Grey College captured both the u15 and u17 titles at the High School Sevens Series, proudly sponsored by Toyota, Champion of Champions Tournament in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The big surprise, though, was Northwood’s performance in the u15 competition.
The Durban school, beaten 17-7 by Noordheuwel on Friday, took on Monument in the Cup semi-finals and outplayed their highly regarded opponents 24-5 to power their way into the final. Grey, meanwhile, accounted for Noordheuwel, winning 19-5.
It was tight with the title on the line, but Grey held off Northwood to win 19-12 in the match that preceded the u17 Cup final.
Third place went to Monnas, who lifted their game for a clash with their Krugersdorp rivals, Noordheuwel, and romped to a 33-5 victory.
Graeme College finished strongly, handling the Bloemfontein Invitation team and Kempton Park comfortably to finish in fifth place.
In the u17 competition, Grey, who hadn’t conceded a point on the opening day, scraped by the Cape Schoolswinners, Durbanville, in their Cup semi-final. There were only two points in it at the end, with the home side winning 24-22.
It was one-way traffic in the other semi-final, with Monument cruising to a 47-7 defeat of Kempton Park.
In an entertaining final, Grey took down Monnas, recording a 31-21 victory to secure a double for the renowned Bloemfontein rugby powerhouse.
Durbanville released some of the frustration they must have felt after missing out so narrowly on the title decider, smashing Kempton Park 55-0 to finish third.
Fifth place went the way of Bloemfontein’s Jim Fouché, who got by Dinamika 26-19.
U15 RESULTS
Bowl semi-finals
Kempton Park 17-7 Sentraal
Graeme College 48-5 Bloemfontein Invitation
Cup semi-finals
Monument 5-24 Northwood
Grey 19-5 Noordheuwel
Final Placings
Sentraal 21-19 Bloemfontein Invitation (7th/8th)
Kempton Park 10-21 Graeme College (5th/6th)
Monument 33-5 Noordheuwel (3rd/4th)
Grey 19-12 Northwood (1st/2nd)
U17 RESULTS
Playoffs
Bloemfontein Invitation 17-21 Jim Fouche
Dinamika 33-14 Cambridge
Grey College 24-22 Durbanville
Monument 47-7 Kempton Park
Final Placings
Sarel Cilliers 26-19 Welkom Gimnasium (9th/10th)
Bloemfontein Invitation 29-14 Cambridge (7th/8th)
Jim Fouche 26-19 Dinamika (5th/6th)
Durbanville 55-0 Kempton Park (3rd/4th)
Grey College 31-21 Monument (1st/2nd)
The High School Sevens Series, proudly sponsored by Toyota, reaches its zenith on Saturday when the playoffs in the Champion of Champions Tournament take place at Grey College.
On Friday, the hosts went unbeaten through their pool in the u17 competition, but their u15 side was beaten by Monument.
In the u17 competition, Grey didn’t surrender a single point as they overwhelmed Cambridge, the Bloemfontein Invitation side, and Kempton Park, racking up 148 points in those three outings. The last victory, by 60-0, was surprisingly one-sided because Kempton Park won their other two games to finish second in the pool.
Monument took top spot in Pool B, but they didn’t produce a spotless record. Dinamika held Monnas to a 19-19 draw but fell to Durbanville 10-38. In a very tight contest, Monument edged out Durbies 21-19.
That loss means Durbanville will tackle Grey in the Cup semi-finals, while Monnas go up against Kempton Park.
In Pool A of the u15 competition, Grey College and Monument were expected to do battle for first place and so it proved to be, although Kempton Park stretched the Bloemfontein boys in their opener, with Grey winning only 12-7. Later, when Grey faced Monnas, the Krugersdorp school claimed a hard-fought 26-19 victory.
The top dogs in Pool B were Monument’s Krugersdorp rivals, Noordheuwel, who beat Durban’s Northwood to secure first place. Northwood, meanwhile, saw off Graeme College and Sentraal to book a semi-final showdown with Monnas.
U17 RESULTS
Pool A
Kempton Park 12-12 Welkom Gimnasium
Grey College 57-0 Cambridge
Kempton Park 24-22 Bloemfontein Invitation
Cambridge 26-15 Welkom Gimnasium
Grey College 31-0 Bloemfontein Invitation
Kempton Park 40-12 Cambridge
Bloemfontein Invitation 31-19 Welkom Gimnasium
Kempton Park 0-60 Grey College
Bloemfontein Invitation 26-10 Cambridge
Grey College 55-7 Welkom Gimnasium
Pool B
Sarel Cilliers 12-47 Monument
Dinamika 19-26 Jim Fouché
Sarel Cilliers 18-33 Durbanville
Jim Fouché 12-35 Monument
Dinamika 10-38 Durbanville
Sarel Cilliers 17-17 Jim Fouché
Dinamika 19-19 Monument
Durbanville 38-17 Jim Fouché
Sarel Cilliers 19-40 Dinamika
Durbanville 19-21 Monument
Playoffs – Saturday, 21 September
Match 21 – 09:00 – Bloemfontein Invitation (3rd Pool A) vs Jim Fouché (4th Pool B)
Match 22 – 09:20 – Dinamika (3rd Pool B) vs Cambridge (4th Pool A)
Match 23 – Grey College (Winner Pool A) vs Durbanville (2nd Pool B)
Match 24 – Monument (Winner Pool B) vs Kempton Park (2nd Pool A)
Final Placings
10:20 – Welkom Gimnasium vs Sarel Cilliers (9th/10th)
10:40 – u15 – Loser Bowl Semi 1 vs Loser Bowl Semi 2
11:00 – Loser Match 21 vs Loser Match 22 (7th/8th)
11:20 – u15 – Winner Bowl semi 1 vs Winner Bowl semi 2 (5th/6th)
11:40 – Winner Match 21 vs Winner Match 22 (5th/6th)
12:00 – u15 – Loser Cup semi 1 vs Loser Cup semi 2 (3rd/4th)
12:20 – Loser Match 23 vs Loser Match 24 (3rd/4th)
12:40 – u15 – Winner Cup semi 1 vs Winner Cup semi 2 (Cup final)
13:00 – Winner Match 23 vs Winner Match 24 (Cup final)
U15 RESULTS
Pool A
Grey College 12-7 Kempton Park
Monument 38-0 Bloemfontein Invitation
Grey College 48-0 Bloemfontein Invitation
Monument 33-10 Kempton Park
Grey College 19-26 Monument
Kempton Park 29-5 Bloemfontein Invitation
Pool B
Graeme College 15-26 Northwood
Sentraal 10-29 Noordheuwel
Graeme College 22-31 Noordheuwel
Sentraal 0-36 Northwood
Northwood 7-17 Noordheuwel
Graeme College 19-7 Sentraal
Bowl
09:00 – semi 1 – Kempton Park vs Sentraal
09:20 – semi 2 – Graeme College vs Bloemfontein Invitation
Cup
09:40 – semi 1 – Monument vs Northwood
10:00 – semi 2 – Noordheuwel vs Grey College
While rain caused many midweek Schools SA20 matches across KZN to be called off, and camps caused the postponement of others, some schools managed to get their games completed, including Clifton College, who made short work of Umlazi Comtech High at Kingsmead.
