Author: captainmorgan

In a slow- and low-scoring match dominated by the spin bowlers, Clifton College recorded a hard-fought 19-run win over Kearsney College at the Riverside Sports Club, in Durban, on Saturday.

The coin flip went Clifton’s way, and they opted to bat first, which worked out well, with Veer Ramouthar and Yusuf Ahmed compiling an opening stand of 52 before Ramouthar was caught by Cole Young off the bowling of Matthew Gorrie for 20.

The very next ball, Gorrie struck again, getting through the defences of Muhammed Malek.

Opening batsman, Yusuf Ahmed, stuck around a while longer and was eventually the third man out for the highest score of the match, 38 runs, the third of Matthew Gorrie’s victims. He had spent 70 balls at the crease and struck five fours.

Hayden Drieselmann, who had added 25 runs with Ahmed, followed two runs later for 17, LBW to Rivaan Moodley.

Shiraz Perumal followed for 13, bowled by Moodley. His exit, which left Clifton on 119/6, precipitated a collapse, which was brought about by Moodley and Matthew Rice, who shared the last four wickets between them.

Lawson Dinsdale doggedly resisted, taking 45 balls for his 16 runs before falling to Rice, but three of the last four batsmen were dismissed without scoring as Clifton tumbled to 128 all out after 43.3 overs.

Rice was the sharp point of the Kearsney attack, snapping up 4/25 in 9.3 overs, while Rivaan Moodley challenged the Clifton batsmen with his bounce and turn, capturing 3/29 in 10. Matthew Gorrie, who removed the top three in the Clifton batting order, finished with 3/41 from his 10.

Needing only 129 to win from 50 overs, Kearsney didn’t face a tough required run rate, but scoring was not easy on the Riverside Sports Club pitch, and it offered the spinners some bite and turn.

The tall left-arm spinner, Blake Johnson, took the new ball and struck quickly for Clifton, getting rid of Jason De Gryse and Cole Young cheaply. Caleb Naicker, meanwhile, chipped in with the wicket of Aaron Blackburn to leave Kearsney reeling on 18/3.

Rivaan Moodley and Asher Hollister halted the Clifton train for a while, though, combining for a fourth wicket partnership of 43 before Moodley was caught by Johnson off of his fellow leg-spinner, Shiraz Perumal for 33 from 51 deliveries, three of which he had hit for four.

Hollister and Jonty Wiggett tacked on another 21 runs before Wiggett was bowled by Keegan Watson for eight.

Hollister became the sixth man out, stumped by Dinsdale off the bowling of Perumal for 34. He had faced 55 balls and struck six fours. When Hollister departed, Kearsney had 94 runs on the scoreboard. They added only 15 more.

Perumal snared two of the remaining wickets, while Johnson and Watson nabbed one each as Kearsney’s run chase fell away and they slid to 109 all out in 31 overs.

The visitors’ downfall was the lack of support for the batting efforts of Moodley and Hollister. After those two batsmen, the next highest score was Wiggett’s eight.

Perumal and Johnson spearheaded the Clifton attack, with Perumal returning 4/26 from 10, while Johnson knocked back 3/36 from his 10. Keegan Watson chipped in with 2/18 in four as Clifton claimed a tightly contested 19-run victory.

Summarised scorecard

Clifton College 128/10 (Yusuf Ahmed 38, Veer Ramouthar 20; Matthew Rice 4/25, Rivaan Moodley 3/29, Matthew Gorrie 3/41); Kearsney College 109/10 (Asher Hollister 34, Rivaan Moodley 33; Shiraz Perumal 4/26, Blake Johnson 3/36, Keegan Watson 2/18). Clifton College won by 19 runs.

The KwaZulu-Natal Tuskers u19 side named for the Khaya Majola Week in Bloemfontein from 16 to 21 December underlines the even spread of talent across the province in 2025, with no single school dominating selection.

Maritzburg College leads the way with four players, followed by St Charles College and Hilton College with three each, Michaelhouse with two, and Ikusaselihle High School contributing one.

For College, Daniel Nadasan and Sphamandla Dzanibe return to the squad after featuring at last year’s Khaya Majola Week. Nadasan has been a consistent presence at the top of the order, while Dzanibe’s left-handed stroke play and handy seamers add valuable balance.

They’re joined by the school’s new-ball pairing of Reece Willson and Samuel Hughes, both of whom have impressed with their control and aggression.

Hilton College contributes Ben Hockly, David Hill, and Sechaba Gude. Hockly, who turned out for South Africa u19 earlier this year, endured an up-and-down season but produced some of his best performances in the biggest matches. His ability to rise to the occasion makes him a key figure for the Tuskers.

Hill, a talented leg-spinner, and Gude, a lively paceman who continues to mature as a strike bowler, round out Hilton’s trio.

From St Charles College, Rowen Rajah, another SA u19 Emerging representative, brings express pace and a decent bat lower down the order. He’s joined by the hard-hitting Thandolwethu Zama and off-spinner Kaiyuran Naidoo, who attended the SA u17 National Cricket Camp in September.

Michaelhouse contributes Thandanani Zuma, a seamer who has effectively spearheaded ‘House‘s bowling attack and contributed some match-winning returns, while Ethan Muir, a composed top-order batsman, has anchored the school’s batting with several big innings.

Rounding out the 13-man squad is Siphosethu Ngcobo from Ikusaselihle High, whose inclusion highlights the growing reach of cricket development in the province.

