Author: hnienaber

SACS‘ first XI started their year off with a convincing victory over St Charles College, from Pietermaritzburg, on Tuesday, the opening day of the Peninsula Cricket Festival, in Cape Town.

Firstly, it was the seam bowler Abhay Khan who stepped up with a devastating spell of six overs which saw the visitors being bowled out for a meagre 53 runs in their first innings.

Khan picked up six wickets at a cost of only five runs and his return included four maiden overs. . Litha Kraai (2/16) also troubled the St Charles’ batsmen.

SACS then scored 255/4 on the De Villiers Oval, led by an unbeaten century from Ulrich Roth (100*). He and Aqeel Waggie (82) shared a 100-run partnership for the third wicket to take the match away from Saints. Roth faced 122 deliveries in his innings and struck 15 fours.

Rondebosch Boys’ High will also be happy with their start to 2025. They scored a formidable 266/5 in 62 overs against Pretoria Boys’ High, with Adeeb Levy (69*) and Tyler Heyns (51) weighing in with half-centuries.

Schalk Fourie (43), Joshua Neill (27), captain Daniel Cooke (23), and Noah Heath (22) added useful contributions. The pick of the Pretoria Boys High bowling attack was Ruan Coetzee, who removed two batsmen from the crease for only 26 runs.

Pretoria Boys High was in trouble early on as they stumbled to 35/3, but Paidin Gray (76) and Justin Basdeo (49) steadied the ship with a 117-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Wynberg Boys’ High defeated the Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool of Pretoria on the first innings in their encounter on the Jacques Kallis Oval.

Wynberg was bowled out for 218 runs with Storme van Rooyen (58) and Moosa Gabriels (36) providing their biggest contributions with the bat. Van Rooyen was part of the Western Province side that won the 2024 Khaya Majola Week.

Affies’ Nico Loggenberg shone, sending five batsmen packing for 55 runs. SF Vermeulen (3/49) would also have felt happy with his performance.

Summarised Scorecards

Rondebosch Boys’ High first innings 266/5 (Adeeb Levy 69*, Tyler Heyns 51, Schalk Fourie 43, Joshua Neill 27, Daniel Cooke 23, Noah Heath 22, J Kirsten 21; Ruan Coetzee 2/26, Abri Strauss 2/48); Pretoria Boys High first innings 175/5 (Paidin Gray 76, Justin Basdeo 49, Joseph van Dijk 20; Jamie Hundermark 2/35). Match Drawn.

St Charles College first innings 53 (Thandolwethu Zama 13; Abhay Kalan 6/5, Litha Kraai 2/16); SACS first innings 255/4 (Ulrich Roth 100*, Aqeel Waggie 82, Jordaan Berry 29*; Matthew Weightman 1/32). SACS won on the first innings.

Wynberg Boys’ High first innings 218 (Storme van Rooyen 58, Moosa Gabriels 36, Muhammad Schroeder 25; Nico Loggenberg 5/55, SF Vermeulen 3/49); Affies first innings 129 (Zirk Meyer 33, JP Botha 27, Daniel Murray 24; Achmat Behardien 2/15, Joshua Prince 2/34). Wynberg Boys’ High won on the first innings.

The national u19 selectors named a formidable squad for the series later this month against their counterparts from England.

The South African Schools captain of 2023 and 2024, Beni Hansen, will also captain the national u19-side for this series. South Africa will face England in three limited-over encounters as well as two youth tests.

Although the national selectors were not able to pick Kwena Maphaka (Paarl Royals), Lhuan-dré Pretorius (Paarl Royals), Steve Stolk (Pretoria Capitals) and Tristan Luus (MI Cape Town) who will be in action for their various franchises in the SA20, they were still able to select a strong team.

Maphaka also made his test debut against Pakistan earlier this year. All of the above players represented the SA u19-side at the ICC u19 World Cup last year.

Another member of the World Cup squad who was not available for selection was Riley Norton who decided to seek a career in rugby at the end of 2024.

The national sides bowling attack still has Raeeq Daniels, Nqobani Mokoena as well as Martin Khumalo in their midst who also helped South Africa reach the semi-final in last year’s World Cup. Add to that for the limited-over matches the youngster Carl Fryer who impressed with his pace during Cricket South Africa’s Cubs Week in Stellenbosch.

The Central Gladiators’ Jason Rowles was named the Batsman of the Week after scoring 280 runs during the tournament. His runs came at an average of 70 runs per innings. This performances as well as his solid bowling also secured him a place in the national squad.

Nathan Rossouw, spin bowler of the Western Legends, was named the Bowler of the Week as he picked up 15 wickets at the cost of only 16.8 runs per victim. He was rewarded for his performance with a place in the squad for the two tests.

The Allrounder of the Week was without a doubt Jorich van Schalkwyk (Northern Champions). His seven wickets at an average of 18.4 runs per victim made him one of the ten best bowlers in Stellenbosch. He also 219 runs at an unbelievable average of 109.5 runs per innings.

