Kruger, Kotze answer Kempies’ call
Sheldon Kruger stepped up to the plate for Hoërskool Kempton Park with a century in their victory over Hoërskool Hans Moore on Saturday, which could spell the end of the Moories’ Fain Noordvaal title defence.
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After being sent in to bat first by the Moories, the hosts for the day, the Kempies, made full use of their home facilities. Wian Pieters (4) went cheaply from the bowling of Jake Bevolo (1/35), but Kruger and Hanré van Deventer recovered nicely.
As often in the past, the pair combined magnificently. The 143-run partnership between them was finally broken when Moories’ captain, Adrian Watson, took matters into his own hands, creating the run out of Van Deventer for 45 runs.
Kruger, though, kept going. He was involved in another hefty partnership of 62 runs with Shaun Nash (34), before he lost his wicket for 124, off 123 deliveries. His innings included 16 boundaries, of which seven landed on the other side of the rope. His 124 runs were exactly half of his side’s total as the Kempies managed a total of 248/9 in the allotted 50 overs.
Kearan Weyers (2/35) and Zander Swart (2/44) did the most damage with the ball, sharing four of the nine wickets between them.
The Moories’ batting card would look quite different. Like Kruger, Kempies’ quickie, Kristian du Plessis, also came to the party. Although he snapped up only two wickets, he made sure it was the two biggest fish. He first dismissed Xavier Coetzee (10) in the fourth over and then Adrian Watson (15) in the eighth to turn the screws really tight.
Ethan Kotze (5/20) fed off the momentum and energy, and would become the hero with the ball. In the 6.1 overs he bowled, he picked up five wickets, two of which swung the game completely in favour of the home side. They were the prized scalps of the Shaw Brothers, who had seemed as if they might just get the visitors over the line.
It was especially Aiden Shaw‘s 80 runs that caused concern. Along with his brother, Kenan Shaw (45), they stuck it out for a 96-run partnership. Unfortunately, when it was broken, so were the hearts of Hans Moore as the wickets tumbled and they could only manage a meagre 203 runs before the last wicket fell.
Summarised scorecard
Hoërskool Kempton Park 248/9 (Sheldon Kruger 124, Hanré van Deventer 45, Shaun Nash 34; Kearan Weyers 2/35, Zander Swart 2/44); Hans Moore 203 (Aiden Shaw 80, Kenan Shaw 45; Ethan Kotze 5/20, Kristian du Plessis 3/24, Shaun Nash 2/37). Hoërskool Kempton Park won by 45 runs.
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