25 January 2023
The Hilton College 1st XI faced DHS in the first match of the 2023 1st term for two schools with a very rich history of excellence in the sport. The contest produced plenty of runs, with 563 being scored in just 94.3 overs.
Strong DHS start
DHS won the toss and elected to field first, which appeared to be a good call when the Durbanites reduced Hilton to 17 for 2. Opener Luke Watt was caught behind off the bowling of left-armer Semal Pillay without scoring, while Ivan Lockem had hit stumps knocked over by a superb delivery from Thuba Ndelu after scoring nine.
Matters, though, took a distinct turn in favour of Hilton after that, with Matt Stewart and Charles Swart adding 117 for the second wicket before Stewart was caught in the deep by Joshua Venter, hitting out at leg-spinner Jared Havyerman, just a run shy of a fifty. HIs 71-ball knock included five fours.
That brought Hilton captain Ross Boast out to the middle, but matters really didn’t improve for the DHS bowlers. Swart was already well set and playing an attacking knock, and Boast went about his batting in a similar fashion, taking the fight to the DHS bowlers.
Swart went to score 107 from just 111 balls before he was bowled by Nkululeko Masondo. His innings included a high percentage of boundaries, with his shots reaching the fence on 15 occasions.
Boast’s blast
Boast (photo top of article), meanwhile, comfortably bettered a run a ball, as Hilton ran up a big score. He went on to finish undefeated on 101 off of only 81 deliveries, with two sixes and 12 fours.
Sam Strydom lent strong support, also blasting two sixes, to go along with three fours, in a quickfire 35 from 33 balls, while Wian Liebenberg’s cameo at the death produced 18 runs from 10 deliveries.
Nkululeko Masondo led the DHS bowlers with a return of 2 for 40 from his six overs. He was the ninth bowler used by DHS in an effort to staunch the Hilton run flow.
With their 50 overs up, Hilton finished on a daunting 350 for 5, scoring at exactly seven runs per over. In very taxing, hot and humid conditions, it would take an exceptional effort to overhaul that total.
Chasing a big target, DHS started their innings far better than Hilton did theirs, with Mahir Bihari and Nkululeko Masondo putting on 64 for the first wicket before Masondo fell LBW to Matipa Denenga for 32 in the 10th over. His runs had come from 29 balls, with a six and two fours.
Two quick wickets
His opening partner, Mahir Bihari, followed soon afterwards, run out for 35, an innings which included six fours. And, soon after that, DHS found themselves 77 for 3 when Thuba Ndlela was trapped in front by Nic Chantler for three.
Semal Pillay, batting at four, played a good innings, top scoring with 60, but his run out, like that of Bihari’s, really hurt the DHS chances of challenging Hilton’s big total.
Khulekani Mseleku became the third player from the Durban side to be dismissed in the thirties, falling for 32, with five fours, and, after he departed, the DHS challenge stumbled.
After 44.3 overs, they were all out for 213, leaving Hilton with a handsome 137 run victory.
Wickets
The wickets were shared around, with off-spinner Luke Watt snapping up 2 for 5 in 2.3 overs, fellow off-spinner Brett Cutting capturing 2 for 36 in nine, and Nic Chantler bagging 2 for 53 in nine with his leg-spin.
A convincing win for Hilton sets matters up nicely for a forthcoming clash against Westville Boys High on 28 January, with the Griffin coming off of an excellent 2022 and a hard-fought win over Maritzburg College in their first match of the term.
SCORES
Hilton College 350 for 5 (C. Swart 107, R. Boast 101*, M. Stewart 49, S. Strydom 35, N. Masondo 2 for 40)
DHS 213 all out (S. Pillay 60, M. Bihari 35, N. Masondo 32, K. Mseleku 32, L. Watt 2 for 5, B. Cutting 2 for 36)
Hilton won by 137 runs
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