A fine century by opening batsman Ben Hockly was the key to a 75-run win for Hilton College over Michaelhouse on the Roy Gathorne Oval on Saturday.
After winning the toss, captain Ethan van Heerden put his faith in Hilton’s batsmen and Hockly repaid that faith in spades.
Michaelhouse picked up two wickets in the early going, but when Charles Swart joined Hockly in the middle the momentum swung the visiting side’s way. Swart settled in, playing a supporting role to Hockly, who produced an assured knock.
Hilton was on 25/2 when the pair got together, but they then kept the Michaelhouse bowlers at bay for 36.3 overs, adding 137 runs, before Swart was bowled by Ross Moller for 45. It had been a patient effort, lasting 119 balls.
The visitors suffered a bit of a hiccup when Kyle Christie, the new man in, was run out after only two balls. Then, Hockly followed eight runs later, as Hilton fell to 170/5. He had done a splendid job, however. His 134-ball innings included nine fours and a six and delivered exactly 100 runs.
When Hockly was dismissed, there were 4.4 overs left in the Hilton innings and James Ogilby and Netanzi Denenga made good use of them, putting on 32 runs to lift the visiting team to 202/5 after their 50 overs.
Before the match, a minute’s silence was observed for the late, great Hilton old boy, Mike Procter, and a member of the Hilton College staff, who recently passed away. Photo: Justin Waldman Sports Photography.
Neither managed a boundary, but they kept rotating the strike. Ogilby finished on 11 from 10 deliveries, while Denenga contributed 20 from 20.
Although he didn’t pick up a wicket, Michaelhouse captain Cameron Strudwick bowled superbly. His nine overs cost only 11 runs. Ross Moller, usually very economical with the new ball, came in for a bit of stick, with his 10 overs costing 52 runs, but he did account for Jayden Roux and Charles Swart.
Michaelhouse’s start with the bat was similar to Hilton’s, with two wickets going down early. They, however, were unable to stabilise their innings and, just before 10 overs were bowled, they were in trouble on 44/4, with Michael Spencer having contributed 19. Hilton’s opening bowlers, Netanzi Denenga and Ethan van Heerden had captured two wickets each.
Murray Hall-Jones, in at four, stood firm. However, apart from Hayden Hewlett, who made 19, there was little more of substance. Hewlett was run out and Cameron Strudwick was run out, too, which did not do Michaelhouse’s cause any good.
When Hall-Jones was finally dismissed, caught by David Hill off Denenga’s bowling for 56 from 65 balls, which had included six fours, Michaelhouse were 115/8. They managed only 12 more runs before being bowled out for 127.
Hilton’s captain, Ethan van Heerden, led from the front, knocking over 3/17 in seven overs, while Netanzi Denenga claimed 3/28 in 6.4, and Kyle Christie added 2/19 in six.
It was a convincing victory in which the batsmen on both sides had found the going challenging, which made Hockly’s century for Hilton all the more impressive.
Scores
Hilton College 202/5 (Ben Hockly 100, Charles Swart 45, Netanzi Denenga 20*; Ross Moller 2/52); Michaelhouse 127/10 (Murray Hall-Jones 56; Ethan van Heerden 3/17, Netanzi Denenga 3/28, Kyle Christie 2/19) Hilton College won by 75 runs.
The Grey College 1st XI enjoyed their short trip to Vossie’s Field on Friday to take on the home side, St Andrew’s School, in a fixture that traditionally determines the number one team in the Free State. On this occasion, it was, emphatically, Grey’s day.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Grey found the pitch to their liking, although opener Christian Kind was out for only seven. That brought Henru de Wet to the middle, where he joined Cullen Marais, and they combined for a decisive second wicket stand of 115.
Marais was then dismissed by FG Botha, who had the opener caught by Dakalo Leketa for 82. It was a valuable contribution, which took only 92 balls, and delivered 12 fours and two sixes.
De Wet nailed down his end until the 42nd over, when Leketa had him caught for 60, which had come from 105 balls, and included five fours and a six.
There were further useful innings from Ruben Maree, with 28, and Pieter Smit, with 21, which helped Grey College to 230/7 at the completion of their 50 overs.
Andrew Sobiech, who got rid of Kind, and then prevented Grey accelerating at the end of their innings by taking a further three wickets, finished with 4/48 from nine overs.
Off-spinner Dakalo Leketa, as always, was tight ‘n tidy, picking up 1/31 in 10.
The St Andrew’s reply got off to a good start, before Naudé Botha was caught by Ruben Maree off the bowling of Casper Troskie for a quickfire 22 from 17 balls, which featured four fours.
Saints passed the fifty-mark, but Jonathan Hickley, Botha’s opening partner, was then run out for 10. Meanwhile, FG Botha enjoyed the Grey bowling. He recorded the highest score of the St Andrew’s innings, striking 10 fours in his 49, from only 43 balls, before he was bowled by Daniel Hattingh.
It was Hattingh who also destroyed the home team’s middle order, while Darion Rabie kept them tied down. In 10 overs, Hattingh claimed 5/26, while Rabie contributed 1/21 in nine.
Only Andrew Sobiech and Dakala Leketo joined the top three batsmen in the order in double figures, just, and that meant that Saints were unable to mount any sort of challenge to Grey’s solid total.
Their innings finished in the 36th over, when JC Young was taken by Henru de Wet off Kamo Mokoena for five, leaving St Andrew’s all out for 140, and Grey College the winners by 90 runs.
Scores
Grey College 230/7 (Cullen Marais 82, Henru de Wet 60, Ruben Maree 28, Pieter Smit 21; Andrew Sobiech 4/48, Nikhil Sukraj 1/18); St Andrew’s School 140/10 (FG Botha 49, Naudé Botha 22; Daniel Hattingh 5/26, Kamo Mokoena 1/0) Grey College won by 90 runs.
St Charles College welcomed Glenwood High to Pietermaritzburg on Saturday for a limited overs showdown. The visitors sure made themselves at home, rolling to a 73-run victory, despite an outstanding bowling effort from Stefan Veldsman.
Batting first, Karabo Ntsieng and Nathan Moodley laid a solid foundation for Glenwood, with an opening stand of 40, but they were dismissed a ball apart, with Ntsieng making 21 and Moodley 12.
Cian Fortmann and the aforementioned Veldsmann then tore through the Glenwood batting, with 40 without loss quickly becoming 47/5. Soon, matters darkened for the Green Machine, who fell to 56/6. Everything was going the way of the home team, but Kreesan Pillai and Glenwood captain Ntando Soni turned the tide.
It was another 23.2 overs before Saints enjoyed further success. By then, though, the state of the game had changed. When Pillai was caught by Covhan Baaitjies off the bowling of Stefan Veldsman for 39, he and Soni had added 112 runs. Pillai’s knock lasted 72 deliveries and included four fours.
Soni, who had been responsible for the decision to bat first, helped add another 17 runs to the Glenwood total before becoming the ninth man to depart, run out for 70 from 85 balls, with four fours. His innings had transformed the visitors’ batting effort.
Glenwood finished with 192 all out after 47.1 overs in the middle. Stefan Veldsman sparkled for the home team, sending down nine overs and snagging 6/37. He was well supported by Cian Fortmann, who knocked over 3/26 in 8.1 overs.
This season, Glenwood’s strength has tended to lean towards its fielding and bowling, and that paid dividends on Saturday. Saints struggled to construct any telling partnerships.
Both openers, Cian Fortmann and Kwanele Nqayi, were out before they had made it into double figures, with Fortmann being caught by Olwami Zondi off the bowling of Bandile Mbatha for five, and Nqayi falling victim to a run out for eight.
Saints’ skipper Marcell Wellmann and Rico Honiball held up the Glenwood attack for a while, but Daniel Gunawardena then bowled Honiball for 10, leaving the hosts on 47/3.
