CRICKET
Kearsney College first XI finish fourth at T20 Nationals
As Dolphins franchise winners of the CSA Schools T20 Challenge competition, after beating Hilton in the KZN Coastal/Inland final, Kearsney travelled to Tuks in Pretoria to represent the Dolphins Franchise at the 2020 CSA National Franchise Finals against the best of the Cobras, Lions, Knights, Warriors and Titans and CSA Focus Schools.
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In this TeamPhotoSA image: Kearsney College in Pretoria standing from left Aryan Sewsanker, Matthew McMurray, Louis Nel, Nhlakanipho Ngubane, Rubin Rheeder, Asande Nyawose, Dean Gibbs, Dylan Hulett, Dingalethu Gwarube; front Andre van Zyl (manager), Joshua Stocks, Jared Uys (v/c), Jordan Gregory (coach), Cade Carmichael (capt), Jean-Luc Talbot, Peter Kirsten (manager).
The Kearsney team acquitted themselves extremely well against the best from the other provinces, playing 5 matches, winning 3 and losing 2, to finish 4th overall in the competition.
A highlight of the tournament was Kearsney’s impressive victory over eventual champions Waterkloof on the final day of the competition.
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Cade Carmichael was Kearsney’s leading run scorer, amassing 173 runs during the competition, while left-arm seamer Matthew McMurray was the leading wicket taker with 9 wickets in the tournament.
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Kearsney vs Glenwood cricket thriller
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Cade Carmichael was in punishing form in Pretoria.
Cade averaged 43.5 with a strike rate of 154 for the T20s this weekend.
KEARSNEY RESULTS
Day 1:
Graeme College (Coastal Focus Franchise): 111/7 (McMurray 2/19; Gibbs 2/20)
Kearsney: 112/3 (Nel 30; Talbot 29 n.o.)
Kearsney won by 7 wickets
Matt McMurray won the Man of the Match Award
Grey High (Warriors Franchise): 137/8 (Gibbs 4/19; Nyawose 2/11)
Kearsney: 102 all out
Kearsney lost by 35 runs
Day 2:
Kearsney: 100 all out (Carmichael 47)
SACS (Cobras Franchise): 106/6 (Stocks 2/18; McMurray 2/23)
Kearsney lost by 4 wickets
Queens High School (Inland Focus Franchise): 127/7 (Nyawose 2/27)
Kearsney 131/3 (Carmichael 75 n.o.)
Kearsney won by 7 wickets
Cade Carmichael won the Man of the Match Award
Day 3:
Kearsney 150/8 (Carmichael 37)
Waterkloof (Titans Franchise): 112/9 (McMurray 3/15)
Kearsney won by 38 runs
Matt McMurray won the Man of the Match Award
Final placings:
1 Hoërskool Waterkloof (Titans Franchise)
2 SACS (Cobras Franchise)
3 St Stithians (Lions Franchise)
4 Kearsney College (Dolphins Franchise)
5 Grey High School (Warriors Franchise)
6 St Andrews (Bloemfontein) (Knights Franchise)
7 Queens High School (Inland Focus Franchise)
8 Graeme College (Coastals Focus Franchise)
Young Glenwood 1st XI a force to be reckoned with
Both Glenwood 1st XI coach Brandon Scullard and captain SJ de Klerk agree that the cricket season has finished too soon. In a relatively short season, Glenwood claimed some notable scalps and exceeded expectations for a very young team that featured only three matric boys, writes KZN10.com’s Brad Morgan.
In fact, the results are a step up on the 2019 season, despite that side including five KwaZulu-Natal under-19 players, one of them being SA under-19 pace man, Lifa Ntanzi, who was the quickest schoolboy bowler in the country.
That team also featured three KZN under-17 players and one of them, SJ de Klerk, this year’s 1st team captain, led the provincial side.
A good deal of Glenwood’s success in the first term – including wins over Westville, Saint Charles, Northwood and Maritzburg College – can be attributed to the example set by De Klerk. The story of how he found Glenwood (not the other way around) is fascinating.
He was brought up in Gauteng and attended Laerskool Fairland in Randburg where, he said in a sit down at Glenwood late last week, he learned to work hard and to keep working.
Glenwood 1st XI’s big win over Northwood on Dixon’s
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He was very happy in Johannesburg, but his life changed in a big way when his family chose to move to Ireland. There, SJ did well on the cricket field and was chosen to lead the Irish national under-15 team. Then an opportunity arose for him to return to South Africa.
SJ explained: “You have a transition year. In that year you can play sport or do a culture tour. I had heard of the exchange, so I said I wanted to come to South Africa.
“There were quite a few schools I could pick from. Normally they do it for three months, but I said I wanted to do it for six months, make the most of it, and improve my cricket. I took the opportunity and it was supposed to be three months at Glenwood and three months at Menlo Park.
“After a month or so, Mr Scullard asked if I would consider staying on for the entire six months, so the chat started with my parents. I told them I was absolutely loving it here. We then decided that we would let Menlo Park know that I would be staying at Glenwood for six months.
“Those six months changed my life.”
SJ de Klerk, Glenwood’s captain, is also the 1st XI’s wicketkeeper.
When his time was up, SJ returned to Ireland and went straight back into the cricket season. “But the things I had at Glenwood were better than I had in Ireland. I chatted with my parents over the course of those two months, and then I told them that what I have at Glenwood is better than what I had at home.”
His parents then agreed on SJ continuing his schooling at the Durban school. “It was a big decision. Everything happened within five days. The plane ticket was booked and I was on my way to South Africa.”
Having SJ return to Glenwood was great news for 1st XI coach and Director of Cricket, Brandon Scullard: “Knowing that he was coming back was a big bonus, because I knew that he would be a good leader in this team,” he said.
“He’s a very well-mannered boy and he’s very passionate about the school. For a boy who didn’t start here in grade eight, he has really bought into the tradition and the culture. He ended up being made a school prefect. Just a great boy.”
Besides the better cricket on offer at Glenwood, SJ said being in the hostel had enriched his life. There were the friends he made – “brothers”, he calls them – whom he did not want to leave when it was time to go back to Ireland. And there were also the life skills that hostel life helped him acquire.
“Especially staying here alone, away from my family, has shown me how to become a better person. I am taking that into my cricket too. As I am improving as a person, my cricket seems to be improving as well. I am learning more about myself that I wouldn’t have learnt if I was at home.
“I am also learning how to make my own decisions. With cricket, for example, I can decide to go and train, or I can decide to do nothing. But also on the school side of things, your parents might be pushing you to study. Here I am by myself, so I have to make that decision.”
Rallying the troops: SJ de Klerk encourages the young Glenwood 1st team.
De Klerk enjoys the responsibilities that come with leadership. That love of taking charge began when he was much younger. “As a young boy, I loved being in control and also helping youngsters. It’s a passion of mine. Even now, take the under-14s, for example, I want to leave a legacy with them. They didn’t have a relationship with the first team in the past, but this year we started to implement that. There are things we have introduced into the first team that I want to leave behind too.”
De Klerk’s drive and passion is evident in the tight bond of the 1st cricket side. In 2019, there was a tendency to game plan around the side’s star players, but this year he worked a little differently on the team dynamic, coach Scullard said, and it has produced better results from a side lacking as many big names as it did last season.
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“I have seen this year, with me trying to give a bit more contact time to each individual, and specifying their roles within the team, we’re going to have more success just incorporating everyone, making sure that they know they have a purpose in the team and what their job is.
“It might not get the headlines, but players must know they will get the recognition from me, because I know the job they are doing from the side of the field, which allows someone else to shine, and vice versa. On another day that player will shine and the other player will be doing the hard work.”
