Cian Fortmann was one of three St Charles batsmen to score fifties in their win over Maritzburg College. Photo: Justin Waldman Sports Photography.
St Charles College welcomed their neighbours Maritzburg College to the St Charles Oval on Saturday, but it wasn’t a particularly warm welcome as Saints dined out on the College bowling after winning the toss.
Every batsman, barring one who was not out at the end, reached double figures and three of them made fifties.
Thando Zama led the way with 60, which included six fours, while Brendon Sunguro, who has enjoyed an outstanding all-round season, contributed 54 from 64, despite striking only one four and one six. Opening batsman Cian Fortmann found the boundary seven times in his 53 from 62 balls.
Another useful contribution from Connor Riley, of 32, and 20 from Rico Honiball, helped Saints post a solid 273/6 on a big field. Ryan McKean picked up two wickets for College, finishing with 2/42 from eight overs, while Daniel Nadasan stemmed the flow of runs, snaring 1/26 in eight.
Maritzburg College made 189 all out in reply, but their scorecard made for some grim reading. Just four players made it into double figures. However, only captain Chad Mason made it beyond the teens. Without him, the Red, Black, and White wouldn’t have made 100. Thankfully for them, Mason continued his outstanding form, making 102 from 115 balls, with 12 fours and a six. But there was little support for him.
Sungoro laid waste to the College batting, snapping up 4/17 in six, while Connor Vogt sparkled with 3/30 from eight as Saints romped to a big 84-run win.
In Balgowan, Durban High School (DHS) continued to add to their impressive list of results with a commanding seven-wicket victory over Michaelhouse.
The home side batted first after winning the toss, but they were hamstrung by a failure to put any significant partnerships together. The best they mustered was 32 between Murray Hall-Jones and Ethan Muir for the fourth wicket and that wasn’t going to cut it against the committed batting of DHS.
Muir was ‘House’s top scorer with 35, which featured four fours, while Hall-Jones, with 21, was their next best.
Opening bowler Taine Havemann did a fine job, removing the top three in the Michaelhouse batting order, on his way to figures of 3/32 from 10. Dhilan Naraidu, who took the new ball with Havemann, turned the screws on the hosts, claiming a miserly 1/18 in 10.
SA u19 Emerging paceman Bayanda Majola was the seventh bowler used by School and he knocked over 2/16 in five to hasten Michaelhouse’s demise. They were restricted to only 164/9 from their 50 overs.
DHS lost a couple of wickets early on in their innings, but that brought captain Semal Pillay and Josh van Biljon together and they maturely wrestled control of the contest from Michaelhouse.
Captain Semal Pillay and top order batsman Josh van Biljon, gave DHS 1st XI coach, Fabian Lazarus, a nice birthday present by convincingly leading DHS to a win over Michaelhouse.
They delivered a partnership of 109 from 118 balls before Van Biljon was caught by Graydon Leslie off the bowling of Radhesh Jhilmeet for 55 from 68, which included nine fours. When he departed, the total was 145 and DHS needed only 20 more runs to win.
Pillay and Ethan Cooper, then, saw the Horseflies over the line, with Pillay finishing on 52 not out from 71 balls, with four fours, and Cooper unbeaten on nine.
The reliable and economical opening bowler Ross Moller claimed 2/18 in eight, but the ‘House attack didn’t have enough to defend and DHS won with a whopping 17.5 overs to spare.
Summarised scorecards
St Charles College 273/6 (Thando Zama 60, Brendon Sunguro 54, Cian Fortmann 53, Connor Riley 31, Ryan McKean 2/42); Maritzburg College 189/10 (Chad Mason 102, Brendon Sunguro 4/17, Connor Vogt 3/30)
St Charles College won by 84 runs.
Michaelhouse 164/9 (Ethan Muir 35, Murray Hall-Jones 21, Jared Havemann 3/32, Bayanda Majola 2/16); Durban High School 165/3 (Josh van Biljon 55, Semal Pillay 52*, Ross Moller 2/18)
Michael Mount beat the defending champions, St Benedict’s College, by five points in the final of Kearsney’s Independent Schools Stayers’ Basketball Tournament. Photo: Hannah Shirley.
The SportZone at Kearsney College and the surrounding basketball courts were a hive of activity over the weekend, with 26 teams playing 104 matches over the three days of the annual Independent Schools’ Stayers Basketball Tournament (ISSBT).
It finished with Michael Mount Waldorf being crowned the A Division champions, while LIV Village won the B Division.
The event was divided into the 16-team A Division and 12-team B Division and included teams from across South Africa, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe.
Traditionally, the competition between the top schools from KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng has been even. On this occasion, however, quite clearly, Gauteng ruled the roost. Hilton College, in seventh, was the best of the KZN schools.
Michael Mount, meanwhile, held off the defending champions, St Benedict’s College, 57-52 to take the title. While the Bryanston school kept their record clean throughout the tournament, they were extended in a number of their matches.
In pool play, they edged out St Stithians by only two points and Elite Sports and Cultural Academy (ESCA) by a single point. It turned out that Pool C was the strongest of the four.
Third place went to ESCA, who had their way with St Alban’s College, winning 53-29. Then, in a clash of traditional rivals, St Stithians defeated St John’s College 52-30 to secure fifth-place.
Hilton College scored a narrow 31-27 win over King’s School Linbro Park to end seventh, and St Charles College and Clifton College completed the top 10, with Saints beating Clifton 52-31 in their playoff contest.
Competition was tight in the final, but when it was done a new champion, Michael Mount Waldorf, had been crowned. Photo: Hannah Shirley.
None of the B Division teams went unscathed, with LIV Village, the champions, going down to Curro Hillcrest and St Nicholas Diocesan School in Pool A action. They also edged out Kingswood College by a single point. However, when the chips were down, during the playoffs, LIV Village produced their best form.
They cruised to a 33-point win over Marist Brothers Linmeyer in the quarterfinals. Pool B’s winner, St Peter’s College, who won all of their pool games, comfortably dealt with Curro Hillcrest, winning by 21 points. They won by 11 over St Nicholas in the semi-finals, while LIV Village edged out SAHETI School 22-18.
With the title on the line, LIV Village handed St Peter’s their only defeat of the tournament, running out 37-30 winners.
