Rain shortened a scheduled 50-overs-a-side clash between Wynberg Boys’ High and Paarl Boys’ High to a 45-over clash on Saturday, with the southern suburbs’ side fielding first on the Jacques Kallis Oval.
Boishaai opener Neil Louw met the challenge with a measured 23 off 48 balls. Then, after he departed, Gillmer Horn, batting at five, laid into the home team’s bowlers, with the 14-year-old smashing three sixes and seven fours in the innings’ top score of 69 off 78 deliveries.
Despite his outstanding effort, Boys’ High struggled to build partnerships. The best they mustered was 43 between Horn and Christo Muller for the sixth wicket, with Muller contributing 19.
On the occasion of earning his 100th cap, Joshua Prince led the Wynberg bowling attack with a return of 3/36, while Damien Harris claimed 2/24.
Raihan Khan chipped in with a tidy 2/12 across six overs, and Niyaaz Allie wrapped up the visitors’ innings with 2/24 from 5.2 overs as Boishaai posted 185 all out after 44.2 overs.
Wynberg’s run pursuit didn’t start smoothly, but they began to get on track when number four batsman, Qaeed Shaik, hit a much-needed 30 off 41, which included five fours.
It was, however, Wynberg’s sixth-wicket partnership that won them the match. Niyaaz Allie and Fawaaz Hendricks joined forces for an unbroken stand of 72, with Allie cracking five fours and a six in an otherwise conservative 38 off 68, while Fawaaz Hendricks struck four fours and a six in his 33 off 44.
Together they saw Wynberg to victory in the 44th over, when they reached 186/6, recording a four-wicket win.
Ra’ed Fredericks, playing his 50th game for the Boishaai 1st XI, took 2/42 in 8.1 overs, while AB Jacobs bowled economically, nabbing 2/27 in nine.
Bishops vs Parel Vallei
On Friday, Bishops hosted Hoërskool Parel Vallei (PV) in a 40-over battle.
PV won the toss and decided to bat first, but soon found themselves in trouble on 43/4 in the 11th over.
Divan Sander, at five, and Benjamin Traut, at six, stopped the slide, combining for a 51-run fifth-wicket partnership. Sander sent five balls to the boundary in his 33 off 34, while Traut hit four fours in a run-a-ball 29.
The next man in, Daniel Adonis, launched two sixes and rocketed six fours to the boundary in a momentum-swinging, undefeated 72 off 71. He and Connor Bowman also frustrated Bishops with a ninth-wicket partnership worth 72 runs, with Bowman contributing 41 off 35, including three sixes and a pair of fours.
After their 40 overs, PV had totalled 233/9, batting at 5.83 runs per over.
Harry Morgan was the only Bishops’ bowler to remove more than one batsman, snaring 3/36 from eight overs.
Faced with a challenging run chase, Litha Mbiko hit the accelerator from the first ball, slamming four sixes and five fours in an electric 51 off 29.
Robbie Vintcent, batting at five, and Imraan Leith, at seven, made telling contributions, but both narrowly missed out on half-centuries. Vintcent tallied 45 and Leith 48, and they added a vital 83 runs for the sixth wicket to keep the chase going.
With the victory target in sight, Michael Kruiskamp, the number nine batsman, got stuck into the visitors’ bowlers, hammering three sixes in a quickfire 31 off just 14 deliveries, dragging Bishops to a narrow two-wicket win in the 39th over, when they reached 238/8.
Dirk van Zyl was the pick of the PV bowlers, knocking over 3/39 in eight overs.
Summarised Scorecards:
Paarl Boys’ High 185/10 (Gillmer Horn 69, Neil Louw 23; Joshua Prince 3/36, Raihan Khan 2/12, Damien Harris 2/24, Niyaaz Allie 2/24). Wynberg Boys’ High 186/6 (Niyaaz Allie 38*, Fawaaz Hendricks 33*, Qaeed Shaik 30, Extras 29; AB Jacobs 2/27, Ra’ed Fredericks 2/42). Wynberg won by four wickets.
Hoërskool Parel Vallei 233/9 (Daniel Adonis 72*, Connor Bowman 41, Divan Sander 33, Benjamin Traut 29; Harry Morgan 3/42). Diocesan College 238/8 (Litha Mbiko 51, Imraan Leith 48, Robbie Vintcent 45, Michael Kruiskamp 31*, Thaafier Japhta 25; Dirk van Zyl 3/39). Bishops won by two wickets.