He added: “Last year, I felt there were guys skating by on talent, because the side I had was more talented than the side I have this year. But the boys this year are workers and I can see a bit more heart in what they’re doing and the manner in which they’re going about their work.”
De Klerk stated: “The team this year is bonding a lot more. They’re very talented, but a very young side. If you look at the players, they fight hard and they fight for the team. They perform for the school and they play for the badge.
“That was my aim at the beginning of the season, because looking at last year the team was fragmented. This year we are playing so nicely together and we’re fighting together. Everything has fallen into place and we’ve improved.”
Top order batsman Chad Laycock, who made the Dolphins’ Cubs side as a grade 10 learner, is a huge talent.
Life is seldom simple and easy, however, and the season began with a heavy defeat for Glenwood at the Grey College Cricket Festival in Bloemfontein, where they went down to Saint Andrew’s School by 97 runs after Saints’ skipper JD Bruwer scored an unbeaten 131 to guide his side to victory. That, however, was the first and last time in the season that Glenwood allowed a batsman to reach fifty.
In fact, in their remaining matches, only Saint Charles College, with 151 all out, made it past 150. In the remaining five games, Glenwood kept the opposition to 120 or less.
They suffered only one more loss, a defeat to Clifton in the semi-finals of the KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Schools T20 competition. It hurt, but it was also the kind of loss from which one can learn valuable lessons.
Batting first, Clifton managed just 120 all out, with their captain Nabeel Jeewa making 35 and the big hitting Josh Platford 23. Leo Moran knocked over 2 for 14 for Glenwood, Russel Heine took 2 for 21, and captain and wicketkeeper, SJ de Klerk, effected two stumpings.
Recalling his team’s reply, Scullard said: “We were cruising at 83 for 2 and an outstanding piece of fielding got Matt Halstead out. He’s our number four batsman and a matric boy, and then they just seemed to build pressure from one end. I wasn’t too happy about that.”
In the end, Glenwood came up five runs shy of Clifton’s total on 115 for 7, with De Klerk having contributed 42. It was a bitter pill to swallow, Scullard conceded.
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Besides those two setbacks, though, the first term produced fulfilling cricket and results.
The highlight for both captain and coach was a convincing five-wicket victory over Maritzburg College. It wasn’t their best performance of the season, they acknowledged, but the most meaningful win, which is a compliment to College and their sustained success over so many years.
“The last match we played against College was my favourite of the season,” De Klerk smiled. “It was my first win against College. Last year, playing there, we were hammered. To come and play on Dixon’s and to give them back what we received on Goldstone’s was special.
Scullard weighed in: “Beating Maritzburg College is always a big win. We hadn’t beaten them for a while. I started here in 2017 and we hadn’t beaten them in that time.”
The team’s most eye-opening performance of the season came against Northwood, a team that had beaten Glenwood in the fourth term of 2019. “It was almost faultless,” said Scullard.
“Against Maritzburg College, we dropped a few catches, and we lost two wickets with 20 runs to win. We should have won by seven or eight wickets. But the nine-wicket win against Northwood was a resounding victory against a well-drilled team. Divan van Wyk runs a tight ship there at Northwood.”
Happy together: the 2020 Glenwood 1st XI.
One of the other reasons for the success enjoyed by Glenwood was a change brought about by coach Scullard that was not directly about cricket, but which had an important impact on the cricketers. He explained: “I have been a bit harder on the boys, but about things away from cricket: time in the classroom, discipline in the classroom, discipline in the boarding house, making sure that teachers who are interacting with the boys on a daily basis are happy with their behaviour, with the way in which they represent themselves.
“My message to them is that they represent us as a team and me as a coach. I’ve wanted to put life lessons into things, not just worrying about what they do on the field, but also about what they do away from it.
“I am a strong believer that the people they are away from the field has a big impact on the people they are on the field.”
With picture perfect technique, captain SJ de Klerk goes on the drive.
Scullard, who matriculated at Glenwood in 2008, added: “I am a big believer in the traditions and values that we have here at Glenwood. The boys here have fight and the will to go the extra mile. It runs deep in the boys. You can see it in their eyes and you can see it when they’re on the field.”
Echoing his coach, De Klerk concluded: “I always have that drive to never stop fighting and I want to show that to the rest of the boys as well.”
RESULTS
Saint Andrew’s School 296 for 9 (JD Bruwer 131*, Joe Meyer 31)
Glenwood 199 all out (Russel Heine 50, Christian Els 61*, Richard Barnes 2 for 20, Tristan Wylie 2 for 26, Jayden Davids 2 for 34)
Saint Andrew’s won by 97 runs
Glenwood 133 for 6 (Matt Halstead 42, Chad Laycock 28, Banele Cele 27)
Futura 1st XI 115 for 5
Glenwood won by 18 runs
Westville 97 for 8 (Anthony Dunford 25, Russel Heine 3 for 13, Banele Cele 2 for 13)
Glenwood 98 for 4 (Matt Halstead 38, SJ de Klerk 26, Chad Laycock 22)
Glenwood won by 6 wickets
Glenwood 178 all out (SJ. de Klerk 50, Chad Laycock 29, Matt Halstead 26, Tristan Rossouw 20, Keegan Crawford 3 for 48, Andrew Beyrooti 2 for 19, Hayden Raw 2 for 40, Gordon Hill 2 for 22)
Saint Charles 151 all out (Hayden Raw 26, Leo Moran 2 for 12, Christian Els 4 for 25)
Glenwood won by 28 runs
Clifton 120 all out (Nabeel Jeewa 35, Josh Platford 23, Leo Moran 2 for 14, Russel Heine 2 for 21)
Glenwood 115 for 7 (SJ. de Klerk 42, Ronan Vardaya 3 for 22, Marco Mottura 2 for 17)
Clifton won by 5 runs
Maritzburg College 115 all out (Erik Hartman 3 for 24, Banele Cele 2 for 6, Rasen Naidoo 2 for 22, Russel Heine 2 for 23)
Glenwood 119 for 5 (Russel Heine 25, Chad Laycock 24, SJ de Klerk 25*)
Glenwood won by 5 wickets
Northwood 101 all out (Thulani Chiliza 45, Russel Heine 3 for 13, Luke Bowley 2 for 16, Erik Hartman 2 for 19. Christian Els 3 for 9)
Glenwood 102 for 1 (Chad Laycock 47*)
Glenwood won by 9 wickets
DHS come up just short as Northwood claim tight victory
The DHS and Northwood first cricket teams produced a nail-biting clash on Theobald Oval on Saturday. In a match reduced to 45 overs a side after a late start due to heavy overnight rain, Northwood held off a brave DHS effort to win a match played in difficult conditions by a mere seven runs, writes KZN10.com’s Brad Morgan.
“It was a nice tight game, a good game of cricket, especially considering we didn’t think we would be able to play,” DHS Director of Sport, Nathan Pillay, commented afterwards.
If it wasn’t for the cool head of number three batsman Kyle Northend, Northwood would have found themselves well on the wrong side of the result. Thankfully for them, he showed impressive resolve at the crease, working hard on a tricky track to accumulate runs and keep out the DHS bowling attack as all around him his team-mates struggled to deal with the challenge.
Kyle Northend’s stubborn stay at the crease was the difference between a tight victory and a big defeat for Northwood. (All photos: Brad Morgan, KZN10.com)
He contributed just more than half of the visiting side’s total of 176 for 8, finishing unbeaten on 89 fromm 156 deliveries, with seven fours. It was a stand out effort, especially when measuring it up against the other run producers.
