Author: captainmorgan

Maritzburg College beat Northwood by 12 runs on Thursday afternoon at the Pietermaritzburg Oval in a key Schools SA20 clash to put themselves in a strong position to claim one of the places in Friday’s final for the KwaZulu-Natal region.

Nothing has yet been decided after the opening day, however.

In a meeting of the teams that had won their morning matches, College mustered just over 100 runs and then dismissed the Knights for just under 100.

The Red, Black, and White posted 105/6 in their 20 overs, led by Sphamandla Dzanibe‘s 29 from 37, which included one turbo-charged six off Ben Cilliers, over mid-wicket.

Up front, Tuskers’ Khaya Majola Week opener, Daniel Nadasan, weighed in with 27 from 34, also with a single six. Wicketkeeper Tian van Niekerk made a useful contribution, tallying 18 from 19 before he was run out.

Northwood bowled well. They don’t possess much pace in their attack, but good lines and lengths, and judicious use of flight made the College batsmen work hard for their runs.

Left-arm spinner Jordan Matthews snared 2/12 from his four overs, while Luke Allen and Kyle White bowled two overs each and together conceded only 14 runs.

When the Knights visited the crease, Maritzburg College got stuck into them early, with Samuel Hughes doing the damage by removing the first three batsmen with only 10 runs on the board. He went on the capture 3/11 from three. Nathan Pembridge also got his teeth into the top and middle order and claimed 3/17 from three.

However, two of the most important wickets went the way of College’s fielders, with top scorer, Jamie Wimble being run out for 23 from 23, which included a six, and the third-highest scorer, Luke Allen, being run out for 18 from 17. Alistair Duncan was the only other batsman to make it into double figures, chipping in with 19 from 26.

Northwood’s run chase was ended with seven balls remaining, with the Durban boys all out for 93.

In the morning, Northwood had beaten Hilton College by five wickets, with three balls to spare. Meanwhile, Hilton handed Glenwood a 27-run loss on Goldstone’s in their afternoon outing to match Northwood’s record of one win and one loss.

Should Hilton beat College on Friday and Northwood defeat Glenwood, that would leave Hilton, Maritzburg College, and Northwood with two wins and one loss each. There is much to play for.

Opening batsman Alex Pitman led the way for coach David Griffiths‘ charges against Glenwood, cracking five fours and a six off of 50 deliveries, which brought him 58 runs. He and Robert Burman, who weighed in with 21 from 17, added 33 for the second wicket, while Pitman and Ben Erasmus added 31 for the fourth wicket.

The left-handed opener was the fifth man out in the 18th over, with Hilton on 112/5. They lost four more wickets as they hit out at the end, eventually finishing on 133/9.

Kamogelo Moloto benefitted from Hilton’s risky approach late in their innings, knocking over 4/16 in four overs. Krian Jugoo did a good job, bagging 1/20 in four, while Riley Foxcraft took 1/11 in two.

Up front, though, Hilton batted well, which ended up costing the usually immaculate off-spinner Kyle Bryan more than 10 runs an over.

When Glenwood batted, paceman Sechaba Gude struck twice early to remove the openers, Kressan Pillai and Donté van Wyk, which reduced the Green Machine to 9/2.

Krian Jugoo and Karabo Ntsieng, then, combined effectively to add 50 runs in 9.3 overs. Unfortunately for Glenwood, their strong partnership was ended by a run out, which saw Ntsieng depart for 19 from 32.

Jugoo continued and lasted until the 15th over, scoring 44 from 41 balls, with three fours and two sixes, before he was caught by Robert Burman off the bowling of David Hill.

Mishael Gunawardana, who had batted well in the morning against Maritzburg College, continued in the same vein, making 17 not out from just 11 deliveries, but, all around him, batsmen fell cheaply.

David Hill and Luke Campbell were mostly responsible for that, with Hill picking up a tidy 3/17 from four overs, while Campbell nabbed 3/21 from his four as Glenwood succumbed, restricted to 106/9 after their 20 overs.

It was a crucial win for Hilton, and it ensured that an intriguing day’s play lies in wait on Friday, which will also include the girls’ final between Dr JL Dube and Bonginhlanha on the Pietermaritzburg Oval in the morning.

Summarised scorecards

Maritzburg College 105/6 (Sphamandla Dzanibe 29, Daniel Nadasan 27, Jordan Matthews 2/12); Northwood School 93/10 (Jamie Wimble 23, Samuel Hughes 3/11, Nathan Pembridge 3/17). Maritzburg College won by 12 runs.

Hilton College 133/9 (Alex Pitman 58, Robert Burman 21, Kamogelo Moloto 4/16); Glenwood High School 106/9 (Krian Jugoo 44, Luke Campbell 3/21, David Hill 3/17). Hilton College won by 27 runs.

The Goldstone’s pitch offered a little bit of extra juice on Thursday morning as the KZN finals of the Schools SA20 got underway.

Maritzburg College vs Glenwood High School

Maritzburg College made full use of the favourable bowling conditions to restrict Glenwood to only 87/8. That was, very nearly, enough for the Durban school to pull off a victory.

Check out DStv Channel 216 and the SuperSport Schools App for live coverage of the Schools SA20

It was a good toss to win, and College struck early and often to have Glenwood wobbling on 19/4 after seven overs. Opening bowler Reece Willson was at the forefront of their challenge, removing three of the top four batsmen in the order, on his way to a superb return of 3/9 from his four overs.

Glenwood scrambled and added 21 for the fifth wicket, which went down with the total on 40. Unfortunately, for the Green Machine, 40/5 soon became 42/7.

At last, though, they found some traction when Rehaan Jhungbathur and Mishael Gunawardana joined forces. Together, they added 45 from 47 deliveries before Gunawardana was run out for 26 from 28 at the end of the Glenwood innings. Jhungbathur finished with 14 not out from 22.

