Author: captainmorgan

In March, in East London, the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) u19 boys’ team beat Western Province, on their way to a runner-up finish behind Central Gauteng in the Currie Cup South African Junior Water Polo Championships.

On Monday, at the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament, in East London again, Western Province avenged that loss, defeating KZN 10-7. On Tuesday, the same teams met in the semi-finals of the event. In an electric contest, KZN reversed their loss of a day earlier, coming back from 5-6 down at halftime to score a spectacular 14-11 victory over the defending champions, which thoroughly entertained the large crowd.

When they had met a day earlier, Western Province had rocketed out of the blocks and into a 5-0 lead in the first chukka, and they started well again, quickly taking a 2-0 lead. This time, though, KZN pulled it back to 2-2 before a scoring spurt from Province opened a three-goal lead at 5-2.

Coach Rob Ambler‘s KZN side is made of stern stuff, however, and they began to turn the tide in the latter stages of the chukka, pulling to within a goal.

Then, after halftime, they turned up the heat on Province and turned a 5-6 deficit into a 9-6 advantage heading into the last chukka.

When KZN added another goal, they appeared to be on course for the final. But Western Province is a battle-hardened outfit, too, and they staged a fightback, putting the ball in the hands of star forward, Nick Fall, who fired in a couple of goals with his accurate and powerful left arm.

With time winding down, coach Jabz Sibiya‘s boys had clawed their way back into the contest, trailing only 11-12. His opposite number, Rob Ambler, called a timeout and made it crystal clear to his players that they were to close Fall down as soon as he received the ball. That instruction worked. KZN was able to stop Western Province from scoring again and reversed the momentum once more.

They struck twice more to secure a heart-stopping and satisfying victory, Ambler, who had tried to play it cool during the game, although his mask had slipped once or twice in moments of celebration, this time let out a roar of delight and made a double fist pump.

Commenting after the game on his charges’ superb third chukka, he said he didn’t change anything at halftime. “The guys got out [of the pool] and they said ‘We’re not out of this, we’re in it. We’ve gotta go!’ We were on a high. In that second chukka, we came back in a big way.”

“These boys are incredible,” he smiled. “It’s not me. It’s them. I give the tools and they use them. That’s it!”

Casting an eye towards the final, where they will face Central Gauteng A, although that wasn’t yet known after his team’s epic victory, Ambler shook his head when asked if it would be a challenge to get them up for the game again. “No! These guys are professionals,” he said, gesturing to his players going through their warm-down, already putting their big win behind them.

“They work hard. They train hard together. They’re a team above all else.”

Tristan Uys, as he has done throughout the tournament, was a handful in front of goal, and he struck five times for KZN, while James Pohl sent four into the back of the Western Province net, and Luca Sandri added a brace.

The fact of the matter, though, was that KwaZulu-Natal’s victory was a team win. They worked exceptionally hard for one another, and that proved enough.

Arkin Marais led the Province goal scorers, scoring a hat-trick, while Fall was joined on two goals by Ross Stewart.

In 2023, Ambler guided the KwaZulu-Natal u16 team to the Inter-Provincial title. That was followed by a role as coach of the South African u18 team which contested the World Aquatics Men’s u18 Water Polo Championships in July in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Now, he has an opportunity to lead the KZN boys to the u18 title.

Standing in their way is Central Gauteng, the team that beat them 8-6 in the Currie Cup final after KZN had beaten Central Gauteng 12-8 in a pool stage clash.

It truly is that close between KZN, Central Gauteng, and Western Province. Betting on the outcomes of clashes between those sides would be foolhardy, and predicting the outcome of Wednesday’s final is a coin flip.

Earlier in the tournament, KZN edged out Central Gauteng, fighting back from a 0-3 deficit to win 10-9. That slow start almost cost them the game, and a slow start cost them the game in their pool loss to Western Province, so one of the keys to victory for Ambler’s boys will be to make a solid start.

Coach Jon-Marc De Carvalho‘s Central Gauteng boys had an easier semi-final assignment, taking on the spirited locals, Buffalo City. It was tight in the early going, with Central Gauteng edging ahead 3-2, but they slowly but surely increased the gap, going on to an 11-3 victory.

Jack Wilkins led the Gauteng goal scorers, netting three, while Ross Rovelli, Marc Smith, and Alexander Kelbrick recorded doubles.

Gauteng poses a different threat to the one KZN faced from Western Province. They’re a more physical unit, which works hard to pressure the player on the ball. The contest will be decided by how well KZN deals with that pressure, and by Gauteng’s ability to force turnovers and turn those into goals.

Earlier on Tuesday, in the quarterfinals, Buffalo City scored a 9-6 win over Central Gauteng B, KwaZulu-Natal A outplayed Nelson Mandela Bay 16-4, and Western Province A swamped KwaZulu-Natal B 18-4. Central Gauteng A comfortably dealt with Western Province B, running out 15-5 winners.

 The Aussie Crocs, from Brisbane, met a Pool B Invitation side, made up of players from Central Gauteng B, Western Province B, KwaZulu-Natal B, Northerns, Zimbabwe, and Eastern Gauteng, and posted a comfortable 12-6 victory.

SCORES 

Buffalo City 9: Liam Hansen (4), Kairon Roux (2), Thomas Caswell (1), Daniel Breetzke (1), Connor Maree (1). Central Gauteng B 6: Calder Millington (1), Mukhetwa Maemu (1), Logan du Preez (1), Simon Mussett (1), Erik Arwidi (1).

KwaZulu-Natal A 16: Luca Sandri (3), Tristan Uys (3), Brogan Jones (3), Mitchel Garreua (1), Ethan Lyne (1), James Pohl (1), Max Scully (1), Matthew Lortan (1), Lian Terblanche (1), Thomas Taylor (1). Nelson Mandela Bay 4: Calum Emslie (3), Zandré Botha (1).

Western Province A 18: Luke Burger (3), Mac Lecuona (3), Matthew de Villiers (2), Bradley Warneke (2), Arkin Marais (2), Jandro Rojo-Roos (1), Ross Stewart (1), Adam October (1), Zack Cicero (1), Thomas Truter (1), Connor Melling-Williams (1). KwaZulu-Natal B 4: Robert Smith (2), Ryan Spooner (1), Ruan Basson (1).  

 Central Gauteng A 15: Marc Smith (3), Mark Hudson (3), Karabo Mamaregane (2), Ross Rovelli (2), Greg Pryce (2), Nicholas Searle (1), Jack Wilkins (1), Harry Wilkins (1). Western Province B 5: Struan Valentine (1), Blake Brown (1), William Robinson (1), Milo Letschert (1), Jayden Bosman (1).

Zimbabwe 8: Sibusiso Sibanda (3), Chika Mgbemena (2), Nathan Horner (1), Dylan van Hoof (1), Ruan Nel (1). Eastern Gauteng 6: David Emslie (4), Nathan Whelan (1), Njabulo Zulu (1).

Aussie Crocs 12: James Martin (4), Jack Plowman (3), Benjamin Spall (2), Cameron Medley (1), Angus Cope (1), Harry Colley (1). Pool B Invitation 6: William Robinson (2), Simon Mussett (2), Chris Chapman (1), Milo Letschert (1).

