Author: captainmorgan

Selborne College confirmed their status as the number one squash team in South Africa with an unbeaten run at the Saints Squash Festival, in Bloemfontein, over the weekend.

They didn’t have matters all their own way, however, with the hosts, St Andrew’s School, pushing them all the way.

When the sides met in the last of their five matches on Sunday, both sported clean records. St Andrew’s had accounted for Michaelhouse (6-0), Hoërskool Zwartkop (5-1), Grey High (4-2), and Pretoria Boys High (5-1), while Selborne owned wins over Pretoria Boys High (4-2), St John’s College A (4-2), Maritzburg College (6-0), and Hoërskool Zwartkop (4-2).

Interestingly, in their two matches against common opponents – Pretoria Boys High and Zwartkop – St Andrew’s had scored slightly better wins, but Selborne owned the slimmest edge on Sunday. The contest hinged on the battle of the number threes, which went to 2-2 before Selborne clinched the vital third game, which lifted them to an overall 4-2 margin of victory.

St Andrew’s, led by SA u17 champion Dean Katzin, will, however, take many positives away from their showing. The Bloemfontein school’s side doesn’t contain a matric learner, which suggests they will be serious contenders for the next two years at least, with Katzin at the forefront of their challenge.

He was beaten only once, by Grey High’s Benji Newman, who was already one of the top u19 players in the country in 2025. Grey High, though, went down to St Andrew’s School A, St John’s College, and Zwartkop, all by 2-4 margins. They beat both Maritzburg College and Michaelhouse 5-1.

When Juan-Corné Brand returns from injury to the Zwartkop ranks, they will bear watching. Zwarries lost three times – to St Andrew’s School, Grey College, and Selborne. They won 5-1 against Westville Boys’ High and 4-2 against Grey High, but the return of Brand and the impact that will have on their match-ups when he takes over their number one spot will be telling.

Some other Eastern Cape schools enjoyed good showings. Graeme College, a young, talented side, beat St Stithians College (5-1) and Kearsney College (6-0). They also drew 3-3 with Maritzburg College and Michaelhouse, but went down to St John’s College A (1-5).

Kingswood College, meanwhile, was one of the pleasant surprises. They beat Kearsney (5-1), King Edward VII (KES) (6-0), St Andrew’s School B (6-0), and Maritzburg College (4-2). They also shared a 3-3 draw with Pretoria Boys High.

Queen’s College, too, enjoyed a good run. They rolled to a 6-0 win over Paarl Gimnasium, beat Westville Boys’ High 4-2, whitewashed Kearsney 6-0, and drew 3-3 with both St John’s College A and Pretoria Boys High.

St John’s showed off their depth. Like St Andrew’s School, they also fielded a B team. The St John’s College A side, playing a challenging schedule, beat Grey High (4-2), went down against Selborne (2-4), won against Graeme (5-1), drew with Queen’s (3-3), and beat Grey College (4-2).

Grey College, nonetheless, put together a good body of work, suggesting that they’ll give St Andrew’s School a tough fight for the Free State’s place in the Top Schools tournament later in the season. Apart from their hard-fought loss to St John’s A, Grey beat Zwartkop (5-1), St Stithians (6-0), and Michaelhouse (5-1). They also went down 2-4 against Pretoria Boys High.

RESULTS
(Games in brackets, matches in the middle)

Round One
St Andrew’s School A (18) 6-0 (0) Michaelhouse
St Andrew’s School B (16) 5-1 (3) St Andrew’s College
Maritzburg College (13) 4-2 (7) KES
Selborne College (17) 4-2 (6) Pretoria Boys High
Zwartkop (8) 1-5 (16) Grey College
Graeme (15) 5-1 (5) St Stithians
Kearsney (6) 1-5 (16) Kingswood
Queen’s (18) 6-0 (4) Paarl Gimnasium
St Andrew’s Invitation (13) 3-3 (9) Hilton College
Grey High (10) 2-4 (13) St John’s College A
Grey College Invitation (6) 1-5 (15) St John’s College B
Westville Boys’ High (18) 6-0 (1) Parktown Boys’ High

Round Two
St Andrew’s School A (17) 5-1 (6) Zwartkop
St Andrew’s School B (12) 4-2 (8) Parktown Boys’ High
Selborne College (12) 4-2 (9) St John’s College A
Paarl Gimnasium (16) 4-2 (9) St John’s College B
Kearsney (9) 3-3 (9) St Stithians
Kingswood (18) 6-0 KES (0)
Michaelhouse (4) 1-5 (15) Grey High
Pretoria Boys High (13) 4-2 (9) Grey College
Graeme (11) 3-3 (10) Maritzburg College
Queen’s (14) 4-2 (10) Westville Boys’ High
St Andrew’s College (7) 2-4 (14) Hilton College

