Author: captainmorgan

The Maritzburg College 1st XI travelled to the Riverside Sports Club, the home of Clifton College sport, on Saturday, intent on victory after a hard-fought defeat to Westville Boys’ High the previous weekend.

Clifton, for their part, had gone down to Michaelhouse in their last weekend outing, so they, too, were in need of a win.

The home side elected to bat first and openers, Byron Ward and Cohen Naidoo, partnered for 32 for the first wicket before the nagging accuracy of Michael Gibson accounted for Ward. Naidoo followed on the same score, a victim of Ollie Da Costa‘s spin, for a bright 23 from 30 balls, which featured three fours and a six.

When KZN u16 star Tim Saulez was run out for only five, Clifton’s innings was in danger of sliding towards disaster. College, though, helped the home side recover by spilling a number of catches.

Shahzaad Perumal did a good job for the home team and together with Lawson Dinsdale added 43 for the fifth wicket before Dinsdale departed for 18. Four runs later, with the total on 112, Perumal joined him on the side of the field.

Perumal’s 48 proved to be the highest score of the match, and it came from 67 balls, five of which he despatched across the boundary rope for four.

Clifton lost a further batsman on the same total, when Ollie Da Costa got rid of Callum Watson.

Gabriel Vermeulen presented stubborn resistance, making 16 before he was the second batsman to go out. Simon Hill followed soon after and Clifton were all out for 146 after 47.4 overs.

Da Costa stole the bowling spotlight with a return of 4/19 from 12 overs, which included five maidens. Julian Konigkramer enjoyed success, too, picking up 3/31 in 6.4 overs, and Michael Gibson kept the batsmen tied down, claiming 1/12 from five with the new ball.

It wasn’t an imposing victory target that College faced and their opening batsmen, Daniel Nadasan and Llewelyn Sutherland, produced a steady start to the run chase. The put on 49 before Shiraz Perumal removed Sutherland for 35 from 44 balls, which included six fours.

After a patient 60-ball stay, Nadasan was out, with the total on 65, for 20, the first of two victims of Simon Hill.

Chad Mason knuckled down and worked the ball around, knowing he didn’t need to chase runs. He and Ollie Da Costa made 42 for the third wicket before Hill removed Da Costa for 14.

Mason then came oh so close to seeing his side to victory, but Rivan Moodley picked up the College skipper’s wicket with only 13 runs needed to win. Mason’s innings of 39 runs had taken 89 balls, and he had struck four fours.

It was left to Michael Gibson, who finished undefeated on 21, to see Maritzburg College to a six-wicket win with 6.1 overs to spare.

Simon Hill led the Clifton bowlers, taking 2/26 in six, while Shiraz Perumal snared 1/34 in 10, and Rivan Moodley 1/39, also from 10. Shahzaad Perumal kept the College batsmen quiet but went unrewarded while conceding only 22 runs from his 10 overs.

At Hilton, the home side stormed to victory in double-quick time against Glenwood.

Hilton’s bowlers got their teeth into the visiting team’s batting lineup early on and once they had the Green Machine in trouble they kept pressing and sent Glenwood packing for only 72 as Natenzi Denenga and Ethan van Heerden picked up three wickets each.

Robert Burman, with an unbeaten 40, and Ben Hockly, with 31 not out, then made light of a pitch that had challenged Glenwood to race to victory in 11.5 overs.

Summarised scores

Clifton College 146/10 (Shahzaad Perumal 48, Cohen Naidoo 23, Oliver Da Costa 4/19, Julian Konigkramer 3/31); Maritzburg College 147/4 (Chad Mason 39, Llewelyn Sutherland 35, Michael Gibson 21*, Daniel Nadasan 20, Simon Hill 2/26) Maritzburg College won by six wickets.

Glenwood 72/10 (Nathan Moodley 19; Natenzi Denenga 3/10, Ethan van Heerden 3/25, D Hill 2/16, Kyle Christie 1/17); Hilton College 73/0 (Robert Burman 40*, Ben Hockly 31*) Hilton College won by 10 wickets.

It has been a topsy-turvy start to the KZN cricket season, with some traditional powers finding themselves on the wrong end of results. Some other teams had started their season confidently, including Kearsney College, who overpowered Durban High School (DHS) in a W100 match on Wednesday, romping to a 60-run. On Saturday, though, DHS avenged that defeat.

The teams did battle in Durban on the Theobald Oval in a 50-over match, with DHS batting first, up against an experienced Kearsney bowling attack. Unfortunately for the visitors, they lost one of their opening bowlers, Sandiswa Yeni, to an injury right at the start of the game. He managed only five balls before having to turn to Murray Weyer to complete his over.

The home side’s batsmen applied themselves well against some challenging bowling, but lost Sbusiso Msibi with the total on 27 and nine overs bowled.

Ethan Cooper and Ismaeel Omar combined for 43 runs for the second wicket before Cooper was caught by Jack O’Donovan off the bowling of Asavela Khambule, who generated significant turn, for 17.

