Author: captainmorgan

Hilton College lifted the Clifton Water Polo Tournament title on Sunday afternoon after a hard-fought 10-8 victory over St John’s College.

The victory marked a successful return to the Clifton Aquatic Centre for Hilton coach Paul Martin, who had previously headed up Clifton’s water polo programme for a decade.

In the title game, the Midlands’ school opened the scoring after three minutes when their talisman, Tristan Uys, let rip with a pinpoint missile from long range, into the left-hand corner. He, then, made it 2-0 with a five-metre penalty, confidently converted with a bounce shot into the right corner.

When St John’s faced Clifton College in the semi-finals, their heavy press eventually told after they went two goals down, but, against Hilton, they faced a team with some hugely experienced players, who dealt more convincingly with the pressure.

However, St John’s, as they did in the semi-finals, levelled at 2-2. With less than two minutes to play in the opening chukka, they outflanked Hilton on the left to open their account through Fu-Nam Chen. Then, just before the end of the six minutes, one of their dangermen, Christopher Chapman released a rocket to tie the contest.

Hilton, though, responded almost immediately, winning a penalty, which Uys converted to complete his hat-trick. Their swift replies were a feature of the final.

Then, with only seconds remaining in the quarter, St John’s earned a penalty, too, but goalkeeper Trent Chubb stoned the shot to ensure Hilton led after the first chukka.

Early in the second chukka, St John’s levelled, with Chapman scoring from a similar position to where he fired in their second. Once again, though, it was Tristan Uys who inspired a response from Hilton, winning a penalty and slotting it to put his team in front again.

St John’s was a man up just before the end of the chukka, but Hilton stood firm, with goalkeeper Chubb stopping a shot from the left to end the danger.

Early in the second half, Andrew Schnell, a standout lock for the Hilton 1st XV, extended his side’s advantage to two goals by confidently lobbing the goalkeeper. Soon after that, Hilton’s lead was up to 6-3 when Bradley van Loggerenberg struck from close range.

St John’s needed to score next, and they did, with Nicholas Searle converting a penalty. The Johannesburg school, then, counterattacked with a three-on-two opportunity, but they were stymied by the goalkeeper, who pulled off a superb stop with his left hand.

Hilton quickly moved the ball up the pool and it was the excellent Tristan Uys who made St John’s pay, slotting his fifth goal with a spectacular helicopter shot to make it 7-4.

Uys, though, blotted his copybook when he picked up a red card shortly after that. St John’s, maybe, had been handed an opportunity to get back into the game, and Simon Mussett released an accurate shot into the far corner to get his team to within two.

St John’s could have pulled to within a goal when Nicholas Searle took a penalty, but his shot hit the inside of the right post and stayed out.

Hilton, after regaining possession, quickly got the ball down the pool to Mitchel Garreau. Through on the ‘keeper in a one-on-one, he was fouled. Garreau took on the responsibility of the penalty shot, beating the ‘keeper to the netminder’s right to make it 8-5 after three chukkas.

When Chapman was kicked out early in the fourth chukka, Hilton coach, Paul Martin, immediately called a timeout and summoned his team to plot a decisive goal-scoring move. St John’s, though, turned over possession and moved the ball forward quickly, resulting in them winning a penalty.

Simon Mussett took advantage of the chance and buried the ball in the back of the net to make it 8-6 to Hilton. Almost immediately, though, Hilton won a penalty shot at the other end of the Clifton Aquatic Centre pool and Mitchel Garreau increased the Hilton advantage to three goals once more.

No question about it, St John’s needed to score next. Good ball movement created space for Nicholas Searle, and he finished from close range with just less than two minutes remaining.

Once again, though, Hilton quickly answered, with Garreau beating the ‘keeper at the right-hand post to make it 10-7.

Luke Shipway replied for St John’s in no time at all, firing across the goalie and into the far corner to ensure there would be a tense finish.

The Johannesburg boys attacked and put Hilton under pressure, but Garrick Phillips pulled off a critical turnover to end the danger. Again, St John’s attacked, but Thomas Taylor blocked a shot on goal to keep coach Jon-Marc de Carvalho‘s boys at bay.

The final minute brought a number of turnovers by both defences before time expired, leaving Hilton College the winners by 10 goals to eight.

Their ability to quickly respond to their oppositions’ goals was their superpower throughout the event, and their offence had a sharper edge than they any other side’s attack.

Third place went to Clifton College, who got their noses in front against Kearsney College early and they stayed just out of reach of their KZN rivals, who kept threatening to overhaul them, to claim a 9-7 win.

It was an encouraging showing from a team without a single grade 12 player in the lineup and, with enviable depth in the junior ranks, the Durban school is poised to be a serious contender in the coming seasons in big tournaments everywhere.

For Kearsney, an experienced side, it was, perhaps, a bit of a disappointing tournament, only because a team of their quality would have had their sights set on the title.

SACS, who had been somewhat inconsistent throughout the event, had Selborne‘s number in the fifth-place playoff, cruising to a 9-3 win.

Michaelhouse ended seventh after an 11-7 win over Reddam House Constantia.

Meanwhile, Durban High School (DHS), who had finished fourth in the very tough Pool C, showed that their group stage opponents had got off lightly by ending ninth with an emphatic 9-4 win over Westville Boys’ High, who had finished above them in their group where they edged out DHS 9-8.

Affies, who had ended second in Pool B, ultimately finished 11th after a comfortable 12-5 victory over Paul Roos.

Northwood placed 13th following a 14-6 defeat of Maritzburg College, and King Edward VII (KES) picked up their first win in their last outing, romping to a 17-3 win over Grey College.

RESULTS

15/16: KES 17-3 Grey College
13/14: Northwood 14-6 Maritzburg College
11/12: Affies 12-5 Paul Roos Gimnasium
9/10: Durban High School 9-4 Westville Boys’ High
7/8: Michaelhouse 11-7 Reddam House Constantia
5/6: SACS 9-3 Selborne College
3/4: Clifton College 9-7 Kearsney College
1/2: Hilton College 10-8 St John’s College

Hilton College will face St John’s College on Sunday at the Clifton Aquatic Centre, in Durban, for the Clifton Water Polo Tournament title.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

Hilton won comfortably against Kearsney College to secure their place in the title game, while St John’s was pushed all the way by a feisty, young Clifton side.

Matches between Hilton and Kearsney in recent times have been tight, back-and-forth affairs, but, on this occasion, Hilton caught Kearsney cold in the first chukka.

Coach Paul Martin‘s boys came out hot and powered their way into a 6-2 lead after the opening quarter. That was, to a large degree, the difference in the game.

Their dangerman, Tristan Uys, led the way, scoring three times, while Sebastian Laudenberg opened the scoring, and Andrew Schnell and Mitchel Garreau also got onto the scoresheet in a blistering start.

Credit to Kearsney, they slowed Hilton in the second chukka, but it was 8-3 at the break in Hilton’s favour.

