St John’s fights off SA challengers, wins St John’s Rams T20
St John’s College withstood the challenges of three KZN schools – Kearsney College, Clifton College, and Maritzburg College – defeating each of them on the way to lifting the St John’s Rams T20 title in Harare on Sunday.
It was a triumph of teamwork for the hosts whose success came from excellence in the field and everyone chipping in with the bat.
Throughout the event, they didn’t produce many big individual batting contributions, but there were few failures on their scorecards as contributions down the order enabled them to produce enough runs to defend.
The three KZN schools all made it to the semi-finals, with Kearsney, the defending champions, going on to face St John’s for the title.
In the final, after the Rams had posted 154/8, it came down to Kearsney needing a six off the last ball to tie the game, and Asavela Khambule very nearly delivered it.
He smashed a delivery from Toana Zimhunga towards the boundary, and it appeared as if it was headed for the maximum, but Connor Lovatt snatched a super catch out of the sky to secure the title for St John’s.
Their innings was led by Takudzwa Nduku‘s 39 and 28 from Dhaneel Goven, while Sandiswa Yeni removed four batsmen, capturing 4/.22 from his four overs.
In reply, Kearsney found themselves in early trouble, with four of their top five back in the hut and only 30 runs on the board after Cameron Rowbotham snapped up 3/15 in three.
Skipper Ross Coetzee, together with Matthew Lamplough, put a halt to the Rams’ successes, lifting the Kearsney total to 82 before Coetzee fell for 47 from 33 deliveries, with six fours and a six. Lamplough followed with the total on 94, out for 22 runs from 21 balls.
Cole Young, with a much-needed 26 from 13, which featured three fours and two sixes, and Sandiswa Yeni with 19 from 16, gave Kearsney a chance, but Asavela Khambule’s big blast for glory was caught.
St John’s didn’t emerge from the tournament unscathed. They were beaten by CBC Bulawayo in a pool match.
Clifton sparkled in pool play, crushing Churchill by 113 runs, St George’s College by 39 runs, and Falcon College by 87 runs. In the semi-finals, though, St John’s had the Durban school’s number and they powered their way to a 60-run victory after bowling out Clifton for 85.
Tim Saulez provided the individual highlight for Clifton, blasting an unbeaten 101 from only 50, which included 12 fours and two sixes, in their win over St George’s.
However, not even Saulez could match Kearsney’s astonishing effort against Hellenic Academy. In that game, they tallied a massive 281/4 in their 20 overs, led by 118 off only 49 balls from the Batsman of the Tournament, Jack O’Donovan. His innings featured 10 towering sixes and nine fours. Ross Coetzee, meanwhile, went wild. He clubbed an astonishing 79 from just 22 balls, launching nine sixes and five fours.
Even more incredible was their 100-run partnership, which came up in only 22 balls. Is it a South African schoolboy cricket record? Who knows, but it has to be one of the most brutal partnerships ever put together at 1st XI level.
O’Donovan finished the festival with 249 runs at an average of 62.25, and a strike rate of 244.12 runs per 100 balls, while Coetzee was not far behind him, with 218 runs at 54.50 and a strike rate of 213.73.
Maritzburg College captain Chad Mason was also one of the leading run scorers, with 179 runs at 59.67, and a strike rate of 116.23. He was the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, too, dismissing 13 batsmen, three more than any other bowler managed, at an average of just nine.
Thanks to that all-round excellence, Mason was named the St John’s Rams T20 Most Valuable Player.
College, playing in the event for the first time, started as if they were familiar with the conditions, charging to a 75-run win over Harare’s Prince Edward after bowling the local team out for 110 behind Mason’s 5/21, and then thumping CBC Bulawayo by nine wickets in their second game.
While Clifton cruised on Saturday, the second day of the event, dismissing Falcon College for a lowly 63 to score a big 87-run win, Kearsney and Maritzburg College were shown that it wasn’t going to be plain sailing.
The defending champs needed their last-wicket pair to get them past Peterhouse, who were defending only 106/7, while College ran into St John’s and came up 25 runs short after being bowled out for 143.
That defeat sent the Red, Black, and White into an eliminator against Falcon College, and 97 off 57 from Michael Gibson, who was run out for 10 in the loss to St John’s, helped College to a challenging 200/4.
Falcon made a valiant effort to chase down that daunting total, but they were never quite up to the required pace and were held to 172/5, which meant the Pietermaritzburg boys advanced to the semi-finals where they would face a familiar foe in Kearsney.
Unfortunately for Mason and his men, Kearsney was all over them in that meeting. Only Mason, with 21 from 33, and Daniel Nadasan, with 22 from 19, made it into double figures as Maritzburg College was rolled for just 73.
Ryan Browning, with 3/21, Sandiswa Yeni, with 2/8, and Asavela Khambule, with 2/10, did the damage, and Kearsney needed less tha four runs an over to win.
