Author: captainmorgan

Day one of the Clifton T20 Tournament delivered some surprise results and a spectacular innings by St Charles College opener, Cian Fortmann, who clubbed an astonishing 153 not out against Hilton College from only 76 balls, which included 13 fours and nine sixes.

The left-hander’s extraordinary knock carried Saints to 211/1 at the Crusaders Club and Hilton, facing a weighty challenge, couldn’t get to grips with it. They mustered a decent 160/8, but that still left them 51 runs shy of Saints.

Charles Swart top scored for Hilton with 45, but that effort could do nothing to undo the immense damage done by Fortmann.

Covhan Baatjies went for 18 in his first over, but he came back strongly to capture 4/42 in four to put the skids under Hilton’s run chase.

Follow the Clifton T20 Tournament action live on SuperSport Schools

Google Play Store 📲: SuperSport Schools – Apps on Google Play
IOS App Store 📲: SuperSport Schools on the App Store (apple.com)
Web 💻: https://live.supersportschools.com

Rain late in the afternoon prevented a result in the contest between St Charles and Clifton College. The hosts had opened their campaign against Glenwood in Friday’s first match at the Riverside Sports Club.

Batting first, they posted a healthy 152/5, with a number of batsmen making useful contributions. Rivan Moodley, with 37 from 38 balls, was the leading run-getter. Tim Saulez bashed two sixes in his 29 from 17 balls before he was run out, while Shahzaad Perumal contributed 23.

Lawson Dinsdale provided a late boost, cracking five fours in an unbeaten 26 from 13. Meanwhile, Daniel Gunawardena was the pick of the Green Machine‘s bowlers, picking up 2/19 in four.

For a large part of their innings, Glenwood appeared to be slipping slightly behind the required run rate, but Krian Jugoo (feature photo), with a fluent and entertaining 69 from 52 balls, which included five fours and three sixes, played a match-winning knock.

He was out with the total on 114, but Kyle Bryan then took up the mantle, and saw Glenwood to victory with three balls to spare, winning the match with a six. He finished with an undefeated 28 from 17 deliveries.

Callum Watson did a fine job for Clifton, taking 3/24 in four, while Shiraz Perumal claimed 2/20 in three, but Glenwood sneaked the win.

They won another tight contest in their next outing, chasing down St John’s of Harare’s challenging 192 to record a second successive three-wicket win.

Takudzwa Nduku and Luke Wright had powered the Zimbabwean school’s innings, with Nduku contributing 71 from 44 at the top of the order and Wright launching four sixes in his 52 from 19 balls. Michael Blignaut added 34 from 21.

Glenwood’s opening bowlers, Bandile Mbatha and Ntando Soni, did a fine job, with Mbatha returning figures of 3/26 from his four overs, and Soni finishing with 4/30.

The Glenwood captain then followed up his four-wicket haul with a crucial knock of 59 from 38 deliveries at the top of the order to give his team the early momentum they needed to chase down a large total.

Kyle Bryan and Kressan Pillai produced an outstanding 60-run partnership for the seventh wicket before Bryan was dismissed for 39 from only 17 balls, four of which went for six.

Pillai kept going and was on 34 not out from 22 balls when Glenwood secured victory, again with three balls to spare.

They’re top of Group A after Friday’s matches, with eight points, with St Charles in second place. St John’s lie third because they edged out Hilton College in their first match, winning by one wicket after chasing down 189 for victory.

Goven Dhaneel starred for the Rams. Batting at eight, he cracked 54 from 32 balls, and was out with St John’s needing only two to win.

Clifton, after their no result against St Charles, are in fourth place, while Hilton College, after two defeats, are in fifth. Their great rivals, Michaelhouse, are bottom of Group B, following losses to Maritzburg College and Northwood.

It was tight against College, who won by two wickets, but the Knights, who’ve been under the cosh in recent weeks, ran roughshod over ‘House. They bowled out the Balgowan boys for only 80, with Andrew Deeb and Jordan Matthews ripping through the Michaelhouse batting.

Deeb destroyed their top order and captured 4/12 in 3.2 overs, while Matthews knocked over 3/9 in four.

Northwood then needed only 11.5 overs to record a nine-wicket win, with Mfana Shange‘s unbeaten 36 from 37 seeing them across the line.

Heading up Group B is DHS, who won convincingly against Northwood and Westville Boys’ High, by seven wickets and 39 runs respectively. It was a case of solid cricket all round from the Horseflies.

In the Northwood win, their bowlers restricted the Knights to 108/6, and it took them just 16.1 overs to overhaul that total, with Omar Ismaeel making 39 and Sibusiso Msibi 30.

Their win against Westville was every bit as emphatic. Batting first, DHS posted 162/2, thanks to a superb innings from Semal Pillay, who was unbeaten on 80 from 62 balls, which featured five fours and four sixes. Josh van Biljon played a fine innings in support, ending on 42 not out from 43.

Then, DHS bowled out Westville for 123. Seth Simpson and Roxton Payne shared the top scores of 23, but Bhavesh Naicker laid waste to the Griffin‘s innings. His four overs ended with a return of 5/25, while Jared Havemann brought the Westville innings to a close in the 17th over, snaring 3/7 from 1.4 overs.

Maritzburg College, whose afternoon game was rained out, and Northwood occupy the second and third places in Group B. Then comes Westville and Michaelhouse.

SCORES

St Charles College 211/1 (Cian Fortmann 153*, Marcell Wellman 27*) Hilton College 160/8 (Charles Swart 45, Jayden Roux 33, Kyle Christie 24; Covhan Baatjies 4/42) St Charles College won by 51 runs.

Clifton College 152/5 (Rivan Moodley 37, Tim Saulez 29, Lawson Dinsdale 26*, Shahzaad Perumal 23; Daniel Gunawardena 2/19); Glenwood High 157/7 (Krian Jugoo 69, Kyle Bryan 28*; Callum Watson 3/24, Shiraz Perumal 2/20) Glenwood High won by 3 wickets.

Hilton College 188/6 (Ben Hockly 50, Jayden Roux 41, Jared Kitto 35; Khulekani Nduku 2/27) St John’s College 191/9 (Goven Dhaneel 54, Luke Wright 23, John-Mark Benadie 23; Luke Campbell 3/22, Jayden Roux 2/38, Ethan van Heerden 2/47) St John’s College won by 1 wicket.