The action in the second half replicated the second chukka, with goals drying up in comparison to the frenetic first quarter. In the end, though, Hilton recorded a convincing 12-6 win.

In the second semi-final, St John’s, in typical fashion, employed a suffocating press to put Clifton under early pressure. They hit the right upright, but Clifton headed up the pool and Kyle Human opened the scoring with a rocket from long range. He then made it 2-0 with a five-metre penalty.

St John’s, with smart ball movement, pulled one back through Simon Mussett after a superb assist from Christopher Chapman. Mussett then levelled with a powerful shot from directly in front of the Clifton goal box.

Before the chukka was out, St John’s hit the front for the first time, with Chapman beating Caleb Malumbete in the home team’s goal.

It was 3-2 at the end of the quarter and the Johannesburg side never again ceded the lead, although Clifton’s Jake Frederic took advantage of a man-up situation to fire home from close range to level the scores.

St John’s edged ahead towards the end of the quarter when a shot from Rupert Schonborn deflected off a defender and into the back of the net to make it 4-3 at halftime.

Early in the second half, the teams swopped goals, but St John’s then went two goals clear when Nicholas Searle beat Izah Roux, who had taken over in goal from Caleb Malumbete, from a five-metre penalty.

Before the end of the chukka, both sides had struck again. It was 7-5 to St John’s.

With six minutes remaining, the hosts had a couple of chances to reduce the deficit but didn’t capitalise. Then, when St John’s won a penalty, Searle had an opportunity to put his team three goals ahead, but Roux pulled off a spectacular stop.

Then, it was Clifton’s turn at the penalty spot after Jamie Nicolau the five-metre shot, and Nicolau himself fired home to make it 7-6 to St John’s.

When Clifton won a kick-out, coach Pierre le Roux immediately called a timeout to set up a move that could tie the game. The Durban side moved the ball well, but a redirected shot struck the St John’s crossbar.

The Joburg boys quickly headed up the pool and opened up Clifton, but a shot from close range was narrowly wide of the mark.

Then, with a minute left, St John’s forced a turnover. Clifton was caught out and conceded a penalty. This time, it was Christopher Chapman who took the shot, and he sneaked it under the outstretched right arm of Izah Roux.

Less than a minute remained, and St John’s saw it out to qualify for the final for a second year in succession, defeating Clifton 8-6.

The four winners of their pools – Clifton, Kearsney, St John’s, and Hilton College – stated their cases as being the four best teams at the Clifton Water Polo Tournament by producing dominant and decisive victories in the quarterfinals.

In the first quarterfinal, Hilton faced some pressure from Reddam House Constantia, but every time the Capetonians threatened to make a game of it, Hilton quickly struck, with Tristan Uys and Mitchel Garreau leading their outstanding offence. In the end, they won 13-7.

Kearsney took on Selborne College in the second quarterfinal and lifted their game to completely defuse the East Londoners’ challenge. It was late in the second chukka when Selborne scored their first goal. By then, though, Kearsney led 6-1. They went on to an emphatic 13-4 victory.

Up against Michaelhouse in the last eight, St John’s showed off their pedigree by handling a tricky opponent with aplomb to come away with a 12-8 win.

Then, in the last of the quarters, it was Clifton, the side with the best defensive record thus far in the tournament, up against the defending champions, SACS. The Cape Town school had gone down to Hilton and Michaelhouse in Pool D play, but they looked good in a 12-6 win over Paul Roos Gimnasium, which secured them their spot in the last eight.

The young Clifton side had SACS’s measure, however, and were once again strong on defence. They were also good on attack and scored a convincing 11-6 win.

RESULTS

Quarterfinals

Hilton 13-7 Reddam House Constantia
St John’s 12-8 Michaelhouse
Kearsney 13-4 Selborne
Clifton 11-6 SACS

Playoffs

Westville 8-6 Paul Roos
DHS 12-11 Affies
Maritzburg College 13-11 KES
Northwood 22-1 Grey College

Plate semi-finals

SACS 14-11 Michaelhouse
Selborne 8-6 Reddam

Cup semi-finals

Hilton 12-6 Kearsney
St John’s 8-6 Clifton

FIXTURES

Sunday, 28 September

Game 45 – 07:00 – 15/16 – Grey College vs KES
Game 46 – 07:50 – 13/14 – Northwood vs Maritzburg College
Game 47 – 08:40 – 11/12 – Paul Roos vs Affies
Game 48 – 09:30 – 9/10 – Westville vs DHS
Game 49 – 10:20 – 7/8 – Reddam vs Michaelhouse
Game 50 – 11:10 – 5/6 – Selborne vs SACS
Game 51 – 12:00 – 3/4 – Clifton vs Kearsney
Game 52 – 13:00 – 1/2 – Hilton vs St John’s

14:00 – Prize Giving

Superb performances from Northwood captain Kyle White and Kyle Mills helped the Knights to a narrow eight-run win over gallant Glenwood on Dixon’s Field on Saturday.

White won the toss and elected to bat first in the 45 overs a side match. Glenwood, though, struck an early blow, with Ross McGlashan losing his wicket in the second over.

David de Bruyn and Thomas Oosthuizen set about repairing the innings and added 53 runs for the second wicket. That, however, took them a painstaking 116 balls.

After De Bruyn was caught by Kenzo Mchunu off the bowling of Kreesan Pillai, White came to the wicket, with his team in desperate need of a boost to their run rate. He provided it.

White and Oosthuizen tacked on an additional 23 runs from 32 balls before Oosthuizen was run out by a combination of Jonah Clarke and Olwami Zondi for 33.

Jamie Wimble, the next man in, didn’t last long, but Luc Boyall, his replacement, joined forces with White to add a crucial 75 from only 63 balls. Boyall, then, perished, caught and bowled by Pillai, for 26 at the start of the 45th over.

White followed, off the second last ball of the innings, but he had done an outstanding job, scoring 81 from just 73 balls, which included seven fours. That boundary matched the output of the rest of the Knights’ batsmen.

Northwood’s innings ended on 188/6, which left Glenwood to bat at 4.2 runs per over to win.

Kreesan Pillai was the pick of the Green Machine‘s bowlers, snaring 3/22 from six overs while opening bowler, Jonah Chaita, kept Northwood’s batsmen under pressure with his return of 1/11 from four.

The home side, in reply, made a steady start, with Olwami Zondi and Karabo Ntsieng putting on 26 from 38 balls for the first wicket. Zondi’s dismissal slowed the scoring as Ntsieng and Kreesan Pillai, then, added 17 from 51.

When Pillai was caught by Ross McGlashan off Keegan Reeves for eight, Glenwood was on 43/2 in the 15th over.

In just less than 20 overs, Ntsieng and Bandile Mbatha brought their team back into the game by adding 83 runs. Jordan Matthews broke their stand when he had Mbatha caught by Josh Mills for 51 from 60 balls, four of which Mbatha had struck for four and another for six.

