Ismaeel steers DHS to big W100 win
A cracking innings at the top of the order by Omar Ismaeel was pivotal in Durban High School‘s 46-run win over Clifton College in a W100 match played on the Theobald Oval on Thursday.
Ismaeel struck 12 fours in his 44-ball stay, which generated 70 runs and helped DHS to 156 for 7 from their 100 deliveries.
He was well supported by Semal Pillay, who made 32 from 22, with four fours and a six.
On the bowling front, Clifton’s Shahzaad Perumal, who played for KZN u17 last year, and was a non-travelling reserve for the u19 team, showed why he is highly regarded, capturing 2/15 with his left-arm spin.
He followed that up with a fine attacking innings, smashing one six and five fours in a 35-ball knock that left him undefeated on 54 before Clifton’s innings was brought to an end on 110/9. Unfortunately for Perumal, his partners came and went all too soon.
Only Cohen Naidoo and Zach Williamson joined him in double figures as the DHS bowlers dominated from the outset.
KZN u19 paceman Bayanda Majola was instrumental in the visitors’ late innings slide, capturing 3/23, while Bhavesh Naicker, who has been in good form, snared 2/10, and Semal Pillay demonstrated his all-round ability by picking up 2/17.
It was a solid victory for the Horseflies, and it comes on the back of a stirring limited overs win over Kearsney on Saturday, which reversed a defeat to the high-flying boys from Botha’s Hill in the W100 last week.
For many of the regular top KZN schools’ teams, inconsistency has been an issue early in the season. For the DHS 1st XI, however, it appears their arrow is pointing upwards.
After a middling 2023, they are, undoubtedly, a much-improved outfit, thanks to an infusion of exciting young talent, which began making its way into the 1st XI’s playing ranks last year.
Ismaeel, Pillay and Josh van Biljon, who was the third highest scorer on Thursday, with 16, were all members of the KZN team that claimed the Inter-provincial honours in December 2023 by going a perfect five for five in Oudtshoorn. Last year’s DHS u16A side was also very successful and with a year’s 1st XI experience under the belt for some key players, School has morphed into a far tougher challenge than it was a year ago.
Summarised score
Durban High School 156/7 (Omar Ismaeel, Semal Pillay 32; Shahzaad Perumal 2/15); Clifton 110/9 (Shahzaad Perumal 54* Bayanda Majola 3/23, Bhavesh Naicker 2/10, Semal Pillay 2/17) DHS won by 46 runs.
