Author: captainmorgan

Playing in his final game for the Maritzburg College 1st XI on Saturday, on Goldstone’s, College captain Chad Mason produced an outstanding all-round performance to lead his side to victory over Kearsney College.

While the toss went the home team’s way, victory looked a long way off when their innings began disastrously.

They lost both of their openers, Daniel Nadasan and Llewellyn Sutherland, cheaply, and they were soon joined by Tian van Niekerk, as the hosts slipped to 26/3 in the the eighth over of their innings.

However, the player who would turn around their fortunes, the skipper, Chad Mason, was already at the crease and keeping the visiting bowlers at bay. He has enjoyed a spectacular year with the bat and he ensured he would finish it on an appropriately high note by playing the cornerstone innings for the Red, Black, and White.

While he was at the crease, College added 131 runs before Mason, eventually, was the sixth man out, caught off the bowling of Jason De Gryse for 75 from 110 balls. His decisive innings had included 13 fours.

A number of other batsmen offered some support, with the players that followed Mason in the batting order all chipping in. Michael Gibson scored 16, Oliver Da Costa 16, Karl Dedekind 24, and Sphamandla Dzanibe 22.

In the last of their 50 overs, Maritzburg College, though, was bowled out for 213. Left-arm paceman Litha Gonya led the Kearsney attack with distinction, knocking over 3/23 in eight overs, while Bonga Maphanga claimed 2/34 in 9.1.

Jason De Gryse kept a lid on the scoring, snaring 1/25 in eight, and Kearsney captain Ross Coetzee, although wicketless, delivered 10 neat overs, surrendering only 31 runs.

Like College, Kearsney didn’t enjoy the best start to their innings, losing both of their openers within the first four overs.

Aaron Blackburn and Dolphins’ u18 captain, Ross Coetzee, stopped the bleeding, joining forces in a 74-run stand for the third wicket from 135 balls.

Coetzee’s counterpart, Mason, who, surprisingly, came on late, the eighth bowler used by College (who employed nine in total), ended his innings, caught by Llewellyn Sutherland for 38 from 59 balls, with three fours.

One run later, Blackburn was also on his way, bowled by Mason for 32 from 91, with four fours. Mason, though, was not yet done. He also got rid of Keegan de Jager for only four, with his dismissal shifting the momentum College’s way as Kearsney slipped to 112/5 in the 32nd over.

When Oliver Da Costa had Nicholas Comrie caught behind by Tian van Niekerk, in the very next over, College had the bit between their teeth.

Cole Young held up the host’s push for victory for a while, striking a six and four fours in his innings of 29 from 36 deliveries, but his dismissal, from a run out in the 42nd over, left Kearsney with a mountain to climb. Their innings had lost momentum and too many batsmen. They were in trouble on 142/7.

Just past the 150-run mark, Daniel Miskey also fell victim to a run out. Two of those in the Kearsney innings were telling.

Bonga Maphanga hit out defiantly, cracking a six and three fours, before he was the ninth man out for 22 from 17 in the 46th over, but Kearsney’s resistance finally ended in the 49th over, when they were all out for 181.

Mason had led the College attack, snapping up three crucial wickets for 38 runs in 10 overs. Up front, opening bowler Reece Willson set the wheels in motion for the home side, removing both openers, on his way to a return of 2/11 from six.

Oliver Da Costa exerted huge pressure on Kearsney’s batsmen, snaring 1/20 in 10 overs, while Michael Gibson picked up 1/9 in 2.2, and Daniel Nadasan delivered 1/27 in five.

Summarised Scorecards

Maritzburg College 213/10 (Chad Mason 75, Karl Dedekind 24, Sphamandla Dzanibe 22, Litha Gonya 3/23, Bonga Maphanga 2/34); Kearsney College 181/10 (Ross Coetzee 38, Aaron Blackburn 32, Cole Young 29, Chad Mason 3/38, Reece Willson 2/11).

Maritzburg College won by 32 runs.

Glenwood visited Northwood on Saturday for a limited-overs clash on the Robin Smith Oval. It turned into a good day for the visitors, who tallied 188 all out and then bowled out the Knights for 133 to score a solid 55-run win.

The Green Machine were expertly led by their captain and SA Schools’ opening bowler, Ntando Soni, who made telling contributions with both the bat and ball.

He called the coin flip correctly and chose to bat first, but Glenwood lost Karabo Ntsieng early.

