St Stithians College have claimed their first win of the T20 Schools Challenge by beating Wynberg Boys’ High School by six runs on Friday
Matthew Erasmus and Joshua Richards shared an unbeaten 161-run opening stand in Stellenbosch, setting the pace to get their side over the line.
St Stithians (the Lions) were 161 without loss at the end of their allotted overs, with Erasmus hitting 77 not out (59 balls, seven fours, two sixes) and Richards adding a 62-ball 68 not out (four fours, three sixes). Wynberg conceded 16 runs in extras, including 12 wides as their bowlers struggled and failed to make a breakthrough.
In their batting reply, the Cape Cobras representatives’ openers, Karl Vermeulen and Cedric Landers, got their side off to a solid start with a 53-run partnership before the latter was bowled out by Tristan Brooks (1-13) on 33 (22 balls). Vermeulen top-scored with 65 runs (40 balls, five fours, three sixes), with Grant Martin chipping in with 25 runs and Josh Breed adding a valuable 18, but Craig Meier took 3-19 in his four-over spell to help restrict them to 155-5.
Elsewhere, at Bridge House School in Franschhoek, the Knights representatives, St Andrew’s School, also snuck a narrow, eight-run win over the Titans’ Centurion Hoërskool. Calvin King took an outstanding 4-25 during Centurion’s chase of St Andrew’s 124-run target.
The other Titans’ representative, Prestige College, fell to a tough, 68-run defeat to the Warriors’ Selborne College. Half-centuries by Matt Dewar (62) and Mathew Ferrant (57) saw Selborne post a competitive 154-3, but it was Aiden van Wyk who was the star of the match, taking an incredible 6-13 in four overs to deliver a solid victory for the Eastern Cape side in the end. Prestige were bundled out for 86 runs, with top scores coming from Tumelo Banda (35) and Polite Shingange (23).
Lions (St Stithians) vs Cobras (Wynberg Boys) scorecard
Titans (Centurion High) vs Knights (St Andrew’s) scorecard
Northern Focus School (Prestige College) vs Warriors (Selborne) scorecard
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
