16 September 2024
The three KZN schools – Clifton College, Kearsney College, and Maritzburg College – in action at the St John’s Rams T20 in Harare on the weekend all won through to the semi-finals of the event, but the hosts, St John’s, claimed a narrow six-run victory over the defending champions, Kearsney, in the final on Sunday afternoon.
Clifton enjoyed the most emphatic showing of the trio in the round-robin stage of the prestigious event, winning all of their matches convincingly, crushing Churchill by 113 runs, St George’s College by 39 runs, and Falcon College by 87 runs.
Tim Saulez provided a massive highlight in their crucial win over St George’s, clubbing an unbeaten 101 from only 50 deliveries, with 12 fours and two sixes. Clifton totalled 194/7 in that game, but Rivan Moodley‘s 20 was their next-best batting effort. Saulez’s knock was truly match-winning.
Shiraz Perumal delivered Clifton’s best bowling performance in their one-sided win over Falcon College, snapping up 4/13 in four overs of his left-arm spin.
In the semi-finals, unfortunately for the Durban school, their strong form deserted them as St John’s College roared to a 60-run victory.
Batting first, the Rams posted 145 for 9, which was a total made up of bits and pieces. John-Mark Benadie led the way with 31 from 20 deliveries and Tyde Stirrup contributed 20, but five other batsmen making between 10 and 19 helped the hosts to a decent total.
Caleb Naicker did a fine job with the ball for Clifton, claiming 3/14 in four, while Gabriel Vermeulen, with 2 for 23, and Shahzaad Perumal, with 2/28, lent good support.
Coach Brandon Scullard‘s boys then made a good start to their run chase, with Byron Ward and Rivan Moodley putting on 25 for the opening wicket in 2.5 overs before Ward departed for 21. That proved to be Clifton’s best effort with the bat.
Connor Lovatt ripped the heart out of the Clifton reply, picking up 4/14 in three and he was well supported by Cameron Rowbotham, with 3/15, and Taona Zimhunga, who claimed 2/18. Clifton’s middle order, filled with dangerous hitters, collapsed, with the Durban boys falling from 34/1 to 38/7. In the end, they mustered 85 all out.
Kearsney, meanwhile, beat Wise Owl by 26 runs in a high-scoring opening match in which they posted 243/5, led by captain Ross Coetzee‘s powerful 82 from 40 balls (see feature photo), which included seven fours and six sixes.
Carlton Takawira shone for Wise Owl, cracking 73 from only 31, with four fours and seven sixes, Panashe Gwatiringa weighed in with 65 from 55, and Villan Changa smashed 54 from 25, but Kearsney triumphed.
In their second outing, the Botha’s Hill boys went even bigger against Hellenic Academy, smashing 281/4 in their 20 overs, thanks to a brutal knock from Batsman of the Tournament, Jack O’Donovan. He launched 10 sixes over the ropes and added nine fours in a powerful 118 from only 49 deliveries.
Ross Coetzee, meanwhile, batted at an astonishing run rate of 359.09 to bash 79 from just 22 balls, featuring nine sixes and four fours.
Together they shared a 100-run partnership in a barely believable 22 balls, with Coetzee cracking 65 off 16 balls and O’Donovan 24 off of six! It might be a South African schools’ record, but that is practically impossible to verify.
Hellenic had no chance and were thumped by 143 runs.
The defending champs appeared to be on cruise control, but their confidence was rattled by Peterhouse in Kearsney’s third match. In a low-scoring clash, an unbroken stand of 14 for the last wicket lifted the KZN side to a narrow one-wicket win as they scored only 110/9 in reply to Peterhouse’s 106/7.
With Kearsney having batted only 15.3 overs to reach that score, it was, perhaps, a warning to Coetzee and company to show a little more restraint at the crease.
That clean record, nonetheless, secured Kearsney a place in the semi-finals against Maritzburg College, who were first-time participants in the tournament.
College began their challenge like a house on fire, thumping Prince Edward by 75 runs in their first match behind a 45-ball 76 from Oliver Da Costa and 68 off 48 from captain Chad Mason, who followed that up with a splendid 5/21. He would go on to be the event’s leading wicket-taker and was also named the Player of the Tournament.
The first-timers cruised to a nine-wicket win in their second outing against CBC Bulawayo, with Mason to the fore again, making 30 with the bat and taking 4/26 with the ball.
It looked easy, but St John’s, then, dealt College a wake-up call, defeating them by 25 runs in their last pool game. A rough batting performance doomed the Red, Black and White to defeat, although Tian van Niekerk stood tall with 50 and Joseph Currie, batting tenth, cracked an undefeated 31.
That loss put Maritzburg College into an elimination clash with Falcon College for a place in the semi-finals. Michael Gibson, who was run out in the loss to St John’s, led the way for College, bashing 97 from 57 at the top of the order to see the Pietermaritzburg boys to 200/4 in their 20.
Falcon produced a good batting effort without ever truly challenging for victory, and ended on 172/5, with Callum Orford on 58 not out and Neil Rosenfels on an unbeaten 30 from only 13 balls.
That win meant Maritzburg College and Kearsney would battle it out for a place in the title decider. Kearsney dominated the game.
After winning the toss, Mason chose to bat, but College’s batting was brittle. Openers Llewllyn Sutherland and Michael Gibson were back in the hut with only six runs on the board. Mason and Daniel Nadasan, then, added 44 for the third wicket, but once Nadasan had departed for 22, with the total on 50, the College innings quickly folded and they were all out for only 78 in the 18th over.