Next best was extras with 28, while Jawaad Aziz weighed in with a valuable 26 as he and Northend put on 85 for the sixth wicket to rescue Northwood from a perilous 59 for 5. Adam Chislett, with 10, was the only other player to make it into double figures.
DHS skipper Josh Stride led their attack well, capturing 3 for 39 from his 10 overs. Sonqoba Makhanya shone with a return of 2 for 20 from his eight overs, while the spinners, Muhammed Moosa and Bonga Shezi, with 1 for 28 in 9 and 1 for 24 in 7, put the under batsmen under pressure by keeping it tight.
Captain Matkovich guides Westville to win at DHS
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Muhammad Moosa enjoyed a strong all-round game for DHS, top scoring in their innings and also bowling tidily with the ball.
Three of the top four in the DHS innings failed to get going, but Moosa, who opened the innings, held things together with a watchful knock. His stay in the middle last until the total had reached 114, but by then he had tallied 53 from 102 deliveries, with four fours. He became the first of a telling three batsmen to be run out.
Corné Nel made some useful runs, hitting 20 in a stand of 41 with Moosa. Unfortunately for DHS, Humphrey van der Merwe joined Moosa back on the side of the field on the same total as the hosts slumped to 114 for 6, leaving the match on a knife edge.
DHS captain Josh Stride did a superb job at number seven of taking the game to the Northwood bowlers, but successive run outs of the number nine and 10 batsmen left DHS down and almost out on 142 for 9, still 35 runs shy of victory.
A win for Northwood seemed inevitable, but Stride and Lloyd Mulligan were not done yet. The skipper hit out, while Mulligan did his bit by adding runs and holding down his end. Unfortunately for DHS, it proved to be a bridge too far. Mulligan was the last man out, LBW to Dylan Ferreira for 10, while Stride finished on 28 not out, made from just 23 balls, with two fours.
Basil van der Spuy was the pick of the Northwood attack, consistently challenging the batsmen with his accurate bowling and lively pace. He sent down nine overs, two of which were maidens, and accounted for three batsmen. Opening bowler Thulani Chiliza did a good job, picking up 1 for 21 in his nine overs, while three others claimed a wicket each.
Basil van der Spuy (being congratulated) caused all kinds of problems for the DHS batsmen.
In the end, though, three runs outs and the undefeated bat of Kyle Northend proved decisive as Northwood came away, somewhat relieved, with a hard-fought victory.
“Our boys showed a lot of fight. We’ve had two tight games in two consecutive weeks. It’s a bit disappointing to lose the tight ones, but it’s a good learning curve for the boys. Hopefully, next time when they’re in a similar situation, they can pull through,” Sports Director Nathan Pillay said.
“Captain Josh Stride did very well once again,” he added. “He really is turning out to be a good cricketer, and one to watch for the future. He’s always in the runs or taking wickets, and he’s a very good leader.”
A golden era of DHS cricket
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Three teams end u-15 ISCF with unbeaten records
Day four of the Independent Schools Cricket Festival began under cloudy skies, with drizzle threatening to turn into something heavier and spoil the final day of the event. However, with a bit of venue juggling, seven T20 matches were played and at the conclusion of the day, Hilton College, Bishops and Saint Andrew’s College were left with unblemished records writes KZN10.com’s Brad Morgan.
“One always wants to achieve the best for all teams that commit to the festival in terms of game time,” Festival Director Wayne Scott commented after the last match. “We got through 19 of our 24 games for the weekend, which was fantastic.
Festival Director Wayne Scott (foreground, blue top) discusses the game as Clifton battle Saint Andrew’s College of Grahamstown.
“From a logistics perspective, to try and coordinate a festival around Durban, when you need six grounds and you don’t have fields of your own, creates its own challenges, so hats off to all my staff and all the logistics people involved.”
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HILTON COLLEGE VS MICHAELHOUSE
A big traditional rivalry was scheduled for Durban North College, but a waterlogged field led to Hilton and Michaelhouse moving to College Rovers. The break and new venue proved to be no problem for Hilton who powered their way to a lopsided nine-wicket win in double-quick time.
Brett Cutting shone with the ball for Hilton, capturing 3 for 8 in his four overs, as Michaelhouse, batting first, crashed to a lowly 64 all out.
In reply, the black and white rushed to victory in just 11 overs, led by Matt Diemont. He enjoyed a consistent festival with the bat and ended it on a high with an unbeaten 39.
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BISHOPS VS SAINT DAVID’S MARIST INANDA
Bishops had the most reliable top order over the course of the four days and they again came to the fore in a comfortable eight-wicket win over Saint David’s Marist Inanda on the Kingsmead Nursery ground.
Saint David’s batting aspirations were pegged back by losing wickets at regular intervals. Instead they managed an average 116 for 7 in their 20 overs.
James Fifield stood firm with 30 not out for the Gauteng school, while Storm Matthews led the Cape Town school’s attack with a good-looking return of 4 for 17 from his four overs.
Bishops then needed only 16 overs to pass the victory target of 118, getting there for the loss of just two batsmen, with Abdullah Adams contributing 37.
SAINT ANDREW’S COLLEGE VS SAINT JOHN’S COLLEGE
Saint Andrew’s College played two matches, the first against Saint John’s and the second against Clifton, which brought the Festival to a close. Like Bishops, they showed strong depth in their batting.
Playing on the Riverside Football Field first up meant short boundaries square of the wicket and the Grahamstown side took full advantage of that to put up a challenging 181 for 6, with Matt Poole’s 82 proving to be the highest score in any game on the last day. Christopher Ford was the most successful of the Saint John’s bowlers, claiming three wickets, but he was also expensive, going for 49 runs.
Saint Andrew’s College batted aggressively to post an intimidating 181 for 6. (All photos: Brad Morgan, KZN10.com)
The Johannesburgers were not up to the pressure of matching a required run rate of just over nine to the over and fell well short, finishing on 130 for 8, with Harry Grose striking 33. That left Saint Andrew’s the convincing victors by 51 runs.
CLIFTON VS SAINT JOHN’S COLLEGE
Later, on the Riverside Oval, they took on Clifton. The hosts had a very good festival, impressing in the field and with the ball especially, but they didn’t put enough runs on the board to stop the hard-hitting College boys.
Clifton’s Shrey Singh appeals successfully for LBW against Saint Andrew’s College.
Wade Vietch played a good innings to tally 50, but a total of 135 for 4 wasn’t enough to really pressure the Eastern Cape side. Clifton did well to get deep into their batting line-up but, with a couple of overs to spare, Saint Andrew’s College secured a three-wicket win.
CLIFTON VS SAINT STITHIAN’S COLLEGE
Clifton had begun the day with a well-deserved six-wicket victory over Saint Stithian’s. It was built off of a strong bowling performance, which limited Saints to only 105 for 7, with Josh Northend knocking over 3 for 13.
There was an enticing duel between bat and ball when Clifton visited the crease against Saint Stithian’s.
Opening batsman Ben McElligott then played a match-winning innings of 48 not out from 58 deliveries to see Clifton to a six-wicket win.
Assessing the host’s performances, Clifton Director of Cricket Wayne Scott said: “We were playing the best teams from around the country, which is awesome. We always want to play people from different provinces.
“The interesting thing was we had six teams from coastal regions, if we include Bishops and Saint Andrew’s Grahamstown, plus the four schools from KZN. Then we had six schools from inland – from Joburg, Pretoria and Bloemfontein.
“The primary objective for us is to have games against new schools, which we achieved.”