Durban High School 162/2 (Semal Pillay 80*, Josh van Biljon 42*; Dayalan Boyce 2/27) Westville Boys’ High 123/10 (Seth Simpson 23, Roxton Payne 23; Bhavesh Naicker 5/25, Jared Havemann 3/7) Durban High School won by 39 runs.

Michaelhouse 80/10 (Hayden Hewlett 23, Ethan Muir 21; Andrew Deeb 4/12, Jordan Matthews 3/9); Northwood School 83/1 (Mfana Shange 36*, Thayin Kuppan 26) Northwood School won by 9 wickets.

Northwood School 108/6 (Mfana Shange 38, Nqobani Mokoena 28; Bayanda Majola 3/23); Durban High School 109/3 (Omar Ismaeel 39, Sibusiso Msibi 30) Durban High School won by 7 wickets.

Michaelhouse 138/6 (Dylan Hewlett 48, Ethan Muir 23, Hayden Hewlett 23); Maritzburg College 139/8 (Michael Gibson 36, Chad Mason 32, Sphamandla Dzanibe 21; Jean-Luc Rey 2/25) Maritzburg College won by 2 wickets.

Westville Boys’ High 131/7 in 15 overs (Kaedan McAllister 51*, Sean McGough 29; Chad Mason 2/16) Match rained out.

St Charles College 86/6 in 12 overs (Cian Fortmann 41; Callum Watson 2/19) Match rained out.

 

The opening day of the 2024 Jenny Orchard Invitational Basketball Tournament began with a bang as the defending champions, Michaelhouse, produced a hugely impressive performance to overwhelm Westville, while Northwood stole the show with a convincing win over the hosts, Maritzburg College.

Westville has played some very good basketball since the end of 2023. They’ve recorded wins over Northwood and DHS, among others. They finished third at the American International School of Johannesburg Basketball Tournament in late January. Most recently, they edged out Kearsney College 53-52. On Thursday, though, they had no answers for Michaelhouse.

Michaelhouse was sharp. Westville was not. And ‘House made them pay, over and over.

They defended well, forcing turnovers regularly, and then they finished well, too. At one point, three times in succession, a Michaelhouse shooter was fouled, yet still managed to make a bucket, and then tack on points from the free throw line.

The boys from Balgowan made good use of their size advantage, but it was the energy and intensity that they brought to the game that brought them a one-sided 79-33 win.

On the opposite court in the Alan Paton Hall, St Charles College comfortably handled Clifton College, running out 73-47 victors in a result that didn’t really do justice to the effort put forth by the Durban school.

The big clash of the day was the Pool D opener between Maritzburg College and Northwood. Both teams demonstrated some exceptional skills, but the Knights, particularly in the first half, finished with assurance, especially from close range. They also knocked down a number of three-pointers to further boost their score.

Maritzburg College pushed hard, but there were two big differences in the game: firstly, Northwood finished better and, secondly, the Knights got the better of the battle on the boards, benefitting especially from their excellence on offensive rebounds.

Lusanda Hlongwane was a beast on the boards, but also sure with his shot, while Chadley Hargreaves sank some beauties under heavy pressure during the contest.

In the end, there were 12 points in it, with Northwood claiming a 79-67 win, but it was an emphatic victory. Be that as it may, College and Northwood could meet for the title on Sunday. A loss is not the end of a team’s chances. Just last year, Michaelhouse finished behind Kearsney College in their pool and then went all the way to the title.

Speaking of Kearsney, they opened their challenge with a five-point win over Hilton College, taking it 52-27.

The three Western Cape schools playing in the A Division were given rude welcomes, with ESCA dumping SACS 64-41, St John’s College outplaying Rondebosch Boys’ High 59-44, and the Soweto Basketball Academy overrunning Bishops 60-29.

The opening day’s remaining game was a tight affair, with St David’s Marist Inanda edging out Durban High School (DHS) by just three points, 53-50.

Only two B Division matches were played, with Maritzburg College B sneaking a 56-53 win over St Benedict’s School, while Wynberg Boys’ High grabbed a win for the Western Cape, scoring a runaway 62-28 victory over Alexandra High.

RESULTS

Pool A
Michaelhouse 79-33 Westville
St David’s Marist Inanda 53-50 Durban High School

Pool B
St Charles College 73-47 Clifton College
Rondebosch Boys’ High 44-59 St John’s College

Pool C
Kearsney College 52-47 Hilton College
Soweto Basketball Academy 60-29 Bishops Diocesan College

Pool D
Maritzburg College 67-79 Northwood
SACS 41-64 ESCA

B Division

Pool A
St Benedict’s School 53-56 Maritzburg College B

Pool B
Alexandra High School 28-62 Wynberg Boys’ High

Kearsney College welcomed Northwood School to the picturesque AH Smith Oval on Wednesday afternoon for a W100 clash, with the Knights boosted by the return of their SA u19 representative, Nqobani Mokoena.

The hosts, in turn, had been boosted by two victories the previous week over a dangerous Westville Boys’ High team in W100 and limited overs matches, and their confidence was evident from the start of their innings as they quickly went after the Knights’ bowlers. Not even Mokoena could slow their progress.

Up front, Cameron Veenstra impressed with his uncomplicated and very effective technique. In a 30-ball knock, he hit six fours and a six and tallied 47 runs.

Kearsney skipper Ross Coetzee didn’t light it up in the early stages of his innings, but he accelerated later to make 38 off 30 deliveries before he skied a shot off Connor Leclezio and Harley Jagga bagged the catch. Coetzee’s innings included four fours and two sixes, one of which was a remarkably big shot well over the long off boundary, which appeared effortless.

Keegan de Jager, batting at five, finished with 26 not out from 21 balls, while Cole Young launched the second last ball of the innings for six to contribute an unbeaten 10 off of only four balls.

With their 100 balls done, Kearsney had posted a competitive 155/4.

Connor Leclezio led the Northwood attack with 2/18 from 15 balls, while Harley Jagga did well to keep the Kearsney batsmen in check, picking up 1/15 in 15. Mokoena, though, came in for some stick, conceding 37 runs from his 20 deliveries.

