Maritzburg College off to flying start in Eston Night League
The KZN schools’ cricket season clicked into gear with the Eston One Insurance High Schools’ T20 Night League charging into the spotlight this week with the first of its pool matches, including a showdown between Pietermaritzburg rivals, Maritzburg College and St Charles College.
On Thursday, Saint Charles’ captain Marcell Wellman opted to bat first after winning the toss.
It didn’t really work out for Saints. College did a good job of restricting their Pietermaritzburg neighbours, keeping them to 113/8 in their 20 overs.
Two early wickets, which sent the dangerous Cian Fortmann and his skipper back to the change rooms with only 12 runs on the board, had St Charles on the back foot in the early going.
Samuel Hughes did the damage, bowling Fortmann for eight from six balls, which included two boundaries, and then having Wellman caught by Tian van Niekerk, behind the stumps, for four.
Connor Riley and Brendon Sunguro did a good job of repairing the early damage, putting on 37 for the third wicket before Zimbabwean international Sunguro was caught by Hughes off the bowling of Oliver Da Costa for a run-a-ball 24, which included three fours and a six, and which proved to be the highest score of the Saints’ innings.
Riley went on to make 13, which, unfortunately for St Charles, was their next highest score, and it took him all of 33 balls. More impetus was needed in the T20 clash.
Connor Simpson, in at nine, was only the only other batsman to make it into double figures, and he only just got there, contributing 10.
Julian Konigkramer, after a prolific season leading the Maritzburg College 1st hockey team’s attack, led the bowling attack well. He was the sixth bowler used, but the most successful, snapping up 3 for 27 in his four overs.
Hughes finished with 2 for 21 from four, and Chad Mason, the skipper, snared 2/19 in his four as St Charles posted 113 for 8.
Chasing 114 for victory, Maritzburg College made a poor start. Daniel Nadasan was the victim of a first baller, bowled by Marcel Wellman, and Llewellyn Sutherland was removed for only two, caught by Kwanele Nqayi off the bowling of Stefan Veldsman.
Maritzburg College were 12/2 after 1.5 overs.
A captain’s innings was needed, and Chad Mason delivered. Batting maturely, he struck an unbeaten 49 from 55 deliveries, with five fours.
Michael Gibson weighed in with a quick 10 off 11 before he was bowled by Sunguro. His departure, however, brought Ollie Da Costa to the crease and he and Mason proceeded to take the game away from Saints. Together, they put on 69 for the fourth wicket in 10.2 overs. That proved decisive.
When Da Costa was run out for a run-a-ball 31, having sent five balls to the boundary, Tian van Niekerk joined Mason in the middle and they saw the Red, Black and White across the line, with six balls to spare.
Wellman, Veldsman and Sunguro finished with a wicket apiece.
The star of the show, though, was College captain Chad Mason, with his unbeaten 49 and 2 for 19 setting him apart and playing a big role in seeing his side to a six-wicket victory.
It was a second victory in succession for College, who kicked off the competition with a 135-run romp over the KZN Inland Hub on Wednesday.
Mason was again to the fore, cracking 55 not out, but Llewellyn Sutherland led the way with a quickfire 86, which came off of only 52 balls and included three sixes and 11 fours.
Ollie da Costa added a useful 24 not out from 16 balls, with four fours, as College tallied a very challenging 196/2 in their 20 overs.
The KZN Inland Hub’s run chase failed to fire and they were brushed aside, dismissed for 61 in just 14 overs.
Wickets fell regularly and were shared around. Up front, Sam Hughes captured 2/10 in two, while his new ball partner Reece Willson did even better, knocking over 2/9 in three.
The best return, though, belonged to Nathan Pembridge, who snapped up 3/7 in three, while Ollie da Costa bagged 2/9 in two with his spin.
Scores
St Charles College 113/8 (B. Sunguro 24, J. Konigkramer 3/27, C. Mason 2/19, S. Hughes 2/21); Maritzburg College 115/4 (C. Mason 49*, O. da Costa 31, M. Wellman 1/15). Maritzburg College won by 6 wickets.
Maritzburg College 196/2 (L. Sutherland 86, C. Mason 55*, O. Da Costa 24, O. Madlala 1/21); KZN Inland Hub 61/10 (N. Pembridge 3/7, R. Willson 2/9, O. Da Costa 2/9, S. Hughes 2/10). Maritzburg College won by 135 runs.
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