Krian Jugoo, who replaced him out in the middle, likes to play strokes and he played some good ones in his knock of 49 from 70 balls, striking seven fours and a six, before falling to Kyle White, but Jugoo had helped his side add 64 for the second wicket, lifting the total to 69.

When Kressan Pillai was caught off Luke Allen for 19, Glenwood skipper Soni made his way to the crease. He’s become a valuable contributor with the bat in 2024 and, once again, he delivered a crucial knock. In just 52 balls, he hit six fours and made 47 to give his side’s batting effort a sharp boost.

Bandile Mbatha, who, like Soni, was recently included in the Dolphins’ Khaya Majola Week team for a second year in succession, did his bit by adding 25 runs, coming in at number seven.

With only seven balls remaining in their 50 overs, Glenwood was bowled out for 188. Northwood opening bowler Mason Storm caused the visitors problems, capturing 4/43 in 8.5 overs, while Kyle White and Ben Erasmus bowled tidily and claimed two wickets apiece. White finished with 2/22 from 9.3 overs and Erasmus with 2/33 from 10.

On the Robin Smith Oval, 188 is a decent effort, and that became crystal clear when Soni extracted good bounce and carry, and struck in the first over of Northwood’s reply, bowing Alistair Duncan for one.

Tuswa Phetwa and Mfana Shange kept Glenwood at bay for a short while, but Mbatha ended their partnership, which was worth 19 runs, when Phetwa was caught off his bowling for three.

Kyle White joined Shange in the middle and together they put their heads down and grafted hard, adding 63 runs for the third wicket before Shange was caught by Krian Jugoo off the bowling of left-arm spinner Sibonelo Phewa for 56. His stubborn stay had lasted 103 balls and included six fours and a six.

Shange’s dismissal left the Knights on 86/3 and still very much in the contest, but his removal precipitated a collapse as another three batsmen followed in quick succession.

The wickets were shared around. Mbatha got rid of Ross McGlashan for a duck, Phewa ended Thomas Oosthuizen‘s brief innings for one, and off-spinner Kyle Bryan brought about the end of Mason Storm for another duck.

With Northwood on 91/6, Glenwood was firmly in the driver’s seat. But Luke Allen and Kyle White advanced the home team’s total to 111, which is when Nelson struck…twice.

Soni had Allen caught by Mbatha for seven and then removed Jordan Matthews with the very next ball. At 111/8, Northwood was in deep trouble, although Kyle White continued to defy the Glenwood attack. He helped advance the host’s total to 128 but, then, became the ninth man out, LBW to Soni for a fighting 53 runs from 83 balls, six of which he’d hit for four.

Soon, it was over, with Northwood all out for 133 after Soni grabbed his fifth wicket. The Glenwood skipper shone, finishing with the sparkling analysis of 5/15 from 8.4 overs, which included two maidens.

Sibonelo Phewa snared 2/30 in six, and Bandile Mbatha took 2/40 in nine. Kyle Bryan tied the Knights in knots, claiming 1/14 in 10 miserly overs.

Both Shange and White batted well for Northwood, but the other nine batsmen mustered only 18 runs between them, and that was simply not enough.

Summarised scorecard

Glenwood 188/10 (Krian Jugoo 49, Ntando Soni 47, Bandile Mbatha 25, Mason Storm 4/43, Kyle White 2/22, Ben Cilliers 2/33); Northwood 133/10 (Mfana Shange 56, Kyle White 53, Ntando Soni 5/15, Sibonelo Phewa 2/30, Bandile Mbatha 2/40, Kyle Bryan 1/14).

Glenwood won by 55 runs.

Durban High School (DHS) had strung together a very impressive 10-match winning streak before Clifton College brought it to an end in the Schools SA20 on 24 October. On Saturday, though, School emphatically avenged that loss, beating Clifton by eight wickets at the Riverside Sports Club.

DHS captain Semal Pillay won the toss and chose to field. Far too often, it is almost a reflex action to bat first, but Pillay decided against that and his decision paid off handsomely.

The visitors bowled well, and there was a little something in the pitch, but Clifton’s batsmen did not help themselves either. None of the first five batsmen made it into double figures.

As was the case when the teams met in the Schools SA20, DHS opened with left-arm spinner Dhilan Naraidu at one end, and he, again, enjoyed tremendous success. In 10 overs, he snared 4/19, bowling 50 dot balls along the way, to wreck Clifton’s innings. His victims included opener Byron Ward, number-three batsman Shahzaad Perumal, his brother Shiraz, and Clifton’s dangerman Tim Saulez.