Nelson Mandela Bay 16: Calum Emslie (5), Spencer Arshade (4), Oliver Martin (3), Zandré Botha (2), Coel Trollip (1), Adam Nurse (1). KwaZulu-Natal B 12: Kyron de Kock (3), Ruan Basson (3), Drew Hollingsworth (2), Buyani Dlamini (2), Nicholas Naude (1), Matthew Botha (1).

Central Gauteng B 11: Travis Donnelly (3), Ethan Horn (3), Chris Chapman (2), Francois Hartslief (1), Mukhetwa Maemu (1), Simon Mussett (1). Western Province B 8: Milo Letschert (2), William Robinson (2), Matt Forbes (1), Struan Valentine (1), Blake Brown (1), Migael Terblanche (1).

Northerns 11: Kamva Kenqu (3), Ulric Curlewis (2), Marthinus Wessels (2), Criston Richter (1), Thabiso Mbembele (1), Luke Egan (1), Zander van Niekerk (1). Eastern Gauteng 4: Luc Starkey (2), Reece Coetzer (1), David Emslie (1).

KwaZulu-Natal A 14: Tristan Uys (5), James Pohl (4), Luca Sandri (2), Thomas Taylor (1), Adrian Truter (1), Mitchel Garreau (1). Western Province A 11: Arkin Marais (3), Ross Stewart (2), Nicholas Fall (2), Jandro Rojo-Roos (1), Zack Cicero (1), Bradley Warneke (1), Adam October (1).

Buffalo City 3: Liam Hansen (1), Thomas Caswell (1), Dominic Stegmann (1). Central Gauteng A 11: Jack Wilkins (3), Ross Rovelli (2), Marc Smith (2), Alexander Kelbrick (2), Mark Hudson (1), Harry Wilkins (1).

Northerns 8: Criston Richter (2), Marthinus Wessels (2), Aidan Butler (2), Luke Egan (1), Ulric Curlewis (1). Zimbabwe 9: Ruan Nel (4), Sibusiso Sibanda (2), Garrick Duff (1), Tian Muller (1), Nathan Horner (1).

Playoff Fixtures, Wednesday, 11 December

08:00 – KwaZulu-Natal B vs Western Province B, 7th/8th, Joan Harrison West Pool
08:50 – Northerns vs Zimbabwe, 9th/10th, Clarendon High
09:05 – Nelson Mandela Bay vs Central Gauteng B, 5th/6th, Joan Harrison West Pool
10:10 – Western Province A vs Buffalo City, 3rd/4th, Joan Harrison West Pool
13:15 – KwaZulu-Natal A vs Central Gauteng A, Final, Joan Harrison East Pool

Monday, at the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament, was a big day for KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) A in the boys’ u19 competition, with coach Rob Ambler‘s side taking on unbeaten Central Gauteng A in a mid-morning clash and Western Province A in the mid-afternoon.

The KZN boys had suffered a last-gasp 14-15 loss to the Aussie Crocs in their opener but had then accounted for Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay on Sunday. That first loss, though, was against a side not in contention for the inter-provincial honours.

On day three of the event, KZN was relaxed and determined as they took on the high-flying Central Gauteng A side, which had brushed aside the Aussie Crocs on Sunday evening, romping to a 22-10 victory. They had also scored a 12-10 win over Western Province A in their first match on Sunday.

Therefore, most would have picked Central Gauteng A as the favourites ahead of their clash with KZN. And it looked as if it was going to be a comfortable win for Jon-Marc De Carvalho‘s charges after they scored twice within the first minute and were soon 3-0 up.

KZN, though, didn’t blink. With Ross Strauss, in goal, stymying the Central Gauteng attack, KZN struck back and drew level at 3-3. Soon, they edged ahead, and for most of the contest they remained out front, but Central Gauteng hadn’t entered the game with an unbeaten record without reason. They, too, had demonstrated their resilience and grit in compiling that mark.

Digging deep, they found a way past Aka Ngcobo, who had replaced Strauss between the sticks for the second half, to snatch a two-goal lead in the fourth chukka. It might have appeared as if KZN had cracked. They hadn’t.

With Tristan Uys providing a hard-charging emotional example, they came roaring back, aided by some superb stops from Ngcobo, who denied Central Gauteng time after time, aided by a wholehearted defensive effort from the coastal side.

In the last minute, with the score at 9-9, KZN won a penalty and James Pohl took on the responsibility of the shot. His effort was stopped, but the ball rebounded towards Pohl. Calmly, he gathered it and slotted, putting his side ahead once more.

Central Gauteng pushed mightily for an equaliser, but they were met by a smothering defence and a wall of hands, with the KZN defenders twice pulling off blocks as their opponents attempted shots on goal.

When the final whistle sounded, KZN had taken down the last undefeated team in the u19 competition.

Tristan Uys, as he has done for most of the tournament, led the KZN scorers, striking six times, while Greg Pryce and Mark Hudson slotted three goals each for Central Gauteng.

Commenting on his side’s character-filled fightback, coach Rob Ambler said: “We know, if we are down, there is no need to panic. We will follow our processes, and it will come right.”

It was sticking to their structures that got KZN back into the contest after going behind early, he said. “They played a heavy press on us. We knew what to do with the press. We call it a ‘dory’ – just keep swimming. It worked for us.

“There’s a lot of fight in these boys. They really want it, and we want to prove that we don’t need to be the most physical side. We play technical water polo. We’ve been training technical water polo, and technical beat physicality today.”

Summarising his side’s approach, Ambler added: “What we want to do is be a team and not have individualism. That’s what pays off.

“We build our programme on three things: never give up, manners maketh the man, and team above all else, and that’s our most important one.”

Never giving up and team above all else were needed later in the day when Western Province A put together a sublime first chukka, performing with precision on the attack and as a well-oiled unit on defence to open up a 5-0 lead over KZN.

Perhaps the highlight among that scintillating scoring fest was a pinpoint pass from the back that fell onto the left hand of Nicholas Fall just three metres from the KZN goal and he stuck the chance away, It was direct, accurate, and executed with outstanding skill.

Ethan Lyne finally got KZN onto the scoresheet with a rocket of a helicopter backhand shot. Province responded well, however, quickly scoring again before adding another to go 7-1 ahead.

Most teams would have folded, but something about the KZN boys caught the eye. Despite falling so far behind, they continued to play with a smile in their faces, literally. That kept their spirits up. They didn’t shrink from the challenge. They embraced it.

Western Province stayed out in front, but when the final whistle sounded KZN had reduced the deficit to a 7-10 defeat. Province certainly took something out of the contest, but KZN, too, will feel there were some positives in their defeat.

Later in the day, Central Gauteng A took out their frustrations on Nelson Mandela Bay, charging to a 22-2 win. Marc Smith made hay, scoring six times, while six others scored two goals each.

With that result, Central Gauteng A, Western Province A, and KwaZulu-Natal A all finished their Pool A schedule with nine points each. Central Gauteng topped the standings on goal difference, with Western Province in second and KZN in third.

Buffalo City beat Nelson Mandela Bay 11-9 in a big Eastern Cape derby in the early afternoon, which ensured they finished above their neighbours, in fourth place.

Central Gauteng B led the way in Pool B with a pristine record of five wins from five matches. The order is, in fact, the same as Pool A, with the second and third places belonging to Western Province B and KZN B.

The Aussie Crocs, who are not part of the inter-provincial competition, were outplayed by Western Province A, losing 8-17 in the morning, but they got back to winning ways against Buffalo City, although they were pushed all the way, with the visitors from Brisbane scoring a tight 13-12 victory.

