St Andrew’s College claimed a 14-run victory over Grey High in a big Eastern Cape T20 clash played on Knowling Field in Makhanda on Friday.
When the visitors called incorrectly at the coin toss, St Andrew’s chose to bat, and their top five responded with solid batting efforts to carry the hosts to a winning total of 171/4.
Rhys Wiblin and Weston van Zyl put on 31 inside four overs for the first wicket, followed by another 31 for the second between Wiblin and Connor Holder, before Matthew Tinley caught Wiblin off the bowling of Matthew Marshbank for a rapid 42 off 28 balls, which included seven fours and a six.
After eight overs, the home side was on 62/2, and they kept their momentum going, thanks to a 70-run stand for the third wicket between Holder and Corné van der Merwe.
Holder struck a pair of fours and a pair of sixes in his 32 off 25 balls before exiting in the 17th over. Van der Merwe, meanwhile, lasted until the final over. He fell to a combination of Matthew Tinley’s hands and Connor Parry‘s bowling, out for the innings’ highest score of 51. He had faced 45 deliveries, sending eight of them to the boundary.
Charlie Broster chipped in with a useful 21 not out off only 12 balls, and St Andrew’s College totalled 171/4.
Connor Parry, with 2/30 from four overs, was the best of the visitors’ bowlers.
Grey High’s reply fell short because too many batsmen got in without turning their starts into telling scores, and three batsmen being run out had a huge impact, too.
Number four batsman Nathan Trytsman stood tall, smashing four sixes and two fours in a 37-ball stay that brought him 53 runs, but Grey High needed another batsman to press on. Their next-best was Marcus Potgieter‘s 25, but he was one of the three batsmen who were run out.
He and Trytsman gave Grey High hope, sharing a 72-run fifth-wicket partnership off only 44 balls, but only one other stand, 28 for the first wicket, reached the twenties.
After 20 overs, Grey High finished on 157/9.
Charlie Broster claimed 2/22 in four overs to lead the St Andrew’s attack, which shared the wickets around. Ethan Malan, with 1/17 in three, also did a tidy job.
The teams meet again on Saturday in a 50-over clash.
Hoërskool Noordheuwel vs Grey College
In Johannesburg, playing on St Stithians‘ Dlamini Oval, Grey College charged to an emphatic nine-wicket T20 win over Hoërskool Noordheuwel.
Nories, after winning the toss, failed to make it count, posting only 104 all out in 17.1 overs, while losing their last five wickets for only 14 runs.
Ruvan Jordaan and Reney van der Berg gave the local side a fair start, putting on 26 for the first wicket in four overs, but both fell on the same score, within three balls.
Noordheuwel was further damaged when they lost Juwan Lamont and Dihan Grové, their fourth and fifth batsmen to run outs, which left them four down with 52 runs on the board in the tenth over.
Liam Roets, batting at three, did a good job, facing 24 balls, two of which he blasted for six and another for four in his side’s highest score of 34. He was the sixth man out, with the total on 90, a victim of Juan Nieuwenhuizen.
Nieuewenhuizen and Michael Sacks, the sixth and seventh bowlers used by Grey College, enjoyed the most success, capturing 3/16 in three and 3/4 in 1.1 overs, respectively.
Facing a modest victory target, Grey College’s openers, Juan Maree and Hendre Bothma, didn’t hang around.
They clubbed 87 runs for the first wicket before Maree fell in the eighth over. By then, he had seen the visitors to the brink of victory. In only 27 balls, he had smashed five fours and three sixes and tallied 51 runs.
Less than two overs later, Grey College had wrapped up victory. Bothma was unbeaten on 32 from 27 deliveries, with a four and three sixes, while Ethan Helmand was 17 not out off 16.
Junior Seletswane, with 1/14 from 2.3 overs, was the lone Noordheuwel bowler to pick up a wicket.
Summarised Scorecards:
St Andrew’s College 171/4 (Corné van der Merwe 51, Rhys Wiblin 42, Connor Holder 32, Charlie Broster 21*; Connor Parry 2/30); Grey High 157/9 (Nathan Trytsman 53, Marcus Potgieter 25; Charlie Broster 2/22). St Andrew’s College won by 14 runs.
Hoërskool Noordheuwel 104/10 (Liam Roets 34; Michael Sacks 3/4, Juan Nieuwenhuizen 3/16); Grey College 105/1 after 9.1 overs (Juan Maree 51, Hendre Bothma 32*; Junior Seletswane 1/14). Grey College won by nine wickets.