Wellmann struck two fours and a six, but he was out to Kressan Pillai, also caught by Zondi, for 26. Disastrously for Saints, Matthew Thiselton and Stefan Veldsman were out on the same score, 61, both to the off-spin of Kyle Bryan, which left the home team tottering, with six wickets down.
Only seven runs later, Bryan also accounted for Matthew Gerber. At 68/7, St Charles was staring down the barrel.
Rowen Rajah and Covhan Baaitjies resisted and put on 38 for the eighth wicket before Bandile Mbatha got through Rajah’s defences, reducing Saints to 106/8.
Baatjties soon followed, bowled by Pillai, for the innings’ second-highest score of 23. Just over three overs later, St Charles was dismissed for only 119.
Kyle Bryan was special for Glenwood, snaring 3/14 in 10 overs, with four of those being maidens.
Bandile Mbatha captured 3/29 in 7.4 overs. Kreesan Pillai was also instrumental in Glenwood’s win, adding a return of 2/27 in 10 to his crucial 39 runs, and Daniel Gunawardena was miserly, claiming 1/13 in six overs.
Scores
Glenwood High 192/10 (Ntando Soni 70, Kreesan Pillai 39, Karabo Ntsieng 21; Stefan Veldsman 6/37, Cian Fortmann 3/26); St Charles College 119/10 (Marcell Wellmann 26, Covhan Baaitjies 23; Kyle Bryan 3/14, Bandile Mbatha 3/29, Kressan Pillai 2/27) Glenwood High won by 73 runs.
The Northwood School and Clifton College 1st XIs produced a thrilling match in their last cricket outings of the first term, with the visitors scoring a hard-fought three-wicket win on the Robin Smith Oval on Saturday after a spirited performance by their middle order batsmen.
In fact, both sides were well served by their middle order batsmen, who showed the top order a thing or two in the limited overs clash.
The Knights batted first, after winning the toss, but that decision didn’t pay off. Clifton enjoyed early success and had Alistair Duncan, Ross McGlashan and Nqobani Mokoena back in the hut before Northwood had reached 30. Soon afterwards, they were joined by Harlee Jagga.
Mfana Shange and Thayin Kuppan stopped the bleeding for a while, but Shange was then caught by Lawson Dinsdale off the bowling of Zach Williamson for 18, leaving Northwood unsteady on 61/5. Kuppan followed for 20, with the total on 77, after being bowled by Shiraz Perumal.
It looked as if the Knights could be skittled for a low score, but Mason Storm and Connor Leclezio had other ideas. They changed the complexion of the hosts’ innings, putting on 77 for the seventh wicket before Storm was caught off the bowling of Gabriel Vermeulen for 51. It had taken him only 59 balls and he had struck six fours.
Leclezio kept going, but he saw Andrew Deeb depart for five, with the total on 167. Six runs later, Leclezio’s fine innings came to an end. He was bowled by Tim Saulez for 51 from 54 deliveries, which included four sixes and two fours.
Jordan Matthews and Isaac Phiri then boosted Northwood to 193 all out after 49.4 overs, with a useful last wicket stand.
Clifton’s bowlers shared the wickets around. Callum Watson bowled well with the new ball and went on to finish with 2/25 from his 10 overs, which included three maidens. Shahzaad Perumal, meanwhile, bowled five maidens, as he bagged 1/17 from 10.
Zach Williamson picked up 2/27, Gabriel Vermeulen 2/30, and Tim Saulez 2/43. Shiraz Perumal claimed 1/27 in seven.
A victory target of 194 on the Robin Smith Oval is no gimme, but Clifton made a steady start to their run chase, with Muhammed Asmall and Cohen Naidoo sharing an opening stand of 44.
Asmall was, then, caught and bowled by Jordan Matthews for 21, which had featured three fours. His opening partner, Naidoo, saw Clifton past fifty, before he was trapped in front by Matthews for 26, which also included three fours.
When Rivan Moodley followed on the same total, the momentum began to tilt in favour of the Knights, and it very much belonged to them when Clifton skipper Shahzaad Perumal was run out for eight, with the score on 62.
Tim Saulez didn’t stay long. He made 11 before he was caught by Mason Storm off of Connor Leclezio, leaving Clifton in a spot of bother on 76/5, still 118 runs shy of the victory target, with only the lower half of the batting order to come.
Northwood had Clifton back-peddling, but Zach Williamson and Lawson Dinsdale stopped the Knights in their tracks by launching a well-judged counterattack. Combining forces, they wrenched the game away from the home side.
Together, they put on 104 for the sixth wicket before Dinsdale was run out by Harlee Jagga and Mfana Shange, but by then victory was within touching distance, with Clifton on 180/6.
Dinsdale’s 56-ball stay produced 46 runs, with six of those deliveries being dispatched to the boundary for four.
Crucially, for Clifton, Zach Williamson was still at the crease and on top of the Northwood bowling. However, with just seven runs needed, SA u19 all-rounder Nqobani Mokoena bowled Williamson for 52. He had occupied the crease for 83 balls and struck five fours.
Byron Ward and Callum Watson didn’t panic. With eight balls to spare, they saw Clifton across the line to a stirring three-wicket victory.
Jordan Matthews gave Clifton trouble, returning the excellent figures of 2/22 from his 10 overs, which included three maidens. Nqobani Mokoena was tidy, picking up 2/29 in 10.
However, the 17 overs that Zach Williamson and Lawson Dinsdale spent together was the difference in the contest. They not only kept the Northwood bowlers at bay, but they also scored at over six runs an over, which led to a confidence-inspiring victory for Shahzaad Perumal and his team.
Scores
Northwood School 193/10 (Mason Storm 51, Connor Leclezio 51, Thayin Kuppan 20; Callum Watson 2/24, Zach Williamson 2/27, Gabriel Vermeulen 2/31, Tim Saulez 2/43); Clifton College 194/7 (Zach Williamson 52, Lawson Dinsdale 46, Cohen Naidoo 26, Muhammed Asmall 21; Jordan Matthews 2/22, Nqobani Mokoena 2/29) Clifton College won by 3 wickets.
Kearsney College wicketkeeper Matthew De Oliveira follows the path of the ball as Kaeden McAllister strikes the winning runs for Westville Boys’ High in the W100 final.
Having qualified for the finals of all four age groups – u14, u15, u16 and open – Westville Boys’ High enjoyed a superb showing on Wednesday, winning three of the W100 finals – played among the leading KZN coastal cricket schools – and missing out on the other by only five runs, in a contest that went down to the second last ball.
Westville’s Director of Sport, Pam Hayward, was elated. “My goodness. What a day!” she exclaimed. The school’s Director of Cricket, Wayne Scott, had a broad grin plastered across his face after witnessing the Westville 1st XI chase down Kearsney College‘s challenging 148/6 to capture a five-wicket victory with three balls to spare at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead.
Kearsney’s big score had been a blessing in disguise for the Griffin, he explained, saying that it left them with only one batting approach and that was to go for it from the start.
In the early going, it appeared as if Kearsney were on course for an even bigger total. Jack O’Donovan was onto any ball that wasn’t line and length in a flash and brutally punished the Westville opening bowlers. Cameron Veenstra, so often the aggressor up front, was relegated to a supporting role.
Together they posted 68 for the first wicket in just 41 balls, but the introduction of the spinners, Roxton Payne and Chad van Breda helped slow the scoring, and Van Breda also castled Veenstra, for 19 from 18 balls, to separate the pair.
O’Donovan and Kearsney skipper Ross Coetzee were limited to 27 from 21 balls before Coetzee fell victim to Payne for 17 from 15.
Westville captain Nicandro Kistna helped keep Kearsney in check when he took on bowling duties, too. He got rid of Matthew de Oliveira and Keegan de Jager while O’Donovan marched merrily onwards.