Round Three
St Andrew’s School A (13) 4-2 (8) Grey High
St Andrew’s School B (9) 3-3 (13) Paarl Gimnasium
Selborne College (18) 6-0 (0) Maritzburg College
KES (1) 0-6 (18) Michaelhouse
Kingswood (12) 3-3 (10) Pretoria Boys’ High
Zwartkop (15) 5-1 (5) Westville Boys’ High
Kearsney (2) 0-6 (18) Queen’s
St John’s College A (16) 5-1 (7) Graeme College
St John’s College B (18) 6-0 (3) St Andrew’s College
Hilton College (13) 4-2 (6) Parktown Boys’ High
Grey College (18) 6-0 (0) St Stithians

Round Four
St Andrew’s School A (15) 5-1 (6) Pretoria Boys High
St Andrew’s School B (2) 0-6 (18) Kingswood
Queen’s (9) 3-3 (11) St John’s College A
Westville Boys’ High (17) 4-2 (4) St John’s College B
Grey College (16) 5-1 (6) Michaelhouse
Selborne (13) 4-2 (7) Zwartkop
Grey High (17) 5-1 (3) Maritzburg College)
St Andrew’s College (3) 1-5 (16) St Stithians
Graeme (18) 6-0 (1) Kearsney
KES (13) 3-3 (14) Hilton College
Paarl Gimnasium (18) 6-0 (1) Parktown Boys’ High

Round Five
St Andrew’s School A (8) 2-4 (16) Selborne
St Andrew’s School B (5) 1-5 (17) Kearsney
St John’s College A (13) 4-2 (11) Grey College
St John’s College B (11) 3-3 (15) Hilton College
Maritzburg College (7) 2-4 (12) Kingswood
Parktown Boys’ High (12) 4-2 (6) St Andrew’s College
Michaelhouse (12) 3-3 (14) Graeme
Queen’s (11) 3-3 (9) Pretoria Boys High
Zwartkop (12) 4-2 (7) Grey High
Paarl Gimnasium (17) 5-1 (8) KES
St Stithians 2-4 Westville Boys High

With the Clifton T20 Tournament hurtling into view, the tournament hosts, Clifton College, enjoyed a warm-up win over Kearsney College on Monday afternoon in a W100 match played at the Riverside Sports Club.

After bowling out Kearsney for 106, they reached 109/5 with only one ball remaining to pick up their third win from four matches in the competition.

The visiting captain, Keegan de Jager, opted to bat first after calling the coin toss correctly, and Kearsney made a decent start, with the weekend’s centurion, Gary Verbaan, combining with Asher Hollister for 31 runs from 22 balls for the first wicket.

Verbaan was the first to go, caught behind by Daniyaal Klinck off George Gooch, after hitting a six in making 11 from 12 deliveries.

Soon, Kearsney passed fifty, but their second wicket went down on 51, when Clifton’s skipper, Shiraz Perumal, bowled Hollister for 19. He had faced 14 deliveries and slammed two of them for six. Unfortunately, for Kearsney, after Hollister’s exit, they lost their way, with Clifton striking regularly to inhibit the visitors’ scoring.

Captain Keegan de Jager led by example, nonetheless, smashing two sixes and a four in the innings’ top score of 31 off 17 deliveries before becoming the fifth man out, with the total on 71, a victim of Blake Johnson. Three balls later, Johnson struck again, dismissing Luke Grobbelaar.

Kearsney was seven wickets down for 72, but still had 46 balls remaining, leaving them with enough deliveries to substantially boost their total. They ended up scoring 34 more runs, with James Bishop and Matthew Rice adding 10 each. With seven balls left in their innings, they were all out for 106.

Six of the seven Clifton bowlers picked up wickets, with the spin twins, Blake Johnson and Shiraz Perumal, claiming 2/20 and 2/21 respectively from 20 balls. George Gooch, though, returned the best figures, capturing 2/9 from 13 deliveries.

Clifton’s reply was driven by Daniyaal Klinck, who scored a magnificent century against Maritzburg College on the weekend. Opening the batting, he worked the ball well, hitting only two fours, but tallying the match’s top score of 43 from 42 balls.

Kearsney, though, made early inroads, removing Yusuf Ahmed and Hayden Drieselmann, to leave Clifton on 22/2 after 29 balls. Then, Perumal joined Klinck in the middle, and they proceeded to bat their side into a strong position by adding 50 from 37 deliveries.

Daniel Miskey brought an end to their partnership, bowling Perumal for 27 from 19 balls, which included three fours and a six.

Crucially, for Clifton, the next man in, Veer Ramouthar, picked up from where his captain had left off. He and Klinck advanced the total to 100 before the wicketkeeper/batsman was caught by his opposite number, wicketkeeper Asher Hollister, off Litha Gonya.

Clifton lost one more wicket when Miskey ran out Muhammed Malek, but Ramouthar saw Clifton across the line. He finished with 18 not out from 19 balls.

