Holder’s 69 sends St Andrew’s College into Switch Schools SA20 EP final
Connor Holder scored a brilliant half-century to set St Andrew’s College up for a 37-run win over Pearson in their Switch Schools SA20 – Volume Two contest at Pearson on Saturday afternoon.
The victory earned St Andrew’s a berth in the final of the Eastern Province leg of the nationwide tournament against Grey High.
Rhys Wiblin, the St Andrew’s captain, won the toss and elected to bat first. His team turned that decision into a good one by racing to 175/6 in their 20 overs. Then, they restricted Pearson to 138/9 in reply.
Pearson must have thought they were in business when they dismissed Thomas Lake in the third over of the contest, with the St Andrew’s opener mustering only two runs in a 21-run opening stand with Wiblin.
What the home side had not counted on was the impact of Lake’s dismissal, which resulted in St Andrew’s College’s most in-form players joining forces. Wiblin and Holder entered the contest high in confidence, thanks to their unbeaten 63-run second-wicket partnership in a victory over Nico Malan earlier in the day.
Nico Malan’s total of 99 all out in 16.3 overs didn’t present St Andrew’s with a difficult challenge. They chased it down with ease, winning by nine wickets in 12.3 overs, with Holder finishing unbeaten on 38, while Wiblin was on 39 not out.
Against Pearson, they picked up from where they left off and constructed a match-winning 114-run second-wicket partnership off 71 balls. Holder was the aggressor, registering a strike rate of 146, while Wiblin rolled along at 129.7.
Holder’s outstanding 69 came off only 47 balls and included seven fours and three sixes. Wiblin, meanwhile, narrowly missed out on a half-century. He was dismissed for 48 off 37 after striking six fours and a six.
Ben Scharges, who replaced Wiblin, provided the St Andrew’s innings with a late a flourish and ended with an unbeaten 22 off 15.
Jean Schultz was the best of the Pearson bowlers, picking up 2/21.
Pearson’s run chase began solidly, with a sound opening stand of 65 off 57 balls between Ruan Coetzee and Cale Price. However, a double strike from Thomas Bussiahn in the 10th over, which got rid of both batsmen within the space of three balls, set Pearson on the back foot.
Jean Schultz and Callum Armstrong fought back for Pearson, advancing the total by 46 runs from 35 balls before St Andrew’s grabbed three wickets in five balls.
Callum Taggart emulated Bussiahn and delivered a double blow, dismissing Schultz and Armstrong with the fourth and sixth deliveries of the 16th over, before Oli Whitaker accounted for Jude Septoo in the next over.
Taggart, who was the bowler in the contest, claimed his third wicket in the 18th over, on his way to 3/31 from his three overs.
Thomas Bussiahn and Oli Whitaker both claimed two wickets apiece, with Whitaker snapping up 2/19 from four and Bussiahn returning 2/23 from his four.
Summarised Scorecard
St Andrew’s College 175/6 (Connor Holder 69, Rhys Wiblin 48, Ben Scharges 22*; Jean Schults 2/21, Jayden Ward 1/27, Callum Armstrong 1/29). Pearson High 138/9 (Ruan Coetzee 30, Cale Price 29, Jean Schultz 27; Callum Taggart 3/31, Oli Whitaker 2/19, Thomas Bussiahn 2/23). St Andrew’s won by 37 runs.