The speed merchant, Bayanda Majola, got rid of the other Clifton opener, Hayden Drieselmann, caught by Joshua van Biljon for four.

While Shiraz Perumal fell to Dhilan Naraidu, he did, at least, start a run of four batsmen who made it into double figures. The problem for Clifton was that the highest score among that quartet was only 14, by Callum Watson and Gabriel Vermeulen.

DHS captain Semal Pillay also played his part in the host’s downfall, getting rid of their lower order to pick up 3/24 in 6.3. Majola took 1/11 in five and Sfundo Mthembu snapped up 1/0.

With not much to defend, Clifton needed an early breakthrough to start the ball rolling, and they got one in the second over when Ismaeel Omar, uncharacteristically, lofted a simple catch to extra cover. He was caught off the bowling of Callum Watson for five.

Five runs later, DHS was in a spot of bother on 14/2 in the fifth over after Saulez bowled Sfundo Mthembu for one.

His dismissal brought Semal Pillay and Joshua van Biljon together. How they went would go a long way towards determining the outcome of the contest.

At first, the Clifton bowlers caused them an issue or two, but the duo soon took charge, especially Joshua van Biljon, who went on the attack. He smashed an unbeaten 57 from only 40 balls, including five sixes and six fours, while sharing an unbroken stand of 77 with his captain, which took DHS to a comfortable eight-wicket victory after only 18 overs.

Pillay held down his end, finishing with a watchful 19 not out from 50 balls, with only one four to his name.

Tim Saulez bowled well up front for Clifton and challenged the DHS batsmen. He claimed 1/18 from six overs, while his new ball partner, Callum Watson, took a while to find his rhythm, but then pressed on to pick up 1/16 in four.

Unfortunately for Clifton captain Shahzaad Perumal, Joshua van Biljon targeted his bowling, and it paid off. Perumal went for 42 runs in only five overs, and that was almost half the runs that the Horseflies required for victory.

Summarised scorecard

Clifton College 87/10 (Callum Watson 14, Gabriel Vermeulen 14, Dhilan Naraidu 4/19, Semal Pillay 3/24); Durban High School 91/2 (Josh van Biljon 57*, Semal Pillay 19*, Callum Watson 1/16, Tim Saulez 1/18).

Durban High School won by 8 wickets.

It was the hosts, Hilton College, against Maritzburg College in the final of the Tuskers’ Schools SA20 competition on Friday afternoon at Hilton.

The hosts secured their place in the title decider with a four-wicket win over Michaelhouse in the morning, while College edged past St Charles by two wickets.

In the final, the toss went Hilton’s way and they chose to bat. They made hay at the top end of their order but lost momentum later on to finish with a decent total of 160/7, nonetheless.

Ben Hockley and Alex Pitman gave the home team a good start, partnering for 58 runs for the first wicket in just over seven overs. Pitman was, then, caught by Dom du Toit off Karl Dedekind‘s bowling for 17 from 18.

That led to Robert Burman teaming up with Hockly and they added another 27 runs from 23 deliveries before Hockly was bowled by Nathan Pembridge for 47 from 37. His attacking knock had featured three sixes and two fours. When he departed, Hilton had reached 85/2 in 11 overs.

Jayden Roux supported Burman nicely as the established batsman took over as the aggressor. He struck a six and three fours, on his way to 41 from 31, before he was caught by Sphamandla Dzanibe off the bowling of Samuel Hughes. Together with Roux, Burman had added 57 runs in 36 balls. However, his dismissal on 142 sparked a collapse.

From 142/2, Hilton tumbled to 147/7 as they chased runs late in their innings. Roux was run out by Daniel Nadasan for 13 and Stewart Falconer was also caught out of his ground for a single. Sphamandla Dzanibe, meanwhile, sent two batsmen packing for ducks.

Simon Steyn, though, stood strong and finished with an unbeaten 13 from 10 balls, with a six and a four.

Dzanibe led the College bowlers with a return of 2/22 from three overs. Dedekind claimed 1/12 from two, and Nathan Pembridge was tidy, taking 1/22 in four.

Maritzburg College’s reply began well as Daniel Nadasan and Tian van Niekerk partnered for 54 runs from 7.3 overs. Their stand was ended by off-spinner Luke Campbell, who had Van Niekerk caught by Roux for 23 from 24, with two fours.

