Author: captainmorgan

In 2024, Hilton College won the KZN Inland Schools SA20 competition, beating Maritzburg College at home in the final. On Saturday, they took on St Charles College at Saints in the final of the KZN Inland Switch Schools SA20 – Volume Two competition, and, once again, it was the home side that won.

St Charles did it in style, with the Pietermaritzburg school becoming the KZN Inland champion by dominating Hilton and racing to an eight-wicket victory with 12 overs to spare.

When Robert Burman, the Hilton captain, called incorrectly, Saints’ captain Thandolwethu Zama opted to bowl first, and the home side made it count. Only one of the first seven Hilton batsmen made it into double figures.

The problem for the visitors was that they lost wickets in clumps.

Their first went down on 12, when Sean Burman was caught by Connor Vogt off the bowling of Ryan Clarke for 10 from nine balls. Unfortunately for Hilton, that contribution was the second largest of their innings alongside Benoit Rey, who came in ninth in the order.

After losing their first wicket on 12, Hilton lost three more for the addition of only 10 runs, leaving them reeling on 22/4.

Barack Munawa was out for two, caught by Caleb Sharp off Vogt’s bowling, while Ben Wilson also made two and became the first of Kaiyuran Naidoo‘s four victims. Sharp, meanwhile, removed Cameron Hargroves for one, caught by Zama.

Luke Wilson and James Peattie lifted the total to 33 before Wilson was caught and bowled by Naidoo for seven. Another mini collapse followed, with Hilton slipping to 38/7 after Naidoo also removed Sange Qangule and James Peattie cheaply.

Robert Burman and Benoit Rey stopped the rot at last, if only temporarily, partnering for 22 runs for the eighth wicket before Rey’s resistance was ended by Zama executing a run out.

Burman stuck it out and helped to advance the total to 76 before he was out for the innings’ highest score of 21, which had included two fours. His brother, Sean, had scored the only other boundary of Hilton’s innings.

The visitors made it through their 20 overs, finishing on 79/9, but a victory target that required St Charles to bat at only four runs per over appeared to be a rather simple task.

Saints’ openers, Thandolwethu Zama and Matthew Weightman, soon made that appraisal appear accurate. They took the attack to the Hilton bowlers, Zama especially, and almost overhauled Hilton’s total all by themselves.

As the victory target of 80 came into view, Zama recognising that he needed only four runs to complete 1 000 for the season, chose to hit out in an effort to reach that massive milestone. It backfired and he was caught off the bowling of Cameron Hargroves for a two-runs-a-ball 46, which had featured four sixes and three fours.

Hargroves, also, removed Keegan Vermaak without scoring, but the game was already pretty much done and dusted and St Charles soon clinched victory.

Weightman was 28 not out, with a six and four fours, while Ryan Clarke was unbeaten on four.

Hargroves, the only Hilton College bowler to enjoy success, finished with 2/17 from two overs. Not only was he the lone bowler to pick up wickets, but he was also Hilton’s most economical bowler, even though he went at 8.5 runs per over.

Both St Charles College and Hilton College will, nonetheless, have a shot at representing KwaZulu-Natal at the national finals of the Switch Schools SA20 – Volume Two competition next year. They’ll take on Westville Boys’ High and Northwood for that honour in Pietermaritzburg in January 2026.

Summarised scorecard

Hilton College 79/9 (Robert Burman 21; Kaiyuran Naidoo 4/11, Caleb Sharp 2/20); St Charles College 81/2 (Thandolwethu Zama 46, Matthew Weightman 28*; Cameron Hargroves 2/17). St Charles College won by eight wickets.

Westville Boys’ High secured their place in the KZN Coastal semi-finals of the Switch Schools SA20 – Volume Two competition on Thursday after a scoring comfortable 36-run win over Glenwood High. Westville skipper Kyle McGough led the way with a hard-hitting 73.

When Glenwood captain Kreesan Pillai called incorrectly at the coin clip, McGough opted to bat first on Bowden’s Field.

Wicketkeeper Aidan Baudach fell in the fourth over, but his fellow opener, Kai Cotton, and McGough, in at the fall of the first wicket, then set about the visitors’ bowling, adding 42 runs in four overs before Cotton was trapped LBW by left-arm spinner Esihle Gasa for 23 from 19 balls, which had included four fours.

Tristin Delvin tried to hit out early in his knock and was caught in the deep off Bayanda Xulu for five. McGough, though, was going well.

He was eventually out to the last ball of the 15th over, run out for 73 from 47 deliveries. He had struck seven fours and two sixes. While he was at the crease, Westville added exactly 100 runs in only 70 balls.

