Hoërskool Waterkloof performed a tidy job in the field after Hoërskool Middelburg won the toss and elected to bat in the Fain Noordvaal semifinals on Saturday. Then the Klofies‘ batsmen confidently chased down Middies‘ 217 all out to win by five wickets with more than seven overs to spare.
Middelburg started well, with their opening pair of Eduan Strydom and Frederik Boshoff batting at just under four runs per over to put up 70 for the first wicket in 17.5 overs. They lost some momentum, however, when Strydom was dismissed for 36, followed by Boshoff for 34, six runs later.
Klofies struck two vital blows in the 25th over, running out Ricardo Ras on the second ball. Then, on the last ball, AJ de Villiers caught the dangerous Gavin Genis off Jean Cloete for a duck.
Cloete next sent Herman Potgieter packing for 11, before accounting for Nijan Swart for 24, leaving Middelburg’s innings delicately poised on 142/6. Just over seven overs later, they had lost three more wickets, tumbling to 167/9.
Juanru Brazelle stood tall, however, and continued to deny the Waterkloof bowlers, and number eleven batsman PV van der Merwe provided him with valuable support. Together, they tacked on 50 for the final wicket, taking the total to 217 before Rico van der Walt caught Van der Merwe off AJ de Villiers for 17.
Brazelle was unbeaten on the innings’ highest score of 58 from 59 balls, which included four fours and two sixes.
While Jean Cloete picked up three sticks, AJ de Villiers returned 2/27 from 7.5 overs, and Frank van der Westhuizen took 2/31 from eight.
Hendré Nel set Waterkloof on the back foot when he had De Villiers caught for seven in the fifth over of Klofies’ reply.
It was a brief hiccup, however, as Wian du Plessis and Juan Swart steadily took control. They added 52 for the second wicket before Du Plessis fell – caught by Frederik Boshoff off Herman Potgieter’s bowling – for a run a ball 32, with three fours and a six.
Juan Swart matched his strike rate of 100 and was out one run shy of Waterkloof reaching triple figures for 42, also a victim of Herman Potgieter.
Meanwhile, Rico van der Walt had played himself in, and that spelt bad news for Middies. Playing a composed knock, Van der Walt kept the scoreboard ticking, but watched Franco Schmidt and Jean Cloete depart cheaply.
When Cloete exited, Waterkloof was on 135/5 after 27 overs, but that’s as close as Middelburg got to stopping Klofies. Van der Walt and Adriaan du Plessis saw their side to victory with an unbroken stand of 83 in 15.4 overs.
Van der Walt ended on 83 not out, with his 106-ball stay including 11 fours. Du Plessis was 32 not out off 36, with four fours.
While Herman Potgieter picked up the wickets of Wian du Plessis and Juan Swart, Eduan Strydom removed Franco Schmidt and Jean Cloete. Potgieter finished with 2/42 from 10 overs, while Strydom earned 2/46 from his 10.
Hoërskool Garsfontein vs Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom
Waterkloof will face Hoërskool Garsfontein for the title after the Garsie Ysbere chugged to a convincing four-wicket win over Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom with 24.4 overs remaining in their innings.
Volkies batted after winning the toss and made a solid start, reaching 100/2 in the 23rd over. Then they lost Riekert Kruger for 54, the highest score of the innings, and the wheels came off.
The next eight wickets went down for just 44 runs, with Zander Nel making 18, but four of the other six remaining batsmen making ducks, and the other two one each.
Andries Venter supported Riekert Kruger with 20 before being run out, and Juan van Niekerk weighed in with 32, but Volkies’ total came from just four batsmen. The other seven made three runs between them.
Alzandro Potgieter instigated the collapse, snaring 4/15 from nine overs, and Ruan Cuyler played his part, knocking over 3/44 from 10.
After 36 overs, Volkies were all out for 144. Batting on their home pitch, it took Garsfontein only 25.2 overs to make it to 146/6 and secure their place in the Noordvaal title game.
They lost their captain, Wikus du Preez, for a single in the second over. Then, when Charl van Staden and Righardt Joubert fell in successive overs, Volkies had Garsies wobbling on 28/3 after seven overs. Soon, though, they watched their chances of victory slowly dissipate as Ruan Cuyler and Joshua de Villiers added 69 runs in 10.1 overs.
Johandre Jacobs ended Cuyler’s innings with a caught and bowled for 30 from 35 balls, and Volkies claimed two more wickets within the next eight balls, leaving Garsfontein on 100/6.
However, De Villiers had the bit between his teeth, and he kept taking it to the Volkies’ bowlers. Together with Willem Louw. who finished on 10 not out, De Villiers saw Garsies across the line. He was undefeated on 79 from 62 balls, having slammed seven fours and six sixes.
Zander Nel led the Volkskool attack, capturing 2/33 from seven overs, while Johandre Jacobs took 2/36 from four overs, but came in for some stick from De Villiers, including being struck for successive sixes.
Summarised Scorecards
Hoërskool Middelburg 217/10 (Juanru Brazelle 58*, Eduan Strydom 36, Frederik Boshoff 34, Nijan Swart 24; Jean Cloete 3/36, AJ de Villiers 2/27, Frank van der Westhuizen 2/31); Hoërskool Waterkloof 218/5 (Rico van der Walt 83*, Juan Swart 42, Wian du Plessis 32l Herman Potgieter 2/42, Eduan Strydom 2/46). Hoërskool Waterkloof won by five wickets.
Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom 144/10 (Riekert Kruger 54, Juan van Niekerk 32, Andries Venter 20; Alzandro Potgieter 4/15, Ruan Cutler 3/44); Hoërskool Garsfontein 146/6 (Joshua de Villiers 79*, Ruan Cuyler 30; Zander Nel 2/33, Johandre Jacobs 2/36). Hoërskool Garsfontein won by four wickets.
