Author: captainmorgan

The High School Sevens Series, proudly sponsored by Toyota, moves to Gauteng for the Volkskool Heidelberg Sevens, on 30 and 31 August. There are some strong contenders for the title, but no clearcut favourite.

In Pool A, the inclusion of Welkom Gimnasium, from the Free State, catches the eye. With their free-flowing 15-man game, they should be ideally suited to the seven-man format.

They’ll be up against Hugenote, Zayo Rhinos, who reached the Cup semi-finals of the Hoërskool Pionier Sevens, where they pushed the eventual champions, Sarel Cilliers, all the way, and Leeuwenhof.

Noordheuwel, after an impressive season, stands out in Pool B, where they’ll tackle Kempton Park, Lebone II College, and Die Anker.

In Pool C, it’s Helpmekaar which looks like the team to beat. They’ll take on Marais Viljoen, who won the Plate at the Pionier Sevens, Dinamika, and Overvaal.

Perhaps the group that will produce the tightest competition for top spot will be Pool D, where the hosts, Volkskool Heidelberg, will have their hands full with Transvalia, who captured the SDC Noordvaal Shield for the first time last weekend, coming from behind to beat Hoërskool Lichtenberg 23-21 to claim the title. Brandwag and Birchleigh will also be in the running.

The u15 competition will feature 12 teams, including the Pionier Sevens’ champions, Marais Viljoen. The u15 final will serve as a curtain-raiser to the u17 Cup final. All of the fixtures are below.

The action starts on Friday afternoon and goes on into the evening. There’s an early start on Saturday, with a late afternoon finish.

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POOLS

Pool A: Welkom Gimnasium, Hugenote, Zayo Rhinos, Leeuwenhof
Pool B: Noordheuwel, Kempton Park, Lebone II College, Die Anker
Pool C: Helpmekaar, Marais Viljoen, Dinamika, Overvaal
Pool D: Volkskool Heidelberg, Transvalia, Brandwag, Birchleigh

FIXTURES

Friday, 30 August

Game 1 – 14:30 – Volkskool Heidelberg vs Birchleigh
Game 2 – 14:50 – Transvalia vs Brandwag
Game 3 – 15:10 – Helpmekaar vs Overvaal
Game 4 – 15:30 – Marais Viljoen vs Dinamika
Game 5 – 15:50 – Noordheuwel vs Die Anker
Game 6 – 16:10 – Kempton Park vs Lebone College
Game 7 – 16:30 – Hugenote vs Zayo Rhinos
Game 8 – 16:50 – Welkom Gim vs Leeuwenhof
Game 9 – 17:10 – Voolkskool Heidelberg vs Brandwag
Game 10 – 17:30 – Transvalia vs Birchleigh
Game 11 – 17:50 – Helpmekaar vs Dinamika
Game 12 – 18:10 – Marais Viljoen vs Overvaal
Game 13 – 18:30 – Noordheuwel vs Lebone College
Game 14 – 18:50 – Kempton Park vs Die Anker
Game 15 – 19:10 – Hugenote vs Leeuwenhof
Game 16 – 19:30 – Welkom Gim vs Zaya Rhinos

Saturday, 31 August

Pitch 2

Game 18 – 08:00 – Brandwag vs Birchleigh
Game 20 – 08:20 – Dinamika vs Overvaal
Game 22 – 08:40 – Lebone College vs Die Anker

Pitch 1

Game 17 – 08:00 – Volkskool Heidelberg vs Transvalia
Game 19 – 08:20 – Helpmekaar vs Marais Viljoen
Game 21 – 08:40 – Noordheuwel vs Kempton Park
Game 23 – 09:00 – Zayo Rhinos vs Leeuwenhof
Game 24 – 09:20 – Welkom Gim vs Hugenote

Game 25 – 10:00 – 3rd Pool A vs 4th Pool D
Game 26 – 10:20 – 4th Pool A vs 3rd Pool D
Game 27 – 10:40 – 3rd Pool B vs 4th Pool C
Game 28 – 11:00 – 4th Pool B vs 3rd Pool C
Game 29 – 11:20 – Winner Pool A vs Runner-up Pool D
Game 30 – 11:40 – Runner-up Pool A vs Winner Pool D
Game 31 – 12:00 – Winner Pool B vs Runner-up Pool C
Game 32 – 12:20 – Runner-up Pool B vs Winner Pool C

Playoffs

Game 33 – 12:40 – Loser 25 vs Loser 26
Game 34 – 13:00 – Loser 27 vs Loser 28

Plate semi-finals

Game 35 – 13:20 – Winner 25 vs Winner 26
Game 36 – 13:40 – Winner 27 vs Winner 28

Playoff

Game 37 – 14:00 – Loser 29 vs Loser 30
Game 38 – 14:20 – Loser 31 vs Loser 32

Cup semi-finals

Game 39 – 14:40 – Winner 29 vs Winner 30
Game 40 – 15:00 – Winner 31 vs Winner 32

Plate final

Game 41 – 15:20 – Winner 35 vs Winner 36

u15 Cup final

15:40

Cup final

Game 42 – 16:00 – Winner 39 vs Winner 40

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Pools

Pool A – Helpmekaar, Overvaal, Kempton Park
Pool B – Hugenote, Transvalia, Noordheuwel
Pool C – Marais Viljoen, Die Anker, Brandwag
Pool D – Volkskool Heidelberg, Dinamika, Birchleigh

