Manack and Beamish smash double-centuries at Makhanda Cricket Festival
Morteza Manack and William Beamish unfurled their full range of shots as they punished the bowlers on the second day of the Makhanda Cricket Festival and powered St David’s Marist Inanda and St Andrew’s College to emphatic victories.
St David’s scored 343/4, on their way to a 181-run victory over Pearson, whom they bowled out for a paltry 162.
St Andrew’s College thrashed Hellenic Academy by 242 runs, scoring a monumental 376/2, to which Hellenic responded with an ineffectual 134.
Manack arrived at the crease in the eighth over, with St David’s on 47/2 after they had lost two wickets in three deliveries. They needed someone to stabilise their innings. Manack did more than that. He creamed 24 fours and nine sixes on his way to a brilliant 203 off 139 balls.
Pearson needed a good opening partnership to stand a chance in the contest. That didn’t happen. The Gqeberha side lost three wickets in the powerplay for 75 runs, and that put them on the back foot. Any hope they had of chasing down the stiff victory target died shortly after the powerplay, when their talismanic captain, Cayden Wilson, was dismissed after scoring 39 runs.
Meanwhile, St Andrew’s College’s William Beamish and Rhys Wiblin tore apart the Hellenic Academy bowling attack when they compiled an outstanding 319-run opening partnership in 45.3 overs.
Beamish scored an excellent 201 off 145 balls, with his innings featuring 22 fours and seven sixes. Wiblin was the foil to Beamish’s aggressive approach. He registered a more sedate 130 off 143 balls, striking 10 fours and a single six.
Hellenic tried eight different bowlers, but none had an answer to Beamish and Wiblin’s dominance. The openers’ effort was complemented by the St Andrew’s bowling attack, led by Thomas Bussiahn, who captured 5/31. He received good support from Oliver Johns and William Stevens, who grabbed a brace each.
Peterhouse registered a hard-fought two-wicket victory over Kingswood, thanks to half-centuries from Victor Watama and Luke Marillier. Watama’s run-a-ball 74 was the highest individual score in the contest, and his presence at the crease from the 16th over until the 40th all but ensured victory for the visitors. Marillier’s 50 off 50 created a solid platform for Peterhouse in their run chase.
The Zimbabwean school took 46.2 overs to score 274/8 after Kingswood had batted first and compiled 270/7 in 50 overs.
Marillier and Watama’s efforts counterbalanced Kingswood’s trio of half-centuries, scored by Daniel Jankins, Franco Klopper, and Chris Zimmerman. Jankins and Klopper did a fantastic job with a 127-run opening partnership. After their dismissals, however, the hosts struggled to maintain momentum
Zimmerman’s valiant effort, an unbeaten 50 off 44 with the tail, wasn’t enough to push Kingswood’s total beyond Peterhouse’s reach.
Summarised scorecards
St David’s 343/4 (Morteza Manack 203*, Hayden Campbell 52*; Jayden Ward 2/68, Daniel Ritchie 1/43). Pearson 162/10 (Cayden Wilson 39, Cade Hummel 33; Kyle Butler 2/16, Ethan Greenstein 2/25). St David’s won by 181 runs.
St Andrew’s College 376/2 (William Beamish 201, Rhys Wiblin 130; Oliver van Zyl 2/80). Hellenic Academy 134/10 (Christian Makings 29, Ruben Sanders 28; Thomas Bussiahn 5/31, Oliver Johns 2/4). St Andrew’s College won by 242 runs.
Kingswood College 270/7 (Franco Klopper 57, Daniel Jankins 53; Nicholas Orphanides 3/51, Callum Scott-Elliot 1/35). Peterhouse 274/8 (Victor Watama 74, Luke Marillier 50; David Louden 4/30, Patrick Mouton 3/73). Peterhouse won by two wickets.