He finished on an entertaining and superb 92 not out, which had taken only 49 deliveries and included five big sixes and six fours.
Kearsney’s Jack O’Donovan struck many shots sweetly down the ground to come close to making a W100 century.
The pick of the Westville bowlers were their spinners, with Chad van Breda snapping up 2/11 in 15 deliveries, Nicandro Kistna taking 2/20 in 20, and Roxton Payne snaring 1/18 in 20.
Facing a challenging run pursuit, Westville was held in check early on by a tight opening spell from Joe Clarkson. However, Kearsney’s regular opening bowlers, Ryan Browning and Sandiswa Yeni, conceded a number of boundaries.
Yeni, though, struck twice in quick succession to remove Max Robertson and Sean McGough, which left Westville on 41/2 after 40 balls.
Seth Simpson and Kaeden McAllister continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Simpson then launched a massive six over mid-wicket off Asavela Khambule. The very next ball, though, the leg-spinner trapped him in front for 25 from 21 balls. Simpson’s innings had included two sixes and a four.
With his top order partner gone, McAllister upped his game, going after the Kearsney bowling as the remaining balls diminished.
Westville appeared to be in good shape, needing 37 from 25 balls, but Yeni then produced a fantastic five-ball spell, giving up only a single, to leave the Griffin chasing 36 from 20.
A few lusty blows from McAllister and the balance tilted towards Westville. Then, from the first ball of a Michael Groom over, he struck a stunning six over extra cover, and suddenly the numbers were very much in Westville’s favour.
With five balls left, the Griffin required only three to win. Josh Beck, cleverly, defended Jack O’Donovan’s first ball with soft hands to add a single and get McAllister on strike. The very next ball, it was all over as McAllister played it for two and the Westville supporters stood and cheered.
McAllister was undefeated on 66 from only 32 balls. His match-winning innings, beautifully executed under extreme pressure, had included five sixes and three fours.
An ecstatic Sekou Shangase hugs Kaeden McAllister after McAllister had steered Westville to the W100 title.
The Batsman of the Final Award went to Kearsney’s Jack O’Donovan, while McAllister received the Most Valuable Player accolade. Roxton Payne, for slowing Kearsney’s rocketing run rate, was named the Bowler of the Final.
Westville suffered a run out on the second last ball of the u14 final to go down to Kearsney College by just five runs, but their u15A and u16A teams, who had qualified to play at home after topping the table in their age groups, won by four wickets and 43 runs respectively, both against Northwood, to make it a special day for the school’s cricket programme.
SCORES
Kearsney 1st XI 148/6 (Jack O’Donovan 92*, Cameron Veenstra 19; Chad van Breda 2/11, Nicandro Kistna 2/20, Roxton Payne 1/18); Westville Boys’ High 149/5 (Kaeden McAllister 66*, Seth Simpson 25; Sandiswa Yeni 2/18, Jack O’Donovan 1/10) Westville Boys’ High won by 5 wickets.
Westville Boys’ High u16A 124/6 (Kyle McGough 53, Aiden Baudach 20*, Misbah Nair 20; Jamie Wimble 3/20, Daniel Whelan 1/3, Yashin Naidoo 1/5); Northwood School u16A 81/9 (Jamie Wimble 22; Tristan Delvin 3/7, Ashton Kidgell 1/9, Misbah Nair 1/10) Westville Boys’ High won by 43 runs.
Northwood School u15A 119/4 (Samuel Giai-Minietti 34, Max Nicholson 33*; Joshua Engelbrecht 3/8); Westville Boys’ High u15A 120/6 (Kai Cotton 46, Elijah Stoop 23; R van Zyl 2/10) Westville Boys’ High won by four wickets.
Kearsney College u14A 106/6 (Hayden Lotter 15, Oliver Rey 14*; Yunus Lamalia 3/13, Treval Chetty 1/11); Westville Boys’ High u14A 101/10 (Kagiso Mokoena 33*, Gaurav Sewlal 24; Matthew Rice 2/18, Noah Haskell 2/20, Sebastien De Broglio 1/12) Kearsney College won by 5 runs.
It was very hot and humid when Glenwood visited Westville on Saturday for a limited overs clash on Bowden’s. There was something in the wicket for the bowlers, but it was a hard slog in the heat.
Batting first, Karabo Ntsieng, one of the heroes of Glenwood’s recent win over Michaelhouse, fell early, but Nathan Moodley and Krian Jugoo stabilised the Green Machine’s innings.
Jugoo was one of two mainstays for the visitors. He entered the fray when only seven runs were on the scoreboard and helped his side to 102 before he was sent packing after scoring 38 runs, which came off of 97 deliveries and included two fours.
The other batsman to perform well in the taxing conditions was Sibonelo Phewa, who mixed a watchful defence and aggressive offence nicely. Good balls, he treated with respect. Bad balls, he went after.
Phewa made 32, with a couple of sixes and a four. He, then, became a victim of Sean McGough, one of four wickets the seamer picked up. He bowled a challenging line and length throughout and knocked over 4/23 in 10 overs.
Ntando Soni advanced down the pitch to Sean McGough, but the Westville seamer didn’t flinch and castled the Glenwood captain.
Glenwood received a late boost from Prince Shezi, who made 19 not out, which saw the visiting team to 169/7 after their 50 overs. In the tough conditions, on a big outfield, and with a pitch that rewarded good bowling, it was a decent total.
Sean McGough, the pick of Westville’s bowlers, was also the pick of their batsmen when they took to the crease. In 84 balls, he cracked three fours and a six, and totalled 64 runs. But he needed more support.
Westville is loaded with batsmen who have, at one time or another, proved to be match-winners, but a season-long theme of only one of them coming off at a time continued.
Sekou Shangase was the second-highest scorer for the Griffin, but he was dismissed at a crucial juncture, run out for 19, with Westville slipping to 156/8.
The contest could have gone either way: Westville needed 15 runs and Glenwood required two wickets. It broke Glenwood’s way, with the Green Machine dismissing Westville for 162, to snatch a hard-fought seven-run win.
The visitors owed plenty to their off-spinner, Kyle Bryan, who removed the top four batsmen in the Westville batting order. His 10 overs came at a cost of only 21 runs and included four maidens.
Glenwood captain Ntando Soni picked up 2/42, and his side added another scalp to their list of successes in 2024.
Maritzburg College vs St Charles College
After a slow start to the season, the St Charles College 1st XI appears to have rounded into form. On Saturday, facing Maritzburg College on Goldstone’s, Saints recorded an emphatic 54-run victory.
A decision to bat first by Saints’ skipper Marcell Wellmann was turned into an excellent choice as the visitors’ top three all made runs.
Cian Fortmann and Kwanele Nqayi gave their team a solid start, sharing an opening stand of 81 before Fortmann was caught by College captain, Chad Mason, off the bowling of Ryan McKean for 48 from 41 deliveries, which included six fours. Only three runs later, Nqayi followed, but he, too, had done a fine job, weighing in with 30.
Wellmann, batting at three, showed some aggression, striking three sixes and three fours, as he tallied 55 from 76 balls. He also played the anchor role for Saints, sticking around until late in their innings, when he became the eighth wicket to go down, with the score on 176.
In the end, St Charles totalled 195 all out in 46.2 overs.
Mason was the pick of the home team’s attack, with his tidy off-spinners delivering him figures of 3/29 from 10 overs. McKean was effective, too, snagging 2/15 in five, while Oliver Da Costa tied down the Saints’ batsmen, conceding only 20 runs in his nine overs, five of which were maidens, and removing Rico Honiball.
Opener Daniel Nadasan batted well for the home side, but behind him, three top order batsmen – Llewelyn Sutherland, Chad Mason and Michael Gibson – were kept to single figures.
