Author: captainmorgan

Hilton College pushed Northwood School to the limit in the KZN regional finals of the Schools SA20 just over a week ago but succumbed to successive defeats with only three balls left in each of those contests. On Saturday, at Northwood, the Knights scored a more comfortable seven-wicket victory in a limited-overs game.

The toss went Hilton captain Ben Hockly‘s way and he chose to bat first. The visitors, though, found run-scoring a grind as Northwood’s attack delivered a disciplined performance.

James Ogilby and Alex Pitman put on 24 for the first wicket, batting at four runs an over, but matters became a lot slower later. Pitman made his way to 23 but, unfortunately for Hilton, he was run out. Stewart Falconer, in a seven, made 20, which was second only to Pitman’s score.

Northwood’s bowlers tied Hilton in knots. Left-arm spinner Jordan Matthews was the pick of the bunch, snaring 3/14 in 10. He was well supported by Connor Leclezio, who picked up 1/19 in 10, and Ben Cilliers, who took 1/22 from his 10. Skipper Kyle White conceded only three runs from his four overs. Add that up and that’s 5/58 in 34 overs.

That huge pressure led to Hilton College mustering only 110/8 from their 50 overs, which included just four boundaries.

Credit to Hilton’s bowlers, they made Northwood work hard for their runs, but 110 was never going to be enough unless wickets fell at a fast and furious rate. Very early on, they did, with Sechaba Gude removing David de Bruyn and Tuswa Phetha with the Knights’ innings only into its third over.

Ross McGlashan has been in good form, though, and the opener found solid support from Kyle White. They added 55 from 118 balls together. It was slow going, but it was exactly what Northwood needed. When their partnership ended, McGlashan was the man to go, out for 31 from 58 balls, caught by Stewart Falconer off Benoit Rey.

Still, the home side had 28 overs to score another 49 runs. It took them 12.1 overs.

White led from the front, finishing with 50 not out from 113 deliveries, with four fours and a beautiful straight six back over the bowler just before victory was clinched. Alistair Duncan, at the other end, finished with 17 not out, and the pair shared an unbroken 48-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Sechaba Gude claimed 2/20 from five overs, while Benoit Rey kept the Knights in check, capturing 1/19 in 10. Luke Campbell was tight, too, conceding only 12 runs from his eight overs, but Hilton didn’t have enough runs to defend.

Michaelhouse vs St Charles College

St Charles College, beaten at home by Clifton College a week earlier, visited Michaelhouse and bounced back in style with an impressive 68-run victory on the Roy Gathorne Oval.

The toss went the home team’s way and they elected to bowl first, but Saints made a steady start, with Thando Zama and Covhan Baatjies sharing an opening stand of 34 runs, which lasted almost 12 overs before Michaelhouse, at last, made the breakthrough.

Baatjies was out for 15, and his effort became a bit of a theme in the St Charles’ innings, with five batsmen making it into the teens without exiting them. Zama, though, anchored the innings. He scored a patient 54 from 101 balls, hitting four fours. When he became the fourth batsman to lose his wicket, Zama had shepherded Saints to 114.

His wicket, though, was the middle of three that went down within the space of three runs, which saw St Charles slip from 114/2 to 117/5. They kept grafting, however, and went on to 172 all out after 48.3 overs.

Opening bowler, Luke Mitchell, led the ‘House attack, claiming 3/29 from nine overs, while Harry Vickery nabbed 2/19 from five. Michael Blignaut returned a neat 2/28 from 10.

It looked as if it was going to be a reasonably comfortable run chase for Michaelhouse when Ethan Muir and Kian Blignaut put on 59 from the first wicket in just over 12 overs. Muir was bowled by Ryan Clarke for 29 to break that stand, but that was merely the beginning of a match-winning performance from the bowler. He got rid of Blignaut, too, for 32. That would prove to be Michaelhouse’s best individual score.

Ben Heuer, batting third in the order, stood firm, making an unbeaten 20 from 56 balls, but the rest of the batsmen crumbled, with none of them reaching double figures.

From 72/2, Michaelhouse collapsed to 102 all out, with the last five wickets going down for only one run.

Clarke was excellent, capturing 6/24 from his 10 overs, including a hat-trick, but he didn’t do it alone. AJ Bosman laid waste to the ‘House innings, knocking over 4/5 in four overs.

Scorecards

Hilton College 110/8 (Alex Pitman, Stewart Falconer 20, Jordan Matthew 3/14); Northwood School 111/3 (Kyle White 50*, Ross McGlashan 31, Sechaba Gude 2/20). Northwood won by 7 wickets.

St Charles College 170/10 (Thando Zama 54, Luke Mitchell 3/29, Harry Vickery 2/19, Michael Blignaut 2/28); Michaelhouse 102/10 (Kian Blignaut 32, Ethan Muir 29, Ben Heuer 20*, Ryan Clarke 6/24, AJ Bosman 4/5). St Charles College won by 68 runs.

Kearsney College, with only two grade 12 learners in their 1st XI, having bade farewell to a host of established stars at the end of 2024, shocked Durban High School on Saturday, scoring a 32-run win on the AH Smith Oval in Botha’s Hill.

Their victory had plenty to do with a superb innings from grade 9 learner, Asher Hollister, who played for the school’s u14A team last year. Kearsney’s winning team also contained four grade 10 boys.

There was plenty of pace and bounce in the wicket, but Kearsney chose to bat first. DHS’s two speedsters, Taine Havermann and the express-paced Bayand Majola revelled in the conditions.

Havermann took the new ball and challenged the host’s batsmen, capturing 4/40 in 10. Majola, who played for the SA u19 Emerging team last year, has been working his way back from a groin injury and didn’t bowl last week against Northwood. Despite coach Fabian Lazarus declaring Majola only about 70 percent fit, he generated good pace from his first delivery, as the first change bowler. In 10 overs, he knocked over 5/25.

Rivan Moodley, opening the innings, did a sound job, spending 49 balls out in the middle and making 34, including four fours, before he holed out off the bowling of Majola, caught on the leg side by Sibusiso Msibi after trying to go over the top. Together with Hollister, he added 43 for the third wicket after Kearsney stumbled to 7/2 in the third over.

Hollister, meanwhile, hung around to make the highest score of the match by some margin. He faced 89 deliveries for his 54 and struck five fours and a six. His composure in the face of some quick bowling, which was aided by the wicket, was impressive, and he even managed a sweet and beautifully controlled pull off a Bayanda Majola short ball.

Aaron Blackburn chipped in with a valuable 29, facing 37 balls, one of which he dispatched over the boundary, with two more being played into it.

After 45 of their 50 overs, Kearsney was bowled out for 166.

Unfortunately for DHS, for a second week in succession, opening batsman, Ismaeel Omar, a steady and reliable run contributor in 2024, was dismissed for a duck, with Hollister pouching the catch off the bowling of Litha Gonya.

Akthar Basha and Taine Havermann steadied the DHS reply with a measured second-wicket partnership of 45 from 79 balls before Daniel Miskey broke the stand, bowling Havermann for 26.

