Sensational Simpson steers Westville to W100 title
Westville Boys’ High cricket captain Seth Simpson delivered a dream performance to guide his team to a seven-wicket win over Durban High School in the final of the W100 Series at Kingsmead, in Durban, on Wednesday evening.
When last the schools had met, in the final of the Clifton T20 Tournament, DHS had won by 15 runs. That day, DHS fast bowler and captain Bayanda Majola struck Simpson a fearsome blow, resulting in a concussion. To add insult to injury, the ball, after hitting the Westville skipper, trickled onto the stumps and dislodged the bails.
This time, it was Simpson, with his leg spin and his bat, dictating the path of the match. He knocked over 5/11 in four overs, which helped restrict DHS to only 101 all out. Then, he followed up with an unbeaten 50 from just 34 balls, with six fours and one memorable, humungous, straight-driven six, to see his side to the title with 22 balls to spare.
On an individual note, he said of his performance: “It’s special, but I’ll keep trying to have more of these performances. I’ve had one or two in the past, but nothing as special as that. In a final, there is always pressure, but I’m looking to do that more often. That’s my goal.”
The atmosphere was lively, with large numbers of boys from both schools out to support their teams, when DHS captain Bayanda Majola won the toss and opted to bat first.
There was an early success for Westville when Heath Stott clean-bowled Ethan Cooper for five, but Ismaeel Omar and Josh van Biljon, School‘s key batsmen, settled down quickly. Van Biljon, in particular, looked extremely comfortable. He struck two fours and effortlessly clipped a ball off his pads for six.
However, he went for one big shot too many when he attempted to loft Dayalan Boyce over long-off. His shot was a little too flat and Sean McGough raced in from the boundary and dived forward to pull off a superb catch. Van Biljon was out for 15 from 10 deliveries.
The very next ball, Boyce struck again, this time with a pinpoint yorker, which cleaned out the dangerous Taine Havermann. That was a massive blow for the Griffin and it left DHS on a wobbly 31/3.
Lazlo Jooste and Ismaeel Omar steadied the innings, however, with a well-constructed 62-run partnership. They worked the ball around the wicket nicely and ran well between the wickets. It took Boyce to end their fine stand with another superb yorker, which accounted for Omar. He had faced 36 balls, struck three fours, and made 33 runs.
DHS had fallen to 93/4, but Westville skipper Seth Simpson, after a change of ends to the Friendship Pavilion side, then destroyed School’s innings.
He bowled Dhilan Naraidu for two and also knocked back Lazlo Jooste’s, Sibusiso Msibi‘s, and Bonga Maphanga‘s stumps. Jooste had contributed a well-played 26 from 31 balls. Rahul Chetty was a further victim, trapped in front, as Simpson picked up three wickets in four balls.
While Simpson did the trick with his leg spin, Dayalan Boyce made things happen with his pace, and another precise yorker took out Bayanda Majola’s stumps.
Once 93/3, DHS crashed to 101 all out after 91 balls. While Simpson snagged a five-for, Boyce finished with 4/25 from 16 balls.
In reply, Sean and Kyle McGough put on 16 for the first wicket before Bonga Maphanga bowled Sean for three. That brought Seth Simpson to the wicket. Immediately, DHS captain Bayanda Majola brought himself on to bowl. How would Simpson respond to the challenge of the man who had caused him a concussion? The answer was with courage and class.
He and Kyle McGough added 51 runs to put their team into the ascendancy before McGough was trapped in front by Majola after scoring 17 from 22 balls, with two fours.
Simpson, though, had taken charge. He and Misbah Nair added 30, with Nair contributing only one sweetly struck four. When he was caught behind by Josh van Biljon off Taine Havermann, Westville needed only five runs to win. They made it across the line without the loss of another wicket.
Remarkably, for the fifth year in succession, Westville was crowned the 1st XI champion of the W100 League.
To no one’s surprise, Seth Simpson received the Bowler of the Match, Batsman of the Match, and Man of the Match awards.
There was some pressure to continue what had been a four-year winning streak, Simpson said afterwards: “That was always in the back of my mind. It doesn’t matter at the end of the day. Winning was our focus, not focusing on other things, just doing the small things right. That was good.”
He had dominated the game, but, he had no doubt, it was a good all-round team effort that brought his side the title: “They are a special bunch of boys,” he said of his side. “I think the vibe and the environment that we have created is something so special.”
In the u15 final, DHS, twice beaten by Westville earlier in the season, turned the tables, scoring a convincing 25-run win, while the u14 title went the way of Westville, who beat Kearsney College by 36 runs.
The u16 final, between Westville and Northwood School, will be played at Northwood on Friday.
SCORES
1st XI
Durban High School 101/10 (Ismaeel Omar 36, Lazlo Jooste 26, Seth Simpson 5/11, Dayalan Boyce 4/25); Westville Boys’ High 102/3 (Seth Simpson 50*, Taine Havermann 1/15). Westville Boys’ High won by seven wickets.
u15
Durban High School 125/4 (Jeremiah Joseph 67, Yunus Limalia 2/24); Westville Boys’ High 100/5 (K. McDowell 25, Kian Govindsamy 2/16). Durban High School won by 25 runs.
u14
Westville Boys’ High 122/5 (Cameron Rudolph 43*, M. Shea 28, Ryan Staats 1/19); Kearsney College 86/6 (L. Crandon 28, Luyanda Nzuza 1/4). Westville Boys’ High won by 36 runs.