Gonya shone for Kearsney, with the left-arm seamer knocking over 2/10 in 20 deliveries. Daniel Miskey was tidy, too, claiming 1/16 from 19.

Summarised scorecard

Kearsney College 106/10 (Keegan de Jager 31; George Gooch 2/9, Blake Johnson 2/20, Shiraz Perumal 2/21); Clifton College 109/5 (Daniyaal Klinck 43, Shiraz Perumal 27; Litha Gonya 2/10). Clifton College won by five wickets.

The Crusaders Club, in Durban North, will become an entertainment venue for the whole family during the Clifton T20 Tournament. The hosts will be in action at 11:30 on Friday morning against Hilton College, the KZN Switch Schools SA20 Regional champion.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools or tune in to DStv Channel 216

Clifton is flying in the Coastal region’s W100 competition, with three wins from four matches – beating Westville Boys’ High, Durban High School and Kearsney, while going down to Northwood – and that sets the stage for an intriguing contest.

In Friday’s other Group A match, St John’s College (Harare) faces Kearsney.

The Zimbabwean side is one of two teams from outside of KZN – the other being Hoërskool Waterkloof – and has attended all three Clifton T20 tournaments. That’s because the idea for Clifton T20 came from the St John’s Rams T20.

It’s played annually, and Clifton has been a regular participant in the event for well over a decade, during which a strong relationship between the schools has developed. Last year, in Harare, the Durban side finished as the runner-up.

One of the highlights of the third edition of the Clifton T20 is the addition of a couple of primary school matches, with four teams set to play at Crusaders on Saturday.

“You’ve got Clifton Prep vs Highbury, and they’ll be playing for the Procter Richards Trophy on the main field, while Westville Senior Primary and Northlands will play on Crusaders 2,” Clifton’s Director of Cricket, Brandon Scullard, said.

“Both teams will receive sponsored match shirts to play in, and they’ll play a pink ball game.”

The Procter Richards Trophy match, which takes place between Clifton T20 matches around midday, will be broadcast on DStv Channel 216, which is appropriate, considering the stature of the players after whom the annual Highbury vs Clifton game is named.

The commentary team will include, among others, Johan “Spoed” Smith, Andy Capagstano, former Dolphins‘ opening batsman Divan van Wyk, Christo Esau and Brandon Scullard, who previously opened the bowling for the Dolphins.

Mike Procter, one of the world’s greatest all-rounders, attended Highbury at the same time that Barry Richards, one of the world’s greatest batsmen, attended Clifton.

Although primarily a bowling all-rounder, Procter shares a world record with Sir Donald Bradman and CB Fry for scoring six successive first-class centuries.

In August 1979, in consecutive matches, he claimed two all-LBW hat-tricks, playing for Gloucestershire (which was, at times, referred to as Proctershire because of his massive impact on the side) against Leicestershire and Yorkshire.

Richards, meanwhile, is remembered for his superlative technique, which brought him 325 runs in a single day in November 1970 for South Australia against a Western Australia attack that was loaded with international bowlers, including Australia’s Graham McKenzie, Dennis Lillee, Tony Mann, and John Inverarity, and England’s Tony Lock. He went on to score 356.

He and the West Indian great, Gordon Greenidge, opened Hampshire’s innings for many seasons and were a thorn in the side of the English county’s opposition.

In 2001, when the greatest batsman in Test history, Sir Donald Bradman, named his All-Time Best XI, he included Barry Richards as one of that side’s openers.

Crusaders, meanwhile, will offer something for everyone, even those with only a passing interest in the game.

“We have bolstered the main venue by adding a giant marquee, which will include TVs and a bar for refreshments. We’ve also added a general seating area around the field, including benches and umbrellas,” Brandon Scullard said.

“We will have a massive big-screen TV, with a crisp LED picture. We are in talks with SuperSport to ensure a live feed to their production truck, which would allow the public and players to view the big screen during the game and see replays.

“The players will also be able to view the score at the bottom of the screen, as the live scoreboard for the field.

“We’re also doing a catch-a-six competition, where spectators can win a pizza from the Saders Kitchen. It doesn’t have to be a one-hander or anything like that, but every six that’s caught will win the catcher a pizza. We’re encouraging people to come to the cricket and sit around the field.

“There will be food vendors, and, on Saturday, there will be inflatables for the kids. We are trying to enhance the experience for everyone. We want to make it exciting.

“There will be a DJ during the day. There will be live music in the afternoons and evenings. It’s about getting everyone out to come and socialise and enjoy some schoolboy sport.

“We’re trying to reach the greater community. It’s not just for people whose sons play cricket.”