Josh van Biljon, a standout performer for the Coastal Gladiators at the Cubs Week, made his way out to the middle, but Basha didn’t stay around much longer. He was out four overs later, gone for 21, also bowled by Miskey.

Van Biljon bided his time but saw three more batsmen depart while he was at the crease. Then, when Van Biljon was bowled by Matthew Gorrie for 21, only one ball after the dismissal of Bayanda Majola, Kearsney was very firmly on top, with School struggling on 92/7.

Dhilan Naraidu offered some resistance, making 19, while trying to drag DHS to victory. Their innings lasted another 15 overs after the departure of Van Biljon, but more significant contributions had been needed from the top of their batting order.

Bonga Maphanga ended the contest with the first ball of the 46th over when he bowled Ethan Jenkins for two. DHS was all out for 134.

Rivan Moodley did an outstanding job with the ball, snapping up 3/24 in 10 overs, and every bowler Kearsney used grabbed at least one wicket. Miskey claimed a crucial 2/14 off five, while Maphanga captured 2/20 off 8.1.

A plucky performance from Kearsney earned them a somewhat unexpected but well-deserved 32-run victory.

Clifton College vs Westville Boys’ High School

At the Riverside Sports Club, Westville Boys’ High, who lost their unbeaten start to the season at Maritzburg College the previous weekend, scored an impressive 50-run win over Clifton College.

The visitors opted to bat after winning the toss, but they didn’t make the best of starts, losing both of their opening batsmen with only 20 runs on the board. The pitch was taking turn and Clifton had a useful line-up of spin bowlers to make use of the helpful surface.

However, Sean McGough and Seth Simpson brought their side back into the contest, producing a 59-run partnership for the third wicket. It was brought to an end by Clifton’s dangerman, leg-spinner Shiraz Perumal, who bowled McGough for 32. The Westville batsman had hit two sixes and a four in his 46-ball stay.

Simpson was out nine runs later, also bowled by Perumal, for the Griffin’s top score of 37. He had faced 48 deliveries and hit four fours and a six.

Kyle McGough spent longer at the crease than anyone else, compiling 25 runs from 61 balls. Again, Perumal removed a set batsman, trapping McGough in front.

Later, Dalayan Boyce, batting ninth in the order, chipped with a much-needed 19 not out, which helped Westville to 162 all out after 45.2 overs.

Perumal was a shining light for Clifton, snaring 5/37 from his 10 overs. Caleb Naicker, Clifton’s star performer in a win over St Charles College last weekend, captured 2/22 from 7.2 overs, while Blake Johnson and Muhammed Malek bowled tightly, picking up 1/36 and 1/35 respectively from their 10 overs.

Clifton’s run pursuit suffered a hammer blow when Muhammed Malek was run out early in their reply. Hayden Drieselmann and Byron Ward also failed to get going as the opening bowlers, Lwandile Bulose and Dayalan Boyce claimed their wickets. On 16/3, Clifton was in trouble.

Captain Tim Saulez and Zach Williamson were kept in check by tight bowling from Westville, but they added 34 runs before Williamson was caught off the bowling of Misbah Nair. Then, it became the Tristan Delvin show.

The left-arm spinner was responsible for the next four wickets to fall, which left Clifton wobbling on 92/7. Bowling beautifully, he snared 4/22 from his 10 overs, three of which were maidens. Ewan du Toit, another classy left-arm spinner, nabbed 1/29 from his 10, exerting pressure on Clifton with his miserly bowling.

The home side’s skipper, Tim Saulez, stood firm, however, making 68 from 95 balls, including five fours, which was, by far, the highest score of the match. His resistance was, at last, ended by Dayalan Boyce, with Saulez becoming the last wicket to fall with Clifton on 112.

Boyce finished with 2/13 from 3.4 overs, while Lwandile Bulose took 1/6 in three, and Misbah Nair 1/15 in five as Westville won because they handled the challenging pitch better.

Summarised scorecards

Kearsney College 166/10 (Asher Hollister 54, Rivan Moodley 34, Aaron Blackburn 29, Bayanda Majola 5/25, Taine Havermann 4/40); Durban High School 134/10 (Taine Havermann 26, Joshua van Biljon 21, Akthar Basha 21, Rivan Moodley 3/24, Daniel Miskey, Bonga Maphanga 2/20). Kearsney College won by 32 runs.

Westville Boys’ High 162/10 (Seth Simpson 37, Sean McGough 32, Kyle McGough 25, Shiraz Perumal 5/37, Caleb Naicker 2/22); Clifton College 112/10 (Tim Saulez 68, Tristan Delvin 4/22, Dayalan Boyce 2/23). Westville Boys’ High won by 50 runs.

After Friday’s matches in the Western Cape’s regional final of the Schools SA20 in Oudtshoorn, only Bishops Diocesan College and SACS remain unbeaten.

Bishops followed up a hard-fought win over Paarl Boys’ High in their opener with an impressive defeat of Paarl Gimnasium, while SACS, after being pushed hard by the Bridgton Hub, cruised to a victory over the D’Almeida Hub.

Paarl Gimnasium vs Bishops Diocesan College

Paarl Gim had romped to a 100-run win over the D’Almeida Hub, from Mossel Bay, on Friday morning, but they found Bishops to be a far tougher nut to crack.

Batting first on the Bridgton Sports Ground, Bishops put up 143/8 in their 20 overs. Litha Mbiko led the way, making 36 from 31 deliveries, while Thaafier Japtha weighed in with a quickfire 27 from 16, which included three fours and a six. Opening batsman, Sam Stavely-Alexander added a useful 23 from 20.

Wian Munnik picked up 2/11 in just two overs for Paarl Gimnasium, while Charles King returned 2/28 from his full complement of four overs.

Bishops set Gim on the back foot early in their reply, getting rid of opener, Wian Munnik, and number three batsman, Matt Dippenaar, before the end of the second over, with only 13 runs on the board. Dirk Hugo (16) and Charles King advanced the total to 45 before Hugo lost his wicket.

King went on to top-score with 35 from 32 balls, but he found support hard to come by. After his departure, Louis Koen had a bit of fun, launching two sixes and a four in an undefeated 27 from 22, but it was too little, too late. Bishops had done the damage earlier in the day when they had Paarl Gim tottering on 51/5 in the 10th over.

Gim was limited to 111/8, with every Bishops’ bowler picking up at least one wicket. Opening bowler, Michael Kruiskamp, bagged two and Bishops kept it tight with no one going for more than six runs an over as they won by 32 runs.

SACS vs D’Almeida Hub

At Oudtshoorn High School, SACS benefitted from 26 extras as they posted a challenging 186/7 in their clash with the D’Almeida Hub.

Their innings didn’t start that well, with two wickets going down inside the first three overs, but Leo Davis, with 34 from 26, with four fours and two sixes, and Ulrich Roth, added 53 in only 37 balls to get the Cape Town school on track. Roth went on to score 55 from 33 and smashed three sixes and six fours as SACS batted at 9.3 runs per over.

Opening bowler, Joshua Diamond, led the D’Almeida Hub attack with a return of 3/31, while Joshua Rossouw knocked over 2/25.