The South African u19 squads: 

Limited Overs: Beni Hansen (captain), Carl Fryer, Bandile Mbatha, Adnaan Lagadien, Enathi Kitshini, Chad Mason, Daniel Bosman, Ntando Soni, Semal Pillay, Divan de Villiers, Jason Rowles, Lethabo Phahlomahloka, Nqobani Mokoena, Paul James, Raeeq Daniels.

Test: Beni Hansen (captain), Adnaan Lagadien, Chad Mason, Daniel Bosman, Divan de Villiers, Jason Rowles, Jorich van Schalkwyk, Muhammed Bulbulia, Nathan Rossouw, Nqobani Mokoena, Paul James, Raeeq Daniels, Sandiwa Yeni, Martin Khumalo, Lethabo Phahlamaloka.

Fixtures

Limited Overs 

17 January vs England in Cape Town
19 January vs England in Cape Town
22 January vs England in Stellenbosch

Youth Test Series 

27 January vs England in Stellenbosch
3 February vs England in Cape Town

The annual Peninsula Cricket Festival is one of the highlights on the schoolboy cricket calendar.

Catch all the action live on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

The Teams: 

u19

Affies: Christian Linde, Henre Smit, Dylon Stander, Zian Labuschagne, Nico Loggenberg, JP Botha, Vihan Pretorius, Daniel Murray, Armin Snyman, Ruben Groenewald, Xavier de Wet, SF Vermeulen, Andru van Zyl, Zirk Meyer.

Bishops: Waco Bassick, Luke de Klerk, Thaafier Japtha, Michael Kruiskamp, Adnaan Lagadien, Cameron Macbeth, Litha Mbiko, Harry Morgan, Daniel Perold, Julian Pilkington, James Robb-Quinlan (captain), Kyle Stirk, Samuel Stavely-Alexander, Alex Vintcent.

Hilton College: Ben Hockly (captain), Robert Burman, Luke Campbell, Ben Erasmus, Stuart Falconer, Sechaba Gude, David Hill, Ryan Jellis, Obakeng Motsepa, James Ogilby, Alex Pitman, Jayden Roux, Simon Steyn, Ben Wilson.

Paul Roos Gimnasium: Luca Plekker, Ruben Coetzee, Nathan van den Bergh Matthew Seymore (captain), Liam Basson, Nicholas Stuurman Jason Raal,Noah Appollis, Roux Joubert, Neil Barnard Keauno Williams, Dion Slabber, Etienne Serfontein.

Potchefstroom Gimnasium: Caiden Seleka, Divan van Eldik, Juandre Barends, Henré Cronje, Jahndre Coetzee, Tlhoni Thabata, Bennet Keet Chistivan Coetzer, Ruhann Steenkamp, Lukas Kotze Adriaan van Niekerk, Ulrich Botha.

Pretoria Boys’ High: Joseph van Dijk, Joshua Hall, Hardie Swanepoel, Tim Gordon (captain), Paidin Gray, Louis Kruyshaar, Justin Basdeo Liam Brooker, Grant Spencer, Jaydon Knott-Craig, Euan Gottfried, Abri Strauss, Ruan Coetzee.

Rondebosch Boys’ High: Daniel Cooke (captain), Eli Aufrichtig, Daniel Bosman, Schalk Fourie, Noah Heath, Tyler Heyns, Jamie Hundermark, James Kirsten, Adeeb Levy, Hlumelo Mgweba, Joshua Neill, Timothy Short, Arin Spiller.

SACS: Luke Whitehead, Matthew Hill, Aqeel Waggie, Jordan Berry, Ulrich Roth, Litha Kraai, Tim Hodgkinson, Abhay Kalan, Alex Hodgkinson, Benji Blackburn, Nicholas Oscroft, Ross Wille, Vaughan van der Berg.

St Charles College: Thandolwethu Zama, Rico Honiball (captain), Rowen Raja, Covhan Baadjies, Connor Simpson, Connor Vogt, Ryan Clarke, Kaiyuran Naidoo, Matthew Weightman, Christiaan Prinsloo, Caleb Sharp, Keegan Vermaak, André Bosman, Dylan Leppan.

St Stithians College: Ombesa Matsha, Tahseen Hanslo, Liam Mudenda, Thomas Collins, Zaakir Hanslo, Nqaba Mathunda, Tendai Kadyamadare, Nicholas Bayly, Matthew Katzenstein Matthew Anderson, Cayden Sunker, Akhil Chall.

Waterkloof: AJ de Villiers, Darius Maritz, Wian du Plessis, Franco Schmidt, Rico van der Walt, Riley Miller (captain), Johan Feuth, Jaydon Blom, Jaco van der Walt, Ruan Ferreira, Christiaan Smit, Rivan Booysen, Ricardo Crous.

Wynberg Boys’ High: Paul James (captain), Storme van Rooyen, Qaeed Shaik, Moosa Gabriels, Michail Tarentaal, Jiyaad Abrahams
Muhammad Ameen Schroeder, Joshua Prince, Luke Kleinsmith Achmat Behardien, lhsan Khan, Damien Harris, Fawaaz Hendricks.

