St John’s, St David’s and Michaelhouse hit the ground running at ISCF
The St John’s College (Johannesburg) 1st XI got their Independent Schools Cricket Festival (ISCF) campaign off to a winning start by defeating Kearsney College on Thursday in Pretoria.
They were joined in the win column by St David’s Marist Inanda, who beat Bloemfontein’s St Andrew’s School, and Michaelhouse, who outplayed Woodridge College on Thursday.
Nkosana Sibiya, the St John’s captain, led from the front with an unbeaten century to power them to a comfortable win over Kearsney on the Murray Oval at Pretoria Boys High.
The skipper, who won the toss and chose to field first, used his bowlers well, and they limited Kearsney to 210/8 from their 50 overs. The Blues needed only 36.2 overs to reach 213/3 in reply and claim a seven-wicket victory.
Sibiya’s unbeaten 106 from 102 balls featured 14 fours and three sixes. The opener got the Blues going with a 90-run opening stand with Luke Fry (39) and then added 74 runs with Herman Basson (38) for the second wicket. He also shared a brief 17-run third-wicket stand with Darshik Lutchman (5), before seeing his side over the finishing line with Joshua Hall (12*).
Earlier in the day, Asher Hollister top-scored for Kearsney with a well-played 81 from 92 balls. Unfortunately, for the Botha’s Hill boys, his effort wasn’t buttressed by a couple of other big scores, and the KwaZulu-Natal side had to settle for a middling total.
Juan de Villiers was the pick of the St John’s bowlers, returning 2/43 from 10 overs, while Ethan Robinson, Tapiwa Chikwava, Jared Gilmour, and Bryn Gilmour grabbed a wicket each.
Woodridge vs Michaelhouse
Ben Heuer and Liam O’Dwyer snapped up six wickets between them to set Michaelhouse up for a dominant nine-wicket win over Woodridge College when the sides cross swords on the Parke de Terrace at Cornwall Hill College.
Woodridge, who won the toss and chose to bat first, was unable to gain a foothold in the contest. They hung around for 40 overs but were bowled out for only 113.
Michaelhouse showed their batting might by galloping to 114/1 in 20.5 overs, winning in almost half the number of balls that their Eastern Cape opponents faced.
O’Dwyer was the pick of the ‘House bowlers, snaring 3/27 from 10 overs, two of which were maidens. He also brought about a Woodridge collapse, picking up his three wickets in four overs. Heuer also claimed three scalps, knocking over a tidy 3/18 in six overs. The duo enjoyed good support from Rendani Nonge, who dislodged two batsmen, while Rex Wardlaw and Nathan Simmons took a wicket each.
Stefan Ferreira was Woodridge’s shining light with 28 runs from 23 balls, while Jeandré Strydom (20) was the only other batsman to exit the teens.
Michaelhouse had little trouble in their run chase. After losing Wardlaw in the fourth over, the KZN school cantered to victory with an unbroken 109-run second-wicket partnership between captain Graydon Leslie (66*) and Riley Muir (39*).
St Andrew’s School vs St David’s Marist Inanda
Sohail Seonath and Jonah Gruskin struck half-centuries to steer St David’s Marist Inanda to a seven-wicket win over St Andrew’s School on the Tuks C Oval.
St David’s won the toss, chose to bowl first, and restricted the Bloemfontein boys to 163/9 in their 50 overs. In reply, St David’s took 35.3 overs to reach 167/3.
Jason Rowles, the St David’s captain, led their bowling effort with a match-defining 3/26 in nine overs. Christopher Emslie, Kyle Butler, and Hayden Campbell contributed a wicket each.
Heindré Serfontein, the only St Andrew’s batsman who looked comfortable against the St David’s bowling attack, scored a steady 72 from 77 balls. Reuben van Aarde, the second-highest scorer, faced 61 balls for his 23 runs.
When St David’s replied, Erhard Barends gave St Andrew’s hope with the dismissals of Roberto Mariano and Jason Rowles in the second and third overs. That hope was soon squashed, however, with Sohail Seoath and Jonah Gruskin combining for a 123-run stand for the third wicket, which took the game away from Saints.
Seonath top-scored with 73 from 111 balls, while Gruskin finished the match unbeaten on 53 from 76 deliveries.
Summarised Scorecards
Kearsney College 210/8 (Asher Hollister 81, Aaron Blackburn 25; Juan de Villiers 2/43, Ethan Robinson 1/18). St John’s College 213/3 (Nkosana Sibiya 106*, Luke Fry 39, Herman Basson 38; Michael Groom 1/31, Matthew Rice 1/28). St John’s won by seven wickets.
Woodridge College 113/10 (Stefan Ferreira 28, Jeandré Strydom 20; Liam O’Dwyer 3/27, Ben Heuer 3/18). Michaelhouse 114/1 (Graydon Leslie 66*, Riley Muir 39*; Daniel Darlow 1/17, Brody McKinnon 0/22). Michaelhouse won by nine wickets.
St Andrew’s School 163/9 (Heindré Serfontein 72, Reuben van Aarde 23; Jason Rowles 3/26, Hayden Campbell 1/32). St David’s Marist Inanda (Sohail Seonath 73, Jonah Gruskin 53*; Erhard Barends 2/46, WJ Lindhout 1/15). St David’s won by seven wickets.