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SAINT CHARLES COLLEGE VS SAINT ALBAN’S COLLEGE
Saint Charles, after some strong performances, came unstuck against Saint Alban’s on the Durban North College top field. Due to a muddy pitch, bowling was done entirely from the north end, so kudos to the coaches and players for making sure a game took place.
Saint Charles were out in the middle first. Despite short square boundaries, which made for inviting targets for the batsmen, they lost wickets regularly. It led to them posting 130 for 7, which was not as healthy a total as it might have seemed because of the small field.
Short square boundaries invited the Saint Charles’ batsmen to play shots…
Triston Venter struck 41 and Kwanele Nqayi made 30, but the Maritzburg side had trouble with the bowling of Cameron Walker and Luca Kirstein. Walker snapped up 3 for 16 in four overs, while Kirstein captured 3 for 10 in three.
…which backfired at times.
It was tight, but Saint Alban’s got home with eight balls to spare, reaching 135 for 6 in the penultimate over. Their victory owed much to Boago Gaoraelwe whose 67 was crucial to the positive result for the Pretoria boys.
SAINT ANDREW’S SCHOOL VS SAINT BENEDICT’S
A young Saint Andrew’s School side had battled throughout the festival with their batting and against Saint Benedict’s it was again their undoing. Batting first, the Bloemfontein team scraped together only 71 for 9 in their 20 overs. Even though conditions were a little tricky, that was never going to be enough to challenge Saint Benedict’s.
JC Young of Saint Andrew’s goes on the drive against Saint Benedict’s.
Tristan Eley made sure Bennies cruised to the win with an unbeaten 39, which gave them a comfortable eight-wicket margin of victory.
Summing up the four days of the event, Festival Director Wayne Scott said: “From my side, we had a wonderful week of cricket. Lots of new friendships were formed and lots of new bonds were forged, in terms of players playing against each other and coaches getting to know each other.
“It’s all about playing the game in the right spirit, and I think most games were played that way.
“Everyone wants to win but, for me, the awesome thing about the week was that lots of teams got to play against sides that they don’t normally play against.
SCORE SUMMARIES
Michaelhouse 64 all out (B. Cutting 3 for 8)
Hilton College 65 for 1 off 11 overs (M. Diemont 39*)
Hilton won by 9 wickets
Saint Andrew’s College 181 for 6 (M. Poole 82, C. Ford 3 for 49)
Saint John’s College 130 for 8 (H. Grose 33)
Saint Andrew’s College won by 51 runs
Clifton 135 for 4 (W. Vietch 50)
Saint Andrew’s College 137 for 7
Saint Andrew’s College won by 3 wickets
Saint David’s Marist Inanda 116 for 7 (J. Fifield 30*, S. Matthews 4 for 17)
Bishops 117 for 2 off 16 overs (A. Adams 37)
Bishops won by 8 wickets
Saint Stithian’s College 105 for 7 (J. Northend 3 for 13)
Clifton 108 for 4 (B. McElligott 48*)
Clifton won by 6 wickets
Saint Charles College 130 for 7 (T. Venter 41, K. Nqayi 30, Luca Kirstein 3 for 10, C. Walker 3 for 16)
Saint Alban’s College 135 for 6 (B. Gaoraelwe 67)
Saint Alban’s College won by 4 wickets
Saint Andrew’s School 71 for 9
Saint Benedict’s 72 for 2 (T. Eley 39*)
Saint Benedict’s won by 8 wickets
Hilton and Clifton sneak narrow wins on day two of U-15 ISCF
Hilton College and Clifton eked out narrow victories, while Saint Charles powered their way to an emphatic win, on day two of the Independent Schools Under-15 Cricket Festival in Durban on Thursday. The conditions were overcast and windy – no bails were used – and threatened to rain out the games, but ultimately they brought only one contest to a premature end, writes KZN10.com’s Brad Morgan.
HILTON COLLEGE VS SAINT JOHN’S COLLEGE
At the Riverside Sports Club, Hilton College put up 189 for 9 in their 50 overs against Saint John’s College. On a turning wicket and with a heavy outfield, it was a decent total and Hilton were confident it would be enough. They were right, but only just.
The issue for Hilton was the fact that five of the top six batsmen in their order made their way into double figures, but none really pushed on to produce a telling contribution.
Ross Boast’s 31 was their best effort, closely followed by Matt Diemont, who made 30.
Oliver Xego sent three batsmen packing at a cost of 31 runs, while Thomas Archer captured 3 for 41 and Liam Billet took 2 for 39. Props, too, to Krishay Patel, who sent down 10 overs and finished with an economical 1 for 20.
Saint John’s had every opportunity to chase down the victory target of 190, but they were undone by their running between the wickets and Hilton’s fielding, with four players departing due to run outs.
Crucially, they included the top scorer in the match, Harry Grose, who made 50 from 75 deliveries, with five fours.
The run out of Harry Grose was a crucial moment in Hilton’s hard-fought win over Saint John’s (All photos: Brad Morgan, KZN10.com)
The two Lukes, Watt and Francis, both made it into the twenties, but were unable to provide the extra impetus, so badly undermined by run outs, that the Saint John’s innings needed. In the end they came up eight runs shy of the Hilton total, finishing on 181 for 9.
CLIFTON VS SAINT DAVID’S MARIST INANDA
Runs were hard to come by at Durban North College where the host school, Clifton, and Saint David’s Marist Inanda went hammer and tongs in a tense, but fairly contested match.
Having won the toss, Clifton chose to bat, but like so many matches on the day – was it the overcast conditions? – saw their batsmen make some starts but none push on to produce a decisive innings.
James Matthis, their top scorer on day one against Saint Alban’s with 71, was once more the leading run-getter, but this time his contribution was 29, taking him to 100 runs for the Festival thus far.
The big disappointment for Clifton would be that Matthis, together with Ben McElligott, put on 46 for the first wicket. Once McElligott departed for 22, Clifton lost the remainder of their wickets for just 99 runs.
Brandon Archer did most of the damage for Saint David’s, snapping up 4 for 31 from his 10 overs. He was well supported by Sohan Desai, who bowled six overs and picked up 3 for 16.
Clifton edged out Saint David’s Marist Inanda after an intense contest in which the ball had the better of the bat.
Caleb McLaren was the glue in the Johannesburg side’s response, making 63 not out, but the support he required was missing and Saint David’s came up 10 runs shy, losing their last wicket with the total on 135.
Clifton owed a lot to spinner Shrey Singh for their victory. His five-for at a cost of 42 runs proved just too much for Saint David’s to overcome.
SAINT CHARLES COLLEGE VS SAINT ANDREW’S SCHOOL
At Collegians, Saint Charles enjoyed a convincing 104-run victory over Saint Andrew’s School. It was far from a vintage batting performance from the Pietermaritzburg side, but they had enough contributions, aided by 26 extras, to muster 217 in 38.4 overs.
Joao de Franca nudged out Matt Urquhart for the top score, making 44 with six fours, while Urquhart sent the ball across the boundary nine times in his innings of 43, which came in double-quick time from just 28 deliveries.
Ross Ritchie produced a telling knock, making 37, while Panashe Taruvinga hit 24.
Jordan van den Berg led the Saint Andrew’s bowlers with a return of 3 for 39, but was a little expensive, going at 6.5 runs per over. Ishaq Khan snapped up 2 for 12 in four, while Schalk Liebenberg was arguably the pick of the Bloemfontein school’s bowlers, capturing 2 for 31 in his 10 overs.
