McGough leads Westville into Switch Schools SA20 KZN Coastal semis
Westville Boys’ High secured their place in the KZN Coastal semi-finals of the Switch Schools SA20 – Volume Two competition on Thursday after a scoring comfortable 36-run win over Glenwood High. Westville skipper Kyle McGough led the way with a hard-hitting 73.
When Glenwood captain Kreesan Pillai called incorrectly at the coin clip, McGough opted to bat first on Bowden’s Field.
Wicketkeeper Aidan Baudach fell in the fourth over, but his fellow opener, Kai Cotton, and McGough, in at the fall of the first wicket, then set about the visitors’ bowling, adding 42 runs in four overs before Cotton was trapped LBW by left-arm spinner Esihle Gasa for 23 from 19 balls, which had included four fours.
Tristin Delvin tried to hit out early in his knock and was caught in the deep off Bayanda Xulu for five. McGough, though, was going well.
He was eventually out to the last ball of the 15th over, run out for 73 from 47 deliveries. He had struck seven fours and two sixes. While he was at the crease, Westville added exactly 100 runs in only 70 balls.
Despite McGough’s departure, Westville continued to race along, thanks mainly to an aggressive knock from Liam de Villiers. In just 12 balls, he smashed four sixes and a four, making 31, before trying one big shot too many and being bowled by Pillai.
De Villiers had, nonetheless, delivered an important boost to the Griffins‘ innings and, together with Misbah Nair, added 41 runs for the fifth wicket in only 19 balls.
Nair followed a run after the exit of De Villiers for 16 from 17, another victim of Pillai, which left Westville on 161/6.
They went on to finish on healthy 177/6 eight balls later.
Pillai, the Glenwood skipper, finished with 2/25 from his four overs, while Bayanda Xulu picked up 2/31 in three. Esihle Gasa came in for some stick towards the end of his spell, but he bowled well, returning 1/29 from four.
Glenwood faced a stiff required run rate of 8.9 per over to win and that tough task looked even tougher only three overs into their response when they were reduced to 7/2.
Never doubt the fighting spirit of the Green Machine, though, and Pillai and Mishael Gunawardana showed plenty of it as they advanced the total by 56 runs in nine overs.
Pillai was, then, unfortunate to lose his wicket. He received a loose and inviting full toss from left-arm spinner Tristin Delvin but didn’t get hold of it and was caught on the boundary by Misbah Nair. He had scored 32 from 38 balls, with three fours.
Gunawardana and Elgenio Oerson continued the fight, sharing a 39-run partnership before Oerson fell, caught by Delvin off the bowling of Nair for 17, which had included two sweetly struck straight sixes. That left Glenwood, on 102/4, needing 76 runs to win from only 29 balls.
In the scramble for boundaries and quick runs, they lost four more wickets, with Nair cashing in and grabbing three of them, including a smart stumping by Aidan Baudach, standing up to the medium pacer.
Lwandle Bulose, meanwhile, ended Mishael Gunawardana’s impressive innings, caught by Ashton Kidgell for 54 from only 43 balls, which had included five fours and two sixes.
Nair dismissed Neel Patel off the final ball of the innings to finish with an outstanding 4/20 from his four overs, with Glenwood limited to 141/8.
The opening bowlers, Kyle McGough and Aarin Rasmussen did a tidy job, claiming 1/6 in two and 1/8 in two respectively. Tristin Delvin chipped in with 1/7 in two, and Lwandle Bulose ended with 1/24 in four.
Action in the Switch Schools SA20 – Volume Two returns to Westville Boys’ High on Saturday, with Clifton College facing Northwood in the semi-finals, and Westville taking on Durban High School (DHS) in the second semi.
Summarised scorecard
Westville Boys’ High 177/6 (Kyle McGough 73, Liam de Villiers 32, Kai Cotton 23; Kreesan Pillai 2/25, Bayanda Xulu 2/31); Glenwood High 141/8 (Mishael Gunawardana 54, Kreesan Pillai 32; Misbah Nair 4/20). Westville Boys’ High won by 36 runs.
