Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) made a rough start against Paarl Boys’ High in Stellenbosch on Tuesday in one of the Boland region’s rain Schools SA20 semi-finals.
By the eighth over, the home side had reached only 32/3, but Christiaan Fouché then led a fightback and top-scored for his side, hammering six fours and two sixes in his 55, which came off only 37 balls.
He and Marcus Conradie added 67 for the fourth wicket, with Conradie’s contribution only 13.
Still, Ou Polla’s Boys struggled to accelerate after their halting start, and they finished with 125/6 from their 20 overs.
Ra’ed Fredricks led the Boishaai attack, claiming 2/16 in three overs, while Divan Fourie snared 2/22 from four.
Despite defending a middling total, Paul Roos made Boys’ High work hard for victory, but the visitors made it over the line in the 19th over of their reply, reaching 126/4 to record a six-wicket win.
Opening batsman Gillmer Horn struck two fours and four sixes in a crucial innings of 51 off 47 balls, while Neil Louw hit a four and two sixes and contributed 32 off 26 deliveries to a 65-run second-wicket stand he shared with Horn.
Paul Roos’s opening bowlers, Morné Pauw and Dion Slabber, both returned 2/24 from four overs each.
Boishaai made it all the way to the national finals earlier this year, and they’ll have a second successive visit on their mind, with either Boland Landbou or HTS Drostdy set to face them in the Boland final.
In a Western Province quarterfinal clash, SACS hosted Hoërskool Brackenfell at the De Villiers Oval.
After winning the toss, home openers Miguel de Faria and Captain Aqeel Waggie partnered for a 70-run opening stand. De Faria stroked away three fours to tally 29 off 24, while Waggie smashed five fours and a six to score a speedy 38 off 23.
Their strong batting performance continued as Mikey Watson, at four, collected seven fours in his unbeaten 50 off 32. Max Fourie, at five, also remained not out with a rapid 57 off 32, striking six fours and three maximums along the way.
The duo’s unbroken fourth-wicket partnership produced 104 runs off just 52 balls, helping the Newlands outfit to total an impressive 204/3.
Luke Nitschke was the only bowler to pick up more than one wicket, returning 2/25 from three overs.
When Brackenell replied, their openers were the only batsmen to reach double figures. Kyle Kleinhans scored 20 off 28 balls, while Dean Hatting slammed five fours in his 30 off 28.
They made 43 for the first wicket, but once their partnership was broken, the visitors added only 35 more runs, sliding to 78 all out.
Aryan Kalan inflicted massive damage on Brackenfell’s batting, snaffling 4/13 from four overs, while Ross Wille snapped up 2/3 in a two-over spell. Miguel de Faria grabbed the last wicket in his fourth over and finished with 3/25.
The hosts’ reward for a resounding 126-run victory is a semifinal showdown with their southern suburbs’ rivals, Rondebosch Boys’ High.
Summarised Scorecards:
Paul Roos Gimnasium 125/6 (Christian Fouché 55, Ra’ed Fredericks 2/16, Divan Fourie 2/22). Paarl Boys’ High 126/4 (Gillmer Horn 51, Neil Louw 32, Derrick Groenewald 22*; Morné Pauw 2/24, Dion Slabber 2/24). Boishaai won by six wickets.
SACS 204/3 (Max Fourie 57*, Mickey Watson 50*, Aqeel Waggie 38, Miguel de Faria 29; Luke Nitschke 2/25). Hoërskool Brackenfell 78/10 (Dean Hatting 30, Kyle Kleinhans 20; Aryan Kalan 4/13, Miguel de Faria 3/25, Ross Wille 2/3). SACS won by 126 runs.
