Despite the comfort of playing at home on the De Villiers Oval on Saturday and winning the toss, SACS lost a flurry of early wickets in their Western Province rain Schools SA20 semi-final showdown against Rondebosch Boys’ High.
Opener and captain Aqeel Waggie hit a four and a six in his 20, which was the joint-top score alongside Abhay Kalan, who scored at a run a ball as SACS totalled 121/9.
All-rounder Ethan de Heer Kloots picked up 2/32 in four overs, while Reuven dos Santos claimed 2/17 from three, and Zion van Rensburg was highly economical, bagging 2/9 from his three overs.
While Rondebosch conducted a successful run chase, it began far from smoothly, with the visitors slumping to 22/4 in the fourth over. However, captain Schalk Fourie, batting at four, put his team on his back, hammering two fours and three sixes in an unbeaten 59 off 44 to steer his side to victory.
Kyle Dionisio weighed in with 29, and he and Fourie added a match-defining 78 runs for the fifth wicket, helping Rondebosch to 122/5 and a five-wicket win with two overs to spare.
Ronan Meintjies was the best of the SACS bowlers, capturing an efficient 2/15 from four overs.
Rondebosch will face Bishops in the Western Province final after Bishops earned a seven-wicket semi-final win over Wynberg Boys’ High at SACS’s Memorial Oval.
Wynberg was inserted to bat first, and their openers responded well to the challenge as Yaqeen Gamieldien and Noah du Plooy shared a big 102-run partnership.
Gamieldien stroked four fours in his 51 off 49 balls, while Du Plooy top-scored for Wynberg, striking three fours and a six in his 56 from 53 deliveries.
Following the departure of the openers, Niyaaz Allie chipped in with a rapid 20 off 12, slamming two sixes, as Wynberg posted 141/4.
Matthew Schultz sparkled for Bishops, nabbing 2/15 from four overs.
The Bishops’ response was built upon the foundation laid by top-order batsmen Ibraheem Taliep and Robbie Vintcent, who added 69 for the second wicket.
Taliep recorded three fours and a six in his 38 off 31 balls, while Vintcent top-scored, thumping five fours and a maximum to tally 46 off 33.
It was tough going for the Wynberg bowlers, who needed wickets to slow down Bishops’ charge towards the victory target. Hamzah Esau played his part, picking up 1/29 from 2.5 overs while also executing a run out, but it wasn’t enough.
Shafeeq Brinkhuis, batting fourth in the order, got Bishops over the finish line by scoring a run-a-ball unbeaten 22 to see his side to 143/3 in the 17th over.
Summarised Scorecards:
SACS 121/9 (Aqeel Waggie 20, Abhay Kalan 20; Zion van Rensburg 2/9, Reuven dos Santos 2/17, Ethan de Heer Kloots 2/32). Rondebosch Boys’ High 122/5 (Schalk Fourie 59*, Kyle Dionisio 29; Ronan Meintjies 2/15). Rondebosch won by five wickets.
Wynberg Boys’ High 141/4 (Noah du Plooy 56, Yaqeen Gamieldien 51, Niyaaz Allie 20; Matthew Schultz 2/15). Diocesan College 143/3 (Robbie Vintcent 46, Ibraheem Taliep 38, Shafeeq Brinkhuis 22*; Hamzah Esau 1/29). Bishops won by seven wickets.