There’s a strong sense of continuity in the group. The Tuskers’ u16 side from 2024, which featured Zama, Willson, Naidoo, Zuma, and Gude, provides much of the backbone for this year’s Khaya Majola team. Guiding them will be the same coaching duo that took the reins at u16 level: head coach Lucky Dladla (St Charles College) and assistant coach Travis Pieters (Hilton College).

KZN Tuskers Provincial Teams

u19

Thandolwethu Zama (St Charles College), Thandanani Zuma (Michaelhouse), Reece Willson (Maritzburg College), Rowen Rajah (St Charles College), Siphosethu Ngcobo (Ikusaselihle High), Kaiyuran Naidoo (St Charles College), Daniel Nadasan (Maritzburg College), Ethan Muir (Michaelhouse), Samuel Hughes (Maritzburg College), Ben Hockly (Hilton College), David Hill (Hilton College), Sechaba Gude (Hilton College), Sphamandla Dzanibe (Maritzburg College).

Head coach: Lucky Dladla (St Charles College)
Assistant coach: Travis Peters (Hilton College)
Manager: Suvedh Ramprith (Drakensview Primary)

u16

Ben Wilson (Hilton College) Wonga Mlonzi (Michaelhouse), Cody Sander (Michaelhouse), Akhil Bharath (Maritzburg College), Obakeng Motsepa (Hilton College), Keegan Vermaak (St Charles College), Caleb Sharp (St Charles College), Rex Wardlaw (Michaelhouse), Sange Qangule (Hilton College), Ryan Clarke (St Charles College), Aphile Nzama (Insika High), Sanda Futshane (Hilton College), Relebogile Mokoena (St Charles College).

Head coach: David Griffiths (Hilton College)
Assistant coach: Lwandiswa Zuma (Michaelhouse)
Manager: Qiniso Zondi (Estcourt High)

Five players from Durban High School (DHS) have been named in the KZN Coastal u19 team to contest the Khaya Majola Week in Bloemfontein in December.

Westville Boys’ High supplies three players and Clifton College two. Northwood, Glenwood, Kearsney, and the Inanda, Ntuzuma, and KwaMashu (INK) Hub contribute one each.

The DHS contingent includes their consistent top three in the batting order – Ismaeel Omar, Ethan Cooper, and Josh van Biljon, with Cooper also offering a bowling option. Both left-handed opener, Omar, and wicketkeeper/batsman, Van Biljon, tallied over 1 000 runs in 2025.

Bayanda Majola will spearhead the Coastal attack. He brings serious pace to the side and if the Bloemfontein pitches offer anything, he will extract it. Bonga Maphanga completes the DHS contingent and fills another of the bowling positions.

Westville’s trio is made up of Seth Simpson, who, along with Josh van Biljon, is arguably the most dominant batsman in the province; the left-handed all-rounder Tristin Delvin, who has enjoyed a strong fourth term with both bat and ball, and presents one of the spin bowling options; and Dayalan Boyce, a paceman with the ability to deliver an unplayable ball at any time, thanks to the huge movement he generates.

Clifton College captain Tim Saulez offers a seam bowling option and is a solid batsman, too, capable of going big. His teammate, Shiraz Perumal, is an exciting, attacking leg spin option. He set a school record for the most wickets by a Clifton College 1st XI player in 2024, while in Grade 10. This year, he has obliterated that mark of 62 wickets and, with still more cricket to come, is in the region of 30 wickets ahead of the previous record.

Glenwood is represented by Bandile Mbatha. He’s a proven top-level bowling all-rounder, who was one of South Africa u19s top performers when they took on England early in 2025, making key contributions with both bat and ball.

Mbatha, Majola, and Boyce have all represented South Africa at u19 level, which makes it clear that the seam bowling department should be one of the KZN Coastal team’s strengths.

Kearsney’s Litha Gonya provides the team with a left-arm pace option, while Northwood captain Kyle White is a technically strong batsman and part-time bowler, capable of snapping up a key wicket or two.

The INK Hub’s Sbani Qwaba is the outlier, the only player selected from outside of the traditional boys’ schools which usually provide all of the provincial players. He isn’t an unknown, however, and has moved up the provincial age group teams with many of his teammates for the Khaya Majola Week.

Two years ago, he was part of the Coastal u16 team that contested the inter-provincial week in Oudtshoorn. That side also featured Ismaeel Omar, Josh van Biljon, Dayalan Boyce, Kyle White, and Tim Saulez. Seth Simpson was a non-travelling reserve.

KZN COASTAL PROVINCIAL TEAMS

KZN Coastal u19 

Ismaeel Omar (DHS), Seth Simpson (Westville), Timothy Saulez (Clifton), Kyle White (Northwood), Josh van Biljon (DHS), Tristin Delvin (Westville), Ethan Cooper (DHS), Sbani Qwabe (INK Hub), Bandile Mbatha (Glenwood), Dayalan Boyce (Westville), Bonga Maphanga (DHS), Shiraz Perumal (Clifton), Bayanda Majola (DHS), Litha Gonya (Kearsney).

Coach: Sam Mofokeng
Assistant coaches: Richard Wissing and Darryl Govender
Manager: Thomas Jackson

KZN u15 Blue Team

Asher Hollister (Kearsney), Jeremiah Josephs (DHS), Cameron White (Northwood), Gary Verbaan (Kearsney), Kagiso Mokoena (Westville), Luyanda Nzuza (Westville), Cameron Rudolph (Westville), Oliver Anderson (Northwood), Michael Hopkins (Westville), Skhil Sinath (Glenwood), Ithani Doyi (Glenwood), Sebastian Oertel (Glenwood), Anotha Ngubane (INK Hub).