Gunawardena made batting look a lot easier than his teammates had made it, finishing with an unbeaten 25 from 28 deliveries.

Willson’s outstanding spell was well supported by Karl Dedekind, who returned a miserly 1/10 from four, while Dom du Toit picked up 2/7 in two, and Sphamandla Dzanibe 1/19 from four.

While College might have had their eyes on a bonus point win, it quickly became a matter of survival as their innings spluttered from the start. It began with Ewald Bester being run out and soon the Red, Black, and White found themselves on 18/4.

Then, Karl Dedekind’s first scoring shot was a six, but it went through the hands of a fielder before clearing the boundary. That was one of three catches that Glenwood put down, and they also made a mess of a run out; they had more than enough chances to win the game.

Dedekind, meanwhile, went on to score 22 from 20 before he holed out to Kressan Pillai off the bowling of Akhil Maharaj. However, he and Luan van der Merwe had changed the momentum of the contest, sharing a stand of 41 for the fifth wicket in 46 balls.

Van der Merwe had played well for his runs, but he needed a partner to help him see College home. Kyle de Bruin duly played his part. The pair added 30 from 34 balls to take their side to victory with three overs and five wickets to spare.

Van der Merwe made 31 from 43, while De Bruin chipped in with 19 from 20.

Gunawardana sparkled for Glenwood, capturing 2/12 in three overs, while Kyle Bryan kept College in check, snaring 1/12 in four. Maharaj’s return was 1/16 in 3.

Hilton College vs Northwood School

On the Pietermaritzburg Oval, Hilton College started strongly against Northwood but lost momentum midway through their innings. That came back to bite them, with the Knights winning by five wickets, with three balls in hand.

Batting first, Hilton lost their openers by the time they had 30 runs on the board in the fifth over. Then, three batsmen – Robert Burman (25), Simon Steyn (27), and Jayden Roux (22*) – got in but didn’t make it out of the twenties.

Steyn delivered a dash of excitement, smashing a six and two fours in a 19-ball stay, while, at the end of the innings, Obakeng Motsepa weighed in with an unbeaten 22 from 23 as Hilton finished with 117/7 from their 20 overs, which included Motsepa and Roux combining for an unbroken partnership of 40.

Jordan Matthews was the pick of the Northwood bowlers, claiming 3/23 from his four overs. Ben Cilliers, meanwhile, heaped pressure on Hilton with his tight bowling, which earned him 1/12 from four.

Northwood’s successful reply owed plenty to opening batsman, David de Bruyn, who did a fine job anchoring the Durban side’s innings. He contributed 45 from 41 balls, striking two fours and a six, which made up 38 percent of their runs.

The Knights found their reply hamstrung by two run outs, but Alistair Duncan helped stabilise the innings with 20 not out from 25 balls, with a six. Jamie Wimble also cracked a six in a useful 17 from 13 before he departed with the total on 105.

Connor Leclezio then partnered with Alistair Duncan to take Northwood to victory.

Luke Campbell led the Hilton attack with a return of 1/18 from four, while David Hill bagged 1/21 from four, too.

Summarised scorecards

Glenwood 87/8 (Mishael Gunawardene 25*, Reece Willson 3/9); Maritzburg College 88/5 (Luan van der Merwe 29*, Karl Dedekind 23, Mishael Gunawardena 2/12). Maritzburg College won by 5 wickets.

Hilton College 117/7 (Simon Steyn 27, Robert Burman 25, Jayden Roux 22*, Obakeng Motsepa 22*, Jordan Matthews 3/23); Northwood 118/5 (David de Bruyn 45, Alistair Duncan 20*, Luke Campbell 1/18). Northwood won by 5 wickets.

The 2025 schools’ cricket season in KwaZulu-Natal hits the ground running with the final round of the province’s Schools SA20 matches being contested in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday and Friday.

Four boys’ schools – Northwood, Glenwood, Hilton College, and Maritzburg College – will be in action, while Dr JL Dube and Bongi Hlanhla, who have already booked their place in the girls’ final, face off on Friday morning.

Check out DStv Channel 216 and the SuperSport Schools App for live coverage of the Schools SA20

The boys’ sides are the top two finishers from the Dolphins‘ and Tuskers‘ regions and it was the coastal region’s Northwood and Glenwood who showed just how unpredictable the T20 game can be. Overall, teams like Westville, Kearsney, Clifton, and Durban High School (DHS), enjoyed more consistent seasons, but when the chips were down, the Knights and the Green Machine rose to the challenge.

If anything, it was Northwood who surprised more because they suffered a late-season dip in form. However, credit to them, they delivered the performances and the results they needed to comfortably overcome Clifton and Glenwood. Clifton had accounted for a dangerous DHS team, which won the Clifton T20 in the first term, earlier in the competition.

Recently, at the Grey Festival in Bloemfontein, Northwood scored wins over Selborne College and St Andrew’s School in T20 clashes but went down to Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom (Volkies) in a two-day contest. Based on their end-of-year results and their start to 2025, the Knights appear better equipped in the shorter format of the game.

Their line-up also has a very familiar look to it, with the majority of last year’s 1st XI returning in 2025. That experience will, no doubt, stand them in good stead.

Glenwood showed typical grit to hold on for a draw in their two-day match against Menlopark in Bloemfontein, but they suffered T20 losses to Volkies and Grey College.

They’ve bade some long-time stars farewell, including Bandile Mbatha and Ntando Soni, who were both selected for the SA u19 ODI squad after Cricket South Africa’s Cubs Week. However, like Northwood, they bring back many players.

In Bloemfontein, their batsmen struggled with consistency, and their batting will be the key to their challenge. They have experience in the top order, but those players will need to deliver.