Fixtures

Friday, 30 August

14:30 – Dinamika (D2) vs Birchleigh (D3)
14:50 – Die Anker (C2) vs Brandwag (C3)
15:10 – Transvalia (B2) vs Noordheuwel (B3)
15:30 – Overvaal (A2) vs Kempton Park (A3)
15:50 – Marais Viljoen (C1) vs Brandwag (C3)
16:10 – Volkskool Heidelberg (D1) vs Birchleigh (D3)
16:30 – Helpmekaar (A1) vs Kempton Park (A3)
16:50 – Hugenote (B1) vs Noordheuwel (B3)

Saturday, 31 August

09:00 – Hugenote (B1) vs Transvalia (B2)
09:20 – Helpmekaar (A1) vs Overvaal (A2)
09:40 – Volkskool Heidelberg (D1) vs Dinamika (D2)
10:00 – Marais Viljoen (C1) vs Die Anker (C2)

Cup quarterfinals

10:40 – 1st Pool A vs 2nd Pool B
11:00 – 1st Pool B vs 2nd Pool A
11:20 – 1st Pool C vs 2nd Pool D
11:40 – 1st Pool D vs 2nd Pool C

Bowl semi-finals

12:00 – 3rd Pool A vs 3rd Pool B
12:20 – 3rd Pool C vs 3rd Pool D

Plate semi-finals

12:40 – Loser Cup quarter 1 vs Loser Cup quarter 2
13:00 – Loser Cup quarter 3 vs Loser Cup quarter 4

Cup semi-finals

13:20 – Winner Cup quarter 1 vs Winner Cup quarter 2
13:40 – Winner Cup quarter 3 vs Winner Cup quarter 4

Shield Final

14:00 – Loser Bowl semi 1 vs Loser Bowl semi 2

Bowl final

14:20 – Winner Bowl semi 1 vs Winner Bowl semi 2

7th/8th Playoff

14:40 – Loser Plate semi 1 vs Loser Plate semi 2

Plate final

15:00 – Winner Plate semi 1 vs Winner Plate semi 2

3rd/4th Playoff

15:20 – Loser Cup semi 1 vs Loser Cup semi 2

Cup Final

15:40 – Winner Cup semi 1 vs Winner Cup semi 2 (Pitch 1)

Maritzburg College plays host to the annual Nashua Sevens on Saturday, with eight u18 and four u15 teams in action.

The three previous Sevens events in KZN – the Saints, Glenwood, and Durban High School (DHS) Sevens – have featured u17 teams, so it will be interesting to see if the shift to the u18 age group leads to a different outcome.

Based on the two previous events, the teams to watch are DHS and Westville, with the Horseflies capturing the DHS Sevens last weekend, thanks to a 26-12 win over the Griffin in the final, and Westville winning the Glenwood Sevens, thanks to a 12-7 defeat of DHS in that final.

DHS hunts fantastically as a team, with much of their success coming from the pressure they generate on the opposition, and their ability to finish opportunities when they force turnovers.

Westville, meanwhile, possesses some of the most exciting runners in the game. They’re a nuggetty defensive unit, too, which is one of the reasons they’ve won three tournaments this season: the Clifton Sevens, the Saints Sevens, and the Glenwood Sevens.

While DHS and Westville are good bets to go all the way, never count out Maritzburg College on Goldstone’s, whether it be the 15-man game or sevens. Last season, they lifted their game for the Nashua Sevens but were narrowly pipped in the u18 final, going down 10-12 to Northwood. Their u15 side, however, beat Michaelhouse 24-16 to claim the honours in their age group.

‘House will pose a serious challenge. They’ve played some good sevens this season. Just a touch more consistency and they’ll be in the mix for the title. Their arch-rivals, Hilton College, have struggled a little for form, but they have the ability to pull off an upset or two.

College’s city neighbours, St Charles, has some outstanding sevens’ players. If they include their u18 players, they’re a dark horse title contender, no doubt.

Glenwood, after a tough season, has made a impressive transition to sevens. Both their u17 and u15 teams made the Cup semi-finals in the Glenwood and DHS Sevens, with the u15s going on to contest the Glenwood final. They’re fit, hard, and skilled. Beware the Green Machine! Like Saints, they’re a dark horse that bears watching.

FIXTURES

u15

08:40 – Maritzburg College vs Michaelhouse
09:00 – Glenwood vs College 7s
10:40 – Maritzburg College vs College 7s
11:00 – Glenwood vs Michaelhouse
12:40 – Maritzburg College vs Glenwood
13:00 – Michaelhouse vs College 7s

14:40 – Final

u18

09:20 – Maritzburg College vs Glenwood
09:40 – Westville vs Hilton
10:00 – Michaelhouse vs St Charles
10:20 – DHS vs College 7s
11:20 – Glenwood vs Hilton
11:40 – Maritzburg College vs Westville
12:00 – Michaelhouse vs DHS
12:20 – St Charles vs College 7s
13:20 – Maritzburg College vs Hilton
13:40 – Glenwood vs Westville
14:00 – Michaelhouse vs College 7s
14:20 – St Charles vs DHS

15:15 – Final

St Charles College made short work of the KZN Tuskers Combined Hub team in an Eston One Insurance High Schools’ T20 Night League match on Tuesday evening, cruising to a 10-wicket victory with 9.4 overs in hand.

Batting first, the Hub XI struggled to build momentum during their innings and, when it was all done, they had batted at just above four runs an over to reach 84/6.

Wian Oelofson stood out for his late contribution of 19 not out, the top score of the innings, which came from 15 balls and included a six and a four.

The Saints’ bowlers, meanwhile, enjoyed economical spells, with Cian Fortmann the most successful bowler, picking up 2/8 in two overs. The other four wickets were shared between four bowlers, with captain Marcell Wellmann doing an excellent job with his left-arm spin to snare 1/1 from two overs.