The final of the 2025 Cubs Week (for u19 teams) will be a rematch of the opening day clash between the hosts, the Southern Superstars, and the USA.

The Superstars won the opening day encounter by four wickets and they remain the only unbeaten side in the tournament.

In their semifinal against the Coastal Conquerors, the Superstars posted a solid 273/8 in their 50 overs, thanks to telling contributions from Adnaan Lagadien (94), Paul James (42), and Daniel Bosman (31).

The Conquerors were then bowled out for just 164, with Raeeq Daniels (3/35) leading the attack. He received good support from Taywin Adams (2/22), Bosman (2/28), and Callum Appollis (2/38).

The USA had little trouble in securing a 112-run victory over the Western Legends in their semifinal. The Americans batted first and were bowled out for 221 in the 43rd over.

Left-arm spinner Nathan Rossouw continued his impressive form, bagging 4/52, while Arjun Mahesh (64) led the USA’s charge with a valuable half-century.

In reply, the Legends were knocked over for just 109 runs, with Utkarsh Srivastava (3/8) inflicting the most damage.

The Northern Champions returned to winning ways with a five-wicket victory over the Central Gladiators. The Champions’ Jorich van Schalkwyk delivered a good all-round performance to lead his team to victory. He snared 2/12, the best performance by any of his side’s bowlers, and then steered his team past the victory target with an unbeaten 54 runs.

Namibia cruised to their first win of the tournament, thrashing the Eastern Warriors by 155 runs. The Biltong Farmers’ Ben Brassell (66) and Liam Basson (54) scored half-centuries to help their team reach 223/8 in their 50 overs.

The Warriors were then restricted to just 68 runs, with Junior Kariata (4/15) and Henry Grant (2/14) ripping through the Warriors’ batting.

Summarised Scorecards

Southern Superstars 273/8 (Adnaan Lagadien 94, Paul James 42, Daniel Bosman 31, Extras 24, Unathi Magoloza 23; Roxton Payne 2/17, Rowen Rajah 2/35); Coastal Conquerors 164/10 (Chad Mason 76, Ntando Soni 26; Raeeq Daniels 3/35, Taywin Adams 2/22, Daniel Bosman 2/28, Callum Appollis 2/38). Southern Superstars won by 109 runs.

USA 221/10 (Arjun Mahesh 64, Extras 30, Utkarsh Srivastava 29, Shiv Shani 28, Sahil Garg 20; Nathan Rossouw 4/52, FG Botha 2/12, Dakalo Leketa 2/27); Western Legends 109/10 (Caiden Seleka 27, Meyer Pretorius 20; Utkarsh Srivastava 3/8, Rahul Basu 2/21). USA won by 112 runs.

Central Gladiators 153/10 (Corné Botha 50, Pranav Raichetti 34, Extras 24; Jorich van Schalkwyk 2/12, Wian Ruthven 2/15, Sandiswa Yeni 2/24, Charl Prinsloo 2/25, Tshegofatso Nthara 2/30); Northern Champions 154/5 (Jorich van Schalkwyk 54*, Divan de Villiers 32, Lethabo Phahlamohlaka 23, Extras 23; Jason Rowles 2/22). Northern Champions won by five wickets.

Namibia 223/8 (Ben Brassell 66, Liam Basson 54, Waldo Smith 39, Extras 37; Hlumelo Ntola 3/35, Jadwyn Cona 2/39, Esa Gangat 2/40); Eastern Warriors 68/10 (Jean Upman 11; Junior Kariata 4/15, Henry Grant 2/14). Namibia won by 155 runs.

Die Hoër Jongenskool Paarl se jaarlikse krieketfees is sonder twyfel een van die grootste toernooie ter wêreld. In die o.19-afdeling sal daar 30 spanne in aksie wees.

In totaal sal daar 56 spanne van 30 skole van regoor Suid-Afrika vanaf 7 tot 10 Januarie op dié krieketfees in aksie wees.

Die spanne is: 

Hoër Jongenskool Paarl: Christo Muller, Neil Louw, Aden Batt, Brent Goosen, Pieter Gildenhuys, Gideon du Toit, Born Berry, AB Jacobs, Marco Cato, Reese Petersen, Ra-eez Isaacs, Ulrich Drotschie, Christian van Zuydam.

Allrounder Cricket Academy: Leletho Jolobe, Alex Wilson, Mitchell Welch, Leo del Cuore, Joshua Brink, Jamie Marillier, Sloan Erasmus, Jude Paulse, Daniel de Bruyn, Ryall Julies, Jadon van Rensburg.

Hoërskool Bellville: Gustav Maass, Rheeder Heath, Stiaan Maritz, Ruald Coetzee, AD van der Westhuyzen, Janno Jacobs, Lehano van der Westhuyzen, Wiaan van der Heever, Christiaan Oosthuizen, Edmund Klue, Jean le Roux, Xander Lategan, Jay-C Dikella.

Boland Landbou: Francois Prins, Divan Meyer, Louis du Plessis, Kobus Conradie, Matthew Geldenhuys, Gunther Schmidt, Phillip Louw, Tiaan Ryke, Adam van Schalkwyk, Rease Human, Markus Groenewald, Troy Davis.

