Titans win the Coca-Cola Schools T20 Challenge

Titans representatives in the Coca-Cola Schools T20 national finals, Hoërskool Menlo Park,  walked off with the trophy after defeating Hilton College of the Dolphins in the final at Stellenbosch on Sunday afternoon.

Menlo Park batted first and set a target of 125 in their 20 overs, with Thinus Viljoen (62) and Dean Foxcroft (40) doing most of the damage.

Roarke Lauryssen was the pick of the Hilton bowlers, taking 3/31.

Hilton’s reply ended agonisingly close, They needed seven runs off the last over, but could only get five, giving Menlo Park their second title in the competition. Angus Curtis made 52 for them, and Julian Yeats 34.

Menlo Park earned their place in the final by beating Grey College in their final pool game on Sunday morning. The two teams were joint log leaders going into the game, having lost just once each in their earlier games. They beat Grey by six runs in an exciting encounter, eliminating the Knights representatives, who earlier on, had looked like tournament favourites.

Hilton had to beat St Andrew’s College, the Warriors representatives,  in their final league encounter to advance to the final, and they did so quite comfortably, winning by three wickets with four balls to spare.

In the other game of the day, the Cobras representatives, Paarl Boys’ High, beat Potchefstroom Volkskool of the Lions, consigning them to the wooden spoon position.

Scoreboards

Sunday Morning

St Andrew’s 94/5 (Benjamin 37 not out; Bosch 2/22). Hilton 98/7 (Yeats 26, Bosch 18 not out; Taylor 3/17). Hilton won by 3 wickets.

Menlo Park 114/6 (Foxcroft 24, Erasmus 30, Britz 24; De Klerk 2/28). Grey College 108/4 (Victor 29, Van Tonder 28, Durrow 28; Britz 2/26. Menlo Park won by 6 runs.

Potchefstroom Volkskool 132/6 (Von Abo 25, Louw 33, Van Schalkwyk 30; Pretorius 2/17, Thain 3/26). Paarl Boys’ High 137/5 (Kotze 42, Wubberling 38; Crowther 3/28). Paarl Boys’ Hugh win by 5 wickets.

Final

Menlo Park 124/4 (Viljoen 62, Foxcroft 40; Lauryssen 3/31). Hilton 122/5 (Curtis 52, Yeats 34; Du Prrez 2/22). Menlo Park won by 2 runs.

Final positions:

1^st – Titans (Menlo Park)

2^nd – Dolphins (Hilton College)

3^rd – Knights (Grey College)

4^th – Warriors (St Andrews)

5^th – Cobras (Paarl Boys High)

6^th – Lions (Hoer Volkskool Potchefstroom)

Player of the tournament - Dean Foxcroft (Titans)

Man of the match in the final - Dean Foxcroft (Titans)

Hero of the day for day 3 - Dean Foxcroft (Titans) for his fielding in the final and semi-final