In reply, Northwood made a steady start, courtesy of Thayin Kuppan. The problem for the Knights, though, was that the rest of the top six failed to fire as Asavela Khambule tore the visitors’ innings to shreds.

Coming off a decisive 3/13 against Westville on Saturday, the leg-spinner laid waste to Northwood, removing Nqobani Mokoena to reduce the visiting side to 46/3 after 44 balls. Just 18 balls later, the Knights were in tatters on 59/7, with Khambule responsible for every one of those five dismissals. His return from 20 balls was an astounding 5/12.

Khambule’s destruction was superbly followed up by Matthew Lamplough, who wiped out the Knights’ tail, knocking over 3/6 in just seven balls to end the Northwood innings on 103 after 87 balls.

Thayin Kuppan’s 36 from 31, with four fours, was the only substantial contribution from the visitors’ top order, while Kyle White was unbeaten on 19 from 14 at the end, which included one maximum. Mason Storm was defiant, cracking a six and a four, in a nine-ball stay that produced 20 runs.

In the end, though, it was another convincing W100 win for Kearsney, this time by 52 runs. Their lineup appears tailor-made for the 100-ball format and it’s going to take a special performance for another team to stop Coetzee and company’s bid for the title.

Scores

Kearsney College 155/4 (Cameron Veenstra 47, Ross Coetzee 38, Keegan de Jager 26*; Connor Leclezio 2/18, Harlee Jagga 1/15); Northwood School 103/10 (Thayin Kuppan 36, Mason Storm 20, Kyle White 19*; Asavela Khambule 5/12, Matthew Lamplough 3/6, Ross Coetzee 1/8)

Kearsney College won by 52 runs.

Life is unpredictable. However, some things are more predictable than others, like Westville Boys’ High ruling the roost in swimming galas.

Over the weekend, they claimed victory in two of the season’s biggest galas against top opposition from KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

The action began on Friday night in the Chad le Clos Pool at Westville, with the Nestor Pierides Gala. The event, which consists of relays in different strokes and different age groups, is a stern examination of a school’s strength in depth, and when it comes to depth Westville is the gold standard.

Only once in the past decade has Westville been beaten – by St Benedict’s College, in case you were wondering – and they swiftly avenged that setback.

Bennies were the Griffin’s closest challengers on Friday evening, with Durban High School (DHS), whose swimming trajectory keeps pointing upwards, in a close third place.

Only 12 points separated the next four teams – Grey College, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies), Clifton College and St David’s Marist Inanda – in the final standings.

On Saturday, many of the Nestor Pierides participants were back in action at the Alan Burt Gala, hosted at Crawford College La Lucia.

Different day, same winner, but this time DHS secured second, pushing Westville all the way.

Pretoria Boys High, 10^th on Friday, were a totally different beast on Saturday and surged up the leaderboard to take third place, ahead of three schools that had finished ahead of them the previous day.

RESULTS

Nestor Pierides Gala

1st: Westville Boys’ High – 299
2nd: St. Benedict’s College – 246
3rd: Durban High School – 236
4th: Grey College – 194
5th: Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool – 189
6th: Clifton College – 185
7th: St. David’s Marist Inanda – 182
8th: Maritzburg College – 133
9th: Kearsney College – 128
10th: Pretoria Boys High School – 97
11th: Northwood School – 74
|12th: Glenwood High – 56

Alan Burt Gala

1st: Westville – 248
2nd: Durban High School – 229
3rd: Pretoria Boys’ High School – 176
4th: St. David’s Marist Inanda – 138
5th: Maritzburg College – 136
6th: King Edward VII – 127
7th: St. Stithians College – 115
8th: Kearsney College – 108
9th: Glenwood High – 51

The 30th edition of the Saint Andrew’s Squash Festival, hosted by St Andrew’s School in Bloemfontein over the weekend, delivered high-quality squash from South Africa’s leading squash playing schools. Although a winner is not determined – teams play different opponents – last year’s national champions, Hoërskool Zwartkop, showed they remain the team to beat in 2024.

Zwarries faced some stiff opposition and came through with flying colours. Their opener against St Andrew’s School A, who finished second in South Africa last year, was made a little easier with Saints missing their number two player, which meant a shift up for their number three and so on down the line. And there was also the not so small matter that Saints had lost two SA Schools players from last year’s lineup.

Zwartkop claimed a 5-1 win in that fixture and swamped St Dominic’s College 6-0 in their second outing on Friday. On Saturday, up against two strong teams, they beat King Edward VII (KES) 5-1 and Selborne College 4-2. They kept their record clean with a 6-0 win over Kearsney College on Sunday, in their final outing.

That loss was the only one that Selborne, one of the traditional powers, suffered during the event. They handled St John’s College A 5-1, Pretoria Boys High A 5-1, Bishops Diocesan College 6-0 and St Andrew’s School A 5-1 in their other ties.

Michaelhouse put their hands up with an impressive set of results. They won 4-2 against Pretoria Boys High A, handed Grey High a 5-1 defeat, outplayed St John’s College A 6-0, drew 3-3 with a full-strength St Andrew’s School, and shared another 3-3 draw with KES.

KES, apart from their loss to Zwartkop, produced a solid set of results, beating Grey High 4-2, St Andrew’s School A 4-2 and Grey College 4-2, before finishing with a 3-3 draw with Michaelhouse.

In numerous instances, however, the overall results do not do full justice to the hard-fought nature of the individual matches, with a 3-2 scoreline being a regular occurrence.

Many of the players will return to Bloemfontein within a matter of weeks, with the Bloemfontein Junior Open, one of the largest squash tournaments in the world, set to take over the city’s squash courts from 29 February to 3 March.

The event will also be under the administration of Margo Morgan and Calvin Deutschmann, the organisers of the Saints Squash Festival.

