Maritzburg College overcomes DHS, St Charles outlasts Northwood
On Goldstone’s, on Saturday, Maritzburg College convincingly avenged a loss to Durban High School on the Theobald Oval at the end of last year, by securing a seven-wicket win in a limited overs clash.
College captain Chad Mason chose to field first on a cloudy day, but there was no quick reward for the home side. DHS openers, Omar Ismaeel and Sibusiso Msibi, grafted hard for an opening stand of 63 before Msibi fell for 26 at the end of the 17th over. Omar followed only three runs later for 21.
Semal Pillay, in at four, batted well, but all around him his fellow batsmen struggled to find traction.
Sphamandla Dzanibe starred for College, removing the first three men in the order, while the fourth, Pillay, was run out by Dzanibe, the last wicket to go down, for 49 from 76 deliveries. DHS had posted 173 all out.
The visitors had made a good start to their innings, but the hosts made an even better start as Llewelyn Sutherland and Ryan McKean produced an opening partnership of 82 before McKean was caught by Bhavesh Naicker off the bowling of Pillay for 27.
College skipper Mason joined Sutherland in the middle, and they added 55 before Mason was out for 21. Michael Gibson replaced him and did a good of moving the score along.
With College only two runs short of victory, Sutherland was dismissed, run out by a combination of Jared Havermann and Josh van Biljon for a solid innings of 82 from 103 balls, which featured eight fours. He was out, but he had done his job.
Five runs later and coach Robbie Coutts‘ charges had claimed the win with 41 balls to spare. Gibson was undefeated on 26 from 36, with three fours.
On a challenging day for the DHS bowlers, Dalan Naraidu stood out with a return of 1/27 from 10 overs. Jared Havermann was also tidy, surrendering only 28 from 10, but without a reward.
Also in Pietermaritzburg, the home side, St Charles College, elected to bat on The Oval, up against Northwood School in another limited overs match. With three of the top four batsmen making telling contributions, Saints were able to post a challenging total.
The in-form Cian Fortmann took charge early on, cracking nine fours in a knock of 53 from 51 balls before he was caught and bowled by Chad Leclezio with the total on 70.
His opening partner Thando Zama played a watchful innings, facing 102 balls before he was out for 40. Two runs later, Kwanele Nqayi followed as the hosts slipped to 140/4 in the 40th over.
Rico Honiball had played himself in, however, and he helped lift the St Charles’ total to 185 before departing for the innings’ top score of 55 from 85 deliveries, which included four fours and a six.
A couple of cameos, then, saw Saints to 218/8 from their 50 overs.
Mason Storm knocked over 2/33 in eight for the Knights, while Harlee Jagga tied down the home team, with his miserly 10-over spell returning figures of 1/17. Ben Cilliers did a good job, too, picking up 1/22 in seven.
Needing 219 to win, Northwood found themselves in early trouble, with both openers sent packing cheaply, leaving the visitors on 7/2 in the third over.
Thayin Kuppan and Kyle White then stabilised the innings, sharing a 58-run partnership before Kuppan fell victim to a run out after scoring 38 runs from 59 deliveries.
White followed nine runs later, LBW to Stefan Veldsman, who had engineered the Kuppan run out, for 21.
Harlee Jagga hit three fours and made 20 in a 31-ball stay, while Mfana Shange contributed 21 in 51.
The top score of the innings, however, belonged to Mason Storm, who got after the Saints’ bowling. In just 48 balls, he smashed a six and five fours, and scored 54.
Storm staged a valiant attempt to see the Knights to victory, but he was eventually the last wicket to fall in the 46th over as Northwood finished on 184 all out. Victory to St Charles College by 34 runs.
Cian Fortmann, after a fifty at the top of the order for Saints, destroyed the lower order of the visitors to capture 4/33 from 9.4 overs.
Summarised scores
Durban High School 173/10 (Semal Pillay 49, Sibusiso Msibi 26, Omar Ismaeel 21; Sphamandla Dzanibe 4/19); Maritzburg College 176/3 (Llewelyn Sutherland 82, Ryan McKean 27, Michael Gibson 26*, Chad Mason 21; Dalan Naraidu 1/27, Semal Pillay 1/30) Maritzburg College won by 7 wickets.
St Charles College 218/8 (Rico Honiball 55, Cian Fortmann 51, Thando Zama 40; Mason Storm 2/33, Harlee Jagga 1/17, Kyle White 1/18); Northwood School 184/10 (Mason Storm 54, Thayin Kuppan 38, Mfana Shange 21, Harlee Jagga 20; Cian Fortmann 4/33) St Charles College won by 34 runs.
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