Hilton College, meanwhile, produced mixed results at the Peninsula Cricket Festival in Cape Town. The fact of the matter, though, is that schools from outside of the Western Cape have found it extremely challenging playing the early-season event over the past couple of years.

They were soundly beaten by SACS and Rondebosch, but scored a narrow win over Pretoria Boys High and cruised to a comfortable seven-wicket win over Wynberg in their last outing.

Again, look down their team list and there are many players with considerable 1st XI experience. Hilton, too, has demonstrated a sound understanding of how to play the T20 game, and that should stand them in good stead at Maritzburg College. They beat College in the Tuskers’ final by putting up a solid 160/7 against a College team that enjoys strong bowling depth.

The bigger question for the Red, Black, and White lies on the batting side where some leading run producers, including SA Schools‘ all-rounder Chad Mason, opening batsman Llewellyn Sutherland, Oliver da Costa, and Michael Gibson, need to be replaced. At the Ihlobo Festival, College showed, though, that they bat all the way down the order, and they were twice able to overcome slow starts to defeat Kearsney College and St John’s College (Harare).

Will playing two of their three matches at home afford them an additional boost? Hilton beat them at Hilton in the Tuskers’ final, but whether in cricket or rugby, Goldstone’s usually serves Maritzburg College well, and that’s where they will meet Hilton this time around.

FIXTURES

Thursday, 16 January, 09:00

Northwood vs Hilton College, Maritzburg Oval
Glenwood vs Maritzburg College, Goldstone’s

Thursday, 16 January, 13:30

Maritzburg College vs Northwood, Maritzburg Oval
Hilton College vs Glenwood, Goldstone’s

Friday, 17 January, 09:00

Dr JL Dube vs Bonginhlanhla, Maritzburg Oval
Hilton College vs Maritzburg College, Goldstone’s
Glenwood vs Northwood, Barns’

Friday, 17 January, 13:30

No. 1 vs No. 2, Maritzburg Oval

After a tight contest against Falcon College on Wednesday, which ended on a knife’s edge when the rain came down, Clifton College scored a solid 49-run win over St Alban’s College, who had won their previous two matches, on the last day of the iHlobo Festival at Kearsney College in Botha’s Hill.

The Pretoria school won the toss and chose to field first. In the early going, their bowlers challenged the Clifton batsmen well, with the Durban side’s openers departing by the time they had 30 runs on the board.

Then, when Bryon Ward fell, with the total on 61, captain Tim Saulez was joined out in the middle by Zach Williamson and they proceeded to seize control of the contest.

Together, they added 109 for the fourth wicket before Williamson was run out for 34 from 54. Saulez followed on the same total, bowled by Christian Visage for 75 from 88, with eight fours. The pair had done a fine job.

Cristiano Borrageiro and Shiraz Perumal ensured that Clifton’s innings didn’t run out of steam late, striking some cracking shots, including a massive six by Borrageiro, to boost their team to 197/5 after their 40 overs, which pleased coach Brandon Scullard.

Christian Visage led the St Alban’s attack, bowling economically and with penetration to capture 2/23 from eight overs.

In reply, the northerners got off to a quick start, thanks mostly to Wayne Kruger, who made 16 from 23 balls. He was, however, out one run after his opening partner, Reabetswe Mukoka, fell, which left St Alban’s on 34/2.

Liam Basch was the pick of their batsmen, contributing 37 from 51 deliveries, but St Alban’s was undone by a stunning collapse, which saw them tumble from 100/3 to 104/7. They managed to add another 44 runs for the last three wickets, but it was nowhere near enough.

Blake Johnson was the destroyer in chief, snaring 5/23 in 6.4 overs, while Shiraz Perumal continued his assault on Clifton’s bowling records with 2/29 from eight. In the end, St Alban’s was all out for 148, with the experienced Clifton side delivering a good all-round performance.

Kearsney College vs Uplands College

In the first of their two matches on Thursday, Kearsney College enjoyed a comfortable 82-run win over Uplands College on the AH Smith Oval.

They were rocked early on, though, stumbling to 7/3 in the third over of their innings, thanks to a fine opening spell from left-arm paceman Leam van Zyl, who bagged two wickets, including a superb caught behind, while some sharp fielding produced a run out.

Opening batsman Rivan Moodley stood firm, but, with wickets falling around him, his scoring rate was slow. Eventually, though, the home side began to find their way.

Daniel Miskey delivered a good knock. His decisive and aggressive shot-making is one of his strengths and it brought him 22 runs from 20 balls, with a six and three fours.

Jason de Gryse and Aaron Blackburn combined for a 48-run partnership for the sixth wicket, which was a vital contribution. Blackburn was out for 26 from 25, but De Gryse went on to record an unbeaten 45 from 36 balls, with five fours, as Kearsney tallied 138/7.

The Uplands’ batsmen, as they had done on Wednesday, struggled with the slightly damp pitch. Opener Ethan Yorke made 13, but he was the only one to make it beyond single figures as Uplands limped to 56 all out.

Kearsney opening bowler Michael Groom revelled in the conditions, ripping apart the Uplands’ top order as he bagged 3/10 in three.

Rivan Moodley snared 2/5 in three, while the remaining wickets were shared around as Kearsney employed eight bowlers, with seven of them picking up wickets.

Kearsney College vs Falcon College

In the 30-overs-a-side clash, which followed Kearsney’s win over Uplands, Falcon College, after winning the toss, put up 163/9, led by an assured innings from opener Alistair Carle, who played some beautiful shots, striking eight fours in his 50 from 56 deliveries.

Zach Gover produced some fireworks, launching three balls over the boundary and three into it, as he charged his way to 40 from 27 deliveries.

