Jansen van Rensburg’s 141 highlights Dokkies’ big Finsbury win
Heinrich Jansen van Rensburg and Hoërskool Dr Malan could not have asked for a better start to their campaign in the D Section of the annual Finsbury League. They produced a dominant display to overwhelm Hoër Tegniese Skool (HTS) Middelburg by a staggering 235 runs on Saturday.
Jansen van Rensburg was the cornerstone of the Meyerton school’s away victory, which was set up by their daunting total of 333/9 from their 50 overs when batting first.
Jansen van Rensburg, Dokkies‘ talisman, led the way. He and opening batsman Ruben Muller rebuilt their team’s innings after an early wobble left them on 23/2.
For the next 30 overs, the home side had little joy as a commanding 181-run partnership unfolded. Muller played superbly for his 80, yet his fine innings was eclipsed by the carnage wrought by Jansen van Rensburg at the other end. He blasted a breathtaking 141 from just 80 balls, striking 18 fours and five sixes, which brought him a remarkable 102 runs from boundaries.
Their stand was eventually broken by the perseverance of Henco Brits, who was comfortably the pick of the Middelburg bowlers. He removed both Muller and Jansen van Rensburg on his way to figures of 3/41 from his 10 overs.
As so often is the case in cricket, when it is your day, everything seems to fall into place, and Jansen van Rensburg continued to shine when he took the ball. He spearheaded Dr Malan’s defence of their massive total, capturing 3/23, while Jayden Le Roux was hugely impressive, too, returning 3/16 from his five overs.
Ruben Jooste was the only Middelburg batsman to offer meaningful resistance, top-scoring with 29, but the hosts were dismissed for just 98, succumbing to Dokkies’ relentless onslaught.
In Klerksdorp, Hoërskool Ben Vorster turned what was meant to be a home fixture into an away triumph, overcoming Hoërskool Wesvalia by 27 runs.
Nearly 500 mm of rain in Tzaneen over the past fortnight forced the Black Caps to relocate their clash with Wessies in pursuit of valuable early log points. Administrative matters aside, Dirk Nortman ensured the journey was worthwhile.
Remarkably, Nortman, who is in Grade 10, delivered a mature all-round performance of the kind that one hopes to see from a seasoned first XI cricketer.
He top-scored with 53 and was well supported by Talent Ndlovu (38), as the Black Caps posted 196, giving them a solid total to defend. Nortman then led the bowling attack, knocking over 3/20. He was ably backed up by Ndlovu (2/38) and Mphotseng Mashalane (2/23), both of whom are also among the younger members of the side.
Despite the defeat, it was a bittersweet outing for the Wessies’ opening bowler, Michael Kinnear. No bowler across the top four sections of the league enjoyed a more productive weekend.
He delivered a superb spell on home soil, sending down 8.2 overs, three of them maidens, and conceded just 26 runs while claiming an outstanding six-wicket haul. Unfortunately for the hosts, even that exceptional effort was not enough to halt the visitors’ march to victory.
Summarised scorecards
Dr Malan 333/9 (Heinrich Jansen van Rensburg 141, Ruben Muller 80, Divan van der Berg 24*; Henco Britz 3/41, Ruben Jooste 2/26); HTS Middelburg 98/10 (Ruben Jooste 29; Jayden Le Roux 3/16, Heinrich Jansen van Rensburg 3/23). Dr Malan won by 235 runs.
Ben Vorster 196/10 (Dirk Nortman 53, Talent Ndlovu 38, Kulani Mnisi 28, Christiaan Duvenhage 21; Michael Kinnear 6/26, Jandré Greyling 2/26); Wesvalia 169/10 (Dundré Hales 36*, Jandré Greyling 30, Jordan Lategan 24; Dirk Nortman 3/20, Mphotseng Mashalane 2/23, Talent Ndlovu 2/38). Ben Vorster won by 27 runs.
