DHS upset Kearsney, Michaelhouse edge by St Charles
It has been a topsy-turvy start to the KZN cricket season, with some traditional powers finding themselves on the wrong end of results. Some other teams had started their season confidently, including Kearsney College, who overpowered Durban High School (DHS) in a W100 match on Wednesday, romping to a 60-run. On Saturday, though, DHS avenged that defeat.
The teams did battle in Durban on the Theobald Oval in a 50-over match, with DHS batting first, up against an experienced Kearsney bowling attack. Unfortunately for the visitors, they lost one of their opening bowlers, Sandiswa Yeni, to an injury right at the start of the game. He managed only five balls before having to turn to Murray Weyer to complete his over.
The home side’s batsmen applied themselves well against some challenging bowling, but lost Sbusiso Msibi with the total on 27 and nine overs bowled.
Ethan Cooper and Ismaeel Omar combined for 43 runs for the second wicket before Cooper was caught by Jack O’Donovan off the bowling of Asavela Khambule, who generated significant turn, for 17.
Josh van Biljon didn’t last long, but Omar saw the total to 98 before he was dismissed for 55 from 83 balls, which included two fours and a six.
Kearsney continued to make good inroads into the DHS batting, reducing the Horseflies to 126/7. But Bayanda Majola and Jared Havermann then joined forces for a crucial partnership of 48 runs for the eighth wicket.
Weyer, then, got rid of Majola for 20, which brought Aiden Braun to the wicket. He didn’t last long, but Havermann had the bit between his teeth, and when he and Zaid Motala saw out the 50 overs, Havermann had finished with an unbeaten 51 from only 57 deliveries, with five fours and a six. DHS posted 216/9.
Jack O’Donovan inflicted most of the damage, accounting for four batsmen at a cost of 45 runs from his 10 overs.
Kearsney, usually very strong up front, limped to 31/3 in the 10th over of their reply as the speedster, Bayanda Majola, sent Matthew Lamplough, Murray Weyer and Cameron Veenstra packing. Captain Ross Coetzee was a different story, however.
He has been in rare form this season and it continued on Saturday. Coetzee anchored the Kearsney innings, but he also scored freely, and was eventually the ninth man out, with the total on 188, having made 107 from 120 balls. Nine of those were fours and four went for six.
Unfortunately for Coetzee, only Keegan Kruger, with 22, gave him decent support and Kearsney slid to 194 all out in the 48th over. The skipper had played a masterful knock, but in the absence of any substantial support it wasn’t enough.
Majola, with 3/38 from 10, set the DHS drive towards victory in motion, while Bhavesh Naicker excelled with a superb 10-over spell that yielded 2/25, including the wickets of Coetzee and the dangerous Jack O’ Donovan.
Zaid Motala sent down six overs and made a telling contribution, picking up 2/12 to help his side to a stunning but well-deserved upset win.
On the Roy Gathorne Oval in Balgowan, St Charles will feel they let slip a good opportunity for a win over Michaelhouse after going down by two wickets.
Saints batted first and Cian Fortmann continued his fine form with 80 at the top of the order. He faced 102 deliveries and struck eight fours and a six, ultimately departing as the second man out with the total on 126.
Captain Marcell Wellmann, who came in at the fall of the first wicket, offered solid support and batted maturely for 36 from 75 balls.
Number six batsman Stefan Veldsman weighed in with 33 from 42, with three fours and a six, and was the second last wicket to fall.
St Charles had laid a good foundation, but they let it slip late in their innings. They were 166 for 4 and then lost their last six wickets for the addition of only 20 runs, which included the last four for just five runs.
Saints totalled 186 all out from 49.2 overs, but it could have been so much better.
Harry Vickery was the most successful Michaelhouse bowler, snaring 3/43 from 8.2 overs, while Ross Moller was his usual economical self, sending down 10 overs and picking up 2/29. His new ball partner Luke Mitchell claimed 2/35 from his 10.
Left-arm spinner Cameron Strudwick put the squeeze on the Saints’ innings, returning 1/17 from 10 overs.
In reply, ‘House were in big trouble early on, losing their openers, Ethan Muir and Michael Spencer, who are both usually regular run contributors, with only four runs on the board.
However, West Mitchell-Innes and Seb Hofmeyr cleaned up the Michaelhouse innings, sharing a 74-run stand for the third wicket before Mitchell-Innes was caught by Wellmann off the bowling of Kaiyuran Naidoo for 32 from 61 balls.
Three other batsmen reached double figures, but none made more than 13, as Hofmeyr’s partners came and went. Hofmeyr, though, had the Saints’ bowlers’ numbers. He was the difference between victory and defeat.
When Michaelhouse reached 190/8, with nine balls remaining, to claim the win, he was undefeated on 90, having faced 128 balls. His knock relied on good running between the wickets as he hit only two fours and a six.
Naidoo shone for Saints, finishing with 2/26 from his 10, while Rowen Rajah repeated those figures, but from eight overs. Cian Fortmann contributed two wickets, too, but was a little on the expensive side, going for 53 runs from his 10 overs.
Summarised scores
Durban High School 216/9 (Ismaeel Omar 55, Jared Havermann 51*, Bayanda Majola 20, Jack O’Donovan 4/45); Kearsney College 194/10 (Ross Coetzee 107, Keegan de Jager 22, Bayanda Majola 3/38, Zaid Motala 2/12, Bhavesh Naicker 2/25) DHS won by 22 runs.
St Charles College 186/10 (Cian Fortmann 80, Marcell Wellmann 36, Stefan Veldsman 33, Harry Vickery 3/43, Ross Moller 2/29, Luke Mitchell 2/35); Michaelhouse 190/8 (Seb Hofmeyr 90*, West Mitchell-Innes 32, Rowen Rajah 2/26, Kaiyuran Naidoo 2/26, Cian Fortmann 2/53) Michaelhouse won by two wickets.