Zane Sibanda, in at 11, produced a vital knock, along with his tenth-wicket partner, Joshua Littlewood. They both finished on 13 not out, but, crucially, they advanced the Falcon College total from 137/9 to 163/9 with an unbroken stand of 26.

Kearsney’s opening bowlers did well. Litha Gonya snapped up 3/24 in six, while Michael Groom picked up 2/24 in six. Bonga Maphanga produced a fine contribution, taking 2/16 from five.

The home side’s response was halting. They found themselves three wickets down after nine overs, with only 29 runs on the board. Asher Hollister, in at four, offered strong resistance, however. He and Jonty Wiggett moved the score along to 64 before Wiggett was sent packing for seven.

Hollister continued on his merry way, making hay, but he needed someone to help construct a telling partnership. Unfortunately for Kearsney, that didn’t happen. Bonga Maphanga, batting ninth, finished with the second-highest score of 10, while Hollister showed what was possible, scoring a well-played 64 from 71 deliveries, which included four fours and a six.

In the end, though, Kearsney was all out for 129 and Falcon scored a decisive 34-run victory.

Falcon’s bowlers enjoyed a good day out. Dmitry Fatch wrapped up the game to end with 3/18, Zach Gover captured 2/14, Liam Nel 2/19, and Zane Sibanda 2/33.

It’s likely to be a rebuilding year for Kearsney, who surrendered some outstanding talent at the end of 2024, including SA Schools’ batsman Ross Coetzee and SA Colts’ fast bowler Sandiswa Yeni, among others. It might be a tough year, but players, like Hollister, have shown there is talent in the ranks.

David Mutendera, the coach of St John’s College (Harare), felt that Falcon might be the team to beat in Zimbabwe in 2025, and their performances have suggested he could be right.

Maritzburg College vs St John’s College

St John’s, meanwhile, did themselves no favours by surrendering 60 extras, including 32 wides, which proved to be the highest contributor to Maritzburg College‘s 250 all out in their clash on Osler Field.

The Rams got stuck into College’s batting line-up quickly, removing both openers, Akhil Bharath and Daniel Nadasan, with only seven runs scored. Ewald Bester and Luan van der Merwe stopped the rot, though, adding 81 from 93 balls, to settle the Red, Black, and White‘s batting effort.

Van der Merwe fell, with College on 88, after scoring 28 runs, and Deolin Naidoo followed on the same score, run out. Four runs later, it was the turn of Van der Merwe to take the walk back to the side of the field after he had scored 32. At 92/5, St John’s had worked their way back into the contest.

College’s lower order, which featured some experienced players, turned the tide. Sphamandla Dzanibe, in at 10, starred, making 50 from 55 balls, with two fours and two sixes, while Karl Dedekind played his part with 42 from 29, and Kyle de Bruin added a valuable 22.

St John’s captain Connor Lovatt led his side’s attack well, picking up 3/19 in four, while Hayden Saunders took 2/26 in 6.2 overs.

At this early stage of the season, and given the changes in the Maritzburg College team, coach Robbie Coutts believes their bowling is more their strength than their batting, and his bowlers helped to deliver a 56-run win. Opening bowler Samuel Hughes had plenty to do with that. He bagged 5/54 in 10 overs, while Nathan Pembridge returned 2/32 from 10 tidy overs.

The Rams offered some good resistance, with their hard-hitting captain Connor Lovatt pounding four sixes and two fours in his 40 from 30 balls. Riley Ettlin played a more circumspect knock, weighing in with 37 from 72, while opener, Brandon Kalonga, also took the longer route, making 36 from 83.

For a long time, St John’s was in the game, but a late innings collapse, which saw them reduced from 170/6 to 175/9 proved decisive. They were all out for 194.

Summarised scorecards

40 overs

Clifton College 197/5 (Tim Saulez 75, Zach Williamson 34, Byron Ward 26, Christian Visage 2/23); St Alban’s College 148/10 (Liam Basch 37, Blake Johnson 5/23, Shiraz Perumal 2/29).

Clifton College won by 49 runs.

T20

Kearsney 138/7 (Jason de Gryse 45*, Aaron Blackburn 26, Daniel Miskey 22, Leam van Zyl 2/20); Uplands College 56/10 (Michael Groom 3/10, Rivan Moodley 2/5).

Kearsney won by 82 runs.

30 overs

Falcon College 163/9 (Alistair Carle 50, Zach Gover 40, Litha Gonya 3/24, Bonga Maphanga 2/16, Michael Groom 2/24); Kearsney College 129/10 (Asher Hollister 64, Dmitry Fatch 3/18, Zach Gover 2/14, Liam Nel 2/19, Zane Sibanda 2/33).

Falcon won by 34 runs.

50 overs

Maritzburg College 250/10 (Extras 60, Sphamandla Dzanibe 50, Karl Dedekind 42, Ewald Bester 32, Luan van der Merwe 28, Kyle de Bruin 22, Connor Lovatt 3/19, Hayden Saunders 2/26); St John’s 194/10 (Connor Lovatt 40, Riley Ettlin 37, Brandon Kalonga 36, Shivaan Chouhan, Samuel Hughes 5/54, Nathan Pembridge 2/32).

Maritzburg College won by 56 runs.

On Wednesday, day three of the iHlobo Festival, the weather relented somewhat, allowing for three matches to be played, but a late afternoon downpour meant only two of the three were completed, with Maritzburg College and St Alban’s College scoring wins.

Kearsney College vs Maritzburg College

Playing on Matterson Field, Kearsney College won the toss and chose to send Maritzburg College in to bat in a T20 clash. That decision was rewarded with early success with the Maritzburg men crawling their way to 29/4 after 9.4 overs.