Josh van Biljon didn’t last long, but Omar saw the total to 98 before he was dismissed for 55 from 83 balls, which included two fours and a six.

Kearsney continued to make good inroads into the DHS batting, reducing the Horseflies to 126/7. But Bayanda Majola and Jared Havermann then joined forces for a crucial partnership of 48 runs for the eighth wicket.

Weyer, then, got rid of Majola for 20, which brought Aiden Braun to the wicket. He didn’t last long, but Havermann had the bit between his teeth, and when he and Zaid Motala saw out the 50 overs, Havermann had finished with an unbeaten 51 from only 57 deliveries, with five fours and a six. DHS posted 216/9.

Jack O’Donovan inflicted most of the damage, accounting for four batsmen at a cost of 45 runs from his 10 overs.

Kearsney, usually very strong up front, limped to 31/3 in the 10^th over of their reply as the speedster, Bayanda Majola, sent Matthew Lamplough, Murray Weyer and Cameron Veenstra packing. Captain Ross Coetzee was a different story, however.

He has been in rare form this season and it continued on Saturday. Coetzee anchored the Kearsney innings, but he also scored freely, and was eventually the ninth man out, with the total on 188, having made 107 from 120 balls. Nine of those were fours and four went for six.

Unfortunately for Coetzee, only Keegan Kruger, with 22, gave him decent support and Kearsney slid to 194 all out in the 48^th over. The skipper had played a masterful knock, but in the absence of any substantial support it wasn’t enough.

Majola, with 3/38 from 10, set the DHS drive towards victory in motion, while Bhavesh Naicker excelled with a superb 10-over spell that yielded 2/25, including the wickets of Coetzee and the dangerous Jack O’ Donovan.

Zaid Motala sent down six overs and made a telling contribution, picking up 2/12 to help his side to a stunning but well-deserved upset win.

On the Roy Gathorne Oval in Balgowan, St Charles will feel they let slip a good opportunity for a win over Michaelhouse after going down by two wickets.

Saints batted first and Cian Fortmann continued his fine form with 80 at the top of the order. He faced 102 deliveries and struck eight fours and a six, ultimately departing as the second man out with the total on 126.

Captain Marcell Wellmann, who came in at the fall of the first wicket, offered solid support and batted maturely for 36 from 75 balls.

Number six batsman Stefan Veldsman weighed in with 33 from 42, with three fours and a six, and was the second last wicket to fall.

St Charles had laid a good foundation, but they let it slip late in their innings. They were 166 for 4 and then lost their last six wickets for the addition of only 20 runs, which included the last four for just five runs.

Saints totalled 186 all out from 49.2 overs, but it could have been so much better.

Harry Vickery was the most successful Michaelhouse bowler, snaring 3/43 from 8.2 overs, while Ross Moller was his usual economical self, sending down 10 overs and picking up 2/29. His new ball partner Luke Mitchell claimed 2/35 from his 10.

Left-arm spinner Cameron Strudwick put the squeeze on the Saints’ innings, returning 1/17 from 10 overs.

In reply, ‘House were in big trouble early on, losing their openers, Ethan Muir and Michael Spencer, who are both usually regular run contributors, with only four runs on the board.

However, West Mitchell-Innes and Seb Hofmeyr cleaned up the Michaelhouse innings, sharing a 74-run stand for the third wicket before Mitchell-Innes was caught by Wellmann off the bowling of Kaiyuran Naidoo for 32 from 61 balls.

Three other batsmen reached double figures, but none made more than 13, as Hofmeyr’s partners came and went. Hofmeyr, though, had the Saints’ bowlers’ numbers. He was the difference between victory and defeat.

When Michaelhouse reached 190/8, with nine balls remaining, to claim the win, he was undefeated on 90, having faced 128 balls. His knock relied on good running between the wickets as he hit only two fours and a six.

Naidoo shone for Saints, finishing with 2/26 from his 10, while Rowen Rajah repeated those figures, but from eight overs. Cian Fortmann contributed two wickets, too, but was a little on the expensive side, going for 53 runs from his 10 overs.

Summarised scores

Durban High School 216/9 (Ismaeel Omar 55, Jared Havermann 51*, Bayanda Majola 20, Jack O’Donovan 4/45); Kearsney College 194/10 (Ross Coetzee 107, Keegan de Jager 22, Bayanda Majola 3/38, Zaid Motala 2/12, Bhavesh Naicker 2/25) DHS won by 22 runs.

St Charles College 186/10 (Cian Fortmann 80, Marcell Wellmann 36, Stefan Veldsman 33, Harry Vickery 3/43, Ross Moller 2/29, Luke Mitchell 2/35); Michaelhouse 190/8 (Seb Hofmeyr 90*, West Mitchell-Innes 32, Rowen Rajah 2/26, Kaiyuran Naidoo 2/26, Cian Fortmann 2/53) Michaelhouse won by two wickets.

