Loveland steals the show: St John’s crowned Johnny Waite T20 champs

After two days of cricket, which included a rained-out final on Saturday, St John’s College was crowned the champion of this year’s Johnny Waite T20 tournament after beating St Stithians College by 21 runs at the University of the Witwatersrand on Sunday.

Alec Loveland was a difference-maker for St John’s, playing a key role with the bat and the ball, and deservedly being named the man of the match.

When St John’s batted, he scored a patient 38 from 43 balls, while wickets fell all around him. It was a hugely important contribution as St Stithians were set 125 to win. Then, Loveland captured 3/16 from four overs to leave the Saints’ middle order and their run chase in tatters.

Richard Seletswane, who had been racking up the runs – with 77 not out in the semi-final win over KES, and 60 not out in Saturday’s rained-out final – added to his tally by top scoring for St Stithians with 40 runs from 42 balls, which included three fours and a six. However, Saints managed only one other four in their innings and, unfortunately for the classy right-handed batsman, his team-mates were unable to build upon the foundation he had laid for them.

Cole Francis, the tall right-arm fast bowler, cleaned up the Saints’ tail, adding three wickets to the earlier crucial dismissal of Emile Odendaal, just when he was threatening to take the game away from St John’s.

Earlier in the match, after winning the toss, left-hander Joe MacRobert carried his good form from the semi-finals into the final by compiling a well-played 42 runs from 36 balls, which included five fours.

Saints’ spinner Tahseen Hanslo gave St John’s trouble, snagging 3/22 from his four overs. His victims included the prized wickets of MacRobert and Loveland, the leading run scorers for St John’s, which stemmed the flow of runs and reduced the scoring rate.

Final

St Johns College 124/6 (Joe MacRobert 42, Alec Loveland 38; Tahseen Hanslo 3/22 Ethan Jacobs 2/21); St Stithians College 103/9 (Richard Seletswane 40 runs, Emile Odendaal 24; Cole Francis 4/23, Alec Loveland 3/16) St Johns College won by 21 runs.