SCORES

Western Province A 14: Nicholas Fall (8), Ross Stewart (3), Arkin Marais (1), Thomas Truter (1), Mac Lecuona (1). Buffalo City 7: Liam Hansen (3), Connor Maree (2), Kairon Roux (1), Daniel Breetzke (1).

KwaZulu-Natal B 16: Ruan Basson (4), Drew Hollingsworth (3), Robert Smith (2), Andrew Boucher (2), Kyron de Kock (2), Matthew Botha (1), Keegan Elliott (1), Troy Rees-Jones (1). Northerns 7: Marthinus Wessels (2), Luke Egan (2), Ulric Curlewis (2), Keegan Dick (1).

Central Gauteng A 9: Greg Pryce (3), Mark Hudson (3), Karabo Mamaregane (1), Marc Smith (1), Ross Rovelli (1). KwaZulu-Natal A 10: Tristan Uys (6), Matthew Lortan (2), James Pohl (1), Kirk Wilson (1).

Western Province B 18: Luke Cartwright (4), William Robinson (4), Milo Letschert (3), Matt Forbes (2), Aiden Loubser (1), Leo Jackson (1), Blake Brown (1), Franz Wetzl (1), Migael Terblanche (1). Eastern Gauteng 5: Reece Coetzer (2), Daniel Stead (1), David Emslie (1), Michael Oliver (1).

Aussie Crocs 8: Giacomo Hernandez (2), James Martin (2), Jack Plowman (1), Joseph Gallagher (1), Xavier Coates (1), Angus Cope (1). Western Province A 17: Nicholas Fall (6), Jandro Rojo-Roos (3), Adam October (2), Arkin Marais (2), Mac Lecuona (2), Connor Melling-Williams (1), Zack Cicero (1).

Zimbabwe 9: Chika Mgbemena (3), Garrick Duff (2), Ruan Nel (2), Sibusiso Sibanda (2). Central Gauteng B 16: Simon Mussett (4), Erik Arwidi (3), Travis Donnelly (2), Chris Chapman (2), Ethan Horn (1), Darien Salovy (1), Calder Millington (1), Mukhetwa Maemu (1), Logan du Preez (1).

Nelson Mandela Bay 9: Calum Emslie (4), Oliver Martin (2), Joshua Hinks (2), Asante Chivere (1). Buffalo City 11: Connor Maree (3), Liam Hansen (2), Thomas Caswell (2), Sean Audie (1), Mitchell Höll (1), Kairon Roux (1), Samuel van de Venter (1).

Northerns 6: Criston Richter (2), Keegan Dick (2), Riley Lamprecht (1), Thabiso Mbembele (1). Western Province B 13: Migael Terblanche (3), Milo Letschert (3), William Robinson (3), Blake Brown (2), Luke Cartwright (1), Jayden Bosman (1).

Western Province A 10: Arkin Marais (3), Nicholas Fall (3), Thomas Truter (1), Ross Stewart (1), Jandro Rojo-Roos (1), Bradley Warneke (1). KwaZulu-Natal A 7: Tristan Uys (2), Matthew Lortan (1), Lian Terblanche (1), Ethan Lyne (1), James Pohl (1), Brogan Jones (1).

KwaZulu-Natal B 6: Kyron de Kock (2), Robert Smith (1), Drew Hollingsworth (1), Nicholas Naude (1), Keegan Elliott (1). Central Gauteng B 11: Simon Mussett (3), Chris Chapman (2), Francois Hartslief (2), Mukhetwa Maemu (1), Darien Salovy (1), Erik Arwidi (1), Ethan Horn (1).

Nelson Mandela Bay 2: Cole Trollip (1), Joshua Hinks (1). Central Gauteng A 22: Marc Smith (6), Ross Rovelli (2), Greg Pryce (2), Jack Wilkins (2), Alexander Kelbrick (2), Karabo Mameregane (2), Sebastian Bruinders (2), Harry Wilkins (1), Mark Hudson (1), Declan Wood (1), Ross Stuart (1).

Northerns 12: Thabiso Mbembele (3), Marthinus Wessels (2), Albertus Nothnagel (2), Andre Lindeboom (1), Aidan Butler (1), Kieron Potgieter (1), Ulric Curlewis (1), Christon Richter (1). Eastern Gauteng 3: Daniel Stead (1), David Emslie (1), Michael Oliver (1).

Aussie Crocs 13: Jack Plowman (3), James Martin (2), Benjamin Spall (2), Joseph Gallagher (2), Angus Cope (2), Cameron Medley (1), Kairo Lynch (1). Buffalo City 12: Connor Maree (3), Liam Hansen (2), Thomas Caswell (2), Daniel Breetzke (2), Dominic Stegmann (1), Sean Audie (1), Rodney Mashaya (1).

Day 4 Fixtures

07:00 – Buffalo City vs Central Gauteng B (Quarterfinal 1, match 26)
08:05 – KwaZulu-Natal A vs Nelson Mandela Bay (Quarterfinal 2, match 27)
09:10 –Western Province A vs KwaZulu-Natal B (Quarterfinal 3, match 28)
10:15 – Central Gauteng A vs Western Province B (Quarterfinal 4, match 29)
11:20 – Zimbabwe vs Eastern Gauteng (Match 30)
12:25 – Aussie Crocs vs Pool B Invitational (Match 47)
13:30 – Loser match 27 vs Loser match 28 (Middle qualifier 1)
14:35 – Loser match 26 vs Loser match 28 (Middle qualifier 2)
15:40 – Northerns vs Eastern Gauteng (Match 33)
16:45 – Winner match 27 vs Winner match 28 (Semi-final 1)
17:50 – Winner match 26 vs Winner match 29 (Semi-final 2)
18:55 – Northerns vs Zimbabwe (Match 38)

Sunday, day two of the 2024 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in East London was highlighted by a showdown between last year’s finalists, Western Province A and Central Gauteng A.

In 2023, it took both sides winning through to the title decider and a penalty shootout to decide the competition in favour of Province, but on Sunday, with the new format ensuring the top sides meet in pool action, Central Gauteng pulled off a 12-10 victory.

Greg Pryce, the Defender of the Tournament last year, showed off his scoring ability, striking four times for Central Gauteng, and Jack Wilkins matched him with four of his own. The victory, though, was forged by a composed and efficient team effort.

Reflecting on the positives from his team’s win, coach Jon-Marc De Carvalho identified their resilience as something that pleased him. “We needed to adapt better to what the referees were calling, so that is something that we need to look at and work on. But the fact that the boys could still push through, even though we had kick-outs – and the kick-out count was quite lopsided – we still were able to defend them many times despite being a man down, and then go up, attack, and score. That’s a big positive for me.”

De Carvalho said he would like to see his side’s spacing and passing improve. “We missed one or two good opportunities, where, for example, the pass to the centre-forward was two metres short, and it was a tip-in, so we missed that. There were little things like that, which we needed to do a bit better.

“I’m actually really happy with the guys,” he quickly added. “They went through everything and they were composed enough at the right times. We scored goals when we needed them, which was really good.”

Western Province kept their great rivals under pressure throughout. After falling 0-2 down in the early going, they quickly pulled it back to 2-2, but Central Gauteng then edged in front again and they maintained a one to two-goal lead throughout the contest until close to the end when they opened up a three-goal advantage. The Capetonians scored the last goal but it was Central Gauteng’s day and they won by two.