Connor Riley and Cian Fortmann then powered St Charles to victory, with Fortmann taking the attack to the Tuskers Combined Hub XI and Riley providing solid support.

Fortmann bashed an unbeaten 55 from only 37 deliveries, cracking one six and seven fours, while Riley sent two balls to the boundary as he tallied 28 not out from 27 balls.

Saints, the defending champions, were beaten by Maritzburg College in their first match, going down by six wickets. Their big win on Tuesday would have come as a welcome injection of confidence.

On Monday, Hilton College edged out Michaelhouse, with an enterprising late innings outburst carrying them to a two-wicket victory.

Scores

KZN Tuskers Combined Hub XI 84/6 (W. Oelofson 19*, S. Ngcobo 16, C. Fortmann 2/8, M. Wellmann 1/1); St Charles College 85/0 (C. Fortmann 55*, C. Riley 28*)

St Charles won by 10 wickets

Hilton College and Michaelhouse met in a thrilling Eston One Insurance High Schools’ T20 Night League showdown on Monday, with the early season clash being decided in Hilton’s favour by only two wickets, with four balls to spare.

‘House won the toss and opted to bat first, and they made a decent start, with their top four – Ethan Muir, Michael Spencer, Graydon Leslie, and Rex Wardlaw – all making it into double figures. The problem was they didn’t take it far enough.

Wardlaw, in at four, led the way, making an unbeaten 26 from 25 deliveries, with two fours, while Spencer, who opened with Muir, struck 21 from 15, with three fours. Muir weighed in with 18 and Leslie made 11, but it was only Ross Moller, batting tenth, who joined them in double figures, and he made 12.

Michaelhouse’s start was strong, with the openers putting on 45 for the first wicket in just 5.5 overs before Spencer departed. Unfortunately for ‘House, Muir joined him on the same total. Two runs later, the dangerous Dylan Hewlett was gone, out for a single, with the total having slipped to 47/3.

Leslie departed with the total on 63, with another two wickets falling in quick succession a short while later to reduce the Balgowan boys to 79/6. Soon, that became 87/8 as the Michaelhouse innings floundered.

Moller’s 12 helped to give the innings a slight boost at the end, with Michaelhouse finishing on 120/9.

David Hill, with 3/20 from his four overs, and Benoit Rey, with 3/23, which included three of the top five in the order, put the skids under the ‘House batsmen. Simon Steyn also impressed, returning 2/23 from his four. It was, overall, a decent bowling effort, although 16 wides was a bit on the high side.

Hilton’s reply began poorly. They were 10/3 in the fourth over, and in the seventh over their top four were all gone, with Ross Moller doing a superb job with the new ball and getting rid of Robert Burman, Ben Hockly, and Simon Steyn, while Thanadanani Zuma accounted for Charles Swart.

Jayden Roux and Stewart Falconer then joined forces to pull off a critical rescue job. They doubled the score, taking it from 27 to 54, before Roux was caught by Dylan Hewlett off of the bowling of Harry Vickery for the innings’ top score of 26, which came from 30 balls and included four fours.

Falconer went on to make 21 from 20 and helped to advance the total to 71, before he was out. Hewlett then executed a run out on the same total, leaving Hilton on 71/7 after 14.2 overs, and the match very much in the balance. Soon, Hilton was staring down the barrel after Ethan van Heerden was dismissed for five, with the total on 79.

That brought David Hill and Benoit Rey together, and they proceeded to take the contest away from Michaelhouse with some brave hitting. Hill sent two balls to the boundary in an undefeated 19 from only 12 deliveries, while Rey smashed a six, on his way to 14 not out from 12 balls.

They added a match-winning unbroken 42 from only 22 balls in three-and-a-half overs to snatch the game away from their arch-rivals, bringing an exciting contest to a dramatic conclusion.

Scores

Michaelhouse 120/9 (Rex Wardlaw 26*, Michael Spencer 21, David Hill 3/20, Benoit Rey 3/23, Simon Steyn 2/23)
Hilton College 121/8 (Jayden Roux 26*, Stewart Falconer 21, David Hill 19*, Ross Moller 3/10, Harry Vickery 3/23)

Hilton College won by two wickets

Upsets abounded in the Jody Momple Cup, with neither of last year’s finalists making it beyond the quarterfinals. Instead, it was Michaelhouse and Ixopo High who contested the gold medal game on Sunday at Hilton College.

In a back-and-forth tussle, a sudden death shootout was needed to settle it, with ‘House winning 6-5 from the spot after regulation time had finished at 1-1.

Maritzburg College, who beat Carter High 3-2 in the 2023 final, were ousted 1-0 by Edendale Technical College in the last eight, while Carter went down 1-2 to Ixopo in their quarterfinal clash, which sent two of the title favourites crashing out.

Michaelhouse, meanwhile, accounted for Carter B, who had done themselves proud as late replacements for Maritzburg Christian School, winning 3-0, and Hilton College charged into the semi-finals, netting three goals in double-quick time after the first whistle had sounded, on their way to a convincing 5-2 win over Alexandra High School.

While Maritzburg College and Carter were done, a mouthwatering semi-final between the arch-rivals, Hilton and Michaelhouse, awaited, and the Ixopo versus Edendale clash brought the teams that had ousted the favourites together.

With hearty support from their schoolmates, the Hilton team got off to a flyer in their semi-final, winning an early penalty to take the lead against Michaelhouse.

‘House has shown throughout the season, though, they’re a resilient bunch and they battled their way back into the contest before eventually winning it 2-1.