RESULTS

Friday, 14:15

St Andrew’s School A 1-5 Hoërskool Zwartkop
St Andrew’s School B 6-0 Parktown Boys’ High
Selborne College 5-1 St John’s College A
Grey High 2-4 King Edward VII
Maritzburg College 5-1 Queen’s College
Michaelhouse 4-2 Pretoria Boys High A
Kingswood College 0-6 Pretoria Boys High B
Kearsney College 4-2 Grey College
Westville Boys’ High 4-2 Bishops Diocesan College
St Dominic’s College 4-2 St Stithians College
St Andrew’s College 4-2 Paul Roos Gimnasium
Glenwood High 1-5 St John’s College B

Friday, 19:15

St Andrew’s School A 2-4 King Edward VII
St Andrew’s School B 3-3 Bishops Diocesan College
Kearsney College 3-3 St John’s College
Pretoria Boys High B 5-1 St John’s College B
Pretoria Boys High A 1-5 Selborne College
Grey High 1-5 Michaelhouse
St Andrew’s College 6-0 Glenwood High
Paul Roos Gimnasium 6-0 Kingswood College
Westville Boys’ High 4-2 Grey College
Hoërskool Zwartkop 6-0 St Dominic’s College
Maritzburg College 5-1 St Stithians College
Parktown Boys’ High 0-6 Queen’s College

Saturday, 09:30

St Andrew’s School A 3-3 Grey High
St Andrew’s School B 5-1 St John’s College B
Michaelhouse 6-0 St John’s College A
Hoërskool Zwartkop 5-1 King Edward VII
Kingswood College 1-5 Parktown Boys’ High
St Andrew’s College 2-4 Maritzburg College
Kearsney College 1-5 Pretoria Boys High A
Glenwood High 1-5 Pretoria Boys High B
Grey College 4-2 St Dominic’s College
Selborne College 6-0 Bishops Diocesan College
Westville Boys’ High 4-2 St Stithians College
Paul Roos Gimnasium 3-3 Queen’s College

Saturday, 14:30

St Andrew’s School A 3-3 Michaelhouse
St Andrew’s School B 5-1 Glenwood High
Maritzburg College 1-5 Grey High
Paul Roos Gimnasium 2-4 St John’s College A
Kingswood College 3-3 St John’s College B
Grey College 2-4 King Edward VII
Kearsney College 5-1 St Stithians College
Selborne College 2-4 Hoërskool Zwartkop
Parktown Boys’ High 0-6 Bishops Diocesan College
St Dominic’s College 3-3 Queen’s College
Westville Boys’ High 1-5 Pretoria Boys High A
St Andrew’s College 6-0 Pretoria Boys High B

Sunday, 08:30

St Andrew’s School A 1-5 Selborne College
St Andrew’s School B 0-6 Maritzburg College
St John’s College B 0-6 St Andrew’s College
King Edward VII 3-3 Michaelhouse
Kingswood College 2-4 Glenwood High
Grey College 1-5 Pretoria Boys High A
Parktown Boys’ High 0-6 Pretoria Boys High B
Grey High 5-1 St Stithians College
St Dominic’s College 1-5 Paul Roos Gimnasium
Queen’s College 3-3 Bishops Diocesan College
Kearsney College 0-6 Hoërskool Zwartkop

A critical innings by a debutant and a strong performance in the field, which included engineering three run outs, helped Glenwood to a four-wicket win over Michaelhouse on Saturday.

Playing at home, on Dixon’s, Glenwood’s captain and SA Schools’ opening bowler Ntando Soni, won the toss and chose to bowl first.

It wasn’t the Green Machine‘s paceman who claimed the first wicket, however. Instead, the home side struck a big blow by running out Michaelhouse opener Michael Spencer before he had faced a ball.

Soni then removed Ethan Muir for 18 and three runs later Dylan Hewlett joined the Michaelhouse opener on the side of the field after Soni pouched a catch off the bowling of Sibonelo Phewa to reduce the visitors to 25/3.

Michaelhouse needed to arrest their slide and Seb Hofmeyr ensured the Glenwood onslaught was slowed, for 10 overs.

He and Hayden Hewlett added 31 runs, but Daniel Gunawardena them removed Hewlitt for 16. That was one of four dismissals involving Gunawardena, who picked up two wickets, took a catch, and executed one of Glenwood’s three run outs.

While all around him wickets tumbled, Hofmeyr kept the hosts’ bowlers at bay. Eventually, though, he ran out of partners as Michaelhouse were bowled out for 133 after 48 overs.

Gunawardena snapped up 2/18 in eight overs, while Soni captured 2/30 in 10, and a tidy eight overs from Bandile Mbatha saw him claim 1/17.

Glenwood were then rocked early in their run chase when Nathan Moodley was out with only two runs on the board. His fellow opening batsmen, Karabo Ntsieng, playing his first match for the Glenwood 1st XI, stood firm, however.

In a low scoring contest, his innings of 46, which featured eight fours, was hugely consequential.

He stuck around until the Green Machine had reached 118, which is when he was bowled by Radhesh Jhilmeet, the fourth wicket to fall. With only 16 runs required for victory, Ntsieng had made a telling debut.

Ntando Soni was out nine runs later, with the total on 125, but he had delivered a crucial 35 runs from 57 deliveries. Another nine runs later, after 36.2 overs, the home team had claimed the win.

Jhilmeet, who accounted for Ntsieng and Soni, added a further late wicket, but it was a case of too little too late for Michaelhouse. His return was 3/16 from 4.2 overs, while ‘House skipper Cameron Strudwick gave little away, snaring 1/26 from his 10 overs.

Scores

Michaelhouse 133/10 (Sebastian Hofmeyr 57*; Daniel Gunawardena 2/18, Ntando Soni 2/30); Glenwood 134/6 Karabo Ntsieng 46, Ntando Soni 38; Radhesh Jhilmeet 3/16) Glenwood won by 4 wickets.

On Goldstone’s, on Saturday, Maritzburg College convincingly avenged a loss to Durban High School on the Theobald Oval at the end of last year, by securing a seven-wicket win in a limited overs clash.

College captain Chad Mason chose to field first on a cloudy day, but there was no quick reward for the home side. DHS openers, Omar Ismaeel and Sibusiso Msibi, grafted hard for an opening stand of 63 before Msibi fell for 26 at the end of the 17th over. Omar followed only three runs later for 21.

Semal Pillay, in at four, batted well, but all around him his fellow batsmen struggled to find traction.

Sphamandla Dzanibe starred for College, removing the first three men in the order, while the fourth, Pillay, was run out by Dzanibe, the last wicket to go down, for 49 from 76 deliveries. DHS had posted 173 all out.