In reply, the Hub made a better start to their innings than SACS had made to theirs, with Diego Wessels and Kearan Arends sharing an opening stand of 24 before Arends was dismissed in the fifth over for 18. From there, the D’Almeida Hub innings lost steam. No one bettered the 18 of Arends as they were restricted to just 95/9.

Saeed Conrad snapped up 2/12 in three overs. Nicholas Oscraft bowled tightly to capture 2/13 in four, and Benjamin Blackburn picked up 2/17 from his four. New ball bowler, Rayyan Salie, took two, also, ending with 2/28 as SACS eased to a 91-run win.

Paarl Boys’ High vs Bridgton Hub

Paarl Boys’ High bagged a first win in the afternoon, beating the Bridgton Hub by seven wickets, with seven overs to spare, at Langenhoven Gimnasium.

The Hub batted first and posted a moderate 110/6, led by 33 from 43 from Keano Coericius. Four other batsmen made it into the teens, but they found it hard to break the shackles of Booishaai‘s disciplined bowling and fielding.

Five bowlers picked up a wicket each, with Pieter Gildenhuys claiming 1/10 in two, and Reese Petersen a tidy 1/12 from four.

Paarl Boys’ High wasn’t troubled by the victory target of 111 and cantered to victory behind opening batsman Abriam Jacobs‘ 62. He went after the Bridgton Hub bowlers, blasting six sixes and two fours in an aggressive knock. That left the other batsmen with little to do.

Most of the Bridgton bowlers came in for a bit of stick from Jacobs, but Sherwin Plaaitjies, Daylenn Williams, and Keano Coericius nabbed a wicket each.

Summarised scorecards

SACS 186/7 (Ulrich Roth 55, Aqeel Waggie 51, Leo Davis 34, Extras 26; Joshua Diamond 3/31, Joshua Rossouw 2/25); D’Almeida Hub 95/9 (Kearan Arends 18; Saeed Conrad 2/12, Nicholas Oscroft 2/13, Benjamin Blackburn 2/17, Rayyan Salie 2/28). SACS won by 91 runs.

Diocesan College 143/8 (Litha Mbiko 36, Thaafier Japtha 27, Samuel Stavely-Alexander 23; Wian Munnik 2/11, Charles King 2/28); Paarl Gimnasium 111/8 (Charles King 35, Louis Koen 27*; Michael Kruiskamp 2/24). Diocesan College won by 32 runs.

Bridgton Hub 110/6 (Keano Coericius 33; Pieter Gildenhuys 1/10); Paarl Boys’ High 111/3 (Abriam Jacobs 62; Keano Coericius 1/13). Paarl Boys’ High won by seven wickets.

Northwood vs Hilton College

High-flying Northwood School hosts Hilton College on the Robin Smith Oval in Durban on Saturday and they’ll be eager to again lock horns with the team they narrowly beat in a round-robin game and the final of the KZN Schools SA20 in Pietermaritzburg last Friday.

The Knights followed up on their success in the Schools SA20 with an impressive eight-wicket victory over a more than useful Durban High School (DHS) side at the Crusaders Club on Saturday. Their confidence is high and they’re playing good complementary cricket.

Their top order has been in consistent form, with David de Bruyn, Ross McGlashan, Tuswa Phetha, and captain Kyle White all getting among the runs in their win over DHS. Their bowling attack, with seamer Jamie Wimble, off-spinner Ben Cilliers, and left-arm spinner Jordan Matthews to the fore, has been balanced and backed up by good fielding.

Hilton’s batting imploded against Glenwood on Saturday after the disappointment of their loss to Northwood in Friday’s final. They have a talented line-up, though, spearheaded by opening batsmen, Ben Hockly and Alex Pitman, who have the ability to dominate any bowling attack, as Northwood found out in the Schools SA20 final, but they’ll need to play themselves in to be successful on Saturday. That was the key to the Knights’ win over DHS.

Hilton possesses a nice variety in their bowling attack, including three good spinners – Luke Campbell, David Hill, and Simon Steyn – who should enjoy the Robin Smith Oval pitch. It offers a fairer contest between bat and ball than most wickets.

Clifton College vs Westville Boys’ High

At the nearby Riverside Sports Club, Clifton College hosts Westville Boys’ High.

The visitors performed superbly at the Paarl Boys’ High Cricket Festival, scoring three wins and were within one wicket of a fourth, with plenty of runs in hand, in their other match when it ended. However, they went down at Maritzburg College on Saturday, suffering their first loss of the season.

Clifton has won three and drawn one thus far, including a gritty four-wicket win at St Charles College in their most recent outing. Led by Tim Saulez, they’re an experienced team, having lost only two players from last year’s successful side.

Coach Robbie Frylinck‘s boys are tough because they’re one of those sides that is worth more than the sum of their parts; they bat all the way down the order and their batting innings is only over when it’s over. Contributions could come from anywhere, although Saulez has been Clifton’s batting standout in the early part of the season.

They also boast a useful, disciplined bowling attack, spearheaded by attacking leg-spinner Shiraz Perumal. He always challenges batsmen and doesn’t need to rely on them to make an error. He bowls wicket-taking deliveries.

Westville’s batting misfired against College, but their top-order batsmen have all scored good runs for The Griffin in the past. They’re capable of putting together big totals.

Much could depend on the upper to middle order of Sean and Kyle McGough, Seth Simpson, and Tristan Delvin, who made an unbeaten 52 against College. Critically, though, a good opening partnership between Bhaskar Sewlal and Ewan du Toit would make everyone’s job easier.

Goldstone’s has been tough on batsmen in the early part of 2025, though, so Westville should enjoy the Riverside conditions more.

Ewan du Toit was the pick of their bowlers against College, snapping up four wickets while limiting the Red, Black, and White to only 1.6 runs per over. Not that long ago, in November 2024, he snared 5/19 in a win over Northwood to prove that he can be a match-winner.

When it comes to pace, though, SA Colts‘ fast bowler Dayalan Boyce will challenge Clifton’s batsmen.

There’s experience in the Westville lineup. Like Clifton, they need to tap into it.

Kearsney College vs Durban High School (DHS)

In Botha’s Hill, Kearsney College welcomes Durban High School to the AH Smith Oval.

Having lost more than a handful of top performers from their excellent 1^st XI of 2024, Kearsney is going through something of a rebuild. Thus far, early in the season, inconsistent batting has been a challenge.

Then again, they have players who made good runs for the 1^st XI last year, including Jason De Gryse, Jonty Wiggett, Aaron Blackburn, and Cole Young. What’s different now is they don’t have the luxury of the dependable performers that they had last year to partner with them.

On the bowling front, their opening pair, Litha Gonya and Michael Groom, offer a solid left-right, one-two punch. They’ll need it against DHS.

School played their first match of the season last weekend against Northwood. All four of their iHlobo Festival games were rained out and that made a difference against a well-prepared unit.

They’re blessed with top players, though. Joshua van Biljon will be the key wicket for Kearsney. Playing for the Coastal Conquerors at the Cubs Week, included among his four innings, were 50 against the Western Legends, in the first meeting of the sides, and 89 the second time they met for third place.

Opener Ismaeel Omar missed out against Northwood, but he was a consistent run producer last year, while Taine Haverman offers DHS a talent-laden combination of batting and bowling.