A DIVISION RESULTS
Pool A
St Benedict’s College 70-13 The Clan
St Charles College 49-55 Hilton College
St Benedict’s College 53-40 St Charles College
The Clan 33-73 Hilton College
Hilton College 39-57 St Benedict’s College
St Charles College 53-30 The Clan
Pool B
Kearsney College 32-36 King’s School Linbro Park
St David’s Marist Inanda 56-25 Usuthu Forest School
Kearsney College 50-23 St David’s Marist Inanda
King’s School Linbro Park 56-13 Usuthu Forest
Usuthu Forest 14-18 Kearsney College
St David’s Marist 23-41 Inanda King’s School Linbro Park
Pool C
St Stithians 40-42 Michael Mount
Michaelhouse 24-42 ESCA
Michael Mount 58-38 Michaelhouse
ESCA 49-43 St Stithians
St Stithians 51-27 Michaelhouse
Michael Mount 47-46 ESCA
Pool D
St Alban’s College 58-21 Peace Players International
St John’s College 53-38 Peace Players International
St Alban’s College 27-29 St John’s College
Clifton College 63-52 Peace Players International
Clifton College 23-32 St Alban’s College
St John’s College 51-40 Clifton College
Round of 16
King’s School Linbro Park 38-32 Michaelhouse
Michael Mount 76-17 Usuthu Forest School
St Benedict’s College 55-42 Peace Players International
St John’s College 60-26 The Clan
Hilton College 48-37 Clifton College
St Alban’s College 52-47 St Charles College
Kearsney College 34-48 ESCA
St Stithians College 58-34 St David’s Marist Inanda
Cross-Pool Matches
Michaelhouse 28-36 St Charles College
Clifton College 63-24 Usuthu Forest School
Peace Players International 30-33 St David’s Marist Inanda
Kearsney College 55-33 The Clan
Playoff Games
Quarterfinals
St Benedict’s College 55-41 St Stithians College
ESCA 39-36 St John’s College
King’s School Linbro Park 23-34 St Alban’s College
Hilton College 25-57 Michael Mount
Cross-Pool Matches
St Stithians College 35-36 King’s School Linbro Park
St John’s College 47-34 Hilton College
Semi-finals
St Benedict’s College 45-32 St Alban’s College
ESCA 38-57 Michael Mount
Cross-Pool Matches
St David’s Marist Inanda 35-54 St Charles College
Clifton College 60-53 Kearsney College
Peace Players International 55-41 Michaelhouse
Usuthu Forest School 22-41 The Clan
Placement Games
15/16 – Michaelhouse 73-22 Usuthu Forest School
13/14 – Peace Players International 50-32 The Clan
11/12 – St David’s Marist Inanda 32-40 Kearsney College
9/10 – St Charles College 52-31 Clifton College
7/8 – King’s School Linbro Park 27-31 Hilton College
5/6 – St Stithians College 52-30 St John’s College
3/4 – St Alban’s College 29-53 ESCA
1/2 – St Benedict’s College 52-57 Michael Mount
B DIVISION RESULTS
Pool Games
Pool A
Curro Hillcrest 32-34 Kingswood College
St Nicholas Diocesan School 41-37 The Heritage School (Zim)
Thomas More College 34-49 LIV Village
Kingswood College 27-35 St Nicholas Diocesan School
The Heritage School (Zim) 39-20 Thomas More College
LIV Village 36-38 Curro Hillcrest
The Heritage School (Zim) 34-37 LIV Village
Thomas More College 27-51 Kingswood College
St Nicholas Diocesan School 47-25 Curro Hillcrest
Curro Hillcrest 51-11 Thomas More College
LIV Village 30-35 St Nicholas Diocesan School
Kingswood College 25-22 The Heritage School
The Heritage School 44-54 Curro Hillcrest
Kingswood College 30-31 LIV Village
Thomas More College 16-41 St Nicholas Diocesan School
Pool B
Enjabulweni 25-42 Marist Brothers Linmeyer
Saheti School 66-39 St Benedict School
St Peter’s College 40-18 Meridian Karino School
Marist Brothers Linmeyer 28-57 Saheti School
St Benedict School 14-52 St Peter’s College
Meridian Karino School 49-11 Enjabulweni
St Benedict School 40-29 Meridian Karino School
St Peter’s College 39-32 Marist Brothers Linmeyer
Saheti School 34-6 Enjabulweni
Enjabulweni 5-34 St Peter’s College
Meridian Karino School 28-57 Saheti School
Marist Brothers Linmeyer 26-21 St Benedict School
St Benedict’s School 41-32 Enjabulweni
Marist Brothers Linmeyer 47-45 Meridian Karino School
St Peter’s College 30-27 Saheti School
Playoff Games
Quarterfinals
St Nicholas Diocesan School 39-27 St Benedict School
LIV Village 59-26 Marist Brothers Linmeyer
Saheti School 48-12 Kingswood College
St Peter’s College 36-15 Curro Hillcrest
Cross-Pool Playoffs
The Heritage School 39-23 Enjabulweni
Meridian Karino School 19-25 Thomas More College
Semi-finals
St Nicholas Diocesan School 22-33 St Peter’s College
LIV Village 22-18 Saheti School
Cross-Pool Playoffs
St Benedict School 34-15 Curro Hillcrest
Marist Brothers Linmeyer 17-31 Kingswood College
Placement Games
11/12 – Enjabulweni 13-21 Meridan Karino School
9/10 – The Heritage School 37-17 Thomas More College
7/8 – Curro Hillcrest 34-11 Marist Brothers Linmeyer
5/6 – St Benedict School 29-26 Kingswood College
3/4 – St Nicholas Diocesan School 34-40 Saheti School
1/2 – St Peter’s College 30-37 LIV Village
Paul Roos scored an 11-9 win over Hilton College in the first quarterfinal of the Clifton Centenary Water Polo Tournament.
As the Clifton Centenary Water Polo Tournament headed into Saturday – much like day three of a golf tournament, known as moving day – there was a noticeable increase in intensity, especially among the top teams that had qualified for the quarterfinals, with each of those matches producing enthralling contests.
Hilton College, the winners of Pool A, faced Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) in the first of those last eight clashes.
For the first half, it was neck-and-neck. Every time one of the sides went two goals clear, their opponents pulled it back. At the break, it was all square at 8-8. At last, though, PRG, beaten 7-6 by SACS in the 2023 final, managed to create a small buffer and they went on to a 14-11 victory.
There was another victory for a team that had placed second in the pool stage over a pool winner in the second quarterfinal. This time it was the defending champions, SACS, battling their way to a hard-fought 11-9 victory over Affies.
The Pretoria school started strongly, quickly charging into a 2-0 lead and they made SACS work hard for their goal-scoring successes, with Affies’ organised defence doing a good job. The Capetonians, though, kept their composure, used the width of the pool well and created openings with crisp ball movement.
Nicholas Fall, their South African Schools’ attacker, lent SACS a calm presence on the right and a blistering left-arm shot helped them to an 11-9 win.
Affies and SACS engaged in a back-and-forth battle with the Cape Town school eventually scoring a two-point win.
It was Kearsney College against St John’s College in the third quarterfinal, with Kearsney coach, Nick Rodda, previously of St John’s, very familiar with the team his side would be facing. St John’s coach Jon-Marc De Carvalho, best of mates with Rodda, said, however, he made no adjustments for the fact that Rodda knew the St John’s boys so well.
The Johannesburg school went with its tried and tested formula of applying heavy pressure on the opposition’s ball carriers as soon as they gained possession. From there, they would hit hard on the counter.
It worked well and it appeared as if St John’s were on their way to a comfortable win when they went 7-3 ahead. They looked to have all the momentum, but Kearsney quickly dispelled that perception and fought their way back into the contest, coming back to only 8-9 down.
Credit to St John’s, they kept their shape, stuck to their game plan, weathered the storm and pulled clear near the end to run out 12-9 winners.
Up front, Ross Rovelli, as he has done all tournament long, set the standard and was a danger throughout. At the back, his SA u18 team-mate Greg Pryce controlled the defensive effort.
The fourth quarterfinal was a KZN affair, with the hosts, Clifton, up against a talented WestvilleBoys’ High lineup. Predictably, it was a tight contest, and there weren’t many goals in it, although Clifton, with nine shots against the frame of the goal, came close to scoring a lot more than they did.
