Roundup of the Fasken St David’s Festival
The Fasken St David’s Time Cricket Festival took place over four days last week and the participating schools rose to the occasion.
There were a number of high team scores, some big hitting from the batsmen, quite a few big wicket hauls from the spinners and plenty of evidence of smart cricket from the captains.
One would have to say that the batsmen had the upper hand, over the four days, which was to be expected on the early-season low and slow wickets. The outfields were dry and fast at the end of the winter, which made fielding difficult at times.
There were 10 centuries scored and of those four were 150 plus efforts. The top score of the week was by Roche Rautenbach of Noordheuwel who made 192 against St Alban’s. Not far behind him on 188 was Connor Esterhuizen of St John;s who got 188 against Maritzburg College.
The other big centuries were by Jacques Van der Walt of Maritzburg College (150 not out vs St Stithians) and Cameron Rowe of St Stithians (174 vs Maritzburg College).
The other centurions were: Liam Mosters (112 not out for St Stithians vs Marizburg College); Jody de Sousa (121 for St Stithians vs Maritzburg College); Heinrigh Pieterse (127 for KES vs CSA TAP); Ronan Herrman (104 for Noordheuwel vs St David’s); Pheko Moletsane (111 for St Andrew’s vs KES) and JP King (131 for St John’s vs Maritzburg College).
To confirm that the conditions favoured the batsmen, a further 40 half centuries were notched up over the four days.
There were, however, five five-wicket hauls, with three of them coming from spin-bowlers. The best figures were returned by left arm spinner Odirile Modimokoane of the CSA TAP XI who took 8/36 against KES on the second day. Franco Bekker took 6/20 for Noordheuwel vs St Alban’s; Matthew Lieberman took 5/20 for St Stithians vs Paul Roos and the Jeppe spin pair of Cian Roberston and Cael Murray took 6/56 and 5/24, respectively, against the CSA TAP XI.
There were just three wins in the 12 matches played, but most of the games were played in a positive spirit, with the captains setting reachable targets in most instances.
Two of the victories – St Stithians win over Paul Roos Gimnasium and Nooorheuwel’s win over St Alban’s – were on the back of outstanding individual performances. Rautenbach got his 192 in that game and Bekker took six wickets to dismiss St Alban’s for just 37 in their second innings.
Cameron Rowe made 174 for St Stithians to set them up for their innings and 53 runs win over Paul Roos.
The other victory came with the most exciting finish of the week. KES beat the CSA TAP team by one wicket. Their captain, Mickey Copeland got the winning runs in the gathering gloom at the end of the second day when it looked like the CSA side were going to hold out for a draw.
Odirile Modimokaung of the CSA TAP team took 19 wickets over the four days and was named the best bowler at the festival; the best batsman prize went Connor Esterhuizen of St John’s. He scored 260 runs in three innings, including a 188 against Maritzburg College on Saturday.
Pheko Moletsane of St Andrew’s was named the player of the tournament. He made 268 runs including 111 and 91 against KES on Sunday, and he took four wickets.
Summarised Scores:
First Matches
Noordheuwel first innings 331/8 (Roche Rautenbach 192, Marco Bothma 57, Gerrard Coetzee 35; James Barnetson 3/49); St Alban’s College first innings 148 (Jonathan Welch; Marco Bothma 4/35); Noordheuwel second innings 124/6 (Ronan Hermann 58); St Alban’s College seconnd innings 37 (Franco Bekker 6/20). Noordheuwel won by 270 runs.
Jeppe High School for Boys’ first innings 236/4 (Breidyn Schaper 54, Dylan Nicholas 57, Nhlanhla Mashigo 75 not out; Ronan Vardy 2/51); Clifton first innings 155 (Joshua Platford 63; Cian Robertson 3/26); Jeppe High School for Boys’ second innings 169/7 (Breidyn Schaper 79 not out, Luke Hall 48; Marco Mottura 3/49); Clifton second innings 135/4 (Ross Montgomery 53, Ronan Vardaya 31 not out; Zakhele Sibanda 3/20). Match Drawn.
St John’s College first innings 325/6 (JP King 60, Jonathan Miltz 36, Connor Edterhuizen 48, Jack Lees 102, Kyle Lion Cachet 38); St Andrew’s first innings 236 (Pheko Moletsane 66, JD Bruwer 36; Sahil Desai 4/42); St John’s College second innings 162/5 (JP King 69, Connor Esterhuizen 44); St Andrew’s second innings 114/7 (Rikus Allen 44, Corne Viljoen 43; Jack Lees 3/37). Match Drawn.