A seamer, he’ll be a key bowler for School with the new ball, while left-arm spinner Dhilan Naraidu is another player capable of laying waste to a batting lineup. The big question is whether or not speedster and SA u19 Emerging paceman Bayanda Majola will be able to bowl. He didn’t in the defeat at Northwood.

DHS is a tough outfit. They don’t give much away, and they’re prepared to graft for their runs. What they need now is match practice.

Maritzburg College vs Glenwood High School

Heading further inland, Maritzburg College welcomes Glenwood to Goldstone’s. The teams recently met in the Schools SA20. College, after limiting the Green Machine to only 85/8 in their 20 overs, thought they were in for an easy victory. It wasn’t. The home team found themselves in trouble on 18/4 in the fifth over before going on to a five-wicket win with three overs to spare.

Glenwood’s downfall on that occasion was their batting and that has been their Achilles heel thus far. They showed, though, in a fighting draw with Hoërskool Menlopark at the Grey College Cricket Festival, which ended with Glenwood on 275/9 in their second innings, that they are capable of compiling big innings.

Skittling Hilton College for less than 50 on Dixon’s Field removed any questions about their batting from the equation, last weekend, however. Top-order batsmen – Karabo Ntsieng, Krian Jugoo, Kressan Pillai – all made runs last year, but they’re still trying to find their groove in 2025.

Like Glenwood, College’s strength thus far this season has been their bowling. They have some tall bowlers, too, which has helped them generate good bounce on Goldstone’s and brought them wicket-taking success.

Against Westville, it was Karl Dedekind who did the damage, capturing 6/48, but telling contributions have come from many sources. Samuel Hughes and Reece Willson, with the new ball, have enjoyed success. Sphamandla Dzanibe has, also, had his moments, with Daniel Nadasan, Nathan Pembridge, and Dom du Toit contributing, too.

Coach Robbie Coutts will be eager to see more from his batsmen. Nadasan, opening the batting, is a key player. He’s a run accumulator and the more time he spends out in the middle the more he will hurt College’s opposition.

Karl Dedekind has played some good innings, while Luan van der Merwe looks like he’s ready to make a splash, but College needs to turn potential into performance.

Michaelhouse vs St Charles College

In the weekend’s remaining match, Michaelhouse welcomes St Charles College to the Roy Gathorne Oval.

‘House won at Kearsney College last weekend. They put up a middling performance with the bat, with their top-order being held in check. However, their opening bowlers, Thandanani Zuma and Luke Mitchell, with useful assistance from Jean-Luc Rey, bowled them to victory.

It’s been a theme, really, and Michaelhouse, like some others, will be seeking more from their batsmen. They didn’t do well on Saturday, but Ben Heuer, Ethan Muir, and Graydon Leslie performed solidly last year, while Kian and Michael Blignaut should bolster the top five nicely.

At the end of 2024, Saints bade farewell to some key performers, including Tuskers‘ Khaya Majola players, Cian Fortmann and Marcell Wellmann, and Zimbabwean international, Brendon Sunguro. Finding a way to replace their production is a massive challenge. All three delivered with both bat and ball.

Last weekend, at least, Rico Honiball (44) and Caleb Sharp (50) were among the runs in a loss to Clifton.

Rowen Rajah leads the Saints’ bowling attack. He’s quick and represented SAu19 Emerging against Zimbabwe last year. If Connor Vogt can overcome his injury issues, he could provide St Charles with a big boost.

Another player to keep an eye on is Kaiyuran Naidoo. In December, he shone for the Tuskers at the CSA u16 National Week, taking 4/16 in a win over the Dolphins, and 3/24 in a loss to Western Province.

Fixtures

Northwood vs Hilton College
Clifton vs Westville
Kearsney College vs DHS
Maritzburg College vs Glenwood
Michaelhouse vs St Charles

When Clifton College‘s Director of Water Polo, Paul Martin, chose to move to Hilton College after 10 very successful years at the Durban school, Clifton knew there were not many coaches of Martin’s quality who could replace him as the head of their impressive water polo programme. So, they reached beyond South Africa’s borders to find his replacement.

Pierre le Roux, who represented the South African men’s water polo team for two decades as a player, is a highly regarded coach, who had spent the last two years in New Zealand, and when he was presented with an opportunity to take charge of one of South Africa’s leading water polo-playing schools, it was too tempting an opportunity to turn it down. He brings with him vast experience of water polo in South African schools and a very successful record.

As a schoolboy, Le Roux learnt the game from Vladimir Trininic at St John’s College and, immediately after finishing school, began coaching at the school under Trininic, who has built up a remarkable family tree of coaches.

Ahead of the St Andrew’s College (SAC) Shield, which gets underway on Thursday, Le Roux said: “He has a lot of coaches there. Off the top of my head, Jon-Marc [De Carvalho], the head coach of St John’s is there, Etienne le Roux, my brother, who is with Rondebosch, and Michael Stewart [coach of St Stithians] was coached by him at OG Eagles.

“Vlado can be very proud of what he has produced in the calibre of players and coaches over the years.”

Le Roux’s coaching journey included 10 years at St John’s, another of South Africa’s premier water polo-playing schools, a short stint at Reddam House Constantia, which was followed by seven years at St Stithians Girls’ College, where he produced multiple teams that were the best in the country. From there, he moved to Kearsney College, where he coached many of the players that helped the Botha’s Hill school win the Reef Cup, KZN Top 10, and St Stithians Invitational titles last year. After that, he spent two years at Hamilton Boys’ High, in New Zealand, which is home to 2 500 boys.

He has coached provincial teams from the u13 to the u19 age group. Going over his record, Le Roux recalled: “I’ve won IPT titles with the Gauteng u19 girls. I’ve won with the KZN u16 boys, I’ve won with the Gauteng u15 boys and the u15 girls, as well.

“There are a whole lot of silver medals that I don’t like to talk about,” he said with a laugh. “I think I went for five years in a row losing in the final, so that was a bit heart-breaking. But it builds character, and it is good to be in those situations.”

Much like Trininic tapped into St John’s alumni to coach and boost that school’s programme, Le Roux will follow that successful model at Clifton.

He arrived back in  South Africa earlier this month and feels Clifton water polo is in a good place because of the high-quality coaches at the school. “The junior programme seems to be strong,” he said. “It comes down to the coaching we have in the Prep school, where Shaun Ferreira is doing a fantastic job.

“Then, Todd Howard, who is a current Springbok, is coaching the u14s. Again, something that I try to encourage is if you are a Clifton Old Boy, and you are still playing, get involved. Mitch Slade, a former Clifton boy [who made SA Schools in 2023] is also back and coaching.”

Given the long move he had to make from New Zealand, Le Roux hasn’t had the luxury to properly prepare his side for the forthcoming season, and it’s going to take him some time to get to know his players.

Looking ahead to the SAC Shield, and its outstanding field of competitors, he said: “The boys’ programme [at Clifton] has been very competitive over the last few years. There will be an expectation of Clifton to do well, I think.

“But I am also a realist. I landed in South Africa 14 days ago, so my traditional pre-season approach to training has not happened. I know that my guys are maybe not as conditioned as they should be, but we have worked hard the last 10 days or so.