Saint Andrew’s then did themselves no favours when they visited the crease with both openers being run out. Just two players reached double figures as the batting side crumbled under heavy pressure from the Saint Charles’ bowlers and fielders.
Jordan Bentley was the star of the show, knocking over 3 for 13 in 10 overs, while the rest of the wickets were shared around.
The top scorer for Saint Andrew’s School against Saint Charles was middle order batsman Matthew Simon.
Matthew Simon hit 34 at close to a run a ball for Saint Andrew’s and Schalk Liebenberg occupied the crease for a long time for his 25 from 96 deliveries, but with no other meaningful support they were well beaten by Saint Charles.
MICHAELHOUSE VS SAINT BENEDICT’S
Michaelhouse faced Saint Benedict’s at Lahee Park in Pinetown, but they, unfortunately, on a day when rain threatened throughout, were the only teams to have their game rained out. There was a lot of cricket played, nonetheless.
The Balgowan boys mustered 158 in their 50 overs, thanks mostly to Michael Thornton and Nathan Hoatson. Thornton top scored with 52, while Hoatson shone with a knock of 47 runs.
Simele Maye stood out with the ball, with an economical and incisive return of 4 for 21.
The Saint Benedict’s innings then lasted 16 overs before the rain brought it to a close on 58 for 1.
BISHOPS VS SAINT ALBAN’S COLLEGE
In a high-scoring game, which bucked the trend, Bishops recorded a 39-run victory over Saint Alban’s at College Rovers, aided by an astonishing five run outs.
Batting first, after being put in, Bishops posted 289 for 8, which was highlighted by a second wicket stand of 157 between opening batsman Kashief Josephand number three Nic Allison.
Joseph was the first to depart, just nine runs shy of a century, having taken only 115 balls for his 91, with 10 fours and two sixes.
As so often happens when a big stand is broken, the second of the partners sooned joined the other back on the side of the field, with Allison falling just four runs later for 64, with five fours and one maximum.
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Abdullah Adams weighed in with a rapid 36 and the middle order all reached double figures without pushing on to anything significant. Still, 289 was a decent total.
Sam Berry picked up three wickets for Saint Alban’s at a cost of 56 runs, while Luca Kirstein claimed 2 for 40 and Eldré Spies a tidy 2 for 36 from his 10 overs.
The Pretoria school’s response lasted 47.2 overs. There was some good batting, but those five run outs were too much to overcome.
Charl Barnard, the hero of their draw against Clifton on day one, was the top scorer once again, making 64 from 96 balls, with five fours, at the top of the order before being caught by Cole Crawford off of the bowling of Jack Crafford.
Stuart van der Merwe made 45 as he and Barnard put on 82 for the second wicket, while lower down the order, Druan Visagie, in at eight, took the attack to the bowlers, cracking an unbeaten 41 from just 35 balls, with five fours and a six. Unfortunately for him and for Saint Alban’s, he ran out of partners as they finished on 250 all out, 40 runs fewer than they required to win.
SAINT STITHIAN’S VS SAINT ANDREW’S COLLEGE
Saint Stithian’s, after a rough outing against Hilton on day one, performed better in their second match against Saint Andrew’s College, but were again on the wrong side of the result, going down by five wickets to the team from Grahamstown.
Richard Seletswane struck 50 for Saint Stithian’s, but good bowling from Hlonela Ntshingwa, who captured 3 for 16, and Stuart Carr, who took 3 for 35, made sure the batting side was unable to get any real momentum going. Still, they managed to make their way to 143 all out.
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Saint Andrew’s College, without any one batsman going off, reeled in the Saint Stithian’s total in just 32.2 overs, led by an unbeaten 32 from Oliver Snart, for the loss of five wickets.
SCORE SUMMARIES
Hilton College 189 for 9 (R. Boast 31, M. Diemont 30, T. Archer 3 for 41, O. Xego 3 for 31)
Saint John’s College 181 for 9 (H. Grose 50)
Hilton won by eight runs
Clifton 145 all out (J. Matthis 30)
Saint David’s Marist Inanda 135 all out (C. McLaren 63*, S. Singh 5 for 42)
Clifton won by 10 runs
Saint Charles College 217 all out (De Franca 44, Urquhart 43, Ritchie 37, Van den Berg 3 for 39)
Saint Andrew’s School 113 all out (M. Simon 34, J. Bentley 3 for 13)
Saint Charles won by 104 runs
Michaelhouse 158 all out (M. Thornton 52, N. Hoatson 47, Simele 4 for 21)
Saint Benedict’s 58 for 1 off 16 overs
Game abandoned due to rain
Bishops 289 for 8 (K. Joseph 91, C. Crawford 65)
Saint Alban’s College 250 all out
Bishops won by 39 all out
Saint Stithian’s College 143 all out (R. Seletswane 50, H. Ntshingwa 3 for 16, S. Carr 3 for 35)
Saint Andrew’s College 145 for 5 (O. Snart 32*)
Saint Andrew’s won by 5 wickets
Three wins, three draws on opening day of U-15 ISCF
For the teams that travelled from the central areas of South Africa, the opening day of the Independent Schools Under-15 Cricket Festival must have been a bit of a smack in the face; it was very hot and very humid in Durban and the outfields were playing slowly, meaning any time spent in the middle, be it with bat or ball, would be taxing.
KZN10.com’s Brad Morgan took in some intense competition, which resulted in wins for Hilton College, Michaelhouse, and Bishops, and strong draws for Clifton, Saint Charles and Saint Andrew’s College.
The format for the day was time cricket, with 50-overs matches set to follow on Thursday and Friday, and T20s on Saturday.
(Score summaries below)
CLIFTON vs SAINT ALBAN’S
At Riverside, the host school, Clifton, squared up to Saint Alban’s College of Pretoria. In the early going, it was the visitors who enjoyed the better of the contest, led by the Kirstein twins, seamer Luca and off-spinner Liam, who captured the first four wickets to fall as Clifton lurched to 42 for 4.
Connor McKenzie and James Matthis then lent the innings some substance by moving the total along to 71 before McKenzie was bowled by Liam Kirstein for 20. Ben van der Merwe (7) didn’t last too long, but that brought Kyle Thomas to the crease and he, together with James Matthis, then set about taking control of the battle between bat and ball.
The duo combined for a very well played partnership of 104 to put Clifton in the driving seat.
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Thomas brought stability and watchfulness to the crease, refusing to play any risky shots, while Matthis took on the dominant role, impressing with his willingness to take on any full ball by driving straight and true over the top. In the end, his offensive mindset cost him his wicket, stumped off the bowling of Boago Gaoraelwe for a fine 71 from 107 deliveries, with 10 fours, but not before he had played a pivotal knock.
Clifton added a further 15 runs before declaring on 200 for 8 from 64.2 overs, with the left-hander, Kyle Thomas, unbeaten on 48, which had come from 88 balls and included five fours.
Liam Kirstein led the Saint Alban’s attack, snaring 5 for 64 in 19 overs with his spin, while his brother, Luca, picked up 2 for 28 in 7.2.
Charl Barnard’s bat stood between Clifton and a convincing victory. (All photos, Brad Morgan, KZN10.com)
In reply, the Pretoria school had opener Charl Barnard (above) to thank for not being run over by the Clifton attack. He played a nuggetty knock, which last all 54 overs of the Saint Alban’s reply, to finish on an undefeated 60 from 158 balls, with eight fours.
All around him, the Saint Alban’s batsmen struggled. Luke Sass managed 14, but his was the only other score to make it beyond single figures as the Clifton spinners tied up the opposition batsmen in knots.
Clifton’s Keaton Murray clean bowled Luca Kirstein for a single.