Opener Akhil Barath kept his cool, though, and struck eight fours in the innings’ highest score of 53 from 56 balls. He was out off the second last ball of the College’s 20 overs, but, thankfully for the coach Robbie Coutts’ charges, Barath had found good support from Tian van Niekerk.

The College wicketkeeper showed off his batting chops with an unbeaten 34 from 30 deliveries, with three fours, and together with Barath added 83 off 62 balls for the fifth wicket.

Bonga Maphanga was the most successful of the home side’s bowlers, claiming 2/23 from his four overs. Up front, Litha Gonya, with 1/8 from two, and Michael Groom, with 0/7 from three, placed College under pressure.

In reply, Kearsney made a cleaner start than Maritzburg College. They lost Jonty Wiggett with 11 runs on the board but then advanced to 35 before losing their second wicket at the start of the second over. The problem was that they lost another four for the addition of only two runs.

With two balls remaining in the ninth over, Kearsney was struggling on 38/6 and by the end of the 12^th over they were in deep trouble on 46/8.

Down but not out, the home side’s last three batsmen fought a valiant fight. James Bishop and Daniel Miskey tacked on 26 from 22 balls for the ninth wicket before Bishop fell for 10.

Miskey kept attacking and together with Michael Groom partnered for a tenth wicket stand of 30 from 24 balls before Miskey’s brave counter-attacking knock was ended when he was caught by a combination of College’s opening bowlers, with Sam Hughes pouching the opportunity off the bowling of Reece Willson.

It was, however, Tuskers’ Khaya Majola Week bowler, Sphamandla Dzanibe, and Dominic Du Toit who put the skids under Kearsney’s reply. Dzanibe caused the host’s batsmen all kinds of trouble with his left-arm seamers, capturing a sparkling 3/4 in four overs, while Du Toit nabbed four wickets for 18 in four.

St Alban’s College vs Uplands College

St Alban’s College was well on the way to a T20 win over Uplands College on the AH Smith Oval, but rain almost put paid to their chances of victory with only 12 runs needed and all 10 wickets in hand. Eventually, though, they were able to return to the crease and went on to a 10-wicket victory, which followed a 15-run win over Falcon College on Tuesday.

Uplands mustered only 60/9 in their 20 overs after being sent in to bat, with Aiden van Zyl‘s 10 the best of their batting efforts.

That meant that there were some good-looking bowling figures from the St Alban’s bowlers. The wickets were spread around. Luke Ward snapped up 2/4 in four, Christian Visage claimed 2/6 in 4, Liam Basch 2/7 in four, and Kyle Earle 2/14 in four.

Ethan Nel, then, followed up his 37 against Falcon with an unbeaten 30 from 34, with four fours, while Wayne Kruger was on 24 not out from 37 balls when St Alban’s achieved victory with 8.1 overs to spare.

Clifton College vs Falcon College

Clifton College and Falcon College opted for a 30-overs-a-side game and almost managed to complete it. When rain brought it to an end, the contest was finely poised.

The Zimbabwean school chose to bat first and made a solid start, with their openers, Alistair Carle and Reed Merick putting on 33 for the first wicket before Carle departed for 15. Merick went on to score 29. He was the fourth man out as Falcon slid from 54/2 to 62/7.

However, some lusty hitting from Liam Nel, especially, boosted Falcon to 123 all out, with Nel cracking two fours and two sixes in a hard-hitting 31 from 36 balls. James Thompson hit three fours to finish on 15 not out from nine.

Clifton’s bowlers were led by the attacking leg-spinner Shiraz Perumal, who snared 4/26 in six to add another strong return after a record-breaking 2024 during which he established a school record for the most wickets in a calendar year.

Gabriel Vermeulen lent good support, picking up 2/15 in five, while Caleb Naicker did well, taking 2/15 in his five. Captain Tim Saulez weighed in with 2/25 from 4.1.

In reply, Clifton made a decent start to their innings, with Muhammed Malik and Hayden Drieselmann putting on 28 for the first wicket.

A short while later, Falcon claimed two wickets within the space of four balls, to send Malik and Byron Ward packing, which left Clifton on 46/3 in the 12^th over.

Zach Williamson and Tim Saulez moved the score along to 89 in the 20^th over, but Williamson was then caught and bowled by Darren Ncube for 10. Within the space of 2.4 overs, Clifton tumbled from 89/4 to 94/7.

Saulez was finally dismissed with the total on 104, leaving Clifton scrambling, but, after two runs had been added, the rain came down to prevent a thrilling finish to the contest.

Liam Nel snapped up 2/14, while the opening bowlers, Zach Gover and Darren Ncube, claimed 2/15 and 2/33 respectively.

Revised fixtures

After revising their fixtures on Wednesday, the organisers, again, adjusted them early on Thursday morning because of waterlogged pitches in Durban, where Uplands College had been due to play Durban High School (DHS).

Uplands will, instead, face Kearsney College at 08:00 in a T20 on the AH Smith Oval. The other matches will start at 08:30.

Clifton takes on St Alban’s on Matterson in a 35/40-over game. Maritzburg College and St John’s are on Osler, contesting a 50-over match, and Kearsney, after their outing against Uplands, will play Falcon in a 35/40 over-game.

Unfortunately for DHS, they finish the week without playing a single match

SCORES

T20
Maritzburg College 113/5 (Akhil Barath 53, Tian van Niekerk 34*, Bonga Maphanga 2/23); Kearsney College 102/10 (Daniel Miskey 32, Dominic du Toit 4/18, Sphamandla Dzanibe 3/4, Sam Hughes 2/32).

Maritzburg College won by 11 runs.

T20
Uplands College 60/9 (Luke Barnard 10, Luke Ward 2/4, Christian Visage 2/6, Liam Basch 2/7, Kyle Earle 2/14); St Alban’s College 62/0 (Ethan Nel 30*, Wayne Kruger 23*).

