St John’s overcomes St Stithians, Cade Bradley powers Northcliff to victory
Aiden Barberrini struck an unbeaten 49 to help propel St John’s College to a 24-run (DLS) win at St Stithians College on Saturday afternoon in a match marred by stoppages due to lightning.
Almost 20 minutes away, Cade Bradley carved a brilliant half-century to set up Northcliff for a surprise 56-run home victory over Helpmekaar.
At Saints, the toss went St Stithians’ way and their captain, Liam Mudenda, asked the visitors to bat first. St John’s innings was a stop-start affair because of the interruptions for lightning. After 40.1 overs, they finished with 147/4.
The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern table was consulted and Saints were set an adjusted target of 188 runs in 40 overs. They were bowled out for 163 in 39.5.
It was in the 13th over of the St John’s innings that Barberrini arrived at the crease, after the dismissal of Joshua Hall. The visitors needed to stabilise their innings after losing two wickets for 12 runs in just under five overs. Barberrini, together with Nkosana Sibiya, delivered, with the duo adding 47 runs for the third wicket, the highest partnership of their innings, which left St John’s on the cusp of three figures.
Barberrini was also involved in the second-highest St John’s partnership of 31, which he shared with his captain, Alec Loveland.
Tom Collins and Akhil Challa prevented the visitors from achieving more significant partnerships. Challa claimed two wickets for 27 runs in 10 overs, while Collins sent down nine overs and nabbed two wickets for 28 runs.
The St Stithians’ run chase ran into troubled waters early on, when they lost two wickets in the powerplay. Tom Collins and Jason Joiner tried to rebuild the innings, combining for a 36-run third-wicket partnership. Saints, though, lost wickets at regular intervals and the Collins and Joiner partnership turned out to be their highest.
Nicholas Baily spent the longest time in the middle as he tried to hold together the St Stithians’ innings. He was, also, looking for someone to help him see the home side through to victory. He didn’t find anyone. During his time at the crease, he partnered with six batsmen without much reward as four of them fell for single-figure scores. Baily finished with a valiant 46 off 59 balls, but his effort was in vain.
Ethan Robinson, crucially, accounted for Ombesa Matsha and Liam Mudenda, the St Stithians’ openers, on his way to three wickets for 23 runs from 7.5 overs. Herman Basson contributed two wickets for 38 runs from six overs.
In the other match, Cade Bradley appeared to be in a different class as he cracked four fours and five sixes in his 67 from 56 deliveries. His aggressive knock led Northcliff to a total of 134 all out in 29.4 overs. Helpmekaar, then, in the face of an inspired Northcliff bowling attack, mustered only 78 all out in 17.1 overs.
After being asked to bat first, Northcliff struggled to settle at the crease. They found themselves in a dire position, on 30/4 after 6.3 overs, when Bradley walked out to bat. The middle-order batsman was trying to establish himself when Northcliff lost their fifth wicket in the powerplay.
However, Bradley was undaunted, batting through 21.4 overs for his half-century. Kyle Davies and Gareth Hunkin were the only other batsmen to reach double figures.
While Northcliff made a poor start to their innings, Helpmekaar’s was worse. They lost an incredible seven wickets in the powerplay and none of their top seven made it to 10. Kevin Oliver and Xander Jackson mounted a lower-order fightback with a 24-run ninth-wicket partnership. However, that was too little, too late.
Oliver Vermaak was the destroyer-in-chief, capturing four wickets for 16 runs in six overs. He experienced outstanding support from Declan Diesel, who knocked over three wickets for 26 runs in six overs.
Scorecards
St John’s College 147/4 (Aiden Barberrini 49*, Nkosana Sibiya 31, Akhil Challa 2/27, Tom Collins 2/28). St Stithians College 163/10 (Nicholas Baily 46, Jason Joiner 27, Ethan Robinson 3/23, Herman Basson 2/38). St John’s won by 24 runs (DLS).
Northcliff High School 134/10 (Cade Bradley 67, Gareth Hunkin 19, Anrich Liebenberg 3/11, Heinrich Minnaar 3/26). Helpmekaar Kollege 78/10 (Xander Jackson 20, Kevin Oliver 18, Oliver Vermaak 4/16, Declan 3/26) Northcliff won by 56 runs.