FIXTURES

Group A

Friday, 13 February

11:30 – Clifton vs Hilton, Crusaders Main
14:30 – St John’s vs Kearsney, Riverside

Saturday, 14 February

08:30 – Clifton vs St John’s, Crusaders Main
08:30 – Kearsney vs Hilton, Crusaders 2
14:30 – Clifton vs Kearsney, Crusaders Main
14:30 – St John’s vs Hilton, Riverside

Group B

Friday, 13 February

08:30 – Maritzburg College vs St Charles, Crusaders Main
08:30 – Northwood vs Westville, Riverside
14:00 – St Charles vs Northwood, DHS
14:00 – Westville vs Maritzburg College, Northwood

Saturday, 14 February

08:30 – Northwood vs Maritzburg College, Riverside
14:00 – St Charles vs Westville, Northwood

Group C

Friday, 13 February

08:30 – Michaelhouse vs Waterkloof, DHS
08:30 – Glenwood vs DHS, Northwood
14:30 – DHS vs Waterkloof, Crusaders Main

Saturday, 14 February

08:30 – Waterkloof vs Glenwood, DHS
08:30 – DHS vs Michaelhouse, Northwood
14:00 – Glenwood vs Michaelhouse, DHS

Sunday, 15 February

08:30 – Eliminator 1, Crusaders Main
08:30 – Eliminator 2, Crusaders 2
09:00 – 7th place, DHS
09:00 – 9th place, Northwood
09:00 – 11th place, Kingsmead Oval
11:30 – Semi-final 1, Crusaders Main
11:30 – Semi-final 2, Crusaders 2
14:30 – Final, Crusaders Main

 

After an epic century from opener Daniyaal Klinck inspired Clifton College to 245/6 in their limited-overs match against Maritzburg College at the Riverside Sports Club on Saturday, the visitors needed every ball of their 50 overs to sneak a one-wicket win.

With the visitors needing four to win, Luke Venter smashed the final delivery of the contest for six to snatch victory for College in a breathtaking finish.

Clifton captain Shiraz Perumal‘s decision to bat first paid dividends. The home side lost Yusuf Ahmed early to College captain Reece Willson, but Klinck and Muhammed Malek combined for a second-wicket stand of 62 before Malek departed for 23.

Matters, though, became tougher for College as Klinck and Hayden Drieselmann took it to the visiting bowlers. In a W100 loss to Northwood on Wednesday, Klinck had looked in fine form, hitting a six and four fours, seemingly with effortless ease, before losing his wicket for an entertaining 27 from 16 balls. On Saturday, with more time to pick his shots, he pushed on to score a superb century.

He and Drieselmann advanced the Clifton total by 147 runs in just under 30 overs. Their third-wicket stand finally ended on 214 when Kyle de Bruyn bowled Klinck for 126. The left-handed opener had faced 156 balls and struck 14 fours and two sixes.

With less than five overs remaining in their innings, Clifton’s batsmen hit out, but it cost them some wickets, with De Bruyn ensuring the home team didn’t pick up too big a late boost. He also accounted for Drieselmann, caught by Luka Puddu for 57, which included four fours and a six.

With De Bruyn capturing 4/42 in eight overs, Clifton finished with 245 runs on the scoreboard.

Sadly for De Bruyn, he didn’t enjoy similar success with the bat, and the opener was out in the third over of College’s reply. Akhil Bharath and Dax Jursa immediately repaired the damage, however, and batted their side into the contest with a big 125-run second-wicket partnership in just over 28 overs.

As so often happens, however, once it ended, both batsmen were soon out. Bharath was the first to go, caught and bowled by Keegan Watson for 57 from 82 balls. He’d hit four fours and a six.

Ten runs later, Daniel Rea removed Jursa for the innings’ top score of 62. That left College on 140/3 after 33 overs. A short while later, that became 147/4 when the dangerous Luka Puddu followed, another victim of Keegan Watson.

Luan van der Merwe, who has been a strength for the Red, Black, and White in the middle order, once again delivered, weighing in with 38 from 41 deliveries as the visitors clawed their way past 200. When Van der Merwe fell, bowled by Daniel Rea, Maritzburg College had reached 206/6 after 44.4 overs. The contest was balanced on a knife’s edge.

It appeared, however, as if it was going to be Clifton’s day when they claimed three more wickets, with two of them going to Rea and one to George Gooch, to leave College with no margin for error on 229/9 after 48.3 overs. They needed 16 to win and only nine deliveries to score those runs.

“Cometh the hour, cometh the man”, and in this instance, that man was Luke Venter. He went for it and, with a stunning six off the final ball, lifted College to 248/9 and a morale-boosting win. His match-winning contribution was 17 not out from only seven balls.

Daniel Rea starred for Clifton. Coming on as the first change bowler, he knocked over 5/39 in 10 overs, while Keegan Watson returned 2/35 from seven.

Summarised scorecard

Clifton College 245/6 (Daniyaal Klinck 126, Hayden Drieselmann 57, Muhammed Malek 23; Kyle de Bruyn 4/42); Maritzburg College 248/9 (Dax Jursa 62, Akhil Bharath 57, Luan van der Merwe 38; Daniel Rea 5/39, Keegan Watson 2/35). Maritzburg College won by one wicket.

