Author: captainmorgan

In a heavyweight battle between two of 2023’s better teams, St John’s College outduelled Paul Roos Gimnasium at Paul Roos on Thursday in an HJS Festival match, recording a hard-fought 18-run victory in a mouthwatering showdown that tilted in favour of the bowling and fielding units.

Evidence of the favourable bowling conditions came from the toss, with Paul Roos choosing to send their Gauteng opposition in to bat first. However, opening batsmen Nkosana Sibiya (feature photo) and Thomas Ievers rose to the challenge to get their side off to a strong start.

They grafted hard for an 83-run partnership before Ievers was dismissed for 31 from 83 balls, caught by Matthew Seymore off the bowling of Dian Winkel.

St John’s advanced their total to 100 before dangerman Joe MacRobert fell for seven. Nkosana followed on the same total for a well-played 54, which would turn out to be the highest score of the day. His knock included seven fours and also lasted 83 deliveries.

Soon, the Johannesburg school was 105/4 after Kago Masote departed for five. Alec Loveland and Jacob Smith then stopped the bleeding, adding 40 for the fifth wicket, before Loveland was sent packing for 12.

Smith played a crucial innings, going on to contribute a telling 38 from 53 balls, which included three big sixes and a single four.

Once the sixth wicket went down with the total on 166, however, Paul Roos quickly closed out the St John’s innings, bowling out the opposition for 174 after 56.1 overs.

Dian Winkel was the pick of the PRG bowling attack, snaring 4 for 41 from 15 overs, while Luca Plekker also proved a handful, knocking over 3 for 13 in 6.1.

Unfortunately for Plekker, he was not as successful with the bat. Opening the innings, he was out first ball as St John’s got off to a rip-roaring start.

Ruben Coetzee and Dylan van Schalkwyk steadied the innings, scoring 30 and 20 respectively, with Coetzee striking five fours, but Paul Roos soon found themselves on the back foot.

Beor van Reenan, in at seven, teamed up with Callum Appollis to stem the flow of batsmen departing for the pavilion after PRG had slipped to 76 for 6 from 24.3 overs. They put on a stand of 59 before Van Reenen was caught by the wicketkeeper Jacob Smith off the bowling of Daniel Bruwer for 33, the top score of the Paul Roos innings.

Appollis followed four runs later, leaving PRG on 139 for 8, having weighed in with 29 from 57 balls, with three fours.

After 53.5 overs, Paul Roos were dismissed for 156.

Daniel Bruwer led the St John’s attack with a return of 3/32 from 11 overs, while Alec Loveland claimed 3 for 44 from 13. Oliver Tait snapped up 2 for 6 from five and Cole Francis, who set the ball rolling with the first wicket of the innings, finished with 2 for 29 from 10.

St John’s returns many of their very successful 2023 side, which lost only eight times in 32 outings, despite playing a tough schedule. Now, with the school having recorded its ninth win in succession since last season, they’ll be a team to watch out for in 2024.

Summarised Scores

St John’s College 174/10 (Nkosana Sibiya 54, Jacob Smith 38, Thomas Ievers 31, Dian Winkel 4/41, Luca Plekker 3/13); Paul Roos Gimnasium 156/10 (Beor van Reenen 33, Ruben Coetzee 30*, Callum Appollis 29, Daniel Bruwer 3/32, Alex Loveland 3/44, Oliver Tait 2/6, Cole Francis 2/29) St John’s won by 18 runs

Heavy overnight rain, leading to flooded and muddy fields, meant only two matches could be played on the final day of the iHlobo Festival in Botha’s Hill. The hosts, Kearsney College, took on Falcon College, from Matabeleland, while Durban High School tackled St John’s College, from Harare.

Kearsney College vs Falcon College

On the AH Smith Oval, Kearsney were led by their 2024 captain, Ross Coetzee, for the first time. He had previously been in action alongside 2023 skipper, Hayden Bishop, at the CSA Cubs Week, where both players did well for a Coastal Conquerors team that underperformed.

It didn’t take long for Coetzee to make his presence felt. Batting at three, he top-scored with 71 from only 50 deliveries, sending four balls over the boundary and another two into the picket fence.

Jack O’Donovan was also destructive, smashing four sixes and a single four in his unbeaten 53 from 41 balls.

Together, the pair shared a 114-run partnership for the fourth wicket and after 20 overs Kearsney had tallied 158 for 5.

Benjamin Williams performed well for Falcon, capturing 2 for 20 from his four overs, while Taurai Zimunthu picked up 2 for 28 in three.

In reply, Falcon made an excellent start to their run chase, with Brandon Ndiweni and Reed Merick combining in a stand of exactly 100 for the first wicket. They played with controlled aggression, although the introduction of the Kearsney spinners saw their run rate drop a little.

Merick was the first to depart, out for 39 from 44 balls, with three fours and a six. Ndiweni followed 10 runs later for a well-played run-a-ball 56, which included four fours and two sixes.

Zach Gover struck two maximums in his quickfire 17 from 10 balls but, in the end, Falcon came up 12 runs short. It was, however, an encouraging performance from the Zimbabweans, who had endured a challenging festival. The victory meant Kearsney retained their unbeaten record.

Jack O’Donovan snared 3 for 15 in two for the winners, while Murray Weyer took 2 for 22 in two, and captain Coetzee, although he went wicketless, staunched the flow of runs, returning figures of 0 for 14 in three.

Durban High School vs St John’s College

In the only other match, Durban High School set St John’s College a challenging run chase after posting 173 for 4 at a rate of 8.65 runs per over.

The DHS openers, Omar Ismael and Ethan Cooper, were dismissed cheaply, but Bhavesh Naicker and Josh van Biljon then got stuck into the Rams’ bowlers, putting on 95 runs in 12.1 overs.

Van Biljon was the first to depart, falling for 44 from 35 deliveries, with four fours and one six, with the total on 120.

Nineteen runs later, Naicker was caught by John-Mark Benadie off the bowling of Khulekani Nduku for 72 from only 56 balls, with six fours and three sixes.

Rivash Naicker provided the DHS innings with a late boost, launching two deliveries over the boundary in an undefeated knock of 21 off of 12 balls.

Khulekani Nduku was expensive but picked up 2 for 44 in his three overs. Meanwhile Michael and Kian Blignaut bowled tidily, with Michael returning figures of 0 for 15 from four, while Kian finished with 0 for 20 from his four.

St John’s made a bright start at the crease, exceeding the required run rate for the first three overs, but they then lost three wickets for the addition of only 11 runs, slipping from 27 without loss to 38 for 3.

Luke Wright, as he did throughout the festival, provided some fireworks, blasting two fours and two sixes as he sprinted to 25 from 11 balls before being caught by Ismael Omar off the bowling of Ethan Cooper.

John-Mark Benadie batted well for 42 from 30 deliveries, striking three fours and three sixes, but the Rams’ lower order failed to fire.

Their fifth wicket went down on 91 and 50 runs later the last wicket fell as St John’s were bowled out for 141 after 18 overs, leaving DHS the comfortable winners by 32 runs.

Jared Havermann snared 3 for 26 in three for the Horseflies, while Sfundo Mthembu knocked over 2 for 22 in four. Lazlo Jooste contributed 2 for 27 in four, and Ethan Cooper took 2 for 30 in three as a young DHS side, playing without some of its leading players, finished on a high note.

Summarised Scores

Kearsney College 158/5 (Ross Coetzee 71, Jack O’Donovan 53*, Benjamin Williams 2/20, Taurai Zimunhu 2/28); Falcon College 146/6 (Brandon Ndiweni 56, Reed Merick 39, Jack O’Donovan 3/15, Murray Weyer 2/22) Kearsney won by 12 runs.