The Victoria Lake Rowing Club hosts the 116^th edition of the RMB VLC National Sprints Regatta on 27 and 28 January at Germiston Lake.

Almost 1 000 boats will be in action at the two-day event, incorporating school-level rowers through Masters competitors, in their seventies and eighties, and the elite athletes who will represent South Africa at the Paris Olympics in July and August.

Competitors from all corners of the country will test their talent in a thrilling and vibrant spectacle.

The RMB National Squad, South Africa’s senior Olympic rowing team, will use the event as part of their Olympic preparations, with Christopher Baxter and John Smith (men’s pair) and Courtney Westley (women’s single scull) having already qualified for Paris.

On the weekend, however, they’ll be representing their clubs, which will serve as an inspiration for rowers of all ages. The public is also being encouraged to visit the RMB National Squad under their RMB Gazebo throughout the weekend.

Prominent participants included Katherine Williams and Holly Crews in the women’s double sculls, Paige Badenhorst, Courtney Westley, and University Games medallists, Chloe Cresswell and Nadia Gaspari.

An exciting duel is expected in the men’s pairs category between a number of teams, including John Smith and Henry Torr, Christopher Baxter and James Mitchell, and Adriaan Venter and Luc Daffarn.

Smith was, memorably, a member of the Oarsome Foursome who captured gold at the London Olympics in 2012 in the lightweight coxless fours event. Two years later, he and fellow Olympic gold medallist, James Thompson, won gold in the lightweight double sculls at the World Championships.

At the 2016 Olympics, in Rio, Lawrence Brittain and Shaun Keeling won Olympic silver in the men’s coxless pairs.

South African rowers have been consistent medal threats for quite some time, and since readmission to the Olympic Games in 1992, apart from the above successes, Donovan Cech and Ramon di Clemente also won bronze in the men’s coxless pair in Athens in 2000.

RMB has a partnership with Rowing South Africa, which spans grassroots development, to schools, universities and the RMB National Squad.

Darryl Williams, Chairman of the Victoria Lake Rowing Club, looking forward to the Nationals, said: “We eagerly anticipate another successful RMB VLC National Sprints Regatta. The presence of our national rowers adds a special significance to the event, especially in an Olympic year.”

Head Coach of the RMB National Squad, Tiago Loureiro, said the Nationals is a fantastic opportunity for the entire rowing community to come together and compete in short course competition.

“This regatta makes racing more spectator-friendly while exposing junior, student, under-23 and Masters rowing to the RMB National Squad,” he explained. “I am looking forward to some exciting racing.”

Grant Dodds, the RMB National Squad Technical Performance Manager, thanked RMB for its long-standing support of the Sprint National Championships, saying: “We really value the support from RMB that makes this all possible. It’s a vital event for the ongoing development of the sport.

“Being over 1000m, the racing is always incredibly close. It is always a real highlight of the rowing calendar, and we encourage rowing enthusiasts, as well as first-time spectators, to come and enjoy Olympians in action.”

The Glenwood 1st XI has been one of the more unpredictable teams over the course of 2023/24 season thus far. From outstanding to average performances, it has been difficult to guess what lies ahead. On Wednesday, in a W100 match, though, they produced a high-quality performance to beat Northwood by eight wickets.

The Green Machine‘s efforts in the field were led by their SA Schools’ opening bowler, Ntando Soni, who demonstrated his class by capturing a wicket early on and then adding a further two to inhibit the Knights’ attempts to accelerate their innings towards its conclusion.

Soni removed Harley Jagga before Northwood had put any runs on the board, and Bandile Mbatha, who also represented KZN Schools at the Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Cricket Week, claimed the wicket of Alistair Duncan, which left the visitors on 19/2 after 19 balls.

Kyle White, a member of KZN’s national champion u16 team, then did a solid job repairing the damage. He held down his end while others struggled and finished unbeaten on 40 from 39 deliveries, with three fours.

Mason Storm struck a six in his 20 from 24 balls, but Glenwood sent four batsmen packing cheaply as Northwood mustered 99/7.

Soni starred with the ball, knocking over 3/17 in his 20 deliveries, while Kyle Bryan kept a lid on the scoring, picking up 1/10 in 20 balls, and Awhile Maharaj added to the pressure by taking 1/10 in 15.

Northwood managed an early wicket when Glenwood replied, with Mfana Shange pocketing a catch off Jordan Matthews to send Nathan Moodley on his way for five.

The home side advanced their total to 40, but then lost Krian Jugoo to the bowling of Jamie Wimble for 13. Jugoo’s departure brought Bandile Mbatha to the middle and he and his KZN Schools’ team-mate, Ntando Soni, then set about taking charge of the contest.

They put on an unbroken 60 in 42 balls to see their side to an impressive win. Mbatha played aggressively to end with 32 from 23 deliveries, with four fours and a six, while Soni finished with 27 from 38 with two fours.

