13 November 2023
Both the Kearsney College and St Charles College 1st cricket teams brought good form into their showdown on the AH Smith Oval in Botha’s Hill on Saturday.
Earlier in the term, Saints had defeated Kearsney in a 100-ball contest, but the home team entered the weekend’s match full of confidence after a very impressive 10-wicket victory over Northwood last time out.
They claimed an advantage early on after Hayden Bishop won the toss and elected to bowl first, confident that the pitch, under the 30-degree heat, would flatten out later in the day when Kearsney had to chase.
Ntando Zuma, who was included in the provisional SA u19 team for the 2024 u19 Cricket World Cup last week, led the way for the Saints’ batsmen, top scoring with a well-played 61, while Zimbabwean international Brendon Sunguro lent good support, making 45.
Meanwhile, opening bowler Sandiswa Yeni removed three Saint Charles batsmen at a cost of 63 runs, while the Kearsney captain, Hayden Bishop, snared 2 for 19 with his spin, as the visitors posted 218 all out.
With their batsmen in good form, the home team was confident they’d be able to chase down the modest total they required for victory. They made a bright start, too, galloping to 38 without loss after six overs.
The weather in Botha’s Hill can be finicky, however, and an unexpected lightning storm forced the players from the field, never to return.
Kearsney, who lifted the St John’s Rams T20 title in Zimbabwe in September, and then won three of four at the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week, concluded a very successful year with just seven defeats in 38 outings despite playing many of the best cricketing schools in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Kearsney beat Westville in St John’s Rams T20 final | Pinnacle Schools (pinnacle-schools.com)
The team’s primary strength lay in its very strong top order batting, but the side’s varied attack was also more than capable of bowling out the opposition.
Hayden Bishop led from the front, scoring 1 428 runs, which was a Kearsney record, while Ross Coetzee shone with 59 wickets at a cost of only 739 runs, leaving him with the sparkling average of just 12.5 runs per wicket.
While the 2023 action is now at an end, the Kearsney 1st XI will be back out in the middle early in January when the school hosts the Ihlobo 1st Team Cricket Festival, which will see eight teams, from as far afield as Zimbabwe, doing battle.
SCORES
St Charles College 218 all out (N. Zuma 61, B. Sunguro 45, S. Yeni 3 for 62, H. Bishop 2 for 19)
Kearsney College 38 without loss
Match abandoned due to rain
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