Clifton, after impressing at the St John’s Rams T20 in Harare over the weekend, where they made the semi-finals, blasted their way past Umlazi Comtech High, winning by a huge 176 runs.
After winning the toss, Clifton didn’t hesitate to bat. They lost Byron Ward early, but Hayden Drieselman and Riven Moodley, then, laid into the Comtech bowlers, sharing a rollicking 134-run partnership for the second wicket.
Drieselman was the first to fall, bowled by Asande Mthembu for 68. His knock had taken 45 balls and included 10 fours and a six. As happens quite often after a big partnership, his partner, Riven Moodley, followed soon after, LBW to Mthembu for 59 from 45, which featured seven fours and two sixes.
He and Drieselman exited only one run apart, but that brought Tim Saulez to the wicket and he provided the innings with an extraordinarily astonishing boost, smashing eight sixes in an unbeaten 14-ball stay, which brought him 49 runs.
At the end of their 20 overs, Clifton had tallied 211/4.
While all around him his teammates were punished, opening bowler Asande Mthembu bowled well to return the excellent figures of 4/21 from his four overs.
Unfortunately for Umlazi Comtech High, their innings was a procession of players entering the field of play and soon leaving it.
Their innings lasted 17.2 overs and it crawled along until it ended in the 18th over, with Umlazi Comtech all out for only 35. Their highest contribution came from 15 extras.
They lost their first two wickets before a run had been scored and were reduced to 5/4 shortly after that. There was no coming back from that disastrous start to their reply.
Opening bowler Blake Johnson led the way for Clifton, capturing 4/9 in four, while Regan Radley was miserly, snapping up 3/5 in four.
While Mthembu enjoyed some success with the ball for Umlazi Comtech, their batsmen had nothing to offer in the face of the Clifton attack.
Ashton College, meanwhile, kept Crawford College La Lucia in check with a tight bowling performance to ease their way to an 89-run win.
SCORES
Clifton College 211/4 (Drieselman 68, Riven Moodley 58, Tim Saulez 49*, Asanda Mtehmbu 4/21); Umlazi Comtech High 35/10 (Blake Johnson 4/9, Regan Radley 3/5)
Clifton won by 176 runs
Ashton College 151/10 (D. Pather 33, A Bodasinj 21, M. Hariken 2/27, Shrayen Naidoo 2/31, A. Singh 2/35); Crawford College La Lucia 62/7 (S. Sallabajee 17, M. Kitch 2/5, D. Johnston 2/11)
Maritzburg College plays host to the 64th Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week from Saturday, 21 September, to Tuesday, 24 September, with 24 teams in action in Pietermaritzburg and its surrounds.
That’s an increase of four sides over 2023’s event. The additions are St Alban’s College, Paul Roos Gimnasium, Hudson Park, and a CSA Hub Team.
The lineup features 10 KZN schools – Maritzburg College, Clifton, Durban High School (DHS), Northwood, Glenwood, Westville, Kearsney, St Charles, Hilton College, and Michaelhouse.
They’re joined by an equal number of schools from Gauteng – Pretoria Boys High, St Stithians, Cornwall Hill, St David’s Marist Inanda, Affies, St John’s, St Alban’s, Jeppe, Waterkloof, and KES – plus Hudson Park, from the Eastern Cape, Paul Roos, from the Western Cape, Grey College, from the Free State, and the CSA Hub Team.
In 2023, only Affies and St Stithians emerged from the event with four wins out of four. They’ll have to be on their game to repeat that record, not only because of the quality of their opponents but, in the case of Affies, because they’ll be without the prolific Jorich van Schalkwyk, who has enjoyed an outstanding season for his school. He’s on national duty, but, make no mistake, Affies remains loaded.
Saints will be a tough out. They’re experienced and their lineup includes paceman Kwena Maphaka, who made his debut for the Proteas earlier this year, and batsman Richard Seletswane, who has earned SA Schools’ selection for the past three years. Like Affies, their quality runs deep.
There’ll be interest in the performances of Maritzburg College’s captain Chad Mason, who has enjoyed an outstanding year. The College skipper is closing in on a rare double of 1 000 runs and 50 wickets in a calendar year and heads into the Michaelmas Week with 905 runs and 41 wickets to his name.
Another team to keep an eye on is Hoërskool Waterkloof. They’ve been in scintillating early season form and their results have included a convincing win over Affies. They boast an established and proven line-up with multiple batting threats, especially.
The SA Emerging u19 team is touring Zimbabwe, which means a number of players who would have been in action at the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Week are missing. Besides Van Schalkwyk, they include Dayalan Boyce (Westville Boys’ High), Ben Hockly (Hilton College), Bayanda Majola (DHS), Rowen Rajah (St Charles College), Jason Rowles (St David’s Marist Inanda) and Ntando Soni (Glenwood). Even without those talented players, the cricket will remain of a very high standard, with the participants representing some of the richest cricket nurseries in South Africa.
In excess of 100 players who participated in the Michaelmas Week have gone on to play international cricket, representing, among others, South Africa, Namibia, New Zealand, England, The Netherlands, Scotland, Zimbabwe, Australia, the USA and Ireland.
Nine South African cricket captains – AB de Villiers (Affies), Francois du Plessis (Affies), Hashim Amla (DHS), Kepler Wessels (Grey College), Hansie Cronje (Grey College), Ali Bacher (KES), Graeme Smith (KES), Shaun Pollock (Northwood School) and David Miller (Maritzburg College) have been part of the week, while Kevin Pietersen (Maritzburg College) and Tony Greig (Queen’s College) skippered England, and Ross Taylor (Palmerston North) captained New Zealand.