Jordan Matthews stood out for the Knights with 1/14 from 20 balls.

On Saturday, Glenwood visit Hilton College, while Northwood welcomes Westville Boys’ High to the north of Durban.

Summarised scores

Northwood 99/7 (Kyle White 40*, Mason Storm 22, Ntando Soni 3/17, Kyle Bryan 1/10, Awhile Maharaj 1/10); Glenwood 100/2 (Bandile Mbatha 32*, Ntando Soni 27*, Jordan Matthews 1/14) Glenwood won by 8 wickets.

Kearsney College captain Ross Coetzee continued his rollicking start to the 2024 cricket season with a superb 73 not out to lift his side to a very challenging 182/2 in a W100 match played on the AH Smith Oval against Durban High School (DHS) on Wednesday.

Coetzee, batting at three, reached the crease 12 balls into his side’s innings after Murray Weyer was caught by Josh van Biljon off the speedy Bayanda Majola for two.

Cameron Veenstra slammed two deliveries for six for the home side, but he was out for 21 from 15 deliveries, just after the 50 had been brought up.

That brought wicketkeeper and SA Schools’ hockey player, Matt De Oliveira, to the crease and he and his skipper then set about destroying the DHS attack.

Coetzee was harsh on the Horseflies’ bowlers, facing only 47 balls for his 73, and lashing four fours and four sixes along the way. De Oliveira, meanwhile, took just 37 deliveries to strike an undefeated 53, which included four fours and three sixes.

Bhavesh Naicker picked up 1/14 in 10 deliveries, while Bayanda Majola removed Weyer, but was quite expensive, going for 31 from his 15 balls.

Unfortunately for DHS, they made a miserable start to their run chase, and with only 100 balls to face, and needing to bat at 1.83 runs per ball to win, they were effectively out of the game early on in their innings.

Coetzee, again, inflicted major damage on DHS by getting rid of dangerman Semal Pillay for a duck. Then, Ismaeel Omar, who played for the Inter-provincial champion KZN u16 side, along with Pillay and Josh van Biljon, was run out, leaving the Durbanites two down just 13 balls into their innings.

But it was soon to become far tougher for them. Sfundo Mthembu was caught by Coetzee off of Ryan Browning, and the aforementioned Josh van Biljon followed with the total on 22, also a victim of Browning.

When DHS slipped to 32/5, only 29 balls into their innings, with the dismissal of Sbusiso Msibi, they were deep in the mire.

Finally, though, they found some traction when Bayanda Majola and Bhavesh Naicker came together. Majola played the supporting role, while Naicker went after the Kearsney bowlers. Together, they added 59 runs for the sixth wicket before Majola was caught by Cole Young off the bowling of Jack O’Donovan for 16 from 23 balls.

Jared Havermann didn’t last long, going out with the total on 101, and it was left to Ruben Peters and Bayanda Majola to see out the innings.

Peters finished with nine not out, which included a six, while Majola was the standout performer for DHS, making an unbeaten 44 from 43 deliveries, which featured three fours and a six.

Ross Browning did a fantastic job for Kearsney, sending down 10 balls and capturing 2/5. Matthew Lamplough lent good support, with his 15 deliveries costing only 12 runs, while he also picked up the wicket of Sbusiso Msibi.

In the end, Kearsney romped to a 60-run victory.

Summarised score

Kearsney College 182/2 (Ross Coetzee 73*, Matt De Oliveira 54*, Cameron Veenstra 21, Bhavesh Naicker 1/14); Durban High School 122/7 (Bhavesh Naicker 44*, Ryan Browning 2/5, Matthew Lamplough 1/12, Jack O’Donovan 1/15)

St John’s College hosted Helpmekaar Kollege on Mitchell Field in the Johnny Waite competition on Tuesday. On the weekend, the teams had tied in a 50-over match, so the T20 showdown was, in a way, a tiebreaker.

It had taken a brave performance by St John’s to pull off the tie, with four players missing from their line-up. On Tuesday, they were still short of two of their regular bowlers. This time, though, it was a sub-standard batting performance which saw their unbeaten run of 14 matches brought to an end.

The home side won the toss and elected to send Helpmekaar out to bat first. Anrich Liebenberg immediately took the fight to the St John’s bowlers, cracking a six and a four in an eight-ball stay, which produced 13 runs, but he was bowled by Alec Loveland off the second last ball of the second over.

Kyle Swanepoel then played an anchor innings and Hannu Marais was the aggressor as Helpmekaar enjoyed a 54-run partnership for the second wicket, before Marais was sent packing in the tenth over by Cole Francis, having scored 33 from 24 balls, with three fours and a six.

Nine runs later, Swanepoel, who made 87 in Saturday’s tie, was out for 18.