St Alban’s College won by 10 wickets.

30 overs
Falcon College 123/10 (Liam Nel 31, Reed Merick 29, Shiraz Perumal 4/26, Gabriel Vermeulen 2/11, Caleb Naicker 2/15, Tim Saulez 2/25); Clifton College 106/8 (Tim Saulez 34, Muhammed Malik 21, Liam Nel 2/14, Zach Gover 2/15, Zane Sibanda 2/33).

Match rained out.

T10

Kearsney College 124/4 (Jason de Gryse 52, Khulekani Nduku 2/29); St John’s College 1/0 after 0.3 overs.

Match rained out.

With the rain holding off for most of Tuesday, Uplands College and St John’s College (Harare) were able to get in a quick T20 game on day two of the iHlobo Festival at Kearsney College. There was a tighter contest between St Alban’s and Falcon College, with both teams, from outside of KZN, given an opportunity to play ahead of the local sides.

Batting first on Osler Field, Uplands’ innings lasted only 12 overs as the Rams‘ bowlers struck regularly to prevent the White River school from putting together any useful partnerships.

Captain Leam van Zyl clattered three fours at the top of the order, top-scoring with 20 from 18 deliveries, while Luke Barnard blasted a six and two fours in his hasty 18 from 12 balls. but the remainder of the Uplands’ batsmen made five runs or less, which led to them being bowled out for only 68.

Hayden Saunders knocked over 3/4 in two overs, while Shivaan Chouhan bagged 3/14 in three. St John’s captain Connor Lovatt played his part by capturing 2/12 in three.

The Zimbabwean side, then, needed only 9.2 overs to claim a comfortable seven-wicket win.

Up front, opener James Manning anchored the innings with 28 not out from 40 balls, with two fours and a six, while Lovatt returned the same on the boundary front in his quickfire 17 from 9 before he was bowled by Leam van Zyl.

The Uplands’ skipper followed up on recording his team’s highest batting score with their best bowling return, claiming 2/10 in four overs, which included three maidens.

Falcon College had been set to take on Durban High School (DHS) in Durban on Tuesday. Instead, they tackled St Alban’s at Kearsney.

The Pretoria school batted first and tallied 108 all out in 18.5 overs, with only opener Ethan Nel, with 37, and captain Liam Basch, with 34, making it into double figures. Nel’s runs came from 39 balls, while Basch stroked four fours and a six in his 24-ball stay.

Falcon used six bowlers and all of them enjoyed success. Zane Sibanda nabbed 2/6 in two, while Reed Merick took 2/21 in four, and Zach Gover 2/23 in 3.5.

Unfortunately for the Zimbabwean side, they made a miserable start to their run chase, stumbling to 7/3 after two overs.

Callum Orford found the going comfortable, though. He bashed 48 from 40 balls, with two fours and three sixes, but Falcon’s next best return was 12 from Zach Gover.

Although 15 extras helped their total, they never quite were able to challenge the St Alban’s score. After 17.2 overs, Falcon College was all out for 93, leaving St Alban’s the winners by 15 runs.

Mduduzi Mahlangu captured 3/29 in four overs for the Pretoria school, while Luke Ward grabbed 3/33 in his four. Liam Basch, who took the new ball, knocked over 2/8 in three.

SCORES

Uplands College 68/10 (Leam van Zyl 20, Hayden Saunders 3/4, Shivaan Chouhan 3/14, Connor Lovatt 2/12); St John’s College 70/3 (James Manning 28*, Leam van Zyl 2/10).

St John’s won by 7 wickets.

St Alban’s College 108/10 (Ethan Nel 37, Liam Basch 34, Zane Sibanda 2/6, Reed Merick 2/21, Zach Gover 2/23); Falcon College 93/10 (Callum Orford 48, Mduduzi Mahlangu 3/29, Luke Ward 3/33. Liam Basch 2/8).

St Alban’s won by 15 runs.

After extremely hot weather over the weekend, rain moved into the coastal areas of KwaZulu-Natal on Monday and wiped out play on the opening day of Kearsney College‘s iHlobo Festival.

The rainfall hasn’t been heavy, but it has been consistent. Matt Savage, coach of the Kearsney 1st XI, told SuperSport Schools that the organisers hope to get in a T20 game or two on Tuesday afternoon, with the rain expected to stop somewhere around midday to mid-afternoon. The fields drain pretty well, he said, but a lot of rain has fallen.

For the first three days of the festival, 50-over games were scheduled, with a T20 on Thursday, but it has now become a case of hoping to get a T20 in on any day when the weather allows it.

Last year, the switch to the shorter format when rain fell allowed some matches to be completed, but, according to the weather forecasts, it might be only on Thursday that matches are played. That’s when there’s a slight chance of rain. On Tuesday, the forecast of rain is at 65 percent, and on Wednesday it rises to 78 percent.

FIXTURES

Tuesday, 7 January, 50 over

Maritzburg College vs St Alban’s, AH Smith
Kearsney vs Clifton, Matterson
Uplands vs St John’s, Osler
DHS vs Falcon, DHS

Wednesday, 8 January, 50 overs

Clifton vs Falcon, AH Smith
Maritzburg College vs Uplands, Matterson
Kearsney vs St Alban’s, Osler
DHS vs St John’s, DHS

Thursday, 9 January, T20

Kearsney vs Falcon, AH Smith
Clifton vs Uplands, Matterson
Maritzburg College vs St John’s Osler
DHS vs St Alban’s, DHS

While the first term of 2025 is yet to get underway, the schools’ cricket season in KwaZulu-Natal will make its bow on Monday, 6 January, with Kearsney College hosting the annual iHlobo Festival in Botha’s Hill.