Nadasan and Oliver Da Costa advanced the College total to 97, but Nadasan was then run out by Fortmann and Nqayi after a patient innings, which was worth 39 runs. Da Costa joined Nadasan on the side of the field three runs later as College slipped to 100/5.
They needed another batsman to settle in, but that never happened. St Charles kept taking wickets and soon College found themselves on the brink of defeat, on 122/9.
A defiant last wicket partnership produced 19 runs, but the Red, Black and White were all out for 141.
Saints’ captain Marcell Wellmann led from the front, snaring 3/35 with his left-arm spin, while Tristan Montile did his damage up front, removing Sutherland and Mason, which had left College on 30/2 and minus two of their best batsmen.
The visitors were also boosted by a strong effort in the field, which resulted in two run outs.
Northwood School vs Durban High School
Northwood, after a midweek W100 win over DHS, welcomed the Horseflies back to the Robin Smith Oval on Saturday for a limited overs showdown.
The toss went the hosts’ way and they opted to bat. DHS captain Semal Pillay struck early to remove Thayin Kuppan, but Northwood’s Alistair Duncan and Kyle White then settled in.
Playing patiently, they put on 76 for the second wicket before Duncan was bowled by Zaid Motala. He’d made his mark by then, scoring 57 from 97 balls, five of which he sent to the boundary.
White and Nqobani Mokoena made sure there was no let-up, adding 54 together, before Mokoena was out for 28 from 21 balls, having struck four fours and a six.
Four runs later, with the total on 144, White was LBW to Bhavesh Naicker, but he had done his job, contributing 43 from 101 deliveries. There were 9.3 overs remaining in the Knights’ innings.
Northwood improved their total by 49 runs to finish on 193/7, a more than useful score on the Robin Smith Oval, where run scoring can be very challenging.
Bayanda Majola led the visitors’ attack, capturing 2/32 in 10, while Semal Pillay, with 1/20 in 10 and Dhilan Naraidu, with 1/21 in nine, bowled well, too.
The DHS reply was stuttering as they lost both openers cheaply, but Semal Pillay and Josh van Biljon put the brakes on the Northwood attack, combining for 72 runs before the skipper was removed for 34.
Ethan Cooper, batting sixth, made a start, but he was then bowled by Connor Leclezio for 16.
Van Biljon held the innings together, playing maturely for 54, before Leclezio got rid of him, too, caught by Mason Storm.
With four wickets going down for only 11 runs, School slipped from a manageable 130/4 to 141/8, and with that the visitors’ chances of winning waned. They finished on 157/8.
Leclezio bagged 2/34 from his 10 overs, while Mason Storm snagged 2/27 from eight as Northwood won their third game in succession.
Summarised scores
Glenwood High School 169/7 (Krian Jugoo 38, Sibonelo Phewa 32; Sean McGough 4/23); Westville Boys’ High 162/10 (Sean McGough 64; Kyle Bryan 4/21, Ntando Soni 2/42) Glenwood won by 7 runs.
St Charles College 195/10 (Marcell Wellman 55, Cian Fortmann 48, Kwanele Nqayi 30; Chad Mason 3/29, Ryan McKean 2/15); Maritzburg College 141/10 (Daniel Nadasan 39, Oliver Da Costa 28; Marcel Wellman 3/35, Tristan Montile 2/17) St Charles College won by 54 runs.
Northwood School 193/7 (Alistair Duncan 57, Kyle White 43, Nqobani Mokoena 28; Bayanda Majola 2/32); Durban High School 157/8 (Josh van Biljon 54, Semal Pillay 34; Mason Storm 2/27, Connor Leclezio 2/34) Northwood School won by 36 runs.
Coming off a heavy defeat to Bishops on Saturday at the Independent Schools Cricket Festival in Pretoria, St John’s College showed tremendous character by responding with a strong all-round performance to hand a tough St Andrew’s College team a 75-run loss on Sunday.
Playing a 40-overs-a-side match, St John’s batted aggressively and took the game to the Eastern Cape side, with a handful of players delivering innings of serious substance as the Johannesburg school charged their way to 272/8.
As he so often does, captain Joe MacRobert set a fine example, cracking nine fours and two sixes in a rapid 80 from only 55 deliveries. Opener, Thomas Ievers, was on song, once again, weighing in with 44 from 41 balls, while Alec Loveland, batting at four, made 46 from 56.
An unbeaten 36 from just 29 balls, by Malan du Plessis, helped St John’s accelerate towards the end of their innings, while opener Nkosana Sibiya, at the other end of the batting lineup, made 20 from 24.
Oliver Johns, introduced quite late into the St Andrew’s attack, accounted for the St John’s middle order and captured 3/33 in six overs. But most of the other bowlers came in for some stick as St John’s posted a big total.
William Beamish struck a six but was out for 11 at the start of the fourth over of the St Andrew’s reply. Rhys Wiblin and Oliver Johns then made a good fist of things, adding 64 for the second wicket, before Kago Masote sent Johns packing for 36 from 43 balls, which had included five fours.
Following the departure of Johns, St Andrew’s lost two more wickets over the course of the next four overs to fall to 96/4.
Myles Sansom made 15, Laurie Apps 13, and Alex Price 18; they all got starts but were then dismissed. Four runs after Apps was removed, Wiblin was finally out, bowled by Cole Francis for 54. He’d spent 79 balls on strike and hit two fours. The scoreboard read 150/7.
Joe Wostenholm resisted St John’s and finished with 21 not out, but Alec Loveland, who had run out Oliver Johns earlier, was involved in two more runs out and then bowled Roman van Zyl to bring the St Andrew’s innings to an end on 197.
St John’s used seven bowlers and all seven claimed one wicket each. But the aforementioned three runs out also damaged St Andrew’s College’s attempts to pursue a big victory target.
Clifton College vs Uplands College
With both teams seeking a first win, Clifton College closed off their Independent Schools Cricket Festival journey with a victory by 48 runs over Uplands College in a T20 clash.
Batting first, after winning the toss, Shahzaad Perumal‘s side didn’t enjoy a great start; at 56/5, matters looked dicey. That’s, however, when Rivan Moodley and Zach Williamson seized the initiative for Clifton.
They added 90 for the sixth wicket, with Williamson blasting three sixes and four fours in a 41-ball stay that brought him 56 runs before he was run out. Moodley struck one six and one four in his 35 from 29 balls, and Clifton totalled a healthy 160/7 from their 20 overs.
Captain Leam van Zyl did a tidy job for Uplands, claiming 2/14 in four overs, while Kai Naylor picked up 2/29 from his four.
An early run out of opener Luke Barnard helped Clifton in the field, and one run later his opening partner, Bruce Nel, was bowled by Tim Saulez for five, leaving Uplands on 11/2.
The next six batsmen all made it into double figures, but none of them reached 20, as Clifton’s bowlers recorded regular successes. Jack Robson and Luke Breero both made 19, but more was needed.
Regan Radley took 2/17, while the rest of the Clifton bowlers picked up four wickets between them, all at a decent economy rate. A further run out further undermined the Uplands’ run chase as they were restricted to 112/8.
St Benedict’s College vs St Andrew’s School
In the tightest contest of the day, St Benedict’sCollege snatched a last-ball victory over St Andrew’s School, taking the win by two wickets.
St Andrew’s bowled fewer wides than Bennies, but 16 extras to eight in favour of the Johannesburg school proved to be crucial.
FG Botha, with 47 from 49 balls, which included five fours, was the main force behind Saints’ 123/9, while Andrew Sobiech entertained with four fours in his 20 from 13 deliveries.
Carl Goosen took the new ball for St Benedict’s and led their attack, with a return of 3/23. He was well supported by Parth Patel (2/20) and Ross Pengelly (2/19).
