11 February 2024
St Charles College welcomed Northwood School to a cloudy, overcast Pietermaritzburg on Saturday for a limited overs confrontation on The Oval.
Led by an excellent all-round game from Cian Fortmann (feature photo, courtesy of Justin Waldman Sports Photography), the hosts recorded a 34-run victory.
Justin Waldman Sports Photography
Saints opted to bat first after winning the toss and Fortmann signalled his intent by punishing any wayward bowling.
He spent 51 balls at the crease, turning nine of those into fours, and making 53 before he was the first man out. By then, he and Thando Zama had taken their side to 70. Zama anchored the innings, stonewalling the Knights’ bowlers, in a 102-ball stay that produced 40 runs.
However, when he fell, another wicket quickly followed, which left St Charles on 140/4 with less than 10 overs to go in their innings. Thankfully for the home team, Rico Honiball was set.
He took charge and struck four fours and a six in an 85-ball knock which produced the highest score of the match, 55 runs, before he was the fifth man out with the total on 184 and five overs remaining.
Saints added 34 further runs to end their 50 overs on 218/8, which would be a challenging total for Northwood to chase on The Oval.
Mason Storm led the Knights’ attack, picking up 2/33 in eight overs, while Harlee Jagga was miserly, snaring 1/17 from his 10 overs, and Ben Cilliers did a tidy job, too, returning 1/22 from seven.
Northwood’s hopes of victory were wobbled early on in their run chase as they lost both openers with only seven runs on the board. However, Thayin Kuppin, who has been in good nick, was just the man to steady the ship.
Together with Kyle White, he helped advance the score to 65 before Stefan Veldsman ended Kuppin’s innings with a run out. The number three had scored 38 runs from 59 deliveries, with five fours.
Less than three overs later, White was also on his way, LBW to Cian Fortmann for a dogged 21 from 60 balls, which featured a six and a four.
Harlee Jagga resisted with 20 from 31 balls, and Mfana Shange weighed in with 21 from 51, but with the departure of Shange, Northwood found themselves with plenty still to do, on 142/6, with just over 11 overs remaining.
Mason Storm did his best to drag the Knights to victory, smashing a six and five fours in a 48-ball 54, the best score for the visitors, but he was the last man out with 26 balls left in the innings, and Northwood on 184.
Cian Fortmann followed up his fine fifty with a return of 4/33 from 9.4 overs, which included the wicket of Storm, followed by the destruction of the lower order, to see Saints to a solid victory.
Scores
St Charles College 218/8 (Rico Honiball 55, Cian Fortmann 51, Thando Zama 40; Mason Storm 2/33, Harlee Jagga 1/17, Kyle White 1/18); Northwood School 184/10 (Mason Storm 54, Thayin Kuppan 38, Mfana Shange 21, Harlee Jagga 20; Cian Fortmann 4/33) St Charles College won by 34 runs.
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