King Edward VII School (KES) has delivered extremes over the course of their past three matches, thrashing Grey College by 214 runs on Saturday, losing to St Andrew’s School the following day by 77 runs, and then thumping St Stithians College by 10 wickets in the Johnny Waite T20 on Wednesday on the Dlamini Oval.
At Saints, the toss went the home side’s way and they elected to bat first. Christian Sabela struck early for KES, though, removing the dangerous Liam Mudenda for two.
Ombesa Matsha, the other opener, helped advance the total to 31 in the seventh over before Bertie Michael, in at three, was caught for nine off the bowling of KES captain Zieg Roos.
The young Englishman’s departure brought Nicholas Bayly out to the middle. He went after the KES bowlers, bashing 21 off 16 balls, with two fours and a six, before he was dismissed, having added 25 runs with Matsha.
Robert O’Brien didn’t last long, but his replacement, Thomas Collins helped Matsha put on 42 runs for the fifth wicket before Collins departed for 14 from 12 balls, with the total on 102.
Matsha and Matthew Anderson, then, cracked 32 in three overs to give the Saints’ innings a late boost and lift the hosts to 134/5 after their 20 overs. Ombesa Matsha was their standout performer, finishing with an unbeaten 68 from 61 deliveries, which included three sixes and five fours.
Christian Sabela was the pick of the KES attack, claiming 2/20 in four overs.
Needing to bat at 6.8 runs per over to win, KES made light work of the task. They got on top of the Saints’ bowlers early and bounded their way to victory with three overs to spare.
Luke Clarke took on the role of the aggressor, lashing four sixes and eight fours in an unbeaten 75 from 53 balls, while Tiago Dias provided ideal support, contributing 50 not out at exactly a run a ball, with five fours.
Hoërskool Noordheuwel vs Hoërskool Randburg
The Noordheuwel Blues, meanwhile, had their way with Hoërskool Randburg. With useful contributions from almost all of their batsmen, Nories galloped to 178/5 from their 20 overs, scoring at just shy of nine runs an over.
Dian Taljard led the way, bashing four sixes and two fours in his 50 from 45 balls. At the top of the order, Ethan Smith got Noordheuwel off to a flyer. He faced only 24 deliveries but, by the time he was run out, Nories already had 70 on the board at the start of the ninth over. Smith had scored 45 runs from only 24 balls, with six fours and three sixes.
A quickfire 34 not out from Wander Roolvink, with three sixes and nary a four, also helped Noordheuwel’s cause.
Their innings was built around solid partnerships, with the best of those, between Dian Taljaard and Roolvink, producing 61 runs in 7.4 overs.
Opening bowler, Chad Tintinger, came in for a little stick, but he responded well, picking up 2/34.
Randburg’s run chase started poorly, with both Nories’ new ball bowlers, JD Bezuidenhout and Tristan Helmand, enjoying early success, which left Randburg struggling on 16/3 in the fourth over.
Captain Josef van den Berg and Jayce van Tonder stopped the Noordheuwel onslaught in its tracks, however. They put together a 74-run partnership in 10.2 overs, but once Van Tonder fell, caught by Tidimalo Moeketsane off the bowling of Corné Olivier for 30 from 35 balls, Hoërskool Randburg’s challenge fell apart, and Olivier was the primary reason for that.
Sage Pretorius added a helping hand by getting rid of Josef van den Berg without the addition of a run, with the Randburg captain out for 38 from 33, having struck four fours and two sixes.
Olivier, in his four overs, captured 5/12 as Randburg slipped from 90/3 to 104 all out, leaving Noordheuwel the winners by a handsome 74-run margin.
Oliver received good support from opening bowler, Tristan Helmand, who claimed 2/19 in three, and his opening partner, JD Bezuidenhout, who forced the opposition onto the back foot with his return of 1/9 in three.
Northcliff High School vs St David’s Marist Inanda
At Northcliff High School, St David’s Marist Inanda left it late as the home side almost pulled off an upset. In the end, St David’s won by four wickets, but with only four balls to spare.
The coin flip went Northcliff’s way and they chose to bat first. Very good call! The opening pair, Jack Woolard and Mabutho Mbambo did a terrific job.
In just 7.4 overs, they partnered for 59 runs before Mabutho’s innings was brought to an end when he was caught and bowled by Morteza Manack for 35 from 27 balls. He hit four fours and a six.
Woolard fell in the 11th over, but he, too, had done a fine job. His contribution was 40 from only 29 balls, with four fours and two sixes. Later, Alexander Wiest provided the Northcliff innings with further impetus by scoring 37 runs from only 23 deliveries.
At the end of 20 overs, Northcliff had tallied a challenging 152/6.
Morteza Manack excelled with the ball for St David’s, snaring 2/16 from four overs, while Hayden Campbell trapped Wiest in front and also effected a run out.
Armaan Manack made a quick start when St David’s began their reply, striking a six and a four, on his way to 10 off 11 balls, but he was out to the last ball of the second over, caught by Jack Woolard off the bowling of Oliver Vermaak.
Morteza Manack and Kamogelo Phiri, undeterred, added 68 runs in 7.4 overs. With two balls left until the halfway mark of the St David’s innings, Morteza Manack fell to Zac Douglas for a 31-ball 26. Phiri followed two runs later, after an entertaining 29 from 19 balls, which included three fours and a six.
When Samrat Basu was run out by Cade Bradley, St David’s had slipped to 84/4 in the 12th over, having lost three wickets for four runs in the space of nine balls.
Roberto Mariano and Hayden Campbell arrested the slide, adding 24 runs for the fifth wicket in four overs. Mariano was, then, caught and bowled by Cade Bradley for seven.
St David’s needed 45 runs from 29 balls. Fortunately for them, Michael Smithyman was up to the task. He smashed an unbeaten 30 from only 15 balls, with three fours and two sixes, to see his side to victory. Hayden Campbell played his part, with 20, and Khutso Sekgobela partnered Smithyman to the finish, finishing with 13 not out at better than two runs a ball.
Cade Bradley picked up 2/25 in four, while Aiden Gamma took 1/25 in his four. Sixteen wides by Northcliff, to only five from St David’s, also helped the Sandton school to victory.
Summarised scorecards
St Stithians College 134/5 (Ombesa Matsha 68*, Nicholas Bayly 21, Christian Sabela 2/20); King Edward VII 136/0 (Luke Clarke 75*, Tiago Dias 50*). King Edward VII won by 10 wickets.
Hoërskool Noordheuwel 178/5 (Dian Taljard 50, Ethan Smith 45, Wander Roolvink 34*, Chad Tintinger 2/34); Hoërskool Randburg 104/10 (Josef van de Berg 38, Jayce van Tonder 30, Corné Olivier 5/12, Tristan Helmand 2/19). Hoërskool Noordheuwel won by 74 runs.
Northcliff High School 152/6 (Jack Woolard 40, Alexander Wiest 37, Mabutho Mbambo 35; Morteza Manack 2/16); St David’s Marist Inanda 156/6 (Michael Smithyman 30*, Kamogelo Phiri 29, Morteza Manack 26, Hayden Campbell 20; Cade Bradley 2/25). St David’s Marist Inanda won by four wickets.
Daar is slegs een wedstryd om na uit te sien in die Finsbury-reeks se Afdeling E eerskomende Saterdag, met Hoërskool Klerksdorp en Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen wat in Klerksdorp kragte meet.
Clarendon High School for Girls is gearing up to host the 2025 edition of the National Aquatics Festival in East London.