Judah Dos Santos excelled in the Central Gauteng goal, but, as the coach pointed out, he was cleverly assisted by his defenders, who limited and defined Western Province’s scoring channels.

In the evening, De Carvalho’s charges faced the Aussie Crocs. The boys from Brisbane had edged out KwaZulu-Natal A 15-14 in an exciting clash on Saturday evening, and they added another win when they beat Nelson Mandela Bay 17-13 in the midday heat. Nelson Mandela Bay’s Calum Emslie stole the spotlight in that clash, however, netting nine times.

The Crocs’ winning run was emphatically halted by Central Gauteng A, however, with the Gautengers cruising to a 22-10 victory.

With the win, they put their hands up as the title favourites. However, the new format, could see them meeting Western Province A again later in the event, and there was little to separate the sides on Sunday.

Encouragingly for De Carvalho’s side, Alexander Kelbrick, a prolific scorer for Northerns at last year’s IPT, was dialled in for the game against the Australians and he was rewarded with a four-goal haul. Central Gauteng is blessed with scoring threats from all parts of the pool, and now, with Kelbrick finding his scoring form, that’s another problem for their opposition to deal with.

KwaZulu-Natal, after a narrow defeat in their opener, bounced back with wins over Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay. Coach Rob Ambler was pleased with how they finished against Buffalo City, breaking open a tight contest in the latter stages of the game, whereas they had let slip the previous day’s match in the late going against the Aussie Crocs.

In the morning, KwaZulu-Natal A beat Buffalo City 13-8 and they continued to show improvement in their evening clash with Nelson Mandela Bay, roaring to a 22-8 win.

Western Province A also easily handled Nelson Mandela Bay in an early morning encounter, posting a 20-6 win. Their showdown with KwaZulu-Natal A late on Monday should be an exciting clash. Much will depend on how KwaZulu-Natal performs and recovers from a morning meeting with Central Gauteng A.

In a tightly contested clash between Central Gauteng B and Western Province B, the inland team again came out on top, also by two goals, winning 10-8.

SCORES

Western Province B 8: Migael Terblanche (2), William Robinson (2), Milo Letschert (1), Frantz Wetzl (1), Matt Forbes (1), Luke Cartwright (1). Central Gauteng B 10: Simon Mussett (3), Ethan Horn (3), Chris Chapman (2), Francois Hartslief (1), Erik Arwidi (1).

Nelson Mandela Bay 6: Calum Emslie (3), Spencer Adshade (2), Oliver Martin (1). Western Province A 20: Ross Stewart (4), Nicholas Fall (3), Bradley Warneke (3), Thomas Truter (2), Mac Lecuona (2), Jandro Rojo-Roos (2), Matthew de Villiers (1), Arkin Marais (1).

KwaZulu-Natal B 22: Kyron de Kock (4), Robert Smith (4), Matthew Botha (3), Ruan Basson (3), Keagan Elliott (2), Andrew Boucher (2), Troy Rees-Jones (1), Ryan Spooner (1), Drew Hollingsworth (1), Zaid Asmal (1). Eastern Gauteng 4: David Emslie (2), Michael Oliver (2).

Northerns 11: Marthinus Richter (5), Aidan Butler (2), Kieron Potgieter (2), Zander van Niekerk (1), Christon Richter (1). Zimbabwe 7: Sibusiso Sibanda (4), Garrick Duff (2), Dylan van Hoof (1).

Buffalo City 8: Liam Hansen (2), Thomas Caswell (2), Connor Maree (2), Sean Audie (1), Kairon Roux (1), KwaZulu-Natal A 13: Tristan Uys (4), Mitchel Garreau (2), Luca Sandri (2), Ethan Lyne (2), Kirk Wilson (1), James Pohl (1), Max Scully (1).

Nelson Mandela Bay 13: Calum Emslie (9), Coel Trollip (2), Oliver Martin (2). Aussie Crocs 17: Benjamin Spell (4), Kairo Lynch (3), Angus Cope (3), Joseph Gallagher (2), James Martin (2), Jack Plowman (1), Giacomo Hernandez (1), Cameron Medley (1).

KwaZulu-Natal B 9: Robert Smith (3), Drew Hollingsworth (1), Matthew Botha (1), Nicholas Naude (1), Kyron de Kock (1), Ryan Spooner (1), Western Province B 14: Milo Letschert (3), Struan Valentine (2), Luke Cartwright (2), William Robinson (2), Aiden Laubser (2), Matt Forbes (1), Blake Brown (1), Franz Wetzl (1).

Western Province A 10: Ross Stewart (5), Nicholas Fall (2), Arkin Marais (1), Connor Melling-Williams (1). Central Gauteng A 12: Greg Pryce (4), Jack Wilkins (4), Marc Smith (2), Ross Rovelli (2).

Zimbabwe 14: Garrick Duff (4), Sibusiso Sibanda (3), Jarryd Reed (2), Chika Mgbemena (2), Kayden Bhana (1), Tian Muller (1), Ruan Nel (1). Eastern Gauteng 8: Michael Oliver (3), Daniel Stead (2), Cole Lamberti (1), David Emslie (1), Nathan Whelan (1).

Northerns 0. Central Gauteng B 17: Erik Arwidi (3), Francois Hartslief (3), Darien Salovy (2), Chris Chapman (2), Mukhetwa Maemu (2), Travis Donnelly (2), Logan du Preez (1), Kyle Kennerley (1), Ethan Horn (1).

Nelson Mandela Bay 8: Calum Emslie (5), Oliver Martin (2), Rolan Swanevelder (1). KwaZulu-Natal A 22: Luca Sandri (4), Thomas Taylor (3), Ethan Lyne (3), James Pohl (3), Tristan Uys (3), Mitchel Garreau (3), Max Scully (2), Brogan Jones (1).

Zimbabwe 9: Garrick Duff (4), Sibusiso Sibanda (3), Ruan Nel (2). Western Province B 17: Luke Cartwright (6), Milo Letschert (3), William Robinson (2), Struan Valentine (2), Migael Terblanche (1), Jayden Bosman (1), Matt Forbes (1), Sebastian Kastern (1).

Aussie Crocs 10: Benjamin Spall (3), James Gallagher (2), Jack Plowman (2), James Martin (1), Angus Cope (1), Kairo Lynch (1) Central Gauteng A 22: Alexander Kelbrick (4), Jack Wilkins (3), Nicholas Searle (2), Declan Wood (2), James Crick (2), Mark Hudson (2), Karabo Mamaregane (2), Sebastian Bruinders (1), Harry Wilkins (1), Greg Pryce (1), Marc Smith (1), Ross Stuart (1).

Day 3 Fixtures

07:00 – Western Province A vs Buffalo City
08:05 – KwaZulu-Natal B vs Northerns
09:10 – Central Gauteng A vs KwaZulu-Natal A
10:15 – Western Province B vs Eastern Gauteng
11:20 – Aussie Crocs vs Western Province A
12:25 – Zimbabwe vs Central Gauteng B
13:30 – Nelson Mandela Bay vs Buffalo City
14:35- Northerns vs Western Province B
15:40 – Western Province A vs KwaZulu-Natal A
16:45 – KwaZulu-Natal B vs Central Gauteng B
17:50 – Nelson Mandela Bay vs Central Gauteng A
18:55 – Northerns vs Eastern Gauteng
19:10 – Aussie Crocs vs Buffalo City (Joan Harrison West)

A fantastic crowd lined all sides of the Joan Harrison East Swimming Pool for the eagerly awaited clash between KwaZulu-Natal u19A and the Aussie Crocs on the opening day of the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in East London.

