Miller’s captain’s knock the difference as Waterkloof beats KES
A century by Hoërskool Waterkloof‘s captain, Riley Miller, was the difference between victory and defeat when the Klofies hosted King Edward VII School (KES) in Pretoria on Saturday.
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With the annual derby being played on the André van der Walt Oval, Miller won the toss and elected to have the visitors bat first, knowing that a smaller playing surface with a lightning-fast outfield might be beneficial for a run chase.
At first, the KES openers, Tiago Dias (19) and Khwezi Nyamathe (18) made steady progress, getting their side through the first 10 overs. They grafted hard for a 41-run partnership, which was broken in the 13th over, and that brought Troy Gordon to the crease.
As the old saying goes, one wicket brings another, and the Waterkloof bowlers, especially Ricardo Crous (3/39) and Darius Maritz (3/52), got down to work. They snaffled three wickets each while stemming the flow of runs from the Johannesburg school. However, Gordon, kept them at bay, facing 87 deliveries on his way to a well-played 54, before he was run out by Miller.
Wade McQuinn (28) and KES skipper Zieg Roos (22) weighed in with useful contributions to help the visitors to 214/8 from their 50 overs.
It quickly became a challenging target after KES made early inroads, reducing Waterkloof to 12/3. When the third wicket fell, though, Miller made his way out to the middle. He, being a natural stroke maker and hard hitter of the ball, decided to fight fire with fire and went on the counter-attack.
With wickets continuing to tumble around him, thanks to good bowling by Christian Sabela (3/39) and Wade McQuinn (3/41), the Waterkloof skipper hit the accelerator and in just 85 balls smashed eight sixes and six fours as he raced to his century.
It was his second of 2025, following a ton against Rondebosch at the Peninsula Cricket Festival in Cape Town. Bowling all-rounder, Jaydon Blom provided much-needed support.
Following up his 42 from a day earlier against Hoërskool Nelspruit in the Finsbury League, Blom went two better, producing a vital and decisive 44 runs in a 132-run partnership that guided the home side to a nerve-wracking two-wicket victory.
Summarised scorecard
King Edward VII School 214/8 (Troy Gordon 54, Wade Mcquinn 28, Zieg Roos 22; Ricardo Crous 3/39, Darius Maritz 3/52); Waterkloof 215/8 (Riley Miller 103; Jaydon Blom 44, Extras 23; Christian Sabela 3/39, Wade Mcquinn 3/41). Waterkloof won by two wickets.
