Groenewald’s big hitting powers Affies to win over Maritzburg College
Maritzburg College and Affies delivered a thrilling run-fest in a T20 clash on Goldstone’s on Sunday, with a late innings onslaught lifting Affies to 187/4, which proved enough for a tension-filled 14-run victory at the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week.
With rain having prevented play on Saturday, College captain Chad Mason chose to bowl first, hoping that an unpredictable pitch would work in favour of his team. Early on, it did, as Affies scratched their way to 45/2 after 8.2 overs, with the openers out – Henré Smith, for seven from 23, and JP Botha, for 18 from 18.
Vihan Pretorius continued his fine season in partnership with captain Divan de Villiers, and the duo added 57 for the third wicket in 5.5 overs before De Villiers fell to a combination of Michael Gibson and Oliver Da Costa for 22 from 18.
Pretorius went on to make 43 from 32, with three sixes and two fours, but when he was dismissed, with 4.2 overs remaining, Affies had a middling score of 113/4.
Unfortunately for Maritzburg College, that brought Ruan Groenewald and Janco Purchase together and they launched an extraordinary assault on the College bowling, adding 74 in only 28 balls.
Groenewald led the way, smashing six sixes and two fours in his unbeaten 51 from just 18 balls, while Purchase, who had led the Affies’ 1st XV to victory on Goldstone’s in July in one of the games of the season, launched two sixes of his own and added a four as he contributed 22 not out from 13 balls.
Ryan McKean was the best of the College bowlers, returning 1/31 from four overs, Oliver Da Costa took 1/18 in two, and Reece Willson did good work, going at only five runs an over from the three he bowled. In the context of the innings, it was an outstanding job.
Maritzburg College needed to score at 9.4 runs per over to win. It was a tall order, but they gave it a good go, eventually finishing on 173 for 7.
Their innings was built around a superb knock from opening batsman Llewellyn Sutherland. The Batsman of the Festival at the Fasken Time Cricket Festival, but off his game in the recent St John’s Rams T20, Sutherland returned to his best form when it was most needed. He spent 55 balls at the crease, struck nine fours and four sixes, and put College in with a shot at the death. When he was run out by Purchase – a pivotal play in the game – the total was 160/5 and 11 deliveries remained.
College didn’t quite have enough, but they had made a good fist of it.
Captain Chad Mason, remarkably consistent, weighed in with 35 from 30, with three fours and a six, and put on 69 for the second wicket with Sutherland. Unfortunately for the home side, another innings of substance was needed and they didn’t get it.
Divan de Villiers led the Affies’ attack, claiming 2/32 in four, while Armin Snyman‘s 1/26, also in four, was a useful economical return. Ruben Groenewald picked up two wickets, but he was given some of his own medicine, going for 43 runs from his four overs.
Summarised scorecard
Affies 187/4 (Ruben Groenewald 51*, Vihan Pretorius 43, Janco Purchase 22*, O/ Da Costa 1/18, R. McKean 1/31); Maritzburg College 173/7 (Llewellyn Sutherland 86, Chad Mason 35, Divan de Villiers 2/32, Ruben Groenewald 2/43, Armin Snyman 1/26). Affies won by 14 runs.
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