Hollister leads Kearsney to upset win, Westville on top at Clifton
Kearsney College, with only two grade 12 learners in their 1st XI, having bade farewell to a host of established stars at the end of 2024, shocked Durban High School on Saturday, scoring a 32-run win on the AH Smith Oval in Botha’s Hill.
Their victory had plenty to do with a superb innings from grade 9 learner, Asher Hollister, who played for the school’s u14A team last year. Kearsney’s winning team also contained four grade 10 boys.
There was plenty of pace and bounce in the wicket, but Kearsney chose to bat first. DHS’s two speedsters, Taine Havermann and the express-paced Bayand Majola revelled in the conditions.
Havermann took the new ball and challenged the host’s batsmen, capturing 4/40 in 10. Majola, who played for the SA u19 Emerging team last year, has been working his way back from a groin injury and didn’t bowl last week against Northwood. Despite coach Fabian Lazarus declaring Majola only about 70 percent fit, he generated good pace from his first delivery, as the first change bowler. In 10 overs, he knocked over 5/25.
Rivan Moodley, opening the innings, did a sound job, spending 49 balls out in the middle and making 34, including four fours, before he holed out off the bowling of Majola, caught on the leg side by Sibusiso Msibi after trying to go over the top. Together with Hollister, he added 43 for the third wicket after Kearsney stumbled to 7/2 in the third over.
Hollister, meanwhile, hung around to make the highest score of the match by some margin. He faced 89 deliveries for his 54 and struck five fours and a six. His composure in the face of some quick bowling, which was aided by the wicket, was impressive, and he even managed a sweet and beautifully controlled pull off a Bayanda Majola short ball.
Aaron Blackburn chipped in with a valuable 29, facing 37 balls, one of which he dispatched over the boundary, with two more being played into it.
After 45 of their 50 overs, Kearsney was bowled out for 166.
Unfortunately for DHS, for a second week in succession, opening batsman, Ismaeel Omar, a steady and reliable run contributor in 2024, was dismissed for a duck, with Hollister pouching the catch off the bowling of Litha Gonya.
Akthar Basha and Taine Havermann steadied the DHS reply with a measured second-wicket partnership of 45 from 79 balls before Daniel Miskey broke the stand, bowling Havermann for 26.
Josh van Biljon, a standout performer for the Coastal Gladiators at the Cubs Week, made his way out to the middle, but Basha didn’t stay around much longer. He was out four overs later, gone for 21, also bowled by Miskey.
Van Biljon bided his time but saw three more batsmen depart while he was at the crease. Then, when Van Biljon was bowled by Matthew Gorrie for 21, only one ball after the dismissal of Bayanda Majola, Kearsney was very firmly on top, with School struggling on 92/7.
Dhilan Naraidu offered some resistance, making 19, while trying to drag DHS to victory. Their innings lasted another 15 overs after the departure of Van Biljon, but more significant contributions had been needed from the top of their batting order.
Bonga Maphanga ended the contest with the first ball of the 46th over when he bowled Ethan Jenkins for two. DHS was all out for 134.
Rivan Moodley did an outstanding job with the ball, snapping up 3/24 in 10 overs, and every bowler Kearsney used grabbed at least one wicket. Miskey claimed a crucial 2/14 off five, while Maphanga captured 2/20 off 8.1.
A plucky performance from Kearsney earned them a somewhat unexpected but well-deserved 32-run victory.
Clifton College vs Westville Boys’ High School
At the Riverside Sports Club, Westville Boys’ High, who lost their unbeaten start to the season at Maritzburg College the previous weekend, scored an impressive 50-run win over Clifton College.
The visitors opted to bat after winning the toss, but they didn’t make the best of starts, losing both of their opening batsmen with only 20 runs on the board. The pitch was taking turn and Clifton had a useful line-up of spin bowlers to make use of the helpful surface.
However, Sean McGough and Seth Simpson brought their side back into the contest, producing a 59-run partnership for the third wicket. It was brought to an end by Clifton’s dangerman, leg-spinner Shiraz Perumal, who bowled McGough for 32. The Westville batsman had hit two sixes and a four in his 46-ball stay.
Simpson was out nine runs later, also bowled by Perumal, for the Griffin’s top score of 37. He had faced 48 deliveries and hit four fours and a six.
Kyle McGough spent longer at the crease than anyone else, compiling 25 runs from 61 balls. Again, Perumal removed a set batsman, trapping McGough in front.
Later, Dalayan Boyce, batting ninth in the order, chipped with a much-needed 19 not out, which helped Westville to 162 all out after 45.2 overs.
Perumal was a shining light for Clifton, snaring 5/37 from his 10 overs. Caleb Naicker, Clifton’s star performer in a win over St Charles College last weekend, captured 2/22 from 7.2 overs, while Blake Johnson and Muhammed Malek bowled tightly, picking up 1/36 and 1/35 respectively from their 10 overs.
Clifton’s run pursuit suffered a hammer blow when Muhammed Malek was run out early in their reply. Hayden Drieselmann and Byron Ward also failed to get going as the opening bowlers, Lwandile Bulose and Dayalan Boyce claimed their wickets. On 16/3, Clifton was in trouble.
Captain Tim Saulez and Zach Williamson were kept in check by tight bowling from Westville, but they added 34 runs before Williamson was caught off the bowling of Misbah Nair. Then, it became the Tristan Delvin show.
The left-arm spinner was responsible for the next four wickets to fall, which left Clifton wobbling on 92/7. Bowling beautifully, he snared 4/22 from his 10 overs, three of which were maidens. Ewan du Toit, another classy left-arm spinner, nabbed 1/29 from his 10, exerting pressure on Clifton with his miserly bowling.
The home side’s skipper, Tim Saulez, stood firm, however, making 68 from 95 balls, including five fours, which was, by far, the highest score of the match. His resistance was, at last, ended by Dayalan Boyce, with Saulez becoming the last wicket to fall with Clifton on 112.
Boyce finished with 2/13 from 3.4 overs, while Lwandile Bulose took 1/6 in three, and Misbah Nair 1/15 in five as Westville won because they handled the challenging pitch better.
Summarised scorecards
Kearsney College 166/10 (Asher Hollister 54, Rivan Moodley 34, Aaron Blackburn 29, Bayanda Majola 5/25, Taine Havermann 4/40); Durban High School 134/10 (Taine Havermann 26, Joshua van Biljon 21, Akthar Basha 21, Rivan Moodley 3/24, Daniel Miskey, Bonga Maphanga 2/20). Kearsney College won by 32 runs.
Westville Boys’ High 162/10 (Seth Simpson 37, Sean McGough 32, Kyle McGough 25, Shiraz Perumal 5/37, Caleb Naicker 2/22); Clifton College 112/10 (Tim Saulez 68, Tristan Delvin 4/22, Dayalan Boyce 2/23). Westville Boys’ High won by 50 runs.
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