18 February 2024
The inaugural Clifton T20 Tournament proved to be an unequivocal success, despite Mother Nature’s interference with the schedule on day two, and it was, also, especially rewarding for Durban High School who held off their great rivals, Maritzburg College, to become the first winners of the impressive Clifton Centenary Cup.
College had risen, Lazarus-like, to claim a 10-run victory over Glenwood High in the first semi-final of the day, played at the Riverside Sports Club.
The Green Machine had come hard at the Red, Black and White, and had them struggling at 30/2 after eight overs. College captain Chad Mason, however, played a resolute innings, scoring 44 off 41 balls, to boost his side’s total and also hold down one of the ends.
The next eight overs delivered 68 runs and College, with 20 from both Julian Konigkramer and Sphamandla Dzanibe, posted 132/8. It was a good effort after a slow start.
Glenwood, in reply, lost their first wicket before they had scored a run. Then, their captain, Ntando Soni, and Krian Jugoo combined for a beautifully executed partnership of 106, and it appeared as if Glenwood would cruise into the final.
With only 26 runs required for victory at a run a ball, Jugoo was caught by Samuel Hughes off the bowling of Chad Mason for 36 from 36, which included two fours and a six. Soni followed shortly after that, with the total still on 106, bowled by Oliver Da Costa for 58. His 50-ball stay was highlighted by three sixes and three fours.
College had their tails up, but Glenwood still looked odds-on to win. Except they didn’t.
From 106/1, the Green Machine tumbled to 122/7, with no other batsmen making more than five runs. It was an astonishing turn-around.
Samuel Hughes picked up 2/19, while his new ball partner, Michael Gibson, who finished with 1/14, did a splendid job at the death, keeping Glenwood quiet with a series of balls in the block hole.
The other semi-final was a more clear-cut affair, with DHS claiming a five-wicket win over St Charles College, with four overs to spare.
Saints will look back on the match and think that they, maybe, went too hard at the DHS bowling too soon. Semal Pillay had chosen to field after winning the toss, and that decision, plus the thick layer of cloud up above, should have warned St Charles that there was something in the wicket.
The Pietermaritzburg boys went for big shots from the off, and they were made to pay for their risky approach. In fact, only Marcel Wellman, with 17, and Cian Fortmann, with 10, reached double figures as wickets went down regularly.
DHS skipper Pillay led the way for his team, capturing 3/9, while the impressive Taine Havemann claimed 3/13, and the consistent Bhavesh Naicker weighed in with 3/21. After 18.4 overs, St Charles were all out for 94.
Knowing what they needed to do, DHS delivered a controlled run chase, with opener Omar Ismaeel anchoring their response with an unbeaten 37 from 47, which included two boundaries, both of them sixes.
Semal Pillay added 23, and that was pretty much that as DHS booked their place in the title-decider.
In front of a healthy crowd, Maritzburg College batted first in the final after Chad Mason won the toss. They made a steady start, but then lost their opening pair, Oliver Da Costa and Llewelyn Sutherland within the space of three runs to slip to 34/2.
DHS then removed another two batsmen within the space of three runs, getting rid of Chad Mason and Michael Gibson to reduce College to 56/4. Maritzburg needed to reset, but also keep the scoreboard ticking over, and Ryan McKean and Sphamandla Dzanibe did a good job of that, adding 48 for the fifth wicket before McKean was out for 17.
Dzanibe played some lovely shots in his unbeaten 42 from 35 deliveries. His innings included three stunning sixes, which owed more to excellent timing than brute power.
After 20 overs, College had made 127/8. It was the kind of score that left one wondering whether it was a decent total or not.
Taine Havemann did a superb job with the ball, removing batsmen two, three and four, while speedy Bayanda Majola snapped up 2/25.
DHS didn’t make the best of starts to their run chase, losing two of their top three with only 27 runs on the board. Omar Ismaeel, though, played a mature knock to score 34 from 37 deliveries, with three fours. He stuck around until there were 103 runs on the board.
School immediately lost another wicket on the same total after Ismaeel departed, but Taine Havemann and Ethan Cooper didn’t skip a beat. With the game in the balance, both hammered big sixes off of their pads.
The Horseflies needed 25 from 17 balls to win, but they made it with five to spare as Havemann and Cooper rose to the challenge and dictated matters to the College bowlers.
No team emerged from the Clifton T20 with a clean record, but DHS were, unquestionably, worthy winners.
Over the course of the past year, DHS has taken some lumps, but the evolution of the 1st XI has been quite something to witness. A number of talented players, who were once young first teamers, are now experienced, battle-hardened and consistent performers, and there is more young talent filtering into the side’s ranks. School should be thrilled with the progress they have made.
“We didn’t think we would be here, from where we were last year,” captain Semal Pillay said afterwards. “The improvements we have made over the pre-season, and the hard work we have put in in the early mornings, has paid off now. We’ve done well, as a team, and we have bonded together.