Saturday’s showdown proved that the visitors, from Brisbane, have the firepower to challenge for the title. They came away with a thrilling 15-14 victory, but KZN will feel they let slip a win.

With Ross Strauss, in the first half, and Akabongwe Ngcobo, in the second half, performing well in goal for the South African side, KZN owned the edge for almost the entire match. In fact, when the Crocs scored to go 15-14 up, with less than a minute remaining, it was the first time they had led the contest.

In the early going, they created some good scoring opportunities, but Strauss, who represented South Africa at the World Aquatics Men’s u18 Water Polo Championships in Argentina in July, showed why he earned that selection with some spectacular stops.

It was truly a game that could have gone either way, with the frame of the two goal boxes being regularly struck throughout the enthralling clash.

As time ticked down, the Aussies pulled level at 12-12 when coach Rob Ambler‘s KZN side lost some of their shape. However, they responded well once they had been hauled in by the Crocs, and Tristan Uys rocketed two shots into the back of the visitors’ net to stake KZN to a two-goal lead.

Credit to the Aussie Crocs, though. They kept their cool while KZN, just when they needed to control possession, became loose and ceded it. With 48 seconds remaining, they fell behind for the first time in the contest, and they couldn’t pull it back.

Crocs’ coach Simon Daley, a former South African, said his players had prepared at home by staying in action for their local clubs. However, they played warm-up matches against UCT, Western Province u16 A, and Western Province u19B before the IPT, which proved to be invaluable.

Commenting on the pressure of representing Australia, Daley said: “There were 500 people watching. We have never been in a stadium so big, with such great interest. For our guys, this is a story they will remember for the rest of their lives.

“We were a bit like deer in the headlights,” he added, “but massive credit to KwaZulu-Natal. What a game of water polo in the end! Yes, we got over the line, but I have always said water polo is alive and well in South African schools.”

He was pleased with his team’s composure and finishing when the game was on the line, Daley said: “We’ve been practicing that. We worked on that with Western Province. In every game we played, we were challenged.

“Changing the philosophy of these youngsters, and just believing in our tactics, and going down to the last second, we converted and shut them out and won the game.”

Joseph Gallagher paced the Crocs with four goals, while Angus Cope and James Martin struck three times each.

Tristan Uys was the primary goal threat for KZN, netting six times. Thomas Taylor, who performed well wide on the right, scored twice.

Central Gauteng A, beaten in a heart-stopping penalty shootout by Western Province A in last year’s final, was given a good workout by Buffalo City, but Gauteng’s quality came through in the end as they recorded a 17-7 victory.

They’ll produce better games as the tournament progresses, but coach Jon-Marc De Carvalho‘s boys played with confidence and enjoyment, which positively impacted their performance.

Ross Stuart and Karabo Mamaregane led the scoring, firing in three goals each, as 10 players got their names onto the scoresheet.

Liam Hansen and Thomas Caswell both netted twice for Buffalo City.

In the first match of the tournament, Central Gauteng B romped to a 21-5 win over Eastern Gauteng.

Travis Donnelly enjoyed his outing, topping the scoring chart with five goals, while Logan du Preez and Francois Hartslief claimed hat-tricks. Michael Oliver bagged a double for Easterns.

KwaZulu-Natal B, who made the semi-finals in 2023, had to work hard to get by Zimbabwe, but they eventually won by four goals, registering a 15-11 win.

Their goals were spread around, with nine players netting, led by Kyron de Kock, who scored three times. That mark was matched by Zimbabwe’s Garrick Duff, Chika Mgbemena, and Ruan Nel, but Sibusiso Sibanda, with two goals, was the only other Zimbabwean to make it onto the scoresheet.

Day two, on Sunday, will see the defending champions, Western Province A making their bow when they face Nelson Mandela Bay at 08:05. A 14:35, they’ll tackle Central Gauteng A in a major showdown.

The Aussie Crocs will try to build up further momentum when they take on Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City. KwaZulu-Natal will aim to get their challenge back on track in a late morning meeting with Buffalo City.

SCORES

Central Gauteng B 21: Travis Donnelly (5), Logan du Preez (3), Francois Hartslief (3), Simon Mussett (2), Darien Salovy (2), Calder Millington (1), Chris Chapman (1), Erik Awidi, Kyle Kennerley (1). Eastern Gauteng 5: Michael Oliver (2), Nathan Whelan (1), Reece Coetzer (1), Daniel Stead (1)

Central Gauteng A 17: Ross Stuart (3), Karabo Mamaregane (3), Jack Wilkins (2), Marc Smith (2), Harry Wilkins (2), Ross Rovelli (1), Nicholas Searle (1), Greg Pryce (1), Alexander Kelbrick (1), Sebastian Bruinders (1). Buffalo City 7: Thomas Caswell (2), Liam Hansen (2), Mitchell Höll (1), Sean Audie (1), Connor Maree (1).

Aussie Crocs 15: Joseph Gallagher (4), Angus Cope (3), James Martin (3), Jack Plowman (2), Kairo Lynch (1), Benjamin Spall (1), Giacomo Hernandez (1). KwaZulu-Natal 14: Tristan Uys (6), Thomas Taylor (2), Adrian Truter (1), Luca Sandri (1), James Pohl (1), Kirk Wilson (1), Matthew Lortan (1). Mitchel Garreua (1).

KwaZulu-Natal B 15: Kyron de Kock (3), Ryan Spooner (2), Keegan Elliott (2), Drew Hollingsworth (2), Andrew Boucher (2), Troy Rees-Jones (1), Matthew Botha (1), Buyani Dlamini (1), Robert Smith (1). Zimbabwe 11: Ruan Nel (3), Garrick Duff (3), Chika Mgbemena (3), Sibusiso Sibanda (2).

Day 2 Fixtures

07:00 – Western Province B vs Central Gauteng B
08:05 – Nelson Mandela Bay vs Western Province A
09:10 – KwaZulu-Natal B vs Eastern Gauteng
10:15 – Northerns vs Zimbabwe
11:20 – Buffalo City vs KwaZulu-Natal A
12:25 – Nelson Mandela Bay vs Aussie Crocs
13:30 – KwaZulu-Natal B vs Western Province B
14:35 – Western Province A vs Central Gauteng A
15:40 – Zimbabwe vs Eastern Gauteng
16:45 – Northerns vs Central Gauteng B
17:50 – Nelson Mandela Bay vs KwaZulu-Natal A
18:55 – Zimbabwe vs Western Province B
18:55 – Aussie Crocs vs Central Gauteng A (Joan Harrison West)

In late 2023, the Western Province u19A team was favoured to win the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in Gqeberha. They did, but only after a shootout against an outstanding Central Gauteng team. KZN finished third.

At the beginning of 2024, with Western Province schools sharing the big titles around – Rondebosch Boys’ High (Standard Bank King Edward VII Water Polo Tournament), SACS (SAC Shield), and Bishops (SACS Nite Series) – and Clifton College winning the Vides’ title, it appeared that Province was the team to beat at the Currie Cup at the end of March.

