Hockly stars as Hilton wins at Michaelhouse

A fine century by opening batsman Ben Hockly was the key to a 75-run win for Hilton College over Michaelhouse on the Roy Gathorne Oval on Saturday.
After winning the toss, captain Ethan van Heerden put his faith in Hilton’s batsmen and Hockly repaid that faith in spades.
Michaelhouse picked up two wickets in the early going, but when Charles Swart joined Hockly in the middle the momentum swung the visiting side’s way. Swart settled in, playing a supporting role to Hockly, who produced an assured knock.
Hilton was on 25/2 when the pair got together, but they then kept the Michaelhouse bowlers at bay for 36.3 overs, adding 137 runs, before Swart was bowled by Ross Moller for 45. It had been a patient effort, lasting 119 balls.
The visitors suffered a bit of a hiccup when Kyle Christie, the new man in, was run out after only two balls. Then, Hockly followed eight runs later, as Hilton fell to 170/5. He had done a splendid job, however. His 134-ball innings included nine fours and a six and delivered exactly 100 runs.
When Hockly was dismissed, there were 4.4 overs left in the Hilton innings and James Ogilby and Netanzi Denenga made good use of them, putting on 32 runs to lift the visiting team to 202/5 after their 50 overs.

Neither managed a boundary, but they kept rotating the strike. Ogilby finished on 11 from 10 deliveries, while Denenga contributed 20 from 20.
Although he didn’t pick up a wicket, Michaelhouse captain Cameron Strudwick bowled superbly. His nine overs cost only 11 runs. Ross Moller, usually very economical with the new ball, came in for a bit of stick, with his 10 overs costing 52 runs, but he did account for Jayden Roux and Charles Swart.
Michaelhouse’s start with the bat was similar to Hilton’s, with two wickets going down early. They, however, were unable to stabilise their innings and, just before 10 overs were bowled, they were in trouble on 44/4, with Michael Spencer having contributed 19. Hilton’s opening bowlers, Netanzi Denenga and Ethan van Heerden had captured two wickets each.
Murray Hall-Jones, in at four, stood firm. However, apart from Hayden Hewlett, who made 19, there was little more of substance. Hewlett was run out and Cameron Strudwick was run out, too, which did not do Michaelhouse’s cause any good.
When Hall-Jones was finally dismissed, caught by David Hill off Denenga’s bowling for 56 from 65 balls, which had included six fours, Michaelhouse were 115/8. They managed only 12 more runs before being bowled out for 127.
Hilton’s captain, Ethan van Heerden, led from the front, knocking over 3/17 in seven overs, while Netanzi Denenga claimed 3/28 in 6.4, and Kyle Christie added 2/19 in six.
It was a convincing victory in which the batsmen on both sides had found the going challenging, which made Hockly’s century for Hilton all the more impressive.
Scores
Hilton College 202/5 (Ben Hockly 100, Charles Swart 45, Netanzi Denenga 20*; Ross Moller 2/52); Michaelhouse 127/10 (Murray Hall-Jones 56; Ethan van Heerden 3/17, Netanzi Denenga 3/28, Kyle Christie 2/19) Hilton College won by 75 runs.
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