A strong batting performance set Grantleigh High up for an emphatic win over Felixton College in their Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two showdown. Photo: Grantleigh Schools on Facebook.
In a clash between Zululand schools, Grantleigh High benefitted from a strong start to their innings as they powered their way to a 70-run Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two win over Felixton College, at Grantleigh, on Friday.
After the hosts won the toss, their openers, Luca Olivier and Tristan van Rooyen turned the decision to bat first into an excellent call by clubbing 114 for the first wicket in only 8.4 overs.
Their damaging stand ended when Van Rooyen was caught by Jurgens Pretorius off the bowling of VeolanPalavar for 46 from only 27 deliveries, which included five fours and two sixes.
Olivier followed Van Rooyen back to the change room midway through the twelfth over, but by then Grantleigh had 133 runs on the board, and Olivier had contributed 59 of them, taking just 37 balls, six of which he dispatched for four and another for six.
The home side lost some momentum when they saw three batsmen dismissed in the space of eight balls for the addition of eight runs, which left them on 154/5 after 15.3 overs.
Heinrich Hattingh and Nazi Geza boosted the innings, however, by adding 32 runs in 16 balls. Geza was, then, dismissed off the second ball of the last over for 22 off 17, and Hattingh was out to the very last ball of the innings after chipping in with 15 from 12.
Jurgens Pretorius, the seventh bowler used by Felixton, was their most successful, snapping up 2/12 in three overs. Colby Whittaker picked up 2/35 in four, and Levi Olivier finished with 2/43 from his four.
Grantleigh High totalled a healthy 192/7, which was boosted by an unhealthy 32 extras added by Felixton, although only 14 of those were wides.
Needing to bat at over nine-and-a-half run per over, Felixton was never able to challenge that tough ask.
Levi Olivier, batting fourth in the order, delivered 49 from 45 balls, cracking five fours and three sixes, but Felixton’s next best score, 23 from 33 balls by VeolanPalavar, was less than half of Olivier’s contribution.
Olivier and Rourke Whittaker, who made 17, combined for the innings’ best partnership of 53 for the fourth wicket but, when Olivier was caught by Luca Olivier off of Nazi Geza, only six balls remained and Felixton was on 114/4. They finished on 122/5, well short of the tough victory target.
Arnaav Singh, who took the new ball for Grantleigh, led their attack with a return of 2/26 from four overs, while Tristan van Rooyen turned the screws by picking up 1/13 from his four overs.
Summarised scorecard
Grantleigh High 192/7 (Luca Olivier 59, Tristan van Rooyen 46, Extras 32, Nazi Geza 22; Jurgens Pretorius 2/12, Colby Whittaker 2/35, Levi Olivier 2/43); Felixton College 122/5 (Levi Olivier 49, VeolanPalavar 23; Arnaav Singh 2/26). Grantleigh High won by 70 runs.
Asher Hollister struck an aggressive 66 not out and, with a big assist from Aaron Blackburn, who clubbed an unbeaten 50, steered Kearsney College to a 10-wicket win over Thomas More College. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Northwood vs Ashton Ballito
Fresh off a strong showing at the Wildeklawer T20 in Pretoria, Northwood swept to a 102-run Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two win over Ashton Ballito on the Robin Smith Oval, in Durban, on Thursday.
After the toss went their way, the Knights opted to bat first, but matters didn’t exactly go smoothly, with James Wright and Andre Botha enjoying early successes with the ball, which included getting rid of the hard-hitting duo of Thomas Oosthuizen and Jamie Wimble for ducks.
At the top of the order, Ross McGlashan cracked four fours and a six in tallying 36 from 32 balls. He was the fourth man out, which left Northwood on 69/4 in the ninth over. Then, when James Searle followed for one, the Knights found themselves on 77/5 halfway through their innings.
Josh Mills and Keegan Reeves stopped the slide, however, by adding 58 for the sixth wicket. Wright got rid of Mills in the 18th over for the top score of the innings, 46 from 39 deliveries, five of which he rerouted for four.
Reeves ended with 16 and Max Nicholson was 14 not out when the hosts completed their 20 overs on 152/8.
Andre Botha picked up 2/11 in two, while James Wright returned 2/23 in four, but the Ashton let themselves down by bowling 24 wides and conceding 30 extras.
It was, nonetheless, a solid effort in the field from the visitors. Unfortunately, for the north coast school, their batting performance failed to match the standard of their bowling. They lasted only 15.5 overs and were bowled out for 50.
Opening batsman, Alex Lawrence, top-scored with 13, but after him every other score was in single figures. The primary reason for that was Hamza Amla, who laid waste to Ashton’s batting with a spectacular spell of 3.5 overs that brought him an eye-opening 6/5.
Three others picked up a wicket each and a run out helped, too. Lawrence’s 13 was matched by the 13 extras conceded by the Knights. Still, they only just made it to a half-century.
Westville Boys’ High vs Kloof High
On Bowden’s, the home team, Westville Boys’ High mauled Kloof High‘s bowlers after the Griffinhad slipped to 27/2 in the third over. After that, the visitors enjoyed no more successes as Aidan Baudach and Tristin Delvin combined for an unbroken third wicket partnership of 217 in 17.2 overs.
Delvin top-scored with 103 from just 55 balls, eight of which he smashed for six, and another five which were sent to the boundary. Baudach also reached triple figures, making exactly 100 not out from only 62 balls, making it the rare occasion when two batsmen scored a century in the same innings of a 20-over match.