“I said to the boys, we have to be realistic about our expectations. We are going there with a slightly younger side, but a side that is reasonably fit and reasonably strong. We’ll take every game as it comes.

“It will be a good indication of where we are compared to the top 10 national teams, and it gives us six weeks to prepare for the KES tournament, to try and close the gaps, to maybe become a little fitter, a bit stronger, and develop our game-plan a little bit.

Le Roux will, also, use the SAC Shield as an opportunity to assess his players under tournament pressure, to get a feel for the character of the individuals when the chips are down.

“Usually, you have three or four years with a player, during which you can identify the character and the nature of the boy, so you know how to treat them, how to talk to them, how to motivate them. You have to try to protect them in those situations. That comes with time,” he said.

On Tuesday, in a final warm-up for the SAC Shield, Clifton edged out Westville Boys’ High, who will also be in action in Makhanda, and a team they will face on the opening day, 9-8.

Being asked to take charge at Clifton presents him with a unique opportunity, Le Roux added, especially because when the College was founded, it chose to focus on water polo, which laid the foundation for its success in the sport. Clifton has, of course, grown, and boys are now heavily involved in many other sports, with most of them playing multiple sports, because Clifton usually competes with larger schools, but the tradition of water polo excellence remains.

Knowing that Clifton is prepared to keep investing in the sport was a strong selling point, Le Roux said, when he was approached about the job: “For any coach, that’s what you want from your employer. You want to know that you’ve got the backing of the school, that they’re willing to overcome the hurdles that we will, inevitably, face.”

Despite his record of winning, Clifton’s new man in charge insists he values other things more than that. He explained: You’re dealing with young men that are socially active. They want to go out, they don’t want to miss out on that aspect. You want to encourage them to have a balanced lifestyle, and that is something that I have always preached to my athletes.

“It’s a three-pronged approach. You have to commit to your sport, if that is what you want to do, but you have to find time to socialise, unwind, and build relationships. You have to, firstly, focus on your academics.

“You’re a student-athlete until you sign a professional contract. Not many guys end up being a Cristiano Ronaldo. Your academics are still the most important thing and then finding the balance elsewhere.”

Le Roux’s ambitions extend beyond leading Clifton to success. He wants to see KwaZulu-Natal’s and South Africa’s water polo succeed. One of the ways to make that happen is to reintroduce a national programme and Clifton, with its superb Clifton Aquatic Centre, has the facilities to support those endeavours.

He said: “I’ve already spoken with our Headmaster and our Head of Sport about bringing our national programmes here, with the boarding house offering athlete packages where they can come here for five days, stay here, eat here, and use the gym, and the pool.

“Our national programme desperately needs involvement from the schools, to offer these things for them, an opportunity for them to train, especially at facilities like this. It’s very present in my head, trying to get that active and get it going.”

Something that is, perhaps, of even greater importance to Le Roux is growing the game at club and university level. “In water polo in South Africa, our biggest problem is not maladministration and Swimming South Africa, it’s the retention of players after school,” he explained.

“If you go to the IPTs, you’ve got well over a thousand athletes playing, but if [at tertiary level] you go to a South African Student Sports Union (SASSU) tournament, you’re lucky if you have two competent teams. We’re losing too many matrics, who are not continuing afterwards. That’s where our club structures and our university leagues are failing us.”

Teaching players to love the game, while helping them to find a balance in life, and not overworking them in their school years can help turn the tide, he said.

He’ll work hard to guide players with international ambitions, but, he added: “There are also boys, the bulk of them, who just want to play for fun. They want to be social. They want to enjoy it. They want to go on tours. It is not about winning at all costs. It’s about being there with your mates and building good memories.

“My best memories are still my tours with my friends at school. Those are lasting friendships that I have made. After a 20-year international career, my best memories are still my school ones.”

He hopes that the boys under his guidance will one day be able to say the same thing.

Neither team came close to batting out their 50 overs when Kearsney College hosted Michaelhouse on the AH Smith Oval in Botha’s Hill on Saturday in hot and humid conditions.

‘House visited the middle first and put up 144 all out, with the middle to lower order stabilising their innings after the Michaelhouse top order went down cheaply in the face of Kearsney’s opening bowlers, Litha Gonya and Michael Broom. By the eighth over, with the top four out, Michaelhouse was in trouble on 33/4.

Hayden Hewlett came to the visitors’ rescue, however, with an aggressive knock of 32 from only 24 balls, with six fours. He and Michael Blignaut added 39 for the fifth wicket, with only nine of those runs belonging to Blignaut.

Radhesh Jhilmeet and Jean-Luc Rey boosted the Michaelhouse innings with a seventh-wicket partnership of 44, which lifted the ‘House total to 120 before Jhilmeet was trapped in front by Daniel Miskey for 16.

Rey went on to match Hewlett’s 32 as Michaelhouse tallied 144 all out in 32.2 overs.

Left-arm paceman Litha Gonya performed superbly for Kearsney, knocking over 6/37 in 8.2 overs

Kearsney’s reply began relatively smoothly, but they lost Jonty Wiggett in the fifth over, caught by Harry Vickery off Thandanani Zuma for 14. That left the home team on 19/1.

When Luke Mitchell accounted for Riven Moodley, Kearsney was on 27/2 and that soon became 27/3 as Zuma struck again. One run later, Luke Mitchell, who had dismissed Moodley, added Aaron Blackburn and Kearsney was in trouble on 28/4.

Asher Hollister and Cole Young stopped the slide momentarily, adding 18 from 26 balls, but Young’s departure triggered another collapse. From 46/4, Kearsney tumbled to 47/8. They weren’t done fighting, however.

Michael Groom and Matthew Gorie stonewalled the Michaelhouse attack, partnering for 56 runs for the ninth wicket. Luke Mitchell, at last, separated the pair, when he had Gorie caught by Ethan Muir for 14.

Gorie had helped Kearsney past the 100-run mark, but Litha Gonya and Michael Groom added only three more runs, taking Kearsney to 106 before their innings was ended by the outstanding Thandanani Zuma, who secured his five-for by trapping Gonya in front.

Zuma finished with a fantastic 5/23 from 9.4 overs, while his new ball partner, Luke Mitchell, captured 3/29 from 10. Jean-Luc Rey made an impact, too, knocking over 2/16 in seven.

Despite the excellence of those Michaelhouse bowlers, they were unable to get the better of Michael Groom. He finished with an unbeaten 39 from 68 balls, which included two sixes and four fours.

St Charles College vs Clifton College

In Pietermaritzburg, Caleb Naicker produced an outstanding all-round performance to steer Clifton College to a four-wicket victory over St Charles College, which celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025.

Clifton captain Tim Saulez, in an interesting decision, chose to bowl first after winning the toss and, for the most part, his bowlers ensured that his decision was a good one.

With Naicker leading the way, Clifton quickly took charge. He removed the top three in the Saints’ batting order – Thandolwethu Zama, Covhan Baatjies, and Andre Bosman – before St Charles had moved into double figures. Captain Rico Honiball and Caleb Sharp, then, stopped the rot.