They won it 6-4, scoring the last two goals of the game to take the win in front of a packed and buzzing crowd. A sublime long-range lobbed goal by Clifton captain Ollie Ditz highlighted the first half, but Jamie Nicolau‘s goal near the end that made it 6-4 was super special.
Westville’s Rhees Hall lines up a shot as Clifton’s Ethan Lyne defends.
When he received the ball up front, close to the goal but alone, he had two defenders on him. Somehow, he squirted past them, but goalkeeper Connor Clare, responding correctly, lunged forward to close down the space. Nicolau, audaciously, slapped the ball hard into the water. It popped up and over Clare and into the Westville goal for a memorable game-deciding score.
It would be remiss not to also mention Clifton’s SA u18 goalkeeper, Ross Strauss, who has been in magnificent form and pulled off some fantastic saves.
The cross-pool playoffs that followed delivered more good contests, with Selborne College scoring a comfortable 9-4 win over Reddam House Constantia.
Northwood withstood a strong challenge from Durban High School (DHS) to win 7-5. Lian Terblanche and Matt Lortan are two Knights who have caught the eye, and Northwood, as a team, is undoubtedly ascending.
King Edward VII (KES) beat Grey College 10-6 to score their first victory, while Michaelhouse, who’ve had their moments, finally grabbed a win, defeating Maritzburg College 10-7. College, though, will take heart from their performances on Saturday. They lost to ‘House and were beaten 14-6 by DHS in the second game of the day, but they were far more competitive at both ends of the pool than they had been on the first two days of competition.
Then, in the first of the Plate semi-finals, Kearsney College served notice that they’re going to be challenging Clifton and Hilton, the two top dogs in KZN last season, for the number one spot this season and next year. In a very tight contest, they edged out Hilton 9-8 and, with a young side, many of whom played for the first team last year already, they’re becoming a battle-hardened unit.
Affies and Westville faced off in the second of the Plate semis, and both sides produced strong defensive performances. That’s been their calling card. The most Westville had conceded in their previous four games was six goals and they kept Affies to five on this occasion, which proved enough for a 7-5 victory.
Surprisingly, the first of the Cup semi-finals was a high-scoring affair and it resulted in the most goals in a game in the tournament thus far. Given that it was between Paul Roos and St John’s, it was a bit of an eye-opener.
In the four games they had played before the PRG clash, St John’s had given up only 19 goals, but Paul Roos put 12 past them. Unfortunately for last year’s runners-up, St John’s struck 16 times in response to book themselves a place in the final where they will have a shot at winning the title they won in 2022.
To do that, they’ll have to take down the 2023 champions, SACS, who’ve had some tight games along the way. They lost to Hilton College in a penalty shootout in the match to decide first place in Pool A. Then, in the playoffs, they beat Selborne by one goal. They followed that up with a tight quarterfinal against Affies, in which they clawed their way to an 11-9 victory.
Then, in Saturday’s last game, they edged out the hosts, Clifton, 7-6. While SACS have won by tighter margins than St John’s, their opponents in the final, which takes place at 12:30 on Sunday, it’s important to remember that they’ve won when it truly mattered.
The finalists resemble one another in the sense that they look comfortable with the style in which they play the game. They don’t panic. They keep their shape and they keep plugging away until their opposition finally cracks. Of course, on Sunday, one of them will have to concede. It should be fascinating.
Before they meet, there are some cracking contests lined up as the final places are decided. Even the ninth-place game between Selborne College and Northwood looks very tasty. Both teams are capable of some very good water polo. Both are improving, and both boast some outstanding individual talent.
After them, Hilton against Affies should be exciting. The local lads will need to get over the disappointment of two tight losses on Saturday because Affies will take it to them. They’re a more complete side than they were last year.
Kearsney versus Westville is a rivalry match-up. When rivals meet, outcomes are unpredictable, and, individually, both teams are loaded. It’s going to be a battle for fifth place.
Then, in the third place game, Clifton faces Paul Roos, with an opportunity to match the third place they achieved in 2023 with a handsome 9-5 win over Hilton. They would be thrilled to achieve a similarly convincing victory, but it’s likely to be tougher than that, and they would be happy with any win.
Clifton has come on in leaps and bounds during the tournament. For that matter, Paul Roos is finding its groove, too. If they are to have any hope of beating the Stellenbosch boys, Clifton will need to play wider and not become static. It’s a point their coach Paul Martin drummed into his side late in their quarterfinal win over Westville. When they did that, they looked far more dangerous. If that’s the Clifton that takes to the water on Saturday, an exciting game is on the cards.
FIXTURES
07:00 – Maritzburg College vs Grey College (15th/16th)
07:45 – Michaelhouse vs KES (13th/14th)
08:30 – Reddam House Constantia vs DHS (11th/12th)
09:15 – Selborne College vs Northwood (9th/10th)
10:00 – Hilton College vs Affies (7th/8th)
10:45 – Kearsney College vs Westville Boys’ High (5th/6th)
11:30 – Clifton vs Paul Roos (3rd/4th)
12:30 – St John’s College vs SACS (1st/2nd)
RESULTS
Northwood 11-6 Michaelhouse
DHS 14-6 Maritzburg College
Hilton 11-14 Paul Roos
Affies 9-11 SACS
St John’s 12-9 Kearsney
Clifton 6-4 Westville
Selborne 9-4 Reddam House Constantia
Northwood 7-5 DHS
KES 10-6 Grey College
Michaelhouse 10-7 Maritzburg College
Hilton 8-9 Kearsney
Affies 5-7 Westvile
Paul Roos 12-16 St John’s
SACS 7-6 Clifton
Reddam House Constantia’s Matthew Cox scored a superb goal late against Durban High School, but it wasn’t enough to rescue his side from a loss.
A bright, sunny day, but with south-westerly winds that reached 40 km/h, made for a challenging opening day of the Clifton Water Polo Tournament on Thursday, but there was some fantastic action in the Clifton Aquatic Centre pool. In the end, the favoured teams won their games, until the last match of the day.
Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG), one of the favourites and last year’s runner-up, was somewhat fortunate to escape with a 9-8 victory over Michaelhouse in their opener.
The Stellenbosch powerhouse was stunned in the first chukka as ‘House stormed into a 4-0 lead. Undaunted, PRG fought their way back to level the scores at 4-4. They appeared to have the momentum, but Michaelhouse, again, wrestled control of the contest away from them, surging 7-4 in the clear.
Coach Vaughn Marlow was calm and encouraging towards his Paul Roos players as the fourth chukka began, telling them they were doing well and encouraging them to keep doing what they were doing. It worked. Paul Roos clawed their way back to 8-8 and then clinched a win in the last 30 seconds.
A late red card in the day’s last clash, between PRG and Affies, however, cost the Bolanders as the Pretoria side overcame a 5-7 deficit to snatch an 8-7 victory. That result leaves Pool B as the toughest to call on day two, although Kearsney College has the inside line to first place.
Their loss to Paul Roos must have stung Michaelhouse, but they should take great heart from that performance. It was light years better than what they produced in the tournament’s first game against Kearsney, which the Botha’s Hill boys won 13-3.
Later in the day, Kearsney, playing without KZN water polo player and SA swimmer, Luca Sandri, shared a tense 5-5 draw with Affies. That sent the tie to a penalty shootout and goalkeeper Phiwayinkosi Hadebe firmly rejected Affies’ second attempt to help his side to a 2-1 win from the spot. On Saturday, Kearsney will welcome Sandri back from a swimming competition, which will boost their campaign.