Glenwood soon lost two more wickets, with Krian Jugoo out for nine before Ntsieng’s patient knock was ended in the 40th over, which left the hosts on 144/5. Ntsieng’s contribution was 51 from 100 balls, with nary a boundary in his tally.

Kyle Bryan and Mishael Gunawardana shared a quickfire stand of 25 from 17 balls for the sixth wicket, which lifted the Glenwood the total to 169, just 20 runs shy of victory. Northwood skipper Kyle White made a breakthrough, though, when he had Bryan caught by Josh Mills for eight.

Three runs later, Glenwood lost their seventh wicket, with Kamo Moloto falling for one. Mishael Gunawardena followed two balls later, yet another Josh Mills’ victim, out for 21 off 15, which included three fours. The very next ball, Glenwood was struck a massive blow when Kenzo Mchunu was run out for a single.

After losing four wickets for only four runs in the space of 2.4 overs, Glenwood was staring down the barrel on 174/9, with seven balls remaining and 15 runs needed for victory.

They made it to 180 before Jonah Chaita became the last man to lose his wicket, caught by Kyle Mills, off Kyle White’s bowling for one.

Apart from White, Mills was pivotal to Northwood’s success. He led their bowling attack, capturing 4/39 from nine overs. He, also, claimed two catches and was involved in the run out of Kenzo Mchunu. White’s bowling contribution was 2/11 from three overs.

SCORES

Northwood 188/6 (Kyle White 81, Thomas Oosthuizen 33, Luc Boyall 26, David de Bruyn 24; Kreesan Pillai 3/22); Glenwood 180/10 (Bandile Mbatha 51, Karabo Ntsieng 51, Mishael Gunawardana 21; Kyle Mills 4/39, Kyle White 2/11).

Northwood won by eight runs.

After a busy 16-game schedule on Thursday, the Clifton Water Polo Tournament‘s hectic pace eased up on Friday with eight games being played. The first four had places in the quarterfinals on the line.

Four sides had already secured their quarterfinals spots by finishing in first place in their groups, which meant they had a day off. Clifton College topped pool A, Kearsney College won through from Pool B, St John’s led the way in Pool C, and Hilton College finished in first place in Pool D.

After those four progressed with clean records of three wins from three matches, Thursday’s contests for places in the quarterfinals pitted second-placed teams against third-placed teams from other groups.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

The action began with Selborne College, second in Pool A, up against Westville Boys’ High, who had finished third in Pool C.

In beautiful Durban sunshine, at the Clifton Aquatic Centre, the East London school, winners against Reddam House Constantia and Maritzburg College previously, but losers against Clifton, broke clear of Westville in the second chukka but then fell behind before staging a stirring fightback to claim victory.

It was 1-1 after the opening chukka, but Selborne edged 5-4 ahead at halftime. Westville, though, snatched the lead in the third chukka, going up 7-5 with one quarter to go. Under pressure, Selborne responded superbly.

Liam Hansen pulled the Eastern Cape side to within a goal with a five-metre penalty before Daniel Woodin levelled the scores with a fantastic snap-shot from wide on the left.

With time running down, the danger man, Hansen, fired in a rocket to give Selborne an 8-7 lead, and they held onto it until the end.

Next up was SACS, the defending champion, who finished third in Pool D, against a familiar Western Cape foe, Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG), the runner-up in Pool C. Beaten twice in their group, by Hilton and Michaelhouse, SACS knew that one more slip would mean their title defence was done.

They rose to the occasion and seized the initiative from the first chukka. Attacking with precision and defending well, they raced into a 5-1 lead. From there, it was an uphill slog for Paul Roos.

At halftime, it was 7-2 in favour of SACS. PRG fought back in the third chukka to make it 11-6 with a quarter to go. The contest, though, concluded in a 13-8 win for SACS, a result that will have boosted their confidence after a disappointing Thursday that brought successive defeats.

Then, it was the turn of Reddam House Constantia, the third placed team from Pool A, to take on Affies, who had sneaked into second in Pool C on goal difference over Westville and Durban High School (DHS).

There was nothing to separate the sides. Affies led 8-6 at halftime, but Reddam battled their way back to make it 13-13 at the end of the fourth chukka. That sent the game to a penalty shootout.

After two shots, it was 1-1, but Adrian van Niekerk had the third Affies’ shot, which landed in the back of the net, disallowed for a double movement. Blake Brown, Reddam’s talisman, then fired home to secure a place for his side in the quarterfinals.

Northwood had finished third in Pool B after losing two games by a single goal, and they endured more heartbreak in their clash against Pool D runner-up, Michaelhouse.

That game, too, went to a penalty shootout after it had finished 7-7. KZN Schools’ goalie, Elliot Springate, saved Northwood’s first shot and celebrated it by wagging his finger, Dikembe Mutumbo-style, saying it was a no-go zone.

Michaelhouse, then, went two-up in the shootout before Preston Bees-Atkinson got one past Springate. Another successful Michaelhouse penalty, though, secured victory for the Balgowan boys.

Those results set up the quarterfinals as follows: Hilton versus Reddam House Constantia, St John’s versus Michaelhouse, Kearsney versus Selborne, and Clifton versus SACS.

That’s a tasty lineup, but it’s the last of the quarterfinals, between Clifton and SACS, that really catches the eye. It feels appropriate that the hosts, so impressive in the group stage, will have to oust the defending champs if they want to continue to challenge for the title.

The four losers of the morning’s matches were in action later in the day, taking on each of the fourth-place finishers from the group stage games.

Westville Boys’ High kept King Edward VII (KES) winless, claiming a hard-fought 13-11 win. Paul Roos Gimnasium rebounded from their loss to SACS with an 11-6 defeat of Maritzburg College, while Affies cruised to a comfortable 15-3 win over Grey College.

In the day’s last game, DHS, clearly the best of the fourth placed teams, became the only number four side to win, downing Northwood 8-5.

Saturday’s schedule has 12 games, with 10 running in succession before a break so that everyone can watch The Rugby Championship clash between South Africa and Argentina, which is being played in Durban, on five big screen TVs at the Clifton Aquatic Centre – hey, this is the home of the Springboks, after all – before the day’s action concludes with the Cup semi-finals.