Durban High School 173/4 (Bhavesh Naicker 72, Josh van Biljon 44, Rivash Naicker 21, Khulekani Nduku 2/44); St John’s College 141/10 (John-Mark Benadie 42, Luke Wright 25, Jared Havermann 3/26, Sfundo Mthembu 2/22, Lazlo Jooste 2/27, Ethan Cooper 2/30) DHS won by 32 runs.

Kearsney College vs Clifton College

In a battle of the unbeatens, Kearsney College defeated Clifton College by 50 runs on Wednesday at the iHlobo Cricket Festival, being hosted by Kearsney in Botha’s Hill.

Keegan de Jager, who represented KZN at under-15 level last year, showed that the step up to the 1st XI was not too big for him by top scoring with 76 as Kearsney totalled 218, batting first.

Cameron Veenstra continued his good form by making 35 before he became one of two stumping victims. Matthew Lamplough scored 23 at the top of the order, while fast bowler Sandiswa Yeni showed he can wield the willow, too, weighing in with 21.

Shiraz Perumal was the most successful bowler for Clifton, claiming 3 for 48 in 10. Rivan Moodley was tight, picking up a fine 2 for 28 in 10, while Simon Hill took 2 for 41 in his 10.

Kearsney, with most of their bowling attack from last year’s successful 1st XI returning, including opening bowlers Ryan Browning and Sandiswa Yeni, made quick inroads into the Clifton batting, with Byron Ward caught and bowled by Browning for two and Muhammed Malek LBW without scoring to Yeni.

The Durban school toiled manfully to break the shackles Kearsney had thrown upon them, but they could never quite escape their clutches. Tim Saulez, a classy presence in their top order, managed 19 before he fell. Then, with Kearsney comfortably on top, the lower order staged an impressive fightback.

Lawson Dinsdale, in at nine, led the way with 33 not out, and Caleb Naicker made 21, batting at 10, but Clifton’s top order had not made enough of an impact, and they were dismissed for 168.

Yeni captured 2 for 27 in eight, while his new ball partner, Browning, knocked over 2 for 39 in six. Matt Lamplough ensured his was a solid all-round contribution by picking up 2 for 27 in seven.

DHS vs St Alban’s College

A 70-run stand for the second wicket was the highlight of St Alban’s College‘s innings against DHS. Kyle Block was then dismissed for 47 from 52 deliveries, with two fours and two sixes.

Patrick Weir, his partner in that crucial effort, went on to make exactly 50 from 58 balls. When he fell, with the total on 113, the St Alban’s innings lost momentum as only two more batsmen made it into the teens. After 33.5 overs, the boys from Pretoria were all out for 155.

Jared Havemann knocked over four batsmen to finish with 4 for 35 from his eight overs, while Sfundo Mthembu captured 3 for 23, and Ethan Cooper took 2 for 30 from seven.

The DHS reply resembled their opponent’s innings in that it was based mostly on the contributions of only two batsmen, and their partnership. Josh van Biljon top scored with 52 from 62 balls, with six fours and a six, while Ethan Cooper made 21, and together they produced a stand of 53 for the third wicket.

Van Biljon was run out, as was Taine Havermann, and that hurt the DHS batting effort.

Jared Havermann, batting eighth, delivered an unbeaten 19 from 20 balls, but there was nothing more of substance as DHS were bowled out for 129, leaving St Alban’s the victors by 26 runs.

Liam Basch led from the front for the Pretoria school, snapping up 3 for 30 in 6.3 overs, while his opening partner, Rohan Govind, took 2 for 27 in seven. Tim Garnett claimed 2 for 31 in his seven, and Christian Visagé put the batsmen under pressure with a return of 1 for 9 from five.

Michaelhouse vs Falcon College

Michaelhouse kept their clean record intact by overwhelming Falcon College.

The Zimbabweans batted first but struggled to come to terms with the bowling of the tall left-arm spinner Cameron Strudwick, who turned out for KZN Inland in the Khaya Majola Week. Strudwick ripped apart the Falcon innings, sending down 8.4 overs, four of which were maidens, and snaring 4 for 10.

Nicholas Baker was also extremely effective with the ball, picking up 3 for 5 in three overs.

Liam Nel, with 20, was the best of the Falcon batsmen. But their innings fell apart at the end of the 21st over when the fourth wicket went down with the total on 87. Only eight runs later, Falcon were all out for 95.

Michaelhouse came out aggressively, in pursuit of a low total, and their efforts were helped by Falcon, who grassed a number of catches.

Captain Ethan Muir struck an unbeaten 49, with three fours and a six, while Tomas Baguley contributed two fours and a six in a quickfire 11-ball knock, which brought him 21 not out and saw House to a nine-wicket victory. Opener Michael Spencer weighed in with 20.

St John’s College (Harare) vs Uplands College

St John’s College ensured there was a Zimbabwean success as they cruised to a six-wicket win over Uplands College.

Visiting the crease first, the team from White River put up 125 all out, led by Tristan Rijkenberg‘s 34, while Bruce Nel grafted hard for 29 at the top of the order, but there was not much support for the duo.

Kian Blignaut went for 4.9 runs per over, but also got in among the wickets, to finish with 4 for 49 from his 10 overs. New ball bowler John-Mark Benadie shone with a return of 3 for 9 from six, and Michael Blignaut also removed three batsmen at a cost of 31 runs from 9.4 overs.

St John’s then took 19.2 overs to overhaul the Uplands’ total. Opening batsmen Khulekani Nduku combined with Kian Blignaut for a second wicket stand of 61 runs, which set their side on course for victory. Nduku then fell for 32 from 34 balls, which included four fours and two sixes.

Blignaut advanced the total to 110 before he was out for 45 after striking four fours and three sixes in a 39-ball stay. John-Mark Benadie was dismissed two runs later for 14, but Michael Blignaut and Luca Spagnuolo then saw the Rams to victory.

Summarised scorecards

Kearsney College 218/10 (Keegan de Jager 76, Cameron Veenstra 35, Matthew Lamplough 23, Sandiswa Yeni 21, Shiraz Perumal 3/48, Rivan Moodley 2/28, Simon Hill 2/41); Clifton College 168/10 (Lawson Dinsdale 33*, Caleb Naicker 21, Sandiswa Yeni 2/27, Matthew Lamplough 2/29, Ryan Browning 2/39) Kearsney College won by 50 runs.

St Alban’s College 155/10 (Patrick Weir 50, Kyle Block 47, Jared Havermann 4/35, Sfundo Mthembu 3/23, Ethan Cooper 2/30); DHS 129/10 (Josh van Biljon 52, Ethan Cooper 21, Liam Basch 3/30, Rohan Govind 2/27, Tim Garnett 2/31) St Alban’s College won by 26 runs.

Falcon College 95/10 (Liam Nel 20, Cameron Strudwick 4/10, Nicholas Baker 3/5); Michaelhouse 99/1 (Ethan Muir 49*, Tomas Baguley 21*, Michael Spencer 20) Michaelhouse won by 9 wickets.

Uplands College 125/10 (Tristan Rijkenberg 34, Bruce Nel 29, Kian Blignaut 4/49, John-Mark Benadie 3/9, Michael Blignaut 3/31); St John’s College 129/4 (Kian Blignaut 45, Khulekani Nduku 32, Leam van Zyl 2/25) St John’s won by 6 wickets.

Clifton College vs Uplands College

Clifton College had a very short second day at the iHlobo Festival, being hosted by Kearsney College in Botha’s Hill, with their match against Uplands College lasting just less than 25 overs. It brought the Durban school an eight-wicket victory, which was their third win on the trot at the festival, and already their fifth victory of 2024.

In warm-up matches before the event, Clifton had held off St John’s Harare to claim a narrow three-run win before an easier 48-run victory over Falcon College.