Captain Henricus Meyer and Juan Minnaar then added 57 before the skipper was caught behind off the last ball of the innings by his counterpart, Joe MacRobert, off the bowling of Francis for 41. His runs had come off of 37 deliveries and included two fours and a six. Minnaar finished unbeaten on 19 from 21.

Francis led the St John’s attack with a return of 2/22 from his four overs, while Loveland claimed 2/25.

The hosts need to bat at 6.9 runs per over to win, but they made a poor start, with Nkosana Sibiya out in the first over.

Macrobert, batting at three, smashed three fours, before he fell for 17 from 10 balls, and one run later, with the total on 21, opening batsman James Yuill was also out.

Darshik Lutchman didn’t add to the total, either, as St John’s stumbled to 21/4, with Juan Minnaar ripping the heart out of their top order by capturing all four wickets. He went on to finish with a match-winning return of 4/10 from his four overs.

Alec Loveland was the next to depart, also on 21, but this time it was Dihan Janse van Rensburg who claimed the wicket.

Jacob Smith, a man for a crisis, stopped the procession of arrivals and departures, but he was out before 50 had been brought up, having contributed 21 from 20, with three fours and one maximum.

Thomas Ievers and Malan du Plessis, who was run out without scoring, followed as St John’s slipped from 44/5 to 46/8.

Cole Francis decided attack was the best form of defence and struck some lusty blows. At the other end, Oliver Tait hung around for a while, but he was the ninth man out with the total on 67.

Good striking by Francis boosted St John’s to 94, but he was then the last wicket to fall, out for 39 from 25 deliveries, after sending three balls over the boundary and three deliveries to the boundary.

Minnaar’s excellence was backed up by Anrich Liebenberg’s 2/27 from four, and a wicket each for Henno Steyn, Dihan Janse van Rensburg and Henricus Meyer as Helpmekaar scored a decisive win by 43 runs.

Their next Johnny Waite outing will be against Parktown Boys’ High on 31 January, while St John’s will face St Stithians.

Summarised scores

Helpmekaar Kollege 137/4 (Henricus Meyer 41, Hannu Marais 33, Cole Francis 2/22, Alec Loveland 2/25); St John’s College 94/10 (Cole Francis 39, Jacob Smith 21, Juan Minnaar 4/10, Dihan Janse van Rensburg 2/27) Helpmekaar won by 43 runs.

A well-played 101 not out from captain Chad Mason highlighted Maritzburg College‘s start to the 2024 cricket season, but it wasn’t quite enough to prevent Westville Boys’ High from recording a five-wicket win on Goldstone’s on Saturday in their traditional season-opener.

Batting first, College lost both of their openers cheaply, but Mason, batting third, and Michael Gibson, in at four, performed a fine rescue act. Together, they shared a 117-run partnership for the third wicket in 30.1 overs.

Gibson was then caught and bowled by Seth Simpson for 58 from 87 balls, which included six fours.

College’s hopes of a late innings run rate boost were undone by a fine spell from Westville paceman Dayalan Boyce – who had also removed both openers – and two run outs. Still, the home team ended their 50 overs on 212/9, which, on a wicket that requires batsmen to graft for their runs, made for a tricky chase for the Griffin.

Mason’s 101 came from 139 deliveries, seven of which he despatched for four and another for a six.

Boyce finished with the outstanding figures of 4/11 from six overs.

Westville made a solid start to their innings, with captain Nicandro Kistna and Max Robertson putting up 42 runs before Robertson perished, caught by Liam Armstrong off the bowling of Mason for 28 from 37 balls, which featured two sixes and nary a four.

Kistna and Seth Simpson accelerated the scoring, spending 17.1 overs together as they put on 72 runs for the second wicket before the skipper was bowled by Sphamandla Dzanibe for 50. He had struck three fours and a six.

Again, once a wicket had fallen, Westville consolidated their innings, with Simpson and Kaeden McAllister advancing the score to 169 before Simpson’s knock was ended, also by Dzanibe. He made 53 from 85, with two fours. When he departed, Westville required 44 to win in 8.4 overs.

Three runs shy of the 200, McAllister’s valuable innings was halted by the safe hands of Llewelyn Sutherland and the bowling of Julian Konigkramer. In 53 balls, he’d contributed 43 runs, and struck two fours and a six.

Just before the visitors overhauled the College total, Roxton Payne was out, but Westville needed only four to win, which they scored to seal victory with nine balls remaining.

Konigkramer was the most successful of the Maritzburg College bowlers, picking up 2/27 in six, while Dzanibe finished with 2/39 from nine.

A trip to Durban for a showdown with Clifton College awaits Maritzburg College this coming weekend, while Westville will make the short drive to the north of Durban to tackle Northwood School.

Summarised score

Maritzburg College 212/9 (Chad Mason 101*, Michael Gibson 58, Dayalan Boyce 4/11); Westville Boys’ High 216/5 (Seth Simpson 53, Nicandro Kistna 50, Kaeden McAllister 43, Julian Konigkramer 2/27, Sphamandla Dzanibe 2/39) Westville Boys’ High won by 5 wickets.

