Trounced by eight wickets at Michaelhouse on Friday, Hilton College turned the tables on their great rivals in a Pink Day showdown on the Hart-Davis Oval on Saturday, roaring to a 100-run limited overs victory on their home ground.
In a stunning bounce-back performance, Hilton posted a determined 190 all out, losing their last wicket in the last over of their innings.
While none of their batsmen reached fifty, Hilton, after being inserted to bat, received many batting performances that made a difference.
Aiden Clubb‘s 34 was their highest score, but 29 from Sange Qanqule, who had received a first-baller on Friday, 23 from Sean Burman, 21 from Ben Wilson, and 21 from extras helped to push the total towards 200.
Three others batsmen were out in the teens as the hosts put up the kind of total that can be a tricky proposition on the Hart-Davis Oval.
The House bowlers enjoyed some success, too, with Preston Greene returning a neat 2/28 from 10 overs. Rex Wardlaw also kept it tidy, picking up 2/29 from nine, and Liam O’Dwyer, the man of the match on Friday, took 2/43 from his 10.
When they batted, Michaelhouse’s batsmen, so commanding the day before, struggled to come to terms with the Hilton attack.
Only three of them made it into double figures, and Ben Heuer’s modest 16 was their best score as Hilton College knocked them over for only 90 in 26.1 overs.
In five extraordinary overs, Ross Hill returned three maidens and snared 3/3 to hasten his side to victory. He didn’t have to do it alone.
Sechaba Gude took the new ball and made it count, snapping up 2/13 from three overs.
Cameron Hargroves bagged 2/12 in 4.1, and Sean Burman claimed 2/23 in six as Michaelhouse mustered partnerships of 22 and 24 for the first and fourth wickets, respectively.
Seven partnerships never reached double figures, however, and that’s why the win belonged to Hilton College.
The other winner was the Pink Drive as the schools showed again that Pink Day is about more than the result of a cricket match.
It’s about two rivals with great respect for one another coming together to support a common cause that affects so many families within their communities and throughout South Africa.
“The Pink Drive promotes awareness and early detection of, and screening for gender-related cancers in the general population of South Africa, using the message ‘Early detection will help to prolong a life’,” the organisation’s website states.
Summarised Scorecard:
Hilton College 190/10 (Aiden Clubb 34, Sange Qanqgule 29, Sean Burman 23*, Ben Wilson 21, Extras 21, Avi Nunna 20; Preston Greene 2/28, Rex Wardlaw 2/29, Liam O’Dwyer 2/43); Michaelhouse 90/10 (Ben Heuer 16; Ross Hill 3/3, Cameron Hargroves 2/12, Sechaba Gude 2/13, Sean Burman 2/23). Hilton won by 100 runs.