The event brings together eight 1^st XIs, including two from Zimbabwe.

The hosts, Kearsney are joined by fellow KZN schools, Clifton College, Durban High School (DHS), and Maritzburg College.

St Alban’s College, from Pretoria, and Uplands College, from White River, Mpumalanga, complete the South African sides, while St John’s College, of Harare, and Falcon College, from Esigodini, are the Zimbabwean representatives.

The event takes place over four days, with the first three featuring 50-overs-a-side matches, and T20 games scheduled for the final day, Thursday, 9 January.

Arguably, the highlight of the opening day will be a showdown between traditional rivals, Maritzburg College and DHS, while Clifton versus Kearsney on Tuesday should reveal something about where the hosts find themselves heading into 2025, with Ross Coetzee (SA Schools) and Sandiswa Yeni (SA Colts) among the players that have matriculated. The Clifton line-up remains largely unchanged.

The Zimbabwean teams add some spice to the festival, and St John’s, who will be up against all of KZN’s big guns a little later in the season at the Clifton T20 Tournament, are a team to keep an eye on. Last year, at their own St John’s Rams T20, they withstood the challenges of Clifton, Kearsney, and Maritzburg College to claim the title.

All of the DHS matches will be played at DHS, with Kearsney hosting the remainder of the fixtures.

FIXTURES

Monday, 6 January, 50 over

Kearsney vs St John’s, AH Smith
Uplands vs Falcon, Matterson
Clifton vs St Alban’s, Osler
DHS vs Maritzburg College, DHS

Tuesday, 7 January, 50 over

Maritzburg College vs St Alban’s, AH Smith
Kearsney vs Clifton, Matterson
Uplands vs St John’s, Osler
DHS vs Falcon, DHS

Wednesday, 8 January, 50 overs

Clifton vs Falcon, AH Smith
Maritzburg College vs Uplands, Matterson
Kearsney vs St Alban’s, Osler
DHS vs St John’s, DHS

Thursday, 9 January, T20

Kearsney vs Falcon, AH Smith
Clifton vs Uplands, Matterson
Maritzburg College vs St John’s Osler
DHS vs St Alban’s, DHS

The u19 finalists, Central Gauteng A and KwaZulu-Natal A, both had five players selected for the South African Schools squad, which was announced at the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in East London on Wednesday.

Four players from Western Province were included, while the hosts, Buffalo City, celebrated the selection of Liam Hansen and Thomas Caswell. They were part of an all-Selborne College team that impressed with their hustle and never-say-die spirit, and which carried them to fourth place in the tournament.

The champions, Central Gauteng, had two players from St John’s College, Ross Rovelli and Greg Pryce, selected, while Pryce was named the Best Defender for a second year in succession. There was further success for St John’s when Jon-Marc De Carvalho was named the coach of the national side.

King Edward VII (KES) had goalkeeper Judah Dos Santos and defender Karabo Mamaregane selected for the side, while Marc Smith, of St Stithians, who was named the Player of the Tournament, also cracked the nod.

The KwaZulu-Natal contingent included players from five different schools. The Goalkeeper of the Tournament, Ross Strauss, of Clifton College, was picked, as was the Best Attacker, Tristan Uys, of Hilton College.

They were joined by Kirk Wilson, of Durban High School (DHS), Northwood‘s Matthew Lortan, and James Pohl, from the Saints Invitational Water Polo champions, Kearsney College.

The Western Province quartet included two players from Bishops Diocesan College, Thomas Truter and Ross Stewart, while Nicholas Fall, last year’s Best Attacker, who enjoyed another outstanding tournament, was selected for a second year in a row. They were joined by Arkin Marais, of Paul Roos Gimnasium.

The team will be managed by Glenwood‘s Rob Ambler.

SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS SQUAD

Arkin Marais (Paul Roos Gimnasium, Western Province), Greg Pryce (St John’s College, Central Gauteng), James Pohl (Kearsney College, KwaZulu-Natal), Judah Dos Santos (King Edward VII, Central Gauteng), Karabo Mamaregane (King Edward VII, Central Gauteng), Kirk Wilson (Durban High School, KwaZulu-Natal), Liam Hansen (Selborne College, Buffalo City), Marc Smith (St Stithians, Central Gauteng), Matthew Lorton (Northwood, KwaZulu-Natal), Nicholas Fall (SACS, Western Province A), Ross Rovelli (St John’s College, Central Gauteng), Ross Stewart (Bishops, Western Province), Ross Strauss (Clifton College, KwaZulu-Natal), Thomas Caswell (Selborne College, Buffalo City), Thomas Truter (Bishops, Western Province), Tristan Uys (Hilton College, KwaZulu-Natal).

Manager: Rob Ambler (KwaZulu-Natal)
Coach: Jon-Marc De Carvalho (Central Gauteng)

Central Gauteng A and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) A produced a very physical, lung-busting u19 boys’ final at the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament on Wednesday in the Joan Harrison East Pool in East London, which Central Gauteng won 8-6.

Earlier in the event, KZN had beaten Central Gauteng 12-10. Meanwhile, Western Province A beat KZN 10-7 in a Pool A clash on Monday, but KZN downed Province 14-11 on Tuesday.

The competition between the top three sides was incredibly close, but Central Gauteng played their best game of the event in the final to beat KwaZulu-Natal.

The match was played in front of a packed crowd and Gauteng, from the first whistle to the last, produced a disciplined and hard-working defensive effort to prevent KZN from attacking with pace. Their man-to-man marking was superb.

The KZN side, though, is a tough unit, and they were up for the fight. They scored first through Tristan Uys, who played with a sense of urgency and a remarkable motor throughout the IPT. Teams could only hope to contain him, but he couldn’t be stopped.