Head coach: Cameron Gordon
Assistant coach: Mikaylen Kistna
Manager: Sthabiso Zungu

KZN u15 Green Team

Ryan Staats (Kearsney), Gaurav Sewlal (Westville), Zac Robertson (Westville), Elandre van Rooyen (DHS), Yusuf Osman (Westville), CJ Esau (Westville), Taine Lawson (Westville), Qhamani Sikutshwa (Glenwood), Shaun Stumke (DHS), Eliah van Jaarsveld (Clifton), Simanye Manona (Glenwood), Sphesihle Sithole (Outer West Hub), Thando Bhengu (Umlazi Hub).

Head coach: Jody Saayman
Assistant coach: Caleb Pillay
Manager: Wandile Mlangeni

KZN Coastal u16

Blake Johnson (Clifton), Muhammed Malek (Clifton), Caleb Naicker (Clifton), Esihle Gasa (Glenwood), Segolobe Moloto (Glenwood), Aaron Blackburn (Kearsney), Rivaan Moodley (Kearsney), Lusanda Dldlo (Nfolozi High), Luc Boyall (Northwood), Josh Mills (Northwood), Keegan Reeves (Northwood), Kai Cotton (Westville), Jamie Hollenbach (Westville).

Head coach: Brandon Scullard
Assistant coaches: Gavin Reddy and Siyabonga Gumede
Manager: TBC

KZN Coastal u17

Ewan du Toit (Westville), Olwami Zondi (Glenwood), Aiden Baudach (Westville), Kreesan Pillai (Glenwood), Keegan de Jager (Kearsney), Thabiso Mtambo (Northwood), Kyle McGough (Westville), Paul Momoh (Hillcrest High), Yadav Dayaram (Grantleigh), Bayanda Xulu (Glenwood), David de Bruyn (Northwood), Taine Havermann (DHS), Sqalo Mbatha (Parkhill High)

Head coach: Wayne Scott
Assistant coach: Kenneth Mafunga
Manager: Cayle Marillier

KZN Rural u17

Jordan Gopaul (Scottburgh High), Sahl Peerbhay (Umzinto), Lubanzi Nkabinde (Curro Salt Rock), Veolan Palavar (Felixton College), Esihle Hlaluka (Nkosibomvu Secondary), Heinrich Hattingh (Grantleigh), Shivaar Sivpersad (Scottburgh High), Aphiwe Mthethwa (Birdswood Secondary), Kian Topham (Grantleigh), Keenen Thirrumugam (Stanger Secondary), Johar Maharaj (Roseville Secondary), Gift Banda (Nkosibomvu Secondary), Dillan Pieterse (Grantleigh).

Head coach: Zacharia Venganayi
Assistant coach: Nkosinathi Ntuli
Manager: Andre Pretorius

One of the strengths of Durban High School (DHS) in 2025 has been the consistency of their top order batsmen, Ismaeel Omar, Ethan Cooper, and Josh van Biljon. When Clifton College removed the trio for a combined 27 runs at the Riverside Sports Club on Saturday, they might have felt they would dismiss the visitors for a modest total, but Taine Havermann turned that idea on its head.

The all-rounder, batting sixth in the order, delivered a match-winning knock, striking eight fours and a six in an unbeaten 103 from 111 deliveries.

He and Dhilan Naraidu, who entered after the fall of the third wicket, partnered for 94 runs for the fifth wicket before Naraidu departed with the total on 165, having hit six fours in a 54-ball stay that produced 42 runs.

The remaining batsmen delivered little production, but they didn’t need to as Havermann went on the attack, helping School to add another 71 runs before their 50 overs were up.

DHS finished on 236/9, led by Havermann’s century, Naraidu’s 42, and 26 from Lazlo Jooste.

Left-arm spinner, Blake Johnson, took 2/50 from 10 overs, which included the key wicket of Josh van Biljon, while leg-spinner, Shiraz Perumal, continued to add wickets to his record-setting season by snaring 2/41 from 10.

Then, after losing an early wicket in their run pursuit, Clifton made solid progress. Byron Ward and Yusuf Ahmed added 33 for the second wicket before Ward fell LBW to Sandi Mazibuko for 19.

Ahmed and Tim Saulez advanced the total by a further 36 runs before Ahmed was caught off of Ethan Cooper’s bowling for a patient 26 from 60 balls, which included three fours.

Saulez sent five deliveries to the boundary in his 34 from only 31 balls, but he was the fourth man out with the total on 98 for the highest score of the innings.

Following his departure, Clifton lost Hayden Drieselmann and Lawson Dinsdale for the addition of only three runs, with all three batsmen falling victim to the express pace of Bayanda Majola.

Shiraz Perumal offered a little resistance, making 12, but Josh Morley got stuck into the tail, picking up three wickets cheaply, to finish with 3/10 from five, as Clifton slid to 131 all out.

Majola, who triggered the home side’s collapse, captured 4/22 from eight overs in his last match for the DHS 1st XI.

Kearsney College vs Westville Boys’ High

Kearsney College and Westville Boys’ High just failed in their attempt to beat afternoon rain and mist when the sides met on the AH Smith Oval, in Botha’s Hill, on Saturday. When the match was abandoned, Westville was only 13 runs shy of victory with four wickets in hand.

After winning the toss, Kearsney took to the crease first, but their batsmen delivered a patchy performance. They started well, though, with Jason de Gryse and Rivaan Moodley putting on 31 runs for the first wicket before Moodley and Asher Hollister added 43 for the second wicket.

Unfortunately for Kearsney, Hollister was run out for a run a ball 28, which featured four fours, and his exit was followed by Moodley losing his wicket on the same score after also scoring 28 but at a run every second ball.