Meanwhile, neither Ixopo nor Edendale could find a way through their opponent’s defences, with chances being few and far between. Ixopo, though, moved on with a 3-1 win from the penalty spot.

In the title-decider, both sides did a good job of isolating players in the midfield, which made swift progress up the field difficult. Ixopo, though, snatched the lead right before half-time from a corner, with their captain, Saki, nodding in from close range.

A strong wind had blown throughout most of the day, and in the second half it favoured Michaelhouse, which made clearing the ball from the back and deep into the Ixopo half easier.

Early in the second half, the Balgowan boys found a reply, just managing to bundle the ball over the line from a corner after a goalmouth scramble. It was close, but it was an excellent decision by the linesman. Under heavy pressure, he called it correctly.

In the latter stages of the contest, Ixopo pushed hard for a winner, opening up Michaelhouse on a number of occasions, but they couldn’t find the finish they so desperately wanted.

That sent the match to the penalty spot, and both sets of penalty-takers responded superbly, executing their kicks with confidence. There were only a couple of close calls, one from each side.

However, when it went to sudden death, Michaelhouse scored and Ixopo finally blinked, with their shot going wide of the mark to leave Michaelhouse the winners of the Jody Momple Cup for a first time.

Later, at the awards ceremony, Jason Brufau, of Michaelhouse, was named the Player of the Match.

Michaelhouse captain Angelo Nkosi told SuperSport Schools Plus afterwards: “As a school, we always want to win. We always want to go all the way. We knew it was going to be tough. In the past tournaments, it has been tough, and we have always come up short.

“Our matrics are in the middle of trial exams, so we knew that if we’re going to come here, we are going to have to commit every single part of ourselves to this event. I’m so happy.”

Nkosi said he hoped winning the prestigious title would give a boost to football at Michaelhouse: “Hopefully, it means there will be a greater focus on the football programme, more excitement about it. I hope this gives guys a reason to invest in the sport, to support the guys who play, and to grow the culture.”

Then, he turned to his teammates, saying: “These guys are amazing. A lot of them put up their hands. A lot of them said that this is the year we are going to make it count. We are going to have a successful season. I love each and every single person here, and I couldn’t have asked for a better team.”

Arguably, no team was happier at the conclusion of the event than Etham College. They dominated Heritage Academy in the Bowl final, winning 4-0, and they celebrated that achievement mightily.

The Plate title went the way of Haythorne Secondary School, who held off ML Sultan Secondary to claim a 2-1 win.

The Bryce Moon Trophy, for the event’s top goal scorer, went to Hilton College’s Tino Hove, who struck seven times for his side, just one goal shy of equalling the tournament’s record.

RESULTS

Bowl Quarterfinals

Riverwood 7-0 St Nicholas
Weston 0-1 Heritage Academy
Greytown 1-5 Etham
Wartburg 4-1 Treverton

Plate Quarterfinals

Howick 4-1 Grace College
ML Sultan 3-1 St Charles
Newton 0-2 Haythorne
Linpark 1-0 Umvuzo

Cup Quarterfinals

Hilton College 5-2 Alexandra
Michaelhouse 3-0 Carter B
Carter 1-2 Ixopo
Edendale Technical 1-0 Maritzburg College

Bowl Semi-finals

Riverwood 3-4 Heritage
Etham 1-0 Wartburg

Plate Semi-finals

Howick (5) 1-1 (6) ML Sultan
Haythorne (8) 2-2 (7) Linpark

Cup Semi-finals

Hilton College 1-2 Michaelhouse
Ixopo (3) 0-0 (1) Edendale

Bowl final

Etham College 4-0 Heritage Academy

Plate Final

ML Sultan 1 – 2 Haythorne

Cup Final

Michaelhouse (6) 1-1 (5) Ixopo

The Durban High School (DHS) u17 and u15 teams gave the home supporters plenty to cheer by capturing the High School Sevens Series, sponsored by Toyota, title at DHS on Saturday in Durban.

Van Heerden Field is a formidable fortress – this past season, the DHS 1st XV, 2nd XV, 3rd XV, u16A, u14A and u14B teams were unbeaten on Van Heerden’s – and the Horseflies rode their home ground advantage to the titles and places in Champions of Champions Tournament at Grey College, in Bloemfontein, on 20 and 21 September.

Spare a thought for the Westville Boys’ High u17 side, which suffered its first loss of the season in the final against DHS. It was very much a showdown between 1A and 1B, but on this occasion it was DHS who claimed the crown by a 26-12 margin. Two weeks earlier, Westville had beaten School in the final of the Glenwood Sevens.

Unfortunately for the Griffin, the script was the same as 2023, with DHS reversing the result of the Glenwood Sevens on their home ground to secure a spot at the Champion of Champions.

DHS won the title because of their ability to raise their intensity for their crucial playoff fixtures. A smothering defence forced mistakes out of their opposition, and the Horseflies were ruthlessly efficient at turning those into points.

Westville, who had won three tournaments in succession, were a little bruised and battered, but they were boosted by the return of SA Schools’ star Zekhethelo Siyaya, who showed his class with his decisive decision-making and sharp finishing. Unfortunately, he picked up a bit of a knock, which led to him coming off the bench in the final.

Glenwood showed they still possess strong talent in their ranks, but DHS defused the Green Machine‘s rugged challenge in the Cup semi-finals. The Glenwood side was at its best in an impressive 38-7 dismantling of a solid St Charles team in pool play.

Northwood was workmanlike in making it to the final four. They produced typically abrasive performances, mixed in with some good sevens skills, to book their final four spot. There, though, their adventure came to an end against Westville.

Kearsney caught the eye because of the rapid strides they have made since they were first in action at the Saints Sevens.

