Paarl schools struggle on day one of Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week
Paarl Gimnasium vs St. John’s College (Johannesburg) (50-over)
St. John’s College defeated the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week newcomers Paarl Gimnasium by four wickets to win their first match on Saturday.
After winning the toss in Howick, St John’s chose to field first in the 50 over fixture and they made that call count.
Paarl Gim got off to a disastrous start, with Derrick Groenewald, coming in at five, making his way out to the middle with the total on 8/3.
After opener, Dirk Hugo, departed for 11, with the total on 28, Groenewald and De Waal Vivier combined for a 53-run partnership to slow the St John’s onslaught, but the damage had already been done.
Vivier went on to top score with 33, while Groenewald made 27. Lower down the order, a number of scores in the teens helped Gim to 145 all out.
St John’s opening bowler, David Ireland, with 4/25 in nine overs, put the Paarl side in a tough position early on in their innings, and first change bowler, Tapiwa Chikwava, amped up the pressure by claiming 3/29 in 10 overs. Ethan Robinson, the other new ball bowler, snapped up 2/18 in 7.2 overs.
The St John’s run chase was built around Michael Stubbs. Batting at three, he made 54 from 75 balls, which included four fours and two sixes.
Josh Hall came in at six and and delivered an unbeaten 25, while captain Alec Loveland made 21, to steer the Johannesburg school to a four-wicket win after 34 overs.
Paarl Boys’ High vs Clifton College (50-over)
Clifton College has been on a good run recently and they continued their strong form with a four-wicket victory over Paarl Boys’ High at Lynwood. After captain Tim Saulez won the toss, he invited Boishaai to visit the crease first.
They found the going tough, with AB Jacobs, in the middle order, top scoring with 22 runs off 21 balls, which included two fours and a maximum. Opener Christo Muller weighed in with a measured 20 off 47.
Regan Radley, meanwhile, destroyed the Paarl Boys’ High top order, with the tall seamer knocking over 3/16 in five overs, while Clifton’s frontline spinners picked up five wickets. Shiraz Perumal snared 3/33 in 9.3 overs and Blake Johnson bagged a tidy 2/17 in 10 overs.
Having bowled out Boishaai for 122, Clifton made a confident start to their run chase.
Hayden Drieselmann led the final portion of the chase, securing an unbeaten 35 off 41, cracking four fours and a maximum, but Clifton’s openers, Cohen Naidoo and Yusuf Ahmed, set up the win with a 54-run opening stand, scoring 22 and 21 respectively.
Boishaai did themselves no favours by conceding 21 extras in the 29.3 overs they bowled. Reece Peterson returned a solid 2/28 in six overs. Clifton, though, controlled the contest, winning with 123 deliveries to spare.
SCORES
Paarl Gimnasium 149/10 (Derrick Groenewald 35, De Waal Vivier 28; David Ireland 3/26, Tapiwa Chikwava 3/29, Ethan Robinson 2/18); St. John’s College 150/6 (Michael Stubbs 57, Josh Hall 26*).
St. John’s won by four wickets.
Paarl Boys’ High 122/10 (AB Jacobs 22, Christo Muller 20; Regan Radley 3/16, Shiraz Perumal 3/33, Blake Johnson 2/17); Clifton College 127/6 (Hayden Drieselmann 35*, Cohen Naidoo 22, Yusuf Ahmed 21, Extras 21; Reece Peterson 2/28).
Clifton won by four wickets.
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