They took only nine to book their place in the title decider, with an unbeaten 38 off 17 from Jack O’Donovan, which included three sixes and four fours, and 29 from Jonty Wiggett, steering them to an easy victory.
The other semi-final also didn’t take long to complete. After putting up 145/9. St John’s bowled out Clifton for 85 in just 12 overs to move on to the final.
Connor Lovatt, who would take the last catch in the final, knocked over 4/14 and Cameron Rowbotham claimed 3/15. Caleb Naicker shone for Clifton with a return of 3/14.
FINAL STANDINGS
St John’s College (Harare)
Kearsney College
Clifton College
Maritzburg College
Wise Owl
Falcon College
CBC Bulawayo
Peterhouse
St George’s College
Prince Edward
Hellenic Academy
Churchill
SCORES
Clifton College 189/8 (Zach Williamson 48, Rivan Moodley 34, Byron Ward 29, Tim Saulez 29, Ryan Madzima 2/27, Wesly Maramwidze 2/49); Churchill 76/10 (Itai Makono 23, Tim Saulez 3/11, Shiraz Perumal 2/20)
Clifton College won by 113 runs
Hellenic Academy 138/8 (Daniel Makings 88*, Tafadzwa Jashaya 4/22, Ryan Moyo 3/17); Peterhouse 139/2 (Tyler Chapman 59, Luke Marillier 28*, Kohl Eksteen 23*)
Peterhouse won by 8 wickets
Kearsney College 243/5 (Ross Coetzee 82, Jack O’Donovan 55, Cole Young 32*, Cameron Veenstra 23, Murray Weyer 22, Tatenda Chimuguro 2/38); Wise Owl 217/4 (Carlton Takawira 73, Panashe Gwatiringa 65, Villan Changa 54, Murray Weyer 2/45)
Kearsney College won by 26 runs
Maritzburg College 185/3 (Oliver Da Costa 76, Chad Mason 68, Shayne Garwe 2/41); Prince Edward 110/10 (Shayne Garwe 34, Nigel Mazhindu 31, Chad Mason 5/21, Nathan Pembridge 3/20)
Maritzburg College won by 75 runs
St George’s College 133/8 (Takudzwa Magaya 47*, Munesu Chitongo 29*, Takudzwa Mangena 20, Bradley Wentzel 3/17, Benjamin Williams 3/35); Falcon College 137/3 (Nathaniel Hlabangana 53, Callum Orford 36*)
Falcon College won by 7 wickets
CBC Bulawayo 170/9 (Michael Chimedza 46, Munashe Chimusoro 32, Travis Pettican 23, Dhaneel Goven 3/34, Emmanuel Mushosho 2/41); St John’s College 135/10 (Dhaneel Goven 47, Takudzwa Nduku 26, Dylan Saudan 4/24)
CBC Bulawayo won by 35 runs
Kearsney College 281/4 (Jack O’Donovan 118, Ross Coetzee 79, Cameron Veenstra 46, Luke van Zyl 3/36); Hellenic Academy 138/8 (Matthew Landman 38, Christian Des Fontaine 35, Ryan Browning 2/9, Asavela Khambule 2/31)
Kearsney College won by 143 runs
Clifton College 194/7 (Tim Saulez 101*, Rivan Moodley 20, Jayden Petersen 2/20, Takudzwa Magaya 2/40); St George’s College 155/5 (Takudzwa Magaya 60, Takudzwa Mangena 51, Mutsawashe Choto 23, Gabriel Vermeulen 3/26)
Clifton College won by 39 runs
CBC Bulawayo 116/9 (Munashe Chimusoro 55, Chad Mason 4/26, Oliver Da Costa 2/15); Maritzburg College 117/1 (Daniel Nadasan 32*, Chad Mason 30*, Oliver Da Costa 23)
Maritzburg College won by 9 wickets
St John’s College 227/5 (Luke Wright 70, John-Mark Benade 58, Connor Lovatt 32, Takudzwa Nduku 20, Peterson Makatare 2/29); Prince Edward 105/10 (Keith Mabhena 29, Peterson Makatare 24, Dhaneel Goven 3/11, Connor Lovatt 2/15)
St John’s College won by 122 runs
Churchill 70/10 (Nathaniel Hlabangana 2/8, Darren Ncube 2/11, Zane Sibanda 2/16, Bradley Wentzel 2/17); Falcon College 71/0 (Nathaniel Hlabangana 36*, Alastair Carle 32*)
Falcon College won by 10 wickets
Wise Owl 144/10 (Carlton Takawira 33, Thelson Madziwana 25, Marshall Mashava 22, Tafadzwa Kashaya 4/24, Sean Bennett 2/37); Peterhouse 98/10 (Luke Marrilier 24, Carlton Takawira 2/12, Simbarashe Mudzengerere 2/14, Tadiwanashe Kurehwatira 2/17, Shane Kayemba 2/20)