In that event, they were quite static when on the attack and they played too laterally. At DHS, their tempo was far higher and their approach more direct, and they were a far tougher out for their opposition.

DHS beat them 26-14 and Glenwood won 12-5, but the Botha’s Hill boys did their school great credit, winning the rest of their games, including a 12-5 victory over Hilton College in a crucial pool game.

Meanwhile, Hoërskool Pionier, from Vryheid, were boosted by their superb travelling support.

They upset DHS 2 in their best performance and made it to the final of the Plate.

When the Sharks Tier 2 A team had a player dismissed while it was 0-0 in the title-decider, Pionier looked odds-on favourites to bag the silverware, but the Sharks’ side, with impressive character, rallied to triumph 12-7.

Michaelhouse played some good rugby, but had their challenge undermined by a narrow 15-17 loss to Maritzburg College.

When the teams met again, later in the tournament, ‘House ran out convincing 34-14 winners.

u15 Competition

The u15 competition produced two new finalists after Northwood and Glenwood met in the Glenwood Sevens title-decider. This time around, it was DHS against Westville for the Cup.

The saying goes, “speed kills”, and it certainly did in Westville’s chances in the u15 final, with Hadley Alexander burning the Griffin for three tries with his searing pace in the first half.

Thanks to that trio of scores, DHS led 21-12 at the break and went on to claim the title 31-17.

As predicted, Pool B, featuring Maritzburg College, Michaelhouse and DHS, was the most interesting. Each team won one and lost one and it came down to points’ difference as to which sides would advance to the Cup quarterfinals, with College and DHS edging out ‘House.

DHS roared to a one-sided win over Ferrum in the last eight, while College ousted Glenwood Sevens champs, Northwood, 12-7. Glenwood took down Kearsney to book a semi-final spot, while Westville sparkled in a 43-15 win over St Charles.

That set up a rematch between College and DHS, with the Red, Black and White having beaten the Horseflies 22-15 earlier in the day. This time, though, DHS triumphed 19-14. Westville, meanwhile, scraped past Glenwood, winning 12-10.

Ferrum handled Esikhawini in the Shield final to ensure they returned to Newcastle with silverware, while Michaelhouse, the unlucky losers from the powerful Pool B, crushed Northwood B to lift the Bowl.

In the Plate final, Kearsney handed Northwood a 19-12 loss. College, then, edged out Glenwood 20-19 for third place.

U17 RESULTS

Pool A

Northwood 17-7 DHS 2
Westville 59-0 Pinetown Boys
Northwood 31-0 Pinetown Boys
Westville 28-12 DHS 2
Westville 31-0 Northwood
DHS 2 31-5 Pinetown Boys

Pool B

DHS 40-0 Sharks Tier 2 B
Kearsney 12-5 Hilton
DHS 24-12 Hilton
Kearsney 27-7 Sharks Tier 2 B
Hilton 36-14 Sharks Tier 2 B
DHS 26-14 Kearsney

Pool C

Glenwood 45-0 Sharks Tier 2
St Charles 50-0 Vryheid Landbou
Glenwood 45-7 Vryheid Landbou
St Charles 31-7 Sharks Tier 2 A
Glenwood 38-7 St Charles
Vryheid Landbou 19-21 Sharks Tier 2 A

Pool D

Michaelhouse 29-0 Pionier
Maritzburg College 31-12 Northwood 2
Michaelhouse 41-7 Northwood 2
Maritzburg College 22-12 Pionier
Michaelhouse 15-17 Maritzburg College
Northwood 2 24-10 Pionier

Playoffs

DHS 2 (3rd Pool A) 7-12 Pionier (4th Pool D)
Pinetown Boys (4th Pool A) 7-29 Northwood 2 (3rd Pool D)
Hilton (3rd Pool B) 26-21 Vryheid Landbou (4th Pool C)
Sharks Tier 2 B (4th Pool B) 21-33 Sharks Tier 2 A (3rd Pool C)

Cup quarterfinals

Westville 21-12 Michaelhouse
Northwood 14-5 Maritzburg College
DHS 36-19 St Charles
Kearsney 5-12 Glenwood

DHS 2 35-10 Pinetown Boys (Playoff)
Vryheid Landbou 26-14 Sharks Tier 2 B (Playoff)
Michaelhouse 34-14 Maritzburg College (Playoff)
St Charles 12-22 Kearsney (Playoff)

Plate semi-finals

Pionier 19-10 Northwood 2
Hilton 14-26 Sharks Tier 2 A

Cup semi-finals

Westville 12-7 Northwood
DHS 21-5 Glenwood

Plate final

Pionier 7-12 Sharks Tier 2 A

Cup final

Westville 12-21 DHS

U15 RESULTS

Pool A

Esikhawini 7-17 Pionier
Northwood 43-0 Pionier
Northwood 24-0 Esikhawini

Pool B

Maritzburg College 17-21 Michaelhouse
DHS 40-12 Michaelhouse
DHS 15-22 Maritzburg College

Pool C

St Charles 33-14 Northwood
Glenwood 45-0 Northwood 2
Glenwood 19-10 St Charles

Pool D

Ferrum 0-40 Kearsney
Westville 21-0 Kearsney
Westville 43-0 Ferrum

Cup quarterfinals

Northwood 7-12 Maritzburg College
DHS 56-0 Pionier
Glenwood 26-12 Kearsney
Westville 43-15 St Charles

Bowl semi-finals

Esikhawini 0-46 Michaelhouse
Northwood 2 7-5 Ferrum

Plate semi-finals

Northwood 43-0 Pionier
Kearsney 28-14 St Charles

Cup semi-finals

Maritzburg College 14-19 DHS
Glenwood 10-12 Westville

Shield final

Esikhawini 7-26 Ferrum

Bowl final

Michaelhouse 51-0 Northwood 2

7th/8th playoff

Pionier 0-49 St Charles

Plate final

Northwood 12-19 Kearsney

3rd/4th

Maritzburg College 20-19 Glenwood

Cup final

DHS 31-17 Westville

Last year’s finalists, Maritzburg College and Carter High School are through to the Cup quarterfinals of the Jody Momple Cup – formerly the Pietermaritzburg and Midlands FA Cup – after the opening day of the two-day event, which is being contested by 24 teams.