Brackenfell: Jeandré Limby, Juan Swem, Keenan Rheeder, Kyle Kleinhans, Antonio Jasson, Hiram Ockhuis, Jean Oosthuizen, JD Carstens, AJ Roberts, Ruan van Tonder, Taige van Niekerk, Jean Bester.

Centurion: Morné Prinsloo, Morné Venter, Stefan de Villiers, Leon Gunter, Meyer Gunter, Eben Kotzé, Carlo Kotzé, Aden Schadle, Lubin Serfontein, Kyle Fourie, Henré Lues, Evert Kleinhans, Christiaan Pietersen.

Cornwall Hill College: Zander Davel, Neoenthle Makwela, Trent Hardie, Rourke de Lange, Ethan Feris-Philander, Obakeng Mokonyane, Oliver Richards, Mohale Pitso, Keagan van Wyk, Layton Pullen, Khumo Kgagodi, Evan Nixon, John-Raymond Beard.

Curro Durbanville: Daniyaal Klinck, Vaughan Flanigan, Alex van der Westhuizen, Joshua van der Merwe, TJ Moshenyane, Janré Lourens, Daniel Myburgh, Caleb Jonkers, Ryan Dednam, Matthew Scoble, Abner Paul, JP Smith, Tyler Jones.

Diamantveld: Nathan Baird, Tiaan Coetzee, Benjamin Potgieter, Sarel Kriek, Danie van der Merwe, Vernon Rossouw, Ruben van der Linde, Hanru Rademeyer, Arno Mostert, Francois Holtzhausen, Francois Hattingh, De Wet Fourie.

Hoërskool Durbanville: Albertyn du Bois, James Wait, Calla du Toit, Elandré Pienaar, Henry Venter, Liam Kirsten, Jan-Oscar van Tonder, Ruben la Grange, Stefan Nagel, Jean-Luc Olivier, Jeandré Janse van Rensburg, Dreyer van der Westhuysen, Lucien Lewis.

EG Jansen: Jayden Barnes, André Pretorius, Jaco Engelbrecht, Juan Ungeres, Henri Coetzee, Rico Crause, Jaiden Smit, Jayden van Wyk, Ernst de Beer, Jaydon Fortuin, Liam Green, Nathan Rabe.

Garsfontein: Reuben van Zyl, Charl van Staden, Heinrich Badenhorst, Wikus du Preez, Xander Venter, Righardt Joubert, Echard Struwig, Arrie Verster, Zizwe Khumalo, Ruan Coetzee, Jared Carr, Reinhardt Niebuhr, Riaan Boshoff.

Grey High School II: Josh Walker, Nitin Sivakumar, Zephyr Smith, Kaino Broadhust, Charlie Proctor, Ben Gillson, Tristan Kemp, Anré Schoeman, Matthew Tinley, Jayden Rohroff, Daniel Ballack, Alejo Nota, Nathan Trytsman.

Hans Moore: Adrian Watson, Aiden Shaw, Xavier Coetzee, Kenan Shaw, Stephan Vermaak, Zander Swart, Ettiene Smith, Kearan-Lee Weyers, Joshua Venter, Duan Maree, Kyle Wratten, Nathan King, Xavier van Biljon.

Helpmekaar: Xander Jackson, Zuan Joubert, Anrich Liebenberg, Heinrich Minnaar, Zander Neethling, Rudolph Odendaal, Kevin Oliver, Aiden Pretorius, Henno Steyn, Anthony Stone, Kyle Swanepoel, Dominic Tait, Juandré Verwey, Juwan Wessels.

HTS Drostdy: Bryan Cochrane, Christopher du Toit, Sias du Toit, Matthew Fischer, Karel Hugo, Juann Janse van Vuuren, Adriaan Krynauw, Jannes Krynauw, Willem Louwrens, DJ Luck, Albert Nel, Ruan Nortje, Helgardt Nortje, Stephan Steyn.

Marais Viljoen: Ethan van Rooyen, Abdullah Tadwala, Jaden Govender, Marco Hoffmann, AJ van Niekerk, Raynardt Kruger, MR Hashim, Riyaan Marques, Tiaan Hall, Stiaan Janse van Vuuren, Jordann Lategan.

Montana: Jovhanne Conradie, Du Preez Prinsloo, Frank van der Westhuizen, Juan Theunissen, Bradon Brits, Leejan van Jaarsveld, Adriaan Nel, Maans de Roubiax, Woudter Kotze, Luca Bairos, Marco Rudolph, Makus Espag, Jaco Lundall.

Noordheuwel: Ethan Smith, Dian Taljaard, Sage Pretorius, Corné Olivier, Marius Penning, Wander Roolvink, Gerhard Roolvink, Tristan Helmand, Brandon Pieters, Tidi Moeketsane, Gomo Sibi, JD Bezuidenhout, JP van der Merwe, Steph Jooste.