Bennies then made a clean start to their run chase, with Goosen, now opening the batting, contributing 30 from 31 balls.
There weren’t many other notable scores, but there didn’t need to be. When the win was up for grabs, Jack Foster embraced the challenge and struck an unbeaten 20 from only 12 balls to see St Benedict’s to a last-gasp victory.
Nikhil Sukraj shone for St Andrew’s, snaring 3/20 in four overs, while FG Botha took 2/10 in three.
St David’s Marist Inanda vs St John’s College (Harare)
St David’s Marist Inanda completed a triumphant unbeaten run at the festival with another impressive victory, this time by 43 runs over St John’s College (Harare).
It all began up front, with openers, Armaan and Morteza Manack, lashing 140 for the first wicket from only 16.1 overs. Armaan then fell to Goven Dhaneel, when he was caught by Takudzwa Nduku, for 57 from 46 balls.
Five runs later, Morteza’s innings was over, but he had delivered 73 from 56 deliveries, with seven fours and a six.
Jason Rowles provided a quickfire 27 not out from 15 balls to swell the St David’s total to 176/3 after their 20 overs.
Dhaneel, with 2/37 from four overs, was the pick of the St John’s bowlers.
Facing a stiff run chase, the Rams stumbled out of the gate, losing both openers with only three in the scorebook. Luke Wright showed no fear, however, as he hit out against the St David’s bowlers, launching two sixes and adding six fours, as he struck 41 from 24 balls.
Michael Blignaut took just 11 balls to make 20, but St David’s had their tails up as a number of their bowlers got in among the wickets.
Oliver Botha and Matthew West both picked up 2/15, while Jason Rowles claimed 2/21 and Jared Beilings 2/34, as St John’s were bowled out in the 19th over for 133.
Michaelhouse vs St Stithians College
Michaelhouse had won on Saturday and St Stithians had lost, but those roles were reversed when the teams met on Sunday, with Saints cruising to a big nine-wicket victory.
Within the first five overs of their innings, ‘House were forced onto the back foot, as they stumbled to 20/4. From there, they couldn’t stage a recovery.
Cival Rugbar boosted Michaelhouse’s innings with 23 from 17 balls, and West Mitchell-Innes added 20 from 19, but the Balgowan boys mustered only 101/9 from their 20 overs.
SA u19 speedster Kwena Maphaka led their downfall by wiping out the Michaelhouse top order, including being involved in a run out, and he finished with 3/17 from four, but it was Ethan Jacobs who enjoyed the most success, snaring 5/20 from his four overs.
Maphaka then took on the opening role again, but this time with the bat, and showed off his proficiency with an unbeaten 48 from 35 balls, which included six fours and a six.
His SA u19 colleague, Richard Seletswane, also moved up the order to open, and he unleashed two sixes and three fours in a 29-ball innings, which produced 34 runs. Seletswane was out to the last ball of the eighth over, but Saints were well on their way to the win by that point, on 76/1.
Emile Odendaal then hastened their victory charge, smacking a six and a four in an eight-ball innings of 16 runs. With 8.1 overs in hand, St Stithians took the honours.
Summarised scores
St John’s College 272/8 (Joe MacRobert 80, Alec Loveland 46, Thomas Ievers 44, Malan du Plessis 36*, Nkosana Sibiya 20; Oliver Johns 33); St Andrew’s College 197/10 (Rhys Wiblin 54, Oliver Johns 36, Joe Wostenholm 21*) St John’s College won by 75 runs.
Clifton College 160/7 (Zach Williamson 56, Rovan Moodley 35; Leam van Zyl 2/14, Kai Naylor 2/29); Uplands College 112/8 (Jack Robson 19, Luke Breero 19, Regan Radley 2/17) Clifton College won by 48 runs.
St Andrew’s School 123/9 (FG Botha 47, Andrew Sobiech 20; Carl Goosen 3/23, Ross Pengelly 2/19, Parth Patel 2/20); St Benedict’s College124/8 (Carl Goosen 30, Jack Foster 20*; Nikhil Sukraj 3/20, FG Botha 2/10) St Benedict’s College won by 2 wickets.
St David’s Marist Inanda 176/3 (Morteza Manack 73, Armaan Manack 57, Jack Rowles 27*; Goven Dhaneel 2/37); St John’s College (Harare) 133/10 (Luke Wright 41, Michael Blignaut 20; Matthew West 2/15, Oliver Botha 2/15, Jason Rowles 2/21, Jared Beilings 2/34) St David’s Marist Inanda won by 43 runs.
Michaelhouse 101/9 (Cival Rugbar 23, West Mitchell-Innes; Ethan Jacobs 5/20, Kwena Maphaka 3/17); St Stithians 102/1 (Kwena Maphaka 48*, Richard Seletswane 34) St Stithians won by 9 wickets.
The competition shifted into a higher gear on Saturday, delivering closer contests, as the top four teams booked their semi-final spots on the third day of the Old Petrian’s U19 Girls Water Polo Tournament.
The event, being hosted by St Peter’s Girls Prep School, in Johannesburg, has 27 schools participating. It began on Thursday, and it concludes on Sunday, with the Wahoo Aquatic Centre hosting the final at 15:40.
St Stithians, Diocesan School for Girls (DSG), Herschel and Reddam House Constantia will battle it out for a place in the title-decider.
St Stithians was the first team to secure a final four place after they edged out Roedean in a closely contested encounter.
The defending champions took a longer route to get there, unlike Roedean, who did not have to go the route of a playoff match to reach the quarterfinals. To get there, Saints had to come through a playoff game against Clarendon. There handled the challenge well, winning 6-3, to book a place against Pool B winners, Roedean, in the last eight.
In the quarterfinal clash, Cadha Mosehla and Courtney Calenborne netted two goals each to lead St Stithians to another final four appearance at Old Petrian’s after a narrow 6-5 win.
Coach Julia Gaybba’s DSG finished second in Pool B, three points behind table topping Roedean. That placed them in the path of a red-hot St Dominic’s Catholic School for Girls, one of the three teams that finished on 15 points in Pool C. But the Grahamstown girls were not focused on the past, they were focused on what was before them and they eased past St Dominic’s 5-1.
With that job down, they trained their eyes on the next prize, a semi-final spot. The opposition was tougher, but not too tough for them to overcome. Nelson Mandela Bay u19 star Amelia Brown led the way with a brace as DSG overcame St Anne’s by a 6-4 margin.
Meanwhile, Kayla Andrews and Inga Southey played their hearts out, scoring hat-tricks for Durban Girls’ College (DGC) in their quarter-final clash against Herschel. DGC came into the contest on the back of an impressive showing against St Mary’s, where Andrews scored another hat-trick and Southey came through with a brace, to secure a 6-3 win. However, Herschel proved to be a tougher opponent.
The Alex Hawkins-coached team showed that they had not topped Pool A – which included the two most recent champions, Saints and Crawford – through a stroke of luck. Herschel outplayed them.
In their quarter-final encounter against DGC, they put together a solid team performance that saw eight scorers combine to secure an 11-8 win. Herschel was led by Emily Van Heerden, who scored a hat-trick.
Hannah Banks then rounded off a day filled with outstanding performances by leading five-time champions Reddam Constantia to the semi-finals.
In the group stages of the tournament, Reddam lost a single game on their way to first place in Pool C. They were tied on 15 points with DGC and St Dominic’s but enjoyed a superior goal difference after netting 63 times while conceding only eight goals in six matches.
Most of those goals came from the hands of Banks. The Western Province star is one of the top three scorers of the tournament. In Reddam’s quarterfinal match against Kingswood, Banks scored four of the five goals that saw her team through to the semi-finals by a 5-4 margin.