Westville Boys’ High vs Hilton College

Beaten by Hilton College in the title game of the Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two KZN Regional Final, Westville Boys’ High exacted a measure of revenge with a hard-fought three-wicket win over Hilton on Bowden’s Field on Saturday in a limited-overs match.

Hilton captain Robert Burman won the coin flip and chose to bat. At first, the visitors fared well, with Barack Munawa and Ben Wilson, who have formed a dependable opening pair this season, making 26 for the first wicket before Wilson, for once, was out cheaply. James Peattie, Hilton’s top scorer against Durban High School (DHS) last week, followed soon after.

A decisive passage of play followed when three wickets went down in the space of 10 balls, with Ewan du Toit having Burman caught for six before dislodging the gritty Munawa for 32. Those wickets sandwiched a run out of Obakeng Motsepa, and that meant Hilton had lost half their wickets with only 54 runs on the board.

Matters improved for the visitors, though, when Luke Wilson and Sange Qangule joined forces for the sixth wicket, adding 71 runs before Qangule’s knock came to an end for 39, with Ewan du Toit doing the trick for Westville once again. Sean Burman then became the batsman to be run out in the innings, leaving Hilton on 131/7.

Wilson stayed on, though, to advance the score by another 23 runs with Benoit Rey. Wilson was out just two runs shy of a fifty, having faced 83 deliveries and struck four fours and a six. Once he departed – the eighth wicket to go down, on 154 – the last two wickets followed quickly and Hilton College was all out for 162 in 49.2 overs.

Ewan du Toit led Westville’s attack, snaring 3/30 in 10 overs with his left-arm spin. Jamie Hasselbach chipped in with 2/20 from five as the home side’s bowlers performed a tidy job.

Aidan Baudach and Ewan du Toit then gave the Griffins a good start, with their 58-run first-wicket stand lasting into the 13th over of the innings before Du Toit was caught by Sange Qangule off Benoit Rey for 19.

After the skipper, Kyle McGough, fell for four, Baudach and Liam de Villiers lifted Westville into triple figures, adding 45 runs in 38 balls before the clean-striking De Villiers was run out by Motsepa for 22. He had blasted two fours and two sixes.

Baudach was the fifth man to lose his wicket, but not before he had scored a half-century. He was bowled by Rey for 52 after a 64-ball innings that included three fours and two sixes.

Hilton added the wickets of Kai Cotton and Misbah Nair at the cost of a further 12 runs, which left Westville on 137/7, still needing 26 to win with 22.4 overs in hand. They made it with 14.1 to spare.

Nair, with 19, Aarin Rasmussen, with 13 not out, and Jamie Hasselbach, with 12 not out, ensured the Griffins made it across the line.

Rey made it tough on Westville, sending down 10 overs and knocking over 4/29, but it was Westville’s day.

Michaelhouse vs St Charles College

Michaelhouse‘s strong season continued with a comfortable eight-wicket win over St Charles College on the Roy Gathorne Oval, where the visitors chose to bat first. In hindsight, bowling first might have been a better call.

Within the first four overs, Saints‘ openers, Keegan Vermaak and Caleb Sharp, were out, both to Thandanani Zuma. When Ryan Clarke, a centurion last weekend against Maritzburg College, fell to Zuma’s new ball partner, Rendani Nonge, St Charles was on 19/3 in the sixth over and in trouble.

Captain Thando Zama and Owen Widdows held up ‘House‘s charge momentarily, adding 36 for the fourth wicket before Zama was caught by Jack Campbell off Preston Greene for 34, the joint-highest score of the innings. He shared that distinction with Connor Simpson, while Widdows finished with the third-best score of 18.

It was an all-out team effort from the Michaelhouse bowling unit that did St Charles in for only 120 runs. Thandanani Zuma grabbed 2/13 in eight overs, Liam O’Dwyer ratcheted up the pressure with 2/23 in 10, and Preston Greene nabbed 2/18 in 5.1. Each of the other three bowlers – Rendani Nonge, Rex Wardlaw, and Ben Heuer – picked up a wicket.

Wardlaw next turned his hand to batting and, it seemed, took it on himself to drive Michaelhouse to victory. He opened the innings with captain Graydon Leslie, who made a modest 14. But Wardlaw kept rolling, partnering with Riley Muir for a 76-run stand for the second wicket. Muir exited with Michaelhouse on 107/2 and with victory in sight. He had made a circumspect 25.

Wardlaw was the engine that powered ‘House, though. He made an undefeated 76 on his own, facing 94 balls, seven of which he dispatched for four, and another for six.

After 30.1 overs, Michaelhouse reached 123/2, and the contest was over.

