St Charles College cruised to a big 132-run win over the Sweetwaters Hub in a rain Schools SA20 clash on Thursday in Pietermaritzburg, scoring at over 11 runs per over to set up their convincing victory.
After Saints won the toss and opted to bat first, their batsmen made that decision a good one by posting an intimidating 222/2 from their 20 overs. Each successive partnership improved on the one that preceded it.
Owen Widdows and Josh Nicholson shared a 44-run first-wicket partnership in less than four overs before Owami Madlala bowled Widdows for 22.
Nicholson and Christiaan Prinsloo then advanced the total to 117, adding 73 from 53 balls, before Nicholson fell, run out by a combination of Sandiso Dzanibe and Aphile Nzama, for 48. He had faced 34 balls, hitting six fours and a six.
Prinsloo continued in the company of Ryan Clarke, who gave the innings a turbo-boost, slamming three sixes and four fours in a swift, unbeaten 47 off only 18 deliveries.
Prinsloo matched his captain with three sixes, added seven fours, and finished on 80 not out from 57 balls. He and Clarke took only 47 deliveries to add an unbroken 105 for the third wicket.
Owani Madlala was the lone wicket-taker for the Hub, claiming 1/23 from two overs.
Sweetwaters’ opening batsman, Khethelo Mkhize, was up for the stiff challenge facing his team, striking six fours in an undefeated 50 off 58 balls, but support was lacking.
Extras added 15 runs to the total, but the other 10 batsmen scored 25 runs between them, with run outs of two of their top four undermining the Sweetwaters’ reply.
Relebogile Mokoena led the St Charles’ attack, capturing 3/11 in four overs, while Caleb Sharp snapped up 2/13, and Matthew Buckley returned 1/19 as the Hub totalled 90/9 in reply.
Michaelhouse vs Maritzburg College
In Balgowan, Michaelhouse hosted Maritzburg College on Hannah’s and enjoyed the comfy confines of home, roaring to an eight-wicket victory with 28 balls to spare.
College tallied a seemingly challenging 166/4, led by Luan van der Merwe‘s unbeaten 64 off 49 balls, which included five fours and three sixes. Yet, they would have wanted at least one other batsman to follow Van der Merwe’s example; three others got in, but Luke Venter‘s 22 off 22 was the best they achieved.
Daniel De Freitas was the pick of the home side’s bowlers, returning 2/24 from his four overs.
When Michaelhouse replied, their batsmen produced the consistency that College would have wanted. Daniel Rees and Wonga Mlazi shared a 51-run opening partnership in seven overs before William Johnson bowled Mlazi for 28 off 18 balls, three of which he’d struck for four and two for six.
Rees helped to add another 35 runs with Rex Wardlaw, taking the total to 86 after 10 overs, but was then bowled by Riley Palmer for 23.
His exit brought Cody Sander to the crease, and Sander and Wardlaw immediately went on the attack, decimating College’s attack with an unbroken second-wicket stand of 83 off only 32 deliveries.
Wardlaw slammed five fours and five sixes in an unbeaten 66 off just 27 balls, while Sander smashed four fours and three sixes in his 43 not out from only 17 balls.
After 15.2 overs, Michaelhouse reached 169/2, securing an emphatic victory.
William Johnson, with 1/37 from four, was the best of the Maritzburg College bowlers, who conceded an average of 11 runs per over in the face of House‘s onslaught.
Westville Boys’ High vs Durban High School
Durban High School (DHS), no longer with the reliable bats of Josh van Biljon and Ismaeel Omar in their line-up, struggled at the crease against Westville Boys’ High on Wednesday, sustaining a big loss.
After being put in to bat, Westville worked their way to 147/5 after slipping to 29/3 six overs into their innings.
Yusuf Osman and Jamie Hasselbach added stability with a 36-run fourth-wicket partnership at a run a ball, taking the total to 65 before Hasselbach fell, caught by Sulaiman Jadwat off the bowling of Eben Peters for 12.
Usman carried on the good work he had started, adding another 32 runs with Cameron Rudolph until Jeremiah Joseph bowled him for 37. He had faced 36 balls, smashing three sixes and a four.
From 97/5, with 22 balls left in the innings, Rudolph and Taine Lawson advanced the total to 147/5 with an unbroken 50-run stand. Rudolph finished with the innings’ highest score of 38 not out from only 25 balls, two of which he sent to the boundary and another two which he powered over it.
Lawson swung hard and clubbed three sixes in his rapid, unbeaten 28 from just 13 deliveries.
Jeremiah Joseph, with 2/19 from three overs, led the DHS attack.
DHS required 148 to win, at 7.4 runs per over, but their run chase fizzled from the start. By the eighth over, they were on the rack, on 28/6. Just over four overs later, they were all out for 47, leaving Westville with an emphatic 100-run victory.
Three batsmen shared the Horseflies‘ highest score, but it was only seven, and that was never going to cut it.
Westville employed six bowlers, and they all enjoyed success, led by Jamie Hasselbach, the last man to enter the attack, who captured 3/11 in only 1.5 overs.
Kyle McGough snapped up 2/6 in two, and Kyle McDowell returned 2/10 from two, while Michael Hopkins conceded only two runs from two overs while getting rid of opening batsman, Suliaman Jadwat, to start DHS’s slide.
Summarised Scorecards:
St Charles College 222/2 (Christiaan Prinsloo 80*, Josh Nicholson 48, Ryan Clarke 47*, Owen Widdows 22); Sweetwaters Hub 90/9 (Khethelo Mkhize 50*; Relebogile Mkhize 3/11, Caleb Sharp 2/13). St Charles won by 132 runs.
Maritzburg College 166/4 (Luan van der Merwe 64*, Luke Venter 22; Daniel De Freitas 2/24); Michaelhouse 169/2 (Rex Wardlaw 66*, Cody Sander 43*, Wonga Mlazi 28, Daniel Rees 23). Michaelhouse won by eight wickets.
Westville Boys’ High 147/5 (Cameron Rudolph 38*, Yusuf Osman 37, Taine Lawson 28*; Jeremiah Joseph 2/19); Durban High School 47/10 (Jame Hasselbach 3/14, Kyle McGough 2/6, Kyle McDowell 2/10). Westville Boys’ High won by 100 runs.