Despite McGough’s departure, Westville continued to race along, thanks mainly to an aggressive knock from Liam de Villiers. In just 12 balls, he smashed four sixes and a four, making 31, before trying one big shot too many and being bowled by Pillai.

De Villiers had, nonetheless, delivered an important boost to the Griffins‘ innings and, together with Misbah Nair, added 41 runs for the fifth wicket in only 19 balls.

Nair followed a run after the exit of De Villiers for 16 from 17, another victim of Pillai, which left Westville on 161/6.

They went on to finish on healthy 177/6 eight balls later.

Pillai, the Glenwood skipper, finished with 2/25 from his four overs, while Bayanda Xulu picked up 2/31 in three. Esihle Gasa came in for some stick towards the end of his spell, but he bowled well, returning 1/29 from four.

Glenwood faced a stiff required run rate of 8.9 per over to win and that tough task looked even tougher only three overs into their response when they were reduced to 7/2.

Never doubt the fighting spirit of the Green Machine, though, and Pillai and Mishael Gunawardana showed plenty of it as they advanced the total by 56 runs in nine overs.

Pillai was, then, unfortunate to lose his wicket. He received a loose and inviting full toss from left-arm spinner Tristin Delvin but didn’t get hold of it and was caught on the boundary by Misbah Nair. He had scored 32 from 38 balls, with three fours.

Gunawardana and Elgenio Oerson continued the fight, sharing a 39-run partnership before Oerson fell, caught by Delvin off the bowling of Nair for 17, which had included two sweetly struck straight sixes. That left Glenwood, on 102/4, needing 76 runs to win from only 29 balls.

In the scramble for boundaries and quick runs, they lost four more wickets, with Nair cashing in and grabbing three of them, including a smart stumping by Aidan Baudach, standing up to the medium pacer.

Lwandle Bulose, meanwhile, ended Mishael Gunawardana’s impressive innings, caught by Ashton Kidgell for 54 from only 43 balls, which had included five fours and two sixes.

Nair dismissed Neel Patel off the final ball of the innings to finish with an outstanding 4/20 from his four overs, with Glenwood limited to 141/8.

The opening bowlers, Kyle McGough and Aarin Rasmussen did a tidy job, claiming 1/6 in two and 1/8 in two respectively. Tristin Delvin chipped in with 1/7 in two, and Lwandle Bulose ended with 1/24 in four.

Action in the Switch Schools SA20 – Volume Two returns to Westville Boys’ High on Saturday, with Clifton College facing Northwood in the semi-finals, and Westville taking on Durban High School (DHS) in the second semi.

Summarised scorecard

Westville Boys’ High 177/6 (Kyle McGough 73, Liam de Villiers 32, Kai Cotton 23; Kreesan Pillai 2/25, Bayanda Xulu 2/31); Glenwood High 141/8 (Mishael Gunawardana 54, Kreesan Pillai 32; Misbah Nair 4/20). Westville Boys’ High won by 36 runs.

Hilton College claimed a nail-biting six-run win over Westville Boys’ High on the Hart-Davis Oval in Hilton on Saturday after successfully defending a modest total of 140/9.

The match was played over 40 overs and it, most definitely, favoured the bowlers, with no batsmen making it beyond the twenties.

After the toss fell their way, Hilton opted to bat first, but they made a miserable start and soon found themselves knee deep in the mud, listing on 23/4. The going was slow.

Kyle McGough got rid of Barack Munawa for four before Alex Pitman followed him back to the pavilion, caught by Tristin Delvin off left-armer Lwandile Bulose for a laboured six from 29.

Hilton suffered a further blow when Ben Wilson was run out for eight from 29, and Ben Erasmus lasted only three balls before being caught off Ashton Kidgell‘s bowling.

Ben Hockly and Cameron Hargroves halted the Westville onslaught by adding 43 for the fifth wicket before Hockly was caught off paceman Dayalan Boyce for 22 from 28. He hadn’t reached the boundary once.

Hargroves achieved that feat three times, however, but he was out only three runs after Hockly for 25 from 47, stumped by Aidan Baudach off the bowling of left-arm spinner, Ewan du Toit. With his exit, Hilton, once again, was in trouble, teetering on 69/6.

Matters looked even bleaker when Luke Wilson became Du Toit’s second victim, which left the home side in danger of missing out on reaching a hundred, on 80/7.

James Peattie and Luke Campbell, however, took them to 105, partnering for 25 runs, before Peattie was bowled by Boyce for 21.

Campbell went on to score 24 from 33, with three fours, which helped to lift Hilton College to 140/9 after the completion of their 40 overs. It was a crucial contribution.

