Pillai shines in Glenwood victory, Young’s captain’s innings wins it for Jeppe
Kreesan Pillai scored an unbeaten half-century to lead Glenwood to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Framesby in their Grey Cricket Festival T20 match at Framesby on Sunday.
The toss went the way of the home team, who elected to bat first and scored 153/7 in their 20 overs.
Glenwood was aggressive and clinical in their run chase, taking only 15 overs to power their way to 159/2 and victory.
Pillai led the chase with a free-flowing and unbeaten 91 from 58 balls, cracking five sixes and seven fours. He and his opening partner, Jayden Pillay, got the Glenwood innings off to an explosive start, combining for 49 runs from only 17 deliveries.
Pillai then joined forces with Neel Patel for a 57-run second-wicket partnership, before wrapping up an impressive win with an unbroken 53-run third wicket stand with Mishael Gunawardana, who weighed in with 34 not out.
Earlier in the day, Nicholas Joubert took only 29 balls to score 45 and lead Framesby to a total north of 150 runs. He also laid a platform for the hosts with a 29-run opening partnership with Corné Matthee, who pitched in with 18.
Joubert then stitched together the innings’ highest partnership, 49 runs for the second wicket, with Miles Feltham, who matched Matthee’s 18. Dandré Henwick (25) and Durandt Rootman (14) made starts but failed to kick on.
Kamo Moloto and Qhamani Sikhutswa led the Glenwood bowling attack with a brace of wickets each. Moloto’s return was 2/16 from three overs, while Sikhutswa bagged 2/27 from four.
Kearsney vs Jeppe
Captain Ryan Young led from the front with a half-century for Jeppe in a tight two-wicket win over Kearsney College in a 30-overs-a-side contest played on the ABSA Oval at Nelson Mandela University.
Kearsney put up 165/8 after opting to bat first. Then, the tightly contested clash went down to the wire, with Jeppe tallying 166/8 in reply and winning with only one ball to spare.
Young scored a run-a-ball 61 to power the Johannesburg school to victory. When he made his way to the middle, Jeppe desperately needed their skipper to deliver. They were on 36/3 and on the back foot.
Young and Ethan Elliot, who weighed in with 41, stabilised the innings with a 45-run fourth-wicket stand. Later, Young and Phemelo Sekopane joined hands for Jeppe’s highest partnership, 66 in 64 balls, for the sixth wicket, with Sekopane going on to score a crucial 31 not out.
Dolphins‘ Khaya Majola Week left-arm paceman, Litha Gonya, led the Kearsney attack, capturing 3/30 in 5.5 overs.
Kearsney’s innings progressed in fits and starts, but Michael Groom, with 36 from 34 balls, launched a stubborn and effective lower-order resistance, batting at nine.
Before Groom’s late burst, captain Keegan de Jager scored a steady 35 from 31 balls to hold the Kearsney innings together. Christo Badenhorst, who finished with 26 not out, was the only other of the batsmen from Botha’s Hill to go beyond the teens.
Shreshth Kumar was Jeppe’s most successful bowler, snagging 3/20 in six overs, while Reza Ayob tied down the Kearsney batsmen, surrendering only 12 runs from his six overs while also picking up two wickets.
St Charles Colts XI vs Die Hoërskool Menlopark
Die Hoërskool Menlopark signed off with a win, downing the St Charles Colts XI by five wickets in a T20 contest on the Kolisi Field at Grey High.
After Saints lost an early wicket, Fabian Da Rosa and Tlotlang Kobe made strong and steady progress, adding 118 runs off 91 balls for the second wicket before Da Rosa was caught off the bowling of Verster Richter for 53 from 54 deliveries, which included five fours and two sixes.
Following Da Rosa’s departure, St Charles lost momentum, with another three wickets falling in quick succession, the last of those being that of Kobe, which left them on 129/5 after 18 overs. He became one of four victims of Jordan van Eck, out for 59 from only 43 balls, with seven fours and a six.
In the last two overs, the Pietermaritzburg boys injected some momentum back into their innings by smashing 23 runs, with Cohen Cameron launching two sixes in a quickfire 19 not out from 12 deliveries.
Van Eck was the pick of the Menlo bowlers, claiming 4/30 from his four overs.
Menlopark’s reply got off to the worst possible start when they lost opener, Andre Kruyshaar, to the first ball of their innings. Just like Saints, though, Menlo responded to the early loss of a wicket with a good second wicket stand.
Keagan Hills and Jacques de Villiers took just 41 deliveries to tack on 52 runs. Then, Hills and Monré Koekemoer hit the accelerator, adding 66 in only 37 balls.
De Villiers contributed 32 off 25 balls, Hills slammed five fours and three sixes in his 57 from 42, and Koekemoer crunched three sixes and two fours in his 35 from 23.
He was the third of three batsmen out, but by then Menlopark was within touching distance of victory on 142/4 after 15.5 overs.
Ten balls later, they reached 157/4 to take the win with 15 deliveries to spare.
Summarised Scorecards
Framesby 153/7 (Nicholas Joubert 45, Dandré Henwick 25; Kamo Moloko 2/16, Qhamani Sikhutswa 2/27). Glenwood 159/2 (Kreesan Pillai 91*, Mishael Gunawardana 34*; Miles Feltham 1/22, Dandré Henwick 1/20). Glenwood won by eight wickets.
St Charles Colts XI 152/5 (Tlotlang Kobe 59, Fabian da Rosa 53; Jordan van Eck 4/30, Vester Richter 1/34). Menlopark 157/4 (Keegan Hills 57, Morne Koekemoer 35; Dresden Coetzee 1/10, Christopher Uys 1/10). Menlopark won by six wickets.
Kearsney 165/8 (Michael Groom 36, Keegan de Jager 35; Shreshth Kumar 3/20, Reza Ayob 2/12). Jeppe 166/8 (Ryan Young 61, Ethan Elliot 41, Phemelo Sekopane 31*; Litha Gonya 3/30, Rivaan Moodley 1/24). Jeppe won by two wickets.
