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Kruger’s knock sends Kempton Park into Easterns’ Schools SA20 final

By Franco Oberholzer , in Cricket | Featured Cricket | News , at 2024-10-15 Tags: , ,

Photo: Jurriaan van Voorst

Hoërskool Kempton Park, one of the favourites to make the final of the Easterns’ leg of the Schools SA20, lived up to expectations after a well-rounded run-chase in their semi-final showdown against Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen.

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The teams did battle at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Sunday, where Kempies booked their spot in the final with a five-wicket win.

Sheldon Kruger, batting at three for Kempton Park, led their run chase expertly with a composed and mature innings.

He took just 58 deliveries to make 89, which included eight fours and the only four sixes in the Kempies’ innings. That effort was the key batting contribution as Kempton Park chased down 156 on a low and slow pitch.

Kruger received good support from Ethan Kotze after Kotze had lost his opening partner, the in-form Wian Pieters, to a run out in the third over for only four. Kotze settled in and struck four boundaries in a useful 27 from just 22 balls.

The Jansies bowled well. There wasn’t much to write home about in the wickets column, but they built pressure by adhering to tight line and length bowling.

While Pieters was kept quiet on the batting front, he had something to say with the ball, snapping up 2/24 in four overs. Shaun Nash bowled well, too, claiming two scalps while conceding 19 runs from three overs.

Jayden Barnes anchored EG Jansen’s innings with a mature captain’s knock of 53 from 46 balls, which featured nine deliveries that were dispatched to the boundary. JH Coetzee weighed in with 32, and Declan Pagel added a hasty 29 from only 14 deliveries.

Having wickets in hand is an important factor towards the end of T20 matches and Kempton Park did a good job of managing their wickets and the pace of their response, eventually securing victory with two balls to spare.

They’ll face a tough challenge from another of the region’s favourites, St Benedict’s College, in the final on 18 October.

Summarised scorecard

EG Jansen 155/7 (Jayden Barnes 53, JH Coetzee 32, Decan Pagel 29; Shaun Nash 2/19, Wian Pieters 2/24); Hoërskool Kempton Park 156/5 (Sheldon Kruger 89, Ethan Kotze 27; Jayden van Wyk 1/31). Hoërskool Kempton Park won by five wickets.

Franco Oberholzer
error: Sorry ol' chap, those shenanigans are not permissible.