Stern bowls St David’s to Schools SA20 win over KES
Jared Stern was sensational with the ball, setting up St David’s Marist Inanda for a seven-wicket win over King Edward VII School (KES), in their Schools SA20 regional quarterfinal tie at Wits University’s B field on Friday afternoon.
Stern bagged a miserly four wickets for nine runs in four overs to help his side restrict KES to 142/9 in their 20 overs. St David’s replied with 144/4 in 19 overs.
Stern’s outstanding four-over spell crippled KES. Samarat Basu, the St David’s captain, threw the ball to Stern in the seventh over and the medium pacer immediately impacted the match.
Like Kyle Butler, who was introduced in the fifth over and took a wicket, Stern delivered the wicket of Troy Gordon with his first ball. In that first over, he conceded only one run.
The pressure he exerted in that over helped Rowles bag a wicket in the next one. Stern followed that with another tidy over, which, although wicketless, cost only a single again. His third over delivered a dagger to the hopes of KES as he dismissed Reece Small and the dangerous Wade McQuinn with back-to-back deliveries. He closed off his sensational spell with a wicket for two runs in his fourth over.
Eric Southey was the only bright spark in the KES innings. Batting at number eight, he top-scored with an unbeaten 36 off 28 deliveries to drag KES to 142.
St David’s stumbled early on in their chase, losing Jason Rowles in the fourth over of their innings. However, all was not lost as Armaan Manack (42) consolidated with a 54-run second-wicket partnership with Kamogelo Phiri. The pair was, however, dismissed within 10 deliveries of one other.
The burden to see St David’s to victory fell on the shoulders of Armaan’s twin brother, Morteza Manack, who played a measured innings to shepherd his team across the finishing line. He, also, shared an unbroken 52-run fifth-wicket partnership with Hayden Campbell, which secured a semi-final spot for St David’s. At the end of the innings, Manack was unbeaten on 34 off 29 balls, while Campbell was not out on 22 off 16.
Christian Sabela was the pick of the KES bowlers for KES, claiming two wickets for 27 runs in four overs. Connor Kuijers picked up one wicket and went for 34 runs from his four overs.
Summarised Scorecards
KES 142/9 (Eric Southey 36*, Troy Gordon 15; Jared Stern 4/9, Morteza Manack 2/22); St David’s 144/4 (Armaan Manack 42, Morteza Manack 34*; Christian Sabela 2/27, Connor Kuijers 1/34).
St David’s won by seven wickets.
