St Andrew’s College and Queen’s College close Cape Schools Festival with big wins
Samuel Scheckter blasted a masterful century, while Rhys Wiblin bagged a five-wicket haul to help St Andrew’s College register an emphatic 177-run victory over Union High in their final Cape Schools Cricket Festival contest on Wynberg Boys’ High’s Silverhurst A Field on Tuesday.
Less than 10km away, Queen’s College and Dale College locked horns in a traditional rivalry on Rondebosch Boys’ High’s Meadows A Field, where Khazimla Simama’s bowling mastery and five-wicket haul led Queen’s to a comfortable 58-run win.
St Andrew’s College won the toss and chose to bat first, making good use of the opportunity to power their way to 316/8 in 50 overs. Union High, in reply, was unable to match the Makhands school’s momentum. Their innings lasted 38.5 overs, and they were all out for only 139.
St Andrew’s didn’t start well, losing William Beamish and Benjamin Scharges in the powerplay, which left them on 36/2 after 7.2 overs.
However, the departure of the duo opened the door for Scheckter, who took control of the innings over the next 35.4 overs. He faced 106 deliveries for his outstanding 101, striking nine fours and a six. Benjamin Coventry, with whom he shared a 98-run fifth-wicket partnership, contributed a vital 37 runs from 47 deliveries, while Warrick Campbell cracked a brisk 32 off 18 balls at the death.
Union’s Trystan Hulleman was again among the wickets, picking up 3/51, while Callum Jacobs was the pick of the Graaff-Reinet school’s attack, with a tidy haul of 3/38.
Union High’s start, by contrast, was decent, with Makukhanye de Beer (23) and Hulleman (19) putting up 50 for the first wicket. However, the tide swiftly turned when Union lost three wickets for 13 runs in 2.2 overs.
Wiblin was the architect of their undoing, capturing a match-winning 5/18 from 4.5 overs.
At Rondebosch, Queen’s decided to bat first after winning the toss. Battling tenaciously, the Komani boys tallied 170 all out in 43.3 overs. It didn’t matter that their total appeared average because they had Khazimla Simama, who bagged a five-wicket haul as Dale College was bundled out for only 112 in reply.
Queen’s decision to bat first went awry when Lihlumelo Ngcukana and Khwezi Mtshakazi took three early wickets to reduce them to 25/3 after seven overs. A 55-run fourth-wicket partnership between Ross Fitzhenry (19) and Rowan Miles (59) steadied the innings.
When that partnership ended, Miles and Caleb Waller shared a 64-run stand and those two healthy partnerships proved to be more than enough.
Afika Ganda fought hard with a steady 36-ball 39 when it was Dale College’s turn to bat, but the opener lacked support as he witnessed a steady stream of partners departing. Inga Mafanga was the only other Dale College player to reach double figures, contributing a run-a-ball 17.
Simama undermined their batting effort, knocking over 5/22 in 4.2 overs, while Chulumanco Geza inflicted further damage, returning 3/25 from five.
Scorecards
St Andrew’s College 316/8 (Samuel Scheckter 101, Benjamin Coventry 37, Warrick Campbell 32*; Callum Jacobs 3/38, Trystan Hulleman 3/51) Union High 139/10 (Xavier Barlow 29*, Makukhanye de Beer 23; Rhys Wiblin 5/18, Thomas Bussiahn 2/4, Andrew Turvey 2/40). St Andrew’s College won by 177 runs.
Queen’s College 170/10 (Rowan Miles 59, Caleb Waller 27; Sibongisile Nzima 4/26, Lihlumelo Ngcukana 3/35, Khwezi Mtshakazi 3/15). Dale College 112/10 (Afika Ganda 39, Inga Mafanga 17; Khazimla Simama 5/22, Chulumanco Geza 3/25). Queen’s College won by 58 runs.