On the coaching front, Corrie van Zyl (Grey College) took the reins for the Proteas, as did Ray Jennings (KES) and Mickey Arthur (Westville), who has also taken charge of Australia, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Lance Klusener (DHS) coached Afghanistan, while Riaan Minnie (Northwood) currently serves as Namibia’s Analyst and Fielding Coach.
FIXTURES
Saturday, 21 September
Maritzburg College vs Pretoria Boys High, Goldstone’s
Clifton vs Hudson Park, Barns
CSA Hub Team vs St Stithians, Collegians
DHS vs Cornwall Hill, Woodlands
Kearsney vs St David’s Marist Inanda, Eston
Hilton vs Grey College, Hilton
St Charles vs Affies, St Charles
Westville vs St John’s, Varsity 1
Northwood vs St Alban’s, Varsity 2
Michaelhouse vs Jeppe, Michaelhouse
Glenwood vs KES, Richmond
Paul Roos vs Waterkloof, HowickSunday
Sunday, 22 September
Maritzburg College vs Affies, Goldstone’s
Glenwood vs Cornwall Hill, Barns
Kearsney vs St Stithians, Collegians
CSA Hub Team vs Jeppe, Woodlands
Northwood vs Pretoria Boys High, Eston
Hilton vs KES, Hilton
St Charles vs Grey College, St Charles
Paul Roos vs St Alban’s, Varsity 1
Clifton vs St John’s, Varsity 2
Michaelhouse vs St David’s, Michaelhouse
Westville vs Waterkloof, Richmond
DHS vs Hudson Park, Howick
Monday, 23 September
Maritzburg College vs Hudson Park, Goldstone’s
CSA Hub Team vs St John’s, Barns
Grey College vs Jeppe, Collegians
Kearsney vs Waterkloof, Woodlands
DHS vs Affies, Eston
Hilton vs Paul Roos, Hilton
St Charles vs KES, St Charles
Glenwood vs Pretoria Boys High, Varsity 1
Westville vs St Stithians, Varsity 2
Michaelhouse vs St Alban’s, Michaelhouse
Northwood vs St David’s, Richmond
Clifton vs Cornwall Hill, Howick
Tuesday, 24 September
Maritzburg College vs St David’s, Goldstone’s
Westville vs KES, Barns
Clifton vs Waterkloof, Collegians
Grey College vs St Alban’s, Woodlands
Glenwood vs Hudson Park, Eston
Hilton vs St John’s, Hilton
St Charles vs Cornwall Hill, St Charles
DHS vs St Stithians, Varsity 1
CSA Hub Team vs Affies, Varsity 2
Michaelhouse vs Pretoria Boys High
Kearsney vs Paul Roos, Kearsney
Northwood vs Jeppe, Howick
The hosts, Grey College, will be among the favourites to win the Champions Tournament in both age groups. Photo: Grey College on Facebook.
Grey College will play host to the country’s leading teams when the High School Sevens Series, proudly sponsored by Toyota, concludes with the Champions Tournament, in Bloemfontein, on Friday and Saturday.
The event brings together the top u15 and u17 sides from events in the series that have already taken place around South Africa.
The hosts are in Pool A of the u17 competition with Kempton Park, Cambridge, Welkom Gimnasium, and Bloemfontein Invitation, while Pool B features Sarel Cilliers, Dinamika, Durbanville, Jim Fouché and Monument.
Grey’s toughest opposition in Pool A of the u17 event would appear to be their Free State neighbours, Welkom Gimnasium, the winners of the Heidelberg Sevens.
Gimmies are renowned for playing an attractive running game and giving the ball air in the 15-man format and that translates well to Sevens where, given more space to operate in, their imagination is given full rein.
In Pool B, Monnas, who won the Monument Sevens going away, look like the team to beat, but Pool B also appears to be, at a glance, a more open group. Sarel Cilliers, Durbanville, and Jim Fouché won the Pionier Sevens, Cape Schools Sevens, and Jim Fouché Sevens respectively, and Durbanville’s win in the Cape Schools tournament included beating the Stellenbosch powerhouse, Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG), in the semi-finals.
The u15 competition features two fewer teams, with Grey College, Kempton Park, Monument, and BloemfonteinInvitation in Pool A, and Graeme College, Northwood, Noordheuwel, and Sentraal in Pool B.
One of the first things to note is that Kempton Park has matched Grey and Monument by having teams in both the u17 and u15 events, so that, in itself, is already quite some achievement. Pool A, though, is likely to come down to a showdown between the home team and Monument.
Pool B is less predictable, although Noordheuwel was a hugely impressive winner of the Heidelberg Sevens. Northwood claimed the Glenwood Sevens‘ title where the competition among the top u15 teams in KZN is extremely tight.
They beat Glenwood in that final. Two A couple of weeks later, at the DHS Sevens, it was DHS against Westville in the final, and Northwood finished as the runners-up in the Plate competition. They’ll need to be on their game from the first match to the last if they are to challenge for the honours in Bloemfontein.
