Munawa bats Hilton to victory, Malek hits back-to-back centuries for Clifton
In one of Saturday’s most eagerly awaited contests, Hilton College maintained their clean record at the Independent School Cricket Festival, beating St David’s Marist Inanda by 17 runs to finish the 50-over part of their schedule with three wins from three matches.
Playing on St David’s La Valla Oval, Hilton captain Rob Burman elected to bat when he called the coin flip right. Openers, Barack Munawa and Ben Wilson, made him look good by putting up 65 for the first wicket. Their stand came to an end in the 15th over when Wilson fell for 31, caught Jonah Gruskin, bowled Kai Davis.
Matthew Bezuidenhout didn’t last long, but the skipper then joined Munawa in the middle, and they advanced the total by 53 runs to 144 before Burman exited after an entertaining 27 from 25 balls, which featured two fours and two sixes.
Munawa and Luke Wilson put together another useful partnership, joining forces to tack on 41 for the fifth wicket before Wilson departed for 21. Munawa followed seven runs later, out for the innings’ highest score of 82, which took him 125 balls and included six fours and a six. Later, it won him the man of the match award.
Hilton College was not quite able to see out their 50 overs. They were all out one over shy of the maximum for 238, a total which was boosted by 25 extras.
Hayden Campbell was the pick of the St David’s bowlers, returning 4/33 from 9.1 overs, including the wicket of Munawa. Mike Pegg chipped in with 2/34 from six.
The St David’s Marist Inanda reply included a healthy five batsmen making scores of 21 or more, but none was as substantial as Munawa’s 82 for Hilton.
Jonah Gruskin continued his outstanding form with his side’s best innings of 48. He and Michael Smithyman added 79 for the third wicket, but Hilton’s bowlers kept the run scoring in check, with the pair taking 24.2 overs to score those runs. Smithyman’s contribution was 34.
Up front, Sohail Seonath scored more freely, striking six fours in his 32 from 23 balls, but he was the only batsman to go at better than a run a ball. Maru Challies weighed in with 25, and Kyle Butler made 21, but St David’s needed one more batsman to press on, and they didn’t get it.
All six of Hilton’s bowlers picked up wickets, with Cameron Hargroves claiming 2/31 from 7.5 overs and Obakeng Motsepa 2/40 from 10. They also performed a tidy job, keeping St David’s to 221/8 from their 50 overs to claim a hard-fought win.
Cornwall Hill College vs Clifton College
While Clifton College‘s match against Cornwall Hill College on the Van der Byl Oval was abandoned because of lightning, it featured a huge highlight from Muhammed Malek, who notched back-to-back centuries for the Durban school, following his 115 not out against St George’s College with 100 exactly against Cornwall.
Clifton needed his ton because 29 each from Shiraz Perumal and Blake Johnson was their next best effort. Malek, though, stood strong.
He made his way to the crease at the start of the third over, when only two runs had been scored, and he exited in the last over, when Clifton had 216 runs on the board. They finished with 223/8. Malek faced 133 deliveries, sending four of them to the boundary and one over the ropes.
Clifton let themselves down by having three batsmen run out, which was Cornwall’s surest method of getting rid of the opposition batsmen. None of their bowlers picked up more than one wicket. Mohale Pitso, with 1/23 from 10 overs, was the best of them.
Cornwall Hill responded with 58/1 after 15.2 overs before the overhead storm brought the match to a premature end. Rourke de Lange was unbeaten on 21, and Phalguna Pakala was 17 not out.
Blake Johnson bowled Keegan van Wyk for 13 and snared 1/11 from six overs.
Summarised scorecards
Hilton College 238/10 (Barack Munawa 82, Ben Wilson 31, Rob Burman 27, Luke Wilson 21; Hayden Campbell 4/33, Mike Pegg 2/34); St David’s Marist 221/8 (Jonah Gruskin 48, Michael Smithyman 34, Sohail Seonath 32, Maru Challies 25, Kyle Butler 21; Cameron Hargroves 2/31, Obakeng Motsepa 2/40). Hilton College won by 17 runs.
Clifton College 223/8 (Muhammed Malek 100, Shiraz Perumal 29, Blake Johnson 29; Mohale Pitso 1/23); Cornwall Hill College 52/1 after 15.2 overs. (Rourke de Lange 21*; Blake Johnson 1/11). Match abandoned.
