Total domination

A squad of 18 players was selected to take on the new challenges and lift the standard of cricket at Northcliff High School.

Northcliff first cricket team played on 15 September in the annual Northern High Schools Quadrangular cricket festival against Fourways High School. Northcliff batted first and posted 169 runs in 20 overs. Jared Fuchs top scored with 71 runs and Udo Maartens scored 33 runs. Northcliff won the match by 3 runs and thus progressed to the final.

The wonder team then played Rand Park High School in the final. Northcliff batted first and posted 203 runs in 20 overs. Jared Fuchs top scored with 79 runs and Travis Doyle scored 41 runs. Northcliff restricted Randpark to 133 runs, Tshepiso Sencho taking 2 wickets.

Northcliff won by 70 runs and were crowned Northern High Schools Quadrangular Cricket Festival Champions for 2015. The challenge was not over yet as they played Waterstone College and Hoërskool Marias Viljoen in the Wits-Helpmekaar T20 Cricket Festival.

In their first game Northcliff played Waterstone and bowled first. “We bowled well and restricted them to 106. In the end Northcliff won by 8 wickets with Jared Fuchs scoring 65 runs. Hoërskool Marias Viljoen became Northcliff’s next victim. In a shortened game Northcliff dominated from the outset and won by 8 wickets. Gary Tettey scored 50 runs while Jared Fuchs fought his way to 47 runs and Charlie Dowling took 3 wickets.

The ‘Blue Flame’ boys of Northcliff competed on 26 September for both teams and beat Krugersdorp by 79 runs and Trinity by 9 wickets. Jared Fuchs scoring yet another 50 plus runs, Matthew Morrison chipped in with a quick-fire 38, while Charlie Dowling and Cameron Morrison shone with the ball.

Northcliff took on Helpmekaar Kollege that evening. The Helpmekaar chase never got going as they lost wickets at regular intervals after Jason Ford took possibly the catch-of-the festival off his own bowling. The result: another comfortable win for Northcliff by 86 runs.

On the final day, Hoërskool Monument looked to end the rampant ‘Blue Flame’. Sent in to bat first, Jared Fuchs and Gary Tettey gave their team a solid start. This paved the way for the big-hitting Branden Berowsky, who smashed his way to 43 runs off 30 balls while Jared Fuchs scored yet another 50. ‘Monnas’ started like a house on fire but were dealt a big blow when they lost 3 quick wickets. They never seemed to recover and Northcliff finished off the game winning by 81 runs thanks to Jason Ford and Udo Maartens both taking 3 wickets. “Looking back on the past week, the team and each player showed a great deal of growth. These boys are determined to prove that they are no longer cannon fodder when it comes to taking on the best” said coach Mike Chilvers.

With the top order batsmen providing a solid platform for the big hitters and their bowling attack being very economical, Northcliff High School first cricket team have hit peak form at the right time.

Details: Northcliff High School, 011 476 1544.