Liam Roets’s purple patch from the weekend spilled into Hoërskool Noordheuwel’s midweek Johnny Waite T20 Tournament Round 1 match and helped to propel Nories to victory at St David’s Marist Inanda on Wednesday.
The right-hander headed into the match on the back of a thunderous 151 from only 77 balls against St Benedict’s College on Saturday.
In an exciting 29-ball stay, the Grade 11 learner struck a brisk 52, hitting five fours and three sixes to steer Noordheuwel to a seven-wicket victory.
Noordheuwel needed 159 runs to win after the hosts had posted 158/6 in their 20 overs. Roets helped them to 160/3 with five overs to spare.
He replaced Reney van der Bergh, who had made 13, at the crease in the third over, and it didn’t take long for Roets and Ruvan Jordaan to make a meaningful impact. They added 35 from only 20 balls for the second wicket, with Roets scoring 21 of them off only nine deliveries, before Jordaan departed for 28.
Roets and Juvan Lamont, who went on to make 44, then tacked on another 55 runs for the third wicket. That was Noordheuwel’s highest partnership of the day, and it placed Nories firmly in the driver’s seat. When Roets was dismissed in the 12th over, Noordheuwel needed 38 runs from 8.5 overs. Lamont ensured that they didn’t put a foot wrong with an unbeaten 44 from 25 balls.
Earlier in the evening, Daniel King, with 48, and Neo Qhu, with 23, laid a sound foundation for St David’s with a 65-run opening stand from 47 deliveries.
Unfortunately for the hosts, they were unable to turn that strong start into a winning total. They failed to get into a rhythm and lost wickets at regular intervals.
Maru Challies stepped up with a notable 38 from 26 balls later in the contest, but Noordheuwel convincingly chased down the 159 they needed for victory with plenty of balls to spare.
St Stithians vs Jeppe
Familiar foes, St Stithians and Jeppe crossed swords on the Dlamini Oval at St Stithians, where the hosts claimed a four-wicket win.
Vegas Scott, the Jeppe captain, won the toss and chose to bat first, but his side was caught in quicksand early in their innings. They staged a recovery with the middle order, before stumbling to 120/7 from their 20 overs. Faced with a middling total, St Stithians ambled their way to 123/6 in 18.3 overs.
Chris Collins and Nqaba Matunda claimed wickets in the second, third, and fourth over to force Jeppe onto the back foot.
Jeppe firmed up their innings when Lincoln Casais, who made 39, and Goolam Ahmed, with 40, partnered for 76 runs for the fourth wicket. However, after Casais departed in the 16th over, they lost momentum.
Chris Collins, who took two of the three early wickets, finished with a tidy 2/8 from three overs, while his brother, Thomas, removed three batsmen, capturing 3/30 from four overs.
When the home side took to the crease, Tendai Kadyamadare gave Saints the start they needed, with a quick 24-ball 40. All of his runs came during a 57-run opening stand with Ombesa Matsha.
Jeppe fought back by snapping up three wickets in six balls, dislodging Kadyamadare, Matsha, and Thomas Collins in the seventh and eighth overs.
Chris Collins then ushered St Stithians to victory with an unbeaten 20 off 19 balls.
Summarised Scorecards
St David’s Marist Inanda 158/6 (Danial King 48, Maru Challies 38, Neo Qhu 23; Juwan Lamont 3/33, Drew Phillips 2/26, Hanru Begemann 1/30). Hoërskool Noordheuwel 160/3 (Liam Roets 52, Juwan Lamont 44*, Ruvan Jordan 28; Matthew Nicholson 2/25, Daniel King 1/24). Noordheuwel won by seven wickets.
Jeppe High School for Boys 120/7 (Goolam Ahmed 40, Lincoln Casais 39, Phemelo Sekopane 16; Thomas Collins 3/30, Chris Collins 2/8, Nqaba Matunda 1/19). St Stithians College 123/6 (Tendai Kadyamadare 40, Chris Collins 20*, Ombesa Matsha 16; Boitumelo Skunka 3/15, Blake Pinto 2/13, Lincoln Casais 1/23). St Stithians won by four wickets.