Wise Owl won by 46 runs
Hellenic Academy 117/10 (Dhruv Patel 55, Panashe Gwatiringa 3/21, Carlton Takawira 2/17, Shane Kayemba 2/26); Wise Owl 118/4 (Villan Changa 44, Carlton Takawira 24*)
Wise Owl won by 6 wickets
Churchill 120/8 (Itai Makono 32, Amilius Muduma 21, Takudzwa Magaya 3/27, Jayden Petersen 2/20); St George’s College 121/7 (Mutsawashe Choto 28, Takudzwa Magaya 26, Cole Mukoko 3/26)
St George’s College won by 3 wickets
Peterhouse 106/7 (Sean Bennett 30, Luke Marillier 21, Asavela Khambule 3/12); Kearsney College 110/9 (Jack O’Donovan 32, Kohl Eksteen 3/34, Tafadzwa Kashaya 2/12 Ryan Moyo 2/31)
Kearsney College won by one wicket
CBC Bulawayo 156/9 (Joshua Armstrong 35, Rowyn Konson 25, Sydney Ndlovu 23, Munashe Chimusoro 20, Shane Garwe 3/24, Keith Mabhena 2/33); Prince Edward 160/4 (Shayne Garwe 47, Nigel Mazhindu 41, Academy Chauke 33*, Takudzwa Maposa 2/40)
Prince Edward won by 6 wickets
St John’s College 168/9 (Connor Lovatt 44, John-Mark Benade 33, Dhaneel Goven 29, James Manning 23*, Samuel Hughes 3/31, Chad Mason 2/16); Maritzburg College 143/10 (Tian van Niekerk 50, Joseph Currie 31*, Chad Mason 25)
St John’s College won by 25 runs
Clifton College 150/10 (Byron Ward 46, Tim Saulez 22, Hayden Drieselman 21, Reed Merick 3/25, Liam Nel 2/26); Falcon College 63/10 (Shiraz Perumal 4/13, Tim Saulez 3/13, Shahzaad Perumal 2/10)
Clifton College won by 87 runs
Eliminator
St John’s College 208/3 (Takudzwa Mduku 81, Connor Lovatt 37, John-Mark Benade 36*, Tyde Stirrup 22); Wise Owl 166/9 (Panashe Gwatiringa 59, Thelson Madziwana 55, John-Mark Benade 4/34, Toana Zimhunga 2/32)
St John’s College won by 42 runs
Eliminator
Maritzburg College 200/4 (Michael Gibson 97, Chad Mason 35, Oliver Da Costa 36); Falcon College 172/5 (Callum Orford 58*, Neil Rosenfels 30*, Karl Dedekind 3/11)
Maritzburg College won by 28 runs
Eleventh Place
Hellenic Academy 195/6 (Hamish Watson 76*, Dhruv Patel 31, Fergus Watson 26, Ryan Madzima 2/28, Tapiwa Mushope 2/29); Churchill 132/7 (Cole Mukoko 43, Wesly Maramwidze 20, Ronak Patel 3/22)
Hellenic Academy won by 63 runs
Ninth Place
Prince Edward 152/6 (Nigel Mazindhu 54, Peterson Makatare 37*, Tyrelle Zuze 2/24, Benjamin Mazanago 2/29); St George’s College 153/7 (Takudzwa Magaya 52*, Abhiraj Singh 29, Takudzwa Mangena 23, Keith Mabhena 3/27, Shayne Garwe 2/11)
St George’s College won by 3 wickets
Seventh Place
Peterhouse 114/10 (Luke Marillier 33, Rukudzo Midzi 23, Praneet Dhaya 4/7, Michael Chimedza 3/30); CBC Bulawayo 118/3 (Michael Chimedza 63, Luke Marillier 2/29)
CBC Bulawayo won by seven wickets
Semi-final
St John’s College 145/9 (John-Mark Benade 31, Tyde Stirrup 20, Caleb Naicker 3/14, Gabriel Vermeulen 2/23, Shahzaad Perumal 2/28); Clifton College 85/10 (Callum Watson 23, Byron Ward 21, Connor Lovatt 4/14, Cameron Rowbotham 3/15, Toana Zimhunga 2/18)
St John’s College won by 60 runs
Semi-final
Maritzburg College 73/10 (Daniel Nadasan 22, Chad Mason 21, Ryan Browning 3/21, Sandiswa Yeni 2/8, Asavela Khambule 2/10); Kearsney College 77/2 (Jack O’Donovan 38*, Jonty Wiggett 29)
Kearsney College won by eight wickets
Final
St John’s College 154/8 (Takudzwa Nduku 39, Dhaneel Goven 28, John-Mark Benadie 21, Sandiswa Yeni 4/22); Kearsney College 148/9 (Ross Coetzee 47, Cole Young 26, Matthew Lamplough 22, Cameron Rowbotham 3/15, Toana Zimhunga 2/15, Dhaneel Goven 2/32)
St John’s College won by six runs
