours. His 71-run partnership with Alex Potgieter had consumed nine overs and four balls.
The match ended with Garsfontein on 120/5 after Labuschagne picked up the wicket of Daniel Janse van Rensburg off the last ball of the innings, leaving him with a tidy 2/12 from three overs.
Carlo Venter bowled only two overs, but one of those was a maiden, and he went for only three runs, while Paul Bester’s contribution was a neat 1/19 from four.
Alex Potgieter remained unbeaten on 37 from 31 balls, with a four and a six, but Garsfontein finished 32 runs shy of the Affies’ total.
Summarised Scorecard:
Affies 152/8 (Zian Labuschagne 41, Ethan Williams 28; JJ Thom 2/16, Alex Potgieter 2/20, Franco van der Mescht 2/28); Hoërskool Garsfontein 120/5 (Alex Potgieter 37*, Arrie Verster 36, Ruan Cuyler 23; Zian Labuschagne 2/12, Nico Loggenberg 2/18). Affies won by 32 runs.