Opening bowler Ryan Browning knocked over 3/21 in 3.5 overs, while Asavela Khambule snared 2/10 in four and Sandiswa Yeni claimed 2/8 in three as Kearsney put themselves into a strong position to reach the final. It took them nine overs to make that a reality.
A 49-run opening partnership in just over five overs laid the platform for the win, with Jack O’Donovan finishing on 38 not out and Jonty Wiggett making 29.
St John’s won the toss in the final and chose to bat. Again, as had been their way throughout the tournament, they received solid performances throughout their innings, without anyone doing anything truly special, but that consistent effort lifted them to 154/8 from their 20 overs. Takudzwa Nduku, with 39 from 33, and Dhaneel Goven, with 28 from 25, led the way.
Sandiswa Yeni starred for Kearsney sending four batsmen packing for 22 runs from his four overs.
Kearsney was rocked early in their response, losing their top three, Jonty Wiggett, Jack O’Donovan, and Cameron Veenstra, plus Murray Weyer, with only 30 runs on the board after 5.1 overs. Cameron Rowbotham did the damage, on his way to a fine return of 3/15 from three.
A captain’s innings from Ross Coetzee – 47 from 33 deliveries, with six fours and a six – and good support from Matthew Lamplough, with 22 from 21, helped Kearsney to 82 at the start of the 13th over, but Coetzee then lost his wicket. Lamplough followed with the total on 94.
Cole Young, with a quick-fire 26 from 13, with three fours and two sixes, and Sandiswa Yeni with 19 from 16, fought hard, but Kearsney were brought up just short.
Asavela Khambula got hold of Toana Zimhunga’s last delivery of the match, and it looked as if it was headed for a six, which would tie the game, but Connor Lovatt pulled off a spectacular catch to seal the win for the Rams. Kearsney finished on 148/9.
SCORES
Clifton 189/8 (Z. Williamson 48, R. Moodley 34, B. Ward 29, T. Saulez 29); Churchill 76/10 (I. Makono 23, T. Saulez 3/11, Shiraz Perumal 2/20)
Clifton won by 113 runs
Kearsney 243/5 (R. Coetzee 82, J. O’Donovan 55. C Young 32*, T. Chimugoro 2/38); Wise Owl 217/4 (C. Takawira 73, P. Gwatiringa 65, V. Changa 54, M. Weyer 2/45)
Kearsney won by 26 runs
Maritzburg College 185/3 (O. Da Costa 76, C. Mason 68*, S. Garwe 2/41); Prince Edward 110/10 (S. Garwe 34, N. Mazhindu 31, C. Mason 5/21, N. Pembridge 3/20)
Maritzburg College won by 75 runs
Kearsney College 281/4 (J. O’Donovan 118, R. Coetzee 79, C. Veenstra 46, L. van Zyl 3/36); Hellenic Academy 138/8 (M. Landman 38, C. Des Fontaine 35, R. Browning 2/9, A. Khambule 2/31)
Kearsney won by 143 runs
Clifton 194/7 (T. Saulez 100*, R. Moodley 20, J, Petersen 2/20, M. Takudzwa 2/40); St George’s College 155/5 (T. Magaya 61, T. Mangena 51, M. Mutshawashe 23, G. Vermeulen 3/26)
Clifton won by 39 runs
CBC Bulawayo 116/9 (M. Chimusoro 55, C. Mason 4/26, O. Da Costa 2/15); Maritzburg College 117/1 (D. Nadasan 32*, C. Mason 30, O. Da Costa 23)
Maritzburg College won by 9 wickets
Peterhouse 106/7 (S. Bennett 30, L. Marillier 21, A. Khambule 3/12); Kearsney 110/9 (J. O’Donovan 32, K. Eksteen 3/34, T. Kashaya 2/12, R. Moyo 2/31)
Kearsney won by one wicket
St John’s College 168/9 (C. Lovatt 44, J-M. Benadie 33, D. Goven 29, J. Manning 23*, S. Hughes 3/31, C. Mason 2/16); Maritzburg College 143/10 (T. van Niekerk 50, J. Currie 31*, C. Mason 25, E. Mushosho 3/26, J-M. Benade 3/28)
St John’s won by 25 runs
Clifton 150/10 (B. Ward 46, T. Saulez 22, R. Merick 3/25, L. Nel 2/26, D. Ncube 2/32); Falcon College 63/10 (Shiraz Perumal 4/13, T. Saulez 3/13, Shahzaad Perumal 2/10)
Clifton won by 87 runs
Maritzburg College 200/4 (M. Gibson 97, C. Mason 35, O. Da Costa 26); Falcon College 172/5 (C. Orford 58*, N. Rosenfels 30*, K. Dedekind 3/11)
Maritzburg College won by 28 runs
SEMI-FINALS
St John’s College 145/9 (J-M. Benade 31, C. Naicker 3/14, G. Vermeulen 2/23, Shahzaad Perumal 2/28); Clifton 85/10 (C. Watson. C. Lovatt 4/14, C. Rowbotham 3/15, T. Zimhunga 2/18)
St John’s won by 60 runs
Maritzburg College 73/10 (D. Nadasan 22, R. Browning 3/21. S. Yeni 2/8, A. Khambule 2/10); Kearsney 78/2 (J. O’Donovan 38*, J. Wiggett 29)
Kearsney won by 8 wickets
FINAL
St John’s College 154/8 (T. Nduku 39, D. Goven 28, S. Yeni 4/22); Kearsney 148/9 (R. Coetzee 47, C. Young 26. M. Lamplough 22, C. Rowbotham 3/15, T. Zimhunga 2/15, D. Goven 2/32)
St John’s won by six runs
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