“We have a lot of diversity in the side, but we always have a vibe in the changeroom,” he added. “We always play music, we’re always laughing together, and it is really fun. Even off the field, we go to each other’s houses. It’s a really good team, a really special team.”
Pillay said he couldn’t sit still as the game reached its climax – “I was jumping on my seat. The nerves were too much for me, but I am so happy we could get over the line.” He was proud, he said, that DHS would be the first name to appear on the winners’ trophy.
Clifton College claimed fifth place, after a 14-run win over Northwood. Three solid knocks – from Tim Saulez (43*), Bryon Ward (41) and captain Shahzaad Perumal (34) – carried the hosts to 145/5.
They then did a good job defending that total, with Callum Watson (1/18) and Tim Saulez (3/22) sharing three late wickets to halt the Knights’ run chase, just when they needed to accelerate. Northwood finished on 131/6.
Michaelhouse claimed seventh after a solid 45-run win over St John’s College (Harare). The Zimbabweans did a good job of bowling out ‘House for 148, just one ball before the end of their innings. Captain Cameron Strudwick, with 31, and Hayden Hewlett, with 30, paced the Michaelhouse batting effort.
Meanwhile, there were two wickets apiece for Goven Dhaneel (2/14), Michael Blignaut (2/23) and Kian Blignaut (2/25).
Unfortunately for the Rams, they made an awful start to their innings, falling to 1/3 early on. A number of batsmen then made starts but were dismissed before turning those starts into substantial contributions. Only Michael Blignaut pressed on. He top scored, with 33 from 30, striking four fours and a six.
St John’s never recovered from their poor start, however, and they were all out for 103. Harry Vickery picked up 4/21 and Cameron Strudwick 3/13 to lead the Balgowan boys to a comfortable win.
Hilton College finished ninth after a five-run victory over Westville Boys’ High.
Simon Steyn smacked six sixes (and no fours) in an unbeaten 54 from only 29 deliveries for Hilton, while Jayden Roux added a more sedate 24, to help Hilton to 150/5.
Left-arm spinner Roxton Payne snared 2/22, and then made 30, the highest score in Westville’s reply. Captain Nicandro Kistna contributed 22 from 19, but Westville came up agonisingly short of the 151 they needed.
St Charles opening batsman Cian Fortmann, who blasted 153* against Hilton College, was named the Batsman of the Tournament, while Bhavesh Naicker, the leading wicket-taker, received recognition as the Bowler of the Tournament.
Fabian Lazarus, the coach of the winning DHS team, was named the Coach of the Tournament.
Summarised scores
Semi-final 1
Maritzburg College 132/8 (Chad Mason 44, Julian Konigkramer 20, Sphamandla Dzanibe 20; Kyle Bryan 3/20, Sibonelo Phewa 2/21; Bandile Mbatha 2/29); Glenwood High 122/7 (Ntando Soni 58, Krian Jugoo 36, Samuel Hughes 2/19, Michael Gibson 1/14, Oliver Da Costa 1/15) Maritzburg College won by 10 runs.
Semi-final 2
St Charles College 94/10 (Marcel Wellman 17; Semal Pillay 3/9, Taine Havemann 3/13, Bhavesh Naicker 3/21); Durban High School 98/3 (Omar Ismaeel 37*, Semal Pillay 23; Marcel Wellman 1/22, Covhan Baatjies 1/22) Durban High School won by 7 wickets.
Final
Maritzburg College 127/8 (Sphamandla Dzanibe 42*; Taine Havemann 3/30, Bayanda Majola 2/25); Durban High School 131/5 (Sfundo Mthembu 35, Omar Ismaeel 34, Ethan Cooper 20*; Sphamandla Dzanibe 2/29, Oliver Da Costa 1/9, Brendon Senzere 1/11) Durban High School won by 5 wickets.
5th/6th
Clifton College 145/5 (Tim Saulez 43, Bryon Ward 41, Shahzaad Perumal 34; Jordan Matthews 2/21, Nqobani Mokoena 1/13); Northwood School 131/6 (Nqobani Mokoena 46, Thayin Kuppan 35; Tim Saulez 3/22, Shiraz Perumal 1/11, Callum Watson 1/18) Clifton College won by 14 runs.
7th/8th
Michaelhouse 148/10 (Cameron Strudwick 31, Hayden Hewlett 30; Goven Dhaneel 2/14; Michael Blignaut 2/23, Kian Blignaut 2/25, Khulekani Nduku 1/17); St John’s College (Harare) 103/10 (Michael Blignaut 33; Harry Vickery 4/21, Cameron Strudwick 3/13) Michaelhouse won by 45 runs.
9th/10th
Hilton College 150/5 (Simon Steyn 54*, Jayden Roux 24; Roxton Payne 2/22); Westville Boys’ High 145/10 (Roxton Payne 30, Nicandro Kistna 22; Murray Loughor-Clarke 2/31, Kyle Christie 2/36, Jayden Roux 1/15, Ethan van Heerden 1/18, Luke Campbell 1/22) Hilton College won by 5 runs.
Leave a Reply