Affies’ Morkel hits ton at Paul Roos, Grey College powers past Paarl Gim
Paul Roos Gimnasium vs Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool
In the first of their three games against Western Cape teams over consecutive days, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) chose to bat first after the toss favoured them at Paul Roos Gimnasium on Friday.
Opener AJ Morkel was the spark that kept the Affies’ innings burning. While the next five batsmen lost their wickets for single figures, he anchored the visitors’ effort with 104 runs from 128 balls, 11 of which he sent to the boundary.
When Lucas Cronje arrived at the crease, the touring side was in a spot of bother on 92/5 – not bad, but not great. He and Morkel, though, changed the complexion of the Affies’ innings, adding 89 for the sixth wicket.
Their stand came to an end with Morkel’s dismissal, but Cronje was unbeaten with 50 off 81 deliveries after the Pretoria school’s 50 overs, which brought them 233/8.
Dion Slabber got rid of both Affies’ openers, claiming 2/41 from eight overs, while Marcus Conradie enjoyed success against the Affies’ middle order, picking up 3/45 in nine.
A sound start to the Stellenbosch locals’ innings brought them 51 runs. Andoni Cocolaras contributed 20, while Enré van Zyl progressed smoothly to 37 off 34 balls before Carlo Venter ran him out.
After the opening pair, only Christiaan Fouché, at six and Tian van Niekerk, at seven, built up another 50-run partnership. Together, they took the total from 127/5 to 181/6, adding 54.
Fouché played cautiously for his 25 off 63, while Van Niekerk played with more aggression, blasting six fours in his 36 off 39.
The Paul Roos reply, however, ended after 40 overs, with the home side all out for 211, leaving Affies with a 22-run victory.
Opening bowlers, Vihan Pretorius and Zian Labuschagne, did the most damage for the visitors, with Pretorius snapping up 2/29 in five overs, while Labuschagne bagged 3/42 in seven.
Paarl Gimnasium vs Grey College
Grey College was in action in Paarl, facing Gimmies, and were made to field after losing the toss.
It turned out that was a good toss to lose. Juan Maree got stuck into the hosts’ top order, knocking them over in six overs while returning the sparkling figures of 3/12.
Paarl Gim’s innings was a little rudderless on 69/4, but De Waal Vivier and Daniel Carstens then got their fifth-wicket partnership going, carrying the home side through to the completion of their 30 overs.
Carstens mainly rotated the strike, although his 31 included two fours and a six, while Vivier thumped seven fours and a six in his 71 runs off 69 deliveries, the highest score of the innings, which finished on 155/4.
Opener Christian Kind then took charge of the run chase for the Bloemfontein boys, smashing seven fours and three sixes in an undefeated 77 off 64.
De Waal Vivier, though, removed the other two top-order batsmen in three overs, collecting 2/19.
River Scott, the number five batsman, made his way to the middle with the score on 57/3. He was in a hurry. In just 35 balls, he launched five sixes and added a single four to finish with 50 not out as he and Kind rocketed the visitors to victory with an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 101.
In just 20.2 overs, Grey College surged to a seven-wicket win, finishing on 158/3.
Summarised Scorecard
Paarl Gimnasium 155/4 (De Waal Vivier 71*, Daniel Carstens 31*; Juan Maree 3/12); Grey College 158/3 (Christian Kind 77*, River Scott 50*; De Waal Vivier 2/19). Grey College won by seven wickets.
Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool 233/8 (AJ Morkel 104, Lucas Cronje 50*, Extras 25; Marcus Conradie 3/45, Dion Slabber 2/41); Paul Roos Gimnasium 211/10 (Enré van Zyl 37, Tian van Niekerk 36, Christiaan Fouché 25, Extras 22, Marcus Conradie 21, Adoni Cocolaras 20; Zian Labuschagne 3/42, Vihan Pretorius 2/29, Lucas Cronje 2/50). Affies won by 22 runs.