They put together a 73-run partnership for the fourth wicket before Honiball was caught and bowled by Blake Johnson after scoring 44 from 60 balls, with four fours.

Ryan Clarke‘s stay was brief, but Caleb Sharp continued to keep Clifton’s attack at bay. Eventually, though, after advancing the total to 117, he was the sixth man out, bowled by Caleb Naicker for 50 from 87 deliveries, which included four fours.

Following his departure, the Saints’ innings immediately lost its impetus. Rowen Rajah also departed on 117 and three runs later Connor Simpson was out. Keegan Vermaak offered some resistance, with 11, while batting tenth in the order, but St Charles was all out for 137 after 43 overs.

Caleb Naicker returned a sparkling 4/30 from eight overs, while Muhammed Malek wrecked the Saints’ lower order, snapping up 3/15 in four. Shiraz Perumal bowled tidily to snare 2/25 in 10, and Blake Johnson also turned the screws on the home team to pick up 1/20 in 10.

Clifton’s response suffered an early blow when the speedy Rowen Rajah trapped Muhammed Malek in front, and Hayden Drieselmann followed for 13, bowled by Rajah, as the Durban side slipped to 19/2.

Naicker and the skipper, Tim Saulez, advanced the Clifton total to 43. Then, Dylan Leppan caught Saulez off the bowling of Connor Simpson for 14.

With Naicker holding down one end, Clifton moved on to 75 before Zach Williamson was out for 10. Cristiano Borrageiro contributed 14, while Naicker continued to defy the Saints’ attack. By the time Borrageiro departed, Clifton had moved on to 107/5.

Lawson Dinsdale, the wicketkeeper, chipped in with nine. All the while, though, Naicker continued to graft hard for his runs. Together with Dinsdale, he added 24 runs for the sixth wicket before Dinsdale was lost with only seven more runs required. Naicker and Shiraz Perumal, then, saw Clifton to victory.

Naicker finished with a crucial 48 not out from 134 balls, which included only a single four. In stifling conditions, his contributions to Clifton’s victory were massive.

Rowen Rajah led the Saints’ attack with 2/25 from 9.5 overs, while Keegan Vermaak bowled well, too, claiming 2/28 from 10. Caleb Sharp was miserly, returning 1/16 from his 10 overs.

Summarised scorecards

Michaelhouse 144/10 (Hayden Hewlett 32, Jean-Luc Rey 32, Litha Gonya 6/37); Kearsney College 106/10 (Michael Groom 39*, Thandanani Zuma 5/23, Luke Mitchell 3/29, Jean-Luc Rey 2/16). Michaelhouse won by 38 runs.

St Charles College 137/10 (Caleb Sharp 50, Rico Honiball 44, Caleb Naicker 4/30, Muhammed Malek 3/15, Shiraz Perumal 2/25); Clifton College 137/6 (Caleb Naicker 48*, Rowen Rajah 2/25, Keegan Vermaak 2/28). Clifton College won by four wickets.

Surely disappointed about missing out on the KZN Schools SA20 final on Friday, Maritzburg College put that behind them to hand Westville Boys’ High a three-wicket defeat on Goldstone’s, in Pietermaritzburg, on Saturday.

The Griffin had enjoyed an excellent pre-season, beating Hans Moore, Paarl Boys’ High, and Noordheuwel, and finished with a dominating draw against Helpmekaar in their four matches at the Paarl Boys’ High Cricket Festival.

College had, also, started strongly, winning both of their games at the iHlobo Festival at Kearsney and their first two matches of the Schools SA20 final. Unfortunately for the Red, Black, and White, they misfired against Hilton College on Friday morning, and that cost them a place in the title decider. On Saturday, though, they returned with typical College gusto and mettle.

Westville won the toss and chose to bat first, but their top order produced inconsistent contributions. Each of the top five made some sort of start, but opening batsman Bhaskar Sewlal‘s 18 was their best score.

Karl Dedekind did most of the damage, accounting for three of those five batsmen. He was, however, far from done and would go on to record a decisive and superb return of 6/48 from 9.4 overs.

Tristan Delvin, though, wasn’t one of Dedekind’s victims. In fact, no one was able to dismiss him. He stood strong, striking two fours in an unbeaten 52 from 74 balls. Unfortunately for the Griffin, though, Sewlal’s 18 was their next-best batting effort. After 39.4 overs, they were all out for 136.

No Maritzburg College bowlers besides Karl Dedekind took more than one wicket, but the figures of those who picked up one told a story. Reece Willson went at only 2.2 an over and returned 1/13 from six. Daniel Nadasan finished with 1/14 from five, conceding only 2.8 per over, and Dom du Toit snared 1/9 from five, giving up only 1.8 runs per over.

Nadasan, then, gave the home side’s reply exactly what it needed with a telling innings up front. The opener took charge, making 47 from 74 balls, with six fours, before he was caught by Kyle McGough off the bowling of Tristan Delvin. His dismissal left College on 63/2. It was, though, the middle wicket in a bit of a hiccup in the host’s response, which saw them stumble from 61 without loss to 64/3.

When College lost two wickets on 104, they were seven down, but Sphamandla Dzanibe (20*) and Dom du Toit (19*), then, saw them home, sharing an unbroken stand of 33 runs to take their side to victory with four overs to spare.

Ewan du Toit caused the Maritzburg College batsmen all kinds of problems and nabbed 4/16 from 10 overs. Delvin followed up his batting heroics with a solid 2/30 from 10. But the day belonged to the hosts.

Summarised scorecard

Westville Boys’ High 136/10 (Tristan Delvin 52, Karl Dedekind 6/48); Maritzburg College 137/7 (Daniel Nadasan 47, Sphamandla Dzanibe 20*, Ewan du Toit 4/16, Tristan Delvin 2/30). Maritzburg College won by three wickets.

Northwood, fresh off of winning the KZN Schools SA20 title, picked up a big win on Saturday at the Crusaders Club in the north of Durban, defeating Durban High School (DHS) by eight wickets with 11.3 overs in hand in a limited-overs match.

The visitors, DHS, batted first but were immediately rocked when Jamie Wimble got rid of Ismaeel Omar, usually a solid performer for the Horse Flies, in the first over.

Then, Luke Allen, Wimble’s new ball partner, accounted for the other opener, Akthar Basha, for 16, which reduced DHS to 25/2.

That, however, brought Taine Haverman and Josh van Biljon together – two players who will be at the forefront of the DHS challenge in 2025 – and they showed why. They put on 70 for the third wicket from 112 balls, but Havemann was, then, caught by Ross McGlashan off the off-spinner, Ben Cilliers, for 42 from 75 balls, having struck three fours.

Unfortunately, for DHS, Van Biljon was run out, also for 42, leaving School on 113/4. His innings had taken 69 balls and included four fours.

With the departure of that duo, Northwood was able to quickly make further inroads, and DHS stumbled from 113/3 to 123/7, with the left-arm spinner, Jordan Matthews, picking up two of those wickets, while Cilliers added Ethan Cooper to his list of victims.

Dhilan Naraidu and Bayanda Majola, both left-handed batsmen, added 21 for the eighth wicket before Naraidu fell for 10, caught by David de Bruyn off the seamer, Jamie Wimble.