Barnard’s battling knock was rewarded, however, when Saint Alban’s gutted it out to reached 97 for 8 by stumps. Opening bowler Keaton Murray captured 2 for 8 for Clifton from nine overs, five of which were maidens, while his new ball partner, Mitchell Tillard, claimed 1 for 7 in seven.
It was the twin spin offensive from Huzaifah Badat and Shrey Singh, though, that caused all kinds of trouble for Saint Albans. Badat snared 3 for 25 in 15 overs, while Singh finished with 2 for 16 from his 12.
In the end, however, Barnard stood between Clifton and victory.
SAINT CHARLES VS SAINT DAVID’S MARIST INANDA
Saint Charles College faced Saint David’s Marist Inanda on the Kingsmead Nursery Ground and enjoyed themselves at the crease. Spending 65 overs out in the middle, they tallied a useful 271 for 8.
Matthew Urquhart top scored with 70 and there was plenty of meaningful support for his innings from Panashe Taruvinga, who made 42, Stefan Veldsman, with 40, and Joao de Franca with 30.
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Saint David’s found the going a lot tougher in their turn at bat. In just 10 fewer overs than Saint Charles required to get their 271, the Johannesburgers scratched their way to 78 for 7, which was enough for them to hold out for a draw.
De Franca showed off his all-round ability as he added a bowling return of 3 for 13 off of 15 overs to go with his 30 with the bat, while Jordan Bentley knocked over 3 for 19 in 12.
MICHAELHOUSE VS SAINT ANDREW’S SCHOOL
Michaelhouse and Saint Andrew’s School met at College Rovers in a contest dominated by the ball. Batting first, a young Saints’ team lost a couple of early wickets, but were then settled by a stubborn innings of 34 by Jordan van den Berg. He stuck around for 98 balls and sent three deliveries to the boundary before falling victim to Nathan Hoatson for 34.
Letlo Likhi put together a dour 28 not out from 149 balls, with two fours, but not much else was offered by the Bloem boys, who were dismissed for 113 in 63 overs.
Nathan Hoatson was the pick of the Michaelhouse bowlers, returning the superb figures of 20 overs, 11 maidens, 3 for 15.
Graham Wynne snapped up 2 for 9 in four and Aiden Jinnah claimed 2 for 36 as the ‘House attack set their batsman a very gettable target.
Michaelhouse were forced to sweat for their runs and for victory by Saint Andrew’s School.
At 43 for 1 in reply, the Balgowan-based side was cruising along, but they then saw three wickets fall for just eight runs. Another flurry of wickets, which saw them reduced from 65 for 4 to 80 for 7 had Michaelhouse concerned. But, for the loss of just one more wicket, they edged across the finishing line to secure a narrow win by two wickets.
At the top of the order, Kyle Walker had played a crucial knock, making 32 from 60 balls, with four fours, while Murray Baker struck 23 at a run a ball, with four boundaries. Dakalo Leketa starred for Saint Andrew’s, picking up 3 for 24 in 15 overs.
HILTON COLLEGE VS SAINT STITHIAN’S
At Crusaders, Hilton College powered their way to a convincing victory over Saint Stithian’s.
Batting first, Saints mustered 136 all out, with Masande Luthuli leading the way with an innings of 38 runs.
Nick Chantier was the pick of the Hilton bowlers, sending three batsmen packing to return figures of 3 for 25.
It simply wasn’t enough runs and Hilton were ruthless in their pursuit of the win.
Wian Liebenberg did most of the damage, weighing in with 70, while Matt Diemont hit 40 to see the boys from the Midlands to an emphatic nine-wicket victory.
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BISHOPS VS SAINT JOHN’S COLLEGE
Also at Crusaders, Bishops and Saint John’s met. The Johannesburg side has been a bit up and down this season, due mostly to inconsistent batting, scoring some good wins and suffering some disappointing losses, but a total of 196 all out looked like a reasonable score. It turns out if wasn’t nearly enough to stave off the Capetonians’ charge.
Storm Matthews shone for Bishops, striking an unbeaten 83, , which was the highest individual score achieved by any batsman on the day, and Abdullah Adams lent strong support with 68, to see the Cape Town school to an impressive five-wicket win.
SAINT ANDREW’S COLLEGE VS SAINT BENEDICT’S
At Collegians, Saint Andrew’s College were the only team to top 300, putting together 301 for 6 against Saint Benedict’s. Their innings didn’t have one very big score, but there was plenty of consistency from the batsmen.
Sibusiso Mxube top scored with 62 for the Grahamstown boys, Matthew Poole struck 60 not out, Matthew Beamish contributed 50, Bertram White 50, and Sinjhun Cawse an undefeated 34.
In reply, Saint Benedict’s put up 161 for 5 as the game petered out into a tame draw. Quaid Pillay returned the top score of 41 and Declan le Roux came close to matching him, making 35.
SCORE SUMMARIES
Clifton 200 for 8 (J. Matthis 71, B. van der Merwe 48, Liam Kirstein 5 for 64, Luca Kirstein 2 for 28)
Saint Alban’s 97 for 8 (C. Barnard 60*, H. Badat 3 for 25, K. Murray 2 for 8, S. Singh 2 for 16)
Match drawn
Saint Charles College 271 for 8 (M. Urquhart 70, P. Taruvinga 42, S. Veldsman 40*, J. de Franca 30)
Saint David’s Marist Inanda 78 for 7 (J. de Franca 3 for 13, J. Bentley 3 for 19)
Match drawn
Saint Stithian’s 136 all out (M. Luthuli 38, N. Chantier 3 for 25)
Hilton College 145 for 1 (W. Liebenberg 70, M. Diemont 40)
Hilton won by 9 wickets
Saint Andrew’s School 113 all out (J. van den Berg 34, L. Likhi 28*, N. Hoatson 3 for 15, G. Wynne 2 for 9)
Michaelhouse 114 for 8 (K. Walker 32, M. Baker 23, D. Leketa 3 for 24)
Michaelhouse won by 2 wickets
Saint John’s 196 all out
Bishops 201 for 5 (S. Matthews 83*, A. Adams 68)
Bishops won by 5 wickets
Saint Andrew’s College 301 for 6 (S. Mxube 62, M. Poole 60*, M. Beamish 50, B. White 50, S. Cawse 34*)
Saint Benedict’s 161 for 5 (Q. Pillay 41, D. le Roux 35)
Match drawn
Captain Matkovich guides Westville to hard-fought win at DHS
Durban High School (DHS) welcomed Westville to Theobald Oval on Saturday for a 50-over contest played in challenging hot and muggy conditions, writes KZN10.com’s Brad Morgan.
In a low-scoring game, both schools’ innings followed similar patterns but, after a poor start, Westville managed a better repair-job of their innings to secure a hard-fought 5-wicket victory, with 3 overs in hand.
In 2 losses to Clifton the previous week, Westville had conceded rapid runs with the new ball, with Clifton getting away to fast starts in both matches.
So it was very pleasing to Westville coach Tomo Jackson to see his frontline bowlers
make early inroads into the DHS batting line-up while also keeping the run rate in check.
They were well supported, too, by a good fielding performance.
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Due to a slow outfield, both the DHS and Westville batsmen had to work hard for every run. (All photos: Brad Morgan, KZN10.com)
“I thought we bowled really well on a pitch that didn’t offer much to the seamers but offered some nice turn to the spinners,” Westville coach Jackson said afterwards.
Westville coach Thomas Jackson: ‘The pick of our seamers was Jared Slaney’
“Jared bowled 10 overs and picked up 1 for 17 – including 5 maidens – which is a class showing for a seamer.”
