Paul Roos dig deep to bring Bishops’ unbeaten run to an end
Paul Roos Gimnasium bounced back from a defeat against Affies on Friday to bring an end to the spectacular unbeaten run of the Bishops Diocesan College first team on Saturday in Stellenbosch.
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Batting first, the Bishops’ batsmen stumbled to a low total of 94 on the Paul Roos pitch, with Dian Winkel spearheading the charge for the home team by capturing 4/13.
Their dual SA Schools star, Riley Norton, also claimed four wickets, and Neil Barnard picked up the remaining two.
Adnaan Lagadien and Kashief Joseph mustered 42 runs for Bishops for the first wicket but, after Norton drew first blood, the Paul Roos trio ripped through the remaining nine batsmen, conceding only 52 runs more.
Bishops, though, have shown an ability to rally time and time again this season, and they managed to do so once more on Saturday, turning the tables on the hosts and having them in deep trouble on 38/6.
Tiaan Louw and Waco Bassick gave the home team a taste of their own medicine, as they, too, picked up four wickets apiece.
Beor van Reenen steadied the ship for Paul Roos, scoring 20 runs, to guide his side to 55 before Bassick brought his innings to an end.
Roux Joubert and Keanu Williams then stubbornly negotiated 94 deliveries with only two wickets in hand, all the while chipping away at their opponents’ total.
That slow, conservative approach took them to the brink of victory and in the 33rd over they duly overhauled the Bishops’ total to secure an impressive win against a team that had conquered all before it…until Saturday.
Bishops will regroup and prepare for the Independent Schools Cricket Festival, which kicks off on Thursday at St Alban’s College in Pretoria, where they will be one of the teams to beat.
Meanwhile, Paul Roos will carry the momentum they gained from the victory into their game against Paarl Gimnasium next weekend.
Summarised scorecard
Diocesan College 94 (Kashief Joseph 27, Adnaan Lagadien 21; Dian Winkel 4/13, Riley Norton 4/38, Neil Barnard 2/19); Paul Roos Gimnasium 95/8 (Roux Joubert 23*, Beor van Reenen 20; Waco Bassick 4/30, Tiaan Louw 4/38). Paul Roos Gimnasium won by two wickets.