Summarised scorecards

Hilton College 162/10 (Luke Wilson 48, Sange Qangule 39, Marack Munawa 32; Ewan du Toit 3/30, Jamie Hasselbach 2/20); Westville Boys’ High 163/7 (Aidan Baudach 52, Liam de Villiers 27; Benoit Rey 4/29). Westville Boys’ High won by three wickets.

St Charles College 120/10 (Thando Zama 34, Connor Simpson 34; Thandanani Zuma 2/13, Preston Greene 2/18, Liam O’Dwyer 2/23); Michaelhouse 123/2 (Rex Wardlaw 76*, Riley Muir 25). Michaelhouse won by eight wickets.

Durban High School leaned on a tried and tested batting approach to score an emphatic eight-wicket win over Northwood on the Robin Smith Oval on Saturday. To make it work, though, their bowlers had to play their part, and they did so superbly in hot and humid conditions.

Josh van Biljon‘s decision to bowl first after winning the toss delivered rewards early and often. Northwood are at their best when their openers, David de Bruyn and Ross McGlashan, play themselves in, but the dangerous duo was dismissed only four balls apart in the fourth over.

Ismaeel Omar caught McGlashan for 13 off Bonga Maphanga. Then, in a critical blow, Taine Havermann ran out De Bruyn for one to leave the Knights on 16/2. Northwood was wobbling, and they continued to absorb body blows.

Maphanga picked up a second wicket when he had Josh Mills caught behind by Van Biljon for four, Josh Morley accounted for Keegan Reeves for nine, and Matt Potgieter removed Luc Boyall for one and Hamza Amla for four as Northwood slipped to 43/6 in the 18th over.

Thomas Oosthuizen and James Searle stopped the slide with a 37-run seventh-wicket partnership, but when Tristan Quail picked up Searle’s wicket, after a patient 16 from 41 deliveries, another collapse followed.

Thabiso Mtambo joined Searle two balls later. In the 36th over, Thomas Oosthuizen was the ninth man to go, bowled by Taine Havermann for the Knights’ top score of 28. Northwood had only one wicket left. They got eight runs out of it, which took them to exactly 100 all out when Maphanga bowled Ryan van Zyl for his third wicket of the innings.

He led the DHS attack with a sharp return of 3/23 from 8.3 overs, while Matt Potgieter claimed a tidy 2/13 off six. The other four bowlers – Taine Havermann, Josh Morley, Tristan Quail, and Seth Edwards – picked up a wicket each.

Then, DHS turned to the batting blueprint that has served them well over the past three years: composed, controlled, and patient application from their top three to lay the foundation for victory, whether batting first or second.

Over the last three years, Ismaeel Omar and Josh van Biljon have filled two of the top three places in the order. In 2024, they combined fantastically with Semal Pillay. Last year, Ethan Cooper took on the role of the third “big gun” with distinction.

In recent outings, Suliman Jadwat has ably fulfilled the requirements of opening the innings with Omar and adding a third sturdy performer to the DHS top order. On Saturday, Omar and Jadwat spent just over 26 overs together on an 85-run first-wicket stand, which sucked the life out of Northwood’s challenge and left DHS with little to do when Jadwat was caught by Trevor van Volenstee off Hamza Amla for 36. He had hit four fours and a six.

That brought Josh van Biljon to the middle to join Ismaeel Omar. They have been, by far, the most successful partnership in KZN schools’ cricket over the past three years. Although they mustered only a 15-run stand on Saturday, which ended when Omar became a second victim of Amla for 47, DHS needed only one run to win. It took them three more balls to get it. Van Biljon was unbeaten on 12.

Hamza Amla, the only Northwood bowler to enjoy wicket-taking success, finished with an impressive 2/12 from five overs.

Kearsney College vs Glenwood High

Kearsney College swept to a big 129-run win over Glenwood on the AH Smith Oval on Saturday, with a contained and focused batting effort being followed by a penetrative bowling performance.

Captain Keegan de Jager‘s decision to bat first was met with an early setback, with Rivaan Moodley going out in the fourth over for six. It took Glenwood another 278 balls and 194 runs to pick up a second wicket. Credit to them, though, despite not enjoying wicket-taking success, they kept the run-scoring in check.

Aaron Blackburn was the second man to go, but by then just three balls remained in the Kearsney innings. His excellent contribution was 87 off 137 balls, including seven that he sent to the boundary.

Esihle Gasa added the wicket of De Jager with the very next ball to finish with a neat return of 2/29 from nine overs. Qhamani Sikutshwa stood out, too, claiming 1/29 in 10.

Neither, though, could get rid of opener, Gary Verbaan. A top performer throughout the age groups on his way to a place in the Kearsney 1st XI, Verbaan showed he is comfortable at the top level, striking seven fours and two sixes in a 155-ball innings that produced an unbeaten 104 runs and his maiden century for the 1st XI.

At the end of their 50 overs, Kearsney had posted 211/3.