RESULTS
Pool A
Crawford 7-1 Alex Hudson 2-12 St Stithians Kingswood 14-1 Rand Park
Pool B
Stirling 5-12 St Mary’s DSG 7-4 Chisipite Stirling 3-13 Roedean Springfield 2-13 St Mary’s
Pool C
Reddam Constantia 18-0 St Peter’s Collegiate 2-6 DGC Rustenburg 5-8 St Dominic’s
The Kearsney College 1st XI, with captain Ross Coetzee on the right.
Kearsney College vs St Stithians College
Kearsney College slayed their third opponent in three outings on Saturday at the Independent Schools Cricket Festival in Pretoria, recording a 56-run win over St Stithians College, who had pushed number one ranked Bishops all the way the previous day.
It was a victory to savour and a performance to remember from their captain and all-rounder Ross Coetzee, who was in sublime form.
Firstly, he cracked 87 from 94 balls, blasting three sixes and six fours, to guide his side to 218 all out. Wicketkeeper Matthew De Oliveira added a valuable 38, and Cameron Veenstra made 24, but Ethan Jacobs caused the Botha’s Hill boys all sorts of problems.
He snapped up 5/30 from his 10 overs, while the Player of the ICC u19 Cricket World Cup, Kwena Maphaka, captured 2/29 in nine. Neither removed Coetzee, however. It was Cayden Sunker who finally bowled the Kearsney skipper, on his way to a return of 3/39 from 8.3 overs.
St Stithians made a solid start to their run chase, with Emile Odendaal and Pranav Raichetti putting on 60 for the opening wicket. But they fell within two runs of one another, with Odendaal the first to depart after scoring an aggressive 44 from 41 balls, with eight fours and a six.
Saints, though, reached 100 with only three wickets down. That’s when Coetzee got rid of Chris Anderson. From 100/3, the Johannesburg school tumbled to 110/7 as Coetzee, aided by Sandiswa Yeni, ripped the heart out of their run chase.
He followed up on his superb 87 with a match-winning 5/17 – which included the wicket of SA u19 star, Richard Seletswane, for 21 – from nine overs.
Ryan Browning claimed 2/38 in eight, and Asavela Khambule returned 1/30 with his excellent leg spin.
Cayden Sunker scored 21 and Josh Meyer 24, as Saints showed some life lower down their batting order but, after 45 overs, they were all out for 162.
St David’s Marist Inanda vs St Andrew’s College
St David’s Marist Inanda, fresh off wins over Kingswood College and Hilton College, put up a strong 274/7 in their 50 overs against St Andrew’s College.
Jason Rowles, who had taken four wickets in each of St David’s previous matches, showed his talents extend to the bat, too. Opening the innings, he hammered 11 fours and a six in a 116-ball stay, which produced 101 runs.
Morteza Manack shone, too, making 77 from 99 deliveries, before he was bowled by William Beamish. He and Rowles put on 127 for the third wicket.
Reece Reddy added a useful 29 at a run a ball as St David’s batted at 5.48 runs per over.
The St Andrew’s opening bowlers, Roman van Zyl and Joe Wostenholm, shared five wickets between them, but they were on the expensive side of things, with Van Zyl returning 2/51 from his 10, and Wostenholm claiming 3/57, also in 10. William Beamish was the only other wicket-taker, picking up 2/60 in 10.
Beamish and Oliver Johns began the St Andrew’s reply with 39 for the first wicket, but Beamish was then run out for 22. Johns and Mitch Coventry moved the total along to 57 before Coventry fell for nine.
Johns was eventually out for 43 from 72 deliveries, with the total having moved on to 96. The problem for St Andrew’s was that they had lost a number of other batsmen along the way, and they were six-down when the 100 came up. They weren’t about to come back from there.
Shavir Maharaj had a lot to do with that. He sent down 10 overs and captured 4/24, while Jason Rowles continued his outstanding form with the ball, picking up 2/22. Ethan Greenstein also enjoyed success, knocking over 2/33 in nine.
Rhys Wiblin offered some lower order resistance, making 26, while Alistair de Kock finished with 19 not out, as St Andrew’s were bowled out for 167.
Bishops Diocesan College vs St John’s College
Bishops Diocesan College took on St John’s College, who had posted convincing wins in their first two ISCF outings. But they had few answers for the Cape Town school, which certainly lived up to its billing as the number one team in South Africa.
Bishops were narrow 10-run winners over St Stithians on Friday, but they were back to their brutal best on Saturday.
Opener Adnaan Lagadien found his form, while the Bishops’ middle order delivered solid contributions as the Capetonians powered their way to 323/7 from their 50 overs.
Lagadien led the way, plundering six sixes and nine fours in a 100-ball knock that produced 106 runs. His opening partner, Kashief Joseph, added 28.
A slight hiccup saw Bishops slip for 45 without loss to 49/3, but Lagadien and Alex Vintcent then put on 138 for the fourth wicket in 22.5 overs before Lagadien’s fine innings was ended when he was caught behind by Joe MacRobert off the bowling of Oliver Tait.
Vintcent was out just shy of 200, having scored 43 from 62 balls. The punishment wasn’t over for the St John’s bowlers and fielders, however. Waco Bassick upped the scoring rate, hitting six fours in an innings of 41 from 43 balls, while David Handley added 24.
Then, Sam Staveley-Alexander and Litha Mbiko shared an unbroken stand of 57 in 5.3 overs to lift Bishops to 323/7. Staveley-Alexander bashed four fours and a six in his 33, which required only 16 balls, while Mbiko was 23 not out from 17 deliveries.
Cole Francis came in for some stick, but he removed three batsmen at a cost of 56 runs, while Malan du Plessis‘s 1/34 from eight was a good return, given the circumstances.
Unfortunately for St John’s, only opener Nkosana Sibiya and Jacob Smith managed anything meaningful against the outstanding Bishops’ bowlers.
Sibiya struck 56 from 63 balls, with seven fours and a six, while Smith made 53 from 61, which included five fours and one maximum. They also enjoyed a 74-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
The remaining nine batsmen failed to make it into double figures as Waco Bassick led the charge, getting rid of four of the first five batsmen, three of them LBW. He added another wicket just before St John’s were bowled out to finish with his second five-four of the event, capturing 5/25 from seven overs.
Peyton Leigh was also among the wickets, picking up 3/32 in 8.5 overs, and Michael Kotze took 2/35 in nine, as St John’s were all out for 146, leaving Bishops the winners by a massive 177-run margin.
Kingswood College vs Clifton College
Kingswood College batted first against Clifton College after calling the coin flip correctly, but they didn’t start particularly well, losing opener David Loudon for one, bowled by Callum Watson, with the total on 11.
The team from Makhanda then steadied itself and advanced to 41, but they then lost three wickets in the space of three runs. Chris Zimmerman rose to the challenge, however, and defied the Clifton bowlers. He was Kingswood’s leading run scorer, making 43 from 55 deliveries, with eight fours.
He also found some support from Alistair Knott, who contributed 21, but it was Matthew Loon who helped turn a very average total of 113/8 into 170 all out. He was the last man to go, bowled by Clifton captain Shahzaad Perumal for a hard-hitting 39 from 24 balls, which featured three sixes and four fours.
Shiraz Perumal led the Clifton attack, snaring 3/32 in nine overs, while Simon Hill picked up 2/17 in four, and Shahzaad Perumal 2/27 in 5.4. Callum Watson was tight, knocking over 1/12 from his six overs.
In reply, Clifton lost Cohen Naidoo early, but Bryon Ward and Shahzaad Perumal added 27 runs before Ward was dismissed for 23. Perumal followed for 13, which reduced the Durban side to 63/3.
Tim Saulez played a good knock, making 36, before he was bowled by Daniel Jakins, and Callum Watson, in at eight, did a good job, scoring 27 before he was caught and bowled by Josh Loon, the last man to go out, with the total on 153.
