Flawless partnership sets Graeme up for sublime win against Muir
THE Graeme College cricket team scored a remarkable win over Muir as their batsmen and bowlers hit their straps on Saturday.
With both teams showing good form in a recent festival, the fixture had both squads eager to impress on the day.
Muir won the toss and put Graeme in to bat, but a flawless 132-run partnership between Mark Amm (62) and Romario Fritz (153) set Graeme up perfectly.
Fritz, who was sublime, batted for nearly four hours, dominating the Muir attack and enabling Graeme to declare on 318/ 8 after 65 overs.
Fritz faced 196 balls and hit nine fours and eight sixes.
In reply, the Graeme opening bowlers were quite simply unplayable. Siphesihle Madlongolwana (5/11) and Sihle Mginywa (5/14) were sensational as they bowled Muir out for 25 within 12 overs. To top off the performance, Chris Gleaves took five catches behind the stumps as Graeme won by 292 runs.
This feat beat the previous lowest score made against Graeme when they bowled Union High out for 28 in 1986.
Earlier in the week, the two teams met in a T20 match, which Graeme managed to dominate as well.
Muir got off to a horror start as Amm (2/15) and Madlongolwana (2/15) picked up early wickets.
Mginywa continued his fine form with the ball, taking 2/16 to help dismiss Muir for 84.
With not much pressure on the Graeme batsmen, they managed to cruise to a nine-wicket victory in 10 overs, Fritz top-scoring with 31 not out.
Graeme also met St Andrew’s in the semifinal of the Albany leg of the CSA T20 competition. St Andrews made 145/ 6, with Mginywa (3/22) and Madlongolwana (2/21) doing most of the damage.
After a sluggish start, Amm hit a brilliant 71 not out off 45 balls, but it was just not enough as St Andrew’s won by 13 runs.
In other matches against Muir, Dylan Riley excelled for the second team, top-scoring with 24 in their total of 130.
It was his bowling, though, which was far more impressive. In a match-winning performance, he picked up 6/12, bowling out Muir for 96 and giving Graeme a 34-run win.
The U14A side had a similar man-ofthe-match performance from Lagon Oerson. Bowling first, Graeme restricted Muir to 132, Oerson taking 5/24.
He backed that up with 52 not out, along with a good innings by Aya Jakatyana (42), as Graeme won by six wickets. In the U15A game, Muir made 120, with Asemahle Mbanga taking 4/23.
Graeme had to work hard in their reply, but eventually won by five wickets, David Tyson top-scoring with 45.
TENNIS
GRAEME hosted the annual Settlers Cup, which sees Union High, St Andrew’s, Kingswood and Graeme compete in a tennis competition with a rich history.
Graeme beat Union High 11-1 and followed that with another 11-1 win over Kingswood.
St Andrew’s, though, showed good form and when they beat Graeme 8-4, they ended overall winners.
For Graeme, Mark Amm and Garwin Dampies remained unbeaten throughout the day, winning all their matches.