Saulez sees Clifton to win over Cornwall Hill, Waterkloof powers past Kearsney
Fresh off a win over St John’s College, Clifton followed up with a three-wicket victory over Cornwall Hill College on Monday at the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week. With only one matric boy in their lineup, Clifton has impressed.
Playing in Howick, they opted to field first after winning the toss, and that proved to be a good decision as the Clifton new ball bowlers ripped through the top of the Cornwall Hill batting lineup.
On 20/3, the Pretoria side was in serious trouble, but they were rescued when the Blignaut brothers, Kian and Michael, joined forces out in the middle. They shared a 70-run partnership for the fourth wicket but were both dismissed with the total on 90.
Michael Blignaut was run out for a fighting 32 and Kian Blignaut followed shortly after that, caught off the bowling of Luthando Mazibuko for the innings’ top score of 35.
The departure of the brothers precipitated a rapid collapse. From 90/3, Cornwall Hill tumbled to 117/10. Shiraz Perumal was primarily responsible for undoing the Gauteng side’s batting effort. He returned a superb 4/16 from 6.4 overs and was well supported by opening bowler, Tim Saulez, who claimed 2/27.
His new ball partner, Regan Radley, bowled tightly, picking up 1/11 from six overs, while Luthando Mazibuko was tidy, too, returning 1/20 from eight, and Shahzaad Perumal added to the pressure exerted by the other bowlers, snaring 1/17 from nine overs.
Clifton’s run chase started every bit as poorly as Cornwall Hill’s innings had begun. They were wobbling in the early going, on 18/3, with Michael Blignaut picking up two sticks and Kian Blignaut one. When Tim Saulez, the scorer of an unbeaten 80 against St John’s the previous day, joined Byron Ward out in the middle. though, the Durban school’s fortunes took a solid upswing.
They put on 48 together before Ward fell, another Michael Blignaut victim, for 22. Saulez was still there, though, and he was harsh on any wayward bowling. Between them, Zach Williamson and Cohen Naidoo added only five runs, but when they had departed, Clifton had advanced by a further 28 runs.
Lawson Dinsdale then provided Saulez with the support he needed and they brought the scores level, which was when Dinsdale was dismissed for 16 by Obakeng Mokonyane, his third wicket of the Clifton innings. Clifton, though, claimed the win soon after that.
Saulez finished unbeaten on 54 from only 49 deliveries, with eight fours. On a low-scoring day, that effort shone brightly.
Obakeng Mokonyane bowled well to claim 3/20 from 5.5 overs, while Kian and Michael Blignaut picked up two wickets apiece, although they were a trifle expensive. Kian went for 41 runs from his five overs, while Michael conceded 60 in 10.
At Lynwood, Hoërskool Waterkloof showed why they’re so highly regarded by making light work of a decent total set by a good Kearsney College team.
Klofies, bravely, elected to send Kearsney in to bat. That decision didn’t work out that well, although Jaco van der Walt had Jason de Gryse caught for only eight.
Matthew Lamplough and Cameron Veenstra then added 35 for the second wicket before Lamplough was out for 28, with the total on 58. That brought Kearsney captain Ross Coetzee to the crease. While Coetzee has been in good form, Veenstra, a classy batsman, had been a little off his best in the early part of the season, but he was playing himself into form against Waterkloof.
The pair shared a 95-run stand for the third wicket before Coetzee was bowled by Ruan Ferreira for 39 from 47, which had included four fours and a six.
Veenstra was still there, however, and he went on to score exactly 100 from 107 deliveries, with 11 fours and three sixes. When his excellent knock finally came to an end, Kearsney had reached 230/6 in the 46th over.
At the opposite end, SA u21 hockey player, Matthew de Oliveira, continued showing off his chops with a cricket bat. He struck four fours and a six in an unbeaten 36 from 24 balls to help Kearsney to 258/8 from their 50 overs.
Jaco van der Walt led the Waterkloof bowling attack well, knocking over 3/39 in 10 overs, while Marcus Bakker did a solid job, returning 2/42 from nine. Ruan Ferreira, who took the crucial wicket of Ross Coetzee, shone with a return of 1/33 from 10.
Bakker then led the way as Waterkloof aggressively pursued Kearsney’s total. After the Klofies had lost Johan Feuth for a single and Divan Behrens for 16, Bakker and captain Beukes van den Berg laid into the KZN school’s bowlers. In just 12.4 overs, they added 107 runs.
Bakker was then caught behind by De Oliveira off the bowling of leg-spinner Asavela Khambule for 79, but the damage had been done. He’d smashed five sixes and 10 fours in a stay of only 44 balls. Bakker’s departure brought Riley Miller to the wicket, and he was, very nearly, as ruthless towards the Kearsney bowlers.
Van den Berg fell to Khambule in the 24th over, out for 39, including five fours, but Waterkloof’s assault carried on when Rico van der Walt joined Riley Miller in the middle. They added 82 in only 8.1 overs to bring the Pretoria team to within sight of victory. Van der Walt was dismissed just six runs shy of that target, but he had played his part, striking five fours and a six in a 26-ball 33.
Miller finished unbeaten on 66, with his six sixes bettering Bakkes’ big knock by one. He also lashed five fours in an aggressive 42-ball innings.
When Waterkloof clinched the win, they had done so in just 32.4 overs.
Unsurprisingly, some of the Kearsney bowlers came in for some tap. Two of them emerged with some credit, however, with Sandiswa Yeni returning 2/41 from eight overs, while Asavela Khambule picked up 2/25 from six. Nine wides, though, meant his analysis was not as impressive as it might have been.
Summarised scorecards
Cornwall Hill College 117/10 (Kian Blignaut 35, Michael Blignaut 32, Shiraz Perumal 4/16, Tim Saulez 2/27); Clifton College 123/7 (Tim Saulez 54*, Byron Ward 22, Obakeng Mokonyane 3/20, Kian Blignaut 2/41, Michael Blignaut 2/60). Clifton College won by three wickets.
Kearsney College 258/8 (Cameron Veenstra 100, Ross Coetzee 39, Matthew De Oliveira 36*, Matthew Lamplough 28, Jaco van der Walt 3/39, Marcus Bakker 2/42); Hoërskool Waterkloof 261/5 (Marcus Bakker 79, Riley Miller 66*, Beukes van den Berg 39, Rico van der Walt 33, Asavela Khambule 2/35, Sandiswa Yeni 2/41). Waterkloof won by five wickets.