Catch day two and all the finals LIVE on SuperSport Schools

The Pietermaritzburg rivals have already met four times this season, most recently in mid-week, when College scored an equaliser 10 seconds from the final whistle to make it 2-2, which sent their Cowie Cup quarterfinal to a penalty shootout. The Red, Black and White then took the win from the spot to even the season’s series at 2-2.

Carter scored a couple of workmanlike victories in their Group C matches on Saturday, beating Greytown 3-0 and Newton 2-0. College, 3-2 winners over Carter in a brilliant 2023 final, had their way with Treverton College in a Group H clash, powering their way to a 7-0 victory, which they followed up with a 2-0 win over Umvuzo.

The Jody Momple Cup is not a two-horse race, however, and Hilton College, Michaelhouse, Alexandra High, Ixopo High, Edendale Technical High and Carter B, who were late replacements for Maritzburg Christian School, joined them in the last eight.

Alex, Michaelhouse, Edendale and Ixopo all progressed with a maximum six points after winning both of their group games.

Maritzburg College and ML Sultan were the highest goal scorers, with both tallying nine, which included a 9-0 win for ML Sultan over Weston.

Sunday’s action starts at 08:00, with the Bowl quarterfinals. They’ll be followed by the Plate quarterfinals at 09:30, and the Cup quarterfinals at 11:00.

Those results will determine the fixtures for the remainder of the day.

FIXTURES AND RESULTS

Results

Group A

Hilton College 2-2 Howick
Hilton College 6-1 Riverwood
Riverwood 1-2 Howick

Hilton 5 points, Howick 4 points, Riverwood 0 points

Group B

Alexandra 5-0 Grace
Alexandra 3-0 St Nicholas
St Nicholas 2-2 Grace

Alexandra 6 points, St Nicholas 2 points, Grace College 1 point

Group C

Michaelhouse 4-0 Weston
Michaelhouse 2-0 ML Sultan
ML Sultan 9-0 Weston

Michaelhouse 6 points, ML Sultan 3 points, Weston 0 points

Group D

St Charles 0-0 Carter B
St Charles 1-2 Heritage Academy
Heritage Academy 0-2 Carter B

Carter B 5 points, St Charles 1 points, Heritage 0 points

Group E

Carter 3-0 Greytown
Carter 2-0 Newton
Newton 4-0 Greytown

Carter 6 points, Newton 3 points, Greytown 0 points

Group F

Ixopo 2-0 Etham
Ixopo 2-1 Haythorne
Haythorne 4-0 Etham

Ixopo 6 points, Haythorne 3 points, Etham 0 points

Group G

Edendale 2-0 Wartburg
Edendale 2-0 Linpark
Linpark 2-0 Wartburg

Group H

Maritzburg College 7-0 Treverton
Maritzburg College 2-0 Umvuzo
Umvuzo 3-0 Treverton

Maritzburg College 6 points, Umvuzo 3 points, Treverton 0 points

Fixtures

Bowl Quarterfinals

BQF 1 – 08:00 – Riverwood vs St Nicholas, Zungu
BQF 2 – 08:00 – Weston vs Heritage Academy, Etheridge
BQF 2 – 08:00 – Greytown vs Etham, New Field
BQF 4 – 08:00 – Wartburg vs Treverton, Lombard

Plate Quarterfinals

PQF 1 – 09:30 – Howick vs Grace College, Zungu
PQF 2 – 09:30 – ML Sultan vs St Charles, Etheridge
PQF 2 – 09:30 – Newton vs Haythorne, New Field
PQF 4 – 09:30 – Linpark vs Umvuzo, Lombard

Cup Quarterfinals

CQF1 – 11:00 – Hilton College vs Alexandra High, Zungu
CQF2 – 11:00 – Michaelhouse vs Carter B, Etheridge
CQF3 – 11:00 – Carter High vs Ixopo, New Field
CQF4 – 11:00 – Maritzburg College vs Edendale Technical High

The KZN schools’ cricket season clicked into gear with the Eston One Insurance High Schools’ T20 Night League charging into the spotlight this week with the first of its pool matches, including a showdown between Pietermaritzburg rivals, Maritzburg College and St Charles College.

On Thursday, Saint Charles’ captain Marcell Wellmann opted to bat first after winning the toss.

It didn’t really work out for Saints. College did a good job of restricting their Pietermaritzburg neighbours, keeping them to 113/8 in their 20 overs.

Two early wickets, which sent the dangerous Cian Fortmann and his skipper back to the change rooms with only 12 runs on the board, had St Charles on the back foot in the early going.

Samuel Hughes did the damage, bowling Fortmann for eight from six balls, which included two boundaries, and then having Wellman caught by Tian van Niekerk, behind the stumps, for four.

Connor Riley and Brendon Sunguro did a good job of repairing the early damage, putting on 37 for the third wicket before Zimbabwean international Sunguro was caught by Hughes off the bowling of Oliver Da Costa for a run-a-ball 24, which included three fours and a six, and which proved to be the highest score of the Saints’ innings.

