Grey College gets a second bite at Affies in the North/South final
It is fitting that two traditional rivals, Grey College and Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool (Affies), will face one other in the final of the Westvaal North/South Tournament at Camp Discovery on Sunday.
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The Bloemfontein side bagged another comprehensive and seemingly easy victory in the semi-finals. After their spinners did the trick in a quarterfinal win over Hoërskool Waterkloof, their pace attack got the better of Grey High School in the semi-finals.
Opening bowler Otto Krause showed his class and skill by dismissing three batsmen and conceding only 13 runs, or 3.3 per over, in his four overs. That kind of economy is not something one sees every day, especially from a paceman.
His fellow seam bowler, Kamo Mokoena, lent good support, snapping up 2/15 in three overs. Their tight bowling put Grey High under heavy pressure from the get-go, and only two batsmen made it past 20.
Teun Kloppenburg batted well but struggled to score at a run a ball in his 37, while Marco Giaconi was made to work hard for his 22 as Grey High crept past 100, eventually finishing on 106/8 from their 20 overs.
The Bloemfontein boys were also made to graft for their runs as Camp Discovery seemed to become more difficult by the over. Christian Kind and captain, Ruben Maree, judged their innings superbly, however. They needed to score at less than a run a ball, so they set about occupying the crease and waiting for loose balls to score, rather than trying to manufacture shots.
Kind led the way with a well-played 32, while Maree, fittingly, hit the winning runs. He finished with an unbeaten 24 as Grey College secured a convincing victory in the 14th over.
Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool (Affies) made light work of their opposition, Hoërskool Menlopark, in the other semi-final, which was played at the Sinoville Oval. Affies’ skipper Divan de Villiers , who blasted 126 in a win over St Stithians in the morning, continued his good form, weighing in with 68 from only 39 balls.
Affies, however, weren’t able to dictate matters as much as they did in their morning game, and Menlopark’s spinners did a good job. Arnu Breedt, though, struck a quickfire 46 to see Affies to 192/6.
Gerhard Engelbrecht picked up 2/35 for Menlo, while his younger counterpart, Murray Hofmeyr, added another two victims to his already impressive tally for the weekend.
The Affies’ bowlers, then, struck early to dismantle the dangerous Parkie top order. SF Vermeulen excelled, capturing three wickets, while all-rounder Ruben Groenwald piled on the pressure with another two.
Jorich van Schalkwyk, with three wickets in one over, sealed the deal for Affies and a place in the final.
When they met Grey College earlier in the tournament, Affies claimed a convincing 45-run win.
St Stithians College‘s Liam Mudenda came to life in their clash with Hoërskool Centurion. The opening batsman rocketed to 91 off only 39 deliveries, smashing eight fours and seven sixes. Thomas Rew added a valuable unbeaten 65 and, with contributions of 48 from both Richard Seletswane and Ombesa Matsha, Saints posted a mammoth 259/3.
Thomas Collins capped off a great performance for the Johannesburg school, ripping the heart out of the Woerie batting line-up by knocking over 6/14 in only 2.4 overs, the best return of the tournament thus far, as Centurion was knocked over for 129.
Seth Simpson was the hero in another Westville Boys’ High victory as they snatched a five-run victory over Hoërskool Waterkloof, as the defending champions were subjected to a second defeat of the day. Simpson looked top-class in his 58. Kaeden McAllister also threw his weight around, scoring one run less.
The KZN side’s bowlers provided the necessary support, keeping it nice and tight. Wian Ruthven looked dangerous while making 45, but Kyle McGough and Roxton Payne kept their nerve, picked up two wickets apiece, and helped their team to a tense victory.
Summarised scorecards
Grey High School 106/8 (Teun Kloppenburg 37, Marco Giaconi 22; Otto Crause 3/13, Kamo Mokoena 2/15) ; Grey College 110/5 (Christian Kind 32, Ruben Maree 24*, Adem Nieuwoudt 20; Likona Gcora 2/15). Grey College won by five wickets.
Affies 192/6 (Divan de Villiers 68, Arnu Breedt 46*, Jorich van Schalkwyk 22; Gerhardt Engelbrecht 2/35, Murray Hofmeyr 2/38); Menlopark 119/10 (Matt van der Westhuizen 35, Wian van Deventer 31, Steve Stolk 23; Jorich van Schalkwyk 3/8, SF Vermeulen 3/25, Ruben Groenewald 2/20). Affies won by 73 runs.
St Stithians 259/3 (Liam Mudenda 91, Thomas Rew 65*, Ombesa Matsha 48, Richard Seletswane 48; Wouter Kielblock 1/31); Hoërskool Centurion 129/10 (Rehan Lues 42; Thomas Collin 6/14, Aidan van der Westhuizen 2/18). St Stithians College won by 130 runs.
Westville Boys’ High 193/8 (Seth Simpson 58, Kaeden McAllister 57, Kyle McGough 33; Riley Miller 2/15, Franco Cronje 2/17); Waterkloof 184/6 (Wian Ruthven 45, Divan Behrens 39, Riley Miller 39, Marcus Bakker 28; Kyle McGough 2/6, Roxton Payne 2/32). Westville Boys’ High won by nine runs.
