Jeppe High School for Boys are the new champion of the Switch Schools SA20 competition.
The team from Johannesburg defeated St Andrew’s School of Bloemfontein in the final at the Tuks Oval in Pretoria by six wickets. Last year, Diocesan College of Cape Town was crowned the inaugural champions of the competition.
The team from the City of Roses was the only undefeated side left in the tournament before the final. Jeppe suffered only one defeat against Selborne College of East London in their final pool match.
Saints who won the toss and elected to have a bat could only reach 105/7 in their allotted 20 overs.
Grové du Preez (36*) led the charge with FG Botha (17) and Harbin Smith (16) also managing to get good starts.
Jeppe’s Phemelo Sekopane (1/11) boasted the best bowling figures while three batters of Saints were run out.
Jeppe chased down the total in the 14th over with opening batter Vegas Scott (45*) continuing his excellent form with the willow. He was awarded the award as Switch Batter of the Tournament as he scored 163 runs at an average of 81.5 runs per innings.
He shared a 47-run partnership for the second wicket with Zize Mkhize (32), which laid the foundation for the victory. Mkhize’s performance in the final also helped him to bag the award as the Switch Player of the Tournament.
He scored 49 runs at an average of 16.33 during the tournament, while also picking up seven wickets at an average of 10.43 runs per victim.
Saints didn’t go home empty-handed as Erhard Barends was named the Switch Bowler of the Tournament. Barends picked up nine wickets during the tournament at an average of 8.1 runs per victim.
Summarised Scorecard:
St Andrew’s School 105/7 (Grové du Preez 36, FG Botha 17, Harbin Smith 16; Phemelo Sekopane 1/11); Jeppe High School for Boys 106/4 (Vegas Scott 45, Zizi Mkhize 32; Erhard Barends 1/23). Jeppe High School for Boys won by six wickets.
Meanwhile, in the girls’ section, Mankwana Moriri scored a priceless 44 and snapped up a crucial wicket, and Koketso Mokgara stopped the Saint Christian High batters in their tracks, to help Queens High secure a six-run win and the Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two Final Showdown title on the Tuks Oval on Saturday.
The individual awards went to Tshepiso Dineo Motswi and Bophelo Sothoane. Motswi, who represents Nonkwankwa Hub, took home the Player of the Tournament and Batter of the Tournament accolades. Sothoane, from Saint Christian, scooped the Bowler of the Tournament award.
Boitumelo Chuene, the Queens captain, won the toss and chose to bat first. Her batters answered her call to put up a winning total by scoring 96/9 in 20 overs. Her bowlers bowled a disciplined line and did not concede any extras as they restricted Saint Christian to 90/8 in 20 overs.
Moriri led the way with a brilliant 44 from 49 balls that featured six boundaries. The opener got her side going with a 46-run opening stand she shared with Nonkululeko Mthethwa (13).
Queens’ innings, which looked promising, fell apart with Mthethwa’s dismissal in the ninth over. She was replaced by her captain, Chuene, who stayed in the middle long enough to score six runs from 15 deliveries.
The wheels came off the cart for Queens in the 14th over, when the Johannesburg side lost Boitumelo Chuene and Tshepang Choma in three deliveries. Siphokazi Duma deceived both batters with her spin to trap Chuene leg before wicket (lbw) and then elicit an edge with a delivery that kept low to account for Choma.
The double strike was the beginning of a collapse that saw the Queens lose four wickets for 11 runs in 2.1 overs. They could have soldiered on to 100 runs had Moriri remained in the middle until the final over. Unfortunately, for them, the opener scooped a Bophelo Sothoane delivery to Leeanny Makusha at mid-off while trying to clear the inner ring.
However, despite not having double-figure contributions from their lower order, Queens still managed to put up a winning total.
Sothoane was Sant Christian’s most successful bowler with three wickets for 23 runs in four overs. Siphokazi Duma ended her outing with two wickets for 24 runs in four overs, while Ngubeni, Reabetswe Ditiphe, and Gogontle Padi contributed a wicket each.
The loss of Siphokazi Duma in the fourth over briefly put Saint Christian on the backfoot in their chase. However, they consolidated and rebuilt with a 20-run second-wicket partnership between Reabatswe Dithipe (16) and Jessica Joshua (18).
Unfortunately, that fightback was halted by Koketso Mokgara, who bowled two match-winning overs that crippled Saint Christian. Mokgara accounted for Joshua, who was looking comfortable at the crease, in the 11th over, and then bagged two wickets in three deliveries to account for Diarabilwe Ngubeni and Gogontle Padi in the 13th over.
The three scalps handicapped the ladies from Potchefstroom, and they did not recover from them. Leeanny Makusha (18) and Siphumelele Duma (12*) launched a lower-order fightback, but the Queens bowling attack ensured that they scored at a rate below the required run rate.
Mokgara was Queens’ most successful bowler with three wickets for 14 runs in four overs. Thanya Nkuna, Karabo Matlaila, Mankwana Moriri, and Bonolo Phalane each took a wicket to see Queens over the finishing line.
Summarised Scorecard:
Queens High 96/9 (Mankwana Moriri 44, Nonkululeko Mthethwa 13; Bophelo Sothoane 3/23, Siphokazi Duma 2/24). Saint Christian School 90/8 (Joshua Jessica 18, Leeanny Makusha 18; Koketso Mokgara 3/14, Thanya Nkuna 1/9). Queen Highs won by six runs