Aiden Lorentz, like the other Kloof High bowlers was expensive, but he picked up the only two wickets to go down, finishing with 2/50 from his four overs.
The visitors, then, found the going out in the middle a whole lot tougher than Westville had found it to be. They mustered only 62/9 from their 20 overs, with Aiden Lorentz making 15 and Matt Sheppard 11, but that was it for scores in double figures.
Misbah Nair put the skids under Kloof, snaring 3/7 in three, while Aarin Rasmussen claimed 2/9 in four as Kloof, after losing their ninth wicket in the 17th over, held on to see out their 20 overs. In the end, though, Westville won by a huge margin of 182 runs.
Kearsney College vs Thomas More College
Thomas More College had scored a confidence-boosting 15-run win over Curro Hillcreston Wednesday, but Kearsney College showed the visitors that there are levels to the game as they roared to a 10-wicket victory on the AH Smith Oval, in Botha’s Hill.
The visitors chose to bat first and did a decent job of it, tallying 111/5. They were prevented from a bigger total, though, by a stuttering start, which saw Thomas More in trouble on 29/4 in the ninth over.
Sebastian Rizzato and Matthew Naicker fought back effectively with a 49-run partnership for the fifth wicket in 5.2 overs, which ended when Rizzato was caught by James Bishop off Matt Rice for 28 from only 18 balls, which included three sixes and two fours.
Naicker went on to make 40 not out. He had faced 34 deliveries and struck five fours and a six.
Only James Bishop, with 2/9 from two, picked up more than one wicket as Kearsney employed seven bowlers.
The difference between the teams was revealed when Kearsney batted. They needed only 7.4 overs to overhaul Thomas More’s 111, with Asher Hollister and Aaron Blackburn powering their side to victory.
Hollister, who had missed a whole lot of cricket matches while proving himself to be one of the best young golfers in the country, showed what the Kearsney 1st XI had been missing by taking only 29 balls to score an undefeated 66, which featured 12 fours and a six.
Blackburn, meanwhile, was even more brutal in his assault on the Thomas More bowlers, ending with 50 not out from 17 deliveries. He smashed four sixes and five fours and allowed only two dot balls.
Michael Fourie gave up 20 runs in two overs, which wasn’t great, but the next best of the visitors’ bowlers went for 15 an over as Kearsney’s openers dominated.
Summarised scorecards
Northwood 152/8 (Josh Mills 46, Ross McGlashan 36, Extras 30; Andre Botha 2/11, James Wright 2/23); Ashton Ballito 50/10 (Hamza Amla 6/5). Northwood won by 102 runs.
Westville Boys’ High 244/2 (Tristin Delvin 103*, Aidan Baudach 100*, Aiden Lorentz 2/50); Kloof High 62/9 (Misbah Nair 3/7, Aarin Rasmussen 2/9). Westville Boys’ High won by 182 runs.
Thomas More College 111/5 (Matthew Naicker 40*, Sebastian Rizzato 28; James Bishop 2/9); Kearsney College 117/0 (Asher Hollister 62*, Aaron Blackburn 50*). Kearsney College won by 10 wickets.
Josh van Biljon powered DHS to a massive 276/4, striking 28 boundaries in his innings of 146 from only 57 balls. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Durban High School (DHS) vs Inanda, Ntuzuma, and KwaMashua (INK) Hub
On the familiar turf of the Theobald Oval, Durban High School (DHS) ran roughshod over the Inanda, Ntuzuma, and KwaMashu (INK) Hub in a Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two clash on Wednesday, with Josh van Biljon powering the Horseflies to a massive 187-run victory.
The Hub XI won the toss and elected to field first, but it didn’t go well for them, with Van Biljon tearing apart the visitors’ bowling.
He entered the fray at the end of the fourth over and departed with one ball left in the innings. By then, though, he had inflicted terminal damage, smashing seven sixes and 21 fours in a 57-ball stay which brought him 146 runs. Only nine balls he faced ended in dots.
Before him, Ismaeel Omar and Muhammad Asmall put up a hasty 53 for the first wicket before Asmall departed, caught by Shani Qwabe off Ntando Ndlovu for 23 from just 11 deliveries, which featured three fours and two sixes.
Omar was out in the ninth over for a more sedate 28 from 26 after sharing a 40-run partnership with Van Biljon. When the left-hander exited, Taine Havermann joined Van Biljon in the middle and he came close to matching his counterpart’s all-out assault, weighing in with 51 from only 26 balls, with four fours and three sixes.
The duo added 170 runs in only 10.4 overs as the Ink Hub XI was forced to chase leather. When their 20 overs were over, DHS had totalled 276/4, a run rate of 14.1 runs per over.
Sqalo Mbatha did well amidst the carnage to take three of the four wickets to fall, finishing with 3/45 from four.
The Hub team’s reply lasted 16 overs, and they were all out for 89.
Thabiso Cele hit three fours in their top score of 20 off 17 balls, and he and Wandile Bhengu, who made 16, enjoyed a 41-run stand for the fourth wicket. Ayanda Zaca added 18, but the remaining batsmen all made single figures.
Tristan Quail was the architect of their downfall, snapping up 4/7 in four, while Aktar Basha claimed 2/16 in two, and opening bowler, Bonga Maphanga, took 2/29 in four.
