224 from 124 balls.... Take that Southland club cricket
The Marist Cricket Club might just have unearthed a special player with a bright future through its 2022/23 South African recruit.
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Tobias Van der heever has produced arguably one of the more remarkable batting displays ever seen in Southland club cricket.
The South African struck 28 fours and 11 sixes on his way to a startling 224 from 124 balls playing for Marist against the Southland Boys’ High School first XI on Saturday.
“I just played my type of cricket. There’s going to be good balls, there’s going to be bad balls.
“I didn’t give a chance until 205, a stumping… I didn’t give one chance hitting the ball in the air,” van der Heever told The Tribune as he reflected on his innings on Saturday evening.
Marist recruited Van der heever from South Africa to bolster the team this summer, and the Invercargill-based club might just have unearthed a special player with a bright future.
After the Southland season the 22-year-old will return to the UK to play. However, he has already confirmed he would like to return to New Zealand for the 2023/2024 season with hope to play Hawke Cup cricket, and even stake a claim for higher honours with the Otago Volts.
“If I get a chance, I’ll take the chance,” he said.
Van der heever is good friends with Otago Volts star Dean Foxcroft who he played with at high school back in South Africa.
It’s been a busy 2022/2023 period for Van den heever considering he arrived in the UK to play on April 2, spent just two weeks back in South Africa following the English season, before heading to his next assignment in New Zealand in November.
His 224 from 124 balls on Saturday pushed Marist through to a whopping 386 for nine from its 50 overs.
It really was the Tobias Van der heever show considering Ethan Yeo was Marist’s next highest scorer with 29.
In reply, Southland Boys’ was bowled out for 140 with Van der heever’s flatmate Mitch Harvey the chief destroyer taking five for 29.
Meanwhile in other ILT Premier League action on Saturday Invercargill-Old Boys beat Appleby in a top of the table clash.
Invercargill-Old Boys posted 237 for eight batting first before bowling Appleby out for 185, despite Appleby being 126 for one and one point.
Liam McWilliam did the damage with the ball taking four for 24.
In the third game played on Saturday, Waikoikoi proved too good for the Metro Tigers at home in Waikoikoi.
Waikoikoi notched up 257 for seven thanks largely to Kurt Thomson’s 84 and knocks of 51 from Welby Reed and 48 from Jared McKenzie.
In reply Metro was bowled out for 87 which could have been much worse if it wasn’t for Jason Osborne’s 42.
Nathan Howden finished with the impressive figures of three wickets for just one run from 11 balls.