Red-hot Ross Coetzee blasts Kearsney to W100 win
Another exceptional batting performance from Kearsney College captain Ross Coetzee was the key to his side’s W100 win over Glenwood, who produced an enthusiastic run chase, which came up only five runs short, on Wednesday in Botha’s Hill.
Coetzee was ruthless towards the Green Machine’s bowlers. He entered the fray 15 balls into Kearsney’s innings, after the departure of Murray Weyer. It was only off the last of his team’s 100 balls that the skipper was run out, but by then he had inflicted major damage on the visitors.
Coetzee cracked 89 from 45 deliveries, blasting seven of them over the boundary, and adding nine fours, too. He and Matthew De Oliveira, who had shared a 131-run partnership in a W100 victory over DHS a week earlier, enjoyed a 130-run stand this time around.
De Oliveira was very effective, finishing on 38 not out from 33 balls, with three fours and two sixes, but he played second fiddle to his captain, whose exceptional innings was the difference between victory and defeat as Glenwood launched a hearty run chase after Kearsney had tallied 161 for 3.
Glenwood’s KZN Schools’ stars, Ntando Soni, who also opened the bowling for South African Schools, and Bandile Mbatha, came in for some tap, and returned similar figures, with both conceding 33 runs from their 20 balls.
Kyle Bryan picked up the wicket of hard-hitting Cameron Veenstra for 15 from 14 balls and finished with 1/28 from his 20 deliveries.
Glenwood, in their response, lost a number of wickets in the early going, but they kept their foot firmly planted on the accelerator and made the home team sweat.
Kearsney’s chief tormentor was Krian Jugoo, who made 59 from only 37 deliveries, which included four sixes and three fours. He came in at the fall of the first wicket, just four balls into the Glenwood reply, and stuck around until another 80 balls had been bowled, eventually becoming the fifth man to depart, with the total on 134.
Sibonelo Phewa, with 27 from 19, and Kyle Bryan with an unbeaten 22 from 18, almost got Glenwood across the line. Ultimately, however, they ended only a six shy of victory, on a brave 156/5.
While most of his Kearsney team-mates came in for some punishment, Michael Groom stood out for his economical return, picking up 1/15 from his 20 balls.
Jack O’Donovan did a good job, claiming 2/27 from his 20, while opening bowler Ryan Browning took 2/29 from 15.
Westville had beaten Northwood by four wickets in a limited overs match at Northwood on the weekend. They faced off on the Robin Smith Oval on Wednesday again, and it was, once more, Westville who came away with the win, this time by a comfortable 62 runs.
The Griffin batted first and accumulated 159/9 in their 100 balls. There was no major contributor, but a watchful 33 from captain Nicandro Kistna, 31 from Roxton Payne, and 20 each from Seth Simpson and Josh Beck, helped them to a solid total. Max Robertson, a real weapon at the top of the order in all of the shorter formats of the game, was run out for 10.
Payne’s runs came from only 16 deliveries and included three sixes. Beck, meanwhile, struck a six and a four in a 10-ball stay.
Pride Buthelezi was a little on the expensive side, but he also ended the innings of three batsmen – Nicandro Kistna, Kaeden McAllister and Josh Beck – capturing 3/37 from 20 balls. New ball bowler Andrew Deeb knocked over 2/26 in 20.
The Knights, in their response, were never able to get their run rate close to the 1.6 runs per ball they required for victory. It was pretty much a run-a-ball pace throughout.
Thusa Phewa and Kyle White put on a solid 49 runs for the second wicket, before White was caught by Max Robertson off the bowling of Sekou Shangase for 24 from 25 balls. Phewa was the fourth man out, bowled by Shangase, for the innings’ top score of 27.
Harley Jagga did some good work, sending three deliveries to the boundary in his knock of 19 from 16, but there was little support of note beyond those contributions.
Shangase did a sterling job for the visitors, snapping up 4/23 from his 20 balls, while Heath Stott was very effective, too, picking up 2/14 in 15 deliveries.
Skipper Nicandro Kistna employed seven bowlers and they all responded with impressive economy rates, as Northwood failed to get on top of any of the bowlers.
Summarised scores
Kearsney College 161/3 (Ross Coetzee 89, Matthew De Oliveira 38*; Kyle Bryan 1/28); Glenwood High School 156/5 (Krian Jugoo 59, Sibonelo Phew 27, Kyle Bryan 22*; Jack O’Donovan 2/27, Ryan Browning 2/29, Michael Groom 1/15) Kearsney College won by 5 runs.
Westville Boys’ High (Nicandro Kistna 33, Roxton Payne 31, Josh Beck 20, Seth Simpson 20; Pride Buthelezi 3/37, Andrew Deeb 2/26, Kyle White 1/12); Northwood School 97/7 (Thusa Phewa 27, Kyle White 24, Harley Jagga 19; Sekou Shangase 4/23, Heath Stott 2/14, Josh Beck 1/13) Westville Boys’ High won by 62 runs.
