DHS lifts Eston T20 Night League title
A superb batting performance from Josh van Biljon and a destructive spell of bowling by Ethan Cooper highlighted the final of the Eston One Insurance T20 Night League at the Beaumont Eston Farmers Club on Tuesday.
With those two leading the way, Durban High School (DHS) powered their way to an emphatic 64-run victory over Maritzburg College to underline their status as the top T20 side in KwaZulu-Natal.
Earlier in the year, the Horseflies, under the guidance of coach Fabian Lazarus, went back-to-back as champions of the Clifton T20 Tournament, which featured all the province’s top teams, along with St John’s College, of Harare, and Hoërskool Waterkloof, of Pretoria. Tuesday evening’s emphatic win was further evidence of their pedigree in the short form of the game.
The DHS duo, Van Biljon and Cooper, were the difference makers in a contest in which batsmen struggled. Van Biljon’s 62 off 45 balls, with 10 fours, was 46 runs more than any other DHS batsman achieved, and 39 more than Kyle de Bruyn‘s 23, which was Maritzburg College’s highest score.
The toss went College’s way, and they chose to field, which, it turned out, was a good call. Their opening bowlers, Sam Hughes and Reece Willson, did what opening bowlers need to do, they took wickets, and having Ismaeel Omar and Ethan Cooper back in the hut in the fifth over, with only 26 runs on the board, was a good early return.
DHS struggled to create partnerships, losing wickets at regular intervals, but Van Biljon held their innings together.
While he was at the crease, School added 90 runs, and he was responsible for more than two-thirds of them. Only Omar, with 12 at the top of the order, and Syad Basha, with 16, batting at eight, reached double figures in support of Van Biljon.
Any hopes that DHS had of boosting their innings with some late hitting were undermined by Dom du Toit, who spun a web around the lower order, snaring 3/17 from his four overs.
Two balls before the end of their 20 overs, DHS was all out for 135. Reece Willson matched Du Toit with a three-wicket haul, returning 3/23 from 3.4 overs, while his new ball partner, Sam Hughes finished with 2/22 from four. Nathan Pembridge played his part with 2/31 from four.
Maritzburg College needed to bat at 6.8 runs per over to win. They didn’t come close.
Left-arm spinner Dhilan Naraidu struck a big blow early for DHS when he bowled College captain Daniel Nadasan with the last ball of the second over. Deolyn Naidoo followed for a duck, caught by wicketkeeper Van Biljon off of captain Bayanda Majola, which reduced the Red, Black, and White to 13/2 in the third over.
De Bruyn followed for 23 from only 17 balls, which included four fours. He was out on 28, but that was merely the start of a disastrous four-wicket collapse, which left College on 34/6 in the seventh over as Cooper destroyed their run chase, removing the dangerous Karl Dedekind for a duck and Reece Willson for four.
Dom du Toit became Bayanda Majola’s second victim, bowled by the pace merchant for a single and Cooper struck again to end a defiant 15 from only seven balls from Sphamandla Dzanibe, which left College on life support on 50/7 in the eighth over.
The Pietermaritzburg school’s innings didn’t last much longer. In only 11.3 overs, they were bowled out for a meagre 71.
Cooper’s star turn brought him 5/15 from 3.3 overs. Fittingly, he ended the contest by bowling Sam Hughes for three to complete his five-for.
Bayanda Majola also shone, knocking over 3/26 in four overs, which helped to speed College’s demise.
Scores
Durban High School 135/10 (Josh van Biljon 62; Dom du Toit 3/17, Reece Willson 3/23. Sam Hughes 2/22, Nathan Pembridge 2/31); Maritzburg College 71/10 (Kyle de Bruyn 23; Ethan Cooper 5/15, Bayanda Majola 3/26).
Durban High School won by 64 runs.