Du Toit snagged 2/16 from his six overs, while Boyce shone with 2/18 from eight. His fellow new ball bowler, Kyle McGough, returned 2/30 from eight, while Lwandile Bulose kept Hilton in check with a tidy four overs, which brought him 1/13.

When Westville batted, Sechaba Gude – the hero of Hilton’s Switch Schools SA20 – Volume Two semi-final win over Michaelhouse on Thursday – got rid of Aarin Rasmussen in the first over.

Ewan du Toit and Kyle McGough then combined for a 30-run second wicket partnership before McGough fell to a combination of Benoit Rey‘s catching and Sechaba Gude’s bowling for 19 from 20, with three fours.

Du Toit and Seth Simpson partnered for 34 runs for the third wicket, taking the total to 65, before Du Toit’s watchful knock came to an end when he was caught off by Alex Pitman off the bowling of Benoit Rey for 16.

Simpson didn’t last much longer, becoming the fourth man out when the total had reached 71 runs. He had struck three fours in his 21 from 25 balls. Soon, Westville’s run chase caught a wobble when Misbah Nair was trapped in front by Rey for four. The visitors were on 79/5.

Their sixth wicket went down just before the century came up when Tristin Delvin was caught by Gude off the bowling of Luke Campbell for a patient 14 from 34 deliveries. It was the first blow in a series struck by the spinner, which would prove to be match-winning.

Dayalan Boyce, then, became Luke Campbell’s second victim, out for three, which left Westville on 107/7 and the match finely balanced.

Liam de Villiers, though, battled away, keeping Hilton at bay while accumulating runs, but, tragically for Westville, he was run out for 23 from 39 balls, having hit two fours, with only 14 runs required for victory.

Campbell ensured Westville didn’t make it, dismissing Aidan Baudach LBW for eight before picking up the last wicket when he had Ashton Kidgell caught by Ben Erasmus for two. Westville was all out for 134.

Campbell was the difference between the teams, nabbing 4/19 in 6.4 overs after posting Hilton’s second highest score of 24.

He enjoyed good support from his fellow spinner, Benoit Rey, who captured 2/26 from eight, while Sechaba Gude knocked back 2/28 in six.

Summarised scorecard

Hilton College 140/9 (Cameron Hargroves 25, Luke Campbell 24, Ben Hockly 22, James Peattie 21; Ewan du Toit 2/16, Dayalan Boyce 2/18, Kyle McGough 2/30); Westville Boys’ High 134/10 (Liam de Villiers 23, Extras 23, Seth Simpson 21; Luke Campbell 4/19, Benoit Rey 2/26, Sechaba Gude 2/28). Hilton College won by six runs.

A superb opening stand from Michaelhouse captain Ethan Muir and William Russon set the visitors up for a four-wicket win over St Charles College in a limited overs match in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday.

The result went ‘House‘s way but not the toss, and Saints elected to bat first after Muir called incorrectly.

They lost a couple of early wickets, but Christiaan Prinsloo, as he has done a number of times this season, settled in and held up an end to get the home side on track. Together, he and Ryan Clarke advanced the total by 89 runs for the third wicket from only 83 balls.

Their partnership ended when Clarke was caught by Muir off the bowling of Rex Wardlaw for 47. He’d taken only 35 balls to score his runs and had struck six fours. When he departed, St Charles was on 123/3.

Prinsloo and André Bosman tacked on another 38 runs for the fourth wicket before Bosman fell for 14, a victim of Rendani Nonge who, four runs later, added the wicket of Connor Simpson.

Prinsloo was, eventually, the seventh man to lose his wicket, caught by William Russon off the bowling of Rex Wardlaw for 87 from 142 balls, 15 of which he dispatched to the boundary. His dismissal left Saints on 182/7. Unfortunately for the hosts, it was also the start of a collapse.

They added only two more runs while losing three more wickets, with Muir snagging 2/3 in 1.2 overs to bring the St Charles innings to an end.

Wardlaw, though, led the Michaelhouse attack, knocking over 3/30 in seven overs, while Nonge finished with a tidy 2/22 in seven, and his fellow new ball bowler, Thandanani Zuma, claimed 2/35 in 10.

Saints appeared to have produced a decent enough total, but Muir and Russon ate into it with a committed opening partnership.

They spent 176 balls together and put on 146 for the first wicket before, at last, their stand was halted when Keegan Vermaak bowled Russon for 52 from 89 deliveries, which included seven fours.

Ben Heuer didn’t last long, caught by Ryan Clarke off the bowling of Vermaak for two, and only one run later Muir’s fine innings ended.

He was bowled by Rowen Rajah for 76. He had faced 93 balls and hit 11 fours. He had, also, done his job.

As ‘House closed in on victory, Rex Wardlaw exited for four, which left the total on 162/4 after 36 overs.