Noord-Kaap: Luqmaan Gool. Faizaan Kajee, Naseer Daniels, Imad Gool, Daniel Feder, Olorato Sebolai, Keyaan Alexander, Rohit Lalla, Vonn Basson, Lethlogonolo Kanjani, Mosa Othlokeng, Anthiony Mabuya.

Northcliff: Kyle Davies, Cade Bradley, Jack Woolard, Reaäl Hariram, Alexander Wiest, Nathan du Toit, Mabutho Mbambo, Oliver Vermaak, Caleb Henenne, Regan van der Walt, Gareth Hunkin, Zac Douglas, Declan Diesel.

Outeniqua: Daniel du Plessis, Daniel du Preez, Hanno Swart, Joof Enslin, Kobus Boshoff, Liam Haasbroek, Nathan Best, Trent Huisamen, Wernich Cassel, Wehan Meyer, Keaton Best, Jac du Plessis.

Paarl Gimnasium: Hanco Botha, Charles King, Dirk Hugo, Wian Munnik, Waldus de Jager, Matt Dippenaar, Louis Koen, Franco Boonzaaier, De Waal Vivier, Derrick Groenewald, Werner Steyn, Zayd Abrahams, Zheemo Isaacs.

Parel Vallei: Sevi Barlow, Migael Badenhorst, Chris Hughes, Ben Traut, Migael van Schaik, Ethan Simpson, Liam Liebenberg, Jonathan Roos, Dirk van Zyl, Damian Faure, Daniel Leisegang, Jamiel Ismail, Luka Meets.

Paul Roos Gimnasium II: Kieran Swile, Ettiene Serfontein, Simeon Rudolph, Dylan van Schalkwyk, Christiaan de Nysschen, George Shrives, Naudé Stroebel, Connor Blake, Pieter Luttig, Juan Vermeulen, Jean Fourie, Emile Malan, Daniel Serfontein.

Somerset College: Owethu Moyi, Oliver Prothero, Buhle Mfunelwa, Callum Hughes, David de Klerk, Thomas Hynd, Johann Rauch, Daniel Kaplan, Troy Varie, Finn Rankin, Matt Moore, Giovanni Gonzales.

Stellenberg: Kyle van Santen, Mortie Viljoen, Ethan Vermeulen, Liam Jacobs, Aidan Pienaar, JJ Rothman, Wilhelm Smet, Lohann Pretorius, Gerrad Kamalie, Roux Wasserman, Jan-Jak Alberts, Michael Amoêdo.

Steyn City: Keegan Smallbone, Murray Leith, Somaan Khan, Kurt Losch, Sachin Sunker, Robert de Wet, Austin van Jaarsveld, Matthew Barbour, Max Burroughes, Joshua Michau, Gideon Coetzee, Daniel Tomlinson.

Waterkloof II: Riley Vockerodt, Luan Ferreira, Heinrich Tolmie, Herschelle van Loggerenberg, Jean Cloete, Wihan Rademan, Johan Ernst, Stefan Stoltz, Heinrich Jacobs, William van den Berg, Vorster de Villiers, Mieder Erasmus, Ruan de Meyer.

Westville Boys’ High: Bhaskar Sewlal, Ewan du Toit, Seth Simpson, Sean McGough, Kyle McGough, Tristin Delvin, Aiden Baudach, Misbah Nair, Lwandle Bulose, Heath Stott, Aarin Rasmussen, Ashton Kidgell, Kelzo Baillache.

A new champion will be crowned at Cricket South Africa’s Cubs Week (for u19 players), which is being played in Stellenbosch.

The 2024 winners, the Northern Champions, were comprehensively outplayed by the Western Legends on Sunday, going down by seven wickets. With the win on the Coetzenberg Oval, the Legends also maintained their unbeaten record.

The left-handed spin bowler Nathan Rossouw removed five batsmen from the crease for only 29 runs, which led to the Champions being bowled out for a mediocre 150 runs. Divan de Villiers (43) was the only batsman to provide notable resistance.

Meyer Pretorius (2/20) and Kamohelo Mokoena (2/29) were also among the wickets.

The Legends’ opening batsmen, Christian Kind (54) and Naudé Botha (30) laid the foundation for their side’s victory with an 80-run partnership.

Ruben Maree (30*) and Dakalo Leketa (22*) then combined for an unbroken 31 for the fourth wicket to see the Legends to victory. On Monday, they’ll face the United States of America in the semi-finals.

The home side, the Southern Superstars, added another win to their clean record, scoring a comfortable seven-wicket victory over the Eastern Warriors, which was highlighted by Daniel Bosman (75*) and Enathi Kitshini (38*), who shared an unbeaten partnership of 111 runs for the fourth wicket.

The Warriors posted a respectable total of 256/6 in their 50 overs, thanks to half-centuries by Cayden Wilson (75*), Randy Syce (58), and Kian Cambier (50).

The Superstars’ reward is a semi-final showdown with the Coastal Conquerors on Monday.

