Woodridge hold on for draw in declaration game with Pearson
The Woodridge first boys’ cricket team were able to hold Pearson at bay for a draw in their declaration game at the weekend, while the girls’ sides scored exciting wins in their Twenty20 fixtures.
The Pearson outfit have performed with success this year and Woodridge knew they were in for a tough encounter.
Batting first, the Woodridge players struggled to build up any significant partnerships and only scores of 21 by Waydon Bopp and Zche-keane Killian helped them reach 131.
Cayden Wilson continued to underline his bowling skills for Pearson to be the destroyerin-chief with a return of 5/43. He received good support from Sulaymaan Gangat (3/30).
Another of Pearson’s inform players, Esa Gangat, then took control with the bat and top-scored with 66 to give his team a first innings lead of 112.
Further significant contributions came from Jordan Collier (47 not out) and Divan Els (36).
Bopp underlined his allround credentials with bowling figures of 3/64 and Randy Syce claimed 3/49.
With the loss of five wickets constituting a full innings in
schools declaration matches, Woodridge did well to hold on their second innings, finishing the match on 41/2.
In the second team match Woodridge struggled against a strong Pearson side, losing by 10 wickets. The Woodridge U15s also had a tough match, losing by eight wickets.
In a declaration match, the Woodridge U14 team held out for a draw.
Pearson batted first and scored 189, to which Woodridge replied with 132/9, holding on grimly to avoid a first innings defeat. Jeandre Strydom (45) and Callum Armstrong
(20) batted well for Woodridge.
The Woodridge first and second girls’ teams showed great fighting spirit when they came up against Framesby and St Dominic’s Priory.
Though totalling a modest 84 in their 20 overs, Ashlee Buhr and Ava Horner each contributing 15 runs, the Woodridge first team bowlers rose to the occasion by dismissing Framesby for 62.
Caydance Krugel was the star of the attack with figures of 4/6, while Buhr (2/10), Reece Foreman (3/21) and Khazimla Adam (1/17) all contributed.
The Woodridge second team excelled against their Priory opponents, not losing a wicket in their innings of 70.
They also performed well in the field to restrict their opponents to 64/5, claiming a narrow win by six runs.
● The Woodridge water polo teams produced some encouraging results this weekend, with the first boys’ side competing in the Vides tournament in East London and the girls’ teams travelling to Makhanda.
The boys were drawn in a tough pool and despite several losses, they always fought hard.
Their best effort came against Bloemfontein team Grey College when they led for most of the match, only to slip up at the end to go down 9-4.
Woodridge finished 13th out of 16 teams.
In Makhanda, the Woodridge first girls’ team pulled off a massive result when they drew 3-3 with Kingswood. In the last two years, they lost by big margins.
In one of the team’s best performances, they led all the way before Kingswood snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat with the equalising goal in the last 20 seconds.