Kearsney added only one more run before Aaron Blackburn fell, which meant the hosts had stumbled from 74/1 to 75/4.

Cole Young played well for his 33 from 46, hitting two fours and a six in the highest score of the home team’s innings, but only Daniel Miskey, with 16, also reached double figures as the hosts’ batting effort lost steam. After 38.2 overs, they were all out for 146.

Opening bowler, Dayalan Boyce, led the Westville attacking, snagging 3/25 from 7.1 overs, while left-arm spinner, Ewan du Toit, grabbed 2/30 from eight.

In reply, Westville lost Aaron Rasmussen in the third over, but Du Toit and Kyle McGough took the total to 30 before McGough was out for 17. His departure brought Seth Simpson to the wicket, and he and Ewan du Toit proceeded to bat their side into the pound seats.

They advanced the Westville total by 47 runs from 46 balls before a run out of Du Toit by Rivaan Moodley parted the pair. The left-hander had scored 30 from 46 balls, sending five of them to the boundary.

Simpson was out 10 runs shy of the century for the visitors’ top score of 35. It had taken him only 31 balls and included seven fours. Tristin Delvin exited on the same total, which left Westville on 90/5 in the 21st over.

Liam de Villiers and Misbah Nair quickly snatched back command of the contest for the Griffin, however, partnering for 36 runs from 30 balls. Their stand was ended when Michael Groom bowled De Villiers, but his contribution was a useful 23 from 20 deliveries, with two fours and a six.

Just over two overs later, though, the game was called off with Westville on 134/6. Nair was on 15 not out and Aiden Baudach had five.

Left-arm paceman, Litha Gonya, led the Kearsney attack, picking up 2/21 from seven overs.

Summarised scorecard

Durban High School 236/9 (Taine Havermann 103*, Dhilan Naraidu 42, Lazlo Jooste 26, Extras 22; Shiraz Perumal 2/41, Blake Johnson 2/50); Clifton College 131/10 (Tim Saulez 34, Yusuf Ahmed 26, Extras 23; Bayanda Majola 4/22, Josh Morley 3/10). DHS won by 105 runs.

Kearsney College 146/10 (Cole Young 33, Asher Hollister 28, Rivaan Moodley 28; Dayalan Boyce 3/25, Ewan du Toit 2/30); Westville Boys’ High 134/6 (Seth Simpson 35, Ewan du Toit 30, Liam de Villiers 23; Litha Gonya 2/21). Match abandoned.

Northwood inflicted a 10-run defeat on Michaelhouse in a low-scoring match on the Robin Smith Oval in Durban on Saturday.

Michaelhouse, who were hugely impressive during the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week, winning all four of their matches, have seen their fortunes nose-dive in recent weeks and they were, once again, on the wrong end of the result, albeit that it was a narrow loss.

‘House won the toss and opted to field first in the 40 overs a side contest, and that decision paid early dividends as Northwood laboured to 20/4 after 11 overs.

Ben Heuer was the architect of their miserable start, snapping up three of the first four wickets to go down – removing David de Bruyn for four, Ross McGlashan for a duck, and Josh Mills for one. Rendani Nonge accounted for the hard-hitting Jamie Wimble, sending him packing without scoring.

Northwood finally found some traction when Luc Boyall joined Thomas Oosthuizen, who had stood firm since the first wicket went down. Together, they added 64 runs for the fifth wicket before Oosthuizen was bowled by Liam O’Dwyer for 52, the highest score of the match. He spent 70 balls at the crease and struck four fours.

Boyall exited nine runs later for 26, Heuer’s fourth victim, which left Northwood on 93/6 in the 30th over.

The remaining batsmen added another 31 runs, with the best of them, Hamza Amla, making 11, as Northwood was bowled out one ball before completing their 40 overs for 124.

Heuer was superb for Michaelhouse, knocking over 4/11 in eight overs, while Radhesh Jhilmeet, who prevented the Knights‘ tail from wagging, snagged 3/22 in 4.5.

Rendani Nonge gave little away, claiming a tidy 1/20 from his eight overs, and Liam O’Dwyer kept the pressure on the home team’s batsmen with his return of 1/19 from seven.

Like Northwood, Michaelhouse also lost their first four wickets cheaply. They fared slightly better than the hosts, making it to 32/4 in the ninth over of their reply, with Ryan van Zyl getting rid of the top four batsmen in the order – Rex Wardlaw for a duck, Ethan Muir for 13, Graydon Leslie for seven, and Hayden Hewlett for three.

Then, much like Northwood, ‘House stopped the rot with a solid fifth-wicket partnership. Ben Heuer and Cody Sander stood firm for 14.4 overs and advanced the total by 55 runs before Sander was caught and bowled by Max Nicholson for a stubborn 20 from 54 deliveries.

Heuer, Michaelhouse’s bowling hero, was also their best batsman, but when he fell for 47, scored at just less than a run a ball, with seven fours and a six, the end came quickly.

He was out to the first ball of the 30th over, which left Michaelhouse on 110/7, still 15 runs short of victory. Ten balls later, it was all over, with the visitors dismissed for 114 in the 31st over.

Ryan van Zyl added the wicket of Radhesh Jhilmeet to the four he had taken earlier to finish with an outstanding 5/28 from eight overs, while Max Nicholson ended with 2/26 from five, removing Michaelhouse’s two highest scorers, Ben Heuer and Cody Sander.

Josh Mills didn’t take a wicket, but he played an influential part in the visitors’ downfall, conceding only seven runs from his six overs to heavily ratchet up the pressure on the visitors.