The very next ball, Campbell was at it again, with Dzanibe, College’s top batsman in their semi-final win over St Charles, caught by Sechaba Gude when he pulled the delivery to leg.

Nadasan advanced his total to 30 before he became the third man out, bowled by Benoit Rey in the eleventh over, with the total on 72. He had hit three fours in a 29-ball stay.

Campbell struck for a third time soon after that, bowling Doelyn Naidoo for a duck, which reduced College to 72/4.

Rey, also an off-spinner, kept up the pressure on College by snapping up two more wickets to have the Red, Black, and White six-down before they had reached 100, and when they got there they promptly lost a seventh wicket, with Simon Steyn having Reece Willson caught behind by Ben Hockly.

Twenty-five balls remained and Maritzburg College needed 61 to win. They had a mountain to climb.

Dom du Toit weighed in with 14 from 12 balls, but Hilton kept him from reaching the boundary, and Du Toit lost his wicket in the 19th over, caught by Ben Erasmus off Sechaba Gude. College was on 123/8 and the game was out of reach.

With a late flurry, they finished on 142/8, with Karl Dedekind, who had fought a lone battle for much of the latter part of their innings, finishing on 50 not out from 33 balls. He’d smashed two sixes and three fours.

Hilton College, though, had won by 18 runs. Their off-spinners, Luke Campbell and Benoit Rey, played key roles in the victory. Campbell finished with 3/23 from four, while Rey snared 3/19 from his four.

It hasn’t been a smooth run for the Hilton 1st XI in the fourth term. They’ve come out on the wrong end of a good number of matches, but securing a place to represent their region in the Schools SA20 Final will be a welcome boost to their cricket programme.

Summarised Scorecards

Hilton College 160/7 (Ben Hockly 47, Robert Burman 41, Alex Pitman 17, Sphamandla Dzanibe 2/22, Karl Dedekind 1/12); Maritzburg College 142/8 (Karl Dedekind 50*, Daniel Nadasan 30, Tian van Niekerk 24, Benoit Rey 3/19, Luke Campbell 3/23).

Hilton College won by 18 runs.

Well beaten by St Charles College two weeks ago, Maritzburg College avenged that defeat by ousting Saints in the semi-finals of the Tuskers’ Schools SA20 at Hilton College on Friday.

In a low-scoring contest, the Red, Black, and White won by two wickets, with nine balls to spare.

St Charles chose to bat first after the flip of the coin went their way and while the top four in their order all made it into double figures, they struggled to get on top of the College bowling.

Rico Honiball and Christiaan Prinsloo shared an opening stand of 24 before Honiball was caught behind by wicketkeeper Tian van Niekerk off Karl Dedekind for 17 from 20.

Prinsloo and Thando Zama moved the total along to 49 before Prinsloo was caught by Joseph Currie off Dedekind for 11 from 28 deliveries. After 10.4 overs, Saints were on a rather pedestrian 49/2.

Zama was the third man to depart, run out by Samuel Hughes for 29 from 24, with four fours. His knock proved to be the highest of the St Charles’ innings.

Rowen Rajah added 15 from 21, but after the top four batsmen in the order, no other batsmen came close to making it to double figures. Connor Vogt, with six not out, was the next best, as College’s bowlers took charge.

From 67/3 just before the end of the 14th over, following the dismissal of Zama, Saints struggled, unable to seriously ramp up their run-scoring production as they lost five more wickets.

They were restricted to only 100/8, with Dedekind claiming 2/15 in three, and Reece Willson returning 2/22 from four. Nathan Pembridge kept the St Charles batsmen in check, taking 1/15 in three, while Sphamandla Dzanibe did a splendid job, picking up 1/10 in three. Sam Hughes, who took the new ball, also dialled up the pressure, conceding only 12 runs from his four overs.

Maritzburg College started their reply quickly, but they lost Tian van Niekerk in the first over for eight. His opening partner, Daniel Nadasan followed for two in the third over, a second victim of fast bowler Rowen Rajah.

Sphamandla Dzanibe and Karl Dedekind stopped the St Charles bowlers for a while, partnering for 42 from 43 balls before Dzanibe fell to Keegan Vermaak for 34, the highest score of the match, which had included a six and three fours. He faced 44 deliveries.

Dedekind made 14 and Doelyn Naidoo 12, but, much like Saints, little came from the lower order. There was, however, another contributor that made a big difference, and that was extras. St Charles gave up 17, including 12 wides, while College surrendered nine, of which only five were wides. In a low-scoring game, that played a massive role in the outcome.

