St John’s Harare and St Alban’s win on day two of iHlobo Festival
With the rain holding off for most of Tuesday, Uplands College and St John’s College (Harare) were able to get in a quick T20 game on day two of the iHlobo Festival at Kearsney College. There was a tighter contest between St Alban’s and Falcon College, with both teams, from outside of KZN, given an opportunity to play ahead of the local sides.
Batting first on Osler Field, Uplands’ innings lasted only 12 overs as the Rams‘ bowlers struck regularly to prevent the White River school from putting together any useful partnerships.
Captain Leam van Zyl clattered three fours at the top of the order, top-scoring with 20 from 18 deliveries, while Luke Barnard blasted a six and two fours in his hasty 18 from 12 balls. but the remainder of the Uplands’ batsmen made five runs or less, which led to them being bowled out for only 68.
Hayden Saunders knocked over 3/4 in two overs, while Shivaan Chouhan bagged 3/14 in three. St John’s captain Connor Lovatt played his part by capturing 2/12 in three.
The Zimbabwean side, then, needed only 9.2 overs to claim a comfortable seven-wicket win.
Up front, opener James Manning anchored the innings with 28 not out from 40 balls, with two fours and a six, while Lovatt returned the same on the boundary front in his quickfire 17 from 9 before he was bowled by Leam van Zyl.
The Uplands’ skipper followed up on recording his team’s highest batting score with their best bowling return, claiming 2/10 in four overs, which included three maidens.
Falcon College had been set to take on Durban High School (DHS) in Durban on Tuesday. Instead, they tackled St Alban’s at Kearsney.
The Pretoria school batted first and tallied 108 all out in 18.5 overs, with only opener Ethan Nel, with 37, and captain Liam Basch, with 34, making it into double figures. Nel’s runs came from 39 balls, while Basch stroked four fours and a six in his 24-ball stay.
Falcon used six bowlers and all of them enjoyed success. Zane Sibanda nabbed 2/6 in two, while Reed Merick took 2/21 in four, and Zach Gover 2/23 in 3.5.
Unfortunately for the Zimbabwean side, they made a miserable start to their run chase, stumbling to 7/3 after two overs.
Callum Orford found the going comfortable, though. He bashed 48 from 40 balls, with two fours and three sixes, but Falcon’s next best return was 12 from Zach Gover.
Although 15 extras helped their total, they never quite were able to challenge the St Alban’s score. After 17.2 overs, Falcon College was all out for 93, leaving St Alban’s the winners by 15 runs.
Mduduzi Mahlangu captured 3/29 in four overs for the Pretoria school, while Luke Ward grabbed 3/33 in his four. Liam Basch, who took the new ball, knocked over 2/8 in three.
SCORES
Uplands College 68/10 (Leam van Zyl 20, Hayden Saunders 3/4, Shivaan Chouhan 3/14, Connor Lovatt 2/12); St John’s College 70/3 (James Manning 28*, Leam van Zyl 2/10).
St John’s won by 7 wickets.
St Alban’s College 108/10 (Ethan Nel 37, Liam Basch 34, Zane Sibanda 2/6, Reed Merick 2/21, Zach Gover 2/23); Falcon College 93/10 (Callum Orford 48, Mduduzi Mahlangu 3/29, Luke Ward 3/33. Liam Basch 2/8).
St Alban’s won by 15 runs.
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