Spinners dominate as Clifton College clips Kearsney’s wings
In a slow- and low-scoring match dominated by the spin bowlers, Clifton College recorded a hard-fought 19-run win over Kearsney College at the Riverside Sports Club, in Durban, on Saturday.
The coin flip went Clifton’s way, and they opted to bat first, which worked out well, with Veer Ramouthar and Yusuf Ahmed compiling an opening stand of 52 before Ramouthar was caught by Cole Young off the bowling of Matthew Gorrie for 20.
The very next ball, Gorrie struck again, getting through the defences of Muhammed Malek.
Opening batsman, Yusuf Ahmed, stuck around a while longer and was eventually the third man out for the highest score of the match, 38 runs, the third of Matthew Gorrie’s victims. He had spent 70 balls at the crease and struck five fours.
Hayden Drieselmann, who had added 25 runs with Ahmed, followed two runs later for 17, LBW to Rivan Moodley.
Shiraz Perumal followed for 13, bowled by Moodley. His exit, which left Clifton on 119/6, precipitated a collapse, which was brought about by Moodley and Matthew Rice, who shared the last four wickets between them.
Lawson Dinsdale doggedly resisted, taking 45 balls for his 16 runs before falling to Rice, but three of the last four batsmen were dismissed without scoring as Clifton tumbled to 128 all out after 43.3 overs.
Rice was the sharp point of the Kearsney attack, snapping up 4/25 in 9.3 overs, while Rivan Moodley challenged the Clifton batsmen with his bounce and turn, capturing 3/29 in 10. Matthew Gorrie, who removed the top three in the Clifton batting order, finished with 3/41 from his 10.
Needing only 129 to win from 50 overs, Kearsney didn’t face a tough required run rate, but scoring was not easy on the Riverside Sports Club pitch, and it offered the spinners some bite and turn.
The tall left-arm spinner, Blake Johnson, took the new ball and struck quickly for Clifton, getting rid of Jason De Gryse and Cole Young cheaply. Caleb Naicker, meanwhile, chipped in with the wicket of Aaron Blackburn to leave Kearsney reeling on 18/3.
Rivan Moodley and Asher Hollister halted the Clifton train for a while, though, combining for a fourth wicket partnership of 43 before Moodley was caught by Johnson off of his fellow leg-spinner, Shiraz Perumal for 33 from 51 deliveries, three of which he had hit for four.
Hollister and Jonty Wiggett tacked on another 21 runs before Wiggett was bowled by Keegan Watson for eight.
Hollister became the sixth man out, stumped by Dinsdale off the bowling of Perumal for 34. He had faced 55 balls and struck six fours. When Hollister departed, Kearsney had 94 runs on the scoreboard. They added only 15 more.
Perumal snared two of the remaining wickets, while Johnson and Watson nabbed one each as Kearsney’s run chase fell away and they slid to 109 all out in 31 overs.
The visitors’ downfall was the lack of support for the batting efforts of Moodley and Hollister. After those two batsmen, the next highest score was Wiggett’s eight.
Perumal and Johnson spearheaded the Clifton attack, with Perumal returning 4/26 from 10, while Johnson knocked back 3/36 from his 10. Keegan Watson chipped in with 2/18 in four as Clifton claimed a tightly contested 19-run victory.
Summarised scorecard
Clifton College 128/10 (Yusuf Ahmed 38, Veer Ramouthar 20; Matthew Rice 4/25, Rivan Moodley 3/29, Matthew Gorrie 3/41); Kearsney College 109/10 (Asher Hollister 34, Rivan Moodley 33; Shiraz Perumal 4/26, Blake Johnson 3/36, Keegan Watson 2/18). Clifton College won by 19 runs.
