W100: Kearsney takes down Westville, Clifton handles Northwood
In a W100 clash on Wednesday, between neighbours and rivals, Westville Boys’ High and Kearsney College, the most in-form of KZN’s teams so far this year, it was Kearsney who powered their way to a seven-wicket win, with eight balls remaining, despite, for once, skipper Ross Coetzee missing out with the bat.
After being put in to bat on their home ground, Westville posted 126/5 from their 100 balls, which was built around a 96-run stand in 71 balls for the third wicket between Seth Simpson and Kaeden McAllister.
After the openers, Nicandro Kistna and Max Robertson were dismissed with only eight runs on the board, the duo took charge.
Their partnership was ended when Simpson was out, caught by Jack O’Donovan off the bowling of Murray Weyer, for 40 from 45 deliveries, with four fours and a six.
McAllister went on to tally the innings’ highest score of 43 from 41, matching Simpson’s boundary haul of four fours and a six.
Paceman Ryan Browning, who accounted for both opening batsmen, finished with 2/22 from 20 balls, while Weyer, the sixth bowler used, responded well, and knocked over 2/16 from his 15 deliveries.
In their reply, Kearsney also lost two wickets cheaply, with Jack O’Donovan and Ross Coetzee, usually two dependable batsmen, out for four and one respectively.
Opener Cameron Veenstra and wicketkeeper/batsman Matthew De Oliveira, who has enjoyed an excellent W100 competition, then added 53 from 42 balls before De Oliveira was run out for 34 from 28 balls. He had struck five boundaries, one of which was a six.
Veenstra kept speeding along and he found an effective partner in Keegan de Jager. Working well together, they put on an unbroken 60-run partnership from 35 deliveries to see Kearsney to victory.
Veenstra’s unbeaten 39-ball knock produced 59 runs and featured five fours and two sixes, while De Jager hit 20 from 17, with one four and one six.
Meanwhile, Clifton College batted first at the Riverside Sports Club against Northwood, and it was the in-form all-rounder, Shahzaad Perumal, who anchored their innings. He was in at the fall of the first wicket and while he was at the crease 59 runs were added, 36 of them, including four fours, off of his own bat.
With the total having grown to 73 from 78 balls, Perumal was the fifth man out.
Towards the end of the innings, Lawson Dinsdale enjoyed a punishing cameo, smashing two fours and a six in a 10-ball stay that yielded 18 runs, which helped Clifton to 110/8 from their 100 balls.
Andrew Deeb and Connor Leclezio were the pick of the Knights‘ bowlers, with Deeb, who opened the bowling, coming back later to stunt Clifton’s attempt at a late run boost. He returned figures of 2/15 from 20 deliveries, while Leclezio sent down only 10 balls, but claimed 2/10.
David de Bruyn, who ended Perumal’s innings by bowling him, took 1/15 from 15.
Perumal was again to the fore when Northwood batted. He snared 2/11 from his 15 balls of left-arm spin. But it wasn’t a solo effort.
Gabriel Vermeulen captured 2/25 from 20, while the opening bowlers, Tim Saulez and Callum Watson, picked up a wicket each.
Mason Storm made 19 from 20 for the Knights before Watson ended his innings. But only three other batsmen made it into the lower teens as Northwood’s run chase failed to get out of second gear.
They finished on 94/6, but only 61 runs had come from the bat. Clifton, despite doing an excellent job of restricting the scoring rate, conceded 33 extras, and 29 of those were wides, which will not have pleased coach Brandon Scullard.
Still, a 16-run victory while defending only 110, was, ultimately, a good outcome for the home side.
Summarised scores
Westville Boys’ High 126/5 (Kaeden McAllister 43, Seth Simpson 40; Murray Weyer 2/16, Ryan Browning 2/22); Kearsney College 128/3 (Cameron Veenstra 59*, Matthew De Oliveira 34, Keegan de Jager 20*; Josh Beck 1/21, Dayalan Boyce 1/23) Kearsney College won by 7 wickets.
Clifton College 110/8 (Shahzaad Perumal 36, Lawson Dinsdale 18; Connor Leclezio 2/10, Andrew Deeb 2/15, Ben Cilliers 1/7); Northwood School 94/6 (Mason Storm 19; Shahzaad Perumal 2/11, Gabriel Vermeulen 2/25, Callum Watson 1/12) Clifton College won by 16 runs.