The Conquerors were on fire on the third day of competition, with Semal Pillay (110) recording a century to help his side tally a mammoth 335/7 in their allotted overs. He and Ben Hockley (86) got stuck into Namibia’s bowlers from the start, sharing a big 158-run partnership for the first wicket.

Bandile Mbatha delivered another strong all-round performance for the Conquerors, striking an unbeaten half-century (62*), which he followed up with a five-wicket haul for only 38 runs.

The USA secured their semi-final place with a narrow five-run victory over the Central Gladiators.

Summarised Scorecards

Northern Champions 150/10 (Divan de Villiers 43, Extras 41; Nathan Rossouw 5/29, Meyer Pretorius 2/20, Kamohelo Mokoena 2/29); Western Legends 151/3 (Christian Kind 54, Ruben Maree 30*, Naudé Botha 30, Dakalo Leketa 22*; Charl Prinsloo 2/28). Western Legends won by seven wickets.

Coastal Conquerors 335/7 (Semal Pillay 110, Ben Hockly 86, Bandile Mbatha 62*, Extras 26, Ross Coetzee 22; Dan Brassell 3/71, Waldo Smith 2/55); Namibia 203/10 (Liam Basson 70, Zacheo van Vuuren 25, Peter Blignaut 23; Bandile Mbatha 5/38, Rowen Rajah 2/28). Coastal Conquerors won by 132 runs.

Eastern Warriors 256/6 (Cayden Wilson 75*, Randy Syce 58, Kian Cambier 50, Esa Gangat 34*; Divan Linde 2/37); Southern Superstars 259/3 (Daniel Bosman 75*, Johan Wege 48, Adnaan Lagadien 44, Enathi Kitshini 38*, Beni Hansen 32, Extras 22; Cayden Wilson 2/33). Southern Superstars won by seven wickets.

USA 243/9 (Dharshan Haribabu 57, Arjun Mahesh 48, Shiv Shani 43, Rahul Basu 29, Extras 23; Esosa Aihevba 4/53, Tahseen Hanslo 3/32); Central Gladiators 238/10 (Jason Rowles 65, Siyabulele Radebe 43, Joe MacRobert 34, Kamogelo Phiri 32; Shiv Shani 4/12, Rahul Basu 2/34). USA won by five runs.

The annual Peninsula Cricket Festival is without a doubt where the heavyweights of South African schoolboy cricket get together to test their mettle.

Catch all the action live on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

During the opening day of the festival there is a couple of matches to look forward to. The encounter between Diocesan College or Bishops as they are better known as, will take on St Stithians College on the Frank Reid Oval.

Saints had four former pupils – Wiaan Mulder, Kwena Maphaka, Ryan Rickelton and Kagiso Rabada in action for the Proteas in the recent test against Pakistan at Newlands in Cape Town. Maphaka, who is still waiting on his matric results, made his test debut in this test.

Wynberg Boys’ High is hosting the Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool of Pretoria in their first encounter of the festival on the Jacques Kallis Oval. Affies’ Vihan Pretorius and Ruben Groenewald won’t be in action against Wynberg as they are still representing the Northern Champions during the final day of Cricket South Africa’s Cubs Week in Stellenbosch.

Wynberg Boys’ High is also not at full strength during the opening clash as their captain, Paul James, is one of the key players for the Southern Superstars as they will lock horns with the United States of America’s u19-side in the final of this year’s Cubs Week.

Rondebosch Boys’ High will host Pretoria Boys’ High during their first encounter of 2025. The home side will also be missing Daniel Bosman who is in action at the Cubs Week. They however still have stalwarts in their squad like captain, Daniel Cooke, and Noah Heath.

Waterkloof of Pretoria will be looking forward to their match against Paul Roos Gimnasium of Stellenbosch on the second day.

The Fixtures 

Day 1 | Tuesday, 7 January 2025 

Diocesan College vs St Stithians College (Frank Reid Oval)
Rondebosch Boys’ High vs Pretoria Boys’ High (Rondebosch)
Wynberg Boys’ High vs Affies (Jacques Kallis Oval)
SACS vs St Charles College (De Villiers Oval)
Waterkloof vs Hilton College (Claremont Cricket Club)
Paul Roos Gimnasium vs Potchefstroom Gimnasium (Paul Roos)

Day 2 | Wednesday, 8 January 2025 

Diocesan College vs St Charles College (Frank Reid Oval)
Rondebosch Boys’ High vs Hilton College (Rondebosch)
Wynberg Boys’ High vs St Stithians College (Jacques Kallis Oval)
SACS vs Pretoria Boys’ High (De Villiers Oval)
Potchefstroom Gimnasium vs Affies (Claremont Cricket Club)
Paul Roos Gimnasium vs Waterkloof (Paul Roos)

Day 3 | Thursday, 9 January 2025 

Diocesan College vs Affies (Frank Reid Oval)
Rondebosch Boys’ High vs Waterkloof (Rondebosch)
Wynberg Boys’ High vs Pretoria Boys’ High (Jacques Kallis Oval)
SACS vs Hilton College (De Villiers Oval)
Potchefstroom Gimnasium vs St Charles College (Claremont Cricket Club)
Paul Roos Gimnasium vs St Stithians College (Paul Roos)