The visitors had made a good start to their innings, but the hosts made an even better start as Llewelyn Sutherland and Ryan McKean produced an opening partnership of 82 before McKean was caught by Bhavesh Naicker off the bowling of Pillay for 27.

College skipper Mason joined Sutherland in the middle, and they added 55 before Mason was out for 21. Michael Gibson replaced him and did a good of moving the score along.

With College only two runs short of victory, Sutherland was dismissed, run out by a combination of Jared Havermann and Josh van Biljon for a solid innings of 82 from 103 balls, which featured eight fours. He was out, but he had done his job.

Five runs later and coach Robbie Coutts‘ charges had claimed the win with 41 balls to spare. Gibson was undefeated on 26 from 36, with three fours.

On a challenging day for the DHS bowlers, Dalan Naraidu stood out with a return of 1/27 from 10 overs. Jared Havermann was also tidy, surrendering only 28 from 10, but without a reward.

Also in Pietermaritzburg, the home side, St Charles College, elected to bat on The Oval, up against Northwood School in another limited overs match. With three of the top four batsmen making telling contributions, Saints were able to post a challenging total.

The in-form Cian Fortmann took charge early on, cracking nine fours in a knock of 53 from 51 balls before he was caught and bowled by Chad Leclezio with the total on 70.

His opening partner Thando Zama played a watchful innings, facing 102 balls before he was out for 40. Two runs later, Kwanele Nqayi followed as the hosts slipped to 140/4 in the 40th over.

Rico Honiball had played himself in, however, and he helped lift the St Charles’ total to 185 before departing for the innings’ top score of 55 from 85 deliveries, which included four fours and a six.

A couple of cameos, then, saw Saints to 218/8 from their 50 overs.

Mason Storm knocked over 2/33 in eight for the Knights, while Harlee Jagga tied down the home team, with his miserly 10-over spell returning figures of 1/17. Ben Cilliers did a good job, too, picking up 1/22 in seven.

Needing 219 to win, Northwood found themselves in early trouble, with both openers sent packing cheaply, leaving the visitors on 7/2 in the third over.

Thayin Kuppan and Kyle White then stabilised the innings, sharing a 58-run partnership before Kuppan fell victim to a run out after scoring 38 runs from 59 deliveries.

White followed nine runs later, LBW to Stefan Veldsman, who had engineered the Kuppan run out, for 21.

Harlee Jagga hit three fours and made 20 in a 31-ball stay, while Mfana Shange contributed 21 in 51.

The top score of the innings, however, belonged to Mason Storm, who got after the Saints’ bowling. In just 48 balls, he smashed a six and five fours, and scored 54.

Storm staged a valiant attempt to see the Knights to victory, but he was eventually the last wicket to fall in the 46th over as Northwood finished on 184 all out. Victory to St Charles College by 34 runs.

Cian Fortmann, after a fifty at the top of the order for Saints, destroyed the lower order of the visitors to capture 4/33 from 9.4 overs.

Summarised scores

Durban High School 173/10 (Semal Pillay 49, Sibusiso Msibi 26, Omar Ismaeel 21; Sphamandla Dzanibe 4/19); Maritzburg College 176/3 (Llewelyn Sutherland 82, Ryan McKean 27, Michael Gibson 26*, Chad Mason 21; Dalan Naraidu 1/27, Semal Pillay 1/30) Maritzburg College won by 7 wickets.

St Charles College 218/8 (Rico Honiball 55, Cian Fortmann 51, Thando Zama 40; Mason Storm 2/33, Harlee Jagga 1/17, Kyle White 1/18); Northwood School 184/10 (Mason Storm 54, Thayin Kuppan 38, Mfana Shange 21, Harlee Jagga 20; Cian Fortmann 4/33) St Charles College won by 34 runs.

After Kearsney College defeated Westville Boys’ High in a W100 match on Wednesday, the rivals clashed again on Saturday in a limited overs match, played on Bowden’s, at Westville.

In overcast conditions, Kearsney skipper Ross Coetzee opted to bowl first after winning the toss. That proved to be a good decision.

Westville is loaded with good batsmen, but on Saturday they found the going tough. The Griffin made a decent start, with captain Nicandro Kistna and Max Robertson putting on 25 for the first wicket, followed by Robertson and Seth Simpson advancing the total to 44 before the second stick fell.

The real issues came a little later in the innings as three middle-order wickets went down for the addition of only five runs. Then, after 24 runs had been added for the sixth wicket, the last four wickets produced only four runs as Westville crumbled to 111 all out after 40.3 overs.

Kaeden McAllister, with 28 runs, which included four fours, was the host’s top scorer, while Max Robertson contributed an unusually circumspect 23 from 64 deliveries.

It was the spinners who did most of the damage, with the leggie, Asavela Khambule, snaring 3/13 in six overs, while Ross Coetzee picked up 3/20 from 9.3 with his off-spin.

All six bowlers used by Kearsney enjoyed success, with Ryan Browning, Sandiswa Yeni, Michael Groom and Murray Weyer taking a wicket each.

The visitors, needing only 112 to win, were under no pressure to score quickly to grab a second win on their rival’s home ground within the space of four days, so they took their time.

They needed 33.4 overs to overhaul the Westville total, and 39 by Cameron Veenstra, at the top of the order, was the pivotal knock in their innings. He scored relatively quickly, with his runs coming from 48 balls, which included six fours.

Four other batsmen scraped into double figures. It wasn’t much, but Kearsney didn’t need much.

Sekou Shangase continued his fine form with the ball for Westville, capturing 2/13 from four overs, while Chad van Breda returned 2/19 from five, but the home team’s underwhelming innings was too much to overcome as Kearsney staked their claim to be the best of KZN’s teams in 2024.

At the Riverside Sports Club, Clifton College were, unfortunately for them, done in by a devastating bowling spell from Jayden Roux, who just last year was a key player in the Clifton 1st team. In 5.2 overs, he destroyed the home side’s batting, knocking over 4/5.

Opening bowler Kyle Christie also gave the Clifton batsmen fits, grabbing 4/17 in 10, and leg-spinner David Hill did a tidy job, claiming the other two wickets at a cost of 17 runs from seven overs.

