12 September 2024
St Charles College held onto the Eston One Insurance T20 Night League title, thanks to a convincing 32-run win over Maritzburg College on Wednesday evening.
Last year, Nathan Beaumont bowled Saints to a dramatic four-run over Hilton College in the final. On this occasion it didn’t require a performance as stunning as his 5/10. Rather, there were strong contributions from a number of batsmen and bowlers, with their collective efforts proving more than enough to see St Charles to a successful title defence.
Saints’ skipper Marcel Wellman won the toss and chose to bat, hoping to place the pressure on College, and his batsmen responded well.
Cian Fortmann and Rico Honiball shared an opening stand of 62 runs in 7.5 overs before Julian Konigkramer had Fortmann caught by College captain Chad Mason for 21 from 24 balls.
Wellmann was the next man out in the middle and he got on top of the College bowlers while putting on 53 for the second wicket with Honiball, who was dismissed with the total on 115 in the 16th over. He had scored 38 from 43 deliveries and struck four fours.
That brought Brendon Sunguro to the wicket and he immediately took it to the College attack. In just two overs, he and his captain added 23 runs, but Wellman was then out, a second victim of Konigkramer, having smashed 56 from just 36 deliveries, including six fours and two sixes.
Sunguro next combined with Stefan Veldsman for a 32-run partnership from only 15 deliveries, of which 26 belonged to the Zimbabwean international. He was unbeaten when the 20 overs were done, having blasted two sixes and two fours in an undefeated 30 from 15. Saints finished with a strong 170 for 3.
Mason was the most economical of the Maritzburg College bowlers, claiming 1/23 in his four overs, while Konigkramer went for 35 but picked up two wickets.
Facing a stiff run chase, the Red, Black and White stumbled out of the gate, with the in-form Llewellyn Sutherland, who was named the Batsman of the Tournament at the recent Fasken Time Cricket Festival, losing his wicket to Saints’ quick Rowen Rajah for a single with the total on seven.
College had the right man come in at three, however, with their skipper at Chad Mason not only keeping Saints at bay, but also taking a liking to their bowling.
He struck 50 from 37 balls, with a six and seven fours, before he was run out by Covhan Baaitjies, with the total on 89. He and Daniel Nadasan had added 82 from 62 balls.
Soon after Mason’s departure, College suffered a big blow when Nadasan was bowled by Kaiyuran Naidoo for 31 from 32. College had slipped to 93/3 with seven-and-a-half overs remaining. The loss of the two batsmen in quick succession proved decisive, however, as only one other player made it into the teens.
Brendon Sunguro and Cian Fortmann kept the run rate down while also striking regularly to cool the College run chase. Mason and company lost another six wickets while adding only 32 more runs as College’s batting fizzled out. They were on 138/9 when they ran out of overs.
Sunguro was the destroyer-in-chief, knocking over 4/16 in four, while Fortmann backed him up well with 2/28 in four. Kaiyuran Naidoo, with 1/17 in three, and Rowen Rajah, with 1/23 in three, also played their part.
Scores
St Charles College 170/3 (Marcel Wellmann 56, Rico Honiball 38, Brendon Sunguro 30*, Cian Fortmann 21, Julian Konigkramer 2/35); Maritzburg College 138/9 (Chad Mason 50, Daniel Nadasan 31, Brendon Sunguro 4/16, Cian Fortmann 2/28)
St Charles won by 32 runs
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