Summarised scorecard

Northwood 124/10 (Thomas Oosthuizen 52, Luc Boyall 26; Ben Heuer 4/11, Radhesh Jhilmeet 3/22); Michaelhouse 114/10 (Ben Heuer 47, Cody Sander 20; Ryan van Zyl 5/28, Max Nicholson 2/26). Northwood won by 10 runs.

Durban High School (DHS) had their way with Kearsney College in a Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two clash played at Kearsney’s AH Smith Oval on Wednesday.

They skittled the home side for only 89 runs and then bounded to an eight-wicket win, although it took them over 17 overs to get there.

DHS skipper Josh van Biljon won the toss and opted to field first. That was a good call, but it needed his bowlers to make it so.

Bonga Mapanga and Josh Morley set Kearsney on the back foot early by removing two of the hosts’ more dangerous ball strikers, Aaron Blackburn and Keegan de Jager, cheaply.

Asher Hollister and Rivaan Moodley advanced the score from 20/2 to 49 before Moodley fell, and Hollister followed on the same total, with Tristan Quail involved in both dismissals. Moodley was caught for 18 by Bonga Mapanga, while Hollister also exited for 18, run out by a combination of Sulaimaan Jadwat and Quail.

The dismissal of the duo led to a collapse and the architect of that collapse was Sibusiso Dube, who grabbed the next four wickets to fall, with his excellent effort with the ball reducing Kearsney from 49/4 to 80/8.

The Botha’s Hill boys weren’t able to advance their total much beyond that, with Bonga Maphanga bowling both James Bishop and Litha Gonya to end Kearsney’s innings on 89.

Dube was the star of the show with the ball, capturing 4/20 in his four overs, while Mapanga sparkled, too, knocking over 2/7 in 3.1. His fellow new ball bowler, Josh Morley, also did a good job and put Kearsney under pressure with a return of 1/15 from four overs.

Faced with a modest 90-run victory target, DHS stumbled out of the gate, losing both openers, Sulaimaan Jadwat and Syad Basha with only 31 runs on the board in the ninth over.

The departure of the openers, though, brought together the experienced Josh van Biljon and Taine Havermann, and they calmly steered DHS to victory, sharing an unbroken stand of 59 runs for the third wicket from 55 balls.

Van Biljon top-scored, striking seven fours in his undefeated 46 from 43 deliveries. Havermann, meanwhile, smashed the only six of Kearsney’s innings – Michael Groom hit Kearsney’s sole six in making 12 from 11 – and finished with 23 not out from 26 balls.

Michael Groom bowled well, picking up 1/7 from three overs, while James Bishop was the only other wicket-taker, snaring 1/7 from two.

Summarised scorecard

Kearsney College 89/10 (Asher Hollister 18, Rivaan Moodley 18; Sibusiso Dube 4/20, Bonga Maphanga 2/7); Durban High School 90/2 (Josh van Biljon 46*, Taine Havermann 23*). Durban High School won by eight wickets.

In a repeat of 2024’s results, Clifton College won two out of the three KZN Top 10 water polo titles, but Kearsney College was crowned the overall champion, thanks to their consistency through the u14, u15, and u19 team competitions.

Unlike 2024, Kearsney didn’t lift a single title – they won last year’s 1st team competition – with Hilton College being crowned the u14 champion, and Clifton lifting the u15 and 1st team titles.

Echoing 2024’s overall results, Kearsney edged out Hilton and Clifton by a single point.

u19

The Clifton 1st team put together an outstanding run to win the u19 title at the Clifton Aquatic Centre on Sunday.

They were stretched by Westville Boys’ High, winning 10-9, and they downed Kearsney 7-4 in the final. But not once did they need penalties to win. An opening 8-5 victory over Hilton College set up coach Pierre le Roux‘s charges for their run to the title.

The highly regarded Le Roux took over the school’s water polo programme earlier this year and it was clear then that the players hadn’t enjoyed a full pre-season under his guidance. Now that he has had good time to prepare the 1st team and to institute his influence on the overall Clifton water polo programme, the results are evident, and they’re good.

Kearsney, last year’s winners – they edged out Hilton 8-7 in a thrilling final – hasn’t been quite the dominant team they became late in 2024, when they won the Saints Invitational Water Polo title, but they’ve been very good. Like Clifton, they were pushed to the limit by Westville and also won by only one goal against their neighbours, taking their semi-final showdown 6-5. Westville, meanwhile, handed Hilton a 7-6 loss in a pivotal contest.

Durban High School (DHS) turned in an encouraging showing and made it through to the semi-finals. Their key result was a 7-6 win over Northwood.

1st Team Results

Saturday, 25 October

Westville 18-6 Glenwood
Kearsney 14-8 DHS
Clifton 8-5 Hilton
Northwood 15-4 Thomas More
Westville 8-3 Maritzburg College
DHS 7-4 Michaelhouse
Clifton 25-1 Glenwood
Kearsney 18-3 Thomas More
Hilton 7-4 Maritzburg College
Northwood 7-5 Michaelhouse
Clifton 10-9 Westville
DHS 14-1 Thomas More
Hilton 22-2 Glenwood
Kearsney 9-6 Michaelhouse
DHS 7-6 Northwood
Clifton 10-3 Maritzburg College

Sunday, 26 October

Michaelhouse 11-5 Thomas More
Westville 7-6 Hilton
Kearsney 9-6 Northwood
Maritzburg College 16-4 Glenwood
Clifton 9-5 DHS (Semi)
Kearsney 6-5 Westville (Semi)
Glenwood 9-5 Thomas More (9/10)
Michaelhouse 7-5 Maritzburg College (7/8)
Northwood 6-4 Hilton (5/6)
Westville 7-5 DHS (3/4)
Clifton 7-4 Kearsney (1/2)

u15

Clifton’s u15 team as u14s last year, ran roughshod through their KZN Top 10 competition. They also proved recently that they remain one of the best teams in their age group in the country at Wynberg Boys’ High’s Ian Melliar Cup, which brought together most of South Africa’s leading sides.