College claimed victory off the third ball of the second last over, moving to 104/8 to book their place in the final against Hilton College.

Keegan Vermaak, whose wickets included those of College’s two highest scorers, Dzanibe and Dedekind, snapped up a sharp 3/13 in four overs., while Rowen Rajah knocked over 2/20 in his four, and Covhan Baaitjies took 2/16 in 2.3, but those extras hurt Saints.

Summarised Scorecards

St Charles College 100/8 (Thando Zama 29, Rico Honiball 17, Karl Dedekind 2/15, Reece Willson 2/22, Sphamandla Dzanibe 1/10, Nathan Pembridge 1/15); Maritzburg College 104/8 (Sphamandla Dzanibe 34, Karl Dedekind 14, Keegan Vermaak 3/13, Covhan Baaitjies 2/16, Rowen Rajah 2/20).

Maritzburg College won by two wickets.

Hilton College got one over their great rivals, Michaelhouse, in the semi-finals of Tuskers’ Schools SA20 on Friday. In a tight contest, Hilton claimed a four-wicket win with four balls to spare.

Batting first, away from home, after winning the toss, ‘House tallied 143/4, led by their in-form opener, Graydon Leslie, who followed up his top-scoring effort against Northwood last weekend with the top score again for the Balgowan boys.

After losing his opening partner, Henry Love, to the first ball of the innings, Leslie was joined by Ben Heuer, and they added 38 in 32 balls before Heuer was bowled by Jayden Roux for 22 from 41 deliveries. He had struck four fours.

James Mallett and Leslie, then, combined for a 78-run partnership from 68 balls before Leslie’s knock was brought to an end by Sechaba Gude, who bowled the opening batsman for 52 from 39 deliveries, which had featured six fours.

Mallett went on to finish with an unbeaten 44 from 48, with only one four, while Ethan Muir chipped in with 10, and Rex Wardlaw managed an unbeaten three from the only ball he faced.

Gude and Roux were the only Hilton bowlers to pick up wickets, but they dismissed two batsmen each, with Gude bagging 2/26 in four, and Roux claiming 2/35 in his four. Luke Campbell bowled tidily to finish with figures of 0/15 from four.

Hilton’s reply began solidly enough. However, SA u19 Emerging batsman Ben Hockly was sent packing in the fourth over, caught by Wardlaw off the bowling of Heuer for 14 from 13, with the total on 24.

Alex Pitman and Robert Burman quickly took charge for Hilton, though, advancing their side’s total to 66 in the 10th over before Pitman lost his wicket, caught by Wardlaw off Liam O’Dwyer for 29 from 28, with four fours, after they had added 42 runs.

The very next ball, Jayden Roux was caught and bowled O’Dwyer, but Ben Erasmus negotiated the hat-trick ball as Hilton fought back. He and Burman added 28 from 31 deliveries before Erasmus was run out by Ethan Muir for 12.

Burman was doing most of the heavy lifting and he and Stewart Falconer added 32 from 17 before Falconer was trapped in front by Wardlaw for six.

Burman became the sixth man out, with the total on 134, caught by O’Dwyer off the bowling of Thandanani Zuma for a decisive 59 from 38 balls, two of which he struck for six, while five more went for four.

When he departed, 11 balls remained and Hilton required 10 to win. They needed others to step up and that got the response they needed. Simon Steyn and Luke Campbell saw the hosts home with four balls in hand.

Steyn crushed a six and a four in his unbeaten 15 from nine, while Campbell did his bit, chipping in with five from two to guide the home team to a hard-fought win, which also reversed the result of the most recent T20 meeting of the sides two weeks ago when Michaelhouse won by three runs.

Liam O’Dwyer led the ‘House bowlers, snaring 2/21 in four, while Rex Wardlaw took 1/29 in his four, and Thandanani Zuma 1/41 in four.

Hilton and Michaelhouse meet again on Saturday, 9 November, in the annual Pink Day match.

SCORES

Michaelhouse 143/4 (Graydon Leslie 52, James Mallett 44*, Ben Heuer 22, Sechaba Gude 2/26, Jayden Roux 2/35); Hilton College 147/6 (Robert Burman 59, Alex Pitman 29, Liam O’Dwyer 2/21, Ben Heuer 1/22).

Hilton College won by four wickets.

Kearsney College hosted Westville Boys‘ High on the AH Smith Oval in Botha’s Hill on Thursday in a Dolphins’ Schools SA20 quarterfinal clash that went down to the wire, with Westville pulling off a heart-stopping one-run victory.

