Muir mauls Hilton in Eston T20 Night League, Saints trounce Tuskers Hub XI
Michaelhouse‘s Ethan Muir played a magnificent innings at the top of the order to lead his team’s batting onslaught in an Eston One Insurance T20 Night League clash with their great rivals, Hilton College, at the Beaumont Eston Farmers Club on Wednesday.
‘House batted first, and with Cody Sander providing superb support to Muir, the Balgowan boys got away to a flying start, with the duo putting on a marvellous 173 for the first wicket from 19 overs.
Muir led the way, launching seven sixes and blasting nine fours in a 56-ball knock that produced 106 runs. Sander, meanwhile, was more circumspect, but his 61 from 63, which included six fours, was the perfect foil to Muir’s aggressive attack.
They departed in successive balls, with Sander caught by Ben Hockly off Sange Qangule, from the last ball of the 19th over, and Muir out on the first ball of the last over, caught by Luke Campbell off the bowling of Sechaba Gude. By then, though, the damage had been done.
Michaelhouse scrambled a further 13 runs off the remaining five balls to set Hilton a target of 9.35 runs per over to win.
Amidst the carnage, Jayden Roux did well to concede only 21 runs from his four overs, while Sange Qangule finished with 1/28 from his four. Sechaba Gude picked up 2/37 from four.
In reply, Hilton lost their dangerman, Ben Hockly, early, caught by Cody Sander off Rex Wardlaw for five. When Alex Pitman was LBW to Preston Greene for 18, Hilton had slipped to 34/2 in the fifth over.
James Ogilby and Jayden Roux, though, gave their side some hope with a stand of 89 for the third wicket from 10.2 overs. It was ended when Graydon Leslie caught Roux off Thandanani Zuma for 31 from 36 balls, with a single four.
Unfortunately for Hilton, no one else, besides Ogilby, reached double figures, and that was not good enough. Ogilby, though, played a fine knock, striking five fours and three sixes in his 71 off only 40 deliveries.
Thandanani Zuma inflicted most of the damage with the ball, capturing 4/40 from his four overs. The rest of the attack was steady more than special, but they didn’t need to be special after the outstanding performances of their two opening batsmen.
After 20 overs, Hilton had reached 171/9, still 15 runs shy of the Michaelhouse total.
On Thursday, back at the Beaumont Eston Farmers Club, St Charles College had far too much firepower for the Tuskers Hub u19 XI and cruised to a 125-run win.
Batting first, Saints powered their way to 180/8, with AJ Bosman cracking an unbeaten 53 from 34 deliveries, with five fours, while opening batsman Thando Zama laid into the Hub attack, smashing a six and six fours in a quickfire 39 from only 16 balls. Caleb Sharp and Connor Simpson contributed 22 each.
Three bowlers picked up two wickets each from their four overs, with Thubelihle Ndlovu returning 2/26, Aphile Nzama 2/28, and Jaydon Govender 2/29.
The Hub XI’s reply never got going. Only one score reached double figures and that belonged to extras, with 12. Apart from that, seven from Aphiwe Nzama, and seven from Quashaun Dominique was the best a Tuskers Hub batsman managed.
Their innings lasted only 14.4 overs, and they were skittled for just 55 runs.
St Charles used seven bowlers and every one of them picked up at least one wicket. Connor Simpson led the way with 2/2 from two, while Keegan Vermaak knocked over 2/9 from two, and Ryan Clarke 2/14 from three.
SCORES
Michaelhouse 186/3 (Ethan Muir 106, Cody Sander 61, Sechaba Gude 2/37); Hilton College 171/9 (James Ogilby 71, Jayden Roux 31, Thandanani Zuma 4/40).
Michaelhouse won by 15 runs.
St Charles College 180/8 (AJ Bosman 53*, Thando Zama 39, Caleb Sharp 22, Connor Simpson 22, Thubelihle Ndlovu 2/26, Aphile Nzama 2/28, Jaydon Govender 2/29); Tuskers Hub u19 XI 55/10 (Connor Simpson 2/2, Keegan Vermaak 2/9, Ryan Clarke 2/9).
St Charles College won by 125 runs.