While they were beaten in the quarterfinals by Rondebosch Boys’ High, the eventual champions, that defeat was the only one suffered by Clifton, who later beat St David’s Marist Inanda, who had surprised ‘Bosch in their opening game.

Clifton’s u15s, though, found the going far tougher on the weekend than they had found it to be a year earlier in the u14 competition. In their very first outing, they needed penalties to get by Northwood. All credit to Northwood, though. They went on to finish third after a 4-3 win over Kearsney.

Clifton also won by only one against Westville and needed penalties to defeat Hilton in the final, which ended 5-5, before Clifton slotted two penalties to Hilton’s one.

The Durban boys, though, have shown, time after time, an admirable quality to pull off victories in tight contests.

u15 Results

Saturday, 25 October

Michaelhouse 16-2 Glenwood
Clifton (2) 6-6 (0) Northwood
Hilton 14-7 Kearsney
Westville 4-0 Thomas More
Michaelhouse 15-1 DHS
Northwood 9-2 Maritzburg College
Kearsney 13-6 Glenwood
Clifton 15-1 Thomas More
Hilton 18-1 DHS
Westville 4-3 Maritzburg College
Kearsney 9-8 pens Michaelhouse
Northwood 9-2 Thomas More
Hilton 20-3 Glenwood
Clifton 11-1 Maritzburg College
Northwood 4-3 Westville
Kearsney 12-7 DHS

Sunday, 26 October

Maritzburg College 6-5 Thomas More
Hilton 14-5 Michaelhouse
Clifton 4-3 Westville
Glenwood 5-2 DHS
Hilton 8-5 Northwood (Semi)
Clifton 10-5 Kearsney (Semi)
Thoma More 10-2 DHS (9/10)
Maritzburg College 16-3 Glenwood (7/8)
Westville 5-4 Michaelhouse (5/6)
Northwood 4-3 Kearsney (3/4)
Clifton (2) 5-5 (1) Hilton (1/2)

u14

The u14 competition featured three teams that have proved themselves to be among the best in the country in the age group in 2025 – Hilton, Kearsney, and Michaelhouse – and they finished in that order, with Hilton scoring a 6-5 win over Kearsney to prevent the Botha’s Hill boys from winning a fourth tournament in 2025.

In the end, a 4-5 loss by Clifton against Northwood cost Clifton in the overall standings, with Northwood going on to finish sixth and Clifton ending seventh.

Hilton put together a clean run, which included a 6-3 victory over Michaelhouse. Apart from the final, that was as close as any team got to beating them.

u14 Results

Westville 25-0 Glenwood
Kearsney 9-4 Clifton
Hilton 6-3 Michaelhouse
Northwood 7-4 Invitational
Westville 7-4 Maritzburg College
Kearsney 12-5 DHS
Michaelhouse 21-1 Glenwood
Clifton 10-1 Invitational
Hilton 12-0 Maritzburg College
DHS 6-2 Northwood
Michaelhouse 12-2 Westville
Kearsney 12-0 Invitational
Hilton 24-0 Glenwood
DHS 8-5 Clifton
Kearsney 7-2 Northwood
Michaelhouse 10-4 Maritzburg College

DHS 9-2 Invitational
Hilton 12-3 Westville
Northwood 5-4 Clifton
Maritzburg College 16-0 Glenwood
Hilton 12-4 DHS (Semi)
Kearsney 9-4 Michaelhouse (Semi)
Invitational 17-1 Glenwood (9/10)
Clifton 6-4 Maritzburg College (7/8)
Westville 7-3 Northwood (5/6)
Michaelhouse 12-1 DHS (3/4)
Hilton 6-5 Kearsney (1/2)

Overall Ranking

Kearsney 27
Clifton 26
Hilton 26
Westville 20
Northwood 19
Michaelhouse 17
DHS 15
Maritzburg College 10
Glenwood 6
Thomas More 3

Points Allocations

1st – 11
2nd – 10
3rd – 8
4th – 7
5th – 6
6th – 5
7th – 4
8th – 3
9th – 2
10th -1

It seems there is a lesson to be learnt about the Hart-Davis Oval, at Hilton College, and that lesson, based on the evidence of the 2024/25 season, should be that the default position is to bowl first.

Durban High School (DHS) won the toss in their limited overs match against Hilton on Saturday and instead chose to bat first. Their innings lasted only 37 overs, and they were all out for just 131.

Had it not been for a dogged effort from Ismaeel Omar at the top of the order and 20 extras, matters could have looked far worse.

Omar stubbornly kept the home side at bay, facing 104 balls for his 58, which featured seven fours. Between them, the other 10 batsmen mustered only six boundaries.

DHS’s innings moved in fits and starts. Momentum was hard to come by, and Benoit Rey and Cameron Hargroves had plenty to do with that.

Rey kept School in check, picking up 3/21 in 10 overs, while Hargroves played his part by claiming 3/25 in six. Luke Wilson, also, kept the visitors under pressure, returning 1/8 from six overs.

The best partnership that DHS could muster was 36 between Omar and captain Bayanda Majola, whose 16 was the second highest score of their innings.

