Parry stars for Grey High, Queen’s blows Jumba away
Connor Parry played an outstanding patient innings to help Grey High grind out a four-wicket win over Selborne College on Friday, while Queen’s College bowled their way to a 56-run victory over Jumba High School in the first round of the Eastern Province and Border Schools SA20 playoffs, hosted by Selborne and Border Cricket in East London.
Mqanduli Village and Pearson High were the first teams to score points in the tournament. Their match was considered unsafe to play due to a wet outfield. That resulted in the sides sharing the points.
The region had been subjected to persistent rain over the past few days and the result was a slow and sticky surface and slow outfield.
Boundaries were hard to come by. Between them, Grey High and Selborne struck four fours and five sixes across 40 overs.
Grey’s Frederick Jansen carved a four and two sixes in his knock of 23 off 14 balls to pull his side to victory. His strike rate of 164 was unmatched in the contest.
Jansen’s knock was possible thanks to a patient and outstanding 31 from 34 balls from opener Connor Parry, who expertly guided his side through a tricky powerplay.
Selborne’s Bunqina Nuku and Joshua McKay kept Grey High’s top order in check with their disciplined bowling, and they were rewarded with two early wickets. However, Parry held Grey’s innings together with a watchful knock. When he departed, he passed the baton to Jansen, with whom he had shared a 23-run fourth-wicket partnership.
Jansen combined with Logan Goddard-Ford (24 from 35) for a match-winning 37-run fifth-wicket partnership that took Grey to the brink of victory. When Jansen lost his wicket, coach Richard Gilbert‘s side was only 10 runs away from victory with 3.5 overs in which to accomplish the task.
Like Jansen, Goddard-Ford was unable to see his side past the finishing line. However, when he was dismissed, the match was almost over. Grey needed two runs from two over.
The difference between the two sides was partnerships. Selborne College’s highest partnership was their 27-run opening stand between Aaron Senekal (12) and Joshua Wilkie (13). After that, they had a couple of partnerships that were worth 20 runs or more. However, none breached the 30-run mark.
Khazimla Simama and Geza Culumanco were outstanding with the ball for Queen’s College in their game against Jumba High. The pair ran riot, sharing six wickets, as they led an assault on Jumba’s batters. Queen’s had battled their way to 98 all out after batting first.
Aiden van Jaarsveld led from the front with a brisk 16-ball 22. However, his dismissal in the fifth over, after sharing a 20-run second-wicket partnership with Duncan Hayes, was the beginning of Queen’s problems with the bat.
Mangaliso Mosehle’s side struggled to settle in tough batting conditions and only three other batsmen reached double figures. The Queen’s struggles were further emphasised by the fact that they were unable to see out their 20 overs and were bowled out in 17.5.
However, their bowling attack came to their rescue, led by Simama and Culamanco. They conceded only 20 runs between them to thrust their side into a winning position. In just 14.1 overs, Queen’s bundled out Jumba for 42 to claim their first victory of the playoffs.
In the girls’ section, Stirling High made light work of the 63/7 chalked up by Pearson High. Amyoli Mgebe and Malakiwe Somhlahlo snapped up six wickets between them as they ran through Pearson’s batting order, with only one Pearson batter, Kisa-li Borman, with 14, making it into double figures.
Stirling needed just under nine overs to chase down the required total. Cayleigh Wankel smashed an unbeaten 28-ball 42 to lead the charge to victory. However, she had to do it all on her own. None of her partners made it out of single figures.
Scorecards
Selborne College 102/8 (Cian O’Neil 23, Matthew Hendry 18*, Drisden Pretorius 2/12, Ameer Muller 1/14). Grey High 102/6 (Connor Parry 31, Logan Goddard-Ford 24, Joshua McKay 2/15, Aventandwa Manyongo 1/11) Grey High won by four wickets.
Queen’s College 98/10 (Aiden van Jaarsveld 22, Duncan Hayes 14, Baphele Silo 3/16, Kwakhanya Jayiya 2/13). Jumba High 42/9 (Liso Mfisi 16, Ahlume Honono 7, Khazimla 3/7, Geza Culumanco 3/13). Queen’s won by 56 runs.
Girls’ section
Pearson 63/10 (Kisa-li Borman 14, Emma Tinley 9, Malakhiwe Somhlahlo 3/14, Amyoli Mgebe 3/21). Stirling High 67/3 (Cayleigh Wankel 42*, Malakhiwe Somhlahlo 9*, Kisa-li Borman 2/26, Tara Nel 1/16). Stirling won by seven wickets.
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