HTS Drostdy captain DJ Luck led his team to victory in a Boland rain Schools SA20 clash at Hoërskool Charlie Hofmeyr on Monday.
Opening the batting, he hammered an electric, match-winning 56 runs off only 22 balls, slamming four fours and six sixes.
After Luck won the toss and chose to bowl first, his bowlers responded well, keeping the Ceres school on the back foot.
Partnerships were limited, and Ruben Gilomee, batting at five, mustered his side’s top score, a modest 20 off 19 balls.
It was all about a team effort in the field for Drostdy, with Wynand Stofberg the only bowler to claim more than one wicket, returning a tidy 2/12 from three overs.
Both Cameron George and Max Pelzer ran out batsmen as Charlie Hofmeyr completed their 20 overs on 97/8.
HTS Drostdy made light of the conditions and powered their way to 100/4 to secure a six-wicket victory in the 12th over, led by their skipper’s aggressive knock.
Dewald Scholtz snaffled 2/9 for the home side, including a wicket-maiden in his two-over spell.
In Cape Town, Bishops took on the Whitgift School from South Croydon, England, in a 35-over affair on the Frank Reid Oval.
The southern suburbs’ side’s decision to bat first was vindicated when opening batsman, Harry Morgan, got stuck into the visitors’ bowling attack, thumping six fours and four maximums in a hasty 72 off just 49 deliveries.
He and Thaafier Japhta combined for a 71-run second-wicket stand, with Japhta hitting three fours and three sixes in his run-a-ball 56.
Batting fourth in the order, Waco Bassick contributed a solid 36 off 37, while Imraan Leith, at six, was explosive, hitting a four and three sixes in a rapid, undefeated 37 off 21 deliveries.
Whitgift bowlers George Kerr and Ibby Hussain enjoyed some success late in the Bishops’ innings, with both claiming 2/40 from seven overs. However, the hosts posted a sound 259/6 from their 35 overs. That set the English outfit a required run rate of almost 7.5 runs per over.
Following up on his fine innings, Harry Morgan excelled with the ball, capturing 4/29 from seven overs, and his brother, Max Morgan, nabbed 4/11 from four to wrap up the visitors’ innings for 132 runs.
The tourists had only three batsmen move beyond the teens, with opener Tom Woolf making 23, number three batsman Stevie Santhiapillai, weighing in with 35, and Ollie Mortlock, batting at seven, top-scoring with 37 off 36 balls, which included seven fours.
After Bishops’ strong effort at the crease, that wasn’t enough, and the home side claimed a resounding 127-run victory.
Summarised Scorecards:
Hoërskool Charlie Hofmeyr 97/8 (Ruben Gilomee 20; Wynand Stofberg 2/12). HTS Drostdy 100/4 (DJ Luck 56; Dewald Scholtz 2/9). Drostdy won by six wickets.
Diocesan College 259/6 (Harry Morgan 72, Thaafier Japhta 56, Imraan Leith 37*, Waco Bassick 36, Cameron Macbeth 23; Ibby Hussain 2/40, George Kerr 2/40). Whitgift School 132/10 (Ollie Mortlock 37, Stevie Santhiapillai 35, Tom Woolf 23; Max Morgan 4/11, Harry Morgan 4/29). Bishops won by 127 runs.
