Rain has final say as Griffins finish within sniffing distance
The final match of the season for Westville Boys’ High and Maritzburg College was set for an exciting finish before inclement weather in Westville brought a damp and wet end to an intriguing contest on Saturday.
The match hung in the balance, with Westville on 97 for 7 after 37 overs, chasing 110 runs to win, when the heavens opened up and started raining cats and dogs. It was far from a decided contest, with Maritzburg College spinner James Wiggell having taken 3/19 with another over to come.
Kaeden McAllister (in feature photo) was Westville’s top scorer, with 25 from 48 balls, while last weekend’s top performer Baskhar Sellwall grafted his way to 22 from 79 balls. Both appeared set to steer the hosts to victory on a difficult batting surface.
However, Chad Mason, who has been in outstanding all-round form this term, picked up two crucial wickets for 24 runs in his 10 overs, including the prized wicket of Westville’s skipper Max Robertson, another player who has excelled in recent times.
College batted first, after being sent in, and it was Mason who led the way for the red, black and white, exhibiting good discipline in a 76-ball stay which yielded 25 runs. All around him, wickets tumbled as the bowlers made good use of the favourable conditions.
Dayalan Boyce, Sean McGough, Chad Van Breda and Roxton Payne each bagged two wickets apiece and it was left to Asanda Khumalo, with 20 from 21 deliveries, to help College cross the hundred-mark.
After 40.4 overs, though, the visitors were all out for 109.
Both coaches would have been slightly disappointed with the result, with each having cause to think the match could have gone their side’s way. The match proved, though, that heavy run scoring is not necessary for a contest to be entertaining.
Summarised scorecard
Maritzburg College 1st XI 109/10 (Chad Mason 25, Asanda Khumalo 20; Sean McGough 2/13, Dayalan Boyce 2/15, Chad van Breda 2/15, Roxton Payne 2/23); Westville Boys’ High School 1st XI 93/7 (Kaeden McAllister 25, Baskhar Selwall 22; James Wiggell 3/19, Chad Mason 2/24) Match drawn due to inclement weather.