Both Clifton College and Michaelhouse had played themselves into form in the pre-season at the iHlobo Festival. There, Clifton beat Falcon College, St Alban’s College and Uplands College, but went down to the hosts, Kearsney College, while Michaelhouse recorded wins over Durban High School, St John’s (Harare), and Falcon College.

On Saturday, at the Riverside Sports Club, they met, with Clifton winning the toss and putting Michaelhouse in to bat. That move backfired.

Captain Ethan Muir and Michael Spencer settled in nicely and put on 51 for the first wicket before Muir was caught off the bowling of Shahzaad Perumal.

There was no respite for Clifton, however, as Spencer and Dylan Hewlett took charge. Together, they constructed a stand of 124 runs before Spencer became Perumal’s second victim, out for a well-played 68 from 94 deliveries, with six fours.

The rest of the batsmen offered little support, but Hewlett had no problems with the Clifton bowlers. He went on to an undefeated 104 from 106 balls, striking four fours and two sixes, as Michaelhouse posted 246 for 7. It was a good score on a slow outfield.

Perumal was the pick of the Clifton bowlers, snaring 3 for 30 from his nine overs, while Preston Govender picked up a bit of tap, but removed two batsmen to finish with 2 for 47 from six.

In reply, Clifton made a disastrous start as Ross Moller knocked over two wickets with only six runs on the board. Perumal made only 13 before he departed with the total on 29, and then disaster struck as opener, Cohen Naidoo, who had made 21 from 36 balls, was run out.

Tim Saulez mustered 22 from 32, but when he fell to Cameron Strudwick, Clifton were staring down the barrel on 65 for 6.

Callum Watson and Lawson Dinsdale stopped the rot, however, with a solid 75-run stand before Dinsdale was out for the top score of 42, which came from only 45 balls and included four fours and a six.

Watson was the second last man out, having made 20, as the last three wickets all fell with the total on 132, which left Michaelhouse the convincing winners by 114 runs.

KZN Inland u19A left-arm spinner Strudwick shone, sending down nine overs, three of which were maidens, and claiming 2 for 14.

Opening bowler Ross Moller was his usual economical self, capturing 2 for 13 in five, while his new ball partner, Luke Mitchell, picked up 2 for 36 in nine, and Ethan Muir took 2 for 21 in five.

In Pietermaritzburg, DHS who hadn’t been at full strength for the iHlobo Festival, showed their grit to record a five-wicket win over St Charles College in a 45-over match.

The home team owed plenty to their left-handed opener Cian Fortmann, who fought a lone battle as they tallied just 165 for 7 in their innings. Fortmann, with 91, scored the majority of their runs, facing 122 balls and hitting four fours.

Stefan Veldsman contributed 17, but no other batsmen reached double figures. In fact, 24 extras were the second highest contributor to the Saints’ total.

Jared Havermann, with 3/19 in seven, and Bhavesh Naicker, with 3/34 in six, led the way for DHS, but a number of their bowlers, who went wicketless, did a fine job of restricting the scoring rate.

Nobody managed anything close to Fortmann’s innings for DHS, but Sfundo Mthembu made an unbeaten 30, while a number of others delivered useful knocks. Josh van Biljon weighed in with 28, Ismaeel Omar hit 27, Ethan Cooper added another 21, and Taine Havermann finished with 18 not out as the Horseflies took the win.

Fortmann led the way for Saints once more with the ball, picking up 2/29 in nine, while Tristan Montile took 1 for 16 in four, and Kaiyuran Naidoo a tidy 1/27 in nine.

After 40.1 overs, the victory belonged to DHS.

Kearsney College, after going four from four at the iHlobo Festival, visited Glenwood for their first match of the first term, a T20.

Batting first, Glenwood found the going tough against the experienced Kearsney attack. They batted at only 4.9 runs per over, to reach 98/5 by the conclusion of their 20 overs.

Kyle Bryan made 28 from 37 balls for the Green Machine, while Krian Jugoo made 21 from 28, but the Kearsney bowlers were in the ascendancy.

Fast bowler Ryan Browning bowled well to return 2/14 from his four overs, while fellow paceman Sandiswa Yeni claimed 1/13 in his four.

Cameron Veenstra, then, set Kearsney on course for victory with 29 from 31, which included two fours and a six, at the top of the order. He and captain Ross Coetzee put on 37 for the second wicket before Veenstra was dismissed.

Coetzee remained out in the middle and was 32 not out from 37 when the visitors overhauled the Glenwood total with two overs remaining. With him was Jack O’Donovan, who bashed a quickfire unbeaten 19 from only 14 deliveries, with one four and one six.

Awhile Maharaj was the best of the Glenwood bowlers, taking 1 /16 in four, while the other two wickets were both as a results of run outs.