Clifton’s innings was done in 34.2 overs, with only 70 runs on the board.

With Ben Hockly then taking the game to Clifton, Hilton surged to a nine-wicket victory after only 14 overs. Hockly crushed three sixes and seven fours in an unbeaten 57 from just 49 deliveries, and that was it!

It was a dominant performance in all aspects of the game from a Hilton team that appears to have turned the corner after a difficult start to the season.

Summarised scores

Westville Boys’ High 111/10 (Kaeden McAllister 28, Max Robertson 23; Asavela Khambule 3/13, Ross Coetzee 3/20) Kearsney College 112/5 (Cameron Veenstra 39; Sekou Shangase 2/13, Chad van Breda 2/19) Kearsney College won by 5 wickets.

Clifton College 70/10 (Jayden Roux 4/5, Kyle Christie 4/17, David Hill 2/17); Hilton College 71/1 (Ben Hockly 57*) Hilton College won by 9 wickets.

One of South Africa’s longest-running and most prestigious schools’ squash events, the Saint Andrew’s Squash Festival, takes place in Bloemfontein from 9-11 February, and celebrates its 30^th anniversary with a jam-packed programme featuring top teams from around the country.

The hosts, St Andrew’s School, traditionally one of the powerhouses of the game, are overseen by SA Schools’ selectors Margo Morgan and Calvin Deutschmann, who are also the organisers of the event. Deutschmann, one of the country’s leading coaches, is a junior men’s national selector, too.

The Saint Andrew’s A team will be thrown straight into the fire in their opening fixture when they face off with Hoërskool Zwartkop. Last year, Zwartkop won the Top Schools Tournament, which brings together the champion schools from the different provinces. St Andrew’s finished second.

However, during the 2023 St Andrew’s Squash Festival, the hosts were victorious against Zwartkop, beating them 4-2. They also beat Selborne College, third at the Top Schools event, 6-0. It should be noted, though, that no winner of the event is declared, thus its designation as a festival.

However, 2024 is a new year, and the teams’ personnel have changed, so there is much to be learned about the schools participating in Bloemfontein.

The strength in depth of St Andrew’s is reflected in the fact that their 2^nd team will also be in action. In 2023, they were unbeaten at the festival, sweeping the Michaelhouse and St John’s College 2^nd teams, drawing with the Maritzburg College 1^st team, and beating the Kingswood College and Queen’s College 1^st teams.

Only two other schools will field 1^st and 2^nd teams this year: Pretoria Boys High and St John’s College.

From Gauteng, the representatives are St John’s, Zwartkop, Parktown Boys’ High, King Edward VII, Pretoria Boys High, and St Stithians College.

The Western Cape’s sides are Diocesan College (Bishops) and Paul Roos Gimnasium.

Queen’s College, Grey High School, Kingswood College, St Andrew’s College, and Selborne College fly the flag for the Eastern Cape.

The hosts, St Andrew’s, represent the Free State, along with Grey College and St Dominic’s College.

Westville Boys’ High, Michaelhouse, Glenwood High School, and Kearsney College carry the hopes of KwaZulu-Natal.

A number of returning coaches have been long-time supporters of the festival, with Calvin Deutschmann attending all 30 editions of the event.

Winston Paxton (Selborne) attends for the 29th time and Andrew Morgan (Kearsney College) for the 20th time, while Mike Bester (St Stithians), Des Alcock (St Andrew’s College), Craig Stephens (Pretoria Boys High), Richard Fietze (Queen’s College) and Mark Johnston (St John’s) have all spent more than a decade bringing their teams to the festival.

FIXTURES

Friday:                     9 February 2024                               Time:             14:15

Fixture			Venue
St Andrew’s A	VS	Zwartkop Hoërskool	St Andrew’s 1 & 2
St Andrew’s B	VS	Parktown Boys’ High	St Andrew’s 2 & 3
Selborne College	VS	St John’s College A	St Michael’s 1, 2 & 3
Grey High A	VS	King Edward VII	Varsity 1 & 2
Maritzburg College	VS	Queen’s College	Varsity 3, 4 & 5
Michaelhouse	VS	Pretoria Boys High A	Ramblers 1 & 2
Kingswood College	VS	Pretoria Boys High B	Ramblers 3 & 4
Kearsney College	VS	Grey College	Grey College 1 & 2
Westville Boys’ High	VS	Bishops Diocesan College	Oudstudente 1 & 2
St Dominic’s College	VS	St Stithians College	Eunice 1 & 2
St Andrew’s College	VS	Paul Roos Gimnasium	Municipals 1 & 2

Friday                        9 February 2024                               Time                  15:30

Glenwood High

VS

St John’s College B

St Michael’s 1, 2 & 3

Friday:                       9 February 2024                               Time:                 19:15

Fixture			Venue
St Andrew’s A	VS	King Edward VII School	St Andrew’s 1 & 2
St Andrew’s B	VS	Bishops Diocesan College	St Andrew’s 2 & 3
Kearsney College	VS	St John’s College A	Varsity 4 & 5, share crt 4
Pretoria Boys High B	VS	St John’s College B	Varsity 3 & 4, share crt 4
Pretoria Boys High A	VS	Selborne College	Varsity 1 & 2
Grey High	VS	Michaelhouse	Oudstudente 1 & 2
St Andrew’s College	VS	Glenwood High	Eunice 1 & 2
Paul Roos Gimnasium	VS	Kingswood College	Municipals 1 & 2
Westville Boys’ High	VS	Grey College	Grey College 1 & 2
Zwartkop Hoërskool	VS	St Dominic’s College	Ramblers 1 & 2, use Crt 1 only till 20h00
Maritzburg College	VS	St Stithian’s College	Ramblers 2, 3 & 4, use court 2 till 20h00 only, then use Crt 3 & 4
Parktown Boys’ High	VS	Queens’ College	St Michael’s 1, 2 & 3, if loadshedding @ 20h00, move to Grey College 3 & 4

FIXTURES

Saturday:                           10 February 2024                             Time:                09:30