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It was the Westville spinners, though, who really ratcheted up the pressure on DHS.
Jaden Arumugam sent down 10 overs and was miserly, claiming 1 for 21, while Mikaylen Kistna bowled 8 overs and snared 3 for 19.
DHS opener Yudi Ramanand held down his end after a poor start left the home team struggling in the early going.
Yudi then established some stability with Corné Nel, coming in at 5, and together they set about adding substance to the innings.
Ramanand was the first to go, though, when, after looking relatively untroubled, he played around a ball from the left-arm spinner Arumugam and was clean bowled for 31 from 71 balls.
Opening batsman Yudi Ramanand was one of the leading run scorers for DHS, making 31 before falling to the guile of left-arm spinner Jaden Arumugam.
Nel and Joshua Stride then held up the Westville onslaught until both were dismissed on 35, with Nel’s runs coming from 67 deliveries and Stride’s from 64.
Neither batsman hit a boundary as, remarkably, DHS managed only 2 fours in their innings, which was testament to Westville’s strong effort in the field – and the slow outfield.
The eventual DHS total of 145 for 9 in the allotted 50 overs was not enough, DHS Director of Sport and first XI coach, Nathan Pillay, admitted: “Conditions were quite slow. The outfield was a little bit thick as well, which made batting conditions quite tough.”
DHS Director of Sport and first XI coach Nathan Pillay
‘I thought we were about 30 runs short. It showed’
Kyle Hammond contributed 6 runs for Westville before having his stumps knocked back by Sibonelo Makhanya.
The going looked reasonably easy for Westville when they visited the crease, but DHS soon made inroads into their reply, capturing wickets regularly, aided by some soft dismissals.
By afternoon tea, Westville were limping along on 50 for 5
Sibonelo Makhanya doing the damage with 3 sticks. DHS were buoyed
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After the break, though, Westville’s Ethan Matkovich and Anthony Dunford
set about wresting the game away from the hosts
Matkovich played a mature captain’s knock, recognising that there was no need to chase anything, with less than 3 runs an over required for victory. He played confidently, with little risk, and worked the ball around well.
The skipper found a willing partner in Anthony Dunford, who struck an unbeaten 47 from 73 balls, with 6 fours to help steer Westville to a hard-fought win.
Matkovich (who also took a superb catch to get rid of Nel to end the best partnership of the DHS innings) finished unbeaten on 51, facing 111 balls in a 160-minute stay at the crease.
Captain Ethan Matkovich starred for Westville with a crucial knock, which steered his side to victory.
“There was a decent partnership between Ethan Matkovich and [Nathan] Trevethen. That settled us down,” reckoned Tom Jackson. “Then, after losing Trevethan, a match-winning partnership between Matkovitch and Dunford went really well.”
DHS Director of Sport and first XI coach Nathan Pillay
‘All credit to Westville. Their 2 batsmen got stuck in, showed courage and determination’
It was a win for Westville, but also a game in which both teams came away with some positives to take forward into their next matches and plenty of reasons to be optimistic going forward.
FIRST XI MATCH SCORES IN BRIEF
DHS 145 for 9 (Joshua Stride 35, Corné Nel 35, Yudi Ramanand 31, Mikaylen Kistna 3-19)
Westville 147 for 5 (E. Matkovich 51*, A. Dunford 47*, S. Makhanya 3-31)
Westville won by 5 wickets
Source: Sunday Tribune.
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Back-to-back Clifton first XI wins at Westville
The Clifton College first XI followed up last Thursday’s 4-wicket T20 win over home side Westville on Bowden’s with a 64-run victory in this past Saturday’s 50-over match.
“Clifton set the tone from the beginning,” says the Clifton coaching staff’s Oliver Cash.
The Clifton College first XI’s strength and conditioning coach Ollie Cash has reason to smile after back-to-back victories inside 3 days for his lads. Photo Brad Morgan
All cricket photos by KZN10.com‘s BRAD MORGAN
The hard-hitting Josh Platford provided the early impetus with a typically belligerent 54 off just 33 balls that included 9 fours and 2 sixes in his hour at the crease.
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“A patient innings from Matt Adams meant he was the perfect partner for the attacking and big-hitting Josh Platford,” says coach Oliver Cash, who has been with the first XI for a number of years, primarily in the strength and conditioning role, which so ably complements the cricketing knowledge of the experienced Clifton first XI coach Yashin Ebrahim.
Adams and the attack-minded Clifton skipper Nabeel Jeewa (40 32b 3×4 2×6) complemented the first-wicket partnership with another productive stand for the third wicket.
Grade 10 talent Ross Montgomery – coming in at number 5 – weighed in with a 34 off 70 balls (2 fours).
“Our experienced captain Nabeel Jeewa and young Ross Montgomery were brilliant in making sure that flow continued to lunch and beyond,” says Cash.
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John Munford gets three of Westville’s top four to set up Clifton’s T20 win
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The 35 extras that included 21 wides and 2 no-balls (a “freebie” 23 runs that also provided the Clifton batters with 23 extra deliveries to face) did not help the Westville cause and Clifton’s innings closed on an imposing 267 for 7 in their allotted 50 overs.
“Mention must also be made of the fact that Westville all-rounder Troy Botha was absolutely brilliant in the field,” says Clifton’s Oliver Cash. “A couple more fielders like Troy makes me think that our score may have been a lot less.”
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Westville employed 7 bowlers in the Clifton innings and the most significant outcomes came from Anthony Dunford (7 overs 1 maiden conceding 28 runs and taking 2 wickets) and Jared Slaney (10-0-53-2) and a tidy 10-0-28-1 from opening bowler Troy Botha. Dylan Rae and Jaden Arumugam picked up a wicket apiece.
In their reply to Clifton’s total of 267, too many misplaced airborne shots resulting in 6 catches coupled with 3 run outs did little for the Westville run chase, albeit a run chase set at a more-than challenging (on KZN pitches) 5.3 an over.
Opening batsman Kyle Hammond made a brisk start to the Westville innings with 36 off 35 (3 fours) while first-wicket Callum Hayes (30 42b 2×4) and skipper Ethan Matkovich (35 49b 2×4) also contributed handily to keep the home side within sight of winning ways.
“I thought Clifton started very poorly in the Westville innings,” says Cash. “Energy was very low and our bowlers lacked intent. Westville got on top with some aggressive batting. Unfortunately, one or two silly run outs from them meant their run rate fell off towards the middle of their innings.”
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A typically pugnacious Troy Botha – coming in at 7 – innings of 57 runs off 46 balls including 6 fours and 3 sixes injected further momentum into the Westville run chase but the total of 3 run outs, including 2 towards the end, saw the home team’s innings close with the score reading 203 all out in just 39.4 overs of the 50 granted them.
“Once again it was Troy Botha who stepped up to the plate for Westville,” says Cash. “Troy had a brilliant knock and almost took the game away from us, but once we took his wicket we smelt blood in the water and with the light fading we cracked on the accelerator and closed the game out.”
It’s easy to say in hindsight of course, and purely statistical conjecture (lies, damn lies and then there are statistics, they say) but those 62 unused deliveries – had they been utilised by the batsmen in search of the remaining 65 to win (remember the 3 ill-judged run outs) it may well have brought the respective innings totals closer together.
Aside from the 3 run outs, Clifton spinners Marco Mottura (8-0-42-2) and the in-form vice-captain John Munford (8-0-25-2) were the chief wicket-takers while opening bowler Ryan Jairaj, first-change Ross Montgomery and second-change Teague Ridgway each earned a wicket.
