Michaelhouse outplay Clifton, Kearsney cruise, and DHS sees off Saints
Both Clifton College and Michaelhouse had played themselves into form in the pre-season at the iHlobo Festival. There, Clifton beat Falcon College, St Alban’s College and Uplands College, but went down to the hosts, Kearsney College, while Michaelhouse recorded wins over Durban High School, St John’s (Harare), and Falcon College.
On Saturday, at the Riverside Sports Club, they met, with Clifton winning the toss and putting Michaelhouse in to bat. That move backfired.
Captain Ethan Muir and Michael Spencer settled in nicely and put on 51 for the first wicket before Muir was caught off the bowling of Shahzaad Perumal.
There was no respite for Clifton, however, as Spencer and Dylan Hewlett took charge. Together, they constructed a stand of 124 runs before Spencer became Perumal’s second victim, out for a well-played 68 from 94 deliveries, with six fours.
The rest of the batsmen offered little support, but Hewlett had no problems with the Clifton bowlers. He went on to an undefeated 104 from 106 balls, striking four fours and two sixes, as Michaelhouse posted 246 for 7. It was a good score on a slow outfield.
Perumal was the pick of the Clifton bowlers, snaring 3 for 30 from his nine overs, while Preston Govender picked up a bit of tap, but removed two batsmen to finish with 2 for 47 from six.
In reply, Clifton made a disastrous start as Ross Moller knocked over two wickets with only six runs on the board. Perumal made only 13 before he departed with the total on 29, and then disaster struck as opener, Cohen Naidoo, who had made 21 from 36 balls, was run out.
Tim Saulez mustered 22 from 32, but when he fell to Cameron Strudwick, Clifton were staring down the barrel on 65 for 6.
Callum Watson and Lawson Dinsdale stopped the rot, however, with a solid 75-run stand before Dinsdale was out for the top score of 42, which came from only 45 balls and included four fours and a six.
Watson was the second last man out, having made 20, as the last three wickets all fell with the total on 132, which left Michaelhouse the convincing winners by 114 runs.
KZN Inland u19A left-arm spinner Strudwick shone, sending down nine overs, three of which were maidens, and claiming 2 for 14.
Opening bowler Ross Moller was his usual economical self, capturing 2 for 13 in five, while his new ball partner, Luke Mitchell, picked up 2 for 36 in nine, and Ethan Muir took 2 for 21 in five.
In Pietermaritzburg, DHS who hadn’t been at full strength for the iHlobo Festival, showed their grit to record a five-wicket win over St Charles College in a 45-over match.
The home team owed plenty to their left-handed opener Cian Fortmann, who fought a lone battle as they tallied just 165 for 7 in their innings. Fortmann, with 91, scored the majority of their runs, facing 122 balls and hitting four fours.
Stefan Veldsman contributed 17, but no other batsmen reached double figures. In fact, 24 extras were the second highest contributor to the Saints’ total.
Jared Havermann, with 3/19 in seven, and Bhavesh Naicker, with 3/34 in six, led the way for DHS, but a number of their bowlers, who went wicketless, did a fine job of restricting the scoring rate.
Nobody managed anything close to Fortmann’s innings for DHS, but Sfundo Mthembu made an unbeaten 30, while a number of others delivered useful knocks. Josh van Biljon weighed in with 28, Ismaeel Omar hit 27, Ethan Cooper added another 21, and Taine Havermann finished with 18 not out as the Horseflies took the win.
Fortmann led the way for Saints once more with the ball, picking up 2/29 in nine, while Tristan Montile took 1 for 16 in four, and Kaiyuran Naidoo a tidy 1/27 in nine.
After 40.1 overs, the victory belonged to DHS.
Kearsney College, after going four from four at the iHlobo Festival, visited Glenwood for their first match of the first term, a T20.
Batting first, Glenwood found the going tough against the experienced Kearsney attack. They batted at only 4.9 runs per over, to reach 98/5 by the conclusion of their 20 overs.
Kyle Bryan made 28 from 37 balls for the Green Machine, while Krian Jugoo made 21 from 28, but the Kearsney bowlers were in the ascendancy.
Fast bowler Ryan Browning bowled well to return 2/14 from his four overs, while fellow paceman Sandiswa Yeni claimed 1/13 in his four.
Cameron Veenstra, then, set Kearsney on course for victory with 29 from 31, which included two fours and a six, at the top of the order. He and captain Ross Coetzee put on 37 for the second wicket before Veenstra was dismissed.
Coetzee remained out in the middle and was 32 not out from 37 when the visitors overhauled the Glenwood total with two overs remaining. With him was Jack O’Donovan, who bashed a quickfire unbeaten 19 from only 14 deliveries, with one four and one six.
Awhile Maharaj was the best of the Glenwood bowlers, taking 1 /16 in four, while the other two wickets were both as a results of run outs.
Summarised scores
Michaelhouse 246/7 (Dylan Hewlett 104*, Michael Spencer 68, Ethan Muir 29, Shahzaad Perumal 3/30, Preston Govender 2/47); Clifton College 132/10 (Lawson Dinsdale 43, Tim Saulez 22, Cohen Naidoo 21, Callum Watson 20, Ross Moller 2/13, Cameron Strudwick 2/14, Ethan Muir 2/21, Luke Mitchell 2/36) Michaelhouse won by 114 runs.
St Charles College 165/7 (Cian Fortmann 91, Jared Havermann 3/19, Bhavesh Naicker 3/34); Durban High School 167/5 (Sfundo Mthembu 30*, Josh van Biljon 28, Ismaeel Omar 27, Ethan Cooper 21, Cian Fortmann 2/29) DHS won by 5 wickets.
Glenwood 98/5 (Kyle Bryan 28, Krian Jugoo 21, Ryan Browning 2/14); Kearsney College 102/3 (Ross Coetzee 32*, Cameron Veenstra 29) Kearsney won by 7 wickets.
