Kearsney College captain Ross Coetzee continued his sensational run of form with a match-winning innings in a narrow five-run win over Glenwood in a W100 match played on the AH Smith Oval on Wednesday.
Coetzee made his way to the middle 15 balls into the home side’s innings, and he lasted to the very last ball, when he was run out trying to squeeze one more run onto his side’s total. By then, though, he had laid waste to the Glenwood attack.
Coetzee launched seven sixes and struck nine fours in a 45-ball innings worth 89 runs. He and Matthew De Oliveira put on 130 runs for the third wicket, which was a fine follow-up to the 131 runs they added in a W100 win over DHS a week earlier.
De Oliveira contributed an unbeaten 38 from 33 deliveries, which included three fours and two sixes, but his was a supporting role to his brutally effective captain.
When their 100 balls were up, Kearsney had tallied a sound-looking 161/3. Not even the SA Schools opening bowler, Ntando Soni, and his KZN schools’ team-mate Bandile Mbatha, who opened the bowling together, were spared Coetzee’s wrath. Both conceded 33 runs from their 20 balls.
Kyle Bryan, always a consistent bowler with his off-spin, picked up the wicket of Cameron Veenstra and returned figures of 1/28 from 20 deliveries.
Glenwood faced a tough run chase, but they did not lay down. Instead, they made a spirited pursuit of Kearsney’s total, and even though they lost slipped to 32/3 just 20 balls into their innings, their batting tempo never faltered.
Krian Jugoo did an outstanding job in taking the fight to the hosts, smacking four sixes and three fours in a 37-ball innings, which brought him a splendid 59 runs.
Jugoo was Glenwood’s mainstay, but Sibonelo Phewa, with 27 from 19, and Kyle Bryan with an unbeaten 22 from 18, came oh so close to taking Glenwood to a memorable win.
In the end, they needed just one more maximum to steal a remarkable victory, but it didn’t materialise. Still, it was a courageous effort from captain Ntando Soni and his team, and they emerged from the contest with credit.
In a match dominated by the bat, Kearsney’s Michael Groom made an important contribution with the ball, bowling Bandile Mbatha, and giving up only 15 runs from his 20 balls.
Jack O’Donovan led the wicket takers, capturing 2/27 from 20, while Ryan Browning took 2/29 in 15.
On the Robin Smith Oval at Northwood, Westville Boys’ High, who had won a limited overs match on the same field on Saturday, once again had the edge over the Knights and this time ran away to a convincing 62-run victory.
Batting first, the Griffin tallied 159/9 from their 100 balls. Captain Nicandro Kistna top scored with a circumspect 33 from 32 balls, while Roxton Payne cleared the boundary three times in his innings of 31 from 16 deliveries. Josh Beck and Seth Simpson scored 20 each.
Pride Buthelezi picked up three wickets for Northwood, capturing 3/37 from 20 deliveries, while opening bowler Andrew Deeb took 2/26 from his 20.
When Northwood batted, Westville used seven bowlers and each of them helped keep the run rate in check as Northwood didn’t quite make it to 100 runs, finishing on 97/7 after their 100 balls had expired.
Thusa Phewa and Kyle White paced the Knights with 49 runs for the second wicket. Sekou Shangase, then, got rid of White for 24 from 25 balls, and followed that up by removing Phewa for 27, the highest score of the Northwood innings. Shangase went on to pick up two more wickets for a decisive return of 4/23.
Harley Jagga made 19 from 16 balls, which included three fours, but the home team needed more innings of substance, and they didn’t get them.
While Shangase led the Westville attack, Heath Stott also did a solid job, snapping up 2/14 in 15 balls. Josh Beck was miserly, giving up only 13 runs from his 20 deliveries while also removing opener Thayin Kuppan.
Scores
Kearsney College 161/3 (Ross Coetzee 89, Matthew De Oliveira 38*; Kyle Bryan 1/28); Glenwood High School 156/5 (Krian Jugoo 59, Sibonelo Phew 27, Kyle Bryan 22*; Jack O’Donovan 2/27, Ryan Browning 2/29, Michael Groom 1/15) Kearsney College won by 5 runs.
Westville Boys’ High (Nicandro Kistna 33, Roxton Payne 31, Josh Beck 20, Seth Simpson 20; Pride Buthelezi 3/37, Andrew Deeb 2/26, Kyle White 1/12); Northwood School 97/7 (Thusa Phewa 27, Kyle White 24, Harley Jagga 19; Sekou Shangase 4/23, Heath Stott 2/14, Josh Beck 1/13) Westville Boys’ High won by 62 runs.
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