Hilton’s batting wasn’t that much sturdier than that of DHS, but there was one major difference, Ben Hockly.

All around him, others struggled – Robert Burman’s 15 was the next best score in Hilton’s innings – but Hockly rose to the challenge, striking nine fours and a six in an unbeaten match-winning knock of 68 not out from only 73 balls.

Hilton’s start was solid enough, with Barack Munawa and Ben Wilson putting on 32 for the first wicket, but both openers and Ben Erasmus departed for the addition of only a run as the home team slumped from 33 without loss to 33/3.

Hockly and Burman added 38, the best partnership of the innings for the fourth wicket. After Burman was caught off the bowling of Ethan Cooper, though, Hockly had to shepherd Hilton to victory with the highest score achieved by the next five batsmen being four by Cameron Hargroves.

In the 35th over, though, Hilton made it past DHS’s score, with eight wickets down.

Ethan Cooper caused the hosts some problems, capturing 2/2 in two overs, and left-arm spinner, Dhilan Naraidu, bowled immaculately to claim 2/18 from his 10.

The speedster, Bayanda Majola, also picked up two wickets, but Ben Hockly laid into him, with Majola’s eight overs going for 50 runs.

Summarised scorecard

Durban High School 131/10 (Ismaeel Omar 58, Extras 20; Benoit Rey 3/21, Cameron Hargroves 3/25); Hilton College 133/8 (Ben Hockly 68*; Ethan Cooper 2/2, Dhilan Naraidu 2/18, Bayanda Majola 2/50). Hilton College won by two wickets.

Clifton College vs Northwood School

Clifton College hosted Northwood at the Riverside Sports Club Oval on Saturday. In a low-scoring clash, in which no other batsmen reached twenty, Northwood captain Kyle White delivered an unbeaten 47 to guide his side to victory.

Clifton won the toss and chose to bat, but they were two down before they’d reached double figures as the Knights‘ bowlers enjoyed early success.

Opener, Ryan van Zyl, accounted for the dangerous duo of Byron Ward and Tim Saulez, while Ross McGlashan trapped Yusuf Ahmed LBW as the home side slipped to 20/3. Then, when White caught Muhammed Malek off of left-arm spinner Jordan Matthews for 18, Clifton was in serious trouble on 35/4.

Hayden Drieselmann and Lawson Dinsdale added 20 runs but, once Drieselmann fell for 15, another three wickets followed for the addition of only five runs as Clifton slumped to 60/8, with Matthews to the fore for Northwood.

Gabriel Vermeulen and Caleb Naicker repaired the innings somewhat by adding 31 for the ninth wicket before Naicker was bowled by Ben Cilliers for 18, which matched Muhammed Malek for the innings’ highest score.

Clifton was able to add 14 more runs for the last wicket, which took them to 105 all out.

Jordan Matthews was the pick of the Knights’ attack, snaring 4/27 from 10 overs, while Keegan Reeves nabbed 2/10 in 5.1, and Ryan van Zyl returned 2/17 from seven.

Like Clifton, Northwood found the going tough at the crease, and Caleb Naicker did a fine job of inhibiting their run chase, removing the top three men in the order – David de Bruyn, Ross McGlashan, and Thomas Oosthuizen – with only 19 runs on the board.

That brought Kyle White and Jamie Wimble together and they shared a crucial 41-run stand to take the visitors to 60 before Wimble was caught by Lawson Dinsdale off Shiraz Perumal for 20. Josh Mills followed 10 runs later, leaving Northwood on 70/5.

White, though, patiently picked up runs and found a solid partner in Luc Boyall. They teamed up for an unbroken stand of 36, which took the Knights to a hard-fought five-wicket win after 32.1 overs.

White finished with 47 not out from 87 balls, with seven fours, while Boyall was unbeaten on 16 from 21.

Caleb Naicker claimed 3/21 in five overs, while Blake Johnson gave little away in picking up 1/18 in 10, but Clifton’s batsmen hadn’t done enough.

Glenwood High vs Kearsney College

At Glenwood, the home team’s fragile batting cost them victory after they had done well to bowl out Kearsney for only 128. The problem was that Glenwood mustered only 104 in response.

Kearsney opted to bat first and, while six of their batsmen made it into double figures, only one made it beyond the teens, with Cole Young hitting two fours and a six in his 31 from 53 balls.

Kreesan Pillai also did a number on Kearsney, destroying their lower order, taking the last four wickets to go down as the visitors went from 119/6 to 128 all out. It took Pillai only 2.4 overs, too, to snare 4/7.

Vincenzo Loutz picked up 2/18 with the new ball, while off-spinner, Kyle Bryan, kept Kearsney under pressure with a neat 2/26 from 10.

Replying, Glenwood lost their openers, Karabo Ntsieng and Kenzo Mchunu, cheaply, but Kreesan Pillai and Jonah Chaita held up Kearsney’s charge for 6.3 overs while adding 21 runs before Pillai was caught by Aaron Blackburn off Rivaan Moodley‘s bowling for the innings’ top score of 21.

Chaita went on to make 17 while, lower down the order, Akhil Maharaj chipped in with 20 off 25, striking a six and two fours, but Matthew Gorrie enjoyed success with the ball. He tied the Glenwood batsmen in knots, on his way to snapping up 4/16 from 9.2 overs.

Michael Groom, also, got on top of the home side’s batsmen, returning 2/13 from seven, and Rivaan Moodley finished with a tidy 2/27 from 10 as Glenwood’s run chase lost steam.