St John’s College battles Maritzburg College for possession in a Pool C match, which the Johannesburg school won comfortably.
Northwood and Hilton College shared a cracking game, going blow for blow until it was 8-8. Two late goals from Hilton, however, lifted coach Jason Sileno‘s men to a hard-fought victory.
One of the highlights of the contest was the battle between the Knights‘ SA u18 star, Matt Lortan, and Hilton’s KZN standout Meyer Malherbe. Lortan impressed with his speed and quick hands, getting shots off in the blink of an eye, while Malherbe, the Hilton captain, impressed with his power and composure.
Hilton followed up with a 9-2 win over Grey College, who had two tough matches on the opening day, with the other, against SACS, ending in a big 19-2 victory for the Cape Town school.
They also beat Northwood 13-5, which was an outstanding result, and it has marked SACS as one of the teams to beat. The defending champions were assured and calm and they finished well.
If they’re to go all the way, though, they’ll need to get past St John’s College. The Johannesburg boys looked very good on the opening day. They cruised to a 13-2 win over Maritzburg College and then beat Selborne College 9-6.
To Selborne’s credit, they found themselves 5-1 down but fought back to emerge from the contest with their honour intact. St John’s impressed with their trademark defensive pressure and any team wanting to beat them will have to deal with that challenge.
Unfortunately for Selborne, they ran into Westville Boys’ High in their second outing and the KZN side played up to their considerable potential to score a convincing 8-3 win. In their first match, the Griffin had won 13-6 against Maritzburg College.
The hosts, Clifton College, were given a good workout by Durban High School (DHS) in their opener, with the teams level-pegging before Clifton found their rhythm and scored the last three goals to secure an 8-5 win.
Clifton defends in numbers to keep DHS at bay in an 8-5 victory for the hosts.
In the early evening, Clifton took on King Edward VII (KES), who had handed Clifton a 9-4 defeat at the Standard Bank King Edward VII Water Polo Tournament in March. This time, Clifton exacted revenge, ironically by a 9-4 margin.
DHS, meanwhile, showed they’re a dangerous team by chalking up a 7-3 win over Reddam House Constantia. The Cape school had looked good in a 6-4 victory over KES first time out.
Early on Friday morning, a crucial game in Pool B has Kearsney taking on Paul Roos. If Kearsney wins, first place belongs to them.
Just after midday, in Pool A, the clash of Hilton College and SACS will decide who wins Pool A, while the last of the pool games, which follows at 13:15, will pit Westville Boys’ High against St John’s with first place in Pool C up for grabs.
Pool D appears to be Clifton’s for the taking as they’re the only team with a clean record after Friday’s play. They tackle Reddam House Constantia at 10:15, with a chance to wrap up the top spot.
On Friday, from 14:45, the cross-pool playoffs begin.
RESULTS
Pool A
Northwood 8-10 Hilton
SACS 19-2 Grey College
Hilton 9-2 Grey College
SACS 13-5 Northwood
Pool B
Michaelhouse 3-13 Kearsney
Paul Roos 9-8 Michaelhouse
Affies (1) 5-5 (2) Kearsney
Affies 8-7 Paul Roos
Pool C
Maritzburg College 2-13 St John’s
Westville 13-6 Maritzburg College
Selborne 6-9 St John’s
Selborne 3-8 Westville
Pool D
Clifton 8-5 DHS
KES 4-6 Reddam
Reddam 3-7 DHS
Clifton 9-4 KES
Oliver Ditz helped Clifton to third place in the 2023 Clifton Water Polo Tournament. Now, the captain of the 2024 Clifton side, he and goalkeeper Ross Strauss represented South Africa at the World Aquatics Men’s u18 Water Polo Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in July.
Clifton College‘s picturesque Clifton Aquatics Centre to set to be lit up by some of the country’s top teams when the Durban school hosts the Clifton Water Polo Tournament from Thursday, 26 September, to Sunday, 29 September.
It’s early days in the season, but Northwood, Hilton College, SACS, Grey College, Paul Roos, Selborne, St John’s College, and the hosts, Clifton, all head into the tournament with plenty of games under their belts from the past weekend’s SACS Water Polo Tournament, where St John’s fell in the final to Bishops.
Those schools are joined by Affies, Michaelhouse, Kearsney College, Maritzburg College, Westville Boys’ High, King Edward VII School (KES), Reddam House Constantia, and Durban High School (DHS) in a high-quality line-up.
Based on their form at SACS, St John’s, who won eight of their nine pool games to finish top of their group, before progressing to the final, should be considered the favourites, but is far from an open and shut case.
While the SACS tournament has accelerated the process of teams gelling, it also placed serious demands on the players over four days of top-level competition. Fatigue could become a factor during the Clifton Water Polo Tournament.
Back at home, coach Paul Martin and his Clifton side are a tough out for any opposition. They don’t boast the consistent excellence of their very experienced 2023 team, but if they click they have the quality to go all the way.
Taking a further look into the results at the recent SACS Tournament, Hilton College was the best of the KZN teams, reaching the quarterfinals where they were edged out by St John’s, who recorded a 4-3 win. They also beat Clifton 5-2 in a Pool B clash.
Paul Roos, last year’s runners-up in the Clifton Water Polo Tournament, also bowed out in the quarters, going down 5-6 to Rondebosch, who had finished top of Pool B.
Selborne and Clifton just missed out on the last eight. It was Selborne that Clifton beat in the final of the Vides Water Polo Tournament, but Selborne tasted success when they won the Grey College ITEC Water Polo Tournamentin February for a second year in succession.
Northwood, meanwhile, came out on the wrong end of a number of one-goal games in Cape Town, which suggests, with a slight improvement and a touch of luck, they could make some noise in Durban.
Another team to keep an eye on is Kearsney College. It has been a very good year for the Botha’s Hill boys, highlighted by them winning the Reef Cup in March.
Affies, the beaten finalists at the ITEC Tournament, is another team that could spring a surprise or two, while KES, who finished only 12th in the Clifton event last year, finished above Westville Boys’ High, Selborne, Clifton and Northwood at the Standard Bank King Edward VII Water Polo Tournament in March. Beware the bear!
The aforementioned Westville has produced some outstanding players in recent years, but they haven’t quite put it together as a team. Is this the year they do?
Don’t count out any of the other sides. They might not make it all the way, but there will surely be an upset or two in them.
