Clifton’s Zach Williamson scripts a storybook ending to 100th match
Clifton College vs Glenwood High
Clifton College‘s Zach Williamson enjoyed a memorable day on Saturday, winning his 100th cap in his final game for the Clifton 1st XI before contributing an unbeaten 56 to drive his team to victory over Glenwood High in a low-scoring contest at the Riverside Sports Club.
The visitors won the toss and opted to bat first, but, as has too often been the case for Glenwood this season, their batting efforts were inhibited by a lack of partnerships.
In the end, they had only one worth mentioning and it came right at the end, with Esihle Gasa and Jonah Chaita adding a defiant 46 for the 10th wicket to rescue their side from 80/9.
Chaita, the last man in, top-scored with 27, which included three fours and a six, while Gasa finished with 20 not out as Glenwood posted 126 all out after 42.4 overs. They were the only batsmen to make it to twenty, but four players lost their wickets in the teens.
Clifton captain Tim Saulez, who took the new ball, led from the front, removing Karabo Ntsieng in the first over for a duck before going on to capture 3/25 from his 10 overs. Fellow seamer, Gabriel Vermeulen, added superb support, knocking over 2/13 in five.
Leg spinner, Shiraz Perumal, who set a Clifton record in 2024 by taking 62 wickets in the season, picked up 2/41 to extend his new record mark to an astounding 83 wickets, and he’ll be back next year.
Left-arm spinner, Blake Johnson, continued his fine form, snaring 1/29 in 9.4, and Caleb Naicker kept Glenwood under pressure, picking up 1/16 in eight, with three maidens.
When Clifton batted, a modest victory target very quickly took on a challenging tinge, thanks to the efforts of Bandile Mbatha. The Glenwood opening bowler struck three times in quick succession, removing Muhammed Malek for seven, Byron Ward for a duck, and Tim Saulez for five, which left the home side wobbling on 18/3.
Enter Zach Williamson. Taking charge, he and opener Cohen Naidoo took the game away from Glenwood, sharing a 73-run stand for the fourth wicket. Naidoo’s crucial anchor role was eventually brought to an end when he was caught off the bowling of off-spinner Kyle Bryan for 31 from 65 balls.
He was replaced by wicketkeeper Lawson Dinsdale, which was appropriate because Dinsdale and Zach Williamson have ever so often been the duo that has steadied Clifton’s middle order, and they, for one last time, provided more of the same.
They tacked on an unbroken 36 runs to lift their side to victory, with Dinsdale ending on 17 not out. Williamson’s unbeaten 56 had taken just 62 deliveries, six of which he redirected across the boundary.
Mbatha’s valiant effort with the ball brought him 3/14 from seven overs, while Bryan claimed 1/26 in three.
Kearsney College vs Michaelhouse
On the AH Smith Oval, at Kearsney College, the home side scored a Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method win over Michaelhouse, who were fresh off an unbeaten run of four for four at the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Week.
When the toss went Kearsney’s way, they chose to field first and that proved to be a good decision as the home team struck early and often.
At the top of the order, Michaelhouse captain, Ethan Muir, stood firm, making 25, which included five fours but, behind him, the next five men in the order departed for single figures.
‘House‘s innings was almost done when they slipped to 71/9, but Radhesh Jhilmeet and Liam O’Dwyer then held up the charge of the Kearsney bowlers, frustrating the hosts with a tenth-wicket stand of 58. It came to an end when Jonty Wiggett ran out O’Dwyer for 19.
That was the second run out in the Michaelhouse innings – Ben Heuer was run out earlier – which also undermined the visitors’ batting efforts.
Jhilmeet, meanwhile, ended with the innings’ highest score of 37 not out from only 40 balls, which included three fours.
Rivaan Moodley inflicted the most damage on the visitors, snaring 4/20 in eight overs. Four others picked up a wicket each and good fielding added the two run outs as Michaelhouse was all out for 129 after 38.3 overs.
Moodley, the hero of Kearsney’s bowling performance, suffered the indignity of a 15-ball duck when they batted as the hosts made a slow start to their reply. However, Keegan de Jager, who replaced him, injected the Kearsney innings with some momentum.
He and captain Jason De Gryse advanced the total to 84/1 after 25 overs before rain and bad light brought the contest to a halt. That led to the DLS Method being applied and Kearsney won by 19 runs, based on that.
De Gryse was unbeaten on 30 from 71 deliveries, while De Jager was 53 not out from 64, with five fours and three sixes.
Ben Heuer was the only Michaelhouse bowler to pick up a wicket, returning 1/17 from eight overs.
Maritzburg College vs Hilton College
The meeting of Maritzburg College and Hilton College on Goldstone’s was highlighted by a 90-run opening partnership between Daniel Nadasan and Kyle de Bruyn for the home side. They departed within two balls of one another, with De Bruyn out for 48 and Nadasan out for 56.
College went on to total 200 all out and Hilton replied with 43/2 after 11 overs before the match was abandoned.
Summarised scorecards
Glenwood High 126/10 (Jonah Chaita 27, Esihle Gasa 20*; Tim Saulez 3/25, Gabriel Vermeulen 2/13, Shiraz Perumal 2/41); Clifton College 127/4 (Zach Williamson 56*, Cohen Naidoo 31; Bandile Mbatha 3/14). Clifton College won by six wickets.
Michaelhouse 129/10 (Radhesh Jhilmeet 37*, Ethan Muir 25; Rivaan Moodley 4/20); Kearsney College 84/1 after 25 overs (Keegan de Jager 53*, Jason De Gryse 30*). Kearsney won by 19 runs on the DLS Method.
Maritzburg College 200/10 (Daniel Nadasan 56, Kyle de Bruyn 48, Sphamandla Dzanibe 22, Joseph Currie 20; Sange Qangule 3/50, Luke Campbell 2/29, Benoit Rey 2/31); Hilton College 43/2. Match abandoned.