Riley went on to make 13, which, unfortunately for St Charles, was their next highest score, and it took him all of 33 balls. More impetus was needed in the T20 clash.

Connor Simpson, in at nine, was only the only other batsman to make it into double figures, and he only just got there, contributing 10.

Julian Konigkramer, after a prolific season leading the Maritzburg College 1st hockey team’s attack, led the bowling attack well. He was the sixth bowler used, but the most successful, snapping up 3 for 27 in his four overs.

Hughes finished with 2 for 21 from four, and Chad Mason, the skipper, snared 2/19 in his four as St Charles posted 113 for 8.

Chasing 114 for victory, Maritzburg College made a poor start. Daniel Nadasan was the victim of a first baller, bowled by Marcel Wellman, and Llewellyn Sutherland was removed for only two, caught by Kwanele Nqayi off the bowling of Stefan Veldsman.

Maritzburg College were 12/2 after 1.5 overs.

A captain’s innings was needed, and Chad Mason delivered. Batting maturely, he struck an unbeaten 49 from 55 deliveries, with five fours.

Michael Gibson weighed in with a quick 10 off 11 before he was bowled by Sunguro. His departure, however, brought Ollie Da Costa to the crease and he and Mason proceeded to take the game away from Saints. Together, they put on 69 for the fourth wicket in 10.2 overs. That proved decisive.

When Da Costa was run out for a run-a-ball 31, having sent five balls to the boundary, Tian van Niekerk joined Mason in the middle and they saw the Red, Black, and White across the line, with six balls to spare.

Wellmann, Veldsman, and Sunguro finished with a wicket apiece.

The star of the show, though, was College captain Chad Mason, with his unbeaten 49 and 2 for 19 setting him apart and playing a big role in seeing his side to a six-wicket victory.

It was a second victory in succession for College, who kicked off the competition with a 135-run romp over the KZN Inland Hub on Wednesday.

Mason was again to the fore, cracking 55 not out, but Llewellyn Sutherland led the way with a quickfire 86, which came off of only 52 balls and included three sixes and 11 fours.

Ollie da Costa added a useful 24 not out from 16 balls, with four fours, as College tallied a very challenging 196/2 in their 20 overs.

The KZN Inland Hub’s run chase failed to fire and they were brushed aside, dismissed for 61 in just 14 overs.

Wickets fell regularly and were shared around. Up front, Sam Hughes captured 2/10 in two, while his new ball partner Reece Willson did even better, knocking over 2/9 in three.

The best return, though, belonged to Nathan Pembridge, who snapped up 3/7 in three, while Ollie da Costa bagged 2/9 in two with his spin.

Scores

St Charles College 113/8 (B. Sunguro 24, J. Konigkramer 3/27, C. Mason 2/19, S. Hughes 2/21); Maritzburg College 115/4 (C. Mason 49*, O. da Costa 31, M. Wellmann 1/15). Maritzburg College won by 6 wickets.

Maritzburg College 196/2 (L. Sutherland 86, C. Mason 55*, O. Da Costa 24, O. Madlala 1/21); KZN Inland Hub 61/10 (N. Pembridge 3/7, R. Willson 2/9, O. Da Costa 2/9, S. Hughes 2/10). Maritzburg College won by 135 runs.

The action heats up on Friday and Saturday as the High School Sevens Series, proudly sponsored by Toyota, hosts its second KwaZulu-Natal event of the season, the Durban High School (DHS) Sevens.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

Some of the top contenders – including DHS, Northwood, Glenwood and Maritzburg College – contested an event for the first time this season two weeks ago at the Glenwood Sevens and made their presence felt. Now, with a further fortnight of preparations under their belts, they’ll present a greater danger to their opposition.

The u17 event also features a couple of teams which were in action at the Pionier Sevens, including the hosts, Hoërskool Pionier, and Vryheid Landbou, who finished as runners-up last weekend, and who won the Shield at the Glenwood Sevens.

The hosts, DHS, made the u17 final on Dixon’s Field, but were beaten by Westville Boys’ High, who secured their third title of the season after victories in the Clifton Sevens and Saints Sevens. Northwood, meanwhile, won against Glenwood in the final of the u15 tournament.

As any opposition knows, winning against DHS on Van Heerden Field is a difficult task, and the Horseflies will be defending the title they won at home last year when Adriano Jackson crossed for a sudden death try to help his side to victory over Michaelhouse.

The action will build up in intensity on Friday, and the first hour on Saturday morning will see many crucial matches kicking off, including Michaelhouse vs Maritzburg College, Glenwood vs St Charles, Westville vs Northwood, and DHS vs Kearsney.

Northwood are the defending u15 champions after beating Maritzburg College 21-14 in the 2023 title-decider.

At a glance, one of the u15 pools leaps off the page as being “the pool of death”; Pool B features DHS, Maritzburg College, and Michaelhouse. A good team is set to miss out on the Cup quarterfinals.

Northwood appears to have received a favourable draw, with Esikhawini and Pionier their opposition in Pool A.

