Trinityhouse Preparatory Randpark Ridge recently played in what has been described as one of the best school cricket matches seen by those who witnessed it. The result, a tie against King Edward V11 Preparatory School (Keps). The U9A teams of their respective schools played each other at Keps in Houghton, watched by a large crowd of family and friends.
Trinityhouse won the toss and chose to bat. Matthew Tromp and Troy Heroldt gave them a solid start with 61 runs before both were out. Then three more wickets fell to make the score 75 for 5. Aaron McGeehan then joined Bryce José and together they batted with composure. They added 69 runs before José was bowled for 39. McGeehan (43) continued on, ably supported by the tail end to bring the final score to 217 for nine.
Joshua Barrett took six wickets in his bowling for Keps. Keps had a huge target to chase. After a poor start, of 14 for two, Ryan Krige joined Joshua Barrett and together they put on 76 runs before Krige was bowled for 22 with the score at 90 for three. Another wicket fell before Joshua Wyngaard joined Barrett.
101 runs later, both boys were out in quick succession, Barrett for 102 and Wyngaard for 43. The score was now 214 for six, with the tail in and overs running out. The supporters were all standing and cheering, supporting their side. The last over began with Keps needing two runs to win. Matthew Tromp was given the ball. The first ball was a wide but the Keps coach did not call it, the batters needed to win themselves.
The second ball went for a single and the third ball took a wicket. A new batsman came in with three balls remaining and one run to win. The fourth and fifth balls produced no runs. During the last ball pandemonium broke out. Keps missed but ran, the keeper gathered the ball, dived at the stumps and the umpire’s finger went up. The result: a tie.
“This was a game of cricket no one would ever forget,” said Keps U9A coach Ian Sim. Trinyhouse U9 coach Jean van Zyl said, “Well done to both teams and individual performances mentioned. In the end it’s important to know that cricket was the winner.”
Details: Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge mail@trinityhouse.co.za, 011 794 4799.