From 47/3, they crashed to 71/8 and were eventually all out for 104, leaving Kearsney the victors by 24 runs.

Summarised scorecards

Clifton College 105/10 (Muhammed Malek 18, Caleb Naicker 18; Jordan Matthews 4/27, Keegan Reeves 2/10, Ryan van Zyl 2/17); Northwood 106/5 (Kyle White 47*, Jamie Wimble 20; Caleb Naicker 3/21). Northwood won by five wickets.

Kearsney 128/10 (Cole Young 31; Kreesan Pillai 4/7, Vincenzo Loutz 2/18, Kyle Bryan 2/26); Glenwood 104/10 (Kreesan Pillai 21, Akhil Maharaj 20; Matthew Gorrie 4/16, Michael Groom 2/13, Rivaan Moodley 2/27). Kearsney won by 24 runs.

Michaelhouse matched King Edward VII (KES) by winning all four of their matches at the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week, but ‘House‘s fortunes have taken a down-turn in the past two weeks. Beaten by Kearsney last weekend, Michaelhouse went down to Westville Boys’ High by six wickets at Westville on Saturday.

The toss, at least, went the visitors’ way and they batted first. It was slow going, with Michaelhouse losing momentum the longer their innings progressed. In the end, it took them 47 overs to reach 155 all out.

Cody Sander top-scored with a painstaking and unbeaten 38 from 85 balls, with only one four. In the context of the match, though, it was a necessarily measured and defiant knock. Rex Wardlaw, with 23 from 65, was the only other batsman to make it to twenty.

The primary reason for ‘House’s struggles was left-arm spinner, Ewan du Toit, who turned the screws on the visitors, snaring 3/15 from 10 overs. Captain Seth Simpson picked up 2/28 with his leg spin, while the seamers, Dayalan Boyce and Lwandle Bulose, with 1/16 in seven and 1/11 in four respectively, kept Michaelhouse in check.

Westville made a steady if somewhat subdued start to their reply, with Aaron Rasmussen and Ewan du Toit sharing an opening stand of 53 in 15.3 overs before Rasmussen was LBW to Liam O’Dwyer for 23. The very next ball, O’Dwyer struck again, dismissing Kyle McGough.

Seth Simpson and Ewan du Toit then knuckled down and added 41 runs in 13 overs before Du Toit’s excellent all-round contribution came to an end when he was bowled by Radhesh Jhilmeet for 41.

Tristin Delvin replaced his fellow left-arm spinner and partnered Simpson in a fourth-wicket stand of 38 runs, which took Westville to 133/4 after 40.4 overs.

The winning runs eventually came up in the 45th over, with Simpson, having played a captain’s knock, which saw him finish unbeaten on 51 from 75 balls, which included only one four. Misbah Nair was on 16 not out.

Liam O’Dwyer was the best of the Michaelhouse bowlers, with 2/28 from 10 overs, while Radhesh Jhilmeet snagged 2/33 from eight.

Maritzburg College vs St Charles College

On Goldstone’s, in a battle of Pietermaritzburg rivals, Maritzburg College chased down a solid St Charles College total to win by six wickets with 13 balls to spare.

Saints took to the crease first and posted 245/7. Their innings was highlighted by a 100-run partnership for the third wicket between Caleb Sharp and Rico Honiball.

Sharp led the way with 69 from 103 balls, stroking nine fours, while Honiball tallied 63 from 79, which included three fours and two sixes.

Late in the visitors’ innings, AJ Bosman blasted three sixes and a four in a quickfire 43 not out from 28 balls and shared a 49-run sixth-wicket partnership with Connor Simpson, who made 22.

Captain Daniel Nadasan spun his way to 2/30 from seven overs for College, while Sam Hughes nabbed 2/39 in seven.

In reply, College lost Nadasan for 13 early, but Kyle de Bruyn and Akhil Bharath firmed up the hosts’ reply with a 72-run stand for the second wicket before De Bruyn was caught by Ryan Clarke off Keegan Vermaak‘s bowling for 35.

The opener’s exit brought Karl Dedekind to the wicket, and he and Bharath then proceeded to take the game away from Saints, advancing the score by 107 runs from 116 balls in a decisive third-wicket partnership.

Bharath was out with the total on 199 for 84, another victim of Vermaak, but he had done his job well, striking five fours and a six during his 112-ball stay.

Deolyn Naidoo didn’t stay long but, at the other end of the pitch, Dedekind had the bit between his teeth. He and Sphamandla Dzanibe saw College across the line, tacking on an unbroken 28 runs for the fifth wicket.

Dedekind’s contribution was an unbeaten 86 from only 81 deliveries, three of which he smashed for six and another three which he sent to the boundary.

Keegan Vermaak was the only St Charles bowler to pick up more than one wicket, but he was a touch expensive, going for 53 runs from his 10 overs.

Summarised scorecards

Michaelhouse 155/10 (Cody Sander 38*, Rex Wardlaw 23; Ewan du Toit 3/15, Seth Simpson 2/28); Westville Boys’ High 157/4 (Seth Simpson 51*, Ewan du Toit 44, Aaron Rasmussen 23; Liam O’Dwyer 2/28, Radhesh Jhilmeet 2/33). Westville Boys’ High won by six wickets.

St Charles College 245/7 (Caleb Sharp 69, Rico Honiball 63, AJ Bosman 43*, Connor Simpson 22; Daniel Nadasan 2/30, Sam Hughes 2/39); Maritzburg College 249/4 (Karl Dedekind 86*, Akhil Bharath 84, Kyle de Bruyn 35, Keegan Vermaak 2/53). Maritzburg College won by six wickets.