Not much went right for Uplands on Tuesday, although the toss went their way. In retrospect, it might have been better if they had lost it because, after electing to bat, they were skittled for only 33 in 16.1 overs.

Opener Leam van Zyl, with seven, was their top scorer, while first-change bowler Gabriel Vermeulen laid waste to the Uplands innings, capturing 5 for 5 in 3.1 overs.

Shiraz Perumal also shone, snaring 3 for 9 in three, while Tim Saulez picked up 2 for 8 in five with the new ball.

Incredibly, the wickets continued to tumble when Clifton batted as Van Zyl removed Byron Ward and Rivan Moodley with only one run on the board. From there, though, Caleb Naicker took charge, making 19 from 24 balls to see his side to victory in 8.4 overs.

Kearsney College vs St Alban’s College

The hosts, Kearsney College, comfortably dealt with St Alban’s College, cruising to a seven-wicket victory.

The Pretoria school put up 124 for 7 in their innings, with Matthew Ward making 40 before he was run out. Boago Motlhabedi contributed 24 not out and Patrick Weir weighed in with 20.

Matthew Lamplough claimed 2 for 11 in three for Kearsney, whose bowlers kept a tight leash on the St Alban’s batsmen throughout their innings.

The home team then romped to 125 for 3 in their run chase to record a third iHlobo Festival win in a row.

Opener Cameron Veenstra finished with an unbeaten 55, while Matthew De Oliveira made 29 and Jack O’Donovan 26.

Michaelhouse vs St John’s College

Michaelhouse faced St John’s College of Harare on the AH Smith Oval in a T20 match and came away with a four-wicket victory with 13 balls to spare to also extend their festival record to a perfect three from three.

The Zimbabwean side tallied 138 for 7, with opener Takudzwa Nduku smashing three sixes and a four in his 35 from 47 balls, which was the top score in their innings.

Luke Wright continued his big hitting, also launching three deliveries over the boundary and adding a four, as he clubbed 29 from just 13 deliveries, while Kian Blignaut weighed in with 26 from 25.

Oliver Davis was the pick of the Michaelhouse attack, knocking over 3 for 22 in his four overs. Ethan Muir claimed 2 for 24 in three, while Ross Moller kept the St John’s batsmen quiet, finishing with 1 for 13 from four.

In reply, Michaelhouse made 139 for 6 in 17.5 overs, with Muir, unbeaten on 33, and Luke Payne, 15 not out, seeing their side to victory with an unbroken stand of 53 runs.

Michaelhouse made a lively start, with Seb Hofmeyr and Michael Spencer putting on 43 for the first wicket in a shade over five overs before Hofmeyr fell for 17 at a run a ball. Spencer went on to make 25 from 21.

Michael Blignaut did a tidy job for St John’s, snapping up 3 for 20 in four, while Kian Blignaut took 2 for 18 in his four. Michaelhouse, though, played aggressively throughout, even after wickets fell, and their approach was rewarded with a win.

Durban High School vs Falcon College

Durban High School, beaten by Michaelhouse on day one, tasted victory against Falcon College.

The school from Matabeleland batted first and while a number of their batsmen made starts none of them turned those into substantial scores.

Darren Ncube, with 24, and Reed Merick, with 21, were the only batsmen to make it into the twenties. Their total of 136 all-out was not too bad, though, if one considers how much trouble Falcon was in on 39 for 5 after 14 overs.

Taine Havermann spun a web around the Zimbabweans, capturing 4 for 28 in 7.4 overs, and he was well supported by Bhavesh Naicker, who removed three batsmen at a cost of only 11 runs from his five overs.

DHS opener Omar Ismael then set his side on course for victory with an undefeated 57 from 79 balls, which included four fours and a six.

Bradley Wentzel, though, caused the DHS batsmen all sorts of problems, knocking over 5 for 38 in 8.3 overs. But Taine Havermann then provided the steadying influence that DHS badly needed and he, together with Ismael, saw the Durban boys to a five-wicket victory with an unbroken partnership of 94.

Summarised scores

Uplands College 33/10 (Gabriel Vermeulen 5/5, Shiraz Perumal 3/9, Tim Saulez 2/8); Clifton College 34/2 after 8.4 overs (Caleb Naicker 19*, Leam van Zyl 2/20) Clifton won by 8 wickets.

St John’s Harare 138/7 (Takudzwa Nduku 35, Luke Wright 29, Kian Blignaut 26, Oliver Davis 3/22, Ethan Muir 2/24); Michaelhouse 139/6 (Ethan Muir 33*, Michael Spencer 25, Michael Blignaut 3/20, Kian Blignaut 2/18) Michaelhouse won by 4 wickets.

Falcon College 136/10 (Darren Ncube 24, Reed Merick 21, Taine Havermann 4/28, Bhavesh Naicker 3/11); Durban High School 137/5 (Omar Ismael 57*, Taine Havermann 40*, Bradley Wentzel 5/38) DHS won by 5 wickets.

St Alban’s College 124/7 (Matthew Ward 40, Boago Motlhabedi 24*, Patrick Weir 20, Matthew Lamplough 2/11); Kearsney College 125/3 (Cameron Veenstra 55*, Matthew De Oliveira 29, Jack O’Donovan 26) Kearsney won by 7 wickets.

 

Michaelhouse vs Durban High School

Michaelhouse and Durban High School enjoyed an excellent battle on the AH Smith Oval, with ‘House edging a young DHS team, missing a number of players and featuring only one grade 12, by just two runs in a 30 over per side match on day one of the iHlobo Festival on Monday.

The boys from Balgowan were out in the middle first and totalled 197 for 5, with Murray Hall-Jones‘ 66 from 50 balls, which included four fours and two sixes, their top score.

Up front, Ethan Muir, sent three deliveries over the boundary and another two for four as he tallied 59 from 51, while Dylan Hewlett made a telling 40 from 54.

Ethan Cooper picked 2 for 33 in five, as all of the six bowlers used by DHS went for between 31 and 35 runs.

Ross Moller removed the DHS openers cheaply, but Ethan Cooper and Josh van Biljon then halted the Michaelhouse attack as they put on 74 runs for the third wicket. Cooper led the way with 42 from 45 balls, while Van Biljon struck a-run-a-ball 39.

Taine Havermann, their lone grade 12, hit two fours and two sixes in his innings of 30 from 28 deliveries, and DHS were also the beneficiaries of 25 extras, which included 18 wides. In the end, though, they came up just two runs shy after a brave run chase, finishing on 195 for 9.

Michaelhouse new ball bowler Ross Moller excelled, returning 3 for 18 from three, while Ethan Muir claimed 3 for 26 from his four.

St John’s College vs Kearsney College

St John’s College (Harare) has made it a habit of playing tight games against South African opposition, and their clash with the hosts of the iHlobo Festival was no different, with Kearsney College scoring a narrow three-wicket victory over their Zimbabwean opposition.

With the overcast weather threatening rain, the schools, apart from Michaelhouse and DHS, instead of playing declaration games, tested their mettle in the T20 format.

Batting first against Kearsney, St John’s posted 147 for 6.

John-Mark Benadie set about the Kearsney bowling, smashing 38 from 25 balls, with three fours and two sixes, to top score for St John’s. Connor Lovatt made 36 at just better than a run a ball, while Luke Wright provided a late boost, blasting an unbeaten 28 from only 14 deliveries, with three sixes.

Murray Weyer, with 3 for 36 in four, was the most successful bowler for the home team.

Kearsney made a fine start in pursuit of the 148 they required to win, with Cameron Veenstra and Weyer putting on 57 for the first wicket in 8.2 overs. Weyer fell for 20, but Veenstra went on to tally 45 from 44, including two fours and a six.