Day 4 | Friday, 10 January 2025 

Diocesan College vs Potchefstroom Gimnasium (Frank Reid Oval)
Rondebosch Boys’ High vs St Stithians College (Rondebosch)
Wynberg Boys’ High vs Waterkloof (Jacques Kallis Oval)
SACS vs Affies (De Villiers Oval)
Pretoria Boys’ High vs Hilton College (Claremont Cricket Club)
Paul Roos Gimnasium vs St Charles College (Paul Roos)

Day 5 | Saturday, 11 January 2025 

Diocesan College vs Pretoria Boys’ High (Frank Reid Oval)
Rondebosch Boys’ High vs Potchefstroom Gimnasium (Rondebosch)
Wynberg Boys’ High vs Hilton College (Jacques Kallis Oval)
SACS vs Waterkloof (De Villiers Oval)
St Stithians College vs St Charles College (Silverhurst)
Paul Roos Gimnasium vs Affies (Paul Roos)

Two days into Cricket South Africa’s annual Cubs Week, only two teams – the Southern Superstars and the Western Legends – remain unbeaten after Saturday’s action in Stellenbosch.

The competition for the top spot is wide open, however, as last year’s winners, the aptly named Northern Champions, and the Coastal Conquerors still have a chance to make the top four with one round of pool matches left. They’re in the same pool as the Western Legends.

The Conquerors face Namibia on Sunday and will be favoured to bag a bonus-point victory. The Champions and Legends meet and if the Legends suffer a first loss, they could miss out on a semi-final place.

The Legends’ opening batsman Muhammed Bulbulia (122) recorded the second century of the 2025 tournament on Saturday as his side eased to an 88-run victory over Namibia. He faced 142 deliveries and dispatched 11 of those to the boundary.

Bulbulia and Ruben Maree (54) shared a 107-run partnership for the second wicket, which helped their side to a challenging 274/9 from their 50 overs. Junior Kariata was the pick of the Namibian bowlers, picking up three wickets for 39 runs.

Meyer Pretorius (3/19) again spearheaded the Legends’ bowling attack and was well supported by Nathan Rossouw (3/25).

The Conquerors kept their chances of a semi-final spot alive with a four-wicket victory over the Champions on Coetzenburg Oval. They did, however, miss out on bagging a bonus point.

The Champions were in deep trouble early on, stumbling out of the blocks and slumping to 55/6 in the 19th over. Jaden Govender (76*) and Charl Prinsloo (41), however, combined for a crucial 98-run partnership for the seventh wicket, which dragged the defending champs to 196/9 after their 50 overs.

Bandile Mbatha (2/15), Rowen Rajah (2/16), Nqobani Mokoena (2/18) and Shahzaad Perumal (2/33) all caused the Champions’ batting line-up problems. Mbatha also added 28 valuable runs with the bat.

A partnership of 110 runs for the second wicket between Semal Pillay (61) and Ross Coetzee (49) then laid the foundation for the KZN side’s victory.

The Superstars, the local side, is the only team that has already secured a place in the semi-finals. They ran out the winners by five wickets over the Central Gladiators on Saturday.

SA Schools’ captain, Beni Hansen (83) and Unathi Magoloza (42*) shared a 112-run partnership for the fifth wicket, while Paul James (24*) made a telling contribution when he joined Magoloza in the middle to see the Superstars through to victory.

Raeeq Daniels removed four of the Gladiators’ batsmen for only 38 runs in a performance that surely captured the selectors’ attention. They’re putting together a South Africa u19-side to take on England in limited-overs and youth tests.

The United States of America‘s u19 side made waves by romping to a convincing 181-run victory over the Eastern Warriors. Their opening batsmen, Amrinder Gill (88) and Sahil Garg (73) shared a 128-run partnership which was the cornerstone of their team’s healthy 281/7.

A second-wicket partnership of 88 runs between Gill and Utkarsh Srivastava (54) also served to dial up the pressure on the Warriors.

Backing up his side’s good batting performance, the USA’s Advaith Krishna (5/17) picked up the first five-wicket haul of this year’s Cubs Week as the Warriors were skittled for only 100 runs.

Summarised Scorecards

Northern Champions 196/9 (Jaden Govender 76*, Charl Prinsloo 41, Extras 25; Bandile Mbatha 2/15, Rowan Rajah 2/16, Nqobani Mokoena 2/18, Shahzaad Perumal 2/33); Coastal Conquerors 197/6 (Semal Pillay 61, Ross Coetzee 49, Bandile Mbatha 28, Extras 26, Chad Mason 22*; Wian Ruthven 3/28, Sandiswa Yeni 2/32). Coastal Conquerors won by four wickets.

Western Legends 274/9 (Muhammed Bulbulia 122, Ruben Maree 54, Extras 33; Junior Kariata 3/39, Nico Pieters 2/31, Peter Blignaut 2/46); Namibia 196/10 (Waldo Smith 49, Peter Blignaut 41, Extras 29, Zacheo van Heerden 23, Francois du Plessis 20; Meyer Pretorius 3/19, Nathan Rossouw 3/25). Western Legends won by 78 runs.