U17 Champions Tournament
Pool A
Kempton Park
Grey College
Bloemfontein Invitation
Cambridge
Welkom Gimnasium
Pool B
Sarel Cilliers
Dinamika
Durbanville
Jim Fouché
Monument
Friday, 20 September
Pitch One
12:00 – Kempton Park vs Welkom Gim
12:20 – Grey College vs Cambridge
12:40 – Dinamika vs Jim Fouche
13:00 – Kempton Park vs Bloemfontein Invitation
13:20 – Sarel Cilliers vs Durbanville
13:40 – Jim Fouche vs Monument
14:00 – Dinamika vs Durbanville
14:20 – Grey College vs Bloemfontein Invitation
14:40 – Sarel Cilliers vs Jim Fouche
15:00 – Kempton Park vs Cambridge
15:20 – TBA vs Welkom Gim
15:40 – Dinamika vs Monument
16:00 – Durbanville vs Jim Fouche
16:20 – Kempton Park vs Grey College
16:40 – Sarel Cilliers vs Dinamika
17:00 – Bloemfontein Invitation vs Cambridge
17:20 – Durbanville vs Monument
17:40 – Grey College vs Welkom Gim
Pitch Two
12:00 – Sarel Cilliers vs Monument
13:40 – Cambridge vs Welkom Gim
Saturday, 21 September
Playoff Games
09:00 – 3rd Pool A vs 4th Pool B (21)
09:20 – 3rd Pool B vs 4th Pool A (22)
09:40 – Winner Pool A vs 2nd Pool B (23)
10:00 – Winner Pool B vs 2nd Pool A (24)
Final Placings
10:20 – 9th/10th – 5th Pool A vs 5th Pool B
10:40 – u15 7th/8th – Loser Bowl semi 1 vs Loser Bowl semi 2
11:00 – 7th/8th – Loser 21 vs Loser 22
11:20 – u15 5th/6th – Winner Bowl semi 1 vs Winner Bowl semi 2
11:40 – 5th/6th – Winner 21 vs Winner 22
12:00 – u15 3rd/4th – Loser Cup semi 1 vs Loser Cup semi 2
12:20 – 3rd/4th – Loser 23 vs Loser 24
12:40 – u15 Cup final – Winner Cup semi 1 vs Winner Cup semi 2
13:00 – Cup final – Winner 23 vs Winner 24
U15 Champions Tournament
Pool A
Grey College
Kempton Park
Monument
Bloemfontein Invitation
Pool B
Graeme College
Northwood
Sentraal
Noordheuwel
Friday, 20 September
Pitch Two
14:00 – Grey College vs Kempton Park
14:20 – Monument vs Bloemfontein Invitation
14:40 – Graeme College vs Northwood
15:00 – Sentraal vs Noordheuwel
15:20 – Grey College vs Bloemfontein Invitation
15:40 – Monument vs Kempton Park
16:00 – Graeme College vs Noordheuwel
16:20 – Sentraal vs Northwood
16:40 – Grey College vs Monument
17:00 – Northwood vs Noordheuwel
17:20 – Kempton Park vs Bloemfontein Invitation
17:40 – Graeme College vs Sentraal
Satturday, 21 September
Pitch Two
Semi-finals
09:00 – Bowl Semi 1 – A3 vs B4
09:20 – Bowl Semi 2 – B3 vs A4
09:40 – Cup Semi 1 – A1 vs B2
10:00 – Cup Semi 2 – B1 vs A2
Finals
Pitch One
10:40 – 7th/8th – Loser A3 vs B4 vs Loser B3 vs A4
11:20 – 5th/6th – Winner A3 vs B4 vs Winner B3 vs A3
12:00 – 3rd/4th – Loser A1 vs B2 vs Loser B1 vs A2
12:40 – Cup final – Winner A1 vs B2 vs Winner B1 vs A2
St John’s College withstood the challenges of three KZN schools – Kearsney College, Clifton College, and Maritzburg College – defeating each of them on the way to lifting the St John’s Rams T20 title in Harare on Sunday.
It was a triumph of teamwork for the hosts whose success came from excellence in the field and everyone chipping in with the bat.
Throughout the event, they didn’t produce many big individual batting contributions, but there were few failures on their scorecards as contributions down the order enabled them to produce enough runs to defend.
The three KZN schools all made it to the semi-finals, with Kearsney, the defending champions, going on to face St John’s for the title.
In the final, after the Rams had posted 154/8, it came down to Kearsney needing a six off the last ball to tie the game, and Asavela Khambule very nearly delivered it.
He smashed a delivery from Toana Zimhunga towards the boundary, and it appeared as if it was headed for the maximum, but Connor Lovatt snatched a super catch out of the sky to secure the title for St John’s.
Their innings was led by Takudzwa Nduku‘s 39 and 28 from Dhaneel Goven, while Sandiswa Yeni removed four batsmen, capturing 4/.22 from his four overs.
In reply, Kearsney found themselves in early trouble, with four of their top five back in the hut and only 30 runs on the board after Cameron Rowbotham snapped up 3/15 in three.
Skipper Ross Coetzee, together with Matthew Lamplough, put a halt to the Rams’ successes, lifting the Kearsney total to 82 before Coetzee fell for 47 from 33 deliveries, with six fours and a six. Lamplough followed with the total on 94, out for 22 runs from 21 balls.
Cole Young, with a much-needed 26 from 13, which featured three fours and two sixes, and Sandiswa Yeni with 19 from 16, gave Kearsney a chance, but Asavela Khambule’s big blast for glory was caught.
St John’s didn’t emerge from the tournament unscathed. They were beaten by CBC Bulawayo in a pool match.
Clifton sparkled in pool play, crushing Churchill by 113 runs, St George’s College by 39 runs, and Falcon College by 87 runs. In the semi-finals, though, St John’s had the Durban school’s number and they powered their way to a 60-run victory after bowling out Clifton for 85.
Tim Saulez provided the individual highlight for Clifton, blasting an unbeaten 101 from only 50, which included 12 fours and two sixes, in their win over St George’s.
However, not even Saulez could match Kearsney’s astonishing effort against Hellenic Academy. In that game, they tallied a massive 281/4 in their 20 overs, led by 118 off only 49 balls from the Batsman of the Tournament, Jack O’Donovan. His innings featured 10 towering sixes and nine fours. Ross Coetzee, meanwhile, went wild. He clubbed an astonishing 79 from just 22 balls, launching nine sixes and five fours.
The Batsman of the Tournament, Kearsney’s hard-hitting Jack O’Donovan.
Even more incredible was their 100-run partnership, which came up in only 22 balls. Is it a South African schoolboy cricket record? Who knows, but it has to be one of the most brutal partnerships ever put together at 1st XI level.
O’Donovan finished the festival with 249 runs at an average of 62.25, and a strike rate of 244.12 runs per 100 balls, while Coetzee was not far behind him, with 218 runs at 54.50 and a strike rate of 213.73.
Maritzburg College captain Chad Mason was also one of the leading run scorers, with 179 runs at 59.67, and a strike rate of 116.23. He was the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, too, dismissing 13 batsmen, three more than any other bowler managed, at an average of just nine.
Thanks to that all-round excellence, Mason was named the St John’s Rams T20 Most Valuable Player.
College, playing in the event for the first time, started as if they were familiar with the conditions, charging to a 75-run win over Harare’s Prince Edward after bowling the local team out for 110 behind Mason’s 5/21, and then thumping CBC Bulawayo by nine wickets in their second game.
While Clifton cruised on Saturday, the second day of the event, dismissing Falcon College for a lowly 63 to score a big 87-run win, Kearsney and Maritzburg College were shown that it wasn’t going to be plain sailing.