Curro Hillcrest vs Thomas More College
In a meeting of neighbours, Kloof’s Thomas More College scored a 15-run win over Curro Hillcrest in another Switch Schools SA20 VolumeTwo clash on Wednesday.
Playing at Curro, the visitors won the toss, chose to bat first, and their batsmen responded with consistent contributions. In fact, 19 from opening batsman, Malachi Mare, and 19 not out from Jordan Storey were their lowest scores.
They put up 132/3, with opener Elijah Pretorius top-scoring with 28 from 42 balls. Sebastian Rizzato and Michael Fourie added impetus, with Rizzato striking four fours in his 26 from 23, while Fourie was unbeaten on 25 from 22, with a four and a six to his name.
Cale van Rooyen picked up 2/36 in four for Curro, while Josh Gilson did a tidy job, conceding only 15 runs from his four overs.
The home side, then, mustered 117/8 in reply. Gilson led their batting effort, making 28 from 35, with four fours. While five players made it into the teens, they did exit them.
New ball bowler, Jordan Storey, excelled for Thomas More, capturing 2/14 from his four overs. His opening partner, Malachi Mare, took 2/34 in four, and Joshua Bezuidenhout chipped in with 2/12 from two.
Summarised scorecards
Durban High School 276/4 (Josh van Biljon 146, Taine Havermann 51, Ismaeel Omar 28, Muhammad Asmall 24; Sqalo Mbatha 3/45); INK Hub 89/10 (Thabiso Cele 20; Tristan Quail 4/7, Aktar Basha 2/16, Bonga Maphanga 2/29). DHS won by 187 runs.
Thomas More College 132/3 (Elijah Pretorius 28, Sebastian Rizzato 26, Michael Fourie 25*; Cale van Rooyen 2/36); Curro Hillcrest 117/8 (Josh Gilson 28; Joshua Bezuidenhout 2/12, Jordan Storey 2/14, Malachi Mare 2/34). Thomas More College won by 15 runs.
Shiraz Perumal was unbeaten on 26, scored at two runs a ball, and also picked up 1/2 in Clifton’s one-sided win over Umlazi Comtech High. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Umlazi Comtech High visited the Riverside Sports Club for a Wednesday clash with Clifton College in the Switch Schools SA20Volume Two and their decision to field first paid early dividends, with both Clifton openers, Yusuf Ahmed (14) and Matthias Samuel (10) out within the first seven overs.
Muhammed Malek and Hayden Drieselmann, however, ended any momentum that the visitors had built up, combining for a 129-run third-wicket partnership in only 9.3 overs.
Drieselmann led the charge, bashing nine fours and two sixes in his 74 from only 34 balls, while Malek, who retired after hitting 58 from 31, was not far behind his partner’s high rate of scoring.
The last four overs brought Clifton another 49 runs, with Shiraz Perumal plundering an unbeaten 26 off 13 and Declan Shaw chipping in with 21 not out from 12 as Clifton tallied 218/3.
It was a tough outing for the Umlazi Comtech bowlers, with OlwethuMakhathini returning 1/34 in three and OwethuMbambo picking up 1/45 in four.
Unfortunately for Umlazi Comtech, they found Clifton’s bowling to be as much of a difficult challenge as the home team’s batting. They lasted only 15.4 overs and were bowled out for 55, with their last seven wickets going down for only four runs.
Muhammed Malek finished them off, with 2/0 from four balls, while Caleb Naicker picked up 2/9, Hayden Drieselmann 1/1, Shiraz Perumal and Daniel Rea 1/2 each, and Blake Johnson 1/8.
FaneleMpisani resisted well, hitting two fours in his 20 from 24 balls, but, besides him, only opener LwandleMbguni, who made 14, reached double figures as Clifton cruised to a 163-run win.
Amazimtoti High vs Umlazi Hub
At Amanzimtoti High, the visitors, Umlazi Hub, scored a six-wicket victory with four overs to spare.
Toti chose to bat first and put up a useful looking 138/5, led by Tahir Shaik‘s unbeaten 60 off 43 balls, which featured 12 fours.
Axel Nel weighed in with a rapid 21, but the innings was all about Shaik, who shared in a 57-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Keegan Killmartin, whose contribution was a painstaking two off 32 balls.
Opening bowler Sibani Dlamini set the tone for the Umlazi Hub with a return of 2/19 from four overs.
The visitors lost two wickets within the first five overs of their run chase, but Thabiso Ndlovu and OwamiDladla then took the game away from Amanzimtoti High with an 80-run third-wicket partnership in only eight overs.
Dladla was the aggressor and went on to an unbeaten 51 from 30 balls, with five fours and two sixes, while Ndlovu made a measured 23 from 39.
Unathi Ngcobo, then, hit a quick 23 not out from 15 to see the Hub to victory with Dladla.
Arnav Needhi claimed 2/32 for Toti, but they were let down by 17 wides as extras added 25 runs to the Hub’s total.
Summarised scorecards
Clifton College 218/3 (Hayden Drieselmann 74, Muhammed Malek 58*, Shiraz Perumal 26*, Declan Shaw 21*); Umlazi Comtech High 55/10 (FaneleMpisani 20; Muhammed Malek 2/0, Caleb Naicker 2/9). Clifton College won by 163 runs.
