Western Cape champs, Boishaai, headed to Switch Schools SA20 Final Showdown
Lady Luck favoured Paarl Boys’ High at the toss on Somerset College‘s Taberer Oval on Sunday morning, where they faced their arch-rivals, Paarl Gimnasium in the Western Cape Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two final.
They chose to bat first and, as is often the case, AB Jacobs was Boishaai’s top contributor.
He arrived at the crease after the fall of the second wicket and laid into loose deliveries with venom, launching five sixes and a four in his 46 runs off 36 balls.
He and Daniel Francke shared a 43-run third-wicket partnership in just five overs, with Francke cracking three fours and two maximums in his 25-ball stay, which brought him 36 runs.
Every one of the eight Boys’ High batsmen dismissed fell to catches. Wian Munnik was the most successful at setting traps, collecting 3/36 from four overs.
Kieran Daniels and Derrick Groenewald enjoyed success, too, claiming 2/22 and 2/23 respectively in their four-over allocations.
Reese Peterson, with 19, and Aden Batt, with 22, kept the middle order momentum going for Boishaai until they concluded their 20 overs on 170/8.
When Boys’ High and Gimmies previously met in the Boland regional final, Boishaai powered their way to a one-sided victory behind a ferocious run chase. On Sunday, their bowlers led the charge.
Within the first three overs of their reply, Paarl Gim was in trouble on 9/3, and they did themselves no favours with their running between the wickets. In total, a mind-boggling five batsmen fell to run outs. That was a recipe for disaster.
Derrick Groenewald, batting at five, top-scored with only 14 runs, and that was 10 runs more than the next highest scorer, although 15 extras helped the Paarl Gim total a touch. But they lasted only 11.4 overs before being bowled out for a disappointing 43.
Captain and left-arm spinner Aden Batt snared 3/5 in 3.4 overs, while Ra-eez Isaacs knocked over 2/23 in four overs.
Boishaai’s fielding, though, was decisive. JP Immelman and Ullrich Drotschie were part of two run outs each, while Ed Lee Koopman was responsible for the other. As the adage goes: “Catches win matches, fielding wins tournaments.”
After a massive 127-run victory, Paarl Boys’ High will head to the national final carrying the hopes of the Western Cape.
Their journey to the regional crown was challenging, but they took on those challenges with gusto and aced the tests. Their path to the title included a semifinal bout against last year’s national champions, Bishops Diocesan College, then a showdown against their closest rivals, Paarl Gimnasium, in the title game.
Given their impressive showings throughout the Western Cape Phase 2 Tournament, Paarl Boys’ High must now be considered a serious threat to go all the way and win the Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two national title when Pretoria hosts the Final Showdown in March.
Summarised Scorecard
Paarl Boys’ High 170/8 (AB Jacobs 46, Daniel Francke 36, Aden Batt 22; Wian Munnik 3/36, Keiran Daniels 2/22, Derrick Groenewald 2/23); Paarl Gimnasium 43/10 (Aden Batt 3/5, Raeez Isaacs 2/23). Paarl Boys’ High won by 127 runs.