The defending champs needed their last-wicket pair to get them past Peterhouse, who were defending only 106/7, while College ran into St John’s and came up 25 runs short after being bowled out for 143.
That defeat sent the Red, Black, and White into an eliminator against Falcon College, and 97 off 57 from Michael Gibson, who was run out for 10 in the loss to St John’s, helped College to a challenging 200/4.
Falcon made a valiant effort to chase down that daunting total, but they were never quite up to the required pace and were held to 172/5, which meant the Pietermaritzburg boys advanced to the semi-finals where they would face a familiar foe in Kearsney.
Unfortunately for Mason and his men, Kearsney was all over them in that meeting. Only Mason, with 21 from 33, and Daniel Nadasan, with 22 from 19, made it into double figures as Maritzburg College was rolled for just 73.
Ryan Browning, with 3/21, Sandiswa Yeni, with 2/8, and Asavela Khambule, with 2/10, did the damage, and Kearsney needed less tha four runs an over to win.
They took only nine to book their place in the title decider, with an unbeaten 38 off 17 from Jack O’Donovan, which included three sixes and four fours, and 29 from Jonty Wiggett, steering them to an easy victory.
The other semi-final also didn’t take long to complete. After putting up 145/9. St John’s bowled out Clifton for 85 in just 12 overs to move on to the final.
Connor Lovatt, who would take the last catch in the final, knocked over 4/14 and Cameron Rowbotham claimed 3/15. Caleb Naicker shone for Clifton with a return of 3/14.
FINAL STANDINGS
St John’s College (Harare)
Kearsney College
Clifton College
Maritzburg College
Wise Owl
Falcon College
CBC Bulawayo
Peterhouse
St George’s College
Prince Edward
Hellenic Academy
Churchill
SCORES
Clifton College 189/8 (Zach Williamson 48, Rivan Moodley 34, Byron Ward 29, Tim Saulez 29, Ryan Madzima 2/27, Wesly Maramwidze 2/49); Churchill 76/10 (Itai Makono 23, Tim Saulez 3/11, Shiraz Perumal 2/20)
Clifton College won by 113 runs
Hellenic Academy 138/8 (Daniel Makings 88*, Tafadzwa Jashaya 4/22, Ryan Moyo 3/17); Peterhouse 139/2 (Tyler Chapman 59, Luke Marillier 28*, Kohl Eksteen 23*)
Maritzburg College 185/3 (Oliver Da Costa 76, Chad Mason 68, Shayne Garwe 2/41); Prince Edward 110/10 (Shayne Garwe 34, Nigel Mazhindu 31, Chad Mason 5/21, Nathan Pembridge 3/20)
Maritzburg College won by 75 runs
St George’s College 133/8 (Takudzwa Magaya 47*, Munesu Chitongo 29*, Takudzwa Mangena 20, Bradley Wentzel 3/17, Benjamin Williams 3/35); Falcon College 137/3 (Nathaniel Hlabangana 53, Callum Orford 36*)
Kearsney College 281/4 (Jack O’Donovan 118, Ross Coetzee 79, Cameron Veenstra 46, Luke van Zyl 3/36); Hellenic Academy 138/8 (Matthew Landman 38, Christian Des Fontaine 35, Ryan Browning 2/9, Asavela Khambule 2/31)
Kearsney College won by 143 runs
Clifton College 194/7 (Tim Saulez 101*, Rivan Moodley 20, Jayden Petersen 2/20, Takudzwa Magaya 2/40); St George’s College 155/5 (Takudzwa Magaya 60, Takudzwa Mangena 51, Mutsawashe Choto 23, Gabriel Vermeulen 3/26)
Clifton College won by 39 runs
CBC Bulawayo 116/9 (Munashe Chimusoro 55, Chad Mason 4/26, Oliver Da Costa 2/15); Maritzburg College 117/1 (Daniel Nadasan 32*, Chad Mason 30*, Oliver Da Costa 23)
Maritzburg College won by 9 wickets
St John’s College 227/5 (Luke Wright 70, John-Mark Benade 58, Connor Lovatt 32, Takudzwa Nduku 20, Peterson Makatare 2/29); Prince Edward 105/10 (Keith Mabhena 29, Peterson Makatare 24, Dhaneel Goven 3/11, Connor Lovatt 2/15)
Peterhouse 106/7 (Sean Bennett 30, Luke Marillier 21, Asavela Khambule 3/12); Kearsney College 110/9 (Jack O’Donovan 32, Kohl Eksteen 3/34, Tafadzwa Kashaya 2/12 Ryan Moyo 2/31)
Kearsney College won by one wicket
CBC Bulawayo 156/9 (Joshua Armstrong 35, Rowyn Konson 25, Sydney Ndlovu 23, Munashe Chimusoro 20, Shane Garwe 3/24, Keith Mabhena 2/33); Prince Edward 160/4 (Shayne Garwe 47, Nigel Mazhindu 41, Academy Chauke 33*, Takudzwa Maposa 2/40)
Prince Edward won by 6 wickets
St John’s College 168/9 (Connor Lovatt 44, John-Mark Benade 33, Dhaneel Goven 29, James Manning 23*, Samuel Hughes 3/31, Chad Mason 2/16); Maritzburg College 143/10 (Tian van Niekerk 50, Joseph Currie 31*, Chad Mason 25)
St John’s College won by 25 runs
Clifton College 150/10 (Byron Ward 46, Tim Saulez 22, Hayden Drieselman 21, Reed Merick 3/25, Liam Nel 2/26); Falcon College 63/10 (Shiraz Perumal 4/13, Tim Saulez 3/13, Shahzaad Perumal 2/10)
Maritzburg College 200/4 (Michael Gibson 97, Chad Mason 35, Oliver Da Costa 36); Falcon College 172/5 (Callum Orford 58*, Neil Rosenfels 30*, Karl Dedekind 3/11)
Hilton College visited Balgowan on Saturday for the latest chapter in the battle of the great rivals on the Roy Gathorne Oval. It began well for the visitors, but ultimately fell apart as the home side claimed a solid 52-run victory, thanks to an excellent performance in the field.
Hilton won the toss but took the unusual step of deciding to bowl first. It brought them some early success, but ‘House then began to find their way.
Kyle Christie accounted for opening batsman Michael Spencer in the second over, and Hilton captain Ethan van Heerden sent Murray Hall-Jones packing in the ninth, which reduced the home side to 25/2, but Sebastian Hofmeyr and Dylan Hewlett then added 61, with Hofmeyr taking on the lead role.
