Sebastian Steffny scored a century, Rhys Wiblin weighed in with 81, and James Badenhorst captured the all-important wicket as St Andrew’s College clinched a thrilling 11-run win over Graeme College in their limited-overs match on Somerset Field on Saturday.
After winning the toss, the hosts were confident that their bowlers had the chops to restrict St Andrew’s to a manageable total. They were almost right.
St Andrew’s tallied 271 all out in 49.4 overs.
In reply, Corbin Tidbury and Zuko Pontshi played well from the top of the order; unfortunately for them, they did not receive enough support from the rest of the batsmen, and Graeme College came up just short, all out for 260 in 47.2 overs.
Steffny and Wiblin navigated the new ball and the conditions well in the morning. Showing good judgement and studied shot selection, they compiled a a vital 186-run opening stand, which laid a solid foundation for the visitors.
Steffny led the way with 103 off 117 balls, striking 11 fours and two sixes, while spending 37.1 overs in the middle. His partner, Wiblin, who was selected for the Warriors u19 team for the Khaya Majola Week, showed great patience while accumulating 81 runs from 123 deliveries.
When he followed Steffny back into the dugout, eight overs remained in the St Andrew’s College innings. Both openers fell to Andrew Muir‘s bowling, and their departures opened the floodgates as Graeme captured the other eight St Andrew’s wickets for 52 runs in 7.3 overs.
Muir was one of two Graeme College bowlers to bag a four-wicket haul. He claimed 4/63 runs in 10 overs, and Caleb Jattiem returned 4/42 from seven.
Tidbury and Pontshi, who are also part of the Warriors u19 squad, put up a stern fight with the bat. Tidbury scored a flowing 65 off only 51 balls at the top of the Graeme College order, smashing five sixes and four fours, and was the primary contributor in his two partnerships with Enrique Strydom, who made 22, and Pontshi.
Tidbury and Strydom shared a 68-run opening partnership, then he added 43 runs for the second wicket with Pontshi.
After Tidbury’s dismissal in the 16th over, the responsibility to shepherd Graeme College to victory fell on Pontshi’s shoulders, and he was there until the end.
He and Andrew Muir gave Graeme College hope with a 75-run fourth-wicket partnership, with Muir following up his four-wicket haul with 41 from 55 deliveries.
However, his exit signalled the beginning of the end for the hosts, although Pontshi took the game deep and almost reduced the deficit to single digits with his 65 from 92 balls, which featured six fours and two sixes.
He was, however, the last man out in the 48th over, caught by Ethan Malan off the bowling of James Badenhorst.
Summarised Scorecard
St Andrew’s 271/10 (Sebastian Steffny 103, Rhys Wiblin 81, Corné van der Merwe 17; Caleb Jattiem 4/42, Andrew Muir 4/63, Corbin Tidbury 2/46). Graeme College 260/10 (Corbin Tidbury 65, Zuko Pontshi 65, Andrew Muir 41; Ethan Malan 2/30, Charlie Broster 2/41, Rhys Wiblin 2/45). St Andrew’s College won by 11 runs.