Amanzimtoti High 138/5 (Tahir Shaik 60*, Axel Nel 21; Sibani Dlamini 2/19); Umlazi Hub 140/4 (OwamiDladla 51*, Extras 25, Unathi Ngcobo 23*, Thabiso Ndlovu 23; Arnav Needhi 2/32). Umlazi Hub won by six wickets.
Zach Williamson played a match-winning innings in his 100th and last match for the Clifton College 1st XI. Photo: Travis Rein Photography.
Clifton College vs Glenwood High
Clifton College‘s Zach Williamson enjoyed a memorable day on Saturday, winning his 100th cap in his final game for the Clifton 1st XI before contributing an unbeaten 56 to drive his team to victory over Glenwood High in a low-scoring contest at the Riverside Sports Club.
The visitors won the toss and opted to bat first, but, as has too often been the case for Glenwood this season, their batting efforts were inhibited by a lack of partnerships.
In the end, they had only one worth mentioning and it came right at the end, with EsihleGasa and Jonah Chaita adding a defiant 46 for the 10th wicket to rescue their side from 80/9.
Chaita, the last man in, top-scored with 27, which included three fours and a six, while Gasa finished with 20 not out as Glenwood posted 126 all out after 42.4 overs. They were the only batsmen to make it to twenty, but four players lost their wickets in the teens.
Clifton captain Tim Saulez, who took the new ball, led from the front, removing Karabo Ntsieng in the first over for a duck before going on to capture 3/25 from his 10 overs. Fellow seamer, Gabriel Vermeulen, added superb support, knocking over 2/13 in five.
Leg spinner Shiraz Perumal has been a record-setting weapon since he took his place in the Clifton 1st XI. Photo: Travis Rein Photography.
Leg spinner, Shiraz Perumal, who set a Clifton record in 2024 by taking 62 wickets in the season, picked up 2/41 to extend his new record mark to an astounding 83 wickets, and he’ll be back next year.
Left-arm spinner, Blake Johnson, continued his fine form, snaring 1/29 in 9.4, and Caleb Naicker kept Glenwood under pressure, picking up 1/16 in eight, with three maidens.
When Clifton batted, a modest victory target very quickly took on a challenging tinge, thanks to the efforts of Bandile Mbatha. The Glenwood opening bowler struck three times in quick succession, removing Muhammed Malek for seven, Byron Ward for a duck, and Tim Saulez for five, which left the home side wobbling on 18/3.
Enter Zach Williamson. Taking charge, he and opener Cohen Naidoo took the game away from Glenwood, sharing a 73-run stand for the fourth wicket. Naidoo’s crucial anchor role was eventually brought to an end when he was caught off the bowling of off-spinner Kyle Bryan for 31 from 65 balls.
He was replaced by wicketkeeper Lawson Dinsdale, which was appropriate because Dinsdale and Zach Williamson have ever so often been the duo that has steadied Clifton’s middle order, and they, for one last time, provided more of the same.
They tacked on an unbroken 36 runs to lift their side to victory, with Dinsdale ending on 17 not out. Williamson’s unbeaten 56 had taken just 62 deliveries, six of which he redirected across the boundary.
Mbatha’s valiant effort with the ball brought him 3/14 from seven overs, while Bryan claimed 1/26 in three.
Kearsney College vs Michaelhouse
On the AH Smith Oval, at Kearsney College, the home side scored a Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method win over Michaelhouse, who were fresh off an unbeaten run of four for four at the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Week.
When the toss went Kearsney’s way, they chose to field first and that proved to be a good decision as the home team struck early and often.
At the top of the order, Michaelhouse captain, Ethan Muir, stood firm, making 25, which included five fours but, behind him, the next five men in the order departed for single figures.
‘House‘s innings was almost done when they slipped to 71/9, but RadheshJhilmeet and Liam O’Dwyer then held up the charge of the Kearsney bowlers, frustrating the hosts with a tenth-wicket stand of 58. It came to an end when Jonty Wiggett ran out O’Dwyer for 19.
That was the second run out in the Michaelhouse innings – Ben Heuer was run out earlier – which also undermined the visitors’ batting efforts.
Jhilmeet, meanwhile, ended with the innings’ highest score of 37 not out from only 40 balls, which included three fours.
Rivaan Moodley inflicted the most damage on the visitors, snaring 4/20 in eight overs. Four others picked up a wicket each and good fielding added the two run outs as Michaelhouse was all out for 129 after 38.3 overs.
Moodley, the hero of Kearsney’s bowling performance, suffered the indignity of a 15-ball duck when they batted as the hosts made a slow start to their reply. However, Keegan de Jager, who replaced him, injected the Kearsney innings with some momentum.
He and captain Jason De Gryse advanced the total to 84/1 after 25 overs before rain and bad light brought the contest to a halt. That led to the DLS Method being applied and Kearsney won by 19 runs, based on that.
De Gryse was unbeaten on 30 from 71 deliveries, while De Jager was 53 not out from 64, with five fours and three sixes.
Ben Heuer was the only Michaelhouse bowler to pick up a wicket, returning 1/17 from eight overs.
Maritzburg College vs Hilton College
The meeting of Maritzburg College and Hilton College on Goldstone’s was highlighted by a 90-run opening partnership between Daniel Nadasan and Kyle de Bruyn for the home side. They departed within two balls of one another, with De Bruyn out for 48 and Nadasan out for 56.
