Maritzburg College hosted Hilton College in a rain Schools SA20 match at Goldstone’s on Tuesday. College had comfortably beaten Hilton in a limited-overs clash on Saturday, but it was far tighter on this occasion.
The line-ups were different for one thing, with Grade 12 learners not part of the Schools SA20 competition because it runs into 2027, and that meant the home side was without Reece Willson, whose outstanding 5/21 was decisive in College’s four-wicket win.
When the coin flip favoured the Red, Black, and White, they batted, but were struck a hammer blow when the in-form Luan van der Merwe was dismissed without scoring in the first over of the game.
Josh Thomas and Luka Puddu didn’t blink, adding 37 in just 24 balls before Thomas was run out by Aiden Chubb for 16.
Puddu, after making his way to the crease without a run on the board, helped to advance the total to 78 before he became the fourth man out, caught by Cameron Hargroves off Sean Burman‘s bowling for 45. His innings lasted only 28 balls, but featured five fours and two sixes.
The hosts continued to claw and scratch their way forward. Puddu’s second-wicket stand with Josh Thomas was their largest, while James Seach and James Pembridge, with 32 from 34 balls for the fifth-wicket, produced the second-best partnership. Seach was the last man to lose his wicket, out in the 19th over for 33 from 28, with a pair of fours and a pair of sixes.
An unbeaten 20 off only 14 balls from James Wilson, and his unbroken partnership of 29 off 13 deliveries with Greg Hosking, who made 10 off three, helped Maritzburg College to 171/8, which was aided by 21 extras. Those extras made a difference in the end.
Obakeng Motsepa picked up two wickets, but went for 40 runs from his four overs. Cameron Hargroves was the tidiest of Hilton’s bowlers, returning a fine 1/18 from four overs, while Sean Burman returned 1/25 from four, and Ross Hill and Avaneesh Nunna 1/11 each.
The visitors made a steady start to their run chase, which required them to bat at 8.6 per over to win, but they suffered a big blow when the consistent Ben Wilson was run out in the fifth over for 13.
However, after his departure, Obakeng Motsepa and Sange Qangule got stuck into the College bowling, taking just 45 balls to add 71 runs. Left-arm spinner Riley Palmer, with an assist from James Pembridge, ended Qangule’s fighting 28-ball knock, which produced 41 runs and featured three sixes and a four.
Five runs later, Motsepa followed, also for 41, which had taken him 36 balls. He was one of two victims of Azhar Mahmoud, the seventh bowler brought into the Hilton attack, who caused some damage in his two overs, also removing Guy Fyvie for five. That left Hilton on 115/4 in the 16th over, and needing desperately to accelerate.
Cameron Hargroves and Avaneesh Nunna did what was needed, scoring at two runs per ball in a 40-run partnership for the fifth-wicket before Hargroves lost his wicket for 18. That left Hilton on 155/6 with seven balls to go.
They scored only eight runs from them. Luke Venter‘s last over cost five runs and included the wickets of Aiden Chubb for two, and Nunna for 33, both run out. Nunna’s 20-ball stay had featured a four and two sixes.
After 20 overs, Hilton College finished on 163/7, with seven of those runs coming from extras.
Apart from Mahmoud’s 2/8, Riley Palmer picked up 1/28 and Greg Hosking 1/30, but College, crucially, ran out three batsmen.
Summarised Scorecard
Maritzburg College 171/8 (Luka Puddu 45, Tristan Seach 33, Extras 21, James Wilson 20*; Obakeng Motsepa 2/40); Hilton College 163/7 (Sange Qangule 41, Obakeng Motsepe 41, Avaneesh Nunna 33; Azhar Mahmoud 2/8). Maritzburg College won by eight runs.