POOLS
Pool A – Northwood, Hilton, SACS, Grey College
Pool B – Affies, Michaelhouse, Kearsney, Paul Roos
Pool C – Selborne, Maritzburg College, Westville, St John’s
Pool D – KES, Clifton, Reddam House Constantia, DHS
FiXTURES
Thursday, 26 September
1 – 08:00 – Michaelhouse vs Kearsney (B)
2 – 08:45 – Maritzburg College vs St John’s (C)
3 – 09:30 – Clifton vs DHS (D)
4 – 10:15 – Northwood vs Hilton (A)
5 – 11:00 – Paul Roos vs Michaelhouse (B)
6 – 11:45 – KES vs Reddam (D)
7 – 12:30 – Westville vs Maritzburg College (C)
8 – 13:15 – SACS vs Grey College (A)
9 – 14:00 – Selborne vs St John’s (C)
10 – 14:45 – Affies vs Kearsney (B)
11 – 15:30 – Reddam vs DHS (D)
12 – 16:15 – Hilton vs Grey College (A)
13 – 17:00 – Selborne vs Westville (C)
14 – 17:45 – Clifton vs KES (D)
15 – 18:30 – SACS vs Northwood (A)
16 – 19:15 – Affies vs Paul Roos (B)
Friday, 27 September
17 – 08:00 – KES vs DHS (D)
18 – 08:45 – Kearsney vs Paul Roos (B)
19 – 09:30 – Northwood vs Grey College (A)
20 – 10:15 – Clifton vs Reddam (D)
21 – 11:00 – Selborne vs Maritzburg College (C)
22 – 11:45 – Affies vs Michaelhouse (B)
23 – 12:30 – Hilton vs SACS (A)
24 – 13:15 – Westville vs St John’s (C)
25 – 14:45 – 2nd Pool A vs 3rd Pool C
26 – 15:30 – 2nd Pool B vs 3rd Pool D
27 – 16:15 – 3rd Pool A vs 2nd Pool C
28 – 17:00 – 3rd Pool B vs 2nd Pool D
29 – 17:45 – Loser 25 vs 4th Pool D
30 – 18:30 – Loser 26 vs 4th Pool A
Saturday, 28 September
31 – 08:00 – Loser 27 vs 4th Pool B
32 – 08:45 – Loser 28 vs 4th Pool C
33 – 09:30 – 1st Pool A vs Winner 26 (QF 1)
34 – 10:30 – 1st Pool B vs Winner 25 (QF 2)
35 – 11:30 – 1st Pool C vs Winner 28 (QF 3)
36 – 12:30 – 1st Pool D vs Winner 27 (QF 4)
37 – 13:30 – Winner 29 vs Winner 30
38 – 14:15 – Winner 31 vs Winner 32
39 – 15:00 – Loser 29 vs Loser 30
40 – 15:45 – Loser 31 vs Loser 32
41 – 16:30 – Loser 33 vs Loser 35 (PL SF 1)
42 – 17:15 – Loser 34 vs Loser 36 (PL SF 2)
43 – 18:00 – Winner 33 vs Winner 35 (SF 1)
44 – 19:00 – Winner 34 vs Winner 36 (SF 2)
Sunday, 29 September
45 – 07:00 – Loser 40 vs Loser 39 (15th/16th)
46 – 07:45 – Winner 40 vs Winner 39 (13th/14th)
47 – 08:30 – Loser 37 vs Loser 38 (11th/12th)
48 – 09:15 – Winner 37 vs Winner 38 (9th/10th)
49 – 10:00 – Loser 41 vs Loser 42 (7th/8th)
50 – 10:45 – Winner 41 vs Winner 42 (5th/6th)
51 – 11:30 – Loser 44 vs Loser 43 (3rd/4th)
52 – 12:30 – Winner 44 vs Winner 43 (1st/2nd)
Clifton’s Tim Saulez has enjoyed a stellar Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week, delivering top performances with both the bat and ball.
Fresh off a win over St John’s College, Clifton followed up with a three-wicket victory over Cornwall Hill College on Monday at the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week. With only one matric boy in their lineup, Clifton has impressed.
Playing in Howick, they opted to field first after winning the toss, and that proved to be a good decision as the Clifton new ball bowlers ripped through the top of the Cornwall Hill batting lineup.
On 20/3, the Pretoria side was in serious trouble, but they were rescued when the Blignautbrothers, Kian and Michael, joined forces out in the middle. They shared a 70-run partnership for the fourth wicket but were both dismissed with the total on 90.
Michael Blignaut was run out for a fighting 32 and Kian Blignaut followed shortly after that, caught off the bowling of Luthando Mazibuko for the innings’ top score of 35.
The departure of the brothers precipitated a rapid collapse. From 90/3, Cornwall Hill tumbled to 117/10. Shiraz Perumal was primarily responsible for undoing the Gauteng side’s batting effort. He returned a superb 4/16 from 6.4 overs and was well supported by opening bowler, Tim Saulez, who claimed 2/27.
His new ball partner, Regan Radley, bowled tightly, picking up 1/11 from six overs, while Luthando Mazibuko was tidy, too, returning 1/20 from eight, and Shahzaad Perumal added to the pressure exerted by the other bowlers, snaring 1/17 from nine overs.
Clifton’s run chase started every bit as poorly as Cornwall Hill’s innings had begun. They were wobbling in the early going, on 18/3, with Michael Blignaut picking up two sticks and Kian Blignaut one. When Tim Saulez, the scorer of an unbeaten 80 against St John’s the previous day, joined Byron Ward out in the middle. though, the Durban school’s fortunes took a solid upswing.
They put on 48 together before Ward fell, another Michael Blignaut victim, for 22. Saulez was still there, though, and he was harsh on any wayward bowling. Between them, Zach Williamson and Cohen Naidoo added only five runs, but when they had departed, Clifton had advanced by a further 28 runs.
Lawson Dinsdale then provided Saulez with the support he needed and they brought the scores level, which was when Dinsdale was dismissed for 16 by Obakeng Mokonyane, his third wicket of the Clifton innings. Clifton, though, claimed the win soon after that.
Saulez finished unbeaten on 54 from only 49 deliveries, with eight fours. On a low-scoring day, that effort shone brightly.
Obakeng Mokonyane bowled well to claim 3/20 from 5.5 overs, while Kian and Michael Blignaut picked up two wickets apiece, although they were a trifle expensive. Kian went for 41 runs from his five overs, while Michael conceded 60 in 10.
At Lynwood, Hoërskool Waterkloof showed why they’re so highly regarded by making light work of a decent total set by a good Kearsney College team.
Klofies, bravely, elected to send Kearsney in to bat. That decision didn’t work out that well, although Jaco van der Walt had Jason de Gryse caught for only eight.
Matthew Lamplough and Cameron Veenstra then added 35 for the second wicket before Lamplough was out for 28, with the total on 58. That brought Kearsney captain Ross Coetzee to the crease. While Coetzee has been in good form, Veenstra, a classy batsman, had been a little off his best in the early part of the season, but he was playing himself into form against Waterkloof.
The pair shared a 95-run stand for the third wicket before Coetzee was bowled by Ruan Ferreira for 39 from 47, which had included four fours and a six.
Veenstra was still there, however, and he went on to score exactly 100 from 107 deliveries, with 11 fours and three sixes. When his excellent knock finally came to an end, Kearsney had reached 230/6 in the 46th over.
At the opposite end, SA u21 hockey player, Matthew de Oliveira, continued showing off his chops with a cricket bat. He struck four fours and a six in an unbeaten 36 from 24 balls to help Kearsney to 258/8 from their 50 overs.
Jaco van der Walt led the Waterkloof bowling attack well, knocking over 3/39 in 10 overs, while Marcus Bakker did a solid job, returning 2/42 from nine. Ruan Ferreira, who took the crucial wicket of Ross Coetzee, shone with a return of 1/33 from 10.
Bakker then led the way as Waterkloof aggressively pursued Kearsney’s total. After the Klofies had lost Johan Feuth for a single and Divan Behrens for 16, Bakker and captain Beukes van den Berg laid into the KZN school’s bowlers. In just 12.4 overs, they added 107 runs.
