Westville tops in KZN’s W100 competitions
Having qualified for the finals of all four age groups – u14, u15, u16 and open – Westville Boys’ High enjoyed a superb showing on Wednesday, winning three of the W100 finals – played among the leading KZN coastal cricket schools – and missing out on the other by only five runs, in a contest that went down to the second last ball.
Westville’s Director of Sport, Pam Hayward, was elated. “My goodness. What a day!” she exclaimed. The school’s Director of Cricket, Wayne Scott, had a broad grin plastered across his face after witnessing the Westville 1st XI chase down Kearsney College‘s challenging 148/6 to capture a five-wicket victory with three balls to spare at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead.
Kearsney’s big score had been a blessing in disguise for the Griffin, he explained, saying that it left them with only one batting approach and that was to go for it from the start.
In the early going, it appeared as if Kearsney were on course for an even bigger total. Jack O’Donovan was onto any ball that wasn’t line and length in a flash and brutally punished the Westville opening bowlers. Cameron Veenstra, so often the aggressor up front, was relegated to a supporting role.
Together they posted 68 for the first wicket in just 41 balls, but the introduction of the spinners, Roxton Payne and Chad van Breda helped slow the scoring, and Van Breda also castled Veenstra, for 19 from 18 balls, to separate the pair.
O’Donovan and Kearsney skipper Ross Coetzee were limited to 27 from 21 balls before Coetzee fell victim to Payne for 17 from 15.
Westville captain Nicandro Kistna helped keep Kearsney in check when he took on bowling duties, too. He got rid of Matthew de Oliveira and Keegan de Jager while O’Donovan marched merrily onwards.
He finished on an entertaining and superb 92 not out, which had taken only 49 deliveries and included five big sixes and six fours.
The pick of the Westville bowlers were their spinners, with Chad van Breda snapping up 2/11 in 15 deliveries, Nicandro Kistna taking 2/20 in 20, and Roxton Payne snaring 1/18 in 20.
Facing a challenging run pursuit, Westville was held in check early on by a tight opening spell from Joe Clarkson. However, Kearsney’s regular opening bowlers, Ryan Browning and Sandiswa Yeni, conceded a number of boundaries.
Yeni, though, struck twice in quick succession to remove Max Robertson and Sean McGough, which left Westville on 41/2 after 40 balls.
Seth Simpson and Kaeden McAllister continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Simpson then launched a massive six over mid-wicket off Asavela Khambule. The very next ball, though, the leg-spinner trapped him in front for 25 from 21 balls. Simpson’s innings had included two sixes and a four.
With his top order partner gone, McAllister upped his game, going after the Kearsney bowling as the remaining balls diminished.
Westville appeared to be in good shape, needing 37 from 25 balls, but Yeni then produced a fantastic five-ball spell, giving up only a single, to leave the Griffin chasing 36 from 20.
A few lusty blows from McAllister and the balance tilted towards Westville. Then, from the first ball of a Michael Groom over, he struck a stunning six over extra cover, and suddenly the numbers were very much in Westville’s favour.
With five balls left, the Griffin required only three to win. Josh Beck, cleverly, defended Jack O’Donovan’s first ball with soft hands to add a single and get McAllister on strike. The very next ball, it was all over as McAllister played it for two and the Westville supporters stood and cheered.
McAllister was undefeated on 66 from only 32 balls. His match-winning innings, beautifully executed under extreme pressure, had included five sixes and three fours.
The Batsman of the Final Award went to Kearsney’s Jack O’Donovan, while McAllister received the Most Valuable Player accolade. Roxton Payne, for slowing Kearsney’s rocketing run rate, was named the Bowler of the Final.
Westville suffered a run out on the second last ball of the u14 final to go down to Kearsney College by just five runs, but their u15A and u16A teams, who had qualified to play at home after topping the table in their age groups, won by four wickets and 43 runs respectively, both against Northwood, to make it a special day for the school’s cricket programme.
SCORES
Kearsney 1st XI 148/6 (Jack O’Donovan 92*, Cameron Veenstra 19; Chad van Breda 2/11, Nicandro Kistna 2/20, Roxton Payne 1/18); Westville Boys’ High 149/5 (Kaeden McAllister 66*, Seth Simpson 25; Sandiswa Yeni 2/18, Jack O’Donovan 1/10) Westville Boys’ High won by 5 wickets.
Westville Boys’ High u16A 124/6 (Kyle McGough 53, Aiden Baudach 20*, Misbah Nair 20; Jamie Wimble 3/20, Daniel Whelan 1/3, Yashin Naidoo 1/5); Northwood School u16A 81/9 (Jamie Wimble 22; Tristan Delvin 3/7, Ashton Kidgell 1/9, Misbah Nair 1/10) Westville Boys’ High won by 43 runs.
Northwood School u15A 119/4 (Samuel Giai-Minietti 34, Max Nicholson 33*; Joshua Engelbrecht 3/8); Westville Boys’ High u15A 120/6 (Kai Cotton 46, Elijah Stoop 23; R van Zyl 2/10) Westville Boys’ High won by four wickets.
Kearsney College u14A 106/6 (Hayden Lotter 15, Oliver Rey 14*; Yunus Lamalia 3/13, Treval Chetty 1/11); Westville Boys’ High u14A 101/10 (Kagiso Mokoena 33*, Gaurav Sewlal 24; Matthew Rice 2/18, Noah Haskell 2/20, Sebastien De Broglio 1/12) Kearsney College won by 5 runs.