He eventually succumbed to a combination of James McGregor and David Hill, with the leg-spinner having him caught for a telling 43 from 49 deliveries, which featured five fours and a six.
Just 10 runs later, with the total on 96, Michaelhouse lost Dylan Hewlett, too, LBW to Simon Steyn for 18. His departure led to a mini-collapse as Ethan Muir and Cameron Strudwick followed for three each, both bowled by Hill. On 103 for 6, the Michaelhouse innings was wobbling.
Hayden Hewlett, in at five, held firm, however, and together with Radhesh Jhilmeet added 40 for the seventh wicket before Jhilmeet became another Hill victim, caught for 14. That brought Jean Luc Rey to the crease and he, with Hewlett, proceeded to steer ‘House towards a competitive total.
They shared a stand of 35 before Hewlett was caught off the bowling of Jayden Roux for a valuable 33 from 50 deliveries, which had included two fours.
Harry Vickery and Ross Moller helped Rey advance the total to just past a double-century, with Moller out to the second last ball of the innings, with the total on 202, as Kyle Christie captured the last two wickets to fall.
He finished with figures of 3/36, David Hill snared 3/44, and Simon Steyn snapped up 2/38.
On the Roy Gathorne Oval, where run-scoring is not the easiest, Michaelhouse had posted a total they could defend, but it was anyone’s game.
Unfortunately for the visitors, they stumbled out of the blocks in their reply, losing their first three wickets with only 14 runs on the board, and they continued to flail until Ethan van Heerden, batting ninth, took it to the ‘House attack. By then, though, their challenge was pretty much in the tank.
New ball bowlers Ross Moller and Harry Vickery had decimated the Hilton top order, with only Charles Swart, among the first seven batsmen, reaching double figures, and he made 10.
Just 14.2 overs into their reply, Hilton was facing a crushing defeat on 39/7. David Hill and Ethan van Heerden showed strong character, however, to staunch the bleeding. Together, they added 46 for the eighth wicket before Hill, tragically for Hilton, was run out by Cameron Strudwick for 22.
Kyle Christie joined Ethan van Heerden and they added 12 runs before Christie was bowled by Michaelhouse captain Strudwick for four. Hilton was on 97/9 after 32.3 overs.
With just one wicket standing, Van Heerden went on the attack and it worked wonders. He struck six fours and two sixes in an 84-ball knock which produced 64 runs before he was dismissed, caught by Murray Hall-Jones off the bowling of Hayden Hewlett.
He and James McGregor, who finished on 12 not out, had added 53 for the last wicket, lifting Hilton College to 150 all out after 41.1 overs.
Michaelhouse had won by 52 runs, but it could have been far worse for Hilton without their skipper’s defiant counterattack.
Moller was simply outstanding, sending down 10 over and capturing 4 for 18. His opening partner, Harry Vickery, picked up two early wickets, but came in for some stick later in the innings, to finish with 2 for 58 from 10.
Cameron Strudwick, with his accurate left-arm spin, kept Hilton in check and grabbed a couple of vital wickets, snaring 2 for 21 in 10.
Scores
Michaelhouse 202/10 (Sebastian Hofmeyr 43, Hayden Hewlett, Jean Luc Rey 32, Kyle Christie 3/36, David Hill 3/44, Simon Steyn 2/38); Michaelhouse 150/10 (Ethan van Heerden 64, David Hill 22, Ross Moller 4/18, Cameron Strudwick 2/21, Harry Vickery 2/58)
After winning the toss, DHS captain Semal Pillay opted to bat first, but the early returns were poor. Omar Ismaeel, usually a steady performer up front, was bowled by Tristan Montile for four and his fellow opener, Ethan Cooper, followed soon after for a single, caught off the bowling of Montile.
Then, Montile bowled KZN u16 star, Josh van Biljon, for a duck. At 16/3, DHS had stumbled out of the gate. The captain, though, took on the responsibility of repairing the innings, and Josh Loots helped him add 57 for the fourth wicket in 14.3 overs.
Kaiyuran Naidoo got rid of Loots, caught for 21 after a 46-ball stay. Pillay, though, continued on, making his way to 49 before having his patient 76-ball knock, which had included seven fours, ended by Brendon Sunguro.
By then, DHS had progressed to 123/5 after 31.2 overs. Taine Havemann, who had shared in a 50-run partnership with Pillay, was still out in the middle, though, and he took charge of the DHS innings.
Sfundo Mthembu, Bayanda Majola, and Jared Havemann each racked up scores in the teens, while Taine Havemann played the anchor role. He was eventually the ninth man out, dismissed for a well-played 74 from 93 deliveries, with eight fours, yet another victim of Tristan Montile.
Only three more runs were added before the Saints’ opening bowler secured a five-for by bowling Sibusiso Msibi for two. DHS had tallied 226 all out.
Without his regular new ball partner, Rowen Rajah, who is on duty with the SA Emerging u19 team, Montile did a tremendous job of shouldering the responsibility of being entrusted with the new ball and finished with 5 for 36 from 8.5 overs.
Zimbabwean international, Brendon Sunguro, was a touch on the expensive side on a ground that doesn’t easily give up runs, but he still snared 2 for 58 from 10 overs.
In reply, St Charles lost Connor Riley early to Taine Havemann for a single, but Cian Fortmann and captain Marcell Wellmann steadied the innings with a stand of 54 for the second wicket before Dilhan Naraidu trapped the dangerous Fortmann in front for 15.
Then, with the total on 76, he had the on-song Wellman caught by Semal Pillay for 46 from only 36 balls, which had included five fours and two sixes.
Kwanele Nqayi didn’t last long before he was bowled by Pillay for four, and Naraidu, then, struck again, once more teaming up with Pillay to have Rico Honiball caught for 27, which had included three fours. With his departure, St Charles was in a tricky position on 100 for 5.
They navigated it well, for a while, with Sunguro and Clarke adding 37 for the sixth wicket before Sunguro was LBW to the express pace of Bayanda Majola for 26, which had come for just 28 balls, four of which were dispatched to the boundary.
Clarke went on to make 17, but the Saints’ run chase lost steam as no other batsmen made it into double figures.
Naraidu did most of the damage, returning the superb figures of 4/24 from nine overs, which included three of the Saints’ top four, while Jared Havemann snared 2 for 8 in 4.4 overs with his leg-spin, and Bayanda Majola returned 2 for 48 from his pace.