Bakker was then caught behind by De Oliveira off the bowling of leg-spinner Asavela Khambule for 79, but the damage had been done. He’d smashed five sixes and 10 fours in a stay of only 44 balls. Bakker’s departure brought Riley Miller to the wicket, and he was, very nearly, as ruthless towards the Kearsney bowlers.
Van den Berg fell to Khambule in the 24th over, out for 39, including five fours, but Waterkloof’s assault carried on when Rico van der Walt joined Riley Miller in the middle. They added 82 in only 8.1 overs to bring the Pretoria team to within sight of victory. Van der Walt was dismissed just six runs shy of that target, but he had played his part, striking five fours and a six in a 26-ball 33.
Miller finished unbeaten on 66, with his six sixes bettering Bakkes’ big knock by one. He also lashed five fours in an aggressive 42-ball innings.
When Waterkloof clinched the win, they had done so in just 32.4 overs.
Unsurprisingly, some of the Kearsney bowlers came in for some tap. Two of them emerged with some credit, however, with Sandiswa Yeni returning 2/41 from eight overs, while Asavela Khambule picked up 2/25 from six. Nine wides, though, meant his analysis was not as impressive as it might have been.
Summarised scorecards
Cornwall Hill College 117/10 (Kian Blignaut 35, Michael Blignaut 32, Shiraz Perumal 4/16, Tim Saulez 2/27); Clifton College 123/7 (Tim Saulez 54*, Byron Ward 22, Obakeng Mokonyane 3/20, Kian Blignaut 2/41, Michael Blignaut 2/60). Clifton College won by three wickets.
Kearsney College 258/8 (Cameron Veenstra 100, Ross Coetzee 39, Matthew De Oliveira 36*, Matthew Lamplough 28, Jaco van der Walt 3/39, Marcus Bakker 2/42); HoërskoolWaterkloof 261/5 (Marcus Bakker 79, Riley Miller 66*, Beukes van den Berg 39, Rico van der Walt 33, Asavela Khambule 2/35, Sandiswa Yeni 2/41). Waterkloof won by five wickets.
Maritzburg College opening bowler Samuel Hughes and his new ball partner, Reece Wllson, had Hudson Park on the defensive from the start of their innings.
The CSA Hub XI, buoyed by a 58-run win over Jeppe High School for Boys on Sunday, followed through with another eye-opening Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week victory, this time by 74 runs over St John’s College on Barns’ Field at Maritzburg College on Monday.
“I think it’s the positive energy within the team,” captain Enathi Kitshini told SuperSport Schools Plus after his side had secured the win. “We’ve had only three or four days [together before the Michaelmas Week], but we look like a serious team.”
That sizeable victory appeared unlikely midway through the contest after the CSA Hub XI had mustered only 151 all out, with their innings lasting just 30.4 overs. The truth be told, however, it could have been a lot worse had the St John’s bowlers not sent down 24 wides. In total, they conceded 30 extras.
“Today, we wanted to bowl first. That didn’t work out. I lost the toss. We went in to bat and we had a good start. I think the wicket would have been easier to bat on second because it is flat and was not spinning much,” Kitshini commented.
Sabela Mabanga and Nkosibonile Sibisi put on 34 for the Hub XI’s first wicket before Kago Masote removed Mabanga for 20. His entertaining knock had lasted only 14 balls, but it also featured three fours and a six.
Mabanga’s dismissal, though, triggered a collapse, with the Hub XI tumbling to 39/4 as Masote and Cole Francis struck twice each. Tshepang Laka and Jaydin Damons stopped the bleeding, however, and turned the tide with a vital 66-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Laka, then, was sent packing by Alec Loveland for 23.
Damons stuck around until the total had moved on to 131, which was when he fell to Oliver Tait for 37, which proved to be, far and away, the highest score of the match.
Ryall Julies weighed in with 19 and the CSA Hub XI finished with 151 runs to their credit. Alec Loveland was the pick of the St John’s bowlers, snapping up 3/19 from seven overs, while Cole Francis finished with 3/26 from 7.4. Oliver Tait picked up 2/24 and Kago Masote took 2/39.
St John’s, in reply, lost an early wicket, but they then advanced their score to 33, which was when they lost opener Thomas Ievers for 17. Little did they know, but that would be their best score of the innings. From 33/1, St John’s crashed to 44/6.
Kago Masote provided some fight, making 15 before he was the seventh man out with the total on 63. There was no coming back from there, however, and St John’s was skittled for only 77.
Hub XI captain Kitshini led the way, returning a stunning 4/13 from his 10 overs. Taywin Adams claimed 2/20 from six, while Omphemetse Seroke and Sabelo Mabanga chipped in with a wicket each. Two runs out further undermined the St John’s batting effort and they were well beaten.
Reflecting on his decisive return, Kitshini said: “What worked for me today was keeping shape and trying to play with the crease and the pace I was bowling.”
At the end of the game, the positive energy and sense of fun within the CSA Hub XI’s ranks was palpable. Considering that it is a composite team, that was impressive to witness.
“As a captain, I try to engage with all of them, to learn how they roll,” Kithini said when asked what he had done to get the players to operate effectively as a unit.
“We’re excited. We have 72 hubs in South Africa. It’s a privilege and honour to captain this side. It’s entertaining and nice to be interacting with guys from other provinces.”
He concluded by saying that the hubs are loaded with talent. “We just need more opportunities and game time.”
On nearby Goldstone’s, Maritzburg College made merry against Hudson Park, blasting their way to 374/6 in their 50 overs after captain Chad Mason chose to bat.
College, though, didn’t start well. Daniel Nadasan and the skipper were back in the pavilion with only 20 runs on the board in the fourth over. It would be a long time, though, until the East London school enjoyed more success.
Llewellyn Sutherland and Michael Gibson took the game away from Hudson Park, sharing in a 148-run partnership for the third wicket from 151 balls, with Sutherland contributing 67 from 74 and Gibson 72 from 77. When Gibson was dismissed, astonishingly, the game became even tougher for the visitors. Sutherland continued to punish the Hudson Park bowlers, while Oliver Da Costa, the new man, quickly hit his straps.
The fourth wicket delivered 151 runs in only 100 balls, lifting the score to 319/4. Then, Sutherland fell for an outstanding 152 from 135 balls. His innings had included 17 fours and two sixes.
Da Costa was out in the 48th over, after a super knock, which had brought him 82 from 60 deliveries, with four sixes and four fours.
Deolyn Naidoo weighed in with 21 and College finished on 374/6. Hudson’s opening howler, Lithemba Nomoyi, was despatched for 84 runs from his 10 overs, but he also claimed three wickets.
The East London school needed to bat at 7.5 runs per over to win. It was a tough target and it became a whole lot more challenging when Hudson’s reply began disastrously. Early in the fourth over, they had been reduced to a miserable 4/3 by Reece Willson and Samuel Hughes. Slowly, though, they began a fightback. They weren’t, however, able to challenge College.
Chulumanco Macozoma scored an unbeaten 25, Somila Mkokeli made 24, and Iminathi Jumba contributed 23, but Hudson Park was never up to the required run rate, and the task was beyond them.
They were bowled out for 146 in the 45th over, with Maritzburg College having given 10 players a bowl. The Red, Black, and White had won by a massive 228 runs.
