Kearsney College’s weekend sports round up

IN the last round of cricket fixtures for the term, there was an outstanding display of sportsmanship in the keenly contested game between Kearsney and Maritzburg College.

This was a good contest with neither side giving in, keeping the game in the balance until the last run was scored.

Kearsney lost the toss and were sent in to bat. After a shaky start and some quality bowling from the College team, Steven Conway played his best innings of the season scoring 77. This gave Kearsney a respectable total of 183.

The opening pair of Carl Heunis and Jarod Brien made early inroads into College’s batting line-up. Michael Brokensha ended with figures of 3/20. As bad light set in, College managed to get over the line with just one wicket in hand. During College’s batting innings, although the umpire gave out, in a great display of good sportsmanship Kearsney captain Luke de Vlieg called back the College batsman to the middle.

Kearsney 1st XI – 183 all out (Conway 77)
Maritzburg College 1st X1 – 187/9
Kearsney lost by 1 wicket.

NOTE: At the end of their final game, Kearsney’s 4th team emerged unbeaten for the season.

In basketball news, Maritzburg College beat Kearsney 59-49.

Kearsney travelled to Pietermaritzburg hoping to turn around four consecutive losses against Maritzburg College. Once again the atmosphere was electric with drums beating and crowds chanting in the packed Alan Paton Hall.

Kearsney stunned the home crowd by scoring the first nine points of the match without a reply from College, but then the heat and players coming off the bench stopped their momentum. College proceeded to score 15 consecutive points with some accurate shooting. Trailing by seven, Kearsney clawed their way back for a 17-all score. College rallied and were ahead 23-19 at half time.

In the third period Kearsney again dug deep and levelled the score 31 apiece.  College had a fantastic shooting period where they looked as though they could not miss and pulled away from their opponents, finishing the third quarter 46-37.

While Kearsney continued to fight hard, College were not going to surrender their lead and Kearsney could not find that magic touch to erase the 9-point lead. College ran out deserving winners 59-49.

While the Kearsney team is still to defeat College on their home court, no-one watching that match would have been disappointed. This Kearsney team ends the season as one of the best produced by the College, having won 25 of the 29 games played in the season from September last year.