A decision to bowl first at the Riverside Sports Club on Saturday delivered rich dividends for Northwood as they made early inroads into Clifton College‘s batting order, with Josh Mills and Ryan Willis sharing four wickets between them as the home side stuttered to 24/4 in the ninth of their 50 overs.
Making good use of overcast conditions, the Knights then struck twice within three balls in the 12th over to reduce Clifton to 45/6, with David de Bruyn dismissing Caleb Naicker for eight and Ethan Drieselmann for a duck.
That brought Blake Johnson to the middle, where he joined his captain Shiraz Perumal, who appeared to be batting on a different pitch to his team-mates. The duo added 33 off 35 balls before Perumal’s attacking knock came to an end, caught and bowled by De Bruyn for 41 from only 30 balls, with four fours and three sixes.
Keegan Watson and Blake Johnson then added 17 for the eighth wicket before Watson fell for nine.
By the end of the 27th over, Clifton had pushed their total to triple figures, but Josh Mills ended the hosts’ innings in the next over, capturing wickets with successive balls as Clifton was bowled out for 102.
Mills knocked over 4/20 in five overs, but he wasn’t the only four-wicket haul man. David de Bruyn matched him, snaring 4/24 from eight, while Ryan Willis finished with 2/16 from five.
With rain threatening, Northwood went hard at Clifton’s modest total, and De Bruyn showed why he was chosen for the KZN Coastal Khaya Majola Week team by leading their run chase.
He made his way to the wicket in the first over after Shiraz Perumal caught Tom Oosthuizen off Aldren Kaligan without scoring. De Bruyn promptly took two off of each of the last two balls of the over. Then he turned up the intensity, starting with a four two balls into the next over.
In only 68 balls, De Bruyn and Ross McGlashan firmly seized control, advancing the Knights’ total by 94 runs. De Bruyn contributed 58 of them, cracking five fours and four sixes in his 58 off just 35 deliveries.
When he departed, Northwood was on 96/2. A maiden over from Shiraz Perumal served only to delay the inevitable, and Northwood secured victory after 13.2 overs when Ross McGlashan hit Keegan Watson for four.
McGlashan was undefeated on 34 from 36 balls, five of which he sent to the boundary.
Aldren Kaligan claimed 1/12 in two overs, and Keegan Watson nabbed 1/26 from 3.2 overs, but it was Northwood’s day, with David de Bruyn dominating the contest with both ball and bat.
Rain, unfortunately, led to the matches between Maritzburg College and St Charles, and Westville Boys’ High and Kearsney College being abandoned.
Maritzburg College gritted their way to 177/9 from their 50 overs on Goldstone’s, led by 42 from Dax Jursa, while Jayden Saville knocked over 4/25 for Saints. After 26.1 overs of their reply, the visitors were in trouble on 81/7, with Luke Venter returning 2/6 from six.
Westville Boys’ High was well positioned on Bowden’s Field when their contest ended prematurely. They had limited Kearsney to 151 all out, and were on 120/3 in reply after 27.2 overs in a limited overs clash.
Summarised Scorecards:
Clifton College 102/10 (Shiraz Perumal 41; Josh Mills 4/20, David de Bruyn 4/24, Ryan Willis 2/16); Northwood 104/2 (David de Bruyn 58, Ross McGlashan 34*; Aldred Kaligan 1/12). Northwood won by eight wickets.
Maritzburg College 177/9 (Dax Jursa 42, Luka Puddu 25, Jayden Saville 4/25, Caleb Sharp 2/33); St Charles College 81/7 (Connor Simpson 16*; Luke Venter 2/6, Matt Bissett 2/24). Match abandoned.
Kearsney College 151/10 (Keegan de Jager 29, Rivaan Moodley 24, Ollie Rey 21; Jamie Hasselbach 3/21, Kyle McGough 3/22, Liam de Villiers 2/25); Westville Boys’ High 120/3 (Aidan Baudach 39, Kyle McGough 23*, Gaurav Sewlal 21; Matt Rice 1/17). Match abandoned.