College went on to total 200 all out and Hilton replied with 43/2 after 11 overs before the match was abandoned.
Summarised scorecards
Glenwood High 126/10 (Jonah Chaita 27, EsihleGasa 20*; Tim Saulez 3/25, Gabriel Vermeulen 2/13, Shiraz Perumal 2/41); Clifton College 127/4 (Zach Williamson 56*, Cohen Naidoo 31; Bandile Mbatha 3/14). Clifton College won by six wickets.
Michaelhouse 129/10 (RadheshJhilmeet 37*, Ethan Muir 25; Rivaan Moodley 4/20); Kearsney College 84/1 after 25 overs (Keegan de Jager 53*, Jason De Gryse 30*). Kearsney won by 19 runs on the DLS Method.
Maritzburg College 200/10 (Daniel Nadasan 56, Kyle de Bruyn 48, SphamandlaDzanibe 22, Joseph Currie 20; SangeQangule 3/50, Luke Campbell 2/29, Benoit Rey 2/31); Hilton College 43/2. Match abandoned.
Byron Ward starred for Clifton in their win over St Charles, playing a well-judged, match-winning innings. Photo: Brad Morgan.
St Charles College visited the Riverside Sports Club on Saturday for a limited overs clash against Clifton College. After a composed performance, the home team came away with a composed four-wicket victory.
Saints won the toss and opted to bat first. They lost Matthew Weightman early, but Christiaan Prinsloo and Caleb Sharp partnered for 51 runs for the second wicket before Sharp was caught and bowled by left-arm spinner Blake Johnson for 31. He had spent 42 balls at the crease and hit four fours.
While Prinsloo played a patient knock, Connor Simpson gave the innings some impetus with his 25, before Prinsloo became the fifth man to fall with the total on 134. He had contributed 40 off 73 deliveries.
A minor collapse followed, with Saints being reduced to 147/7 before Ryan Clarke and Keegan Vermaak put on 25 for the ninth wicket. Clarke was, then, the man to go, caught by Muhammed Malek off of Blake Johnson for the highest score of the innings, 45. It had taken only 40 balls and included six fours.
Vermaak did a good job of leading a 27-run partnership for the last wicket, but he was the last to go, run out by Tim Saulez, for 25. Connor Vogt ended with 10 runs to his name as St Charles totalled 216 all out.
The Clifton attack was, for the most part, tidy. Caleb Naicker returned the best figures of 3/28 from 8.4 overs, which included the wickets of both opening batsmen, while Shiraz Perumal clamped down on the Saints’ batsmen, returning the most economical figures of 2/28 from 10. Blake Johnson also bowled well, picking up 2/34 from his 10.
Needing to bat at 4.34 runs per over to win, Clifton made a good start, with the openers, Muhammed Malek and Cohen Naidoo, making 54 for the first wicket. Malek was then trapped in front by Keegan Vermaak for 15 and five runs later he was followed by Naidoo, caught off the bowling of Ryan Clarke for 28.
Byron Ward and Tim Saulez steadied the innings, though, taking the total to 100 before Saulez became Vermaak’s second victim, out for 17. Ward, meanwhile, was in the groove and, with a useful 14 from Hayden Drieselmann he helped to advance the total by another 49 runs before Drieselmann exited.
Ward fell on 168, the fifth wicket to go down, caught off the bowling of Vermaak for a difference-making 58 from 51 deliveries, which featured three sixes and six fours. During his time at the crease, Clifton had added 109 runs. With Ward’s dismissal, it was important for Clifton to maintain their momentum without losing any more wickets quickly. They aced that test.
Shiraz Perumal and Lawson Dinsdale added 48, which tied the scores. But there was a final twist, with Perumal going out on 216, caught off Rowen Rajah for a run-a-ball 29, which included five fours.
Dinsdale and Caleb Naicker then saw Clifton to victory after 42.3 overs. They had batted at 5.11 per over to get to 217/6, with Dinsdale unbeaten on 19.
Keegan Vermaak, although a touch expensive, was the pick of the St Charles’ bowlers, returning 3/52 from eight overs, while Ryan Clarke kept it tidy, claiming 1/37 from 10.
Saints, though, did themselves no favours by conceding a massive 36 extras, 23 of which were wides. Clifton, by contrast, bowled only nine wides and gave up 12 extras.
Scores
St Charles College 216/10 (Ryan Clarke 45, Christiaan Prinsloo 40, Caleb Sharp 31, Connor Simpson 25, Keegan Vermaak 25; Caleb Naicker 3/28, Shiraz Perumal 2/28, Blake Johnson 2/34); Clifton College 217/6 (Byron Ward 51, Extras 36, Shiraz Perumal 29, Cohen Naidoo 28; Keegan Vermaak 3/52).
St Stithians College players and the school’s supporters celebrate a successful defence of the Nedbank Grey College Soccer Tournament title.
One of South Africa’s premier schools’ football events, the Nedbank Grey College Soccer Tournament, kicks off on Saturday, in Bloemfontein.
St Stithians College has won the tournament back-to-back, but they’ll face a stiff challenge trying to make it a hat-trick of titles in 2025.
Last year, they staged an incredible comeback, losing their first two matches – 1-2 to Grey College and 0-2 to Pretoria Boys High – before getting their campaign back on track with a 3-2 win over George Royal Academy.
Saintscould not afford to slip up again, and they didn’t. They needed a penalty shootout to oust Kimberley Boys’ High in the semi-finals, however, and then beat Robinvale to lift the title.