U17

Pools

Pool A: Westville, Northwood, Esikhawini, Pinetown Boys
Pool B: DHS, Kearsney, Hilton, Sharks Tier 2 B
Pool C: Glenwood, St Charles, Vryheid Landbou, Sharks Tier 2 A
Pool D: Michaelhouse, Maritzburg College, Northwood 2, Pionier

Fixtures

Friday, 23 August

Game 1 – 14:30 – Michaelhouse vs Pionier
Game 2 – 14:50 – Maritzburg College vs Northwood 2
Game 3 – 15:10 – Glenwood vs Sharks Tier 2 A
Game 4 – 15:30 – St Charles vs Vryheid Landbou
Game 5 – 15:50 – DHS vs Sharks Tier 2 B
Game 6 – 16:10 – Kearsney vs Hilton
Game 7 – 16:30 – Northwood vs Esikhawini
Game 8 – 16:50 – Westville vs Pinetown Boys
Game 9 – 17:10 – Michaelhouse vs Northwood 2
Game 10 – 17:30 – Maritzburg College vs Pionier
Game 11 – 17:50 – Glenwood vs Vryheid Landbou
Game 12 – 18:10 – St Charles vs Sharks Tier 2 A
Game 13 – 18:30 – DHS vs Hilton
Game 14 – 18:50 – Kearsney vs Sharks Tier 2 B
Game 15 – 19:10 – Northwood vs Pinetown Boys
Game 16 – 19:30 – Westville vs Esikhawini

Saturday, 24 August

Game 17 – 08:00 – Michaelhouse vs Maritzburg College (Pitch 1)
Game 18 – 08:00 – Northwood 2 vs Pionier (Pitch 2)
Game 19 – 08:20 – Glenwood vs St Charles (Pitch 1)
Game 20 – 08:20 – Vryheid Landbou vs Sharks Tier 2 A (Pitch 2)
Game 21 – 08:40 – Westville vs Northwood (Pitch 1)
Game 22 – 08:40 – Hilton vs Sharks Tier 2 B (Pitch 2)
Game 23 – 09:00 – Esikhawini vs Pinetown Boys (Pitch 1)
Game 24 – 09:20 – DHS vs Kearsney (Pitch 1)

Field A

Game 25 – 10:00 – Pool A 3rd vs Pool D 4th
Game 26 – 10:20 – Pool A 4th vs Pool D 3rd
Game 27 – 10:40 – Pool B 3rd vs Pool C 4th
Game 28 – 11:00 – Pool B 4th vs Pool C 3rd
Game 29 – 11:20 – Winner Pool A vs Runner-up Pool D
Game 30 – 11:40 – Runner-up Pool A vs Winner Pool D
Game 31 – 12:00 – Winner Pool B vs Runner-up Pool C
Game 32 – 12:20 – Runner-up Pool B vs Winner Pool C
Game 33 – 12:40 – Loser 25 vs Loser 26 (Playoff)
Game 34 – 13:00 – Loser 27 vs Loser 28 (Playoff)

Plate semi-finals

Game 35 – 13:20 – Winner 25 vs Winner 26
Game 36 – 13:40 – Winner 27 vs Winner 28

Game 37 – 14:00 – Loser 29 v Loser 30 (Playoff)
Game 38 – 14:20 – Loser 31 vs Loser 32 (Playoff)

Cup semi-finals

Game 39 – 14:40 – Winner 29 vs Winner 30
Game 40 – 15:00 – Winner 31 vs Winner 32

Plate final

Game 41 – 15:20 – Winner 35 vs Winner 36

u15 Cup final

15:40 – Winner Cup semi 1 vs Winner Cup semi 2

Cup final

Game 42 – 16:00 – Winner 39 vs Winner 40

u15

Pools 

Pool A: Northwood, Esikhawini, Pionier
Pool B: DHS, Maritzburg College, Michaelhouse
Pool C: Glenwood, St Charles, Northwood 2
Pool D: Westville, Ferrum, Kearsney

Fixtures

Friday, 23 August

Pitch 2

14:30 – Ferrum (D2) vs Kearsney (D3)
14:50 – St Charles (C2) vs Northwood 2 (C3)
15:10 – Maritzburg College (B2) vs Michaelhouse (B3)
15:30 – Esikhawini (A2) vs Pionier (A3)
15:50 – Glenwood (C1) vs Northwood 2 (C3)
16:10 – Westville (D1) vs Kearsney (D3)
16:30 – Northwood (A1) vs Pionier (A3)
16:50 – DHS (B1) vs Michaelhouse (B3)

Saturday, 24 August

09:00 – DHS (B1) vs Maritzburg College (B2)
09:20 – Northwood (A1) vs Esikhawini (A2)
09:40 – Westville (D1) vs Ferrum (D2)
10:00 – Glenwood (C1) vs St Charles (C2)

Cup quarterfinals

10:40 – 1st Pool A vs 2nd Pool B
11:00 – 1st Pool B vs 2nd Pool A
11:20 – 1st Pool C vs 2nd Pool D
11:40 – 1st Pool D vs 2nd Pool C

Bowl semi-finals

12:00 – 3rd Pool A vs 3rd Pool B
12:20 – 3rd Pool C vs 3rd Pool D

Plate semi-finals

12:40 – Loser Cup quarter 1 vs Loser Cup quarter 2
13:00 – Loser Cup quarter 3 vs Loser Cup quarter 4

Cup semi-finals

13:20 – Winner Cup quarter 1 vs Winner Cup quarter 2
13:40 – Winner Cup quarter 3 vs Winner Cup quarter 4

Shield final

14:00 – Loser Bowl semi 1 vs Loser Bowl semi 2

Bowl final

14:20 – Winner Bowl semi 1 vis Winner Bowl semi 2

7th/8th playoff

14:40 – Loser Plate semi 1 vs Loser Plate semi 2

Plate final

15:00 – Winner Plate semi 1 vs Winner Plate semi 2

3rd/4th Playoff

15:20 – Loser Cup semi 1 vs Loser Cup semi 2

Pitch 1

Cup Final

15:40 Winner Cup semi 1 vs Winner Cup semi 2