Four overs later, they sealed a six-wicket victory, with Hayden Hewlett unbeaten on 22 and Cody Sander on four. St Charles had conceded 29 extras and 23 of those were wides. That had hurt their chances.

Keegan Vermaak was the pick of the home side’s bowlers, snaring 3/42 in nine overs, while fast bowler Rowen Rajah kept the Michaelhouse batsmen on their toes, capturing 1/29 from his 10 overs.

Summarised scorecard

St Charles College 184/10 (Christiaan Prinsloo 84, Ryan Clarke 47; Rex Wardlaw 3/30, Ethan Muir 2/3, Rendani Nonge 2/22, Thandanani Zuma 2/35); Michaelhouse 188/4 (Ethan Muir 76, William Russon 52, Hayden Hewlett 22*; Keegan Vermaak 3/42). Michaelhouse won by six wickets.

Michaelhouse was stunned by Sechaba Gude on the Hart-Davis Oval, at Hilton, on Thursday, with the paceman dismissing two of their top three cheaply before grabbing the last three wickets of the ‘House innings to set Hilton College up for an emphatic eight-wicket victory in their Switch Schools SA20 – Volume Two KZN Inland semi-final showdown.

If the Hart-Davis Oval has revealed anything this year, it’s that results have leaned towards the teams batting second, with those that choose to bat first often struggling to post big totals.

That proved to be the case once more on Thursday when Michaelhouse captain Graydon Leslie won the toss and chose to bat first. Ironically, he was the first batsman to fall, caught by Barack Munawa off Gude’s bowling for seven.

Sanqe Qangule got rid of the in-form Ben Heuer for a duck, which was a big boost for Hilton’s chances, and Gude then dismissed another in-form batsman, Rex Wardlaw, to have Michaelhouse three-down in the fourth over.

In the very next over, Luke Wilson trapped Cody Sander in front, leaving Michaelhouse punch drunk on 20/4. Matters didn’t improve much for the visitors from there.

They lost their fifth wicket, Riley Muir, run out, in the seventh over, and Wonga Mlonzi was sent packing at the start of the ninth for 17, a second victim of Luke Wilson, which reduced ‘House to 43/6.

They slid further to 55/7 when Victor North was caught by Ben Wilson off Benoit Rey for 16.

At last, though, Michaelhouse was able to put together a decent partnership, which was carried almost entirely by Nishay Sudhoowa. He struck four fours in his 34 from 31 balls before becoming another Sechaba Gude victim. Still, with Thandanani Zuma, he added 38 for the eighth wicket.

Zuma fell to the first ball of the 18th over, and Sudhoowa followed three balls later. Gude then returned for his fourth over to complete his five-for when he caught and bowled Rendani Nonge for five.

Michaelhouse was all out for 100 after 19.2 overs. Gude’s outstanding contribution was 5/7 from 3.2 overs.

Luke Wilson return 2/19 from four, and Benoit Rey bowled tidily to pick up 1/20 from his four.

With Hilton College captain Robert Burman leading the way, the home side made a rollicking start to their run chase, getting stuck into the Michaelhouse bowling early to quickly establish which team was going to win the match.

Burman and Barack Munawa shared a 67-run first wicket stand in eight overs before Munawa was bowled by Liam O’Dwyer for 28 from 26 balls, with four fours, but, by then, he had pretty much helped to seal the deal.

Ben Wilson fell cheaply, which left Hilton on 75/2 in the eleventh over, but they needed only 26 more runs to win.

Burman and Luke Wilson soon supplied them, taking 14 balls to do so, as Hilton romped to victory with 39 balls to spare. Burman was 48 not out from 36 balls, with seven fours, while Wilson finished with 11 from 10.

Nishay Sudhoowa, Michaelhouse’s best batsman on the day, also proved to be their best bowler, claiming 1/18 in four. Liam O’Dwyer finished with 1/24 in 3.3 overs.

It was, however, Hilton’s onslaught on the Michaelhouse frontline bowlers that set them up for a successful run chase. Thandanani Zuma went for 15 runs from his only over, Ben Heuer conceded 22 from three, and Rendani Nonge went for 13 from his one.

Summarised scorecard

Michaelhouse 100/10 (Nishay Sudhoowa 34; Sechaba Gude 5/7, Luke Wilson 2/19); Hilton College 101/2 (Robert Burman 48*, Barack Munawa 28). Hilton College won by eight wickets.

Maritzburg College and St Charles had met twice recently, with College winning a T20 by 16 runs on 16 October and a limited overs match by six wickets on 25 October.

