WBHS excelled on the cricket field last week, taking the KZN Coca Cola T20 Coastal Series Tournament on Friday, and beating Kearsney in a domestic fixture on Saturday.
After excelling in the 2 group stages of this year’s KZN Coca Cola T20 Series tournament and beating Thomas More in the Quarter-Final and DHS in the Semi-Final convincingly, the Final between Westville Boys’ High School and Glenwood was eagerly anticipated by all.
Westville won the toss and chose to bowl to try put early pressure on Glenwood. Luke Allen once again struck early in the innings with 2 wickets in 2 balls and the score 11 for 2. An awesome bowling and fielding performance by the Westville Boys restricted Glenwood to 117 for 9 after their 20 overs. Luke Allen was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 22 in his 4 overs. Westville openers had a tough task ahead of them in facing Glenwood’s Sanele Mnqayi, one of the quickest school boy bowlers in the country, and handled him with no fear. This got the team off to a great opening partnership of 43 runs which laid the foundation for a great run chase by the boys, where Captain Gareth Beavan was the pick of the batsmen scoring 36 off 25 balls. The final partnership between Ethan Matkovich & Wynand Steynberg of 28 runs saw the team home with 11 balls to spare, winning by 6 wickets and going through to the Provincial Final on the 22nd of February.
STATS: Glenwood 1st 117/9 after 20, Moran 67(60), Allen 3/22 after 4, WBHS 1st 120/4 after 18.1
Beavan 36(25), WBHS won the Coastal final by 6 wickets, Luke Allen man of the Match
Westville Boys 1st XI Captain Gareth Beavan won the toss on Saturday morning for their domestic fixture against Kearsney and decided to bat in a reduced-to-45-over-game due to wet outfield.
Westville got off to a great opening partnership of 43 runs between openers Jandre Viljoen and Jared Oosthuizen, until Viljoen inside edged a ball onto his stumps, bringing Gareth Beavan to the crease. A 133 run partnership followed between Oosthuizen and Beavan, until Oosthuizen got a leading edge to midwicket and was caught on 69 off 111 balls. Two quick wickets followed until all-rounder Francios Fourie came to the crease and had a quick cameo of 30 off 17 balls which included 3 massive sixes. A final 32 run partnership between Gareth Beavan and Ethan Matkovich propelled the score to 259/6 after 45 overs in which Beavan brought up his hundred and finished unbeaten on 112, which was a fantastic innings by the young man.
With the team in a great position after batting, the boys entered the field in great spirits. Luke Allen once again struck early, getting the wicket of Dale Young with the score now 14/1. The Westville bowlers and fielders were at it again and showed another great performance in the field managing to get wickets on a regular basis due to their fantastic and disciplined fielding and bowling – this showing with Matkovich, Viljoen, Beavan and Rae all taking 2 catches a piece, as well as Rajakumar with a great run out; Wynand Steynberg being the pick of the Westville Bowlers taking 3 for 30 in his 7 overs; Louis Nel scoring 37 being the top batsmen for Kearsney. Kearsney were finally all dismissed for 141 runs giving the Westville 1st team a well deserved 118 run victory.
STATS: WBHS 1st vs Kearsney 1st, WB 259/5, Beavan 112*, Oosthuizen 69, Fourie 30, KC 141/10, Nel 37, Steynberg 3/30,WB 1st won by 118 runs