Matthew de Oliveira weighed in with an important 26, which included a couple of fours and a couple of sixes, from just 19 balls.

Kearsney appeared to be cruising to victory, but then lost three wickets for four runs, leaving them on 125 for 6 in the 18th over. Still, they found a way to win, getting home with three balls to spare.

Cameron Rowbotham came close to turning the match on its head, capturing 4 for 16 in three overs, but Kearsney survived. Dhaneel Govender was also among the wickets, picking up 2 for 29 in three.

St Alban’s College vs Clifton College

St Alban’s College, more used to the faster, more batsmen-friendly pitches of Pretoria, were caught out by the slower pitch at Kearsney in their opening game against Clifton College and were well beaten.

Sent in to bat by Clifton, St Alban’s slumped to just 73 all out, with only two batsmen making it into double figures, just.

Gabriel Vermeulen, with 3 for 15 in three, and Preston Govender, with 3 for 16 in three, put the skids under St Alban’s, who simply failed to fire.

Set a low total to win, Clifton took an aggressive approach and powered their way to an eight-wicket victory in only 6.3 overs.

Cohen Naidoo smashed three sixes in his 19 from 11 deliveries, while Tim Saulez struck two sixes and three fours in his undefeated 24 from 10 balls as Clifton cruised to a comfortable win.

Falcon College vs Uplands College

Falcon College opened the Zimbabwean account with a convincing 122-run victory over Uplands College in their T20 match.

Batting first, Falcon roared along at over 11 runs per over to total 221 for 5.

Zach Gover top scored, cracking 10 boundaries, three of them sixes, in a quickfire 64 not out from 38 deliveries. Callum Orford sparkled with 54 from 29, with six fours and three sixes, and Zane Sibande tore into the Uplands bowlers, striking an unbeaten 43 from just 16 deliveries, with five sixes and a lone four.

Amidst the mayhem, Luke Barnard stood out for Uplands, capturing 3 for 23 in four overs.

Unfortunately for the school from White River, they were never able to mount a challenge with the bat. They fell behind the required run rate early and were eventually bowled out for 99 in the 19th over.

Jack Robson was the pick of their batsmen, making 27 from 16 balls, while Lohan van Antwerpen made 24 from 28, but they received little support as the Uplands innings fell apart.

Darren Ncube knocked over three batsmen without a run being added in the latter stages of the Uplands innings and finished with 3 for 12 in four, while Benjamin Williams claimed 2 for 12 and Bradley Wentzel 2 for 25.

Falcon College vs Clifton College

Falcon were well beaten by Clifton, however, with the Durban school romping to a 77-run victory.

Opener Aalok Beharie delivered for Clifton up front, making 38 from 30, but it was Tim Saulez, in at four, who provided the fireworks, clubbing six fours and four sixes in a 42-ball 65 as Clifton totalled 179 for 8 in their 20 overs.

Alistair Carle, the seventh bowler used by Falcon, was also their most successful, snapping up 4 for 23 in three, while Benjamin Williams took 2 for 28.

Falcon, in reply, managed only 102 all out. Carle made 22, thus making him their best performer with both bat and ball, while James Thompson struck two sixes in his 19 from nine balls and Benjamin Williams contributed 16, but no one else made it into double figures.

Clifton utilised six bowlers and all of them claimed wickets. Shiraz Perumal, with 3 for 24 in four, led the way, while Simon Hill picked up 2 for 16 in three.

Michaelhouse vs DHS T10

In an effort to get in another game before the threatening weather put paid to the cricket for the day, Michaelhouse and DHS then went at it in a T10 contest, which Michaelhouse won more comfortably than their win in the T30 clash.

They posted 114 and then restricted DHS to 75 to win by 39 runs.

St Alban’s College vs St John’s College

St Alban’s rebounded nicely from their poor outing against Clifton to eke out a four-wicket win over St John’s, with five balls in hand.

St John’s, batting first, posted 170 for 6. Luke Wright top scored with a blazing 31 from only 11 balls, smashing four sixes, while Takudzwa Nduku struck 27 from 29, Khulekani Nduku 22 from 28, and John-Mark Benadie 23 from 15.

Christian Visage led the bowling attack with a return of 2 for 24 from four.

St Alban’s responded with 171 for 6 from 19.1 overs to secure a win.

Patrick Weir, with 52 from only 44 balls, with three fours and three sixes, played the pivotal innings, while Liam Basch, with 25 not out from 16, including two maximums, made a telling contribution.

Cameron Rowbotham picked up 2 for 25, and Kian Blignaut bowled tidily to finish with 1 for 17 from four, but it was not quite enough to keep St Alban’s at bay.

Summarised scorecards

T20: St John’s College 147/6 (John-Mark Benadie 38, Connor Lovatt 36, Luke Wright 28*, Murray Weyer 3/36); Kearsney College 149/7 (Cameron Veenstra 45, Matthew de Oliveira 26, Murray Weyer 20, Cameron Rowbotham 4/16, Dhaneel Govender 2/29) Kearsney won by 3 wickets.

T20: St Alban’s College 73/10 (Gabriel Vermeulen 3/15, Preston Govender 3/16); Clifton College 74/2 in 6.3 overs (Tim Saulez 24*, Cohen Naidoo 19) Clifton won by 8 wickets.

T20: Falcon College 221/5 (Zach Gover 64*, Callum Orford 54, Zane Sibande 43*, Luke Barnard 3/23); Uplands College 99/10 (Jack Robson 27, Lohan van Antwerpen 24, Darren Ncube 3/12, Benjamin Williams 2/12, Bradley Wentzel 2/25) Falcon won by 122 runs.

T20: Clifton College 179/8 (Tim Saulez 65, Aalok Beharie 38, Alistair Carle 4/23); Falcon College 102/10 (Alistair Carle 22, Shiraz Perumal 3/24, Simon Hill 2/16) Clifton won by 77 runs.

T30: Michaelhouse 197/5 (Murray Hall-Jones 66, Ethan Muir 59, Dylan Hewlett 40, Ethan Cooper 2/33); Durban High School 195/9 (Ethan Cooper 32, Josh van Biljon 39, Taine Havermann 30, Ross Moller 3/18, Ethan Muir 3/26) Michaelhouse won by 2 runs.

T10: Michaelhouse 114; DHS 75 Michaelhouse won by 39 runs.

T20: St John’s College 170/6 (Luke Wright 31, Takudzwa Nduku 27, John-Mark Benadie 23, Khulekani Nduku 22, Christian Visage 2/24); St Alban’s College 171/6 (Patrick Weir 52, Liam Basch 25*, Cameron Rowbotham 2/25) St Alban’s won by four wickets.

T20: Kearsney College 243/4 Uplands College 96/10 Kearsney College won by 147 runs.

The 2023 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament, which concluded on Wednesday in Gqeberha, showed that three teams – Western Province A, Central Gauteng A and KwaZulu-Natal A – were the class of the field, and that fact was clear when the SA Schools squad was announced following a cracking final between Western Province A and Southern Gauteng A.

The champions, who won 8-7 from the spot after the sides had finished regulation time level at 8-8, had six players named in the 15-man squad, including the winner of the Best Goalkeeper Trophy, Jordan de Sousa, the co-winner of the Best Attacker Trophy, Nicholas Fall, and the Player of the Tournament, Thomas Wiltshire.

Joining them in the green and gold were their teammates Noah Bigara, Johannes Reyneke, and Zack Cicero.

Central Gauteng A produced five SA Schools players, with Tristan Grimmet sharing the Best Attacker Trophy with Nick Fall. Greg Pryce, meanwhile, was the recipient of the FerFam Best Defender Trophy. The other Central Gauteng players named in the national line-up were Caleb van Loggerenberg, Benjamin Scher and Nicholas Pearce.