Fixture			Venue
St Andrew’s A	VS	Grey High	St Andrew’s 1 & 2
St Andrew’s B	VS	St John’s College B	St Andrew’s 2 & 3
Michaelhouse	VS	St John’s College A	Varsity 1 & 2
Zwartkop Hoërskool	VS	King Edward VII School	Oudstudente 1 & 2
Kingswood College	VS	Parktown Boys’ High	Municipals 1 & 2
St Andrew’s College	VS	Maritzburg College	Varsity 3, 4 & 5
Kearsney College	VS	Pretoria Boys’ High A	Ramblers 1 & 2
Glenwood High	VS	Pretoria Boys High B	Ramblers 3 & 4
Grey College	VS	St Dominic’s College	Grey College 1 & 2
Selborne College	VS	Bishops Diocesan College	Eunice 1 & 2
Westville Boys’ High	VS	St Stithian’s College	St Michael’s 2 & 3
Paul Roos Gimnasium	VS	Queens College	St Michael’s 1 & 2

Saturday:                    10 February 2024                             Time:          14:30

Fixture			Venue
St Andrew’s A	VS	Michaelhouse	St Andrew’s 1 & 2
St Andrew’s B	VS	Glenwood High	St Andrew’s 2 & 3
Maritzburg College	VS	Grey High	Eunice 1 & 2
Paul Roos Gimnasium	VS	St John’s College A	St Michael’s 1 & 2
Kingswood College	VS	St John’s College B	St Michael’s 2 & 3
Grey College	VS	King Edward VII School	Grey College 1 & 2
Kearsney College	VS	St Stithians College	Ramblers 1 & 2
Selborne College	VS	Zwartkop Hoërskool	Oudstudente 1 & 2
Parktown Boys High	VS	Bishops Diocesan College	Municipals 1 & 2
St Dominic’s College	VS	Queen’s College	Ramblers 3 & 4, move to Varsity 5 if there is load shedding
Westville Boys’ High	VS	Pretoria Boys High A	Varsity 1 & 2
St Andrew’s College	VS	Pretoria Boys High B	Varsity 3, 4 & 5, use all three courts to start – courts will be needed if there is load shedding@ Ramblers.

FIXTURES

Sunday:                     11 February 2024                             Time:               08H30

Fixture			Venue
St Andrew’s A	VS	Selborne College	St Andrew’s 1 & 2
St Andrew’s B	VS	Maritzburg College	St Andrew’s 2 & 3
St John’s College A	VS	Westville Boys’’ High	Ramblers 1 & 2
St John’s College B	VS	St Andrew’s College	Ramblers 3 & 4
King Edward VII School	VS	Michaelhouse	Eunice 1 & 2
Kingswood College	VS	Glenwood High	Varsity 3, 4 & 5
Grey College	VS	Pretoria Boys High A	Grey College 1 & 2
Parktown Boys’ High	VS	Pretoria Boys High B	Grey College 3 & 4
Grey High	VS	St Stithians College	St Michael’s 1, 2 & 3
St Dominics College	VS	Paul Roos Gimnasium	Municipals 1 & 2
Queens College	VS	Bishops Diocesan College	Varsity 1 & 2
Kearsney College	VS	Zwartkop Hoërskool	Oudstudente 1 & 2

When the KZN cricket team finished second at the 2023 Khaya Majola Cricket Week, losing only to a star-studded Central Gauteng team in the final, one of the primary reasons for KZN’s success was their new ball bowler Ntando Soni.

The Glenwood paceman enjoyed a spectacular week in Makhanda. His returns included 4/39 in a crucial game against a strong Titans outfit, 3/11 vs Eastern Province, 2/12 vs KZN Inland, and 2/32 vs Central Gauteng.

Those superb performances earned him a place in the South African Schools side, which then faced the SA Colts team at St George’s Park. There, Soni saved his best for last, knocking over 5/20 to see SA Schools to a massive 118-run win.

Soni had been an in-swing bowler until 2023, when he tweaked his action, which not only brought him an out-swinger but also an increase in pace. Before that, he candidly said: “I wasn’t really getting enough pace to play at the next level.”

It takes talent to get to the top, but another non-negotiable is hard work, and it was that work ethic, both on and off the field, that was rewarded.

The tweak Soni referenced happened as a result of watching videos of Proteas’ fast bowler Gerald Coetzee in action. It was the way that he loaded up, the Glenwood 1^st XI captain explained.

“I thought let me try this and see just for fun, and I started bowling and it felt good. It felt as if I was hitting the right areas at training. I was bowling quicker. So, I’m like, okay, this is it. Ever since then I’ve been making small adjustments, because I don’t want to look at other players’ actions that won’t suit me. So, I have made a few changes, small changes.”

It was another Proteas’ paceman who first captured Soni’s imagination and inspired him to become a fast bowler. “I just started watching cricket on TV, when I was four- or five-years-old, and someone who really caught my eye was Dale Steyn, the aggression and the excitement that he brings. That’s when I fell in love with cricket.

“It was how he went about things, like his celebration, and all of that made me want to grow in cricket. I wanted to be like him. He was my role model growing up.”

In 2023, Soni was clearly on the national selectors’ radar. He was invited to a regional camp in Port Elizabeth, and that was followed by an invitation to the national camp in Pretoria.

“That’s when it started to get serious,” he said. “Performance-wise, it wasn’t really my best. But I understood what it took to be there, so I learnt quickly. Later on in the year, I went on to make the Khaya Majola Week and then SA Schools.”

His success was about more than physical preparation, Soni shared. He had done his homework and it paid dividends. He explained: “I got information from some people before the Khaya Majola Week. They had gone on a tour to East London, so I had chats with them about how the wickets were playing. They said it’s similar to Durban.

“I went to the Khaya Majola Week. The pitches were nice. The ball was snappy. It was swinging around.”

Heading into the inter-provincial showpiece, Soni said he chose not to think about making the South African Schools or South Africa u19 teams, because that would put unnecessary pressure on his shoulders.

“I just wanted to play my role as best as possible, to be honest, and help my team win. If I do well, the team does well.

“I played all five games, and my body was exhausted, but I had to give 100 percent. You’re representing your province, so it was good. I learned a lot.”

His personal performances in Makhanda were clearly top notch and there was no avoiding the thought, Soni knew he was in with a shout at making the SA Schools team.

