Wins, losses at schools T20 finals
Grey came away smiling, but not so for Graeme
IT was a wonderful day for Grey High School and a difficult one for Graeme College on the opening day of the Coca-Cola Schools T20 National Finals at Tuks in Pretoria yesterday as Grey won their opening two games and Graeme lost both of theirs.
In arguably the match of the day Warriors representatives Grey claimed a superb six-wicket win over Lions reps King Edward School VII in an enthralling encounter that swung every way possible.
Batting first KES made their way to an imposing 174/7 in their 20 overs.
Grey bowlers Tristan van Breda and Tiaan van Vuuren got stuck into the Grey top order, sharing three wickets with the score on 38 before KES fought back.
It was a mixture of poor bowling and sloppy fielding that allowed KES captain Callum Broodryk (53) and Bryce Parsons (29) to share in an 86run stand to get them into a strong position.
The introduction of Arend Visser then saw Grey fight back as he removed both batsmen in his first over, but some lusty hitting down the order saw KES reach the good score.
Visser (3/23) was the pick of the bowlers along with Van Breda (2/24). The Grey reply was then just a brilliant all-round effort from the top six who all pitched in to help them take a fantastic victory that sees them top of pool A after two games.
LJ du Preez (27) and Luke Beaufort (27) got them off to a flyer and captain Tristan Stubbs then came in and guided his side home with an unbeaten 51 off 42 balls.
Tiaan van Vuuren (28) added some valuable runs, but it was arguably Cody Posthumus who swung the game in Grey's favour. In the 16th over with Grey needing 48 off 27 balls, Posthumus went on the charge knocking Ian Crawshaw for three successive sixes to cut the deficit to 30 off 24 balls.
The second ball of the next over Posthumus hammered KES most dangerous bowler Obakeng Maila (3/25), for his fourth boundary in a row, but he then died by the sword with the next delivery nicking it behind to fall for 29 off 10 balls (3x6; 2x4).
However the damage was already done allowing Nicholas Fowler (10no), to join his captain at the crease and ease themselves over the line with three balls to spare.
For Coastal Focus School reps Graeme, they were comfortably beaten by eight wickets by Titans champs St Albans in the afternoon.
Graeme managed a decent 118/5 after a poor start had them in danger of not reaching a hundred.
The top four all fell cheaply and by the halfway mark Graeme were struggling on 42/4.
But captain Mark Amm then played a superb knock, batting until the final over while scoring 59 off 43 balls (5x4; 2x6) and sharing in an 81run partnership with Siphesihle Madlongolwana (19).
Greame then reduced St Albans to 37/2 in the chase but that was as good as it got as the hosts cruised home for an eight-wicket win.