Rusties upset Gimmies to book rematch with Saints in Central Region final
Hoërskool Rustenburg underlined just how unpredictable the T20 format can be in the semi-final round of the Switch Schools SA20 Central Region playoffs on Saturday.
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Rusties pulled off a major upset on the Ibbies Oval, at North-West University, defeating the only unbeaten side in the competition, Potchefstroom Gimnasium, by 31 runs.
In Phase One of the competition, Rustenburg lost to Gimmies in the North West final, so Saturday’s win represented redemption of the highest order for last year’s North West champions.
Rustenburg’s bowling attack proved decisive. Thian Labuschagne, the leading wicket-taker countrywide in Phase Two of the tournament, added two more scalps to his tally, including that of the dangerous Christivan Coetzer with the second ball of the innings.
His remarkable tournament figures now read 11 wickets for 87 runs from four matches, with an exceptional strike rate of 8.4 balls per wicket and an economy rate of just 5.6 runs per over in the four matches he has played since Friday morning.
While Callie Fryer shares second place on the wicket-taking chart with eight dismissals, it was his contribution with the bat that made a greater impact in the semi-final showdown. He top-scored with a crucial 53 from only 42 balls, striking four fours and two sixes in the highest individual score for Hoërskool Rustenburg in their 151/3.
Augie Behrens and Hendri Kemp, meanwhile, supported Thian Labuschagne well and exerted further pressure by claiming a combined four wickets for 48 runs. Behrens was the most economical of the trio, nabbing 2/19.
Lukas Kotze (27) and Henré Cronjé (21) briefly revived Gimmies‘ hopes of a successful chase, but a couple of run outs halted their momentum, and Potchefstroom Gimnasium was restricted to 120 all out in 16.3 overs, well short of the victory target of 152.
In the other semi-final, on the NWU Main Oval, the Central Region’s defending champions, St Andrew’s School, booked their place in Sunday’s final with minimal fuss. Saints swept aside Hoërskool Trio, cantering to a convincing eight-wicket victory after dismissing the Kroonstad side for just 57.
Nikhil Sukraj, who, like Callie Fryer, boasts eight wickets from four matches, led the attack with figures of 3/19 and was ably supported by Schalk van Rensburg (2/11) and Erhard Barends (2/22).
What made the Bloemfontein side’s bowling performance particularly impressive was their discipline: across the 12 overs they bowled, not a single extra was conceded – a reflection of a championship-quality attack and a well-drilled unit.
On Sunday, Rusties will take a second shot at Saints after they lost by a big margin of 95 runs to the Bloemfontein boys on the first day. This time, though, a place in the national final of the Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two competition will be on the line.
Summarised scorecards
Hoërskool Rustenburg 151/3 (Carl Fryer 53*, Thian Labuschagne 35, Andries Fryer 30, Tristan van der Linde 22; Ruhann Steenkamp 1/10); Potchefstroom Gimnasium 120 (Lukas Kotze 27, Henré Cronjé 21; Augie Behrens 2/19, Hendri Kemp 2/29, Thian Labuschagne 2/30). Hoërskool Rustenburg won by 31 runs.
Trio 57 (Dylan Young 24; Nikhil Sukraj 3/19, Schalk van Rensburg 2/11, Erhard Barends 2/22); St Andrew’s School 58/2 (Dean Katzin 30*; Zothile Zwane 2/15). St Andrew’s School won by eight wickets.
