21 October 2024
Two in-form cricket teams met on the Theobald Oval at Durban High School (DHS) on Saturday, with the hosts taking a nine-game winning streak into the match, while Westville Boys’ High, the visitors, headed into the contest having won five of their six matches at the Westvaal North-South T20 Tournament, facing some of South Africa’s leading sides.
A tight contest was on the cards, except it didn’t work out that way. DHS made it 10 wins on the trot with an emphatic 79-run victory in a limited overs clash, which marked captain Semal Pillay‘s 50th 1st XI cap with an impressive win.
The Theobald Oval surrenders neither runs nor boundaries easily and that continued on Saturday as DHS posted 200/4 in their 50 overs. To those unfamiliar with the ground, it might appear to be an average total, but that’s a testing target on the big field.
DHS lost Ethan Cooper early on, trapped in front by SA u19 Emerging paceman Dayalan Boyce, but Ismaeel Omar and Semal Pillay, in typically dogged fashion, knuckled down to put on 67 in 16.5 overs for the second wicket. It wasn’t fast, but it was what was needed. Their stand came to an end when Omar holed out off Tristin Delvin, uncharacteristically going for a big shot over cow’s corner for 43 from 69, with seven fours.
Taking it in their stride, DHS worked on a new partnership, something that has been one of the cornerstones of their successes. Josh van Biljon and the skipper combined for a 55-run stand for the third wicket before Dolphins’ u18 left-arm spinner Roxton Payne pulled off a caught and bowled to send Van Biljon packing for 29.
Pillay was out only an over from the end of the DHS innings, run out after a direct hit, for a vital 87 from 137 balls, which included four fours.
When the innings finished on 200/4, Lazlo Jooste stood on 23, while Taine Havemann had seven.
Dayalan Boyce knocked over with 1/19 from six for Westville, while Tristin Delvin was tidy, claiming 1/29 in 10.
Westville’s reply started well. They scored at five runs per over until their captain Nicandro Kistna was caught by Semal Pillay off Dhilan Naraidu for 18, leaving the visitors on 26/1.
From there, they advanced into the fifties, but then lost three batsmen in the space of seven balls to slide to 58/4. Max Robertson, Kistna’s opening partner was bowled by Taine Havemann for 13, and he was followed by Seth Simpson, caught by Josh van Biljon off Naraidu for 22. Then, in a big blow to Westville’s batting effort, Dolphins’ u18 batsman Kaeden McAllister was sent packing by Jared Havemann from the first ball he faced.
Kyle McGough resisted, but he received little support. Sean McGough became another Jared Havemann victim as the leg spinner laid waste to Westville’s batting.
Roxton Payne mustered 10 before Bhavesh Naicker claimed his wicket, and Semal Pillay struck to send Tristin Delvin packing. In the very next over, Sekou Shangase was on his way, caught by Josh van Biljon off Jared Havemann for a duck and, suddenly, the game was as good as done, with Westville wobbling on 102/8 in the 31st over.
Kyle McGough and Dayalan Boyce held up the DHS victory charge for a short while, partnering for an 18-run stand for the ninth wicket before McGough was caught by Bayanda Majola off of Jared Havemann for 41. That was the highest score of the visitors’ innings and came off 61 balls, four of which he struck for four and another for six.
A short while later, the game was done when Jared Havemann picked up a fourth wicket, dismissing Boyce for five.
Havemann finished with a sparkling return of of 4/22 from 8.1 overs, while his brother, Taine, also played a big role in dismantling the usually solid Westville batting, capturing 2/14 from six overs. Dhilan Naraidu snapped up 2/30 from seven, while there was a wicket each for Semal Pillay and Bhavesh Naicker.
With 10 victories over the trot, including comfortable wins over Affies and St Stithians at the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Week, DHS has built up serious momentum. They lose only three players at the end of the year, and maintain many of their top performers, so they’re going to be a forced to be reckoned with in 2025.
Scores
DHS 200/4 (Semal Pillay 87, Ismaeel Omar 43, Joshua van Biljon 29, Dayalan Boyce 1/19, Tristin Delvin 1/29); Westville 121/10 (Kyle McGough 41, Seth Simpson 22, Jared Havemann 4/22, Taine Havemann 2/14, Dhilan Naraidu 2/30, Bhavesh Naicker 1/14, Semal Pillay 1/23).
DHS won by 79 runs
Westville enjoyed the better of the overall results, with their juniors, especially, performing strongly. In a good contest between the u14A teams, they combined for 531 runs, with the Griffin winning by 41.
RESULTS
2nd XI
DHS 83/10
Westville 85/4
Westville won by 6 wickets
3rd XI
DHS 153/9
Westville 50/2
Rained out
4th XI
Westville 56/10
DHS 57/1
DHS won by 9 wickets
5th XI
Westville 277/3
DHS 66/10
Westville won by 211 runs
u15A
Westville 264/10
DHS 151/10
Westville won by 113 runs
u15B
Westville 194/4
DHS 72/10
Westville won by 122 runs
u15C
DHS 100/7
Westville 101/1
Westville won by 9 wickets
u15D
DHS 101/10
Westville 101/4
Westville won by 6 wickets
u14A
Westville 286/7
DHS 245/7
Westville won by 41 runs
u14B
Westville 176/4
DHS 105/9
Westville won by 71 runs
u14C
Westville 213/2
DHS 102/10
Westville won by 111 runs
u14D
DHS 62/10
Westville 63/2
Westville won by 8 wickets
u14E
DHS 51/10
Westville 52/2
Westville won by 8 wickets
BASKETBALL
In an entertaining clash, the Westville 1st team claimed a 13-point win in Durban on Saturday behind some clutch shooting as DHS hung tough in hard-fought game. Westville, though, kept finding answers when School threatened.
They’ve been on the rise, and with a very successful group of u16 players moving up into the senior ranks, Westville appears to be one of the best teams in the country.
The overall results, however, ever so slightly tilted the way of DHS, who took six wins to the five of Westville, although there were no clean sweeps of any age groups.
RESULTS
1st: DHS 60-73 Westville
2nd: DHS 35-30 Westville
16A: DHS 40-28 Westville
16B: DHS 20-25 Westville
16C: DHS 22-14 Westville
15A: DHS 28-30 Westville
15B: DHS 24-5 Westville
15D: DHS 13-5 Westville
14A: DHS 37-20 Westville
14B: DHS 21-22 Westville
14C: DHS 19-21 Westville
WATER POLO
In the pool, the results of five matches, all tightly contested, went mostly Westville’s way, with the u15B clash finishing 7-7. Westville won the other four.
RESULTS
1st: DHS 9-10 Westville
2nd: DHS 6-12 Westville
15A: DHS 6-8 Westville
15B: DHS 7-7 Westville
14A: DHS 3-8 Westville
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