Their team was filled with big-name players and they were expected to cruise to another title. But that didn’t happen. Both KZN and Central Gauteng beat Western Province, with Gauteng going on to beat KZN, who had defeated them earlier in the event, in the final.

The point of this is to say that it is likely to, again, be a tight battle between those three teams for the title in Buffalo City, where the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament will be played from 7-11 December. There is, also, an unknown in the mix, and that is the Aussie Crocs side, which will be making the journey from Down Under.

The KZN side won all six of their group matches at the Currie Cup and recent results from the province’s leading schools will have coach Rob Ambler‘s charges feeling they have it in them to challenge for the title. Last year, Ambler guided KZN u16 to the gold medal in Gqeberha.

This year, there’s a wider spread of schools among the players selected for KZN than in 2023, when only Clifton College, Hilton College, and Westville Boys’ High players made up the u19A side. Now, seven schools are represented, and that is evidence of the rise of the standard of water polo in the province.

That rise was recently underlined by Kearsney College claiming the St Stithians Invitational Water Polo Tournament title against a stacked field with an experienced team that, nonetheless remains a young one, too. In fact, there are only two Kearsney players in the KZN u19A lineup: James Pohl and 2025 Head Boy, Luca Sandri.

Clifton usually supplies a good number of players, but this year there are two only, Ross Strauss and Ethan Lyne. Goalkeeper Strauss represented the SA team at the World Aquatics Men’s u18 Water Polo Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He’s a wall at the back and was named the Goalkeeper of the Tournament at the Clifton Water Polo Tournament. It was not a home-town call. He was exceptional. Lyne is, meanwhile, an outstandingly versatile performer, able to perform effectively anywhere in the pool.

Oliver Ditz, Clifton’s captain, who also represented the SA u18 team, was not up for selection.

Northwood is on the rise and that is shown in the selections of Matthew Lortan and Lian Terblanche. Lortan, who was included in the SA u18 team, is quick with exceptionally fast hands and he was a top performer for SA at the World Championships. Terblanche, meanwhile, lends a physical presence to the lineup.

Kirk Wilson, the Durban High School (DHS) Head Boy for 2025, is another powerful player who will provide a strong presence in central defence.

Westville has three players in the lineup, including Brogan Jones, Max Scully, and Rhees Hall, with the latter two returning to the u19A team for a second year in succession. Hall, another big man, also starred for SA at the World Champs.

The Hilton contingent includes three players – Tristan Uys, Thomas Taylor, and Mitchel Garreau – but not Meyer Malherbe, their powerhouse captain, who made the KZN u19A team last year. Will his absence and that of Oliver Ditz hurt the KZN side’s chances of success?

Glenwood provides one player to the side, Aka Ngcobo.

Interestingly, nine of the players – Garreau, Taylor, Uys, Wilson, Sandri, Pohl, James, Lortan, and Terblanche – were part of the winning u16 team that Rob Ambler coached last year, so the side should have no problems with their chemistry.

KZN U19 TEAMS

u19A

Ross Strauss (Clifton), Kirk Wilson (DHS), Lian Terblanche (Northwood), Ethan Lyne (Clifton), Rhees Hall (Westville), Matthew Lortan (Northwood), Brogan Jones (Westville), Max Scully (Westville), Tristan Uys (Hilton), Thomas Taylor (Hilton), James Pohl (Kearsney), Mitchel Garreau (Hilton), Aka Ngcobo (Glenwood), Luca Sandri (Kearsney).

Non-travelling reserves: Drew Hollingsworth (Westville), Ruan Basson (DHS), Robert Smith (Kearsney), Adrian Truter (DHS), Trent Chubb (Hilton).

Coach: Rob Ambler (Glenwood)
Assistant coach: Jarred Appelgryn (Westville)
Manager: Kaylin Short (Reddam)

u19B

Trent Chubb (Hilton), Usanda Mkhwanazi (Glenwood), Ruan Basson (DHS), Kyran de Kock (Glenwood), Troy Rees-Jones (Westville), Keegan Elliot (Michaelhouse), Drew Hollingsworth (Westville), Robert Smith (Kearsney), Adrian Truter (DHS), Matthew Botha (Glenwood), Nick Naude (Northwood), Buyani Dlamini (Glenwood).

Non-travelling reserves: Ryan Spooner (DHS), Nicholas Smithers (Michaelhouse), Zaid Asmal (Glenwood), Daniel Beaumont (Glenwood), Jack Bowen (DHS).

Coach: Darren Stone (Glenwood)
Assistant coach: Sinqobile Simamane (DHS)
Manager: Amy Visagie (Northlands)

Westville Boys’ High hosted Northwood on Bowden’s on Saturday in a limited-overs clash, with the hosts in a confident frame of mind after a thrilling Schools SA20 win over Kearsney College, which they followed up with a convincing win at Michaelhouse last time out.

Batting first, after winning the toss, the Griffins made hay, getting solid contributions from throughout their batting order to post a strong 259/7.

The good work began with the openers, captain Nicandro Kistna and Max Robertson. They combined for a 55-run stand, with Kistna the first to depart after being run out by Pride Buthelezi for 31 from 46 deliveries, which had included five fours.

Robertson and Seth Simpson advanced the total to 97 before Robertson was bowled by Ben Cilliers for 36 from 57, having struck three fours and a six.

Simpson and Kaeden McAllister then partnered for the largest stand of the contest, putting on 76 for the third wicket before Simpson’s innings was ended, also bowled by Cilliers, for 49 from 70 balls, five of which he turned into fours.

McAllister went on to the match’s highest score of 54, falling when the total was one run shy of 200, to Mason Storm. He’d smashed one six and added five fours in 74 balls.

Kyle McGough provided a boost in the latter stages of the home side’s innings, cracking a six and three fours in his 32 from 22, while Roxton Payne added an unbeaten 22 from 20 as Westville set the visitors 260 to win at 5.2 runs per over.

Cilliers was the pick of the Knights‘ attack, claiming 2/32 in nine overs. Luke Allen bagged a brace, too, finishing with 2/46 from seven, while Mason Storm and Kyle White picked up a wicket each.

Openers, David de Bruyn and Tuswa Phetha laid a sound platform for Northwood in their reply, making 46 for the first wicket before De Bruyn was caught off the bowling of Ewan du Toit for 20 from 26.

Phetha stuck around and helped advance the total to 60 before he, too, became a victim of Du Toit, who would go on to capture a five-for. Phetha’s watchful innings of 32 from 61 deliveries, which included three fours, would prove to be the visitor’s best effort.

Talented all-rounder Kyle White was run out for two in a big blow to Northwood’s chances, and Du Toit removed Dolphins’ Khaya Majola Week batsman Mfana Shange for only nine as Westville took charge.

Alistair Duncan stood firm, but Du Toit added the wickets of Ross McGlashan, for one, and Mason Storm, for a duck, as Northwood slid to 80/6.

Duncan and Luke Allen arrested the slide, adding 47 for the seventh wicket before Duncan’s defiant innings was halted by Kistna for 29. Allen followed on the same total, caught off the bowling of Sekou Shangase for 25 from 29, with a six and two fours.

Five runs later, Northwood was down to its last wicket after Kistna trapped Jordan Matthews LBW. Six runs later, Northwood was all out for 138, with the last wicket coming from part-time left-arm spinner Max Robertson.

