With four successive wins in the books to start their tour of India, Rondebosch Boys’ High took on Jaipur’s Anantam Cricket Academy in their third match in the city on Sunday.
The toss went the hosts’ way in the 50-over clash, but their decision to bat first backfired spectacularly as Rondebosch’s bowlers ripped through their batting.
Ethan De Heer Kloots continued to prove why he’s one of the most talked-about talents around, with the Grade 10 learner capturing a superb 3/6 in six overs.
Captain Schalk Fourie was also in top form, claiming 3/12 from his six overs. Reuven Dos Santos chipped in with 2/19, while Arin Spiller required only one over to pick up 2/3 as the Anantam Cricket Academy was skittled for just 46 runs in 21.5 overs.
Almost half of their runs came from opening batsman Kunal Gautam, who hit four fours and top-scored with 20 from 23 balls.
After Bosch lost an early wicket, number three batsman Thomas Hoffmann almost saw them to victory by himself, cracking 32 before becoming the second batsman to lose his wicket. Still, the tourists made it across the line after 8.5 overs, winning by eight wickets.
Moryan Mewara claimed 1/1 in five deliveries, but that was a small consolation for the local side.
On Monday, Rondebosch was back in action in Jaipur, facing the Rajasthan Royals U17 Academy in a 20-over fixture at the Pankaj Singh Sports Excellence Centre.
Royals’ opener Nakshatra Panwar produced the only half-century in the match, stroking six fours and adding a six in his hasty 50 off 46 deliveries. He and Chetan Kharol, who made 27, also shared a 70-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Once their stand ended, Ayan Nagori made his way to the crease and cut loose, smashing three fours and four sixes in an explosive, undefeated knock of 42 off just 19 balls, helping the Royals to post 147/6.
Bosch had a trio of bowlers claim two wickets each from their four overs, with opening bowler Zion van Rensburg returning 2/31, Arin Spiller 2/32, including the wicket of Panwar, and Eli Aufrichtig 2/15.
Rain brought the contest to a premature end, but by then Rondebosch had reached 121/3 in 13.5 overs. That made them the winners by 26 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) Method.
Eli Aufrichtig, batting at three, and Schalk Fourie, at four, made an unbeaten 28 and 30, respectively, combining for a valuable 61 runs for the third wicket.
It was, however, Kyle Dionisio, the next man in, who ensured Rondebosch won. He thumped two fours and four maximums in a fiery 33 not out from only 13 deliveries.
Mohit Malviya was the best of the Royals’ bowlers, snapping up 2/9 in three overs.
There was no let-up for Bosch, with a 50-over contest against the Lakshya Cricket Academy in Jamnagar, Gujarat, taking place the next day.
While results had gone the tourists’ way throughout their tour, coin flips hadn’t, and, once again, Lady Luck favoured the home side, and they chose to bat.
Middle-order batsman, Akshat Pradhan, led their batting effort with an aggressive innings, blasting 11 sixes and five fours in a rapid 108 off just 73 balls. He and Aditya Jakhar, who made 31, also shared a fifth-wicket partnership worth 87 runs.
All-rounder Eli Aufrichtig continued his good form with the ball. He knocked over the tail, snaring 3/26 from 6.4 overs. Arin Spiller chipped in with 3/48 in seven overs, and Reuven Dos Santos made an impact in only two overs, snaffling 2/5.
After 35.4 overs, Lakshya was dismissed for 212 runs.
It could have been a challenging total, but Luca Ghignone and Aufrichtig made light work of it. They partnered for an unbroken 139-run third-wicket stand off 168 balls to see Bosch to an eight-wicket victory with 39 balls to spare.
Ghignone bludgeoned nine fours in his 79 off 105 balls, while Aufrichtig sent seven deliveries to the boundary in his 67 off 87.
Tejas Joshi tied down the Rondebosch batsmen, producing an economic 10-over return of 1/24. However, the tourists stayed focused and calm and won convincingly, taking their tour record to a perfect seven wins from seven matches.
Summarised Scorecards:
Anantam Cricket Academy 46/10 (Kunal Gautam 20; Ethan De Heer Kloots 3/6, Schalk Fourie 3/12, Arin Spiller 2/3, Reuven Dos Santos 2/19). Rondebosch Boys’ High 47/2 (Thomas Hoffmann 32; Moryan Mewara 1/1). Rondebosch won by eight wickets.
Rajasthan Royals Academy 147/6 (Nakshatra Panwar 50, Ayan Nagori 42*, Chetan Kharol 27; Eli Aufrichtig 2/15, Zion van Rensburg 2/31, Arin Spiller 2/32). Rondebosch Boys’ High 121/3 (Kyle Dionisio 33*, Schalk Fourie 30, Eli Aufrichtig 28*; Mohit Malviya 2/9). Rondebosch won by 26 runs via the DLS method.
Lakshya Cricket Academy 212/10 (Akshat Pradhan 108, Aditya Jakhar 31; Eli Aufrichtig 3/26, Arin Spiller 3/48, Reuven Dos Santos 2/5). Rondebosch Boys’ High 213/2 (Luca Ghignone 79*, Eli Aufichtig 67*, Ramano Pedro 31, Extras 21; Tejas Joshi 1/24). Rondebosch won by eight wickets.
