Cricket Development Tour 2018
Game 9 vs St Stithian’s College 1st XI at St Stithian’s College – 11/10/18
St Stithian’s is one of the most prestigious schools in Johannesburg and it has the grounds to match. The match was played on one of their ovals which has day/night capabilities and is overlooked by their very own restaurant on the hill (much to the touring parents’ delight). The game started at 2:00pm and was set to last 40 overs per innings, so there was ample opportunity for the parents to enjoy both lunch and dinner.
Captain, Bryn Wilson lost the toss and PNBHS were asked to take the field. Fielding a side minus 3 bowlers, two of them the opening pace attack, Boys’ High decided to open with medium pace and spin. This surprise move worked to a certain extent as 2 wickets were taken in the first 10 overs. The bowling then got loose and the opposition accelerated until the introduction of the “spin-twins”, Henry Deans and Charlie Lourie. Both bowled with discipline and penetration and ripped the guts out of the Saints’ batting order. They were ably supported by some good catching in the outfield, including 2 stunners from Curtis Heaphy. Bryn Wilson and Ollie Ferguson cleaned up the tail to bowl them out for 205 in the 40th over. Charlie took 2 for 26 from 8 overs and Henry Deans 4 for 25. The coach was very happy with the effort on a 31 degree Highveld afternoon.
After dinner, the PNBHS batting innings stuttered to its traditional (on this tour) poor start. The top order crumbled to 12 for 5 in 9 overs of hostile, accurate bowling the likes of which is never encountered in New Zealand. Logan Love and Henry Deans (no 6 and 7) then showed how it should be done as the offered dogged resistance, sticking together for 13 overs before falling. This brought Hugo Wakeling and Curtis Heaphy together and they continued this trend before falling to run-rate pressure, trying to accelerate. Boys’ High were bowled out in the 38th over for 116. Curtis Heaphy top scored with 23.