Majola and Raul Chetty kept Northwood at bay, putting on 26 for the ninth wicket. Their stand was ended by Wimble when Ross McGlashan bagged a catch to stop Majola’s resistance. He had struck 26 from 39 balls, with two fours.

Connor Leclezio brought the innings to an end soon after that, bowling Chetty for 12, as DHS tallied 177 all out from 49.4 overs.

Jamie Wimble led the Northwood attack, bagging 3/37. Ben Cilliers snared 2/28, and Jordan Matthews picked up 2/34, all from 10 overs each.

In reply, Northwood began their run chase cautiously, with paceman Taine Haverman and left-arm spinner Dhilan Naraidu keeping David de Bruyn and Tuswa Phetha quiet. Eventually, though, the opening pair broke the shackles. Together, they added 55 for the first wicket before De Bruyn was caught by Lazlo Jooste off the bowling of Ethan Cooper for 21.

Ross McGlashan, who had played a top knock in Northwood’s win over Hilton College in the Schools SA20 final, followed up with a match-winning innings against DHS. He and Phetha seized control of the contest by scoring 65 from 68 balls for the second wicket.

Phetha’s watchful innings ended when he was caught by Ethan Cooper off Nairadu for 49. He had spent 80 balls out in the middle and hit three fours. His dismissal brought captain Kyle White out to the middle, with the Knights needing 58 runs for victory. They got them without losing another wicket.

McGlashan played a fine knock, eventually finishing unbeaten on 80 from just 85 balls, eight of which he dispatched to the boundary. White, meanwhile, gave him a dependable partner and accumulated 19 not out from 29 deliveries.

With 63 balls to spare and eight wickets in hand, it was yet another impressive victory for the Knights. Express fast bowler Bayanda Majola might have helped the DHS cause, but he was unable to bowl and Northwood delivered an outstanding mature performance.

Their showing, maybe, highlighted the difference in the preparation of the sides. The Knights had not only played four matches in the Schools SA20 KZN finals over the previous two days, but they had also played three matches at the Grey College Festival in Bloemfontein before the start of the first term. DHS, unfortunately, had four pre-season games in the iHlobo Festival rained out.

Glenwood High vs Hilton College

In Durban’s south, Hilton College, the winners by 27 runs over Glenwood in a Schools SA20 match on Friday, found themselves on the wrong end of a one-sided loss on Saturday when they tackled the Green Machine.

Hilton captain Ben Hockly won the toss and opted to bat first on Dixon’s. That decision blew up in his face as Glenwood’s bowlers rolled the visitors for only 42 in 19.3 overs. Hilton had rocked Maritzburg College in the Schools SA20 on Friday, bowling the Red, Black, and White out for only 55, but they discovered what it felt like to be on the receiving end the very next day.

They lost Hockly early, with the total on two, but Hilton pressed on, reaching 16 before a second wicket went down. Suddenly, it became a procession of batsmen entering and departing the field of play.

Simon Steyn was the only one to reach doubles figures, and he barely made it, scoring 11. Remarkably, the last four batsmen in the order were dismissed for ducks.

Up front, Riley Foxcraft knocked over 2/11 in five overs for Glenwood, while Mishael Gunawardana claimed the prize wicket of the in-form Alex Pitman. It was the spinners, though, who laid waste to Hilton’s batting. Kyle Bryan snared 4/10 in 5.3 overs and Akhil Maharaj snatched 3/6 in five as Hilton folded.

Chasing only 43 for victory, Glenwood lost Karabo Ntsieng before there was a run on the board, but even an average partnership would be enough for the Green Machine to make a serious dent in their run chase and they received 28 runs from Rehaan Jhungbathur and Krian Jugoo before Jhungbathur was caught by Robert Burman off the bowling of Simon Steyn for 17.

Jugoo maintained his end, going on to finish with 17 not out, as Glenwood scored a dominant seven-wicket win with 36.3 overs in hand.

Steyn picked up 2/13 in 2.3 overs, and Sechaba Gude claimed 1/8 in four, but Hilton’s bowlers had little to defend and Glenwood romped to victory.

Summarised scorecards

Durban High School 177/10 (Taine Haverman 42, Joshua van Biljon 42, Bayanda Majola 26, Jamie Wimble 3/37, Ben Cilliers 2/28, Jordan Matthews 2/34); Northwood 181/2 (Ross McGlashan 80*, Tuswa Phetha 49, David de Bruyn 21). Northwood won by eight wickets.

Hilton College 42/10 (Simon Steyn 11, Kyle Bryan 4/10, Akhil Maharaj 3/6, Riley Foxcraft 2/11); Glenwood 43/3 (Krian Jugoo 17*, Rehaan Jgungbathur 17, Simon Steyn 2/13). Glenwood won by 7 wickets.

Northwood School became the inaugural champion of the Schools SA20 in KwaZulu-Natal after edging out Hilton College on the Pietermaritzburg Oval on Friday afternoon is a roller-coaster ride of a final that delivered thrills and some fine cricket from both teams.

After day one, Maritzburg College was in the driving seat, having won both of their matches on Thursday, but both Northwood and Hilton were one and one and in with a shot at making the title decider. The Knights had beaten Hilton but gone down to College, while Hilton beat Glenwood in their second game.

On Friday, though, Hilton outplayed College, bagging two bonus points after bowling out the Red, Black, and White for just 55 to win by 46 runs. Northwood, meanwhile, comfortably handled Glenwood, winning by six wickets with 32 balls to spare.

That set up a rematch of the finalists’ opening game, which had also been played on the Pietermaritzburg Oval, with Northwood winning by five wickets, with only three balls in hand on that occasion. This time it was for the title.

After winning the toss, Hilton captain Ben Hockly, elected to bat. He and his opening partner Alex Pitman turned that decision into a very good one. They looked comfortable from ball one.

Hockly played the shot of the match in the early going, sending a half-volley from Thabiso Mtambo over extra cover for six with a beautiful flourish of the bat. At the other end, Alex Pitman produced a gem of an innings. He kept the Northwood bowlers off balance with innovative shot-making and clever judgement, sometimes hitting out and at others playing with soft hands to steal quick singles. It was a knock of the highest class.

Together, Hockly and Pitman raced to 57 in the seventh over before the skipper was bowled by left-arm spinner Jordan Matthews for 21 from 15 deliveries.

With Pitman dominating, he and Robert Burman added 34 for the second wicket before Matthews struck again, castling Burman for 12 from 16.

Pitman fell in the 14th over, which reduced Hilton to 97/3, when he offered Ben Cilliers a simple caught and bowled chance. The opening batsman was disappointed to provide a tame dismissal after an excellent innings.

Northwood captain Kyle White spread his field to prevent Hilton’s batsmen from going for the big shot and that worked to bring the Knights two wickets as both Simon Steyn and Stewart Falconer holed out in the deep. Jayden Roux chipped in with 12, but Hilton, after a superb start, lost some momentum and finished with 131/6. It was a solid total, but they will know it could have been better.