St Stithians College first innings 308/4 (Jody de Sousa 41, Cameron Rowe 37, Liam Mostert 124*, Muhammed Manack 71; Chad Fortmann 2/60); Maritzburg College first innings 352/4 (Tristan Elam 87, Jacques Van der Walt 150*, Ross Klusener 53*; Tristan Brooks 3/72); St Stithians second innings 235/3 (Jody de Sousa 121, Muhammed Manack 54). Match Drawn.
CSA TAP XI first innings 195 (Taheer Isaacs 33, Khaya Nyamathe 56*; Mickey Copeland 5/50); King Edward VII first innings 291 (Bryce Parsons 62, Heinrigh Pieterse 127; Odirile Modimokoane 4/72); CSA TAP XI second innings 222 (Juandre Johnson 30, Merrick Brett 61; Mickey Copeland 4/56); King Edward VII second innings 127/9 (Bryce Parsons 28; Odirile Modimokoane 8/36). King Edward VII won by one wicket.
Paul Roos Gimnasium first innings 261/7 (Josh Cox 61, Ruben Senekal 74, Sam Vhamaly 54; Imaad Moosa 3/57); St David’s Marist first innings 117 (Thomas Taylor 40; Andrew Siebert 3/13, Erlank Pretorius 2/12).
St David’s Marist second innings 356/6 (Adam Gamsy 94, Josh Pilling 88, Kushdeep Nanra 55, Bradley Griffon 64 not out). Match Drawn.
Second Matches
Paul Roos Gimnasium first innings 187 (Josh Cox 30, Stephan Maree 64; Thomas Winter 3/30); St Stithians College first innings 360/7 (Cameron Rowe 174, Jody de Sousa 51, Liam Mostert 53, Mohammed Manack 36, Billy Van Zyk 33; Stephan Maree 4/47); Paul Roos Gimnasium second innings 140 (Danico Maree 45; Matthew Lieberman 5/20). St Stithians College won by an innings and 53 runs.
St David’s Marist first innings 118 (Kushdeep Nanra 52 not out; Franco Bekker 3/32, Marco Botha 3/20); Noordheuwel first innings 190 (Ronan Herrman 104; Thamasanqa Fuyane 3/35, Kushdeep Nanra 4/11); St David’s Marist second innings 102/6 (Kushdeep Nanra 32, Josh Pilling 69, Alistair Roberts 43; Gerrard Coetzee 3/59); Noordheuwel second innings 102/6 (Roche Rautenbach 43; Imad Moosa 3/24). Match drawn.
St Andrew’s School first innings 191 (Pheko Moletsane 91; Keanan Chamier 3/37); King Edward VII first innings 293/7 (Jason Bracher 71, Bryce Parsons 53, Byron Giradeaux 41, Deeran Baba 48); St Andrew’s School second innings 272/5 (Pheko Moletsane 111, Nicolaas Liebenberg 53, JD Bruwer 32*; Bryce Parsons 3/75). Match drawn.
Clifton first innings 270/7 (Josh Platford 33, Matthew Adams 80, Teague Ridgeway 57*; Jonathan Barwick 3/70); St Alban’s College first innings 157 (Jason Schaefer 31; Marco Mottura 3/22); Clifton second innings 142/6 (Darryl Lotter 57*; Jonathan Barwick 3/70); St Alban’s College second innings 149 (Lethabo Masombuka 38). Clifton won by 106 runs.
St John’s College first innings 424/6 (Nick Halstead-Cleak 37, JP King 131, Connor Esterhuizen 188, Jack Lees 40; Dean Dyer 3/82); Maritzburg College first innings 272 (Andrew Todd 56, Jacques Van der Walt 53, Ross Klusener 50; Dean Dyer 49; Gegory Ford 3/44, Jack Lees 4/68); Maritzburg College second innings 152/9 (Dean Dyer 29; Sammy Ruwisi 3/20, Sahil Desai 3/46). Match drawn.
Jeppe High School for Boys’ first innings 231/6 (Luke Hall 57, Dylan Nicholas 50, Brayden Hicks 70; Odirile Modimokoane 3/57); CSA TAP XI first innings 180 (Tebogo Mathe 31, Emmanuel Motswiri 35; Cian Robertson 6/56); Jeppe High School for Boys’ second innings 202/7 (Dylan Nicholas 49, Duncan Brown 96; Odirile Modimokoane 4/54); CSA TAP second innings 104/6 (Ethan Keiffer 33; Cael Murray 5/24). Match drawn.