Glenwood’s reply, unfortunately for the visitors from Durban, faltered early before a middle-order collapse truly did them in.

Kearsney’s opening bowlers played their part by removing the Green Machine‘s top three, which left them on 23/3 in the eighth over. Then, in the space of 35 balls, the contest was all but decided as Glenwood plummeted from 36/3 to 48/7.

It wasn’t that one bowler caused the collapse either. Three claimed a wicket each, and Gary Verbaan ran out Sebastian Oertel.

Charles Nkwanyana offered stubborn resistance, smashing two fours and two sixes in a 40-ball stay that realised 28 runs, the top score of the innings.

Rivaan Moodley, who had trapped the in-form Mishael Gunawardana LBW earlier in the innings, then brought it to an end, capturing the last two wickets in three balls as Glenwood finished on 82 all out after 30.3 overs.

Moodley snared 3/19 in 7.3 overs with his leg spin, while James Bishop nabbed 2/8 in four, and Michael Groom returned 2/18 in five.

Summarised scorecards

Northwood 100/10 (Thomas Oosthuizen 28; Bonga Maphanga 3/23, Matt Potgieter 2/13); Durban High School 101/2 (Ismaeel Omar 47, Suliman Jadwat 36; Hamza Amla 2/11). DHS won by eight wickets.

Kearsney College 211/3 (Gary Verbaan 104* Aaron Blackburn 87; Esihle Gasa 2/29); Glenwood High 82/10 (Charles Nkwanyana 28; Rivaan Moodley 3/19; James Bishop 2/8, Michael Groom 2/18). Kearsney College won by 129 runs.

In the past 15 years, Westville Boys’ High had been beaten only once in the Nestor Pierides Memorial Gala. That happened in 2022, when St Benedict’s College stopped the Westville train.

On Friday night, in the Chad le Clos Pool, at Westville, Bennies appeared to be on their way to a second win until a heartbreaking twist in the tail for the boys from Bedfordview.

Throughout the evening, they held a slight edge over Westville. When the team totals first appeared on the scoreboard, St Benedict’s had 56 points to Westville’s 54. Later, during a 15-minute interval, it read St Benedict’s 170, Westville 165. Next, the scoreboard showed St Benedict’s 225, Westville Boys’ High 221.

When Bennies fared well in the freestyle relays, the last of the event before the 5x50m ladder relay, the trophy was within their touching distance. Then, in a massive blow, after touching the wall first in the ladder relay, they were disqualified for an early start. That was all it took to change the narrative, and Westville Boys’ High sneaked past St Benedict’s to claim the title again, scoring 286 points to Bennies’ 284.

Bloemfontein’s Grey College held off Durban High School (DHS) and St David’s Marist Inanda for third spot, finishing with 225 points to the 215 of DHS and St David’s 211.

Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) took sixth place, on 148 points, while Pretoria Boys High and Northwood tied for seventh, on 138 points. Clifton College followed on 123, edging out Kearsney College by one point, while Maritzburg College finished 11th, on 100, with Glenwood on 31.

The gala is scored with 12 points going to the winner of each relay, with each subsequent finisher receiving one point less. It is raced in all four strokes – freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly – plus the medley relays, and it finishes with the 5x50m ladder relay.

St Benedict’s won 13 of the 26 events, Westville took nine wins, Grey College two, and St David’s Marist Inanda two.

Those stats reveal how close Westville stayed to Bennies throughout despite the Gauteng school winning four relays more than the hosts. By the time the 5x50m ladder relay arrived, Bennies was 10 points clear, their largest advantage of the evening. But their dreams of victory were cruelly shattered in that last event

St Benedict’s smashed the open backstroke relay record, clocking 1:47.22 to take 1.81 seconds off the previous mark, which belonged to Westville’s 2019 team, and Bennies added another record in the u16 breaststroke, comfortably improving upon Grey College’s nine-year-old mark of 2:06.75 with a time of 2:05.57.

St David’s Marist Inanda set a new record in the u16 4x50m butterfly, clocking 1:46.91 to better the 1:47.07 set by Westville in 2017.

The hosts, however, claimed another record, bettering Grey College’s 2:04.15 in the open breaststroke relay, set in 2018, with a time of 2:03.97.

St Benedict’s ruled the open age group, scoring four wins to one by Westville. At u17 level, Bennies scored three wins and Grey College two. St Benedict’s won two u16 relays, St David’s won twice, and Westville claimed one win.

Westville owed much to their u15 swimmers, who dominated their age group, winning all five races, while St Benedict’s took four of five u14 races, with Westville winning the other.

The freestyle relays were the most keenly contested: St Benedict’s won two, while Westville, Grey College, and St David’s picked up a win each.

It was tight in the breaststroke, with Bennies claiming three victories and Westville two.

In the butterfly, Westville added two more wins, St Benedict’s two, and St David’s one.

