Saints turn into giant slayers
ST STITHIANS College is on course to be the top cricket side in Joburg this year after a hard-fought 36-run victory over King Edward VII School in Randburg on Saturday. Saints scored an impressive 252/6 before dismissing KES for 216 in 46 overs, causing, arguably, the upset of the year.
Opening batsmen Jodi de Sousa and Cameron Rowe laid a steady foundation for Saints, scoring 68 runs before Rowe was dismissed for a quick-fire 47 off 29. Liam Mostert joined De Sousa at the crease, with the pair adding another 67 runs before De Sousa (58) ran himself out after a well-played half-century. Mostert and Travis Ladner added a further 60 runs before Ladner (25) fell to the bowling of Keegan Jansen van Rensburg, leaving Saints on 195/3.
There was not much resistance from the KES bowling attack, as Liam Mccarthy blitzed to 38 off 27 deliveries, while Mostert (67) top-scored for Saints, leaving the home side with a valiant 252 runs to defend. Jansen van Rensburg (3 for 47) was the pick of the bowlers for KES, with Heinrigh Pieterse (1 for 38) and Michael Copeland (1 for 37) each picking up a wicket.
KES started their reply in the worst possible way, as both opening batsmen, Jason Bracher and Joshua Streak, returned to their dugout without scoring a run. Jansen van Rensburg and Pieterse finally got the reply going for KES, before Pieterse (28) was bowled out by Sebastian de Oliviera, leaving the visitors in a precarious position at 59/3. The ever-reliable Bryce Parsons was a no-show in this contest, after being trapped lbw by De Oliviera in the very next delivery for a golden duck.
At 59/4 the writing was on the wall for KES, but Kian Schwartz (68) and Jansen van Rensburg (66) boldly took the fight to the Saints bowling attack.
After losing Streak, Bracher and Parsons for a combined score of 0, the run chase was going to be an impossible task. Cameos from Copeland (14) and Deeran Baba (19) were to no avail as KES slumped to 216 and fell 36 runs short of the target. De Oliviera (4 for 41) was sublime with the ball. Matthew Lieberman (3 for 35), Mccarthy (1 for 46), Thando Makwetu (1 for 29) and Tristan Brooks (1 for 24) all played a part in this breathtaking win.