“Given the conditions and some player health issues, I am very proud of the Clifton lads,” added Cash.
WESTVILLE V CLIFTON SCORES IN BRIEF
1st XI
Thursday T20: Westville 124/5 (John Munford 3-25) Clifton 125/4 (Josh Platford 31, Romashen Pillay 30)
Clifton won by 6 wickets
Saturday 50-over: Clifton 267/7 (Matt Adams 64, Josh Platford 54, Nabeel Jeewa 40, Ross Montgomery 34) Westville 203 all out in 39.4ov (Troy Botha 5, Kyle Hammond 36, Ethan Matkovich 35, Callum Hayes 30)
Clifton won by 64 runs
Other CC v WBHS results
2nd XI: Clifton 122 lost to WBHS 124/4 by 6 wkts
3rds: Clifton 90 lost to WBHS 91/2 by 8 wkts
U16A: Clifton 114 lost to WBHS 115/3 (Kistna 47) by 7 wkts
U15A: WBHS 74 (Murray 6-13) lost to Clifton 75/5 by 5 wkts
U14A: Clifton 114 (Miller 41, Kistna 5-22) lost to WBHS 115/2 (Kistna 48) by 8 wkts
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Glenwood 1st XI’s big win over Northwood on Dixons Saturday
Northwood first XI won the toss and opted to bat on Saturday but came up against a Glenwood first XI that were totally in-sync in dismissing the visitors for 101 in 45.3 overs on Dixons and then hauling in the target with just one wicket down for a comprehensive 9-wicket victory, writes Jono Cook.
(Unfortunately due to a technical glitch the many photos KZN10.com took of the match are unable to be used)
Difficulty in building partnerships proved to be the Northwood Knight’s Achilles heel in this 50-over match.
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The Northwood Knights lost their first 2 wickets to Glenwood first-change bowler Luke Bowley with the total on 21 and then 22. In-form Knights opener Thulani Chiliza was then fated to stand at the non-striker’s end and watch 7 batsmen back in the hat for a combined 17 runs before he was eighth man out, stumped by Glenwood captain SJ de Klerk for a valiant 45 off 126 balls including just 1 four – an indication of how successful the home side’s bowling attack was in building pressure.
Three Northwood batsmen were out for ducks, while a total of 7 batters failed to reach double figures.
Young Glenwood 1st XI a force to be reckoned with
https://kzn10.com/young-glenwood-1st-xi-a-force-to-be-reckoned-with/
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Glenwood director of cricket and first XI coach Brandon Scullard summed up for KZN10.com his team’s performance in the field:
“Jono, we lost the toss on a good batting surface. I have a lot of praise for the way my bowlers went about their work, and the consistency of their execution. I must say that my spinners were excellent, with my front 3 spinners all completing their 10-over allocations and all going for less than 2 runs per over.
“The spinners built pressure whilst continually picking up wickets and the fielders backed them up well, holding onto any chances Northwood gave up.”
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Luke Bowley (6 overs 2 maidens just 16 runs conceded and 2 wickets) got the first 2 wickets before Russell Hein (10-3-13-3) and Erik Hartman (10-1-19-2) dismissed batsmen numbers 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 at minimal cost.
Christiaan Els (2.3-1-9-3) then got the prize wicket of opening bat and innings top scorer Thulani Chiliza (45) before mopping up the tail.
Coach Scullard was further impressed by the method in which Glenwood’s top-order batters went about chasing down the target of 102.
“We went about the chase in a positive, yet disciplined manner and proved what a good cricket wicket it was by reaching the Northwood total inside 22 overs.
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“Chad Laycock showed his class again, ending on 47* after numerous attempts by the Northwood fielders to get into his head.”
Number 3 Chad Laycock’s unbeaten 47 was scored off 40 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes; his innings coming off a decent 37-run platform laid by openers Banele Cele (19 46b 3×4) and Russell Hein.
Russell (13 not out off 45 balls) was content to rotate the strike and the reward came in his returning victorious to the pavilion alongside Chad after an unbeaten second-wicket partnership of 65.
The tall Chad Laycock is an impressive batsman to watch – I recall a Chad Laycock knock at the Jack Hart-Davis Oval in the fourth term last year against arguably the best bowling attack in the country in 2019 – that of Hilton College – (the pace, seam and swing of John Turner, Michael Booth, Matt Boast, Ethan Bain and Tom Dixon; the left-arm orthodox spin of Mike Frost and the leg-spin and googlies of Colby Dyer) in which this top-order batter looked at ease.
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It wasn’t about the runs Chad made that day, it was more about his comfort out in the middle against accurate, hostile, clever and artful schoolboy bowling.
Coach Brandon Scullard’s final assessment of his Glenwood side on the day?
“Jono, it was a complete performance that I have been waiting to see from my boys.
“We have a huge amount of talent within our team and I’m happy to see that transferred onto the field.
“We need to aspire to be more consistent in the weeks to come.”
Thanks Brandon, there can be few more satisfying experiences for a coach than when he witnesses a near-flawless all-round effort from his charges.
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John Munford gets 3 of Westville’s top 4 to set up Clifton’s T20 win
Clifton College 1st XI vice-captain John Munford made 3 vital breakthroughs in the T20 at Bowden’s yesterday while Josh Platford took full measure of too many boundary balls upfront from home side Westville, leading to a 4-wicket victory for the visitors from Morningside with 2 balls to spare.
All photos Brad Morgan
Feature image: Clifton vice-captain John Munford played a pivotal role in his side’s win on Bowden’s at Westville.
Josh Platford was in devastating form in setting up the Clifton run chase.
Three home-side batsmen got into the 20’s before falling victim to Munford (2) and promising grade 10 Ross Montgomery as Westville concluded their 20 overs with the total reading 124 for 5, Clifton vice-captain Munford ending with 3 for 17 from 4 probing overs.
Clifton 1st XI end Kearsney’s 10-match winning streak
https://kzn10.com/clifton-1st-xi-end-kearsney-1st-xis-10-match-winning-streak/
Back to back Clifton 1st XI wins at Westville
https://kzn10.com/back-to-back-clifton-first-xi-wins-at-westville/
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The batting blitzkrieg that is Josh Platford (31 off 18 balls with 5 fours and 1 six, strike rate 172.2) set up Clifton’s chase and with the rest of the top 5 chipping in it appeared to be a given needing 9 runs to win and 16 deliveries still in the bank.
Clifton opener Romashen Pillay executes the switch-hit on Bowden’s.
To their credit the spirited Westville lads whittled the Cliftonians down to the 3rd-last ball before acknowledging defeat.
Westville get a chance to turn the tables when Clifton return to Bowden’s for the 50-over match tomorrow.
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* Brad and I were hoping, but eventually unable, to get the names of Westville’s notable contributors with bat and ball – as well as those in-photo. Maybe you can help us?
Be it cricket or rugby, Bowden’s at Westville has witnessed many a nail-biting finish.
Clifton’s lively young opening bowler Ryan Jairaj in full cry.
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Westville’s seamer in delivery stride as Clifton cricket consultant Wayne Scott looks on. Readers, please identify.
Westville batter on the charge. Readers please identify.
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This one is flying over cow corner, as Clifton keeper Matt Adams looks on. Readers please identify the batter.
Clifton’s winning runs down to fine leg. Readers please identify the batsman and the wicketkeeper.
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Great to see the handshakes all-round after a match between 2 of our 10 Schools of KZN.
After action satisfaction: Clifton strength and conditioning expert Oliver Cash reflects on a job well done – Hopefully no injuries Ollie!
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