Saints turned the tables on them on Wednesday, triumphing in a Schools SA20 – Volume Two clash at the St Charles Oval to book a place in the KZN Inland final of the countrywide competition.

With the line-ups somewhat different because the Schools SA20 runs into 2026, it was a warmly welcomed win for the hosts, who fielded first after the toss went College’s way.

A run out of the in-form Akhil Bharath, who opened the innings with Kyle de Bruyn, gave St Charles their breakthrough, with the visitors on 29/1 midway through the fifth over.

Soon, though, College was in trouble. De Bruyn followed for 22, bowled by Relebogile Mokoena for 22 from only 19 balls, three of which he’d struck for four and another for six.

Luka Puddu followed one run later, bowled by Jayden Saville, and Saville removed Luan van der Merwe without the addition of a run, also bowled, to leave Maritzburg College reeling on 38/4 in the eighth over. The visitors’ batting momentum had slowed, and they had lost their top four.

Dom du Toit and Deolyn Naidoo halted the slide, adding 31 in 34 balls before Du Toit exited for 17.

Naidoo held firm, advancing the total by another 35 runs with Reece Willson, who played aggressively to give the College innings a boost. Their partnership lasted 22 balls and was ended when Mokoena, the pick of the Saints’ bowlers, claimed his second wicket, removing Naidoo, caught and bowled, for 23 from 29 balls, which included two fours.

Willson and Matt Bisset added a further 31 runs in an unbroken seventh wicket stand to lift the visiting team to 125/6 after their 20 overs.

Willson top-scored for College, smashing two fours and a six in his unbeaten 31 from only 22 deliveries, while Bisset chipped in with 11 not out from eight.

Relebogile Mokoena finished with an outstanding 2/13 from his four overs, while Jayden Saville shone, too, knocking over 2/18 in his four.

The St Charles’ openers, Matthew Weightman and Thandolwethu Zama, then set their side up for success with a decisive opening stand, putting on 49 in six overs before Weightman was trapped LBW by Luke Venter for 23. He had faced only 19 balls and sent five of them to the boundary.

Zama helped to advance the total to 65 before he fell in the eighth over, caught by James Pembridge, again off of Venter’s bowling, for 28 from 25. His innings included only two boundaries, but they were both sixes.

St Charles suffered a slight wobble when they lost two wickets in the space of nine balls, which left them on 84/4, but they had taken only 11.5 overs to get there. They were well ahead of the required run rate.

Keegan Vermaak and Caleb Sharp then combined for an unbroken stand of 42 runs in 44 balls to see their side to victory with five balls to spare.

Vermaak finished with 31 from 33, with two fours, while Sharp’s contribution was 21 from 21, with three fours.

Luke Venter claimed 2/19 in three for College, while Grant Hosking removed Ryan Clarke and picked up 1/10 in two. Akhil Barath trapped Connor Simpson in front and returned 1/19 in four.

Traditional rivals, Hilton College and Michaelhouse, meet at Hilton on Thursday in the second semi-final.

Summarised scorecard

Maritzburg College 125/6 (Reece Willson 31*, Deolyn Naidoo 24, Kyle de Bruyn 22; Relebogile Mokoena 2/13, Jayden Saville 2/18); St Charles College 126/4 (Keegan Vermaak 31*, Thandolwethu Zama 28, Matthew Weightman 23, Caleb Sharp 21*; Luke Venter 2/19). St Charles College won by six wickets.

A scintillating century from David de Bruyn powered Northwood to an emphatic 42-run victory over Grantleigh High in a Switch Schools SA20 – Volume Two clash at Northwood on Monday.

Clifton College, meanwhile, restricted Hoërskool Suid Natal to a low total, which they chased down in only eight overs to win by eight wickets at the Riverside Sports Club.

Northood vs Grantleigh High

De Bruyn opened the Knights‘ innings with Ross McGlashan, and the pair gave the home side a strong start, making 68 for the first wicket before McGlashan was bowled by Luca Olivier for 27 from 17 balls, which included four fours and a six.

Thomas Oosthuizen and De Bruyn added 25 for the second wicket, with Oosthuizen contributing only five of those runs, which underlined De Bruyn’s dominance.

Oosthuizen was run out by Tristan van Rooyen and one run later Van Rooyen bowled Jamie Wimble, which left Northwood on 94/3 after 11 overs.

De Bruyn and Josh Mills then combined for un unbroken 75-run partnership to lift the hosts to 169/3 from their 20 overs.

Mills finished with 18 not out. De Bruyn, meanwhile, stole the show, smashing seven fours and five sixes in his undefeated 104, which took only 73 balls.

Tristan van Rooyen was the pick of the Grantleigh bowlers, returning 1/23 from four overs.

