Kruger delivers match-winning ton against Parkies
Dylan Kruger came to the rescue of Pretoria Boys High, eventually leading his side to an emphatic 49-run victory over Hoërskool Menlopark on Saturday.
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Having lost three early wickets for a mere 18 runs, Kruger and the in-form Tinashe Mbingo steadied the ship with an invaluable 75-run partnership before Mbingo was sent back to the pavilion for a classy, hard-fought 54 runs off 79 balls.
Kruger, however, stood his ground. Occupying the crease like a seasoned middle-order batsman, he faced 134 deliveries, scoring a memorable 123 unbeaten runs – without hitting a six. He did, however, smash no less than 16 fours, as 64 of his runs came from boundaries.
Louis Kruyshaar, batting at six, played his part with grace, contributing 36 in a 98-run partnership, which helped Boys High to a total of 239/6 in the allotted 50 overs.
Jordan van Eck was the Parkies’ mainstay with the ball. Delivering one of the more impressive spells of late, Van Eck snapped up four wickets for only 12 runs in the 10 overs he bowled.
The batting, unfortunately, didn’t quite go to plan for Menlopark. James Bronkhorst tried valiantly with 38 runs, the visitors’ highest score on the day, while Jacques de Villiers (33) provided keen support. However, two-wicket hauls by four of the Boys High bowlers, led by Eaun Gottfried (2/29), saw the Parkies stumble to only 190 all out.
At the André van der Walt Oval, home of defending champions, Hoërskool Waterkloof, Prestige College was left wondering what might have been. The visitors from Hammanskraal suffered a massive batting collapse of six wickets for only seven runs, after it initially looked like opening batsman Thabang Kutumela had set them up to cause a major upset.
Kutumela batted superbly, facing 114 deliveries for 94 runs. His innings, four runs short of a well-deserved century, included 12 fours and a solitary six, before he lost his wicket to Rivan Booysen.
Booysen has become somewhat of a golden arm for the Klofies, picking up another three wickets for only 28 runs. Ricardo Crous also got in on the act with a contribution of three wickets, which played a crucial part in the devastating six-wicket flurry that got the Klofies over the line.
Hoërskool Garsfontein continued on their merry way, defeating Cornwall Hill College by 79 runs. Ruan Coetzee stole the spotlight with a five-wicket haul, which signalled the end for Cornwall. Making Coetzee’s accomplishment more impressive is the fact that he only conceded 27 runs in the eight overs he delivered.
The Ysbere’s impressive outing with the ball didn’t stop with Coetzee, though. Echard Struwig, when called upon, took his opportunity to inflict more pain on the Cornwall batters. In just 4.5 overs, Struwig snapped up four wickets for only 14 runs.
Vihan Pretorius was in equally destructive form with the ball in Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool‘s seven-wicket victory over Eldoraigne. Pretorius has posed a serious threat with the ball this season, rather than, as usual, with the bat, and it took him only 7.4 overs to claim four wickets for just 26 runs.
Nico Loggenberg (2/34) and Petrus Rautenbach (2/27) were in on the action, too, as Affies restricted the Eldos to a meagre 140 runs, batting only 33.4 overs.
JP Botha (36) and Ruben Groenewald (32*), upon his return from the rugby field, steered the ship home for Affies, with Groenewald looking particularly dangerous with his unbeaten 32 coming off just 20 balls.
Summarised scorecards:
Pretoria Boys High School 239/6 (Dylan Kruger 123*, Tinashe Mbingo 54, Louis Kruyshaar 36; Jordan van Eck 4/12); Menlopark 190 (James Bronkhorst 38, Jacques de Villiers 33, Venter 30, Matt van der Westhuizen 21; Eaun Gottfried 2/29, Justin Basdeo 2/32, Jaydon Knott-Craig 2/33, Joseph van Dijk 2/40). Pretoria Boys High School won by 49 runs.
Waterkloof 313/7 (Johan Feuth 58, Jaydon Blom 53*, AJ de Villiers 52, Franco Schmidt 40, Darius Maritz 31, Riley Miller 25; Bongile Sithole 2/59, Keamogetswe Semenya 2/67); Prestige College 235/9 (Thabang Kutumela 94, Lesedi Mabena 40, Omphile Maredi 32; Rivan Booysen 3/28, Ricardo Crous 3/39, AJ de Villiers 2/22). Waterkloof won by 78 runs.
Garsfontein 238 (Jared Carr 42, Zizwe Khumalo 40, Riaan Boshoff 33, Ruan Coetzee 24*, Echard Struwig 24, Extras 22; Oliver Richards 3/48, Layton Pullen 2/18, Mohale Pitso 2/39); Cornwall Hill College 159 (Oliver Richards 46, Rourke de Lange 22, Extras 20; Ruan Coetzee 5/27, Echard Struwig 4/14). Garsfontein won by 79 runs.
Eldoraigne 140 (Marinus Langerman 25, Kyle de Bruin 22; Vihan Pretorius 4/26, Petrus Rautenbach 2/27, Nico Loggenberg 2/34); Affies 141/3 (JP Botha 36, Ruben Groenewald 32*, Dylan Stander 23, Christian Linde 20, Vihan Pretorius 20; Vince Lotz 1/22). Affies won by seven wickets.
