6 February 2023
Saint Charles made a short trip up to the Midlands to face Michaelhouse on the Roy Gathorne Oval on Saturday, 4 February. With both teams coming off of losses the previous weekend – Saints to Northwood and Michaelhouse to Maritzburg College – it was an opportunity for one of the teams to get back on a winning track.
Steady start
After Matthew Urquhart won the toss, he chose to bat and Saints made a steady start, with Panashe Taruvinga and Cian Fortmann putting on a stand of 31 before Taruvinga was LBW to the tall left-arm spinner Nathan Hoatson in the ninth over for 11.
Only five runs later, Saint Charles lost their other opener, Cian Fortman, who was caught behind by wicketkeeper Murray Baker off an excellent delivery from Michael Thornton. The ball went across the left-hander and when he prodded at it, it also tracked off the deck, further away, and found the outside edge. Fortmann made 22, with three fours. At the other end, Ntando Zuma had yet to open his account.
The skipper, Matthew Urquhart, didn’t last long, falling for eight after a 34-ball stay. He was replaced by the hard-hitting Marcel Wellman.
Solid stand
He and Ntando Zuma put on 50 for the fourth wicket before Wellman found Cameron Strudwick at extra cover when he mistimed an attempt to hit Nathan Hoatson over the top. He contribution was 25, with a six and two fours, from just 22 balls.
Zuma, meanwhile, was batting steadily at the other end, accumulating runs at just over one run per every two balls faced.
Brendon Sunguro weighed in with 16 before he was bowled by Michael Thornton, while Zuma pressed on and was eventually the last wicket to go down, caught at long on by Luke Jankowitz while hitting out as the Saints’ innings neared its conclusion. He top scored with 90 from 172 balls, sending nine balls to the boundary in the process.
After 60 overs, Saint Charles had posted 196 for 6.
Michael Thornton, with 2 for 34 in 11 overs, and Nathan Hoatson, with 2 for 44 in 17, were the most successful of the Michaehouse bowlers.
The home team’s reply began poorly, with West Mitchell-Innes out to the first ball of the innings, when he tried to pull Thabiso Ndlela and found a top edge. Cian Fortmann bagged the catch to the delight of his team-mates.
Sebastian Hofmeyr and Murray Baker took the total to 29 before Hofmeyr edged Jehan Adonis behind to wicketkeeper Kwanele Nqayi. His 32-ball knock had produced seven runs.
Six, then out
Tom Griffin, then, smashed a six off of Marcel Wellman, but he was also out on that total when he played across his pads and was cleaned bowled by Adonis.
Adonis struck again, without a run being added, when he trapped an unlucky John Yeadon in front for a duck from a delivery that appeared to pitch well outside the line of the leg stump. Nonetheless, Michaelhouse had slipped to 45 for 4.
The two Murrays, Baker and Jones, though, then steadied the ship, combining to wrest the initiative back from Saints.
Jones eventually fell to the off-spin of Matthew Urquhart, caught by Brendon Sunguro, for 36 from 62 balls, which included two fours. At the other end, though, Murray Baker was going along swimmingly.
Nathan Hoatson stuck around for 38 balls, making 13 before he was bowled by Brendon Sunguro. By this time, though, the match was almost over, and Michaelhouse were safe.
Unbeaten century
That had plenty to do with their captain Murray Baker. He finished unbeaten on a well-played 103, which included five fours and three sixes, from 139 balls.
When the match ended, with Michaelhouse having spent 50 overs out in the middle, they were on 178 for 6, still 20 runs behind the Saint Charles total.
Jehan Adonis was the pick of the Saints’ bowlers, knocking over 3 for 11 in five overs.
SCORES
1st XI
Saint Charles 198 for 6 (N. Zuma 90, M. Wellman 25, M. Thornton 2 for 34, N. Hoatson 2 for 44)
Michaelhouse 178 for 6 (M. Baker 103*, M. Jones 36, J. Adonis 3 for 11)
Match drawn
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