Michaelhouse bowlers blow through Hilton
Hilton College visited Balgowan on Saturday for the latest chapter in the battle of the great rivals on the Roy Gathorne Oval. It began well for the visitors, but ultimately fell apart as the home side claimed a solid 52-run victory, thanks to an excellent performance in the field.
Hilton won the toss but took the unusual step of deciding to bowl first. It brought them some early success, but ‘House then began to find their way.
Kyle Christie accounted for opening batsman Michael Spencer in the second over, and Hilton captain Ethan van Heerden sent Murray Hall-Jones packing in the ninth, which reduced the home side to 25/2, but Sebastian Hofmeyr and Dylan Hewlett then added 61, with Hofmeyr taking on the lead role.
He eventually succumbed to a combination of James McGregor and David Hill, with the leg-spinner having him caught for a telling 43 from 49 deliveries, which featured five fours and a six.
Just 10 runs later, with the total on 96, Michaelhouse lost Dylan Hewlett, too, LBW to Simon Steyn for 18. His departure led to a mini-collapse as Ethan Muir and Cameron Strudwick followed for three each, both bowled by Hill. On 103 for 6, the Michaelhouse innings was wobbling.
Hayden Hewlett, in at five, held firm, however, and together with Radhesh Jhilmeet added 40 for the seventh wicket before Jhilmeet became another Hill victim, caught for 14. That brought Jean Luc Rey to the crease and he, with Hewlett, proceeded to steer ‘House towards a competitive total.
They shared a stand of 35 before Hewlett was caught off the bowling of Jayden Roux for a valuable 33 from 50 deliveries, which had included two fours.
Harry Vickery and Ross Moller helped Rey advance the total to just past a double-century, with Moller out to the second last ball of the innings, with the total on 202, as Kyle Christie captured the last two wickets to fall.
He finished with figures of 3/36, David Hill snared 3/44, and Simon Steyn snapped up 2/38.
On the Roy Gathorne Oval, where run-scoring is not the easiest, Michaelhouse had posted a total they could defend, but it was anyone’s game.
Unfortunately for the visitors, they stumbled out of the blocks in their reply, losing their first three wickets with only 14 runs on the board, and they continued to flail until Ethan van Heerden, batting ninth, took it to the ‘House attack. By then, though, their challenge was pretty much in the tank.
New ball bowlers Ross Moller and Harry Vickery had decimated the Hilton top order, with only Charles Swart, among the first seven batsmen, reaching double figures, and he made 10.
Just 14.2 overs into their reply, Hilton was facing a crushing defeat on 39/7. David Hill and Ethan van Heerden showed strong character, however, to staunch the bleeding. Together, they added 46 for the eighth wicket before Hill, tragically for Hilton, was run out by Cameron Strudwick for 22.
Kyle Christie joined Ethan van Heerden and they added 12 runs before Christie was bowled by Michaelhouse captain Strudwick for four. Hilton was on 97/9 after 32.3 overs.
With just one wicket standing, Van Heerden went on the attack and it worked wonders. He struck six fours and two sixes in an 84-ball knock which produced 64 runs before he was dismissed, caught by Murray Hall-Jones off the bowling of Hayden Hewlett.
He and James McGregor, who finished on 12 not out, had added 53 for the last wicket, lifting Hilton College to 150 all out after 41.1 overs.
Michaelhouse had won by 52 runs, but it could have been far worse for Hilton without their skipper’s defiant counterattack.
Moller was simply outstanding, sending down 10 over and capturing 4 for 18. His opening partner, Harry Vickery, picked up two early wickets, but came in for some stick later in the innings, to finish with 2 for 58 from 10.
Cameron Strudwick, with his accurate left-arm spin, kept Hilton in check and grabbed a couple of vital wickets, snaring 2 for 21 in 10.
Scores
Michaelhouse 202/10 (Sebastian Hofmeyr 43, Hayden Hewlett, Jean Luc Rey 32, Kyle Christie 3/36, David Hill 3/44, Simon Steyn 2/38); Michaelhouse 150/10 (Ethan van Heerden 64, David Hill 22, Ross Moller 4/18, Cameron Strudwick 2/21, Harry Vickery 2/58)
Michaelhouse won by 52 runs
