Ben Wilson‘s 70 and 50 from Obakeng Motsepa keyed Hilton College‘s 43-run victory over Clifton College in a limited-overs clash on the Hart-Davis Oval in Hilton on Saturday.
Clifton’s batsmen, chasing 208 to win, made starts, with three reaching the twenties but failing to move beyond that, and another four reaching the teens but not advancing into the twenties.
Wilson and Motsepa, who were both recently named in the KZN Inland Tuskers’ Khaya Majola Week squad, shared the home team’s highest partnership of 79 runs for the third wicket. Wilson also added 61 for the second wicket with Avaneesh Nunna.
The wicketkeeper/batsman faced 115 balls and hit five fours in a committed stay, while Motsepa took 70 balls over his 50, striking three fours.
Nunna’s 25 was the third-highest score of the innings, and he hit its lone six, while Sange Qangule weighed in with a useful 24 at close to a run a ball as Hilton, who lost the toss, tallied 207/8 after Clifton chose to field.
Shreyan Singh, the eighth man brought into the Clifton attack, was also the visitors’ most successful bowler, snapping up 3/16 in five overs, which prevented Hilton from accelerating towards the end of their innings and led to the hosts losing five wickets for 11 runs in their last five overs.
Muhammed Malek bowled well, sending down a full complement of 10 overs and returning 3/33, while Blake Johnson made Hilton’s batsmen work hard for their runs, claiming 1/31 from 10 overs.
Clifton made a steady start to their run chase. They lost Daniyaal Klinck for 14 in the fifth over, but Muhammed Malek and Yusuf Ahmed added a steady 45 runs for the second wicket before Malek fell, caught behind by Ben Wilson off Sean Burman for 23.
Hayden Drieselmann followed one run later, with the total on 68, and Ahmed exited on the same total. Suddenly, Clifton was in a spot of bother on 68/4 in the 17th over.
Burman removed both Ahmed and Malek, while Obakeng Motsepa trapped Drieselmann, Clifton’s most consistent batsman this season, LBW, then had Shreyan Singh caught behind, reducing the visitors to 78/5.
They lost another batsman before reaching 100, but captain Shiraz Perumal and Blake Johnson then slowed Hilton’s advance, adding 31 for the seventh wicket.
Perumal made the innings’ top score of 27, slamming three fours and a six in his 30-ball stay before exiting at the end of the 29th over. When Johnson followed seven balls later for 15, Clifton was in deep trouble.
They showed plenty of fight, with the last two wickets producing 33 runs, but it wasn’t enough, and the Durban boys were bowled out for 164 in the 44th over.
Besides Sean Burman’s vital 2/22 from five overs, four others matched his two-wicket haul.
Opening bowler Sechaba Gude placed Clifton under heavy pressure, capturing a neat 2/21 from his nine overs, and Obakeng Motsepa, the first-change bowler, knocked over 2/19 in six.
Cameron Hargroves kept it tight, picking up 2/22 from seven, and Avi Nunna returned 2/18 from 4.3 overs to quell the visitors’ hopes of a late charge.
Summarised Scorecard:
Hilton College 207/8 (Ben Wilson 70, Obakeng Motsepa, Avaneesh Nunna 25, Sange Qangule 24; Shreyan Singh 3/16, Muhammed Malek 3/33); Clifton College 164/10 (Shiraz Perumal 27, Yusuf Ahmed 24, Muhammed Malek 23; Avaneesh Nunna 2/18, Obakeng Motsepa 2/19, Sechaba Gude 2/21, Cameron Hargroves 2/22, Sean Burman 2/22). Hilton College won by 43 runs.