FIXTURES

Saturday, 27 September

Game 33 – 07:00 – QF1 – Hilton vs Reddam House Constantia
Game 34 – 08:00 – QF2 – St John’s vs Michaelhouse
Game 35 – 09:00 – QF3 – Kearsney vs Selborne
Game 36 – 10:00 – QF4 – Clifton vs SACS
Game 37 – 11:00 – Westville vs Paarl Roos
Game 38 – 12:00 – Affies vs DHS
Game 39 – 13:00 – KES vs Maritzburg College
Game 40 – 14:00 – Grey College vs Northwood
Game 41 – 15:00 – Plate SF 1 – Loser 33 vs Loser 35
Game 42 – 16:00 – Plate SF 2 – Loser 34 vs Loser 36

South Africa vs Argentina – Viewing on five big screen TVs

Game 43 – 19:30 – SF 1 – Winner 33 vs Winner 35
Game 44 – 20:30 – SF 2 – Winner 34 vs Winner 36

Sunday, 28 September

Game 45 – 07:00 – 15/16 – Loser 40 vs Loser 39
Game 46 – 07:50 – 13/14 – Winner 40 vs Winner 39
Game 47 – 08:40 – 11/12 – Loser 37 vs Loser 38
Game 48 – 09:30 – 9/10 – Winner 37 vs Winner 38
Game 49 – 10:20 – 7/8 – Loser 41 vs Loser 42
Game 50 – 11:10 – 5/6 – Winner 41 vs Winner 42
Game 51 – 12:00 – 3/4 – Loser 44 vs Loser 43
Game 52 – 13:00 – 1/2 – Winner 44 vs Winner 43

14:00 – Prize Giving

One of the most consequential results of the Clifton Water Polo Tournament came early on Thursday morning when Michaelhouse upset the two-time defending champion, SACS, 9-6 in a Pool D clash.

SACS weren’t at their best, but a team plays as well as their opposition allows them to play, and Michaelhouse recorded a clear-cut victory.

The importance of that result was underlined when, later in the day, Hilton College edged out SACS 10-9 to complete an unbeaten run through the group.

When Michaelhouse held on for a 10-8 win over King Edward VII (KES) in their second game of the day, SACS was relegated to third place in the group.

That leaves them to play a must-win clash against their Western Cape rivals, Paul Roos, on Friday morning. If they lose, they’re out of the running.

Hilton progressed to the quarterfinals with a clean record, having also beaten Michaelhouse 14-8 on day one. ‘House, though, with two wins on Thursday, joined their arch-rivals in the last eight.

If Hilton coach Paul Martin has any concern, it might be that his charges have surrendered an average of nine goals in each of their games, but, then again, they’ve had little trouble putting the ball in the back of the net. They possess some phenomenal attacking weapons.

The hosts, Clifton College, continued their impressive form in Pool A. While they were not as free scoring as Hilton, their defence was rock-solid.

They beat Reddam House Constantia 8-4 in a key clash and looked well organised and confident in that victory. Clifton, then, followed up with a 7-4 win over a dangerous Selborne College team. They also surrendered only four goals on the opening day when they hammered Maritzburg College 21-4.

Goalkeeper Caleb Malumbete, who was one of three Clifton boys included in the KZN Schools u19 team, joining Jamie Nicolau and Nathan Burger, was superb in goal and well supported by his side’s energetic defence.

Nabil Beija, in grade 10, and a member of the KZN Schools u16A side, also sparkled up front.

Selborne claimed a crucial 10-9 win over Reddam on the opening day, and then beat Maritzburg College 11-8 on Thursday, which put them through to the quarters with Clifton.

Reddam and Maritzburg College met in the final game on Thursday evening, with the Capetonians claiming a 19-11 win. College, though, will be encouraged by their competitive performances after being swept aside by Clifton the previous day.

In Pool B, Kearsney College edged out Northwood 12-11 on Wednesday in their opener. They lifted their game on Thursday, overpowering Grey College 14-0 before handing Paul Roos a 13-10 defeat.

They’re a dangerous team loaded with quality, and, like Clifton, they feature three KZN u19 players – Oliver Ludwig, Thomas Francke, and Thomas Aylward – as well as James Pohl, who made SA Schools last year but was unavailable for selection for the Schools Water Polo South Africa Interprovincial Week this time around.

In the group’s key game, Paul Roos topped Northwood, scoring a narrow 10-9 victory to join Kearsney in the Cup quarterfinals. That’s a tough pill to swallow for the Knights, who twice lost by a single point, but it is very clear that their water polo programme is on the up and they’re a team to be reckoned with.

Pool C proved to be the most tightly contested. While St John’s College went undefeated, they were extended. Still, last year’s runner-up produced a 6-5 win over Affies on the opening day, then beat Durban High School (DHS) 10-7, and Westville Boys’ High 11-10.

The battle for second place was tight, with Affies beating Westville 8-6, Westville beating DHS 9-8, and DHS beating Affies 10-9. That meant that the runner-up would be decided on goal difference. By the slimmest of margins, Affies joined St John’s in the quarterfinals.

RESULTS

Pool A

Clifton 8-4 Reddam House Constantia
Selborne 11-8 Maritzburg College
Clifton 7-4 Selborne
Reddam House Constantia 19-11 Maritzburg College

Pool B

Kearsney 14-0 Grey College
Paul Roos 10-9 Northwood
Kearsney 13-10 Paul Roos
Northwood 12-3 Grey College

Pool C

St John’s 10-7 DHS
Affies 8-6 Westville
St John’s 11-10 Westville
DHS 10-9 Affies

Pool D

Hilton 16-11 KES
Michaelhouse 9-6 SACS
Hilton 10-9 SACS
Michaelhouse 10-8 KES

FIXTURES

Game 25 – 08:00 – Selborne (2nd A) vs Westville (3rd C)
Game 26 – 09:00 – Paul Roos (2nd B) vs SACS (3rd D)
Game 27 – 10:00 – Reddam Constantia (3rdA) vs Affies (2nd C)
Game 28 – 11:00 – Northwood (3rd B) vs Michaelhouse (2nd D)
Game 29 – 13:00 – Loser 25 vs KES (4th D)
Game 30 – 14:00 – Loser 26 – Maritzburg College (4th A)
Game 31 – 15:00 – Loser 27 – Grey College (4th B)
Game 32 – 16:00 – Loser 28 – DHS (4th C)

18:00 – Parents Social Evening

Saturday, 27 September

Game 33 – 07:00 – QF1 – Hilton (1st D) vs Winner 27
Game 34 – 08:00 – QF2 – St John’s (1st C) vs Winner 28
Game 35 – 09:00 – QF3 – Kearsney (1st B) vs Winner 25
Game 36 – 10:00 – QF4 – Clifton (1st A) vs Winner 26
Game 37 – 11:00 – Winner 29 vs Winner 30
Game 38 – 12:00 – Winner 31 vs Winner 32
Game 39 – 13:00 – Loser 29 vs Loser 30
Game 40 – 14:00 – Loser 31 vs Loser 32
Game 41 – 15:00 – Plate SF 1 – Loser 33 vs Loser 35
Game 42 – 16:00 – Plate SF 2 – Loser 34 vs Loser 36

South Africa vs Argentina – Viewing on five big screen TVs

Game 43 – 19:30 – SF 1 – Winner 33 vs Winner 35
Game 44 – 20:30 – SF 2 – Winner 34 vs Winner 36

Sunday, 28 September

Game 45 – 07:00 – 15/16 – Loser 40 vs Loser 39
Game 46 – 07:50 – 13/14 – Winner 40 vs Winner 39
Game 47 – 08:40 – 11/12 – Loser 37 vs Loser 38
Game 48 – 09:30 – 9/10 – Winner 37 vs Winner 38
Game 49 – 10:20 – 7/8 – Loser 41 vs Loser 42
Game 50 – 11:10 – 5/6 – Winner 41 vs Winner 42
Game 51 – 12:00 – 3/4 – Loser 44 vs Loser 43
Game 52 – 13:00 – 1/2 – Winner 44 vs Winner 43

14:00 – Prize Giving

Clifton College was on fire in the opening game of the Clifton Water Polo Tournament on Wednesday, roaring their way to a one-sided 21-4 victory over Maritzburg College at the Clifton Aquatic Centre.