Kingswood had won by 17 runs.
Loon hastened Clifton’s demise, grabbing 2/5 in 3.2 overs, but it was Daniel Jakins who did most of the damage, claiming 4/43 in 10, including three of Clifton’s top six. David Loudon delivered a challenging spell and picked up 2/30 from his 10.
Hilton College vs St Andrew’s School
Hilton College put a mark in the win column after overcoming an awful start to beat St Andrew’s School by 37 runs, coincidently their margin of defeat against St David’s Marist Inanda the previous day.
Captain Ethan van Heerden elected to bat first, but that decision quickly backfired when Robert Burman and Jayden Roux were both caught by wicketkeeper Naudé Botha, off the bowling of Cullen Kakora, before a run was on the board.
Ben Hockly and Charles Swart then executed an excellent rescue effort, adding 83 for the third wicket before Swart was trapped in front by off-spinner Dakalo Leketa for 28. Hockly followed, when the total had reached 99, for a well-played 57 from 94 balls, which included nine fours.
Ben Erasmus also made a telling contribution, weighing in with an unbeaten 38 to help Hilton to 182/8 at the completion of their 50 overs.
Leketa bowled beautifully to return 2/22 from his 10 overs, while FG Botha returned 2/31 with his leg spin, and Kakora finished with 2/30 from six. Opening bowler JC Young didn’t take a wicket, but he ended with an impressive 0/7 from his six overs.
Not surprisingly, St Andrew’s made a better start to their innings than Hilton had, but at 11/2 it wasn’t that much of an improvement. Then, two wickets fell with the total on 42, and Kyle Christie began to tear the Bloemfontein boys’ innings apart.
He was at the forefront of Hilton’s bowling efforts as Saints slumped to 75/7, with FG Botha having made 25.
Johan Liebenberg lent the innings some stability, with a patient and unbeaten 30 from 92, and CM Geel and Nikhil Sukraj stubbornly resisted, but both were then caught by Murray Loughlor-Clarke off the bowling of Luke Campbell, for 15 and 16 respectively.
One run later, it was all over, with St Andrew’s all out for 145.
Christie, with 4/26 from 10 overs, was the pick of the Hilton bowlers, while Luke Campbell continued his fine form in the festival with 2/26 in 10.
Summarised Scores
Kearsney College 218/10 (Ross Coetzee 87, Matthew De Oliveira 38, Cameron Veenstra 24; Ethan Jacobs 5/30, Cayden Sunker 3/39, Kwena Maphaka 2/29); St Stithians College 162/10 (Emile Odendaal 44, Joshua Meyer 24, Richard Seletswane 21, Cayden Sunker 21; Ross Coetzee 5/17, Ryan Browning 2/38) Kearsney College won by 56 runs.
St David’s Marist Inanda 274/7 (Jason Rowles 101, Morteza Manack 77, Reece Reddy 29; Joe Wostenholm 3/57, Roman van Zyl 2/51, William Beamish 2/60); St Andrew’s College 167/10 (Oliver John’s 43, Rhys Wiblin 26, William Beamish 22; Shavir Maharaj 4/24, Jason Rowles 2/22, Ethan Greenstein 2/33) St David’s Marist Inanda won by 107 runs.
Bishops Diocesan College 323/7 (Adnaan Lagadien 106, Alex Vintcent 43, Waco Bassick 41, Sam Staveley-Alexander 33*, Kashief Joseph 28, David Handley 24, Litha Mbiko 23*; Cole Francis 3/56); St John’s College 146/10 (Nkosana Sibiya 56, Jacob Smith 53; Waco Bassick 5/25, Peyton Leigh 3/32, Michael Kotze 2/35) Bishops Diocesan College won by 177 runs.
Kingswood College 170/10 (Chris Zimmerman 43, Matthew Loon 39, Ross Thompson 21, Tapiwa Zhanda 20; Shiraz Perumal 3/32, Simon Hill 2/17, Shahzaad Perumal 2/27); Clifton College 153/10 (Tim Saulez 36, Callum Watson 27, Bryon Ward 23; Daniel Jakins 4/43, Josh Loon 2/5, David Loudon 2/30) Kingswood College won by 17 runs.
Hilton College 182/8 (Ben Hockly 57, Ben Erasmus 38*, Charles Swart 28; Dakalo Leketa 2/22, Cullen Kakora 2/30, FG Botha 2/31); St Andrew’s School 145/10 (Johan Liebenberg 30*, FG Botha 25; Kyle Christie 4/26, Luke Campbell 2/26) Hilton College won by 37 runs.
St John’s College, of Harare, delivered a victory for South Africa’s neighbours, outplaying Woodridge College to win by 80 runs on Friday at the Independent Schools Cricket Festival, taking place in Pretoria.
The Zimbabweans were sent in, to bat, and responded well, with opening batsman Takudzwa Nduku leading the way. He missed out on a century by only one run, striking 99 runs from 120 deliveries, with 12 fours and a six, to lay a rock-solid platform for the Rams.
Four batsmen then made it into double figures, but none reached 20, which prevented the St John’s innings from becoming a truly substantial one, but Luke Wright, with some clean hitting lower down the order, helped his team to 220 all out. Wright finished with 34 not out from 43 balls, which included five fours.
It was very much a collective effort from the Woodridge bowlers, with eight of them claiming at least one wicket. Ethan Moothoo led the Eastern Cape side with 2/18, and Lomso Zide picked up 2/25.
John-Mark Benadie then sent two batmen back to the pavilion without scoring to give the Rams an excellent start in the field. From there, Woodridge found the going tough, all except for their captain Randy Syce, who held up the St John’s charge for victory.
He made 71 and was there until near the end, eventually becoming the second last wicket to go down, and four runs later Woodridge were all out for 140.
Opening bowlers John-Mark Benadie and the Rams’ captain, Taona Zimhunga, both knocked over 2/25 for the winners, while Michael Blignaut returned an economical 2/26 from 10.
St John’s College vs Clifton College
Meanwhile, St John’s College, of Johannesburg, recorded a second comfortable win on the trot, beating Clifton College by 71 runs.
Batting first, the Houghton boys lost an early wicket to opening bowler Callum Watson, but captain Joe MacRobert joined Thomas Ievers at the crease and immediately set about the Clifton bowlers. They advanced the total to 79 before MacRobert fell, LBW to Zach Williamson for 50. His hard-hitting knock had taken only 37 deliveries and included six fours and three sixes.
Ievers went on to top score, with 65 from 77 balls, before he became one of three Rivan Moodley victims. Moodley was the pick of the Clifton attack, sending down 10 overs and picking up 3/35, while Tim Saulez contributed 2/32 and captain Shahzaad Perumal 2/44.
St John’s received a middle order boost from Cole Francis, who made 24, and Malan du Plessis then inflicted some late innings pain on the Durban side, bashing two fours and two sixes in a 29-ball cameo that produced 39 runs.
After 44.4 overs, St John’s were all out for 219.
Clifton’s reply was crippled from the start as they lost their first three wickets for only 12 runs, with Cole Francis and David Ireland doing the damage.
When Tim Saulez was dismissed for 11, Clifton had slumped to 29/4. Then, Aalok Beharie and Lawson Dinsdale put the brakes on the St John’s attack, adding 44 for the fifth wicket before Beharie became a third Francis victim, having scored 27.
Dinsdale went on to tally 34 from 64, but his wasn’t the highest score of Clifton’s innings. That belonged to Bryon Ward, often used as an opener, who played well for an unbeaten 44 from 45 balls, with four fours and two sixes.
Clifton, though, were made to pay for their poor start and St John’s them bowled out for 150.
Francis added another wicket to finish with 4/32, while Oliver Tait did a sterling job, too, capturing 3/34 from 10 overs. David Ireland continued his miserly ways, knocking over 1/12 from eight overs, three of which were maidens.