Summarised scores

Michaelhouse 246/7 (Dylan Hewlett 104*, Michael Spencer 68, Ethan Muir 29, Shahzaad Perumal 3/30, Preston Govender 2/47); Clifton College 132/10 (Lawson Dinsdale 43, Tim Saulez 22, Cohen Naidoo 21, Callum Watson 20, Ross Moller 2/13, Cameron Strudwick 2/14, Ethan Muir 2/21, Luke Mitchell 2/36) Michaelhouse won by 114 runs.

St Charles College 165/7 (Cian Fortmann 91, Jared Havermann 3/19, Bhavesh Naicker 3/34); Durban High School 167/5 (Sfundo Mthembu 30*, Josh van Biljon 28, Ismaeel Omar 27, Ethan Cooper 21, Cian Fortmann 2/29) DHS won by 5 wickets.

Glenwood 98/5 (Kyle Bryan 28, Krian Jugoo 21, Ryan Browning 2/14); Kearsney College 102/3 (Ross Coetzee 32*, Cameron Veenstra 29) Kearsney won by 7 wickets.

Fresh off of an unbeaten run at the HJS Cricket Festival before schools officially opened for 2024, the St John’s College 1st XI continued their excellent form with a convincing 32-run victory over their neighbours and rivals, King Edward VII (KES), in a T20 played at KES on Friday.

On Saturday, forced to play without three bowlers and one batsman – due to two injuries, one case of Covid-19, and another of illness – the boys from the Houghton school staged a dramatic fightback to force a tie in a 50-over match against Helpmekaar Kollege.

At KES, the home team won the toss and made a brave call by choosing to send St John’s in to bat. That decision didn’t work out.

Nkosana Sibiya and Thomas Ievers put on 51 runs for the first wicket before Ievers was caught and bowled by Michael Holmes for 18 after 7.2 overs. That brought the visitors’ captain, Joe Macrobert (feature photo), to the wicket and he immediately set about the KES bowling.

Sibiya was run out for 33 from 37 balls, with four fours, with the total on 68, and KES soon enjoyed another quick boost when Cole Francis was dismissed for a single two runs later. But that was where the wicket-taking stopped for KES as Macrobert and the new man in, Alec Loveland, combined for an unbroken stand of 87.

Macrobert launched three sixes and one four in a telling knock of 53 from only 35 deliveries, while Loveland weighed in with 44 from 32, with five fours, as St John’s posted a challenging 157/3.

KES made a stuttering reply and found themselves two wickets down at the start of the fourth over, including, unfortunately for them, Troy Gordon, their number three, run out for a single.

The hosts were on the back foot and, when Zeig Roos also departed for a low score, KES slipped to 29/3. Michael Holmes contributed a useful 22, but he fell with the total on 60.

At the other end, though, Cameron Smith was doing a sterling job. He brought up his fifty, but was out shortly after that for 51, caught by Thomas Ievers off the bowling of Oliver Tait, having struck three fours and two sixes.

Smith’s departure led to a mini-collapse, which proved to be decisive, as Tait removed two more batsmen in the same over, without the addition of a run, to leave KES reeling on 100 for 7 after 16 overs.

When Reece Small became Alec Loveland’s second victim, having scored 27 from 18 balls, KES were eight down with only two wickets standing and three overs remaining.

One run later, they were 113/9 after Cole Francis bowled Fayaaz Vawda. A defiant last wicket partnership carried KES to 125, but they were all out with three balls left.

St John’s had won by 33 runs and recorded their 13th victory in a row since the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Week in 2023.

Oliver Tait had hastened St John’s push for victory, capturing a crucial 3/24 in five overs, while Cole Francis knocked over 2/15 in 3.3, and Alec Loveland claimed 2/28 in four.

There was some consolation for KES as they claimed an eight-wicket win in the 2nd XI match, a nine-wicket victory in the u16A game and won by six wickets at u15A level.

On Saturday, on Mitchell Field, at St John’s, the home side won the toss and chose to bat first against Helpmekaar Kollege. They didn’t make a good start, losing both openers with only 21 runs on the board. Captain Joe Macrobert stood firm, though.

He and Alec Loveland put on 27 for the third wicket before Loveland was out for 14 with the total on 48. That brought Jacob Smith to the middle. He had proved many times before that he is at his best when the going gets tough. Once more, he rose to the occasion.

He and Macrobert put together a stand of 71 before the skipper was out for 45, which had come off of 53 balls.

Smith didn’t enjoy any other solid partnerships, but he stood firm and when the 50 overs were up, and St John’s had totalled 229 for 9, he was still in the middle, unbeaten on an outstanding 101, which he scored from 127 deliveries, with eight fours.

Henricus Meyer picked up 2/37 in 10 for Helpmekaar, while Xander Jackson captured 2/39 in eight, and Dihan Janse van Rensburg 2/35 in seven. Juan Minnaar bowled tidily and economically, but went unrewarded, finishing with 0/31 from his 10.

