It was so close yet so far for Saints Christian School at the Schools SA20 tournament as they lost the final to Queens High School from Johannesburg by six runs on Saturday, 7 March.
This was the second year in a row that Saints had qualified for the Schools SA20 final at the Tuks Oval in Pretoria and had to settle for the runner-up spot. The tournament was marred by rain throughout the week. Saints could only complete one of their group games, with rain affecting their other two matches. They still managed to reach the final despite the uncertainty of the weather.
Saints’ bowlers restricted Queens to 96/9 in 20 overs in the final through disciplined bowling. Bophelo “Dynamite” Sothoane took 3/24 and Siphokazi Duma 2/24. Gogontle Padi, with 1/14 in four overs, was also economical. Mankwana Moriri provided substance with a knock of 44 that ultimately proved to be match-winning.
In reply, Saints could only reach 90/8 in their 20 overs. The wickets of captain Reabetswe Dithipe for 16 and Jessica Joshua for 18 were crucial for Queens in their bid to beat Saints.
Saints were on course for victory with four wickets left and needing seven runs from the final over. Leanny Makusha (18 from 23 balls) and Siphumelele Duma (12 from 14 balls) put on a 29-run partnership for the seventh wicket.
Makusha was run out after losing her footing on the second ball of Thanya Nkuna’s over. Nkuna proceeded to bowl a maiden over as she took the wicket of Lindelwa Makapela. This left Duma stranded at the other end as she could only watch Queens grab the victory.
Saints head coach Claudio Lucas said there were opportunities to secure the win, but the ball simply did not fall their way.
“It was sad not to get that score on the Tuks Oval. We just did not deliver at the right moment. Coming second again, though, shows we are consistent. We are running a fantastic programme at Saints. What we are doing at Saints is working. We want to continue to teach the girls how to handle the pressure moments and grow as cricketers.”
Lucas also thanked the Switch Schools SA20 committee and CSA for hosting a fantastic tournament.
Sothoane was also named the bowler of the tournament after taking seven wickets, which is a feather in the cap for Saints.
“Bophelo has always been very accurate and consistent. We just needed to work on her biomechanics. She is only in Grade 8 and she is definitely a superstar to look out for in the future. This is the second year we have won bowler of the tournament. Next year, we aim to go one step further and win the whole tournament,” said Lucas.