Kearsney College vs St Andrew’s College
Kearsney College and St Andrew’s College shared an excellent tussle between two well-matched teams. In the end, it was Kearsney’s captain Ross Coetzee and leg-spinner Asavela Khambule, who made the difference, scoring an unbeaten 73 and taking 4/40 respectively, to guide their side to a narrow two-wicket victory.
St Andrew’s made 183 all out, batting first, with William Beamish making 44, including eight fours, and Alex Price 43. Oliver Johns, with 24, and Joe Wostenholm, with 17, stretched the Makhanda team’s total with a 31-run partnership for the eighth wicket.
Once again, it was Khambule, who generates considerable turn, who starred with the ball for Kearsney. His four-wicket haul was critical to his team’s eventual success, while Jack O’Donovan, the ninth bowler used, boosted the Botha’s Hill bunch in a big way, grabbing 3/8 in two as he wrapped up the tail in no time at all.
There was also a neat contribution from Ross Groom, who was rewarded for his efforts with 2/28 from 10 overs.
Kearsney lost a couple of batsmen early in their reply, but Jason De Gryse, who made 28, and Ross Coetzee then joined forces to score 53 for the third wicket, which took Kearsney to 82, but they suffered a blip when Jack O’Donovan was out on 113.
Soon, two more wickets fell, and Kearsney found themselves on a precarious 124/6. Still, Coetzee remained at the crease.
The Kearsney skipper then found excellent support from Cole Young, and they added 47 before Young was out for 28, which featured three fours and a six, with the total on 171.
St Andrew’s quickly snapped up another wicket, but it wasn’t Coetzee’s, and he saw his team across the line. His 95-ball knock had produced seven fours and a six.
Samuel Scheckter emulated Jack O’Donovan for Kearsney, coming on as the ninth bowler employed and claiming three wickets. He finished with 3/17 from three. Joe Wostenholm did a tidy job with the new ball and took 2/24 in 8.1 overs.
St Alban’s College vs St Andrew’s School
St Alban’s College made it two wins from two starts when they cruised to a four-wicket victory over St Andrew’s School.
The Bloemfontein boys will feel they didn’t make the most of their opportunity at the crease, which produced an innings of 151 all out from 43.3 overs.
Boago Mothabedi had plenty to do with the Saints’ struggles. He firstly removed the openers, Naudé Botha and Leon Athanasiou, and then caught three of the other top six batsmen.
Mothabedi finished with 2/34 from seven overs, while Rohan Govind claimed 2/11 from five. Christian Visage bowled tightly to snare 2/19 from 10, and Tim Garnett joined the two-wicket club, taking 2/25 from his 10.
FG Botha was the leading batsman for St Andrew’s, striking six fours in his 34 from 31 balls, while Jonathan Hickley produced a circumspect 32.
Then, in reply, St Alban’s received solid contributions down the order to overhaul the St Andrew’s total after 33 overs.
Liam Basch was the leading run-getter, making 41 from 45, with five fours. Patrick Weir added 31, Zack Richardson made 26, and Layton Pullen 21.
Nikhil Sukraj knocked over 3/37 for Saints, and Cullen Kakora took 2/28, but the hosts secured victory with 17 overs to spare.
Cornwall Hill College vs St Benedict’s College
Batting first, Cornwall Hill College put up 180/9 against St Benedict’s College, who, much like they had done the previous day against Kearsney, bowled tidily and kept the batsmen in check.
Opener Lhuan-dré Pretorius paced the Cornwall innings, cracking nine fours and a six in his 61 from 54 balls, while Lethabo Phahlamohlaka put on a 66-run partnership with the hard-hitting lefthander, weighing in with 34 from 37.
Yuveerin Govender helped lift the home team from a fragile 127/7 to a more solid 180/9 by scoring a timely 34 not out.
Opening bowler Mihir Mangali led the Bennies’ attack, capturing 3/33 in 10, while Carl Goosen returned 2/29 from his 10. Parth Patel added another two wickets, and Ross Pengelley gave little away, taking 1/18 in nine.
St Benedict’s, in reply, didn’t come out of the gate well, losing two wickets before they had reached double figures. By the time that made it to 50, they were five-down. Then, it became 53/6 and the writing was on the wall.
Clayton Horlick battled his way to 28 from 65 balls and Mihir Mangali, in at eight, also spent 65 balls in the middle, but contributed 38. But being seven-down by the time they reached 100 left Bennies with too much to do and they were bowled out for 125, which made Cornwall Hill College the winners by 55 runs.
Lhuan-dré Pretorius, on as the first change bowler, dismissed three batsmen for only 11 runs from seven overs, while Trent Hardie claimed 2/20. Mohale Pitso bowled well, with his 10 overs returning 2/29.
Summarised scores
St John’s College (Harare) 220/10 (Takudzwa Nduku 99, Luke Wright 34*; Ethan Moothoo 2/18, Limso Zide 2/25); Woodridge College 140/10 (Randy Syce 71; Taonoa Zimhunga 2/15, John-Mark Benadie 2/15, Michael Blignaut 2/26) St John’s College won by 80 runs.
St John’s College 219/10 (Thomas Ievers 65, Joe MacRobert 50, Malan du Plessis 39, Cole Francis 24; Rivan Moodley 3/35, Tim Saulez 2/32, Shahzaad Perumal 2/44) Clifton College 150/10 (Bryon Ward 44*, Lawson Dinsdale 34, Aalok Beharie 27; Cole Francis 4/32, Oliver Tait 3/34) St John’s College won by 69 runs.
St Andrew’s College 183/10 (William Beamish 44, Alex Price 43, Oliver Johns 24; Asavela Khambule 4/40, Jack O’Donovan 3/8, Michael Groom 2/28); Kearsney College 184/8 (Ross Coetzee 73*, Jason De Gryse 28, Cole Young 28; Samuel Scheckter 3/17, Joe Wostenholm 2/24) Kearsney College won by 2 wickets.
St Andrew’s School 151/10 (FG Botha 34, Jonathan Hickley 32; Rohan Govind 2/11, Christian Visage 2/19, Tim Garnett 2/25, Boago Mothabedi 2/34); St Alban’s College 152/6 (Liam Basch 41, Patrick Weir 31, Zach Richardson 26, Layton Pullen 21; Nikhil Sukraj 3/37, Cullen Kakora 2/28) St Alban’s College won by 4 wickets.
Cornwall Hill College 180/9 (Lhuan-dré Pretorius 61, Yuveerin Govender 34*, Lethabo Phahlamohlaka 34; Mihir Mangali 3/33, Carl Goosen 2/29, Parth Patel 2/45) St Benedict’s College 125/10 (Mihir Mangali 38, Clayton Horlick 28; Lhuan-dré Pretorius 3/11, Trent Hardie 2/20, Mohale Pitso 2/29) Cornwall Hill College won by 55 runs.
The Grey College 1st XI enjoyed their short trip to Vossie’s Field on Friday to take on the home side, St Andrew’s School, in a fixture that traditionally determines the number one team in the Free State. On this occasion, it was, emphatically, Grey’s day.
St Charles College welcomed Glenwood High to Pietermaritzburg on Saturday for a limited overs showdown. The visitors sure made themselves at home, rolling to a 73-run victory, despite an outstanding bowling effort from Stefan Veldsman.
The Northwood School and Clifton College 1st XIs produced a thrilling match in their last cricket outings of the first term, with the visitors scoring a hard-fought three-wicket win on the Robin Smith Oval on Saturday after a spirited performance by their middle order batsmen.
Westville Boys’ High vs Glenwood
The competition shifted into a higher gear on Saturday, delivering closer contests, as the top four teams booked their semi-final spots on the third day of the 