Grantleigh’s reply began with the loss of Kian Topham in the first over, but Yadav Dayaram and Luca Oliver then stymied the Knights’ attack for over 15 overs, adding 96 runs.

It was a solid partnership, but a higher scoring rate was required. Nonetheless, both batsmen scored at a run rate of 106 per 100 balls faced.

Olivier was caught by David de Bruyn off the bowling of Max Nicholson for 52, which featured six fours. Dayaram stayed on until the last over, eventually losing his wicket to a stumping off the bowling of Luc Boyall for 62. Like Olivier, he had struck six fours.

Two more wickets went down in the final over, which left Boyall with the sparkling figures of 3/2 from one over.

With their 20 overs done, Grantleigh finished on 125/5.

Clifton College vs Hoërskool Suid Natal

At the Riverside Sports Club, Suid Natal chose to bat first against Clifton. Scoring had been difficult at the venue on Saturday, when Clifton beat Kearsney College by 19 runs in a limited overs match, and the visitors from Port Shepstone found the going tough on Monday.

Only three of their batsmen made it into double figures. Marco Fritz, with 18, top-scored, while opener, Karlo Jacobs, made 10, while Sameer Mangisa, batting tenth, in the order, finished with 12 not out.

Suid Natal made a decent start, moving to 18 without loss after four overs. That’s when matters went awry, however, with Clifton capturing four wickets for the addition of only one run in just over two overs.

The bowlers responsible for the collapse were the two spinners who have been superb for the Durban school all year long: Shiraz Perumal, who is in the Dolphins’ Khaya Majola team, and Blake Johnson, who was selected for the KZN Coastal u16 side. Perumal snared 3/18 in four overs with his leg spin, while Johnson picked up 2/18 in four with his left-arm spin.

Keegan Watson grabbed two late wickets as Suid Natal finished with 79/9. Watson’s contribution was 2/11 in three.

Clifton required only four runs an over to win. They lost their openers early, with Veer Ramouthar out in the third over for 12, while Daniel Rea followed in the fourth over for two.

After that, Muhammed Malek and Hayden Drieselmann dominated. It took them 26 balls to see Clifton to victory with an unbroken stand of 52.

Malek slammed six fours in his 25 from 16 balls, while Drieselmann cracked six fours and a six in his rapid unbeaten 33 from 15.

Liam Scholtz was the best of the visiting bowlers, returning 1/18 from his three overs.

Summarised scorecards

Northwood 169/3 (David de Bruyn 104*, Ross McGlashan 27; Tristan van Rooyen 1/23); Grantleigh High 125/5 (Yadav Dayaram 62, Luca Olivier 52; Luc Boyall 3/2). Northwood won by 42 runs.

Hoërskool Suid Natal 79/9 (Marco Fritz 18; Shiraz Perumal 3/18, Keegan Watson 2/11, Blake Johnson 2/18); Clifton College 80/2 (Hayden Drieselmann 33*, Muhammed Malek 25*). Clifton College won by eight wickets.

In a tense Pink Day showdown in support of the Pink Drive, Michaelhouse squeaked by Hilton College, claiming an anxiety-filled two-run win over their arch-rivals in a limited overs clash on the Roy Gathorne Oval, in Balgowan, on Saturday.

After Michaelhouse had totalled 190 all out, Hilton appeared to be in with a shout at victory when they reached 94/2, but by then they had used up almost two-thirds of their overs.

‘House hung tough, despite a fine 62 by Ben Hockly, to claim a nerve-wracking victory.

When the coin fell Michaelhouse’s way, they chose to bat first. William Russon was an early casualty, bowled by Sechaba Gude for four. After his dismissal, though, Michaelhouse skipper, Ethan Muir, and Rex Wardlaw settled in, adding 75 runs off the next 108 balls.

Muir, the aggressor, fell with the total on 95, out for a crucial 53 from 66 deliveries, which had included seven fours and a six. Just five runs later, with the century on the scoreboard, Wardlaw followed for a patient 27 from 66 balls.

Two more wickets fell in quick succession, with Benoit Rey getting rid of Graydon Leslie and Hayden Hewlett to leave Michaelhouse somewhat unsteady on 106/5. Four wickets had fallen for the addition of only 11 runs.

Cody Sander and Ben Heuer, however, steadied the ‘House innings, advancing the total by 32 runs before Sander was caught by Ben Wilson off Rey’s bowling for 19. Heuer followed for 26, having struck two fours and a six, which left the home side on 160/7.

Nicholas Baker, with 17, and Radhesh Jhilmeet, with 14, helped stretch the Michaelhouse innings to 190 all out after 46.2 overs. They were aided by 20 extras.