In the lead-up to the event, Clifton’s coach Pierre le Roux had expressed confidence and belief in his young team, and their performance amplified his message.

While they might lack the experience of some of the other teams, the hosts demonstrated their determination to make a title run in home waters.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

In Wednesday’s other Pool A clash, Selborne College and Reddam House Constantia delivered a fascinating contest. The Cape Town school dominated the early going, opening up a healthy 5-1 lead, but Selborne slowly started to claw their way back into the game.

The gap was down to three goals, when Reddam led 9-6, but Selborne, then, seized control of the match to come away with a gritty 10-9 victory.

Kearsney and Northwood opened the action in Pool B, producing a fascinating rollercoaster ride of fluctuating fortunes. The first quarter was relatively quiet, with the Knights shading it 2-1, but, from there, the tempo ramped up.

Kearsney levelled at 4-4 but, right on the stroke of halftime, John Watkins struck to give Northwood a one-goal lead.

Coach Nick Rodda‘s Kearsney side, however, drew even and then opened up a 9-7 lead. Northwood was far from done and soon made it 9-9.

Kearsney inched in front again, but Northwood worked their way up the pool and created a clear-cut chance, but goalkeeper Rourke Stacey pulled off a superb save to deny them. Still, the Knights kept battling and Callum Kidd fired a left-arm rocket into the far corner to make it 10-10.

With a minute to play, Kearsney edged in front after sharp, quick ball movement opened up a gap for Thomas Francke in front of the Northwood net, and he made no mistake. Northwood drew level, though, after a long-range shot deflected up and over the goalkeeper to make it 11-11.

With less than a minute to go, Thomas Aylward unzipped a missile into the far corner, and Kearsney escaped with a heart-pounding 12-11 victory.

In Pool B’s other game, Paul Roos Gimnasium found the going easier against Grey College, swamping the Bloemfontein boys 17-5.

Pool C’s opener pitted Durban High School (DHS) against Westville Boys’ High. It was 4-4 at one point, but Westville then pulled 9-5 ahead. It looked as if they had the game in the bag, but DHS, with typical character, made a game of it in the fourth quarter.

Chipping away, they brought it back to 8-9, but they had left themselves a little too much to do, and Westville claimed a one-goal win.

The 2022 champions and last year’s runners-up, St John’s College, also won by one goal, edging out a game Affies‘ side 6-5.

It was Hilton against Michaelhouse in Pool D’s first match, and Hilton – on paper one of the title contenders – duly delivered, outplaying their arch-rivals 14-8.

‘House goalkeeper Elliot Springate, selected for the KZN Schools u19 side, was kept busy, but not even his excellent shot-stopping could prevent Hilton from taking a comfortable victory.

The last game of the day, and Pool D’s second match, featured the two-time defending champions, SACS, against King Edward VII (KES).

The Capetonians made a statement that they’re in Durban with their eyes firmly focused on claiming on a hat-trick of Clifton Water Polo Tournament titles by doubling up KES, scoring an emphatic 12-6 win.

Thursday’s schedule features 16 games, which will conclude with the places in each of the four groups decided. There’s an early start at 07:00, with Hilton eyeing a win, which would ensure them a quarterfinal place, when they take on KES.

A long day will wrap up with a 19:30 contest between Reddam House Constantia and Maritzburg College.

RESULTS

Pool A

Clifton College 21-4 Maritzburg College
Selborne College 10-9 Reddam House Constantia

Pool B

Kearsney College 12-11 Northwood School
Paul Roos Gimnasium 17-5 Grey College

Pool C

Durban High School 8-9 Westville Boys’ High
St John’s College 6-5 Affies

Pool D

Hilton College 14-8 Michaelhouse
SACS 12-6 KES

FIXTURES

Thursday, 26 September

Game 9 – 07:00 – Pool D – Hilton vs KES
Game 10 – 07:50 – Pool C – St John’s vs DHS
Game 11 – 08:40 – Pool B – Kearsney vs Grey College
Game 12 – 09:30 – Pool A – Clifton vs Reddam Constantia
Game 13 – 10:20 – Pool D – Michaelhouse vs SACS
Game 14 – 11:10 – Pool C – Westville vs Affies
Game 15 – 12:00 – Pool B – Paul Roos vs Northwood
Game 16 – 12:50 – Pool A – Selborne vs Maritzburg College
Game 17 – 13:40 – Pool D – Hilton vs SACS
Game 18 – 14:30 – Pool C – St John’s vs Westville
Game 19 – 15:20 – Pool B – Kearsney vs Paul Roos
Game 20 – 16:10 – Pool A – Clifton vs Selborne
Game 21 – 17:00 – Pool D – KES vs Michaelhouse
Game 22 – 17:50 – Pool C – Affies vs DHS
Game 23 – 18:40 – Pool B – Grey College vs Northwood
Game 24 – 19:30 – Pool A – Reddam Constantia vs Maritzburg College

Friday, 26 September

Game 25 – 08:00 – 2nd Pool A vs 3rd Pool C
Game 26 – 09:00 – 2nd Pool B vs 3rd Pool D
Game 27 – 10:00 – 3rd Pool A vs 2nd Pool C
Game 28 – 11:00 – 3rd Pool B vs 2nd Pool D
Game 29 – 13:00 – Loser 25 vs Pool D
Game 30 – 14:00 – Loser 26 – 4th Pool A
Game 31 – 15:00 – Loser 27 – 4th Pool B
Game 32 – 16:00 – Loser 28 – 4th Pool C

18:00 – Parents Social Evening

Saturday, 27 September

Game 33 – 07:00 – QF1 – 1st Pool D vs Winner 27
Game 34 – 08:00 – QF2 – 1st Pool C vs Winner 28
Game 35 – 09:00 – QF3 – 1st Pool B vs Winner 25
Game 36 – 10:00 – QF4 – 1st Pool A vs Winner 26
Game 37 – 11:00 – Winner 29 vs Winner 30
Game 38 – 12:00 – Winner 31 vs Winner 32
Game 39 – 13:00 – Loser 29 vs Loser 30
Game 40 – 14:00 – Loser 31 vs Loser 32
Game 41 – 15:00 – Plate SF 1 – Loser 33 vs Loser 35
Game 42 – 16:00 – Plate SF 2 – Loser 34 vs Loser 36