They’re in Pool D, where Kimberley Boys’ High will be one of their opponents. They’ll also face a familiar foe in the form of Jeppe High School for Boys, who’ve put together an impressive season. The challenges of Witbank High and Bloemfontein South High will be enhanced because they’re not as well-known as some of the other teams.
The group is completed by Westville Boys’ High, who’ve been a bit off the boil since winning the Mancosa KZN Coastal A-League titleat the end of the second term. However, they’re well-coached and not short of quality. Their challenge, like that of the other coastal schools, will be in adjusting their games to the high altitude of Bloemfontein. The ball travels further and it bounces higher, too. on Bloem’s hard fields.
St David’s Marist Inanda, who won the Nedbank Challenge Cup at home in August, would love to add another prestigious Nedbank title to their list of achievements. They’re in Group A and they’re a team that could make serious waves.
Perhaps, their greatest challenge will come from the local side, Navalsig High, which has pushed Grey College for supremacy in Bloemfontein in this and recent seasons.
Victoria Park, another school with a proud football legacy, flies the Eastern Cape’s flag, while the Waterstone Super Cup winners, Curro Thatchfield, also pose a threat. KZN’s Glenwood High, who’ve been a little off the torrid pace they set the previous two years, will view the tournament as an opportunity to adjust the trajectory of their season, while Vaal High, as a late addition, brings an unknown challenge to the table.
Group B features four schools that traditionally feature among the best in all sports – Durban High School (DHS), King Edward VII (KES), Pretoria Boys High, and Wynberg Boys’ High – and there’s something cool about seeing traditional powers taking on one another.
At the inaugural Association of Public Boys’ Schools of South Africa (APBSA) Football Festival, hosted by KES in July, the home team showed up well in similar conditions to those they will face in Bloemfontein. So, too, though, did Parktown Boys’ High, Pretoria Boys High, Jeppe, and St David’s Marist Inanda, and they’ll all be in action at the Nedbank Grey College Soccer Tournament.
Local sides, Brebner and Hodisa Technical High complete the group and, based on their past records, they could be the teams to beat, especially playing in familiar conditions. Last year, Brebner finished seventh and Hlodisa twelfth, but at their best they’re tough to beat. Just two seasons ago, Brebner won the Nedbank Challenge Cup at St David’s.
The hosts, Grey College, will fancy their chances in Group C. Among the teams participating in the Nedbank Soccer Challenge, they were the second-best finishers at the Absa Wildeklawer Soccer Tournamentearlier this year, ending sixth, just one place behind Navalsig.
Interestingly, they beat Navalsig in the fifth-place playoff in the 2024 Grey College Nedbank Soccer Tournament. Norkem ParkHigh, who are also in Group C, made the final of the inaugural Curro Halala Cup and will bear watching, Grey College finished third there, claiming bronze after a win over, you guessed it, Navalsig.
Parktown Boys’ High has enjoyed a strong year, and they could challenge, too, while Uitenhage’s Strelitzia High and Empangeni High, from Zululand, who contested the KZN Coastal A-League for the first time this year, bring something of the unknown to the group.
The lineup is completed by Bloemfontein’s St Andrew’s School. Their football programme is still young, but they’ve picked up some good results in recent times, and they could pull off a surprise or two.
GROUPS
Group A: Glenwood High, St David’s Marist Inanda, Curro Thatchfield, Victoria Park High, Vaal High, Navalsig High
Group B: Durban High School (DHS), King Edward VII (KES), Pretoria Boys High, Wynberg Boys High, Brebner High, Hlodisa Technical High
Group C: Empangeni High, Norkem Park High, Parktown Boys’ High, Strelitzia High, St Andrew’s School, Grey College
Group D: Westville Boys’ High, St Stithians, Jeppe High School for Boys, Witbank High, Kimberley Boys’ High, Bloemfontein South High
FIXTURES
Saturday, 4 October
Round 1 – 08:00 – 09:15
Glenwood vs St David’s, Field 1
DHS vs KES, Field 2
Curro Thatchfield vs Victoria Park, Field 3
Pretoria Boys High vs Wynberg, Field 4
Vaal High vs Navalsig, Field 5
Brebner vs Hlodisa Technical High, Field 6
Round 2 – 09:25 – 10:40
Empangeni vs Norkem Park, Field 1
Westville vs St Stithians, Field 2
Parktown Boys’ High vs Strelitzia, Field 3
Jeppe vs Witbank, Field 4
St Andrew’s School vs Grey College, Field 5
Kimberley Boys’ High vs Bloemfontein South, Field 6
Round 3 – 10:50 – 12:05
Wynberg Boys’ High vs Hlodisa Technical High, Field 1
Victoria Park vs Navalsig, Field 2
DHS vs Brebner, Field 3
Glenwood vs Vaal High, Field 4
KES vs Pretoria Boys High, Field 5
St David’s vs Curro Thatchfield, Field 6