Central Gladiators 245/10 (Armaan Manack 62, Kamogelo Phiri 50*, Joe MacRobert 35, Jason Rowles 28, Pranav Raichetti 21, Extras 20; Raeeq Daniels 4/38, Sibulele Makeleni 2/25); Southern Superstars 246/5 (Beni Hansen 83, Unathi Magoloza 42*, Extras 30, Paul James 24*, Adnaan Lagadien 24, Johan Wege 23; Sipho Potsane 2/31). Southern Superstars won by five wickets.

USA 281/7 (Amrinder Gill 88, Sahil Garg 73, Utkarsh Srivastava 54, Extras 25; Likhona Gcora 3/51, Esa Gangat 2/42); Eastern Warriors 100/10 (Jacques van der Merwe 41, Randy Syce 22; Advaith Krishna 5/17, Ansh Rai 2/10). USA won by 181 runs.

The Eastern Warriors sounded a clear warning to the rest of the teams on the opening day of Cricket South Africa’s annual Cubs Week (for u19 teams) in Stellenbosch.

The Warriors narrowly defeated the Central Gladiators by two runs on Friday after posting a massive total of 293/5 in their 50 overs on Maties’ C-field.

Randy Syce (105) recorded the only century of the day in his side’s winning effort. He and Jean Upman (77) shared a decisive 141-run partnership for the third wicket.

The Gladiators’ tail-end batter Tahseen Hanslo almost spoilt the Warriors’ day with his defiant knock of 78 not out coming from only 54 deliveries.

The Southern Superstars defeated the USA u19 team by four wickets on the Coetzenburg Oval. The Americans’ Arjun Mahesh (82) helped his team to a total of 233/8 with his half-century.

The Superstars’ opening batsmen, Adnaan Lagadien (90) and Daniel Bosman (65), led their team’s charge by responding with half-centuries of their own. Together, they put on a 150-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Before their collaboration, their team had been in deep trouble on 12/3.

Last year’s winners, the Northern Champions, will be satisfied after they started their campaign off with a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Namibia.

Namibia was restricted to just 137 all out, but it could have been worse after they stumbled to 28/5 in their first nine overs. Ben Brassell (42) and Waldo Smith (36) led the recovery and shared an 89-run partnership for the sixth wicket.

Tshegofatso Nthara (3/21) and Sandiswa Yeni (2/17) were the pick of the Champions’ bowling attack.

It took them 26 overs to overhaul the Namibians’ total, with Jorich van Schalkwyk (64*) and Jaden Govender (44*) sharing an unbeaten 92-run second-wicket partnership.

The Western Legends secured a hard-fought two-wicket victory over the Coastal Conquerors. The team’s middle-order batters, Meyer Pretorius (89) and Dakalo Leketa (52), contributed vital innings and enjoyed a 106-run stand for the sixth wicket.

Pretorius also shone with the ball, picking up three wickets for 46 runs.

Summarised Scorecards

USA 233/8 (Arjun Mahesh 82, Utkarsh Srivastava 34, Amrinder Gill 27, Rahul Basu 26, Extras 22; Divan Linde 2/25, Enathi Kitshini 2/37, Raeeq Daniels 2/40); Southern Superstars 236/6 (Adnaan Lagadien 90, Daniel Bosman 65, Paul James 29*, Divan Linde 26*; Utkarsh Srivastava 2/41). Southern Superstars won by four wickets.

Coastal Conquerors 277/7 (Semal Pillay 57, Joshua van Biljon 50, Bandile Mbatha 49*, Nqobani Mokoena 32, Mfanafuthi Shange 26, Extras 28, Chad Mason 20; Meyer Pretorius 3/46, Carl Fryer 2/40); Western Legends 279/8 (Meyer Pretorius 89, Dakalo Leketa 52, Ruben Maree 31, Extras 30, Naudé Botha 26; Chad Mason 2/41, Ntando Soni 2/50, Nqobani Mokoena 2/50). Western Legends won by two wickets.

Eastern Warriors 293/5 (Randy Syce 105, Jean Upman 77, Extras 33, Zuko Pontshi 26, Tré Gilbert 23, Jacques van der Merwe 20; Curtleigh Koetzee 2/51); Central Gladiators 291/8 (Tahseen Hanslo 78*, Kamogelo Phiri 40, Pranav Raichetti 39, Siyabulele Radebe 38, Jason Rowles 35; Luphelo Mdyesha 3/24, Dawid Vermaak 2/41). Eastern Warriors won by two runs.

Namibia 137/10 (Ben Brassell 42, Waldo Smith 36, Extras 32; Tshegofatso Nthara 3/21, Sandiswa Yeni 2/17, Jorich van Schalkwyk 2/18, Parth Patel 2/42); Northern Champions 141/1 (Jorich van Schalkwyk 64*, Jaden Govender 44*, Sabelo Mabanga 23; Henry Grant 1/23). Northern Champions won by nine wickets.