A remarkable bowling spell from leg-spinner Asavela Khambule powered Kearsney College to a 52-run W100 victory over Northwood School on a pristine-looking AH Smith Oval on Wednesday afternoon. His 5/12 from only 20 balls was eye-opening, but he wasn’t alone as others made significant contributions.
Batting first, the home team tallied 155/4 with a controlled yet aggressive batting effort. Opener Cameron Veenstra led the way. With an uncomplicated technique, which made the game look simple, he struck a quickfire 47 from 3o deliveries, blasting one ball over the fence and six more into it.
Kearsney captain Ross Coetzee took a little while to get going, but then he lit up the scoreboard with some sweetly struck shots, which included an effortless six over long on, followed by a scorching cover drive that crashed into the fence before the fielders had made more than a few metres in an effort to stop it. He finished with 38 off 30, with four fours and two sixes.
Keegan de Jager added an important unbeaten 26 from 21, thus ensuring the Kearsney innings maintained the impetus that Veenstra and Coetzee had given it. Cole Young signed off with a splash, cracking the second last delivery for six, as he ended on 10 not out from four.
Connor Leclezio captured 2/18 from 15 balls for Northwood, and Harley Jagga restricted Kearsney’s batsmen by picking up 1/15 in 15. The Knights’ strike bowler, Nqobani Mokoena, who had just returned from u19 Cricket World Cup duty, came in for some tap, however, going for 37 from his 20 balls.
Northwood then made a fair start to their run chase, as Thayin Kuppan and Alastair Duncan put on 36 for the opening wicket, before Duncan departed 23 balls into their reply, with 27 runs on the board.
The second wicket went down with the total on 41. Then, Asavela Khambule got to work. He reduced the Knights to 46/3 with his first wicket. Just 18 balls later, the visitors were in desperate trouble on 59/7, with Khambule responsible for all five of the wickets that had fallen.
With only 38 balls remaining in their innings, Northwood had to score 97 runs to win, and they were into their lower order.
Kyle White, with an unbeaten 19 off 14, with a six, and Mason Storm, with 20 off only nine deliveries, which included a six and a four, offered some resistance, but Matt Lamplough then picked up where Asavela Khambule had left off.
In just seven deliveries, he snared 3/6 to end the Northwood innings on 103 after 87 balls.
It’s going to take a special performance to stop Kearsney’s bid for the W100 crown. Their balance and attacking play are ideally suited to the W100 format and it’s shown in the convincing victories they’ve stacked up week after week.
Scores
Kearsney College 155/4 (Cameron Veenstra 47, Ross Coetzee 38, Keegan de Jager 26*; Connor Leclezio 2/18, Harlee Jagga 1/15); Northwood School 103/10 (Thayin Kuppan 36, Mason Storm 20, Kyle White 19*; Asavela Khambule 5/12, Matthew Lamplough 3/6, Ross Coetzee 1/8)
Kearsney College won by 52 runs.
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