St Charles were all out for 163 after only 34.4 overs and DHS had, in the end, posted a handsome 63-run victory.
Scores
Durban High School 226/10 (Taine Havemann 74, Semal Pillay 49, Joshua Loots 21, Tristan Montile 5/36, Brendon Sunguro 2/58); St Charles College 163/10 (Marcell Wellmann 46, Rico Honiball 27, Brendon Sunguro 26, Dilhan Naraidu 4/24, Jared Havemann 2/8, Bayanda Majola 2/48)
The Heritage Sevens, the latest round of the High School Sevens Series, proudly sponsored by Toyota, proved to be a triumph for Hoërskool Middelburg (HS Middelburg) as both their u15 and u17 teams went unbeaten and claimed their age group titles on Saturday in Middelburg. Unfortunately for Helpmekaar, they had to settle for the runner-up spot in both competitions.
Ben Viljoen made HS Middelburg work hard for their first u17 victory, with the local school winning 19-0. It was, however, the first of three shutouts for the Middies in Group B, with each win by a bigger score: 35-0 vs Patriot and 52-0 vs Steelcrest.
At last, in the semi-finals, Hoërskool Kanonkop managed to score twice against HS Middelburg, but it was one-way traffic as Middies powered their way to a 59-14 win.
Helpmekaar, who won their opener only 28-17 against Bergvlam, followed up with big wins over Barberton and Eastdene Combined, tipping fifty points both times, and they then held off HTS Middelburg in the semi-finals, recording a 24-19 victory.
In the final, the Middies secured a 10-point win, taking the title by a 24-14 margin.
There was joy for Patriot in the Bowl final, where they handed Rob Ferreira a 31-14 loss, while Ben Viljoen got by Kempton Park 24-19 to lift the Plate.
In the u15 competition, HS Middelburg was extended by Ben Viljoen in their pool game, winning 26-12 after cruising to a 45-0 win over Bergvlam. Helpmekaar, meanwhile, beat Rob Ferreira 26-7 and then ran roughshod over Eastdene Combined, putting up 75 points.
Ben Viljoen showed they were a team to be reckoned with in the quarterfinals, beating HTS Middelburg 21-12, while HS Middelburg 2 pushed Rob Ferreira hard before succumbing 12-19. Helpmekaar and HS Middelburg both progressed without conceding a point, with Helpies crushing Barberton 60-0 and Middies taking down the hosts, Kanonkop, 38-0.
Unsurprisingly, it was tighter in the semi-finals, with Middelburg accounting for Ben Viljoen 21-7 and Helpmekaar ousting Rob Ferreira 36-12.
Middies then lifted their game in the final, romping to an emphatic 22-0 win over Helpmekaar.
Steelcrest strode to the Bowl title, beating Bergvlam 33-5, while HS Middelburg 2 decisively beat HTS Middelburg 24-5 in the Plate final.
HTS Middelburg 19-0 Ben Viljoen
Steelcrest 0-31 Patriot
HTS Middelburg 35-0 Patriot
Steelcrest 7-31 Ben Viljoen
Ben Viljoen 24-10 Patriot
HTS Middelburg 52-0 Steelcrest
Group C
Edu College 0-62 Kempton Park
Kanonkop 52-0 Meridian Karino
Edu College 5-7 Meridian Karino
Kanonkop 28-10 Kempton Park
Kempton Park 57-0 Meridian Karino
Edu College 7-56 Kanonkop
Group D
HS Middelburg 53-7 HTS Witbank
Rob Ferreira 43-7 Generaal Hertzog
HS Middelburg 26-0 Generaal Hertzog
Rob Ferreira 19-24 HTS Witbank
HTS Witbank 10-10 Generaal Hertzog
HS Middelburg 36-7 Rob Ferreira
Semi-finals
Shield
Eastdene Combined 17-33 Steelcrest
Edu College 0-10 Generaal Hertzog
Bowl
Barberton 12-38 Patriot
Meridian Karino 0-48 Rob Ferreira
Plate
Bergvlam 0-19 Ben Viljoen
Kempton Park 14-12 HTS Witbank
The Noordvaal Sevens kicks off on Friday, 13 September, with Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom hosting the u17 competition and Potchefstroom Gimnasium home to the u15 event.
A high-quality field from five regions – the Blue Bulls, LimpopoBlue Bulls, Leopards, Lions, and the Valke – will be in action.
The u17 challengers are going to have their work cut out for them if they’re to beat two schools that recently won big tournaments: Menlopark lifted the Montana Sevens title last weekend, while Monument was crowned the champions of the Monument Sevens a week ago.
Menlopark pulled off a big victory by handling Affies 28-5 in the final in Pretoria, while Monnas brushed aside all challengers, with a Noordheuwel Invitation side giving them their closest game, which was still a comfortable 28-10 win. They crushed Dinamika 43-5 in the final.
Still, teams like the aforementioned Noordheuwel and Dinamika should not be overlooked, while Garsfontein and Zwartkop, who are in the same pool, could be in the mix.
In the u15 competition, Monument and Noordheuwel, who met in the Monument final, which Monnas edged 12-7, are sure to be contenders.
They’ll be challenged by Menlopark, who finished as the runners-up to Affies at the Montana Sevens, while Garsfontein, who bowed out in the Cup semi-finals, after a narrow 21-26 loss to Menlo, will also fancy their chances. Zwartkop, who fell to Affies in the Cup semis, will be another team to keep an eye on.