In response, Helpmekaar were quickly two down with 20 runs on the board, but that brought their captain Henricus Meyer to the crease and he and opener, Kyle Swanepoel, changed the momentum of the game. Together, they partnered for 118 runs for the third wicket in 27.5 overs.

Meyer was then caught by Loveland off the bowling of Tait for 58 from 83 balls, with three fours. His departure brought Juan Minnaar to the crease, and that didn’t make it any easier for the St John’s attack.

Swanepoel, meanwhile, advanced his score to 87 before he was finally dismissed, bowled by Loveland. Astonishingly, his 124-ball stay had produced only one four. But it had left Helpmekaar in a strong position, on 171/4 in the 41st over.

St John’s, though, were not done. Helpmekaar were finding it hard to accelerate the scoring rate and the home side picked up a fifth wicket in the 46th over, when Anthony Stone was sent packing for nine.

As the victory target came into view, the balls were diminishing rapidly. Still, when the sixth wicket went down, with Kevin Oliver out for five, 10 balls remained, and 10 runs were required to win. That same over, though, Juan Minnaar was bowled by Alec Loveland for 42 from 47 balls, which had included two fours and two sixes. Nine to win, seven deliveries left.

When Cole Francis took the ball for the last over, Helpmekaar needed eight for victory. They managed seven as Francis and his fielders did a fine job, conceding a two, three singles and two byes. After 50 overs, Helpmekaar had reached 229/7. The match had ended in a thrilling tie.

Interestingly, in case you were wondering, there were seven extras in the home team’s total and 14 in Helpmekaar’s innings. St John’s bowled seven no balls, Helpmekaar none.

Alec Loveland did a brilliant job for with the ball for the hosts, claiming 4/46 in his 10 overs, including the big wickets of Swanepoel and Minnaar.

Despite being undermanned, St John’s remain undefeated in 14 outings, but it had been oh so close. Had it not been for their fighting spirit, they would have tasted defeat. The fact of the matter is, however, they didn’t, and they can continue to try to tack on more wins to their outstanding record.

Summarised scores

St John’s College 157/3 (Joe Macrobert 53*, Alec Loveland 44*, Nkosana Sibiya 33); KES 125/10 (Cam Smith 51, Reece Small 27, Michael Holmes 22, Oliver Tait 3/24, Cole Francis 2/15, Alec Loveland 2/28) St John’s College won by 32 runs.

St John’s College 229/9 (Jacob Smith 101*, Joe Macrobert 45, Dihan Janse van Rensburg 2/35, Henricus Meyer 2/37, Xander Jackson 2/29); Helpmekaar Kollege 229/7 (Kyle Swanepoel 87, Henricus Meyer 58, Juan Minnaar 42, Alec Loveland 4/46) Match tied.

With tensions around the ongoing war in Gaza at a fever-pitch, Cricket South Africa has chosen to relieve David Teeger of the captaincy of the South Africa u19 team, which will be in action at the ICC u19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa from 19 January.

Teeger was previously criticised by the Palestine Solidarity Alliance for comments he made at the Absa Jewish Achiever Awards in late October where he praised Israel’s soldiers after he was presented with the Rising Star Award.

An independent inquiry, led by Advocate Wim Trengrove, found that Teeger had not breached the codes of conduct of either Cricket South Africa or the Central Gauteng Lions.

However, in a statement on Thursday, Cricket South Africa said: “As is the case with all such events, CSA has been receiving regular security and risk updates regarding the World Cup. We have been advised that protests related to the war in Gaza can be anticipated at the venues for the tournament.

“We have also been advised that they are likely to focus on the position of the SA Under-19 (SA U19) captain, David Teeger, and that there is a risk that they could result in conflict or even violence, including between rival groups of protesters.

“CSA has a primary duty to safeguard the interests and safety of all those involved in the World Cup and must accordingly respect the expert advice of those responsible for the safety of participants and spectators.

“In all the circumstances, CSA has decided that David should be relieved of the captaincy for the tournament. This is in the best interests of the players themselves, the SA U19 team and David himself.

“David will remain an important and active member of the squad and we wish him and the team every success in the tournament. The newly appointed captain will be announced in due course.”

Apart from a forthcoming change in captaincy, a further change was announced to the South African squad, with Lions’ fast bowler Esosa Aihevba being forced to withdraw from the tournament due to a left knee injury which he sustained during the recent Tri-Series against India and Afghanistan.

He has been replaced by Tristan Luus. The Waterkloof speedster was a standout performer for the Northern Champions at the recently concluded CSA Cubs Week, where he twice captured five-fors, led all wicket-takers, and helped the Champions successfully defend their title with a perfect record of five wins from five matches.

Luus also excelled as a hard-hitting lower order batsman, contributing a number of telling innings to the Champions’ cause.

He was named in the SA Schools team at the conclusion of the 2023 Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Cricket Week and has signed with the Hollywoodbets Dolphins from 2024.