Benoit Rey shone for Hilton. He stymied the hosts’ run scoring, conceding only 23 runs from his 10 overs. He was also Hilton’s leading wicket-taker, claiming three victims.

Luke Wilson snagged 2/33 in eight, Luke Campbell chipped in with 2/40 in 10, and opening bowler, Sechaba Gude, although a touch on the costly side – his 10 overs cost him 58 runs – also sent two batsmen packing.

In reply, Hilton made a solid but slow start, with Barack Munawa and Ben Wilson putting on 45 for the first wicket before Munawa was caught by William Russon off Rex Wardlaw’s bowling for 23 from 47 balls, which featured four fours.

Wilson followed four runs later, bowled by Radhesh Jhimleet for 14 from 69 deliveries. He’d been held in check by Jhilmeet and Ben Heuer, who both conceded only 29 runs from their 10 overs, with Jhilmeet picking up two wickets. Although he went wicketless, Heuer’s contribution should not be underestimated. It ratcheted up the pressure on the visitors.

Even Alex Pitman, who usually plays with a fair amount of freedom and inventiveness, was restricted. He scored 17 off 43 before being bowled by Liam O’Dwyer. Soon after his exit, Luke Campbell and Simon Steyn followed him back to the pavilion, which left Hilton on 114/6 in the 39th over.

With another 77 runs required for victory in 68 balls, the visitors were under huge pressure. They hadn’t scored at close to that run rate earlier in their innings.

Still, Ben Hockly was out in the middle, and he had few problems maintaining a strong scoring rate. He, however, was bowled by Rendani Nonge in the 44th over, having whacked eight fours in his 62 from 70 balls. With his departure, the momentum tilted Michaelhouse’s way.

The match was far from over, though. ‘House looked close to locking up the win when they reduced Hilton to 159/8 in the 46th over, with Nonge striking another crucial blow by bowling Cameron Hargroves for 22 from 21 balls.

Hilton, though, kept fighting tigerishly, creeping ever closer to Michaelhouse’s total. With the 191 runs they needed almost within reach, Sange Qangule was run out off of the second ball of the last over for 16 from 14 balls. His dismissal left the visiting side on 184/9.

They needed seven runs to win, but they had only one wicket standing. It was a tough balancing act.

Radhesh Jhilmeet had been entrusted to bowl the final over by his captain, Ethan Muir, and he showed why, producing the goods for Michaelhouse went it mattered most by giving away only four more runs from the last four balls to drag his side to heart-pounding two-run win.

Summarised scorecard

Michaelhouse 190/10 (Ethan Muir 53, Ben Heuer 32, Rex Wardlaw 27, Extras 20; Benoit Rey 3/23, Luke Wilson 2/33, Luke Campbell 2/39, Sechaba Gude 2/58); Hilton College 188/9 (Ben Hockly 62, Cameron Hargroves 22, Barack Munawa 20; Rex Wardlaw 3/31, Rendani Nonge 2/7). Michaelhouse won by two runs.

Northwood concluded their 2025 cricket schedule on a high note, handing Maritzburg College a 57-run defeat at the Crusaders Club, in Durban, on Saturday.

When the toss favoured Northwood, Knights‘ captain, Kyle White, chose to bat first, but the home side found themselves pegged back early on, with both of their openers sent packing with only 18 runs on the scoreboard.

Batting progress was patchy and when Thomas Oosthuizen became the fourth player to lose his wicket, caught by Karl Dedekind off of Sphamandla Dzanibe‘s bowling for 26, Northwood was in a spot of bother on 59/4 in the 17th over.

Their innings soon caught fire, though, through captain White and 2026 Head Prefect, Jamie Wimble. They showed leadership in a responsible stand of 95 runs for the fifth wicket from 160 balls.

It ended in the 44th over when Wimble was LBW to Reece Willson for a well-played 53 from 93 deliveries, which had included three fours and a six.

White remained unbeaten to the end. He was on 75 not out from 108 balls, with five fours and a six, when Northwood’s innings concluded on 198/6.

Opening bowler Sam Hughes removed three batsmen at a cost of 53 runs from his 10 overs, while Sphamandla Dzanibe captured 2/22 from seven. Nathan Pembridge bowled tidily, without wicket-taking success, conceding only 32 runs from his 10 overs.

Maritzburg College, in their reply, struggled to put partnerships together. Their openers, Daniel Nadasan and Kyle de Bruyn, were both back in the pavilion with only 25 runs on the board, and when Karl Dedekind and Deolyn Naidoo were dismissed cheaply College was on 56/4 after 19 overs, a run rate of just less than three per over.