South Africa vs Argentina – Viewing on five big screen TVs

Game 43 – 19:30 – SF 1 – Winner 33 vs Winner 35
Game 44 – 20:30 – SF 2 – Winner 34 vs Winner 36

Sunday, 28 September

Game 45 – 07:00 – 15/16 – Loser 40 vs Loser 39
Game 46 – 07:50 – 13/14 – Winner 40 vs Winner 39
Game 47 – 08:40 – 11/12 – Loser 37 vs Loser 38
Game 48 – 09:30 – 9/10 – Winner 37 vs Winner 38
Game 49 – 10:20 – 7/8 – Loser 41 vs Loser 42
Game 50 – 11:10 – 5/6 – Winner 41 vs Winner 42
Game 51 – 12:00 – 3/4 – Loser 44 vs Loser 43
Game 52 – 13:00 – 1/2 – Winner 44 vs Winner 43

14:00 – Prize Giving

Competitors in the Clifton Water Polo Tournament will face a wet welcome on Wednesday in Durban, both in the water and out of it, with a cold front sweeping the region and a 99 percent chance of rain forecast.

While it’s going to be a touch on the cold front, the action at the Clifton Aquatic Centre will, no doubt, be hot.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

The early matches bring together the KwaZulu-Natal sides, with Clifton kicking things off against Maritzburg College at 11:00, followed by Kearsney against Northwood, Durban High School (DHS) against Westville, and Hilton College against Michaelhouse.

Local fans will then have a chance to check out the out-of-province challengers for the title. Paul Roos will be first up against Grey College, followed by Reddam House Constantia against Selborne College, St John’s College against Affies, and the two-time defending champion, SACS, against King Edward VII (KES).

The competition appears to be wide open, with SACS having experienced mixed fortunes in the first term. However, any team underestimating the Cape Town school would be making a serious error.

Another Mother City squad, Reddam House Constantia, is a serious dark horse. Their dominant victory over SACS in the SACS Nite Series at the beginning of the year sent shock waves through Western Province schools’ water polo.

Paul Roos, like SACS, didn’t enjoy a strong showing in the SACS Nite Series. Much like SACS, they started 2025 without some long-established stars. Both sides, though, will have grown since then. With their pedigree in the game, they’ll be out to make some waves

The other team from the Cape, East London’s Selborne College, will be keen to upset the apple cart. A veteran team, with SA Schools’ stars Liam Hansen and Thomas Caswell in their lineup, they have the quality to challenge for the title.

Grey College, as the only school in the Free State that plays the game, face an uphill battle. One can never dismiss the fighting quality of the Bloemfontein boys, but they’re more likely to pull off an upset or two than to go the whole way.

St John’s College, the 2022 champion and last year’s beaten finalist, said goodbye to some stars at the end of 2024, among them SA Schools’ players Ross Rovelli and Greg Pryce. They’re irreplaceable but few schools have as rich a water polo history as the Johannesburg school, so they’ll be in the fight for the title.

Their neighbours, KES, finished above St John’s at the KES Water Polo Tournament in March, and were, in fact, also in front of Paul Roos, Clifton, Westville, and Northwood. That suggests they’ll fancy their chances, and it would be a mistake to sleep on them.

Affies, the ITEC Grey College Water Polo Tournament champion, is another side that is always up for it and a team that could pull off a shock or two. The margins are slim, and if a break or two goes their way, Affies could be a title challenger.

It’s been a while since a KwaZulu-Natal team won the Clifton Water Polo Tournament title, but the local teams are primed and determined to end that unfortunate run this year.

Hilton College is loaded with quality, including Tristan Uys, who was named the Best Attacker at the 2024 Schools Water Polo South Africa Interprovincial Tournament at the end of last year. They’re experienced and battle-hardened.

Kearsney College, the winners of the St Stithians Invitational last year, is another battle-hardened bunch. They’re a team that has shown an admirable ability to pull off victories in the toughest of circumstances.

The hosts, Clifton College, should be in the mix, too, especially since coach Pierre le Roux has had the players under his guidance through a full pre-season for the first time since arriving in Durban in January. The biggest question facing them will be that of leadership, with no matric players in the lineup.

Westville Boys’ High, after a strong showing in the winter league, is another team that cannot be slept on, while Durban High School, led by SA Schools’ defender, Kirk Wilson, is a side that is on the up.

That description fits Michaelhouse, too, and, with KZN Schools’ goalkeeper Elliot Springate in goal, they’re a tough team to break down.

Maritzburg College, once one of the powerhouses of the game in KZN, has been on a programme rebuild over the past couple of seasons, and those efforts are starting to bear fruit, but they’ll be considered an outsider when it comes to a title challenge.

Northwood has been on a similar path, although they appear to be further down it than College. They feature the silky-skilled SA Schools’ forward Matthew Lortan, and could spring a surprise.

The fixture list is jam-packed, but there is one big gap in it. The action takes a pause on Saturday to allow rugby fans to view The Rugby Championship clash between the Springboks and the Pumas, which will be broadcast on five big screen TVs at the Clifton Aquatic Centre.

The venue will also be filled with vendors offering plentiful food options, so it will truly be the place to be for fans of the game regarded as rugby in the pool.

FIXTURES

Wednesday, 24 September

Game 1 – 11:00 – Pool A – Clifton vs Maritzburg College
Game 2 – 11:50 – Pool B – Kearsney vs Northwood
Game 3 – 12:40 – Pool C – DHS vs Westville
Game 4 – 13:30 – Pool D – Hilton vs Michaelhouse
Game 5 – 14:20 – Pool B – Paul Roos vs Grey College
Game 6 – 15:10 – Pool A – Selborne vs Reddam Constantia
Game 7 – 16:00 – Pool C – St John’s vs Affies
Game 8 – 16:50 – Pool D – SACS vs KES

18:00 – Opening Ceremony

Thursday, 26 September

Game 9 – 07:00 – Pool D – Hilton vs KES
Game 10 – 07:50 – Pool C – St John’s vs DHS
Game 11 – 08:40 – Pool B – Kearsney vs Grey College
Game 12 – 09:30 – Pool A – Clifton vs Reddam Constantia
Game 13 – 10:20 – Pool D – Michaelhouse vs SACS
Game 14 – 11:10 – Pool C – Westville vs Affies
Game 15 – 12:00 – Pool B – Paul Roos vs Northwood
Game 16 – 12:50 – Pool A – Selborne vs Maritzburg College
Game 17 – 13:40 – Pool D – Hilton vs SACS
Game 18 – 14:30 – Pool C – St John’s vs Westville
Game 19 – 15:20 – Pool B – Kearsney vs Paul Roos
Game 20 – 16:10 – Pool A – Clifton vs Selborne
Game 21 – 17:00 – Pool D – KES vs Michaelhouse
Game 22 – 17:50 – Pool C – Affies vs DHS
Game 23 – 18:40 – Pool B – Grey College vs Northwood
Game 24 – 19:30 – Pool A – Reddam Constantia vs Maritzburg College

