Somerset College finished their Spring Cricket Festival in style on Saturday, defeating Hoërskool Framesby by a handsome 230 runs.
Framesby won the toss on Taberer Oval and opted to field first in the 50-over battle.
The hosts started slowly, but when number-four batsman, Buhle Mfunelwa, arrived at the crease, he picked up the pace, cracking 11 fours and six sixes in a superb innings of 132 not out off 99 deliveries that earned him the man of the match accolade.
He also shared the innings’ biggest partnership of 150 runs with top-order batsman Mark Pyle, who contributed 65 off 94, striking six fours.
Keegan Wuim was the lone Gqeberha local to claim multiple wickets, taking 2/34 in four overs.
After 50 overs, Somerset College had totalled a healthy 320/5, leaving Framesby needing to bat at 6.42 runs an over to win.
Unfortunately for the visitors, the home side’s bowling was as impressive as its batting. Opening the bowling, Mila Silamsi claimed 3/21 in 6.4 overs, while Mark Pyle collected 2/25 from six overs.
Daniel Kaplan and David de Klerk were equally good, with Kaplan capturing 3/16 in seven, and De Klerk snaring 2/13 in his three-over spell.
Middle-order batsmen Miles Feltham and Dandré Henwick top-scored for Framesby with 17 runs each, but after only 28.4 overs their side was all out for 90.
Boland Landbou ventured to Gauteng, where they faced Die Hoërskool Menlopark in a 20-over contest on Saturday.
After Lady Luck favoured the Paarl Farmers, they chose to bat, but struggled early on. By the sixth over, they had limped to 49/4.
Gunther Schmidt, batting at five, gave the innings some impetus, launching three sixes and sending another ball to the boundary in an undefeated 47 off 41 deliveries. He and Kobus Conradie, at eight, built a significant 46-run stand off 33 balls for the seventh wicket, with Conradie thumping a four and six in his 24 off 18.
Menlo’s Ben Schomper removed two batsmen in two overs for 15 runs, while Verster Richter nabbed 2/25 in three as Boland Landbou finished on a fighting 155/8.
The hosts began their run chase solidly, with opener Jan-Willem Pienaar looking well set before Gideon Kotze ran him out for 22 off 17 deliveries. Then, Boland Landbou’s bowlers made inroads.
Down the order, at eight, Corrie Botha contributed a late flurry of four fours and a six in a quickfire 25 off 12. All around him, however, his teammates failed to get going. In the end, Menlopark came up 13 runs short, finishing on 142/9.
Opening bowler Gunther Schmidt proved reliable as ever, picking up 2/26 in four overs, while captain Francois Prins snaffled 2/20.
On Sunday, the Paarl Farmers took on Midstream College, also in a 20-over clash. When the coin flip was again kind to the Western Cape visitors, they changed tack and decided to bowl first.
Midstream opener Beyer Pretorius responded by laying into the Boland Landbou bowlers, bashing two fours and three sixes in a hasty 36-ball stay that produced 50 runs.
Keagan Gibson, batting at four, fared even better. He weighed in with an unbeaten 80 from just 52 deliveries, which featured five sixes and three fours. Together, the duo added 75 for the third wicket in 59 balls.
Despite the onslaught, Gunther Schmidt bowled economically, keeping the batsmen honest, and returned the impressive figures of 1/14 from four overs.
At the end of their 20 overs, Midstream College had posted 157/5. Boland Landbou set about the run pursuit with relish.
Johannes Goosen and Louis du Plessis, batting at two and three, combined for a destructive 80-run partnership in only 41 balls. Goosen’s 58 runs included four sixes and three fours, and required only 30 deliveries, while Du Plessis clobbered four fours and a maximum in his 36 off 25.
Captain Francois Prins did his bit and was another batsman with more sixes than fours, hitting two maximums to one four in his 35 off 25 to help Boland Landbou to a four-wicket victory after 18.3 overs.
Midstream College bowler Ruben Howatt snapped up 2/15 in 2.3 overs towards the end of the innings, but the Paarl Farmers inexorably chased down the target and finished on 158/6.
Summarised Scorecards:
Somerset College 320/5 (Buhle Mfunelwa 132*, Mark Pyle 65, Oliver Proderer 30, Extras 30, David de Klerk 28, Ave Nkatini 25; Keegan Wuim 2/34). Hoërskool Framesby 90/10 (Miles Feltham 17; Daniel Kaplan 3/16, Mila Silamsi 3/21, David de Klerk 2/13, Mark Pyle 2/25). Somerset College won by 230 runs.
Boland Landbou 155/8 (Gunther Schmidt 47*, Kobus Conradie 24, Extras 23; Ben Schomper 2/15, Verster Richter 2/25). Die Hoërskool Menlopark 142/9 (Corrie Botha 25, Jan-Willem Pienaar 22, André Kruyshaar 20; Francois Prins 2/20, Gunther Schmidt 2/26). Boland Landbou won by 13 runs.
Midstream College 157/5 (Keegan Gibson 80*, Beyer Pretorius 50; Francois Prins 1/14). Boland Landbou 158/6 (Johannes Goosen 58, Louis du Plessis 36, Francois Prins 35; Ruben Howatt 2/15). Boland Landbou won by four wickets.