Ewan du Toit was a match-winner for the Griffins, snaring 5/19 in 10 overs, four of which were maidens. Together with Roxton Payne, who finished with 0/23 from 10, he prevented the Knights from building up any momentum and ratcheted up the pressure as the required run rate spiralled out of control.

Westville skipper Nicandro Kistna picked up 2/23 in six, while Sekou Shangase took 1/30.

Summarised scorecards

Westville Boys’ High 259/6 (Kaeden McAllister 43, Seth Simpson 49, Max Robertson 36, Kyle McGough 32, Nicandro Kistna 31, Roxton Payne 22, Ben Cilliers 2/32, Luke Allen 2/46); Northwood 138/10 (Tuswa Phetha 32, Alistair Duncan 29, Luke Allen 25, David de Bruyn 20, Ewan du Toit 5/19, Nicandro Kistna 2/23).

Westville won by 121 runs.

Openers Cian Fortmann and Connor Riley set St Charles College up for a healthy 80-run victory over a young Kearsney College lineup on Saturday in Pietermaritzburg, with the pair putting on 158 for the first wicket.

Saints‘ skipper Marcell Wellmann won the toss and elected to bat. Fortmann and Riley repaid his faith in them by delivering a mature and measured partnership, which lasted almost 36 overs.

It was, eventually, brought to an end by Kearsney College captain Ross Coetzee, who took a caught and bowled to claim Riley’s wicket. He’d scored 58 from 103 deliveries, striking seven fours.

Almost immediately, Saints suffered a collapse, losing another three wickets for the addition of 20 runs, with Rico Honiball run out and Jason De Gryse grabbing the big wickets of Marcell Wellmann and Brendon Sunguro.

Fortmann went on to a century before becoming the sixth wicket to go down, caught by Asavhela Khambule off Keegan de Jager for a splendid 116 from 152 balls, one of which he dispatched for six and another nine for four.

Apart from the openers, though, only Sunguro, with 12, made it into double figures. From 158 without loss in the 36th over, St Charles finished with 236/9, with their third-highest score coming from extras, of which there were 26.

The key cause of the destruction was Keegan de Jager, who ripped through the Saints’ lower order, capturing 5/35 in just six overs. Jason De Gryse picked up 2/43 in 10, while Ross Coetzee claimed 1/43.

Kearsney made a steady start to their reply, with Jonty Wiggett and Jason de Gryse partnering for a 43-run opening partnership. Ryan Clarke brought it to an end, bowling Wiggett for an attacking 28 from 33 balls, which included four fours. De Gryse followed 10 runs later, and, much like Saints had experienced, a collapse followed.

From 52/1, very quickly, Kearsney slumped to 62/6 in the 18th over. They had a mountain to climb and their chances of victory had all but vanished. Not quite, though, because Ross Coetzee was still out in the middle.

The Kearsney captain contributed 30 from 43 balls, smashing a six and two fours while sharing in a 65-run stand with Asavhela Khambule for the seventh wicket. Tristan Montile claimed Coetzee’s valuable wicket, courtesy of a catch by Brendon Sunguro, reducing Saints to 127/7.

Khambule continued his resistance, finally falling with the total on 146, for the innings’ top score of 43 after being bowled by Cian Fortmann. Khambule’s stay had lasted 62 balls and brought him a six and six fours.

Brendon Sunguro claimed the tenth wicket to send Kearsney packing for 156. He finished with 1/17 from five overs, but Tristan Montile led the way for the home side, knocking over 4/39 in nine overs, while Ryan Clarke heaped pressure on the visitors, snapping up 2/12 in six.

After a comfortable win, St Charles will be in a confident mood ahead of their last match of the season against Michaelhouse on 16 November.

Summarised scorecards

St Charles College 236/9 (Cian Fortmann 116, Connor Riley 58, Keegan de Jager 5/35, Jason De Gryse 2/43); Kearsney College 156/10 (Asavhela Khambule 43, Ross Coetzee 30, Jonty Wiggett 28, Tristan Montile 4/39, Ryan Clarke 2/12).

St Charles College won by 80 runs.

In a telling exchange, before a ball had been bowled in the Pink Day clash on Saturday, SuperSport Schools’ commentator Spoed Smith asked Hilton College captain Ethan van Heerden what he would have done if he had won the toss.

Watch the match again on SuperSport Schools

Michaelhouse‘s Sebastian Hofmeyr had elected to bat first, but Van Heerden said he would have preferred to bowl on the Hart-Davis Oval. He was gifted his preference and it worked in Hilton’s favour.

The venue made for a pretty picture, with the trees surrounding the field decorated in pink, while supporters also wore the colour, in support of the PinkDrive and its promotion of the awareness and early detection of cancer.

However, after a couple of tight T20 contests earlier in the term, matters didn’t look that pretty for Michaelhouse. Hilton enjoyed much the better of their limited-overs showdown, bowling out Michaelhouse for 146 before replying with 147/3 to record a seven-wicket victory with 16.4 overs to spare.

While the loss of the toss still gave Hilton skipper Ethan van Heerden what he wanted, his bowlers needed to do their bit to back up their leader’s assessment of the pitch. They did, and it began with opening bowler Netanzi Denenga.

He struck early, removing the in-form Graydon Leslie, who was caught off a thick edge by Jayden Roux, without scoring.

‘House captain Seb Hofmeyr, then, fell victim to his counterpart, Ethan van Heerden, caught behind by Ben Hockly for six, and when Hockly pulled off a superb one-handed diving catch to his right off Denenga to remove Ethan Muir for nine, Michaelhouse was in trouble on 24/3.

Ben Heuer and Cival Rugbar dug in, though, and set about repairing the early damage, adding 43 for the fourth wicket before Stewart Falconer ended Heuer’s resistance, caught by Jayden Roux for 25 from 26 balls, which included four fours.

Rugbar hung tough, not scoring quickly, but keeping Hilton at bay. He, however, became the third of three batsmen to fall victim to Luke Campbell, with the spinner removing Radhesh Jhilmeet and Hayden Hewlett cheaply before he claimed the wicket of Rugbar for the innings’ top score of 43. His knock had come from 94 balls and included two fours.

Jean-Luc Rey blasted two sixes in an innings of 13 from 25, but Denenga cleaned up the tail as Michaelhouse finished on 146 all out, aided by 26 extras, after 46.2 overs.

Denenga, who generated good pace and bounce, produced the sparkling figures of 4/22 from 9.2 overs, while Luke Campbell clamped down on the Michaelhouse middle-order, snaring 3/25 from 10.

Stewart Falconer bowled a disciplined line and length to tighten the screws on the ‘House batsmen, capturing 1/11 from five, while Benoit Rey was also tidy, claiming 1/29 in 10.

Defending a moderate total, Michaelhouse needed to emulate their opponents and take wickets early, but that never happened. In fact, Hilton’s opening pair of Ben Hockly and Alex Pitman pretty much sealed the deal for the hosts.

Together, they shared an opening stand of 108, which, when it was broken, meant Hilton needed only 39 runs to win. Pitman was the batsman to depart, caught off the bowling of Ben Heuer after a fluent and attractive 66 from 71 balls, which included nine fours.

Radhesh Jhilmeet removed Robert Burman after a brief visit to the middle, but Ben Hockly and Charles Swart took the home side to within sight of victory before Jhilmeet struck again, claiming the wicket of Hockly for 62 from 93 balls, which featured five fours and two sixes.

