The St Charles College 1st XI spent the weekend in Pretoria, representing the Dolphins franchise in the Cricket South Africa National Schools T20 competition. The team started strongly by beating St Andrews College from Grahamstown on Friday afternoon and followed it up with an excellent performance against Hoerskool Waterkloof.
On Saturday morning the Saints came up against Queens and posted a massive 205/3, winning the encounter with a bonus point. On the Saturday afternoon, against Paarl Gimnasium, a remarkable game of school T20 cricket took place. The Saints batted first, scoring 135.
The Cobras representatives chased and were controlling the game, requiring 39 runs off 7 overs with 8 wickets in hand when the Saints off-spinners entered the bowling attack. The crucial cross-pool match seesawed and eventually Gimmies needed 2 off 2 balls with 5 wickets in hand. Saints opening bowler, Keegan Crawford, held his nerve and the game resulted in a tie; a Super Over ensued. Paarl batted first and scored 17/1, smashing the last two balls for 6. Saints sent in Madande and Madhevere, the latter hitting 3 consecutive boundaries and giving the Saints some hope. Off the last ball, St Charles College required 3 to win, the batsmen ran 2 and got run out by a whisker on the third.
A tied Super Over! The tournament rules dictated that in the event of a Super Over tie the team who hit the most boundaries would be declared the winner, thus St Charles College won 16-14 on boundaries and booked their place in the final. The large crowd, including many Old Boys studying at Tuks, witnessed one of the most amazing T20 finishes they will see. Spare a thought for Paarl Gim, a school with a very proud history, who also lost on the last ball of a Super Over against St Stithians the day before.
It was an All-Saints final on Sunday, St Charles College representing the Dolphins vs St Stithians College representing the Lions franchise. The Saints from Maritzburg, after losing the toss and being asked to bowl, got off to the perfect start with two electric, full length diving catches in the first 6 overs. St Stithians kept grinding and managed to get to 123 in their allotted overs.
St Charles College would have been pleased at the change of innings but for the first time this summer their batting let them down and they were all out for 70. Credit must go to the St Stithians bowlers who were superb on the day, Man of the Match Liam McCarthy getting 4/14 to help his school lift the National trophy for the fourth time.
That brings the curtain down on a historic summer of cricket for St Charles College, not the fairy-tale ending, but congratulations to a team who won 21 consecutive matches and made it through to the schools National T20 Final.
Scores in Brief:
St Charles College 170/6 (Login 53 off 31)
St Andrews College 153/8 (Madande 3/33)
St Charles College won by 17 runs
Man of the Match: Jason Login from SCC
St Charles College 141/6 (Twycross 61 off 55)
Waterkloof 125/10 (Madhevere 3/32)
St Charles College won by 16 runs
Man of the Match: James Twycross from SCC
St Charles College 205/3 (Madhevere 65 off 30, Madande 48 off 33)
Queens 115/9 (Crawford 3/13, Spangenberg 3/30)
St Charles College won by 90 runs
Man of the Match: Wesley Madhevere from SCC
St Charles College 135/10
Paarl Gim 135/5
Match Tied
Super Over
Paarl Gim 17/1
St Charles College 17/1
Super Over Tied
St Charles College won on most boundaries
FINAL
St Stithians College 123/7
St Charles College 70/10
St Stithians won by 53 runs
Player of the Tournament: Wesley Madhevere from SCC
Bowler of the Tournament: Clive Madande from SCC
Pictured:Â St Charles College 1st XI