KwaZulu-Natal had three of their players get the seal of approval from the national selectors: Stef Swart, Mitchell Slade and Warwick Field.

Swart is the son of Justin Swart and Slade the son of John Slade, both of whom played rugby for the Sharks, among others.

Nelson Mandela Bay‘s Tawfiq Akomolafe completed the line-up.

Western Province coach Jabulani Sibiya was named the national coach, while Jon-Marc Carvalho, the coach of the Central Gauteng A side, was appointed team manager.

Lucky Letshabo and Dasch Barber were the two picks from the referees.

SACS, the top team in South Africa in 2023, had four of their players selected for the national side, while St John’s College produced three national players.

SA Schools Squad

Jordan de Sousa (Bishops, Western Province), Nicholas Fall (SACS, Western Province), Thomas Wiltshire (SACS), Noah Bigara (SACS, Western Province), Johannes Reyneke (Paul Roos, Western Province), Zack Cicero (SACS, Western Province), Tristan Grimmet (St David’s Marist Inanda, Central Gauteng), Greg Pryce (St John ‘s College, Central Gauteng), Caleb van Loggerenberg (St John ‘s College, Central Gauteng), Benjamin Scher (St Stithians College, Central Gauteng), Nicholas Pearce (St John ‘s College, Central Gauteng), Stef Swart (Hilton College, KZN), Mitchell Slade (Clifton College, KZN), Warwick Field (Westville Boys’ High, KZN), Tawfiq Akamolafe (Grey High School, Nelson Mandela Bay).

Sometimes finals disappoint and sometimes they thrill. The showdown between Western Province A and Central Gauteng A in the boys’ u19 title decider at the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in Gqeberha on Wednesday was very much a case of the latter, and then it was dialled up to 11.

It was a catch-your-breath, thrill-a-minute battle between two skilful, hard-nosed, never-say-die opponents, with neither prepared to give an inch in the Grey High School pool. It delivered on drama in bucketloads.

In the early going, Central Gauteng net-minder Ben Scher, who was sensational in his side’s semi-final win over KwaZulu-Natal A the previous day, looked as if he would do the same to the Capetonians, pulling off a string of sensational stops to help his side nose ahead.

The teams went blow-for-blow, but with one chukka to play, it was 8-6 in favour of Central Gauteng, the defending champions. But Province kept at their opponents and managed to reduce the deficit to a single goal when the boys from the Johannesburg region suffered an exclusion.

Still, though, Central Gauteng clung with all their might to the lead. With only 30 seconds remaining, Province coach Jabz Sibiya called a timeout. What does a coach tell his side to do in such a situation? Sibiya shared: “We took a page out of the Croatian handbook. We sent all seven up for a seven-on-six. We told them that the hole is going to come either in the middle or on the left, and the hole showed itself and we scored!”

When the ball crossed the line, only 14 seconds remained in the game. So, the contest went to a penalty shootout.

Scher, in the Central Gauteng goal, made a stop first up, but De Sousa responded for Western Province by rejecting the opposition’s second-round effort. After the five players selected for the shootout had taken their penalties, it was 4-4. The final then moved to a sudden death format. The first to score and save would win.

The game wasn’t decided quickly. Scher, who had almost seemed to be a mind-reader at times, was suddenly being sent the wrong way, and De Sousa, all six-foot-nine of him, couldn’t keep the Central Gauteng boys from scoring.

Eventually, with Western Province 8-7 up from the spot. De Sousa pulled off the match-winning save, and it was over. Behind his goal, the Province supporters erupted. Central Gauteng’s wholehearted challenge had finally been ended.

After taking the victors’ customary swim, coach Sibiya laughed happily, saying his charges’ victory had taken three years off his life span.

“It was extremely stressful. The guys have done it before,” he said about the shootout. “We knew it would come down to a showdown of the goalkeepers because they are really talented. At the end of the day, Jordy [de Sousa] managed to get that last save.

It was a gutsy victory. For all the skill and marvellous teamwork, what impressed most about both sides was their heart. Their all-out work rate was phenomenal and the manner in which both sets of players dealt with the pressure was extraordinary. As it ratcheted up, it seemed that one of the teams would surely crack under the strain, but they never did. They lapped it up and took the game back to the opposition.

Sibiya said Western Province’s experience of finals helped their cause immensely: “If you look at the split of players that we have in our side, there are some Paul Roos guys, there are some SACS guys, who have been in finals together, and against each other, over the years. Some Rondebosch guys, too, who have been in finals, also.

“It is something that we are used to, and I think that it was out of habit how the boys really stuck to their game. They showed character, and because they had been through it before it was something that they showed right through the game.”

He also recognised that Central Gauteng A had brought plenty to an engrossing contest: “Central Gauteng are coached by a legend, ‘Nacho’ [Jon-Marc de Carvalho], who I really look up to. When I was in school playing, he was coaching,” Sibiya said.

“Credit to them, they have worked hard. They’re a very skilful side. We knew it was going to take a lot to beat them, and they were beating us in some moments of that game. Big credit to them. It came down to the wire, and it worked out for us.”

The key to the Western Province victory was dealing with Central Gauteng’s physical and aggressive defence. “We knew they were going to give us a tight press. We knew they were going to back their centre-backs, Greg Pryce and Karabo Mamaregane. We had to match them with our captain, Noah Bigara, and I guess he was winning that argument in the first chapter of the game,” Sibiya said.

“We also knew that we hadn’t been that successful on our tight press, so we went with our tried and tested 4-2 zone, which comes from the heart of the Western Cape. It gives us a transition the other way, and it’s in the DNA of Western Province polo, which is counterattacking polo.”

The bronze medal went the way of KwaZulu-Natal A, who beat KwaZulu-Natal B 17-5 in the playoff for third, with Ollie Ditz going off for six goals for the victors. Mitchell Slade and Rhys Hall weighed in with hattricks, too, while Marnu Koekemoer led the B side with two goals.

Buffalo City ended on a high by edging out Western Province B for fifth place in a penalty shootout after a low-scoring clash had ended 5-5. Province were stymied from the spot, failing to score once, as the team from East London took it 3-0.

The Northern Tigers showed marked improvement over the course of the tournament, but they didn’t have enough to halt Nelson Mandela Bay in their last outing, going down 4-7, which left the hosts in seventh.

Zimbabwe ended their tournament with a defeat against Central Gauteng B, who ran out convincing 15-5 winners to place ninth.

Final Standings

Western Province A
Central Gauteng A
KwaZulu-Natal A
KwaZulu-Natal B
Buffalo City
Western Province B
Nelson Mandela Bay
Northern Tigers
Central Gauteng B
Zimbabwe
Eastern Gauteng

Results

9th/10th: Zimbabwe 5-15 Central Gauteng B

Zimbabwe – Garrick Duff (2), Michael Chaniwa (2), Samuel Edwards
Central Gauteng B – Jack Wilkins (6), Brogan McEwan (2), Zico Williams (2), Max Turanjanin, Ross Stuart, Samuel Ferreira, Mark Hudson, Braedon Hollingworth

7th/8th: Northern Tigers 4-7 Nelson Mandela Bay

Northern Tigers – Ruben Steyn, Jack Toich, Alexander Kelbrick, Joshua Verster
Nelson Mandela Bay – Tawfiq Akomolafe (2), Salmaan Abrahams, Nicholas Franklin, Daniel de Lange, Luke Moffett, Jon Hobson

5th/6th: Western Province B 5 (0) – Buffalo City 5 (3)

Western Province B – Mac Lecuona (2), Cosmo Enthoven, Ziggy Reimer, Aden Da Costa
Buffalo City – Keiron Roux (2), Sandon Grotjohn, Philip Wagner, Daniel Breetzke

3rd/4th: KwaZulu-Natal A 17-5 KwaZulu-Natal B

KwaZulu-Natal A – Ollie Ditz (6), Rhys Hall (3), Mitchell Slade (3), Jamie Spence (2), Matthew Hayes (2), Warwick Field
KwaZulu-Natal B – Marnu Koekemoer (2), Ethan Lyne, Blake Kruger, Jack Slater

1st/2nd: Western Province A 8 (8) – Central Gauteng A 8 (7)

Western Province A – Maximilian Mossop (2), Ethan Klerck (2), Ben Reiback, Conor Melling-Williams, Noah Bigara, Thomas Wiltshire
Central Gauteng A – Nicholas Pearce (3), Tristan Grimett, Karabo Mamaregane, Marc Smith, Taeg Mosehla

With a comfortable 11-5 win over Western Province B, KwaZulu-Natal A set up a semi-final clash against tournament favourites, Western Province, on Tuesday evening at the Schools Water Polo South Africa Tournament, taking place in Gqeberha.

