DHS down Northwood, Swart stars for Hilton
Northwood‘s 1st XI made the short trip to Durban High School on Saturday for a showdown on the Theobald Oval and they found what many teams have discovered on recent trips to the home of DHS cricket – an uncompromising, disciplined and scrappy unit, playing good cricket.
That combination secured DHS a 74-run win. It didn’t come as a surprise. Something very good has been brewing on School’s campus, with the 1st XI displaying a steely spine and going from strength to strength.
The Theobald Oval doesn’t easily reward batsmen with runs and boundaries, so a total of 192/6 after 50 overs by DHS was no easy target for the visitors.
The Horseflies relied mostly on players chipping in here and there, which has been one of the keys to their success, before Jared Havermann, batting at seven, delivered an innings which made a real difference. He partnered with Bayanda Majola for an unbroken stand of 97, with Havermann hitting nine fours and a six in his 59 not out, which came from 68 balls. Majola finished on 18 not out from 45 balls.
Opener Omar Ismaeel weighed in with a patient 29 from 70 at the top of the order, while four others contributed scores in the teens.
Jordan Matthews excelled for the Knights, capturing 3/21 in his 10 overs, which included the wickets of top order batsmen Sibusiso Msibi, Ethan Cooper and Semal Pillay. Harlee Jagga produced an economical wicket-taking spell, picking up 2/26 from 10, while Ben Cilliers kept DHS on the defensive, claiming 1/28 from his 10.
Northwood’s reply got off to a stuttering start as Bayanda Majola accounted for Alistair Duncan and Semal Pillay removed Tuswa Phetha, leaving the visitors without their opening batsmen, with fewer than 10 runs on the scoreboard. Then, Harlee Jagga followed, another victim of Majola, as the visitors’ total dipped into double figures.
Thayin Kuppin, in at three, stood firm, however. He made 39, the highest score of the innings, facing 74 balls, which included four fours, before he was the sixth man out with the total on 94.
Jordan Matthews grafted hard for 17 from 50 and Mfana Shange battled his way to 22 from 33 before he was the last man out with the total on 118.
The wickets were shared among the DHS bowlers, with all six men used removing at least one batsman each. Majola, with 2/17 from seven, set School on the way to victory, while Semal Pillay returned 2/29 from nine.
Zaid Motala, who finished with 1/13 from seven, exerted serious pressure on the visitors, while Dalan Naraidu dished up more of the same, snaring 1/4 from 3.2 overs.
After a hesitant start to the season, Hilton College appears to be back on course. On Saturday, their match against Kearsney College on the Hart-Davis Oval was rained out in mid-afternoon, but not before the talented Charles Swart had stolen the show.
He made an unbeaten 100, facing 107 balls, 11 of which he dispatched for four and another for six, to steer Hilton to 234/6 after their 50 overs. Jayden Roux lent good support, making 33 from 69, as the pair put on 53 for the third wicket.
Kyle Christie gave the Hilton innings a massive boost at the end, blasting three sixes and two fours in an entertaining 13-ball knock, which resulted in an unbeaten 31. Ben Hockly and James Ogilby added 20 runs each as the home team produced a healthy-looking scorecard.
Kearsney captain Ross Coetzee took 2/37 in 10, while Michael Groom was miserly, picking up 1/9 from five overs.
The visitors then responded with 120/3 from 25 overs before an afternoon storm deposited heavy rain onto the field and brought the match to an early end.
Cameron Veenstra led the way for Kearsney, making 39 from 63 balls, while Coetzee continued his outstanding form, striking four fours in his 28 not out from 29 deliveries.
Kyle Christie followed up his explosive innings with a return of 1/8 from four overs with the new ball.
One thing Hilton will want to improve upon is their bowling discipline- 21 wides in 25 overs is not a statistic that 1st XI coach David Griffiths will want to see repeated.
Summarised scores
Durban High School 192/6 (Taine Havermann 59*, Ismaeel Omar 29; Jordan Matthews 3/21, Harlee Jagga 2/25); Northwood 118/10 (Thayin Kuppin 39, Mfana Shange 22; Bayanda Majola 2/17, Semal Pillay 2/29) DHS won by 74 runs.
Hilton College 234/6 (Charles Swart 100*, Jayden Roux 33, Kyle Christie 31*, Ben Hockly 20, James Ogilby 20; Ross Coetzee 2/37, Michael Groom 1/9); Kearsney College 120/3 after 25 overs (Cameron Veenstra 39, Ross Coetzee 28*, Kyle Christie 1/8) Match abandoned due to rain.
