Simpson steers Westville to victory, College wins Pietermaritzburg derby
Michaelhouse matched King Edward VII (KES) by winning all four of their matches at the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week, but ‘House‘s fortunes have taken a down-turn in the past two weeks. Beaten by Kearsney last weekend, Michaelhouse went down to Westville Boys’ High by six wickets at Westville on Saturday.
The toss, at least, went the visitors’ way and they batted first. It was slow going, with Michaelhouse losing momentum the longer their innings progressed. In the end, it took them 47 overs to reach 155 all out.
Cody Sander top-scored with a painstaking and unbeaten 38 from 85 balls, with only one four. In the context of the match, though, it was a necessarily measured and defiant knock. Rex Wardlaw, with 23 from 65, was the only other batsman to make it to twenty.
The primary reason for ‘House’s struggles was left-arm spinner, Ewan du Toit, who turned the screws on the visitors, snaring 3/15 from 10 overs. Captain Seth Simpson picked up 2/28 with his leg spin, while the seamers, Dayalan Boyce and Lwandle Bulose, with 1/16 in seven and 1/11 in four respectively, kept Michaelhouse in check.
Westville made a steady if somewhat subdued start to their reply, with Aaron Rasmussen and Ewan du Toit sharing an opening stand of 53 in 15.3 overs before Rasmussen was LBW to Liam O’Dwyer for 23. The very next ball, O’Dwyer struck again, dismissing Kyle McGough.
Seth Simpson and Ewan du Toit then knuckled down and added 41 runs in 13 overs before Du Toit’s excellent all-round contribution came to an end when he was bowled by Radhesh Jhilmeet for 41.
Tristin Delvin replaced his fellow left-arm spinner and partnered Simpson in a fourth-wicket stand of 38 runs, which took Westville to 133/4 after 40.4 overs.
The winning runs eventually came up in the 45th over, with Simpson, having played a captain’s knock, which saw him finish unbeaten on 51 from 75 balls, which included only one four. Misbah Nair was on 16 not out.
Liam O’Dwyer was the best of the Michaelhouse bowlers, with 2/28 from 10 overs, while Radhesh Jhilmeet snagged 2/33 from eight.
Maritzburg College vs St Charles College
On Goldstone’s, in a battle of Pietermaritzburg rivals, Maritzburg College chased down a solid St Charles College total to win by six wickets with 13 balls to spare.
Saints took to the crease first and posted 245/7. Their innings was highlighted by a 100-run partnership for the third wicket between Caleb Sharp and Rico Honiball.
Sharp led the way with 69 from 103 balls, stroking nine fours, while Honiball tallied 63 from 79, which included three fours and two sixes.
Late in the visitors’ innings, AJ Bosman blasted three sixes and a four in a quickfire 43 not out from 28 balls and shared a 49-run sixth-wicket partnership with Connor Simpson, who made 22.
Captain Daniel Nadasan spun his way to 2/30 from seven overs for College, while Sam Hughes nabbed 2/39 in seven.
In reply, College lost Nadasan for 13 early, but Kyle de Bruyn and Akhil Bharath firmed up the hosts’ reply with a 72-run stand for the second wicket before De Bruyn was caught by Ryan Clarke off Keegan Vermaak‘s bowling for 35.
The opener’s exit brought Karl Dedekind to the wicket, and he and Bharath then proceeded to take the game away from Saints, advancing the score by 107 runs from 116 balls in a decisive third-wicket partnership.
Bharath was out with the total on 199 for 84, another victim of Vermaak, but he had done his job well, striking five fours and a six during his 112-ball stay.
Deolyn Naidoo didn’t stay long but, at the other end of the pitch, Dedekind had the bit between his teeth. He and Sphamandla Dzanibe saw College across the line, tacking on an unbroken 28 runs for the fifth wicket.
Dedekind’s contribution was an unbeaten 86 from only 81 deliveries, three of which he smashed for six and another three which he sent to the boundary.
Keegan Vermaak was the only St Charles bowler to pick up more than one wicket, but he was a touch expensive, going for 53 runs from his 10 overs.
Summarised scorecards
Michaelhouse 155/10 (Cody Sander 38*, Rex Wardlaw 23; Ewan du Toit 3/15, Seth Simpson 2/28); Westville Boys’ High 157/4 (Seth Simpson 51*, Ewan du Toit 44, Aaron Rasmussen 23; Liam O’Dwyer 2/28, Radhesh Jhilmeet 2/33). Westville Boys’ High won by six wickets.
St Charles College 245/7 (Caleb Sharp 69, Rico Honiball 63, AJ Bosman 43*, Connor Simpson 22; Daniel Nadasan 2/30, Sam Hughes 2/39); Maritzburg College 249/4 (Karl Dedekind 86*, Akhil Bharath 84, Kyle de Bruyn 35, Keegan Vermaak 2/53). Maritzburg College won by six wickets.