After going down to Central Gauteng A in a heavyweight Pool A clash on Monday, the KZN boys knew they would have to go about it the hard way, if they were to lay claim to the inter-provincial title.

With the stands packed, it was clear that playoff water polo was on the menu. The big question was whether or not Western Province would be ready to raise their game against Stef Swart and company, who had at least already been through a serious test against Central Gauteng A. Province had played less challenging opposition than the defending champions on their way to top spot in Pool B.

Very quickly, the answer revealed itself. Western Province A was up for the game and then some.

They opened the scoring early on, but KZN found a fantastic equaliser through Warwick Field. Province, though, controlled possession and moved the ball around nicely to open up a 4-1 lead after the first chukka.

It looked as if the contest was about to get out of hand for KZN, but credit to coach Jason Sileno‘s charges, they pulled it back to 4-2. Province scored again, however, but right at the start of the third chukka, KwaZulu-Natal netted another to make it 5-3.

Province, though, were unphased. Calm and composed, they took everything KZN threw at them, rolled with the punches and came back at them with assured passing and some outstanding finishing. Twice in succession they struck from a man advantage and soon extended their lead to 7-3. There was little chance that KZN could recover from that deficit with only one chukka remaining.

They tried manfully, but Western Province did not let up and maintained their structure and intensity up until the final whistle.

Commenting afterwards, Province coach Jabulani Sibiya said: “I’m really impressed with the guys. I thought that throughout the tournament we’ve been working hard on upping our intensity. We had a bit of a slow start, but what I really liked about the guys is we trusted the process. We went chukka by chukka, and I think that we managed to leave it all out there, and in the end take the game convincingly.”

On the big stage, SACS left-hander, Nick Fall, showed big match temperament as he torched KwaZulu-Natal, scoring four times, while also playing an integral role in his side’s sharp ball movement.

“Nick Fall is such a natural talent,” Sibiya said. “What I like about our top left shooters is there are a lot of guys who know that they’re good shooters, and they’ve managed to change that into an assisting game, which shows a holistic approach. Everyone is used to them putting the ball in the back of the net, but water polo is more than that. It’s the pass. It’s the distribution. It’s the defence. I think that is what Nick and Johannes (Reyneke) did really well.”

At the back, the lanky and uber-talented Jordan de Sousa did sterling work in the Province goal, with his centre backs doing an excellent job of making the opposition shoot from distance.

Summing up his team’s showing, Sibiya concluded: “Province loves quick release passes, which we did, and I am proud of the guys balancing that with maturity and managing possession when we had the extra man on attack.

‘It’s all about balance. When sides are expecting us to do one thing, we show them that we are able to do something else.”

The boys from the Western Cape will face Central Gauteng A for the title after the crew from Johannesburg swamped KwaZulu-Natal B 25-8 in the second semi-final.

There’s no secret about what to expect from Central Gauteng A. They’re going to play an aggressive press defence, and then they’re going to try to launch swift counterattacks when they force turnovers. The opposition know what is coming, but stopping a very physical, fast, fit and skilful Gauteng side has proved beyond any opponent thus far.

They hit from all angles, and on Tuesday evening they wrenched control of their semi-final from KwaZulu-Natal B in the first chukka and never let up.

It’s a credit to KZN B that they managed to score eight goals because they quickly found themselves trailing 0-6. Of course, Central Gauteng netted 19 times while the KwaZulu-Natalians scored their eight.

Nicholas Pearce tormented KZN B, scoring seven times, while four players – Greg Pryce, Caleb van Loggerenberg, Leonardo Perreira and Connor Flinn – scored three times each.

It happens, at times, that seemingly inferior teams make finals, but there can be no question that the two best sides will do battle for the title of South African champions in the Grey High pool at 13:25 on Wednesday.

KwaZulu-Natal are, at least, assured of third and fourth places, and KZN B, who won a cracking match 11-10 over Nelson Mandela Bay in the morning to earn a spot in the final four, will return home as the best of the B teams.

In the day’s first match, Central Gauteng B outplayed Eastern Gauteng 17-4, with Ross Stuart and Jack Wilkins scoring five goals each.

Results

Eastern Gauteng 4-17 Central Gauteng B

Eastern Gauteng – Jonathan Viljoen (2), Robert Carr (1), Cole Taylor (1)
Central Gauteng B – Ross Stuart (5), Jack Wilkins (5) Mark Hudson (3), Marco Turanjanin (2), Brogan McEwan (1)

KwaZulu-Natal A 11-5 Western Province B

KwaZulu-Natal A – Mitchell Slade (3), Jamie Spence (2), Stef Swart (2), Warwick Field (2), Jonothan Bregman-Frangos (1), Rhys Hall (1)
Western Province B – Sebastiaan White (2), Cosmo Enthoven (2), Bradley Warneke (1)

Nelson Mandela Bay 10-11 KwaZulu-Natal B

Nelson Mandela Bay – Luke Mallett (4), Jon Hobson (1), Tawfiq Akomolafe (1), Salmaan Abrahams (1), Samuel Marston (1), Daniel de Lange, Luke Lightening (1)
KwaZulu-Natal B – Luca di Vincenzo (4), Blake Kruger (3), Tallin Laas (1), Marnu Koekemoer (1), Kyron de Kock (1), Jared Byleveld (1)

Western Province A 9-4 KwaZulu-Natal A

Western Province A – Nicholas Fall (4), Thomas Wiltshire (3), Zack Cicero (1), Maximilian Mossop (1)
KwaZulu-Natal A – Mitchell Slade (2), Matthew Hayes (1), Warwick Field (1)

Central Gauteng A 25-8 KwaZulu-Natal B

Central Gauteng A – Nicholas Pearce (7), Greg Pryce (3), Caleb van Loggerenberg (3), Leonardo Perreira (3), Connor Flinn (3), Marc Smith (2), Tristan Grimett (2), Karabo Mamarengane (1), Samuel Lister (1)
KwaZulu-Natal B – Kyron de Kock (2), Luca di Vincenzo (2), Ethan Lyne (1), Blake Kruger (1), Tallin Laas (1), Troy Rees-Jones (1)

When the fixture list for the 2023 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament was released, the match of the pool stages was clear. It would be the defending champions, Central Gauteng A vs KwaZulu-Natal A, and on Monday the two teams delivered on the promise of a thrilling contest.

Around the packed pool at Grey High, the electricity in the air was tangible. This was clearly a step up from anything that had taken place in the tournament thus far.

Central Gauteng A had achieved slightly larger margins of victory than KZN A throughout the pool stages but expecting them to win based on that statistic was not a safe bet.