Round 4 – 13:30 to 14:45
Witbank vs Bloemfontein South, Field 1
Strelitzia vs Grey College, Field 2
Westville Boys’ High vs Kimberley Boys’ High, Field 3
Empangeni vs St Andrew’s School, Field 4
St Stithians vs Jeppe, Field 5
Norkem Park vs Parktown Boys’ High, Field 6
Round 5 – 14:55 – 16:10
KES vs Brebner, Field 1
St David’s vs Vaal High, Field 2
Pretoria Boys High vs Hlodisa Technical High, Field 3
Curro Thatchfield vs Navalsig, Field 4
Glenwood vs Victoria Park, Field 5
DHS vs Wynberg Boys’ High, Field 6
Saturday, 4 October
Round 6 – 08:00 – 09:15
St Stithians vs Kimberley Boys’ High, Field 1
Norkem Park vs St Andrew’s School, Field 2
Jeppe vs Bloemfontein South, Field 3
Parktown Boys High vs Grey College, Field 4
Empangeni High vs Strelitzia, Field 5
Westville Boys’ High vs Witbank, Field 6
Round 7 – 09:25 – 10:40
Curro Thatchfield vs Vaal High, Field 1
Pretoria Boys High vs Brebner, Field 2
KES vs Wynberg Boys’ High, Field 3
St David’s vs Victoria Park, Field 4
DHS vs Hlodisa Technical High, Field 5
Glenwood vs Navalsig, Field 6
Round 8 – 10:50 – 12:05
Parktown Boys’ High vs St Andrew’s School, Field 1
Jeppe vs Kimberley Boys’ High, Field 2
St Stithians vs Witbank, Field 3
Norkem Park vs Strelitzia, Field 4
Westville Boys’ High vs Bloemfontein South, Field 5
Empangeni High vs Grey College, Field 6
Round 9 – 13:30 – 14:45
DHS vs Pretoria Boys High, Field 1
Glenwood vs Curro Thatchfield, Field 2
St David’s vs Navalsig, Field 3
KES vs Hlodisa Technical High, Field 4
Wynberg Boys’ High vs Brebner, Field 5
Victoria Park vs Vaal High, Field 6
Round 10 – 14:55 – 16:10
Westville Boys’ High vs Jeppe, Field 1
Empangeni High vs Parktown Boys’ High, Field 2
Norkem Park vs Grey College, Field 3
St Stithians vs Bloemfontein South, Field 4
Witbank vs Kimberley Boys’ High, Field 5
Strelitzia vs St Andrew’s School, Field 6
Playoffs to follow on Monday, 6 October, and Tuesday, 7 October.
Westville Boys’ High made short work of Hillcrest High in a Switch Schools SA20 – Volume 2 match played at Hillcrest High on Wednesday. It was all over in just 17.3 overs.
The home side won the toss and chose to bat, but that decision backfired.
Apart from opening batsman Kienan Sawyer, who smashed two sixes and a four in his 21 from 20 balls, no other batsmen fired. In fact, four of them were dismissed for ducks as no one else exited single figures.
With first change bowler, Josh Engelbrecht, leading the way, Hillcrest High was skittled for only 48 in 13.1 overs. He caused havoc, capturing 5/5 in four, which included removing five of the first seven batsmen.
Aarin Rasmussen shone, too, picking up 2/4 in three.
Faced with a low victory target, Westville went after it with aggression. In less than five overs, they had won by 10 wickets.
Kyle McGough launched four sixes and sent another two deliveries to the boundary in an unbeaten 36 off 15 balls, while Aarin Rasmussen appeared relaxed in comparison, adding 12 off 12 as Westville rolled to a hasty win.
SCORES
Hillcrest High 48/10 (Kienan Sawyer 21; Josh Engelbrecht 5/5, Aarin Rasmussen 2/4); Westville Boys’ High 51/0 (Kyle McGough 36*).
The Chatsworth Hub Girls’ u18 team was crowned the KZN Coastal Schools SA20 champion after a convincing eight-wicket win over the KCCD HubXI on Sunday at Kloof High.
In the final, Chatsworth won the toss, opted to field, and it worked out well for them as they dismissed the KCCD XI for only 101 runs in 19.4 overs.
Opening batter, Amanda Shandu, provided stubborn resistance, making 36 off 35 balls, which included four fours. She was at the crease while 86 of KCCD’s runs were scored.
NoxoloBiyela chipped in with 15 and Angelo Mlambo made 14, but the Chatsworth bowlers dominated, none more than Sihana Naidu, who snapped up 2/7 from her four overs. Her new ball partner, AadyaMohun, claimed 2/9 in 3.4, while Anastacia Pillay also picked up 2/9. Shreya Subbiah nabbed 2/21.
While the Chatsworth bowlers dominated, they let themselves down a little by sending down 22 wides, which played a big role in KCCD reaching triple figures.
Chatsworth’s run pursuit, though, lasted only 11.3 overs as they rapidly chased down the 102-run victory target for the loss of only two wickets.
They made a splendid start, with Shreya Subbiah and Thando Matamela putting on 68 for the first wicket in seven overs. Subbiah was then trapped in front by LonathembaMncwango for 32 from 21 balls. She had hit six fours.
Matamela was still going strongly, however, and she shepherded Chatsworth across the line, finishing on 50 not out, with nine fours.
Mncwango picked up both wickets to fall, ending with 2/15 from four overs.
Earlier in the day, Chatsworth faced Dr John L Dube in the semi-finals, while KCCD took on Nqabakazulu.
Dr John L Dube vs Chatsworth Hub
At the beginning of the year, Dr John L Dube lifted the regional title, comfortably beating Bonginhlanhla High in the final, but they were brushed aside by Chatworth.