The visitors batted first after winning the toss and posted 169/5 in their 20 overs.

They lost Dolphins’ u16 batsman Kyle McGough in the second over, but Bhaskar Sewlal and Seth Simpson, then, steadied their innings with an attacking second-wicket partnership that produced 63 runs from 36 deliveries before the departure of number three batsman Simpson. He was the aggressor, blasting four sixes and three fours in a key innings of 44 from 23 balls.

Sewlal followed one run later, run out by Nic Comrie for 21 from 20.

Sean McGough made 16 at just over a run a ball. His dismissal, which left Westville on 87/4 after 11.3 overs, brought Tristin Delvin to the crease. His contribution would prove to be one of the keys to the Griffins’ narrow victory.

Delvin cracked an unbeaten 52 from only 34 deliveries, striking six fours and a six to help Westville to a solid total. Meanwhile, Miz Nair weighed in with 11 off eight, and Aiden Baudach finished on 18 not out from 18.

Keegan de Jager picked up 1/12 from two overs, while Bonga Maphanga bowled his full complement of four overs and claimed 1/24. Left-arm paceman, Litha Gonya, finished with 1/26 from three.

Kearsney, in their reply, lost Jonty Wiggett with the total on 13, but Jason De Gryse and Keegan de Jager strung together a good partnership following the opener’s departure, adding 70 from 45 balls before De Gryse’s innings was ended when Caleb van Loenen caught him off the bowling of Ashton Kidgell for 26 from 25 deliveries, which included four fours.

De Jager was joined by Cole Young and they added another 33 runs, although the run rate dropped, with that partnership coming from 27 balls. Having reached exactly 50, De Jager was run out by Chad van Breda. he had faced 35 balls and hit two sixes and four fours. When he was dismissed, Kearsney had reached 116/3 after 14.2 overs.

Young and Aaron Blackburn took up the run chase, tacking on 51 runs in 34 balls before, critically, Young was run out by Caleb van Loenen off the second-last ball of the innings, leaving Kearsney on 167/4, still needing three runs to win. Young had scored 46 from 38, with three sixes and one four.

Westville conceded only one run off the last delivery to snatch a nail-biting one-run win.

Blackburn finished with 24 not out from 15 balls, having blasted a couple of sixes and a four.

The two runs out by Westville changed the outcome of the contest. Only Dayalan Boyce, with 1/38 in four, and Ashton Kidgell, with 1/15 in two, picked up wickets, but Heath Stott‘s 0/17 in three overs was an important contribution in the context of the match.

Summarised Scorecard

Westville Boys’ High 169/5 (Tristin Delvin 52*, Seth Simpson 44, Bhaskar Sewlal 21, Keegan de Jager 1/12, Bonga Maphanga 1/24); Kearsney College 168/4 (Keegan de Jager 50, Cole Young, 46, Jason De Gryse 26, Ashton Kidgell 1/15).

Westville Boys’ High won by one run.

After surviving a hard-fought Schools SA20 battle with Durban High School (DHS) the previous week, Clifton College breezed through their next match in the competition, thumping Grantleigh High School by 137 runs in a quarterfinal clash at the Riverside Sports Club on Wednesday.

The home team elected to bat first after winning the toss and their openers, Byron Ward and Hayden Drieselmann turned that into a very good decision by sharing an opening stand of 92 runs. It ended when Drieselmann was caught by Luca Olivier off the bowling of Dillen Pieterse for 37 from 36 balls, which had included five fours.

Ward continued on his merry way, advancing the total to 137 with Tim Saulez before the opener’s cracking innings was halted by a run out. He had faced only 39 balls for 64 runs, smashing two sixes and eight fours.

Saulez was out with the total on 151 after a quickfire 35 from 17 deliveries, three of which he deposited over the boundary, with another two sent to the boundary.

Muhammed Malek weighed in with an unbeaten 25 off 17 as Clifton finished on 196/5, setting their visitors from Richards Bay a steep required run rate of 9.85 to win.

Grantleigh’s bowlers claimed only three of the five wickets to fall – the other two were from run outs – with Dillen Pieterse’s 1/8 from two overs their best return. Tristan van Rooyen did a tidy job, picking up 1/27 in four.

The visitors made a decent start to their reply, with Van Rooyen and Yadav Davarm putting on 16 for the first wicket but, once Tim Saulez had bowled Van Rooyen for eight, the wickets began to tumble.

