30 January 2023
Two very good teams met in hot and windy conditions at Northwood on Saturday, when the Knights hosted Saint Charles College of Pietermaritzburg. After a hard-fought battle, it was the home team who claimed a 37-run win, with the difference being that their top order fired while Saints’ did not.
The home team, batting first, enjoyed a solid start, with the top three batsmen in the order all making good contributions.
Mohammed Karodia weighed-in with 22 in an opening stand of 36 with Thayin Kuppan before he was caught by Sam Brown off the bowling of Tim Schoemann.
A decisive stand
Kuppan and Evan Fouche then combined forces to put on 70 for the second wicket, in a decisive stand, which proved to be the largest of the match. When Kuppan fell, struck in front on the pads by Dakesh Rajah, he had tallied 36 from 87 balls, with a single four. His departure saw the Knights lose momentum as they quickly slipped from 106 for 2 to 114 for 4.
Then, with the total on 127, Fouche, the innings’ top scorer, had his resistance ended by a run out. His 42 came off of 81 balls and included two fours.
Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, with Nathan Beaumont leading the way for the Saint Charles’ attack. He picked up 3 for 13, while the rest of the wickets were spread around.
In the end, Northwood were all out for 168 with five balls of their 50 overs remaining. While it wasn’t a massive score, what stood out was the fact that the Knights struck only one six and eight boundaries in their innings. Finding the boundary was not easy, and Saint Charles would have to work hard for their runs.
Stumbling start
Unfortunately for Saints, their run chase was undermined from the second over of their innings, when Connor Wilson accounted for Cian Fortmann, so often a reliable contributor for Saints, for only a single.
Wilson then removed Ntando Zuma for six, followed by Sam Brown for four, and Saint Charles were in trouble on 15 for 3. Just two runs later, Matthew Urquhart was on his way back to the changing room for two.
The visitors were in dire straits, but Marcell Wellmann and Brendon Sunguro managed to staunch the bleeding with a defiant partnership, with the left-handed Wellmann, especially, taking the fight to the Knights’ bowlers.
Impressive innings
He became the sole batsman in the match to score runs, find the boundary with regularity, and bat at a fast clip. However, with the total on 79, he was dismissed for 42 from 37 deliveries. His fine innings included five fours and a six.
Sunguro stuck around, but received little telling support. Two more wickets fell before he was dismissed for 37 valuable runs, the eighth man out, with the total on 106. During his 66-ball stay, he cracked three fours.
Needing another 61 runs for victory, Saints were well and truly on the back foot. They continued to fight hard, though, and made it to 129 before Rajah was out for 12.
Eight balls later, it was over, with Saint Charles all out for 131, and Northwood having claimed a treasured scalp.
Connor Wilson shone with the ball for Northwood, capturing 3 for 12 in his seven overs, while Thayin Kuppan underdid the Saints’ middle and lower order, returning 3 for 15 from his five overs. James Nielsen, meanwhile, snapped up the last two wickets to fall, ending with 2 for 4 from his brief spell.
SCORES
1st XI
Northwood 168 all out (E. Fouche 42, T. Kuppan 36, M. Karodia 22, N. Beaumont 3 for 13)
Saint Charles 131 all out (M. Wellmann 42, B. Sunguro 37, C. Wilson 3 for 12, T. Kuppan 3 for 15, J. Nielsen 2 for 4)
Northwood won by 37 runs
2nd XI
Northwood 238 all out
Saint Charles 106 all out
Northwood won by 132 runs
3rd XI
Saint Charles 120 all out
Northwood 121 for 4
Northwood won by 6 wickets
4th XI
Northwood 169 for 7
Saint Charles 114 all out
Northwood won by 55 runs
u16A
Saint Charles 120 all out
Northwood 125 for 5
Northwood won by 5 wickets
u16B
Northwood 168 for 3
Saint Charles 34 all out
Northwood won by 134 runs
u16C
Saint Charles 96 all out
Northwood 98 for 1
Northwood won by 9 wickets
u15A
Saint Charles 84 all out
Northwood 85 for 1
Northwood won by 9 wickets
u15B
Northwood 151 for 5
Saint Charles 139 for 8
Northwood won by 12 runs
u15C
Northwood 145 for 6
Saint Charles 129 all out
Northwood won by 16 runs
u14A
Saint Charles 170 all out
Northwood 171 for 3
Northwood won by 7 wickets
u14B
Saint Charles 146 for 7
Northwood 147 for 8
Northwood won by 2 wickets
u14C
Northwood 186 for 6
Saint Charles 98 for 6
Abandoned
u14D
Saint Charles 109 all out
Northwood 112 for 6
Northwood won by 4 wickets
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