Declan Wood, though, got the Central Gauteng scoring ticking by levelling for coach Jon-Marc De Carvalho‘s side.

That was how the final played out most of the way. First one team scored, then the other responded. It was only right at the death that Central Gauteng managed to open up a slight gap.

KwaZulu-Natal’s win over Western Province in the semi-finals was, arguably, a more entertaining clash, but Wednesday’s showdown had final written all over it. Usually, a good defence triumphs over a good attack when titles are on the line, and both teams defended well, putting in tremendously hard and committed shifts to snuff out their opponent’s offensive forays.

Tristan Uys led the scorers on both teams, netting three times, including with a spectacular reverse shot and a rocket from range late in the second half to drag KZN back into the contest. Meanwhile, Mark Hudson and Marc Smith bagged doubles for Central Gauteng.

Eventually, Ross Rovelli sealed victory for his side when he scored seconds from the final whistle.

As time expired, Central Gauteng coach Jon-Marc De Carvalho was overcome with emotion and took a quiet moment to himself.

He explained that it was, in part, a reaction to just missing out on the title last year, when a superb Central Gauteng team was pipped in a penalty shootout by Western Province A.

Turning to Wednesday’s final, he said: “The part that was the best for me was when we implemented something we had trained at practice, and that came off.”

Central Gauteng’s bloody-minded defensive effort, which saw them sticking to the KZN players like limpets, was a big key to their victory.

“We changed slightly from the first time we played them,” De Carvalho revealed. “We went a tiny bit more conservative, but my vision was a wall of pressure. Yes, they scored one or two. They did very well to get past it once or twice. But more often than not there was a stop. That is exactly what I wanted. I wanted them to do that and keep KZN at bay.”

It was noticeable in the title-decider how much more intense the game was than the earlier pool matches, and how much better both units were playing.

“We never wanted to be at our best on the first day. We know this is a long tournament and it gets harder and harder, and you get fatigued, so you need to be slowly building through every game and every moment. It was fantastic!” De Carvalho said.

“The guys listened to what I wanted, and what we had spoken about, and we implemented that more and more.

“Today, it was more about concentrating and doing the right things at the right time, rather than just being all out, guns blazing. We could have gone that way, but it was more strategic, building, building, and building. It was great.”

Finally, he touched on another aspect that, he felt, won his side the match: “The man-ups. We had seen that before we hadn’t pulled them off. We had practiced them so much, and today we did pull them off, and that was probably the difference.”

Credit to De Carvalho’s opposite number, coach Rob Ambler. His KZN boys, no matter the stakes of their games, played their matches with a smile on their faces. They exhibited a fantastic team spirit and, with only three players matriculating this year, they’ll be a force to be reckoned with in 2025.

Three teams stood out above the rest, Central Gauteng A, KwaZulu-Natal A, and Western Province A, so it was no surprise that Province A clinched the bronze medals, beating Buffalo City in their last outing.

Beaten but unbowed, what a tournament the home team put together! Their side was composed solely of boys from Selborne College and they fronted up impressively despite having far fewer numbers from which to draw players. They did their province and school proud.

Central Gauteng B edged out Nelson Mandela Bay in a shootout, taking it 2-1 from the spot after the teams had finished at 10-10. That secured them fifth place.

There was another epic shootout between KwaZulu-Natal B and Western Province B in the battle for seventh, with Province B claiming the win 4-3 from the spot after regulation time produced a 13-13 draw.

Zimbabwe handled Northerns 16-11 to end in ninth position.

The Aussie Crocs, meanwhile, proved to be a popular addition to the event, even though they weren’t part of the inter-provincial competition. They took on the best teams, produced some eye-catching results, and demonstrated typical Aussie guts.

Andrew Reeves, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, lauded their performances and said they would be very welcome at next year’s 50th edition of the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in Johannesburg. He invited them to return with a girls’ team, too.

SCORES

Final – KwaZulu-Natal A 6: Tristan Uys (3), James Pohl (2), Max Scully (1). Central Gauteng A 8: Marc Smith (2), Marc Hudson (2), Ross Rovelli (1), Nicholas Searle (1), Declan Wood (1), Greg Pryce (1).

3rd/4th – Western Province A 11: Nicholas Fall (3), Mac Lecuona (3), Thomas Truter (2), Arkin Marais (1), Bradley Warneke (1), Adam October (1). Buffalo City 5: Liam Hansen (2), Sean Audie (1), Daniel Breetzke (1), Connor Maree (1).

5th/6th – Nelson Mandela Bay 11: Calum Emslie (5), Rolan Swanevelder (2), Spencer Adshade (1), Adam Nurse (1), Oliver Martin (1), Coel Trollip (1). Central Gauteng B 12: Chris Chapman (4),  Logan du Preez (3), Travis Donnelly (2), Darien Salovy (1), Erik Arwidi (1), Francois Hartslief (1).

7th/8th – KwaZulu-Natal B 13 (3): Kyron de Kock (4), Robert Smith (3), Drew Hollingsworth (1), Ryan Spooner (1), Ruan Basson (1), Matthew Botha (1), Keegan Elliott (1), Andrew Boucher (1). Western Province B 13: William Robinson (3), Matt Forbes (3), Blake Brown (2), Milo Letschert (2), Jayden Bosman (1), Luke Cartwright (1), Aiden Laubser (1).

9th/10th – Northerns 11: Kieron Potgieter (5), Luke Egan (1), Ulric Curlewis (1), Criston Richter (1), Thabiso Mbembele (1), Keegan Dick (1), Kamva Kenqu (1). Zimbabwe 16: Garrick Duff (7), Ruan Nel (3), Mitchell Stanley (2), Chika Mgbemena (1), Nathan Horner (1), Sibusiso Sibanda (1), Dylan van Hoof (1).