GROUPS
u17
Group A: Menlopark (A1), Die Wilgers (A2), Ellisras (A3), Klerksdorp (A4)
Group B: Monument (B1), HTS Tom Naudé (B2), Zayo Academy (B3), Wesvalia (B4)
Group C: Die Anker (C1), Garsfontein (C2), Noordheuwel (C3), Bergsig Akademie (C4)
Group D: Potchefstroom Volkskool (D1), Zwartkop (D2), Dinamika (D3), Pietersburg (D4)
u15
Group A: Menlopark (A1), Centurion (A2), Pietersburg (A3), Potch Volkskool (A4)
Group B: Monument (B1), Ellisras (B2), Eldoraigne (B3), Wesvalia (B4)
Group C: Die Anker (C1), Garsfontein (C2), Dinamika (C3)
Group D: Klerksdorp (D1), Noordheuwel (D2), Zwartkop (D3), Kempton Park (D4)
U17 FIXTURES – VOLKSKOOL
Field A
12:00 – Menlopark vs Die Wilgers
12:20 – Ellisras vs Klerksdorp
12:40 – Monument vs HTS Tom Naudé
13:00 – Zayo Academy vs Wesvalia
13:20 – Die Anker vs Garsfontein
13:40 – Potch Volkskool vs Zwartkop
14:00 – Die Wilgers vs Klerksdorp
14:20 – HTS Tom Naudé vs Wesvalia
14:40 – Garsfontein vs Bergsig Akademie
15:00 – Die Anker vs Noordheuwel
15:20 – Zwartkop vs Pietersburg
15:40 – Potch Volkskool vs Dinamika
16:00 – Menlopark vs Klerksdorp
16:20 – Die Wilgers vs Ellisras
16:40 – HTS Tom Naudé vs Zayo Academy
17:00 – Garsfontein vs Noordheuwel
17:20 – Zwartkop vs Dinamika
17:40 – Potch Volkskool vs Pietersburg
Field B
13:20 – Noordheuwel vs Bergsig Akademie
13:40 – Dinamika vs Pietersburg
14:00 – Menlopark vs Ellisras
14:20 – Monument vs Zayo Academy
16:40 – Monument vs Wesvalia
17:00 – Die Anker vs Bergsig Akademie
Saturday, 14 September
09:00 – Bowl QF – A3 vs B4 (1)
09:20 – Bowl QF – B3 vs A4 (2)
09:40 – Bowl QF – C3 vs D4 (3)
10:00 – Bowl QF – D3 vs C4 (4)
10:20 – Cup QF – A1 vs B2 (5)
10:40 – Cup QF – B1 vs A2 (6)
11:00 – Cup QF – C1 vs D2 (7)
11:20 – Cup QF – D1 vs C2 (8)
11:40 – Shield SF – Loser 1 vs Loser 3 (9)
12:00 – Shield SF – Loser 2 vs Loser 4 (10)
12:20 – Bowl SF – Winner 1 vs Winner 3 (11)
12:40 – Bowl SF – Winner 2 vs Winner 4 (12)
13:00 – Plate SF – Loser 5 vs Loser 7 (13)
13:20 – Plate SF – Loser 6 vs Loser 8 (14)
13:40 – Cup SF – Winner 5 vs Winner 7 (15)
14:00 – Cup SF – Winner 6 vs Winner 8 (16)
14:20 – Shield Final – Winner 9 vs Winner 10 (17)
14:40 – Bowl Final – Winner 11 vs Winner 12 (18)
15:00 – Plate Final – Winner 13 vs Winner 14 (19)
15:20 – 3rd/4th Playoff – Loser 15 vs Loser 16 (20)
16:00 – Cup Final – Winner 15 vs Winner 16 (21)
U15 FIXTURES – GIMNASIUM
A Field
12:00 – Menlopark vs Centurion
12:20 – Pietersburg vs Potch Volkskool
12:40 – Monument vs Ellisras
13:00 – Eldoraigne vs Wesvalia
13:20 – Die Anker vs Garsfontein
13:40 – Klerksdorp vs Noordheuwel
14:00 – Centurion vs Potch Volkskool
14:20 – Ellisras vs Wesvalia
14:40 – Garsfontein vs C4
15:00 – Die Anker vs Dinamika
15:20 – Noordheuwel vs Kempton Park
15:40 – Klerksdorp vs Zwartkop
16:00 – Menlopark vs Potch Volkskool
16:20 – Centurion vs Pietersburg
16:40 – Ellisras vs Eldoraigne
17:00 – Die Anker vs Garsfontein
17:20 – Noordheuwel vs Zwartkop
17:40 – Klerksdorp vs Kempton Park
B Field
13:20 – Dinamika vs C4
13:40 – Zwartkop vs Kempton Park
14:00 – Menlopark vs Pietersburg
14:20 – Monument vs Eldoraiggne
16:40 – Monument vs Wesvalia
17:00 – Die Anker vs C4
Saturday, 14 September
09:00 – Bowl QF – A3 vs B4 (1)
09:20 – Bowl QF – B3 vs A4 (2)
09:40 – Bowl QF – C3 vs D4 (3)
10:00 – Bowl QF – D3 vs C4 (4)
10:20 – Cup QF – A1 vs B2 (5)
10:40 – Cup QF – B1 vs A2 (6)
11:00 – Cup QF – C1 vs D2 (7)
11:20 – Cup QF – D1 vs C2 (8)
11:40 – Shield SF – Loser 1 vs Loser 3 (9)
12:00 – Shield SF – Loser 2 vs Loser 4 (10)
12:20 – Bowl SF – Winner 1 vs Winner 3 (11)
12:40 – Bowl SF – Winner 2 vs Winner 4 (12)
13:00 – Plate SF – Loser 5 vs Loser 7 (13)
13:20 – Plate SF – Loser 6 vs Loser 8 (14)
13:40 – Cup SF – Winner 5 vs Winner 7 (15)
14:00 – Cup SF – Winner 6 vs Winner 8 (16)
14:20 – Shield Final – Winner 9 vs Winner 10 (17)
14:40 – Bowl Final – Winner 11 vs Winner 12 (18)
15:00 – Plate Final – Winner 13 vs Winner 14 (19)
15:20 – 3rd/4th Playoff – Loser 15 vs Loser 16 (20)
16:00 – Cup Final – Winner 15 vs Winner 16 (21)
Grey College captured both the u15 and u17 titles at the High School Sevens Series, proudly sponsored by Toyota, Champion of Champions Tournament in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The High School Sevens Series, proudly sponsored by Toyota, reaches its zenith on Saturday when the playoffs in the Champion of Champions Tournament take place at Grey College.
While rain caused many midweek Schools SA20 matches across KZN to be called off, and camps caused the postponement of others, some schools managed to get their games completed, including Clifton College, who made short work of Umlazi Comtech High at Kingsmead.
Durban High School (DHS) welcomed an in-form St Charles College, 
The Heritage Sevens, the latest round of the High School Sevens Series, proudly sponsored by Toyota, proved to be a triumph for Hoërskool Middelburg (HS Middelburg) as both their u15 and u17 teams went unbeaten and claimed their age group titles on Saturday in Middelburg. Unfortunately for Helpmekaar, they had to settle for the runner-up spot in both competitions.