That opening stand proved to be the best of Grantleigh’s innings, but they had few answers for Saulez. He ripped through their batting, capturing a scintillating 5/13 from his four overs.

Shiraz Perumal saw the first ball he bowled struck for four but retaliated with two quick wickets to snap up 2/10 in 1.5 overs. Gabriel Vermeulen, also, played his part by claiming 2/22 as Grantleigh folded for 59 in only 10.5 overs.

It was a decisive performance from the Clifton attack, but 12 wides and 16 extras will be a slight cause for concern.

Kian Topham led Grantleigh’s batsmen with nine runs.

Summarised Scorecard

Clifton College 196/5 (Byron Ward 64, Hayden Drieselmann 37, Tim Saulez 35, Muhammad Malek 25*, Dillen Pieterse 1/8); Grantleigh High School 59/10 (Tim Saulez 5/13, Shiraz Perumal 2/10, Gabriel Vermeulen 2/22). Clifton College won by 137 runs.

In Pietermaritzburg, on Saturday, on the St Charles College Oval, the home side recorded a hard-fought three-wicket win over Hilton College in a match that mostly favoured the bowlers.

Batting first after winning the toss, Hilton made a bright start, with Robert Burman and Ben Hockly putting on 47 for the first wicket in 9.5 overs. Cian Fortmann, then, ended their burgeoning partnership, having Hockly caught by the Hilton opener’s SA u19 Emerging team-mate Rowen Rajah for 27 from 33, with three fours.

Matters went quickly south for Hilton after Hockly’s departure as they slipped to 59/5 after 17.2 overs. Fortmann and Brendon Sunguro did the damage, with Fortmann picking up three sticks and Sunguro a pair.

Fortmann would go on to finish with an outstanding haul of 3/21 from 10 overs, while Sunguro continued his wonderful run of all-round form by picking up 2/36 in 10.

Ethan van Heerden and Jayden Roux halted the Saints’ bowlers for a while, spending 13 overs together while adding 55 runs. Van Heerden then fell victim to St Charles’ captain Marcell Wellmann, who spun a web around Hilton. The left-armer claimed four of the last five wickets to fall – the other was a run out – to finish with a magnificent 4/25 from nine.

Van Heerden, meanwhile, made 19, Hilton’s third-highest individual score. Roux led the way with a patient 39 from 76 balls, with five fours.

After 44.1 overs, the visitors were dismissed for 148.

St Charles lost the dangerous Cian Fortmann three balls into their reply, caught by Hockly off the bowling of Netanzi Denenga for a duck. In response, Connor Riley and Marcell Wellmann dug in. Their run rate was, for a while, less than 10, but they performed a vital job in blunting the attack of Denenga and Ethan van Heerden.

When Riley fell for 16 from 43 balls, St Charles had crawled their way to 28/2 after 12.4 overs, but his contribution could be measured in more than runs. Wellman followed five runs later for a pedestrian 12 from 41.

Rico Honiball didn’t last long and, when he fell victim to a combination of Jayden Roux and Luke Campbell, Saints appeared to be in serious trouble on 46/4 after 16.5 overs. That, however, brought Brendon Sunguro to the wicket. The Zimbabwean international has enjoyed an outstanding all-round season and he, once again, demonstrated his value to the St Charles side, wresting the initiative away from Hilton.

Taking the attack to the visitors, he hit four fours in a valuable knock of 45 from 35 balls, which turned the tide of the contest. He was finally removed in the 26th over, caught by Roux off Denenga, which left Saints on 93/5, but there was still some work to do.

The home side needed another batsman or two to meet the challenge and Thando Zama was up to the task. He saw a couple of team-mates come and go, including Rowen Rajah for an important 18 runs, but he was there at the end when St Charles passed Hilton’s total. Zama finished unbeaten on 31 from 51 balls with a single.

New ball bowler Netanzi Denenga did a superb job for Hilton, knocking over 2/19 in 10, while Luke Campbell was not as economical, but he was penetrative, capturing 4/51 from his 10. In the end, though, the day belonged to St Charles.

Unfortunately, at Westville Boys’ High, the big showdown between the Griffins and Clifton College was called off due to a wet pitch.

Summarised scorecards

Hilton College 148/10 (Jayden Roux 39, Ben Hockly 27, Marcell Wellmann 4/25, Cian Fortmann 3/21, Brendon Sunguro 2/36); St Charles College 149/7 (Brendon Sunguro 45, Thando Zama 31*, Luke Campbell 4/51, Netanzi Denenga 2/19).