Friday, 26 September

Game 25 – 08:00 – 2nd Pool A vs 3rd Pool C
Game 26 – 09:00 – 2nd Pool B vs 3rd Pool D
Game 27 – 10:00 – 3rd Pool A vs 2nd Pool C
Game 28 – 11:00 – 3rd Pool B vs 2nd Pool D

Game 29 – 13:00 – Loser 25 vs 4th Pool D
Game 30 – 14:00 – Loser 26 – 4th Pool A
Game 31 – 15:00 – Loser 27 – 4th Pool B
Game 32 – 16:00 – Loser 28 – 4th Pool C

18:00 – Parents Social Evening

Saturday, 27 September

Game 33 – 07:00 – QF1 – 1st Pool D vs Winner 27
Game 34 – 08:00 – QF2 – 1st Pool C vs Winner 28
Game 35 – 09:00 – QF3 – 1st Pool B vs Winner 25
Game 36 – 10:00 – QF4 – 1st Pool A vs Winner 26
Game 37 – 11:00 – Winner 29 vs Winner 30
Game 38 – 12:00 – Winner 31 vs Winner 32
Game 39 – 13:00 – Loser 29 vs Loser 30
Game 40 – 14:00 – Loser 31 vs Loser 32
Game 41 – 15:00 – Plate SF 1 – Loser 33 vs Loser 35
Game 42 – 16:00 – Plate SF 2 – Loser 34 vs Loser 36

South Africa vs Argentina – Viewing on five big screen TVs

Game 43 – 19:30 – SF 1 – Winner 33 vs Winner 35
Game 44 – 20:30 – SF 2 – Winner 34 vs Winner 36

Sunday, 28 September

Game 45 – 07:00 – 15/16 – Loser 40 vs Loser 39
Game 46 – 07:50 – 13/14 – Winner 40 vs Winner 39
Game 47 – 08:40 – 11/12 – Loser 37 vs Loser 38
Game 48 – 09:30 – 9/10 – Winner 37 vs Winner 38
Game 49 – 10:20 – 7/8 – Loser 41 vs Loser 42
Game 50 – 11:10 – 5/6 – Winner 41 vs Winner 42
Game 51 – 12:00 – 3/4 – Loser 44 vs Loser 43
Game 52 – 13:00 – 1/2 – Winner 44 vs Winner 43

14:00 – Prize Giving

Durban High School vs Northwood School

Durban High School, the recent winners of the Eston One Insurance T20 Night League, bolstered an already impressive record with an imposing nine-wicket victory over Northwood on the Theobald Oval on Saturday in a match reduced to 36 overs a side.

School skipper Bayanda Majola won the toss and chose to field first. That decision produced early dividends as the Knights lost top order batsmen David de Bruyn, Tuswa Phetha, and Ross McGlashan cheaply. By the ninth over, they were in trouble on 36/3.

However, a captain’s knock from Kyle White, who received strong support from Jamie Wimble, pulled the visitors back into the contest. Together, they added 97 from 120 balls for the fourth wicket. Sulaimaan Jadwat finally separated the pair, trapping White in front for 56 from 65 balls, which included seven fours.

Wimble came up just shy of a fifty, dismissed with the total on 169, after scoring 49 off 76 deliveries, and further useful contributions from Thomas Oosthuizen, who clattered 23 from 14 balls, with two fours and two sixes, and Josh Mills, with 21 from 15, took Northwood to 195/6 after 36 overs.

Taine Havermann led the DHS attack, sending three batsmen packing for 35, while Bayanda Majola captured 2/47. Left-arm spinner, Dhilan Naraidu, turned the screws on the visitors, conceding only 14 runs from his seven overs.

Throughout the season, one of DHS’s primary strengths has been the consistency of the top three in their batting order, and those three were all they needed on Saturday as they cruised to victory.

Ismaeel Omar and Ethan Cooper shared an opening stand of 36 before Omar was caught by Ross McGlashan off Keegan Reeves for 21. That brought Josh van Biljon out to the middle to join Ethan Cooper. Together, they took the game away from Northwood.

In 155 balls, they added an unbroken 163 runs, with Van Biljon taking on the leading role. He’s blessed with a tidy, uncomplicated technique – no doubt, the product of many hours of hard work – which makes it appear that he has more time that most to play his shots. He seldom gets himself into a pickle.

With Cooper doing an outstanding job of playing the support role, the pair demonstrated an admirable ability to transition their game from the T20 matches they had recently played to a longer form of the game.

After 34.2 overs, it was all over, with Van Biljon undefeated on 104 from only 88 balls, 14 of which he hit for four. Cooper was 68 not out off of 86, with six fours and a six.

Westville Boys’ High vs Glenwood High

On Bowden’s Field, Glenwood High gritted out a hard-fought 36-run win over Westville Boys’ High.

Batting first, Glenwood laboured to 127 all out off of 41.4 overs. Their total owed much to a stout performance from opening batsman, Karabo Ntsieng, who made a determined 60 from 110 balls. In a low-scoring match, it was a decisive and crucial innings.

Only three other batsmen made it into double figures, but none exited the teens, with Akhil Maharaj‘s 17 the next highest score.

Left-arm spinner Ewan du Toit had Glenwood’s number, snaring 4/16 from nine overs, while left-arm seamer Lwandile Bulose kept it tight as usual and was rewarded with 2/9 from four overs. Kyle McGough also shone, snapping up 2/11 in four.

Westville lost two wickets early in their reply and they were unable to recover from there. Bandile Mbatha did the damage, sending five batsmen packing at a cost of only 14 runs, as the visitors scored a 36-run victory.

Scores

Northwood School 195/6 (Kyle White 56, Jamie Wimble 49, Thomas Oosthuizen 23, Josh Mills 21; Taine Havermann 3/35, Bayanda Majola 2/47). Durban High School 199/1 (Josh van Biljon 104*, Ethan Cooper 68*, Ismaeel Omar 21).

Durban High School won by nine wickets.

Glenwood High 127/10 (Karabo Ntsieng 60; Ewan du Toit 4/16, Lwandile Bulose 2/9, Kyle McGough 2/9); Westville Boys’ High 91/10 (Bandile Mbatha 5/14).

Glenwood won by 36 runs.

Clifton College kept their challenge at the St John’s Rams T20 in Harare rolling on Saturday with a hard-hitting six-wicket victory over Peterhouse. Kearsney College, meanwhile, ran out the winners over Falcon College by 26 runs.