From the start, there was little in it and the first chukka went back and forth, with the teams ending it level. Then, in the second chukka, Central Gauteng edged 5-3 ahead before a last-second goal pulled the boys from KZN to within one of their rivals at the break.

During half-time, Gauteng coach Jon-Marc De Carvalho stressed to his charges the importance of winning the third chukka. They duly went out and turned his words into action. “We really controlled it and stopped them from scoring. We scored one or two, and we gave ourselves a buffer, which was great,” he said.

In the Central Gauteng goal, Ben Scher delivered a lights-out performance, twice saving KZN penalties at crucial times in the match, which could have swung the momentum in captain Stef Swart and company’s favour. Instead, those huge stops served to buoy the Central Gauteng spirits.

“He was on fire,” De Carvalho said. “He’s been putting in the extra graft. When a ‘keeper wants to do swims with the guys, putting in extra time, sitting in goals and asking guys to stay late after practice, [it shows his total commitment]. Doing all that extra work has made him, if not the best [goalkeeper], one of the best in this tournament.”

After watching his players rise to the occasion and deliver an excellent performance in a charged atmosphere, which brought them a 9-6 win, De Carvalho said: “They were really up for it, and I am really proud of them. It was a tough challenge. I have to give credit to KZN, they really came out hard, and I was super proud of how the boys held up. They were brilliant.”

Central Gauteng A, before the KZN A clash, had been scoring left, right and centre, overwhelming teams with their energetic, smothering defence and swift counterattacks, so it was a credit to Jason Sileno‘s boys that no Central Gauteng player managed more than two goals. Seven players made it onto the scoresheet, however. And that’s what won it for the defending champions: a complete team performance from a very fit and focused squad.

They were beaten, but KZN A will move on confident that it is a result that they could turn around if given another shot at Central Gauteng A in the playoffs; there is not much between the sides.

There was another game that caught the imagination on Monday, and it was the meeting of Nelson Mandela Bay and Western Province B.

Sunday had been a miserable day for the hosts, who lost twice, getting crushed by Western Province A and then going down to Central Gauteng B in a disappointing outing.

On Monday, though, they were up for their head-to-head with Western Province B, who entered the match as the favourites. Nelson Mandela Bay, though, had their heads in the game and their intensity was far superior to Sunday’s offering.

Neither team was able to manufacture a decisive scoring burst, which left everything to play for in the fourth chukka. As time ran down, Nelson Mandela Bay thought they had scored a winner when they edged 10-9 in front, but Province B came firing back with a quick response.

Then, with only 14 seconds left on the clock, the home team drew a loud roar out of the crowd by striking again. This time, there was no coming back for Western Province B, and Nelson Mandela Bay snatched a morale-boosting 11-10 victory.

Their scoring was spread among eight players, with Luke Mallett and Tawfiq Akomolafe both netting twice. Province B had only four scorers, with Sebastiaan White and Cosmo Enthoven beating the home team’s fine goalkeeper, Oliver Klatte, three times each.

KwaZulu-Natal B played two of the five games on the day’s schedule and bolstered their record with a 13-9 win over the Northern Tigers and a 17-3 victory against Eastern Gauteng.

Clifton College’s 2024 Head Boy, Ethan Lyne, had himself a game in the defeat of the Northern Tigers, making a real nuisance of himself in front of the net and scoring four times to go along with a steal. Alexander Kelbrick continued his strong scoring streak for the Tigers, adding another three to his impressive tally. Blake Kruger, meanwhile, scored three for KZN B in both of their victories.

In the only other match on day three, Central Gauteng B gave a good account of themselves against Pool B front-runners, Western Province, but the loaded team from the Cape came through to win 14-5, with Noah Bigara and Arkin Marais both netting thrice.

Results

KZN B 13-9 Northern Tigers

KZN B – Ethan Lyne (4), Blake Kruger (3), Jared Byleveld (2), Kyron de Kock (2), Luca di Vinceno (2)
Northern Tigers – Alexander Kelbrick (3), Stephen Adams (2), Benjamin Melville (2), Julian Olivier (1), Gerrit Wessels (1)

Nelson Mandela Bay 11-10 Western Province B

Nelson Mandela Bay – Luke Mallett (2), Tawfiq Akomolafe (2), Salmaan Abrahams (1), Zack Willimott (1), Drew Stockill (1), Nicholas Franklin (1), Daniel de Lange (1), Jono Mackenzie (1)
Western Province B – Sebastiaan White (3), Cosmo Enthoven (3), Thomas Truter (2), Mac Lecuona (2)

KwaZulu-Natal A 6-9 Central Gauteng A

KwaZulu-Natal A – Oliver Ditz (2), Warwick Field (2), Meyer Malherbe (1), Mitchell Slade (1)
Central Gauteng A – Samuel Lister (2), Connor Flinn (2), Tristan Grimett (1), Marc Smith (1), Caleb van Loggerenberg (1), Nicholas Pearce (1), Anton Arwidi (1)

Western Province A 14-5 Central Gauteng B

Western Province A – Noah Bigara (3), Arkin Marais (3), Nicholas Fall (2), Ben Reiback (2), Zack Cicero (1), Maximilian Mossop (1), Johannes Reyneke (1), Conor Melling-Williams
Central Gauteng B – Mark Hudson (1), Brogan McEwan (1), Zico Williams (1), Jack Wilkins (1), David Johnson (1)

KwaZulu-Natal B 17-3 Eastern Gauteng

KwaZulu-Natal B – Blake Kruger (3), Luca di Vincenzo (3), Mitchell Wilson (3), Marnu Koekemoer (2), Kyron de Kock (1), Jared Byleveld (1), Jack Slater (1), Josh Lortan (1), Blake Davidson (1), Ethan Lyne (1)
Eastern Gauteng – Robert Carr (1), Gabriel Cazzavillan (1), Cole Taylor (1)

The three favourites for the 2023 Schools Water Polo South Africa u19 Boys’ title remained unbeaten after Sunday’s action in Gqeberha, although Western Province A, many’s pick to claim the crown, were given a good workout by Buffalo City in the last match of the day, eventually pulling away to an 18-9 win.

Province, in Pool B, also swamped a dispirited Nelson Mandela Bay 21-3 earlier in the day as the home team ran afoul of the officials. Ethan de Klerck had the hot hand, striking four times in both matches, while Ben Reiback recorded hat-tricks in both.

Meanwhile, in Pool A, Central Gauteng A continued on their serene way, downing KwaZulu-Natal B 18-2 before hanging a 26-1 defeat on Zimbabwe, who had the satisfaction of receiving the loudest cheers of the day when they scored their lone goal towards the end of their clash with the boys from Johannesburg.

Anton Arwidi had his shooting sights locked in, netting four times in both games, while Tristan Grimett scored just one less goal, and Leonardo Perreira struck six times.

KwaZulu-Natal A encountered some early resistance from the Northern Tigers, but the KZN side’s skill and superior fitness told the deeper the contest progressed. It was tough sledding in the beginning, but by the latter stages of the game, the goal-scoring appeared to be pretty simple. Mitchell Slade scored four, while Warwick Field, Max Scully and Meyer Malherbe all lit up the scoreboard three times each.

Later, KZN A faced the KZN B side. Matches between familiar opponents can sometimes be a tricky fair, as was evident in Western Province A’s 11-6 win over Western Province B, but KZN A enjoyed a routine victory over their provincial brothers, with Meyer Malherbe scoring four times, and Jedd Poovan and Warwick Field tallying three goals each.

Reflecting on the game, KZN A coach Jason Sileno said: “They’re a good B side, and they have a lot of threats and a lot of very useful players…but, if you’re consistent in what you do, and your execution is good, hopefully, the selection process warrants the result.”

What those wins meant was that the contest that most had cast an eye towards when the action started on Saturday, the last pool game between Central Gauteng A and KwaZulu-Natal A, would be, as most had expected, to decide who would finish first in Pool A.

