Northwood keeps winning, St Charles victorious at Michaelhouse

Hilton College pushed Northwood School to the limit in the KZN regional finals of the Schools SA20 just over a week ago but succumbed to successive defeats with only three balls left in each of those contests. On Saturday, at Northwood, the Knights scored a more comfortable seven-wicket victory in a limited-overs game.
The toss went Hilton captain Ben Hockly‘s way and he chose to bat first. The visitors, though, found run-scoring a grind as Northwood’s attack delivered a disciplined performance.
James Ogilby and Alex Pitman put on 24 for the first wicket, batting at four runs an over, but matters became a lot slower later. Pitman made his way to 23 but, unfortunately for Hilton, he was run out. Stewart Falconer, in a seven, made 20, which was second only to Pitman’s score.
Northwood’s bowlers tied Hilton in knots. Left-arm spinner Jordan Matthews was the pick of the bunch, snaring 3/14 in 10. He was well supported by Connor Leclezio, who picked up 1/19 in 10, and Ben Cilliers, who took 1/22 from his 10. Skipper Kyle White conceded only three runs from his four overs. Add that up and that’s 5/58 in 34 overs.
That huge pressure led to Hilton College mustering only 110/8 from their 50 overs, which included just four boundaries.
Credit to Hilton’s bowlers, they made Northwood work hard for their runs, but 110 was never going to be enough unless wickets fell at a fast and furious rate. Very early on, they did, with Sechaba Gude removing David de Bruyn and Tuswa Phetha with the Knights’ innings only into its third over.
Ross McGlashan has been in good form, though, and the opener found solid support from Kyle White. They added 55 from 118 balls together. It was slow going, but it was exactly what Northwood needed. When their partnership ended, McGlashan was the man to go, out for 31 from 58 balls, caught by Stewart Falconer off Benoit Rey.
Still, the home side had 28 overs to score another 49 runs. It took them 12.1 overs.

White led from the front, finishing with 50 not out from 113 deliveries, with four fours and a beautiful straight six back over the bowler just before victory was clinched. Alistair Duncan, at the other end, finished with 17 not out, and the pair shared an unbroken 48-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Sechaba Gude claimed 2/20 from five overs, while Benoit Rey kept the Knights in check, capturing 1/19 in 10. Luke Campbell was tight, too, conceding only 12 runs from his eight overs, but Hilton didn’t have enough runs to defend.
Michaelhouse vs St Charles College
St Charles College, beaten at home by Clifton College a week earlier, visited Michaelhouse and bounced back in style with an impressive 68-run victory on the Roy Gathorne Oval.
The toss went the home team’s way and they elected to bowl first, but Saints made a steady start, with Thando Zama and Covhan Baatjies sharing an opening stand of 34 runs, which lasted almost 12 overs before Michaelhouse, at last, made the breakthrough.
Baatjies was out for 15, and his effort became a bit of a theme in the St Charles’ innings, with five batsmen making it into the teens without exiting them. Zama, though, anchored the innings. He scored a patient 54 from 101 balls, hitting four fours. When he became the fourth batsman to lose his wicket, Zama had shepherded Saints to 114.
His wicket, though, was the middle of three that went down within the space of three runs, which saw St Charles slip from 114/2 to 117/5. They kept grafting, however, and went on to 172 all out after 48.3 overs.
Opening bowler, Luke Mitchell, led the ‘House attack, claiming 3/29 from nine overs, while Harry Vickery nabbed 2/19 from five. Michael Blignaut returned a neat 2/28 from 10.
It looked as if it was going to be a reasonably comfortable run chase for Michaelhouse when Ethan Muir and Kian Blignaut put on 59 from the first wicket in just over 12 overs. Muir was bowled by Ryan Clarke for 29 to break that stand, but that was merely the beginning of a match-winning performance from the bowler. He got rid of Blignaut, too, for 32. That would prove to be Michaelhouse’s best individual score.
Ben Heuer, batting third in the order, stood firm, making an unbeaten 20 from 56 balls, but the rest of the batsmen crumbled, with none of them reaching double figures.
From 72/2, Michaelhouse collapsed to 102 all out, with the last five wickets going down for only one run.
Clarke was excellent, capturing 6/24 from his 10 overs, including a hat-trick, but he didn’t do it alone. AJ Bosman laid waste to the ‘House innings, knocking over 4/5 in four overs.
Scorecards
Hilton College 110/8 (Alex Pitman, Stewart Falconer 20, Jordan Matthew 3/14); Northwood School 111/3 (Kyle White 50*, Ross McGlashan 31, Sechaba Gude 2/20). Northwood won by 7 wickets.
St Charles College 170/10 (Thando Zama 54, Luke Mitchell 3/29, Harry Vickery 2/19, Michael Blignaut 2/28); Michaelhouse 102/10 (Kian Blignaut 32, Ethan Muir 29, Ben Heuer 20*, Ryan Clarke 6/24, AJ Bosman 4/5). St Charles College won by 68 runs.