Affies crowned Northern Region champions after last over thriller
Dramatic and pulsating are just two words that aptly describe the final over of the Northern Region final of the Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two Tournament, played on Sunday in Boksburg.
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There was some upheaval to begin the day, with the venue of the title game being moved to Christian Brothers’ College (CBC) after rain swept through Benoni on Saturday evening and swamped Willowmore Park.
A thrilling 40 overs unfolded, with the contest going down to the very last ball. Following some final over drama, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) claimed the trophy after holding on for a nail-biting three-run victory over Hoërskool Hans Moore.
When the final over began, Moories required seven runs from the last six deliveries. Zian Labuschagne took the ball for Affies.
Within the space of three balls, the contest shifted dramatically, with Affies, in a scarcely believable sequence, executing three consecutive run outs from the first three deliveries of the over. Stunned, Hans Moore was able to muster only three runs from the remaining three deliveries.
While Labuschagne did exceptionally well to hold his nerve in the closing moments, his fellow fast bowler, Armin Snyman, returned 2/20 from three overs and, crucially, he got rid of in-form Aidan Shaw, who put together a magical run throughout the event.
After scoring a magnificent unbeaten 103 on Friday against Hoërskool Garsfontein, he weighed in with a half-century in a 23-run win over Affies on Saturday. In the final, he added a composed 75 from 61 balls, two runs more than his contribution in the previous day’s win over the Pretoria school. That took his total to breath-taking 300 runs from five matches at an average of 75.
Shaw’s excellent effort on Sunday placed the Benoni school in a strong position to push for victory, but his departure triggered a rapid collapse. Earlier, Affies had set Moories a competitive target of 139 after totalling 138/6, which was built around a vital 36 from Christian Linde, with Paul Bester (25*) and JP Botha (22) adding valuable cameos.
For Hans Moore, the left-arm off-spinner Kearan Weyers once again led their charge with the ball, nabbing an impressive 2/16 from his four overs. It was, however, not enough to halt the Affies juggernaut. They continued their remarkable trophy run after lifting the Titans Platinum League title late last year.
Their attention next focuses on the Final Showdown, to be hosted at the University of Pretoria in March. They’ll fancy their chances playing in their home city.
Summarised scorecard
Affies 138/6 (Christian Linde 34, Paul Bester 25*, JP Botha 22; Kearan Weyers 2/16); Hans Moore 135/8 (Aidan Shaw 75, Sohil Jugnath 22; Armin Snyman 2/20). Affies won by three runs.