Before the announcement of the side, a friend told him he would definitely be in the team. “I’m a bit of a shy guy, to be honest, so I’m like, ‘Nah, maybe not’,” Soni replied.

“I didn’t want to get too confident. I did do well but, at the same time, it’s my first time at the Khaya Majola Week.

“Then, they called out the SA Colts team, and I wasn’t there, and I’m thinking there’s a slight chance I’ll be in the SA Schools team. Then they called the likes of Tristan Luus, and then I think I was the second to last one they called. Then, I knew. Okay!”

That announcement caused a jolt in his heart, Soni said. “To go up, everyone’s watching, everyone’s clapping for you receiving your SA Schools’ cap. It was a dream come true… Just to be in that moment was great.”

Being selected for SA Schools meant a next day clash against the SA Colts team and the players in both sides certainly didn’t want to be shown up by the opposition.

It was Ntando Soni’s day, however, even though he went into the contest tired after five days of hard-fought cricket.

“I was just happy to be there for the experience,” he admitted. “Then I rock up there. In my first over, I take two wickets. So, I thought I’m onto something here. I didn’t want to change anything, because everything had been working for me throughout the week. So, I didn’t want to change my processes.

“Then, I ended up taking five. I’m not sure how, because it happened quickly, and they were good wickets.”

Soni credits the Linda Zondi Cricket Academy for playing a major part in his success. Apart from regular 1^st team practices, he diligently attends academy sessions on Tuesday and Thursday mornings before school starts. He also attends sessions at Kingsmead with the Dolphins School of Excellence.

“The information that I get there [from both], I come back, and I work on it by myself, like bowling drills and my action, how I’m going to get wickets, where to bowl.

“I think I’m a fairly consistent bowler. That didn’t come overnight. I worked hard for it. I train when I have time outside of school. I have training sessions, mainly at night. That started when I was in grade 9 because I had a goal in mind that I wanted to be the best in KZN and hopefully the best in SA. I just keep striving for that.

“I try to do things that other people can’t do. You won’t get a bowler with good pace and bowling six out of six [good balls] for a whole spell. It’s rare, so my goal is to be as consistent as possible, take wickets if I need to take wickets, and slow down their run rate.

“The work I put in here, not many people see it, but knowing that I made SA u19 – and that was one of my goals – I knew it actually paid off. It was a good feeling.”

That SA u19 cap he spoke about came against India in the Triangular Series that preceded the u19 ICC Cricket World Cup. Despite his excellent returns during the Khaya Majola Week, he didn’t crack the nod for the World Cup, which was a disappointment.

Still, one of his goals is to represent South Africa at the next u19 ICC Cricket World Cup, which won’t involve heavy travel demands as it is set to be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia.

When it comes to working on his game, Soni said he also takes a lot from Clifton College old boy Kushen Kishun, who enjoyed a 10-year playing career with a very successful KZN Inland outfit. Kishun now serves as an analyst with the Dolphins, and Soni is keen to keep banking the knowledge he imparts.

“That is my opportunity to get better, because not many people have the privilege to be in the Dolphins School of Excellence set up. So just to be there, getting experience, information, and to come back here with the facilities at Glenwood, helps.

As captain of the Glenwood 1^st XI and an SA Schools’ opening bowler, Soni receives a lot of attention from the younger members of the Glenwood community. He views it as his responsibility to encourage them.

“I’m a boarder and a lot of boys come to me, asking what it feels like to play for my country. They ask me to teach them to bowl fast. They ask for my shirt, for example. They come and I try my best to give them insight because I was also once in that position.

“I was shy when I was younger, so I didn’t go up to people and ask them how it felt. I want to give them what I really didn’t have growing up, just to share information with them and hopefully they use it.”

Glenwood has a fine tradition of producing fast bowlers, including Andile Phehlukwayo, who excelled for South Africa at the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. Phehlukwayo maintains close ties with the school and when he is around Soni chats with him.

Soni has also shared the field with the 2014 matriculant. “I played a series with him against Oman at Chatsworth. We have chats, and another one [I talk to] is [former SA Schools and SA u19 fast bowler] Lifa Ntanzi. I grew up watching him a lot. He was someone I really looked up to. I also stayed with him in the BE, as well, when I was in grade 7, so we have chats, about life, things like that.”

Looking towards the future, Soni is planning to study at UKZN and maybe pick up a contract with the Dolphins. But nothing has been signed yet.

Considering the present day, he said he wants to work on his batting. “I am a good batsman, but I don’t train batting a lot. I train my bowling a lot, so I think there is an imbalance,” Soni said.

“I know how to bat. I bat in the top five, here at Glenwood. I scored a few runs at Khaya Majola Week. I got a not out against India. I do know how to bat, and this year I am going to try to balance it out a bit because there is a big role that I need to play when it comes to school cricket.”

Glenwood is the best place he could be, Soni opined. “I started boarding at Glenwood when I was in grade seven. It caught my eye, with the tradition and the brotherhood and the excitement it brings.

“I knew I was going to grow with Glenwood. They have produced a number of national and provincial players, so I knew that if my books were in order, I was going to be one of those guys.”

There have been challenges, some of them beyond his control, turning out for the Green Machine. His grade 8 year was disrupted by Covid-19, so he played little u14 cricket. The following year, he was part of a team that went unbeaten at u15 level. From there, he skipped u16 cricket and moved straight into the 1^st team.

“That step was big, but I didn’t let it take over mentally. I did well in my first year in the 1st team,” he said. “I think I took 20 to 30 wickets that year. That was good. My team-mates have changed over the years. This is my third year playing for the 1st team now.”

Reflecting on his team-mates during those three years in the 1^st XI, he said: “We’ve had a good relationship. There is no one [that has brought us down], so I have had good relationships with everyone in the team. I haven’t struggled with that. I get along with people. My team-mates have been good throughout the years.

This year is his second as captain of the 1st team. “There was a lot of pressure last year,” he admitted. “As a grade 11, I was captaining seniors.

“I enjoy captaincy. The expectation brings out something in me. People, usually, go through the motions, but captaincy keeps me focussed.

“When we come back to school, boys ask me if we won. [Sometimes I can say] yes, we won. If we lose, everything comes back to me, so those are the ups and downs of being a captain. But it is all worth it.”