The showdown happens at 12:05 on Monday, and while the common results of the two combatants favour Central Gauteng A, there’s really nothing to be read into that.

“They’ve probably put more goals on the opponents,” Sileno commented. “Sometimes that’s a good thing, and sometimes that’s not. It really comes down to the day and the moment, and the small moments.

“For tomorrow, I’ve said to the guys we’re on the right track… But we’re going to need an extra 10 to 15 percent. It’s the small things that count, from a technical standpoint, and maybe some decision-making. If we get those pieces right, we give ourselves a chance.”

What has stood out about the three favourites has been their ability to quickly pressurise their opponents with an aggressive press. It will be the team that better deals with that pressure that emerges victorious. Central Gauteng A, especially, have been very effective at pressing hard, turning over possession and then counterattacking very directly and at pace. They’ve scored plenty of goals in that manner.

“It’s going to come down to the press,” Sileno said, before adding, “but there will be some more tactical and technical aspects to it.”

KZN A will be hoping to have Matthew Hayes back in the water. The left-hander was out of action on Sunday, feeling ill, so he was rested and put on some medication. If he’s fit, he will go, if not he will rest up further. Certainly, KZN would like to have him back out there. He brings something different to the attack, playing wide on the right and using the left hand, and he’s also a nuggetty defender.

One thing is certain, the atmosphere around the pool at Grey High will be buzzing when the two big rivals meet on Monday.

Although they went down to KwaZulu-Natal A, the Northern Tigers took a step forward on day two. They looked like a better team and the results backed up that observation.

Alexander Kelbrick shone for the Tigers, striking twice against KZN A before planting six past Zimbabwe in a 12-9 win for the South African side. He added three more goals in a 14-goal victory over Eastern Gauteng.

Buffalo City brought a lot to their clash with Western Province A and, despite the nine-goal loss, enhanced their reputation. Unfortunately for the boys from East London, they also went down to Western Province B, although it was by only a single goal, 8-9. Reece Miles scored three in both matches.

Their neighbours, Nelson Mandela Bay, after losing their coach and a player to red cards against Western Province A, appeared somewhat rudderless without their coach in their second game against Central Gauteng B. The home side was not at their best and Central Gauteng B was up for the contest. The result was a deserved 10-6 win for the Gautengers.

In their first outing, however, Central Gauteng B was well beaten by Western Province B, who claimed an 11-1 win.

Zimbabwe played three games, beginning with an 18-9 win over Eastern Gauteng. They lost by three to the Northern Tigers, but were then crushed by 25 goals in their last outing against Western Province A.

Eastern Gauteng remained winless after also falling 5-19 to the Northern Tigers.

Results

KwaZulu-Natal A 17-5 Northern Tigers

KwaZulu-Natal A – Mitchell Slade (4), Warwick Field (3), Meyer Malherbe (3), Max Scully (3), Rhys Hall (1), Stef Swart (1), Oliver Ditz (1), Matthew Hayes (1)
Northern Tigers – Alexander Kelbrick (2), Benjamin Melville (1), Jack Toich (1), Joshua Verster (1)

Central Gauteng B 1-11 Western Province B

Central Gauteng B – Ross Stuart (1)
Western Province B – Sebastiaan White (2), Mac Lecuona (2), Ross Stewart (2), Juan-Paul Germishuys (1), Bradley Warneke (1), Salahuddin Khan (1), Thomas Truter (1), Paul Enthoven

Zimbabwe 18-9 Eastern Gauteng

Zimbabwe – Garrick Duff (4), Luke Hobbs (3), Samuel Edwards (3), Michael Chaniwa (2), John Whaley (1), Sonny Brebner (1), Ethan Ferguson (1), Mika Detering (1) Codie Selman (1), Joshua Covill (1)
Eastern Gauteng – Robert Carr (3), Jonathan Viljoen (2), Billy Tindall (1), Simphiwe Fede (1), Andro Mladina (1), Cole Taylor (1)

KwaZulu-Natal B 2-18 Central Gauteng A

KwaZulu-Natal B – Marnu Koekemoer (1), Kyron de Kock (1)
Central Gauteng A – Anton Arwidi (4), Samuel Lister (3), Tristan Grimett (3), Tanner Kleynhans (2), Leonardo Perreira (2), Nicholas Pearce (1), Marc Smith (1), Greg Pryce (1), Caleb van Loggerenberg (1)

Western Province A 21-3 Nelson Mandela Bay

Western Province A – Ethan de Klerk (4), Ben Reiback (3), Arkin Marais (3), Noah Bigara (3), Thomas Wiltshire (2), Adam October (2), Zack Cicero (2), Maximillian Mossop (2), Nicholas Fall (1), Conor Melling-Williams (1)
Nelson Mandela Bay – Samuel Marston (1), Jon Hobson (1), Tawfiq Akomolafe (1)

Zimbabwe 9-12 Northern Tigers

Zimbabwe – Garrick Duff (3) Ethan Ferguson (2), Mika Detering (1), Codie Selman (1), Joshua Covill (1), John Whaley (1)
Northern Tigers – Alexander Kelbrick (6), Benjamin Melville (2), Kade Berry (1), Milan Bedeker (1), Julian Olivier (1), Stephen Adams (1)

Western Province B 9-8 Buffalo City

Western Province B – Mac Lecuona (3), Thomas Truter (2), Ziggy Reimer (1), Ross Stewart (1), Cosmo Enthoven (1), Paul Enthoven (1)
Buffalo City – Reece Miles (3), Philip Wagner (3), Charles Caswell (2)

KwaZulu-Natal A 14-3 KwaZulu-Natal B

KwaZulu-Natal A – Meyer Malherbe (4), Jedd Poovan (3), Warwick Field (3), Stef Swart (2), Max Scully (1), Oliver Ditz (1)
KwaZulu-Natal B – Luca Di Vincenzo (2), Marnu Koekemoer (1)

Central Gauteng B 10-6 Nelson Mandela Bay

Central Gauteng B – Jack Wilkins (3), Ross Stuart (2), Dylan Botha (2), Samuel Ferreira (1), Mark Hudson (1), Braedon Hollingworth (1)
Nelson Mandela Bay – Salmaan Abrahams (1), Nicholas Franklin (1), Samuel Marston (1), Luke Lightening (1), Luke Mallett (1), Tawfiq Akomolafe (1)

Northern Tigers 19-5 Eastern Gauteng

Northern Tigers – Kade Berry (3), Joshua Verster (3), Alexander Kelbrick (3), Jacobus van der Merwe (3), Benjamin Melville (2), Gerrit Wessels (1), Jack Toich (1), Julian Olivier (1), Kamva Kenqu (1), Stephen Adams (1)
Eastern Gauteng – Robert Carr (2), Gabriel Cazzavillan (2), Cole Taylor (1)

Zimbabwe 1-26 Central Gauteng

Zimbabwe – Garrick Duff
Central Gauteng – Leonardo Perreira (4), Nicholas Pearce (4), Anton Arwidi (4), Tristan Grimett (4), Caleb van Loggerenberg (3), Marc Smith (2), Greg Pryce (2), Karabo Mamaregane (1), Connor Flinn (1), Samuel Lister (1)

Western Province A 18-9 Buffalo City

Western Province A – Ethan de Klerck (4), Ben Reiback (3), Richard Skeeles (2), Johannes Reyneke (2), Zack Cicero (2), Conor Melling-Williams (2), Maximilian Mossop (1), Noah Bigara (1), Thomas Wiltshire (1)
Buffalo City – Matt Johnson (3), Reece Miles (3), Philip Wagner (1), Sean Audie (1), Charles Caswell (1)