Reece Willson did the damage up front, capturing 2/10 in five overs, while his new ball partner, Samuel Hughes, claimed 1/9 in four. Daniel Nadasan enjoyed his five overs, taking 2/13, but the best figures went the way of Oliver Da Costa, who followed up his fine batting with a tidy return of 3/19 from 8.5 overs.
Summarised scorecards
CSA Hub XI 151/10 (Jaydin Damons 37, Tshepang Laka 23, Sabelo Mabanga 20, Alec Loveland 3/19, Cole Francis 3/26, Oliver Tait 2/24, Kago Masote 2/39); St John’s College 77/10 (Thomas Ievers 17, Enathi Kishini 4/13, Taywin Adams 2/20). CSA Hub XI won by 74 runs.
Maritzburg College 374/6 (Llewellyn Sutherland 151, Oliver Da Costa 82, Michael Gibson 72, Lithemba Nomoti 3/84); Hudson Park 145/10 (Chulumanco Macozoma 25*, Somila Mkokeli 24, Iminathi Jumba 23, Oliver Da Costa 3/19, Reece Willson 2/10, Daniel Nadasan 2/13). Maritzburg College won by 228 runs.
Maritzburg College and Affies delivered a thrilling run-fest in a T20 clash on Goldstone’s on Sunday, with a late innings onslaught lifting Affies to 187/4, which proved enough for a tension-filled 14-run victory at the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week.
With rain having prevented play on Saturday, College captain Chad Mason chose to bowl first, hoping that an unpredictable pitch would work in favour of his team. Early on, it did, as Affies scratched their way to 45/2 after 8.2 overs, with the openers out – Henré Smith, for seven from 23, and JP Botha, for 18 from 18.
Vihan Pretorius continued his fine season in partnership with captain Divan de Villiers, and the duo added 57 for the third wicket in 5.5 overs before De Villiers fell to a combination of Michael Gibson and Oliver Da Costa for 22 from 18.
Pretorius went on to make 43 from 32, with three sixes and two fours, but when he was dismissed, with 4.2 overs remaining, Affies had a middling score of 113/4.
Unfortunately for Maritzburg College, that brought Ruan Groenewald and Janco Purchase together and they launched an extraordinary assault on the College bowling, adding 74 in only 28 balls.
Groenewald led the way, smashing six sixes and two fours in his unbeaten 51 from just 18 balls, while Purchase, who had led the Affies’ 1st XV to victory on Goldstone’s in July in one of the games of the season, launched two sixes of his own and added a four as he contributed 22 not out from 13 balls.
Ryan McKean was the best of the College bowlers, returning 1/31 from four overs, Oliver Da Costa took 1/18 in two, and Reece Willson did good work, going at only five runs an over from the three he bowled. In the context of the innings, it was an outstanding job.
Maritzburg College needed to score at 9.4 runs per over to win. It was a tall order, but they gave it a good go, eventually finishing on 173 for 7.
Their innings was built around a superb knock from opening batsman Llewellyn Sutherland. The Batsman of the Festival at the Fasken Time Cricket Festival, but off his game in the recent St John’s Rams T20, Sutherland returned to his best form when it was most needed. He spent 55 balls at the crease, struck nine fours and four sixes, and put College in with a shot at the death. When he was run out by Purchase – a pivotal play in the game – the total was 160/5 and 11 deliveries remained.
College didn’t quite have enough, but they had made a good fist of it.
Captain Chad Mason, remarkably consistent, weighed in with 35 from 30, with three fours and a six, and put on 69 for the second wicket with Sutherland. Unfortunately for the home side, another innings of substance was needed and they didn’t get it.
Divan de Villiers led the Affies’ attack, claiming 2/32 in four, while Armin Snyman‘s 1/26, also in four, was a useful economical return. Ruben Groenewald picked up two wickets, but he was given some of his own medicine, going for 43 runs from his four overs.
Summarised scorecard
Affies 187/4 (Ruben Groenewald 51*, Vihan Pretorius 43, Janco Purchase 22*, O/ Da Costa 1/18, R. McKean 1/31); Maritzburg College 173/7 (Llewellyn Sutherland 86, Chad Mason 35, Divan de Villiers 2/32, Ruben Groenewald 2/43, Armin Snyman 1/26). Affies won by 14 runs.
Cameron Veenstra and Kearsney pulled off a spectacular run chase to defeat St Stithians.
Forced to move from Collegians to Merchiston because of a wet field, St StithiansCollege and Kearsney College delivered a rip-roaring 25-overs-a-side clash on Sunday afternoon, with the Botha’s Hill bunch chasing down St Stithians’ very challenging 247/7 to win by three wickets with four balls to spare.
Having won the toss, Saints elected to bat and went with Richard Seletswane and Liam Mudenda up front. After Mudenda departed in the first over, Seletswane and Emile Odendaal took it to the Kearsney bowlers, sharing a 94-run stand for the second wicket in only 9.2 overs.
It took a run out to end the damage, with Cameron Veenstra bringing about Odendaal’s demise after an aggressive knock. He faced only 25 balls but struck eight fours and three sixes in making 53.
Seletswane hung around for less than two more overs, but he helped advance the score to 118 before was the third man out, caught by Murray Weyer off the leg-spin of Asavela Khambule for 54 from 41. His innings had included four sixes and three fours.
Tahseen Hanslo also struck more sixes than fours as he bashed his way to the innings’ top score of 64 from 35 deliveries, with five sixes and four fours.
Further useful knocks by Aiden van der Westhuizen, with 22 from 12, and Cayden Sunker, with 17 from eight, boosted Saints to 247/7, at a very healthy 9.9 runs per over.
Kearsney’s bowlers came in for some stick, but Murray Weyer, with 2/31 from four, and Jack O’Donovan, with 2/33 from five, did a good job in the face of the big-hitting approach of their opponents.
It was going to take a special effort to chase down the Saints’ total, but Kearsney had, in O’Donovan, an in-form batsman who had topped the batting charts in the St John’s Rams T20 in Zimbabwe last weekend, scoring plenty of runs at a rapid rate.
He picked up from where he had left off and received fine support from Jason de Gryse, who smashed three sixes and a four in an entertaining eight-ball stay, which brought him 24 runs and saw Kearsney to 43 before he was the first man out only two balls into the third over.
O’Donovan, meanwhile, played both an anchor innings and an importantly hasty knock, contributing 64 from 34 deliveries, five of which went for six and another four for four, before he was the fifth man out in the 15th over, which left Matt Savage‘s charges on 146/5.
They needed another telling contribution and they got it from Murray Weyer, while Cole Young weighed in with an important 27 runs from only 13 deliveries, which included three fours.
After Young’s departure, Weyer continued meeting the challenge, delivering when it was most needed, with a quick-fire 53 from 33 balls, which included four fours and four sixes. With Kearsney closing in on victory, however, he was out in the 23rd over.
Keegan de Jager stayed on until the end, finishing with 21 not out from 21, but it was Asavela Khambule whose brave hitting powered Kearsney over the line. In just six balls, he blasted 17 not out, launching one delivery for a six and another two into the boundary, to see his side to a victory which was a credit to their positive approach to a stern challenge.
In the face of a big onslaught, Rushil Bhulla shone with the ball, claiming 2/29 from five overs. Tendai Kadayamadare also picked up two wickets from five, but he went at nine runs an over.