Matthews finished with 2/21 from his four overs, while White bagged 2/26, also from four. Off-spinner Ben Cilliers snapped up 1/21 from four, as the spinners pulled the Knights back into the contest after Hilton’s fast start.

If they were going to challenge, Hockly and company, Northwood needed a good start. They got it. Although not quite as rapid as Hilton’s, it was, nonetheless, exactly what the doctor ordered.

David de Bruyn and Ross McGlashan started off manipulating the ball off the bat to get the scoreboard rolling. Later, though, when opportunities arose, they were not afraid to hit out, and that brought McGlashan a couple of sixes.

He and De Bruyn shared an opening stand of 66 before McGlashan was removed, LBW to Simon Steyn for 40 from 31, with a four and those aforementioned sixes. Northwood was on 66/1 after 10 overs.

“They stuck to their game plan, which was almost to play tip ‘n run cricket, and I think they did that superbly,” Northwood captain Kyle White said afterwards.

“When we needed to go, we went, and that’s what paid off. As soon as we got out of the power play, and the field was spread, hitting out is usually not really what you do, but as soon as the fielders were out it was almost as if we had been freed up a bit.”

Five runs after McGlashan’s departure, De Bruyn was caught by Obakeng Motsepa off the bowling of Simon Steyn for 29 from 34. The fact that he didn’t hit a single boundary reflected how well the opening pair had run between the wickets. Tuswa Phetha followed that playbook, contributing a vital 23 not out from 26 balls, without the aid of a boundary.

The balance of the contest swayed as the remaining balls diminished. Hilton did a good job of restricting boundaries, but Northwood kept the scoreboard ticking over, scrambling for every run, while Hilton missed out on two decent run out opportunities.

The Midlands’ school worked hard to tighten the screws on the Knights, but, with one massive blow, Northwood’s captain Kyle White turned the tide with a timely six. He led from the front, cracking 28 from 21 balls before being caught by Jayden Roux off the bowling of Sechaba Gude when the total was 120. Victory, though, was in sight.

Once again, as they had done on Thursday against Hilton, Northwood made it with three balls to spare, but this time they had seven wickets in hand.

It was a contest worthy of a final and the result was in the balance until the end.

“All credit to the guys for their guts and, especially to Hilton. They played very well,” Knights’ skipper Kyle White said.

“We knew they’re very strong up front. They have two classy openers. But we backed our spinners through the middle overs and then we produced good death bowling.”

“We’ve had a slow start in the past couple of games, but it’s about sticking to the processes, which is good for us.”

After underperforming in the early part of 2024’s fourth term, Northwood has turned a corner and they’re a team that returns a lot of players, which makes them dangerous.

“The way we ended off last year, in terms of the Schools SA20 KZN Dolphins’ competition, and then going to Bloemfontein (to the Grey College Cricket Festival), our process has been really good, and we have stuck to it, and we have understood the game plan,” White said.

“We’re looking to make a big statement this year.”

Summarised scorecards

Glenwood 109/7 (Karabo Ntsieng 23, Kamogelo Moloto 23, Kenzo Mchunu 21, Jamie Wimble 3/15); Northwood 110/4 (Ross McGlashan 42, Jamie Wimble 31*, Kyle White 21, Akhil Maharaj 3/21). Northwood won by six wickets.

Hilton College 101/8 (Ben Hockly 25, Alex Pitman 22, Daniel Nadasan 3/8, Karl Dedekind 2/24); Maritzburg College 55/10 (Dominic du Toit 15, Luke Campbell 3/9, Obakeng Motsepa 3/15, Jayden Roux 2/8). Hilton College won by 46 runs.

Final

Hilton College 131/6 (Alex Pitman 58, Ben Hockly 21, Jordan Matthews 2/21, Kyle White 2/26); Northwood 132/3 (Ross McGlashan 40, David de Bruyn 29, Kyle White 28, Tuswa Phetha 23*, Simon Steyn 2/21). Northwood won by seven wickets.

The girls’ final of the KwaZulu-Natal region, played at the Pietermaritzburg Oval on Friday morning, pitted Dr John L Dube High School against Bonginhlanhla High for the title of the Schools SA20 champions of KZN.

Batting first after winning the toss, Bonginhlanha, led by a good knock from opening batter, Ngwenya Nombulelo, posted 79/8, with Nombulelo responsible for 29 of those runs, including two of the three fours her team scored.

She and Hlatshwayo Sbongankoke shared a stand of 44 for the fourth wicket before Sbongankoke let her concentration slip and was stumped off the bowling of Zama Mdunga for 12.

From there, the innings lost its impetus as Bonginhlanha slumped from 71/3 to 79/8 just when they needed to accelerate their scoring in the final overs of their innings.

Dr John L Dube’s reply was impressive, with Enthle Mkhalipa and Amahle Ndlanzi sharing an opening partnership of 44 before Ndlanzi was run out.

The duo had looked in complete control after safely negotiating the first five overs and had taken advantage of a misfield off the ball before Ndlanzi fell to score two runs. Then, when the ball was bobbled by a fielder off the next delivery, they misjudged it and Ndlanzi was run out for 13 from 31 after trying for a second run that wasn’t there.

Hlengiwe Dlamini, in at three, chipped in with eight from a 14-ball stay. Crucially, though, she provided a solid foil to Mkhalipa’s attacking play. They put on 34 for the second wicket, bringing Dr John L Dube to within three runs of victory before Dlamini departed.

Shortly after that, it was all over, with the KwaMashu school winning by eight wickets with 26 balls in hand.

Dr John L Dube coach Mzwandile Sibiya said his school has been playing cricket for only five years. The results, truly, are remarkable and the enthusiasm for the game is through the roof.

He said support from the school, as well as a donation from the Kagiso Rabada Foundation, which provided Dr John L Dube with equipment, had served as inspiration and enabled the school to perform strongly.

“They have fallen in love with cricket,” Sibiya said about his team and their parents.

“The principal, everyone, was so happy that we were going to play in the final. You could see the goosebumps!”

Sibiya said most of his players have played provincial cricket already, but, he suggested, there was more to come from them because, he felt, they lacked some sharpness having only recently returned from school holidays.

He touched on some reasons for his players’ successes, saying they started playing the game young, at eight or nine years of age, and they also played club cricket. Some of the players had only just moved up from the u13 ranks, but they were not out of their depth.

“If you don’t have young players, you don’t have a future,” he said.

Many of his players have played club cricket with national team players, and the success of the South African women’s cricket team has inspired them; they see what is possible.

The introduction of the Schools SA20 has expanded the cricket possibilities for girls. It’s an exciting innovation that has created opportunities that are needed to grow the game. On that point, one should consider the losing finalists, Bonginhlanhla, who played some good cricket.

They’re not from one of the big urban areas and had to drive five hours to Pietermaritzburg for the final. Yet, they showed that cricket is alive and growing in all corners of KZN and that girls have embraced the game and the opportunities it offers.

Summarised scorecard

Bonginhlanha High 79/8 (Ngwenya Nombulelo 29, , Anelisa Mhlongo 2/7, Zukiswa Miya 2/14); Dr John L Dube High School 81/2 (Enthle Mkhalipa 41*, Sihle Mamba 1/13). Dr John L Dube won by 8 wickets.