St Charles College won by 3 wickets.

Kearsney College‘s consistency and batting depth were on display on Saturday as they romped to a 127-run win over Glenwood on the AH Smith Oval in Botha’s Hill.

The Green Machine possesses a decent bowling attack, but Kearsney, batting first after being sent in, handled the challenge the visitors posed well.

Then, as has happened numerous times throughout the season, Ross Coetzee, who was recently named the captain of the Dolphins’ u18 team for the Khaya Majola Week, played a key innings and shared in a telling partnership to tilt the match his side’s way.

Up front, Jonty Wiggett and Jason De Gryse posted 26 for the first wicket before Ntando Soni caught De Gryse off the bowling of Bandile Mbatha for 10.

Keegan de Jager was kept quiet by the Glenwood bowlers, but his departure brought captain Coetzee out into the middle and he and Jonty Wiggett advanced the total to 71 before Wiggett exited after a solid 36 from 47 deliveries, which included four fours and a six.

Next, Aaron Blackburn and Coetzee joined forces and partnered for 105 runs for the fourth wicket before Coetzee fell victim to a run out. He made 77 from 71 balls, striking 10 fours and a six in another telling innings.

Blackburn was part of another significant partnership, putting on 53 for the sixth wicket with Sandiswa Yeni before being caught by Sibonelo Phewa off Ntando Soni for 59 from 99 balls.

With two overs remaining, Kearsney was on 228/6. They added a further 15 runs for the loss of the wickets of Yeni and Nic Comrie, with Dolphins’ paceman Yeni delivering a useful 33 from 34, with four fours and a six, to finish on 243/8.

Glenwood’s opening pair, Bandile Mbatha and Ntando Soni, picked up two wickets each in their 10 overs, with Mbatha going for 48 runs and Soni for 40. Although he didn’t pick up a wicket, Daniel Gunawardena did a solid job, sending down four overs while surrendering only 10 runs.

The challenge that faced Glenwood, who needed to bat at 4.88 runs per over to win, was that their bowling has been more consistent than their batting this season, and their run chase started in the worst way possible, with Litha Gonya bowling Karabo Ntsieng with the first ball of the innings.

Krian Jugoo followed for 10, with the total on 13, caught by Coetzee off Yeni, and opener Rehman Jugbathur became a second victim of Gonya, with Coetzee again bagging the catch, which left Glenwood in trouble in 23/3.

Kearsney skipper Coetzee continued to be at the centre of the action. Taking the ball, he removed Kreesan Pillai for nine before the visitors had reached fifty.

Ntando Soni stood firm, showing off his all-round skills, but Bonga Maphanga got through Kyle Bryan‘s defences, sending him packing for three. Three runs later, Glenwood was on life support, reduced to 60/6 after Aaron Blackburn caught Bandile Mbatha for a single off the bowling of Coetzee.

At last, when Sibonelo Phewa got to the crease, Glenwood’s innings stabilised. He’s been a strong performer lower down the order for the Durban school throughout the season and one wonders whether or not a promotion up the order is on the cards. He and Ntando Soni advanced the total to 99 before Soni’s resistance was brought to an end. He had made 32 from 51 balls, with four fours.

Phewa stayed around until the total reached 115, when he became the eighth wicket to fall. He was Glenwood’s top-scorer, tallying 37 from 57 balls, with five fours.

One run later, Glenwood’s innings was over, all out for 116 after 34.1 overs.

Keegan de Jager, who brought about Phewa’s downfall, finished with 2/2 in 1.1 overs, while Ross Coetzee, who has bowled less in 2024 than last year while taking his batting to a higher level, showed he’s still got it with the ball, snaring a miserly 2/9 in eight.

The opening pair of Litha Gonya and Sandiswa Yeni did their bit, with Gonya capturing 2/20 in five, while Yeni picked up 2/21 in nine.

Summarised scorecards

Kearsney College 243/8 (Ross Coetzee 77, Aaron Blackburn 59, Jonty Wiggett 36, Ntando Soni 2/40, Bandile Mbatha 2/48); Glenwood High School 116/10 (Sibonelo Phewa 37, Ntando Soni 32, Keegan de Jager 2/2, Ross Coetzee 2/9, Litha Gonya 2/20, Sandiswa Yeni 2/21).

Kearsney College won by 127 runs.