October 7th, 2024: Over the weekend, a mixed team of U16 and U19 boys participated in the prestigious Fairtree Gary Kirsten Cricket T20 tournament hosted at Parklands Secondary School. After finishing third in last year’s edition, the team came in with high hopes of clinching the title this year.
Game 1: CATCH Trust vs Edgemead High School
Our first match was a big one, as we faced the reigning champions, Edgemead High School. Winning the toss, we chose to bowl first, immediately putting the defending champions under pressure. With sharp bowling and disciplined fielding, we restricted Edgemead to 95-9 in their allotted 20 overs.
Chasing 96, we found ourselves in trouble early on, losing quick wickets. However, a solid partnership between Siphesihle Nxayiphi, who contributed 17 off 30 balls, and Endinako Gxidolo, who played a standout innings of 41* off 25 balls, saw us through to a thrilling victory, knocking out the defending champions and setting us up for a spot in the finals.
The Final: CATCH Trust vs Pinelands High School
In the final, we faced Pinelands High School. We made a strong start, with early wickets from Bulela Klaas and Hlumelo Ndikinda, reducing Pinelands to a precarious position. However, a resilient 94-run partnership saw Pinelands post a competitive total of 114-3 in their 20 overs.
Our chase started well, with Siphesihle Nxayiphi anchoring the innings with a valiant 35 off 40 balls, supported by Oyena Mbanya’s 20 off 27 balls. Despite a strong effort, we fell just 9 runs short, crowning Pinelands High School as the champions.
Individual Accolades
A special mention goes to Endinako Gxidolo, whose brilliant figures of 4-0-7-3 earned him the award for the best economical bowler of the tournament.
Congratulations to all the teams that participated, and we look forward to returning even stronger next year!