Only eight runs were needed for the win and it was soon achieved. Swart was unbeaten on nine and Roux had two.

Jhilmeet was the pick of the Michaelhouse bowlers, delivering a fine return of 2/19 from eight overs, while Heuer was the only other bowler to enjoy success, picking up 1/7 from two. Ross Moller was his usual tight self, but he went unrewarded, finishing with 0/20 from six.

Summarised Scorecards

Michaelhouse 146/10 (Cival Rugbar 43, Ben Heuer 25, Netanzi Denenga 4/22, Luke Campbell 3/25); Hilton College 147/3 (Alex Pitman 66, Ben Hockly 62, Radhesh Jhilmeet 2/19).

Hilton College won by 7 wickets.

The KZN Inland u19 squad for the Khaya Majola Week features only one player, Netanzi Denenga, who represented the province at last year’s week, where the team finished fourth after a narrow 15-run defeat to The Titans in the third-place playoff.

Only five players from 2023’s KZN Inland u16 squad – Ben Hockly (Hilton College), Sphamandla Dzanibe (Maritzburg College), Daniel Nadasan (Maritzburg College), Radhesh Jhilmeet (Michaelhouse), and Siphosethu Ngcobo (Ikusaselihle High) – have made the step up to the senior side.

The squad, though, includes many players who have performed outstandingly well in 2024. Both Chad Mason (Maritzburg College) and Cian Fortmann (St Charles College) bettered 1 000 runs in the calendar year while also performing well with the ball.

The right-handed Mason bats near the top of the order and is also a more than useful spin bowler, which he demonstrated when he was the tournament’s highest wicket-taker at the St John’s Rams T20 in Harare.

Fortmann, a left-hander, opens the batting and can be brutal against wayward bowling. Early in the year, in the Clifton Centenary T20 Tournament, he blasted an eye-opening 153 not out from only 76 balls in a win over Hilton College.

Speaking of Hilton, besides Denenga, they’ve had two batsmen who’ve been among the runs selected for the KZN Inland side. Ben Hockly’s excellence was recognised when he was selected for the South Africa u19 Emerging side that scored a 5-0 series whitewash over Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe. Charles Swart, who has scored centuries against Paul Roos Gimnasium and Kearsney College this term, also cracked the nod.

Apart from Mason and the aforementioned Sphamnadla Dzanibe, a left-arm paceman, who trends towards being a bowling all-rounder, Maritzburg College is also represented by opening batsman Daniel Nadasan. He’s not usually the fastest of scorers, but he is solid and makes bowlers graft every bit as hard for his wicket as he grafts for his runs.

Joining Cian Fortmann, from St Charles, are Marcell Wellmann, Rowen Rajah, and Kwanele Nqayi.

Wellmann has enjoyed an excellent year as captain of Saints, leading them to the Eston One Insurance T20 Night League title while delivering with both bat and ball. He’s a left-hander, too, and his nagging left-arm spin gives the KZN Inland team a bowler who can tie down one end and still attack. Wellman is, furthermore, a solid performer with the bat near the top of the order.

Rajah, meanwhile, joined Hilton’s Ben Hockly in the SA u19 Emerging team. He offers proper pace and, on a wicket that offers a little help, he can be an absolute handful.

Nqayi, a batsman, is talented but can be a little inconsistent. For him, it’s about playing himself in before trying to press on.

Michaelhouse provides Radhesh Jhilmeet and Ross Moller to the side. Jhilmeet has some pace to him and with that comes his ability to extract something out of the wicket to remove batsmen. Moller, meanwhile, is as steady as they come as far as opening bowlers are concerned. He doesn’t offer express pace, but his control of line and length is exemplary and builds pressure. It usually brings him wickets at an economical rate.

The only player from outside of the four schools that traditionally make up the KZN Inland side is Siphosethu Ngcobo, from Ikusaselihle High. It’s a tremendous achievement for him to make the side when one considers that he has far fewer opportunities than the other team members to test himself week in and week out against top opposition.

KZN INLAND KHAYA MAJOLA SQUAD

Natenzi Denenga (Hilton College), Sphamandla Dzanibe (Maritzburg College), Cian Fortmann (St Charles College), Ben Hockly (Hilton College), Radhesh Jhilmeet (Michaelhouse), Chad Mason (Maritzburg College), Ross Moller (Michaelhouse), Daniel Nadasan (Maritzburg College), Siphosethu Ngcobo (Ikusaselihle High), Kwanele Nqayi (St Charles College), Rowen Rajah (St Charles College), Charles Swart (Hilton College), Marcell Wellmann (St Charles College)

Non-travelling reserves

Sechaba Gude (Hilton College), Llewellyn Sutherland (Maritzburg College), Ethan van Heerden (Hilton College)

Management

Head coach: David Griffiths (Hilton College)
Assistant coach: Lwandiswa Zuma (Michaelhouse)
Manager: Suvedh Ramprith (Drakensview)

The Westville Boys’ High 1st XI made their trip up to the KZN Midlands for a showdown with Michaelhouse on Saturday worth their while by powering their way to a big 82-run victory on the Roy Gathorne Oval.

The toss went the Griffins‘ way and they chose to bat first, which appeared to have backfired when they lost both of their openers for single-figure scores.

Seth Simpson, though, has been in good form and he, again, delivered. Batting at three, he made 68 from 97 deliveries, smashing a six and adding eight fours. His knock proved pivotal in setting the visitors on course for a solid total.

When he departed, the fourth man out, Westville had reached 135/4 in the 31st over. Together with Sean McGough, who went on to contribute 38 from 53 balls, Simpson put on 78 for the fourth wicket from 98 deliveries.

With others chipping in here and there – Sekou Shangase (19), Tristin Delvin (18), Kyle McGough (16), and Roxton Payne (15) – Westville added 96 more runs in 117 balls to make their way to 231 all out off of exactly 50 overs.

Ethan Muir, who counted Simpson among his victims, bowled well, capturing 4/38 from 10 overs, while the reliable Ross Moller bagged 2/37 from his 10, and Radhesh Jhilmeet claimed 2/31 in five.

Michaelhouse needed to bat at 4.64 runs per over to win, and Seb Hofmeyr, opening the innings, did a fantastic job. The problem for the home side was that only Jean-Lec Rey gave him good support. The other nine batsmen mustered only 36 runs between them.

Hofmeyr top-scored with a fine 64 from 81 deliveries, which included eight fours and a six, while Rey struck four fours in his 36 from 50. There was little momentum to ‘House’s effort, however, as wickets fell regularly.

Nicandro Kistna and Roxton Payne were, mostly, responsible for that. Kistna, in only 5.3 overs, claimed 3/19, while Payne snared 3/27 in 10 with his left-arm spin. His removal of Ethan Muir and Cival Rugbar for ducks, tore the heart out of the Michaelhouse middle-order, reducing the home side to 53/5 in the 17th over.

From there, the chances were slim that the Balgowan boys would win. They were bowled out for 149 in 35.3 overs.

Summarised scorecard

Westville Boys’ High 231/10 (Seth Simpson 68, Sean McGough 38, Ethan Muir 4/38, Radhesh Jhilmeet 2/31, Ross Moller 2/37); Michaelhouse 149/10 (Sebastian Hofmeyr 64, Jean-Luc Rey 36, Nicandro Kistna 3/19, Roxton Payne 3/27).

Westville Boys’ High won by 82 runs.