Sphamandla Dzanibe and Akhil Bharath added some substance to the visiting side’s innings with a 31-run stand for the fifth wicket before Dzanibe was caught by Wimble off the bowling of David de Bruyn for 21 from 29 balls. He had struck three fours and a six.

Joe Currie didn’t last long, but Bharath and Dom du Toit then advanced the total by 36 runs, which turned out to be the highest partnership of the visitors’ innings.

Unfortunately for College, when Du Toit fell for 16, with the total on 130, Bharath followed without a run being added for 47 from 77 balls, five of which he had dispatched for four.

Bharath was the first of three victims of Knights’ skipper Kyle White, who also sent Sam Hughes packing on the same total, leaving the Red, Black, and White staring down the barrel on 130/9.

Eleven runs later, it was all over, with Hamza Amla catching Nathan Pembridge off the bowling of White for a single. Maritzburg College was all out for 141.

White led the way for Northwood, knocking over 3/24 in 8.2 overs, while Amla bagged 2/22 in seven. David de Bruyn chipped in with 2/29 in three.

Summarised scorecard

Northwood 198/6 (Kyle White 75*, Jamie Wimble 53, Thomas Oosthuizen 26, Sam Hughes 3/53, Sphamandla Dzanibe 2/22); Maritzburg College 141/10 (Akhil Bharath 47, Sphamandla Dzanibe 21; Kyle White 3/24, Hamza Amla 2/22, David de Bruyn 2/29). Northwood won by 57 runs.

Westville Boys’ High hosted St Charles College on Bowden’s Field on Saturday where runs were hard to come by.

After dismissing Saints for just 123, Westville scraped by their visitors from Pietermaritzburg with only two wickets in hand, thanks mostly to 50 from opener, Ewan du Toit.

When the toss went their way, St Charles chose to bat, but they soon found themselves in a world of trouble, losing the top four batsmen in their line-up with only 31 runs on the board.

Kyle McGough was a big reason for the visitors’ early struggles, picking up three of the four wickets to fall, on his way to a sparkling return of 3/21 from seven overs.

Rico Honiball and Ryan Clarke stopped the slide, adding 32 for the fifth wicket, before Honiball was caught by McGough off the bowling of Ewan du Toit for 20.

Disaster struck Saints when Clarke was run out for 18, and Du Toit soon struck again, dismissing Rowen Rajah without scoring. When Aarin Rasmussen accounted for Kaiyuran Naidoo only one run later, St Charles was reeling on 72/8, in danger of being dismissed for less than a hundred.

Connor Simpson and Connor Vogt ensured that didn’t happen, advancing the total by 40 runs before Simpson became Du Toit’s third victim, out for the innings’ top score of 23.

Vogt and Dylan Leppan added another 11 runs for the tenth wicket before Leppan became the second batsman to be run out. Vogt finished unbeaten on 20 as the St Charles’ innings ended after 36.1 overs on 123 all out.

Left-arm spinner, Ewan du Toit, matched Kyle McGough, snaring 3/21, although he sent down a tidy 8.1 overs. Aarin Rasmussen produced the most economical bowling of the match, returning 1/10 from five overs.

When they batted, Westville lost opener Rasmussen and Dayalan Boyce, who batted third in the order, cheaply. The bowling standouts, Ewan du Toit and Kyle McGough, added 18 for the third wicket before McGough departed for eight.

That brought Du Toit and Westville skipper, Seth Simpson, together and they slowly turned the contest in their side’s favour, combining for a decisive 51-run fourth wicket partnership, which ended when Simpson was caught off the bowling of André Bosman for 14.

Kaiyuran Naidoo made Tristin Delvin his second victim, having dismissed Boyce earlier, and two runs later the vital wicket of Du Toit was earned by Bosman, with the opener having faced 93 balls, eight of which he dispatched for four, in scoring exactly 50.

When Liam de Villiers was run out only a run later, Westville was wobbling on 99/7. Four wickets had fallen for just 10 runs.

Aidan Baudach and Misbah Nair added 11 runs before Baudach became the fourth player to be run out in the match, with his exit sending Ashton Kidgell to the middle.

Thankfully for Westville, they had Nair at the other end. He took on the responsibility of seeing his side across the line, steering Westville to a tight two-wicket win.

Kaiyuran Naidoo led the Saints’ bowling effort, nabbing 2/28 from his 10 overs, while André Bosman’s return was 2/23 from six.

Summarised scorecard

St Charles College 123/10 (Connor Simpson 23, Connor Vogt 20*, Rico Honiball 20; Ewan du Toit 3/21, Kyle McGough 3/21); Westville Boys High 125/8 (Ewan du Toit 50; Kaiyuran Naidoo 2/28, André Bosman 2/23). Westville Boys’ High won by two wickets.