Dr John L Dube tallied 94/4, batting first, with Lungile Ngcobo top-scoring with 33 from 60, and Sihana Naidu capturing 2/7 from four for Chatsworth.
It seemed like a reasonable batting effort, but Chatsworth made light work of the target, cruising to 98 without loss in only 13.5 overs.
Shreya Subbiah cracked eight fours in an unbeaten 56 off 50 balls, while Thando Matamela made a run-a-ball 34, with four fours.
KCCD Hub vs Nqabakazulu
In the other semi-final, Nqabakazulu’s innings lasted only 15.2 overs before they were dismissed for 58. ZiyandaXulu, with 18, was the only batter to reach double figures.
NoxoloBiyela ripped through Nqabakazulu’s batting, capturing 6/6 in four overs, which included five of the first seven batters in the order.
KCCD made heavy work of the low victory target of 59, labouring to 59/5 after 15.1 overs. Only Anele Khumalo, with 19, moved beyond single figures, but 15 wides played a huge role in KCCD’s victory.
SphesihleDanisa claimed 3/19, but Nqabakazulu didn’t have enough few runs to defend.
SCORES
Nqabakazulu 58/10 (ZiyandaXulu 18; NoxoloBiyela 6/6); KCCD Hub 59/5 (Anela Khumalo 19; SphesihleDanisa 3/19). KCCD won by five wickets.
Dr John L Dube 94/4 (Lungile Mgcobo 33; Sihana Naidu 2/7); Chatsworth Hub 98/0 (Shreya Subbiah 56*, Thando Matamela 34*). Chatsworth Hub won by 10 wickets.
Maritzburg College bounced back from a loss to Durban High School on Saturday to convincingly defeat Westville Boys’ High on Saturday. Photo: J Planteau de Maroussem.
Maritzburg College, Westville Boys’ High, and Durban High School (DHS) met in three-way 100-ball matches over the weekend, with each team scoring one win.
Durban High School vs Westville
With solid scores from their top three, which has been the foundation of much of their success this term, DHS scored a comfortable victory over College at Westville.
Batting first, they put up 139/4, led by Josh van Biljon, who went at two runs a ball to score an unbeaten 56, striking six fours and three sixes.
Up front, Ismaeel Omar and Ethan Cooper put up 59 off 52 deliveries for the first wicket before Omar was caught by Luke Venter off the bowling of Karl Dedekind for 25 from 26 deliveries.
Cooper fell with the total on 92, after adding 33 runs with Van Biljon from 24 balls. He had contributed 38 from 37 deliveries.
A couple more wickets fell cheaply, but Van Biljon steered Schoolto a competitive total.
Dom du Toit was the pick of the Maritzburg College bowlers, returning 2/25 from 20 balls, while Karl Dedekind did a tidy job, claiming 1/7 from 10.
College, in reply, mustered 117 all out from 95 balls. Their batting effort was undone by Ethan Cooper and J Matthews, who shared seven wickets between them. Cooper led the way, knocking over an exceptional 4/12 from his 20 deliveries, while Matthews picked up 3/24 from his full quota.
Du Toit, again, sparkled for College, smashing two sixes and a four in his quickfire 28 from 15 balls, while captain Daniel Nadasan contributed 24 from 20 at the top of the order.
Wickets, though, fell at regular intervals and College’s challenge spluttered before coming to an end with five balls remaining in their innings.
A decision by College to bowl first paid off as Westville was limited to 115/4. Tristan Delvin played a good innings, hitting five fours and a six in his unbeaten 47 off 30 balls, and Heath Stott produced a useful 31 off 28 as they shared an unbroken stand of 75 from 52 balls.
The problem for Westville was that their partnership came only after the home side had slipped to 40/4 after 48 balls.
Nathan Pembridge captured 2/18 off 20, including the key wicket of Westville captain Seth Simpson, whom he bowled for two.
College’s run chase started off poorly when they lost both openers, Daniel Nadasan and Kyle de Bruyn for single figure scores to Lwandile Bulose, who captured 2/11 from 10 balls.
Deolyn Naidoo and Karl Dedekind, though, assumed control, with Dedekind, especially, getting after the Westville bowlers. He slammed four sixes and six fours in a match-winning knock of 62 not out from 33 balls.
Naidoo, meanwhile, played an outstanding support role, striking two fours and a six in his unbeaten 34 off 25, which helped take College to an emphatic eight-wicket win with 27 balls to spare.
Together, the pair put on 99 from just 55 balls.
Westville Boys’ High vs Durban High School
Westville Boys’ High ensured every team bagged at least one win when they scored a 25-run victory over DHS, which had plenty to do with their captain Seth Simpson, who delivered an outstanding unbeaten 96 not out.
His big knock helped the hosts to a strong 180/3, and they successfully defended that total, restricting School to 155/6 in reply.
Misbah Nair kept DHS in check with a fine return of 4/13.
SCORES
Durban High School 139/4 (Josh van Biljon 56*, Ethan Cooper 38, Ismaeel Omar 25; Dom du Toit 2/25); Maritzburg College 117/10 (Dom du Toit 28, Daniel Nadasan 24; Ethan Cooper 4/12, J Matthews 3/24).
Westville
The Chatsworth Hub Girls’ u18 team was crowned the KZN Coastal Schools SA20 champion after a convincing eight-wicket win over the KCCD Hub XI on Sunday at Kloof High.