Tahseen Hanslo, who had punished the Kearsney bowlers, was on the receiving end, with his three overs going for 50, although he did remove Cole Young.
At Woodlands, the Cricket South Africa (CSA) Hub XI put on a fine show, cruising to a 58-run victory over Jeppe in a T20 clash. It was an impressive performance with both bat and ball from the composite side.
Batting first, they tallied an excellent 195/2. Sabelo Mabanga and Nkosibonile Sibisi set them on their way with a rapid opening partnership of 88 off of only 7.4 overs. Christopher Elston had Sibisi caught for 34 from 25, with four fours and two sixes, but Jeppe was on the back foot.
Jevohndre Jacobs, when he took over from Sibisi, made sure it stayed that way. He and Sabelo added 65 in eight overs before the opener was caught by Matthew Costa off the bowling of Luke Kent-Brown for an outstanding 78 from 52 balls. His big knock had included seven sixes and four fours.
Matthew Florence joined forces with Jacobs and tacked on another 42 runs before the CSA Hub XI ran out of overs. Jacobs finished with 41* from 32, while Florence was on 19* from 14.
Christoper Elston, with 1/28 in four, was the best of the Jeppe bowlers.
Needing to score at 9.8 runs per over to win, Jeppe suffered an early setback when Kai van Aardt was dismissed for four. Unfortunately, for the Johannesburg side, a number of other top-order batsmen failed to fire, too. Only Ryan Young, with a defiant 50 from 29 balls, with seven fours and a six, stood firm against the CSA Hub XI’s bowling.
When he was dismissed, Jeppe was on 93/6 after 13 overs, still needing more than 100 runs to win at over 14 to the over. They didn’t come close. In the end, they were all out for 137, with 20 from Matthew Costa proving to be their second-highest score.
Orephemetse Seroke destroyed the Jeppe run chase, capturing 4/14 in three, while Rivhoninga Chauke, with 3/21 in three, and Sabela Mabanga, with 2/13 in two, heaped more misery on Jeppe as the CSA Hub XI scored a superb victory.
Summarised scorecards
St Stithians College 247/7 (Tahseen Hanslo 64, Richard Seletswane 54, Emile Odendaal 53, Murray Weyer 2/31, Jack O’Donovan 2/33); Kearsney College 249/7 (Jack O’Donovan 64, Murray Weyer 53, Cole Young 27, Rushil Bhulla 2/29, Tendai Kadayamadare 2/45). Kearsney won by three wickets.
CSA Hub XI 195/2 (Sabelo Mabanga 78, Jevohndre Jacobs 41*, Nkosibonile Sibisi 34); Jeppe 137/10 (Ryan Young 50, Matthew Costa 20, Orephemetse Seroke 4/14, Rivhoninga Chauke 3/21, Sabela Mabanga 2/13). CSA Hub XI won by 58 runs.
The hosts enjoyed a strong opening day of the Nedbank Grey College Soccer Tournament in Bloemfontein on Saturday, recording two wins and a draw, including a 2-1 victory over the 2023 champions, St Stithians College.
It wasn’t a good day for the champs, who were also beaten by Pretoria Boys High, going down 0-2 in that contest, but they finished it off with a narrow 3-2 win over George Royal Academy.
In 2023, Grey finished eighth in the 24-team field, and they’ll be eager to challenge for higher honours this time around. They’ve made a good start.
Boys High matched the home side with a record of two wins and a draw after the opening day, and that draw came when the two sides met.
George Royal Academy is poised to pounce if either Grey or Pretoria Boys High slips up. They blew through Victoria Park 4-0 and beat Durban High School (DHS) 3-1 before falling to St Stithians.
Brebner, one of the local top teams, who finished third in 2023, recorded two wins and a draw in Group B, beating Curro Bloemfontein and Glenwood in tight contests without conceding a goal before being held to a 1-1 draw by Parktown Boys’ High.
Wynberg, sixth in 2023, beat Jeppe, last year’s fourth-place finishers, 2-0 and Glenwood 3-1, while they drew 2-2 with Curro, so they’re set to challenge for a place at the top of the group.
While Jeppe went down to Wynberg, they followed up with wins over Parktown and Curro, so they’re still in the running to progress to the Cup playoffs.
Westville Boys’ High, who were beaten in the Bowl final last year, after losing four matches by a single goal, enjoyed far better fortunes on Saturday. Playing in Group C, they rolled to a 2-0 win over Norkem Park High and a 3-0 defeat of Bloemfontein’s St Andrew’s School.
As matters stand after day one, two more local teams, Bloemfontein South and Navalsig, are breathing down Westville’s neck in the group. Bloem South won 2-1 against St Andrew’s and Navalsig handed St David’s Marist Inanda a 2-0 loss before the two winners drew 1-1.
In Group D, last year’s runners-up, HTS Louis Botha, recorded a 3-2 win over Hodisa Technical High School before being held to a goalless draw by Robinvale.
King Edward VII (KES), fifth last year, opened their challenge with a 3-1 win over Empangeni High School. They were, however, beaten 1-0 by Kimberley Boys’ High next time out.
Matters in Group D are the tightest of any pool. All of the teams have played twice and their records stand at either a win and a draw or a win and a loss.
There’s plenty to play for on Sunday.
RESULTS
Group A
George Royal Academy 4-0 Victoria Park
Pretoria Boys High 2-0 St Stithians College
Grey College 3-0 Durban High School
Grey College 2-1 St Stithians College
George Royal Academy 3-1 Durban High School
Pretoria Boys High 3-2 Victoria Park
Durban High School 3-3 Victoria Park
Grey College 1-1 Pretoria Boys High
St Stithians College 3-2 George Royal Academy
Group B
Wynberg Boys High School 2-0 Jeppe High School
Glenwood High School 2-1 Parktown High School
Brebner High School 1-0 Curro Bloemfontein
Brebner High School 2-0 Glenwood High School
Wynberg High School 2-2 Curro Bloemfontein
Jeppe 2-1 Parktown School
Jeppe 2-0 Curro Bloemfontein
Wynberg Boys High 3-1 Glenwood High School
Brebner 1-1 Parktown High School
Group C
Navalsig 2-0 St Davids Marist Inanda
Westville Boys High School 2-0 Norkem Park High School
Bloem South 2-1 St Andrew’s Bloemfontein
Westville Boys High 3-0 St Andrew’s Bloemfontein
Navalsig 1-1 Bloem South
St David’s Marist Inanda 0-0 Norkem Park High School
Group D
Robinvale 3-2 Kimberley Boys High
King Edward VII School 3-1 Empangeni High School
HTS Louis Botha 3-2 Hodisa Technical High School
Hodisa Technical High School 2-1 Empangeni High School
Kimberley Boys High School 1-0 King Edward VII School
HTS Louis Botha 0-0 Robinvale
Maritzburg College and Affies delivered a thrilling run-fest in a T20 clash on Goldstone’s on Sunday, with a late innings onslaught lifting Affies to 187/4, which proved enough for a tension-filled 14-run victory at the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week.
The hosts enjoyed a strong opening day of the Nedbank Grey College Soccer Tournament in Bloemfontein on Saturday, recording two wins and a draw, including a 2-1 victory over the 2023 champions, St Stithians College.