There was a tight escape for the Johannesburg Invitational XI, made up of players from King Edward VII (KES), Jeppe, and St John’s. They defeated the defending champion, St John’s (Harare) by five wickets, getting home off the last ball of the match after scoring 12 runs off the last over.

Clifton had no such difficulties against Peterhouse, batting second for the third match in succession and once again chasing down their opponent’s score in double-quick time.

The Marondera school tallied 131/8 from their 20 overs, led by 63 off 44 balls, with four fours and two sixes, from Tyler Chapman. Only two other batsmen made it into double figures, however, with Victor Watama contributing 24 off 17, and Cameron Rae making 18 off 20.

Watama and Rae shared the highest partnership of the innings, putting on 49 for the fourth wicket in 6.5 overs.

Left-arm spinner Blake Johnson continued his fine tournament, snaring 3/19 in three overs to lead the Clifton attack.

Cohen Naidoo, who had powered Clifton’s batting effort in their first two wins, missed out on this occasion, but captain Tim Saulez took charge, cracking nine fours and a six in an unbeaten 70, which took only 50 balls.

A useful 22 from 15, which included two sixes, from Cristiano Borrageiro was the little nudge that the Durban school needed to get across the line, which they did after only 14.5 overs to secure a solid five-wicket win.

Callum Scott Elliot picked up 2/26 for Peterhouse, but Saulez’s fine innings took the game away from the Zimbabwean side.

Facing Falcon College, Kearsney opted to bat first. After losing their opening pair cheaply, the Botha’s Hill boys repaired their innings and dictated matters, thanks to the efforts of Keegan de Jager, Cole Young, and Asher Hollister.

De Jager and Young added 42 for the third wicket before Young fell for 36 off 24 balls, caught by Liam Nel off the bowling of Darren Ncube. He had struck three sixes and two fours.

De Jager and Hollister, then, advanced the score to 136, partnering for 49 runs before De Jager departed with the total on 136. His contribution was a valuable 54 from only 39 deliveries, with seven fours and a six.

Hollister, meanwhile, laid into the Falcon bowlers. When he was the sixth man out, bowled by Dmitry Fatch, he had deposited four balls over the boundary, sent four into it, and charged to 52 off only 25 balls.

Kearsney was on 176/6 with nine balls to go. They added another 13 runs for the loss of a wicket to finish on 189/7.

Dmitry Fatch claimed 2/21 in two, while his fellow new ball bowler, Zach Gover, returned the most economical figures of 1/20 in three.

Falcon College captain Alastair Carle, who has been on an absolute tear, got stuck into the Kearsney bowling early, smashing 27 from only 14 balls, but he was caught by Cole Young off James Bishop‘s bowling before he could cause too much damage.

Brandon Ndikweni top scored with 40 from 38, with five fours, and further useful contributions came from Liam Nel, with 25 from 20, and Reed Merick, with 21 from 15. Three other batsmen made it into the teens, but Falcon was unable to match Kearsney’s rollicking run rate and came up 26 runs short, ending their 20 overs on 163/9.

Michael Groom‘s outstanding showing in Harare continued as he bagged three wickets for not many runs for a third match in succession, this time finishing with 3/16 from four overs.

Yusuf Basat, the seventh bowler used, played his part by capturing 3/25 in three.

After day two’s matches, Clifton stood atop the table with a haul of 15 points from their three matches and the best net run rate of 3.564. The Johannesburg Invitational XI was just behind them, on 14 points, while Kearsney occupied third place, on 12 points. All three South African sides remain unbeaten.

That means that Clifton and the Johannesburg Invitational XI are through to the semi-finals on Sunday. Kearsney will, meanwhile, play an eliminator against Wise Owl, while the second eliminator will feature St John’s College against Falcon College.

Scores

Peterhouse 131/8 (Tyler Chapman 63, Victor Watama 24; Blake Johnson 3/19); Clifton College 132/4 (Tim Saulez 70*, Cristiano Borrageiro 22; Callum Scott Elliot 2/26).

Clifton College won by six wickets.

Kearsney College 189/7 (Keegan de Jager 54, Asher Hollister 52, Cole Young 36; Dmitry Fatch 2/21); Falcon College 163/9 (Brandon Ndiweni 40, Alastair Carle 27, Liam Nel 25, Reed Merick 21; Michael Groom 3/16, Yusuf Basat 3/25).

Kearsney College won by 26 runs.

Hilton College hosted Michaelhouse on the Hart-Davis Oval on Saturday, where the visitors found the venue to be hospitable, cruising to a convincing five-wicket victory after a tepid batting effort from Hilton.

The toss went the home side’s way. However, as has all too often happened in 2025, they failed to get going and lost wickets in clumps as they clawed their way to a modest 105 all out.

To be frank, Hilton was likely rather relieved to make it to three figures after they stumbled out of the gate and were reduced to a creaky 24/6 in the early going.

Michaelhouse’s opening bowlers, Thandanani Zuma and Rendani Nonge, put the skids under the hosts’ top order, with Ben Hockly the only one of the top six to make it into double figures, although his 12 from 22 balls wasn’t that much to write home about.

Nonge inflicted the majority of the damage, knocking over 4/29 in 6.4 overs, while Zuma chipped in with a tidy 2/21 from eight.

Ben Heuer kept up the pressure, claiming 1/14 in seven, and Liam O’Dwyer, the sixth man brought into the attack, made his mark by snaring 2/13 in 4.1.

Hilton’s lower order offered some resistance, with David Hill, batting at nine, clubbing two fours and two sixes in the innings’ top score of 32 from 34 balls.

Robert Burman, batting unusually low down the order, at seven, chipped in with 18, and Luke Wilson, matched that score, patiently spending 64 balls out in the middle, which was by some margin the longest stay of any of the home team’s batsmen.

When Michaelhouse batted, Jayden Roux did his best to wreck their reply, removing the top three in the order – William Russon, Henry Love, and Graydon Leslie – to reduce the visitors to 21/3. Then, when Sechaba Gude dismissed Hayden Hewlett for 10, ‘House had stumbled to 27/4 and it was game on.

Nicholas Baker and Ben Heuer, though, wrestled control of the contest away from Hilton, adding 55 for the fourth wicket before Baker was caught off the bowling of David Hill for 41 from 38 balls, which had included four fours.

On 82/5, Michaelhouse was within sight of victory and Heuer duly steered them to the win, finishing with 40 not out from just 32 deliveries. His knock included four fours and two sixes.

Roux finished with 3/31 from six overs, while David Hill snapped up 1/0 in one over of leg spin, and Sechaba Gude returned 1/15 from six.

Hilton, though, had simply not scored enough runs and Michaelhouse strolled to victory in the 21st over.

Scores

Hilton College 105/10 (David Hill 32; Rendani Nonge 4/29, Liam O’Dwyer 2/13, Thandanani Zuma 2/21); Michaelhouse 107/5 (Nicholas Baker 41, Ben Heuer 40*; Jayden Roux 3/31).

Michaelhouse won by five wickets.