Bennies won three butterfly relays and Westville two. Bennies also won three medley relays, Westville one, and Grey College one.

Final Standings

Westville Boys’ High 286
St Benedict’s College 284
Grey College 225
Durban High School 215
St David’s Marist Inanda 211
Affies 148
Pretoria Boys High 137
Northwood 137
Clifton College 123
Kearsney College 122
Maritzburg College 100
Glenwood High 31

St Andrew’s School hosts the 32nd Standard Bank Squash Festival in Bloemfontein from Friday to Sunday. Twenty-two teams will be in action, including many of South Africa’s established squash powerhouses.

Overseeing the event are Margo Morgan and St Andrew’s coach Calvin Deutschmann, who have been part of every Saints Squash Festival since its founding in 1994.

Morgan, the event organiser, in a message in the event’s programme, thanked Deutschmann, who has been her right-hand man for many Saints Squash Festivals and Bloemfontein Junior Squash Opens over the past three decades, for his support. She also extended her sincere appreciation to the headline sponsor, Standard Bank, as well as Tecnifibre and Twizza.

In a message from Standard Bank, Kevin de Beer, Coverage Head, Business Banking for the Free State and Northern Cape, said: “This tournament is more than just a competition; it is a platform where young athletes develop resilience, teamwork, and discipline – qualities that will serve them well beyond the squash court.

“We commend St Andrew’s School for its unwavering commitment to fostering a high-performance environment where players from across the country can come together to challenge themselves and grow.

While the event features top teams, Morgan always points out that the Saints Squash Festival is not a tournament. It is a festival. No winner is declared, and good sportsmanship is one of the primary goals espoused by the organisers.

Nonetheless, the top teams include the hosts, who feature SA u17 champion, Dean Katzin, at number one. Their fixtures, as usual, are against other schools with long-established traditions of excellence in the sport, and their fixture list for the forthcoming weekend includes Michaelhouse, Hoërskool Zwartkop, Grey High, Pretoria Boys High, and Selborne College.

Last year, Katzin participated in the SA Schools tour of Malaysia, along with Logan Kidson (Hoërskool Zwartkop), Wian Fourie (Selborne College), and Cobus Schimper (Grey College), all of whom will be in action at the Saints Squash Festival.

Perhaps, though, the player to beat is Grey High School‘s Benji Newman. He finished fourth in the u19 section of the Growthpoint Junior Nationals last year, but the three players who finished above him have all since exited the school ranks.

Zwartkop’s Juan-Corné Brand, who represented South Africa at the 2025 World Junior Championships, is out of action with an injury. Still, with Logan Kidson at number one, Zwarries are not exactly short of talent at the top of their pile.

The team to beat, though, is Selborne College. The East London school won the Top Schools Squash Tournament last year, taking the title for the seventh time to solidify their claim to the number one ranking in South Africa.

Maritzburg College finished second, their highest-ever position, with Grey High in third, and St Andrew’s School in fourth. All four teams will be in action in Bloemfontein.

Maritzburg College has lost some players from their superb 2025 side, but Bandile Mahayi, who played at either three or four for College last year, is now their number one. He’s a talented player whose best squash is yet to come.

Thero Motshubi, from St John’s College, is another player who is ascending, and he could push some of the established top guns hard.

Among the younger teams, Morgan identified Graeme College as a talented group of players, who are going from strength. Their squash programme is, most definitely, on the rise, she said.

FIXTURES

Friday, 6 February

14:15
St Andrew’s A vs Michaelhouse, St Andrew’s 1 and 2
St Andrew’s B vs St Andrew’s College, St Andrew’s 2 and 3
Maritzburg College vs King Edward VII (KES), Oudstudente 1 and 2
Selborne vs Pretoria Boys High, Ramblers 1 and 2
Zwartkop vs Grey College, Grey College 1 and 2
Graeme vs St Stithians, Ramblers 3 and 4
Kingswood vs Kearsney, Bobbiespark 1 and 2
Queen’s vs Paarl Gimnasium, St Michael’s 1, 2, and 3
St Andrew’s Invitation vs Hilton, Municipals 1 and 2
Grey High vs St John’s A, Eunice 3 and 4
Grey College Invitation vs St John’s B, Eunice 1 and 2

15:30
Westville vs Parktown, St Michael’s 1, 2, and 3

19:15
St Andrew’s A vs Zwartkop, St Andrew’s 1 and 2
St Andrew’s B vs Parktown Boys’ High, St Andrew’s 2 and 3
Selborne vs St John’s A, Eunice 3 and 4
Paarl Gimnasium vs St John’s B, Eunice 1 and 2
Kearsney vs St Stithians, Ramblers 1 and 2
Kingswood vs KES, Ramblers 3 and 4
Michaelhouse vs Grey High, Oudstudente 1 and 2
Pretoria Boys High vs Grey College, Grey College 1 and 2
Graeme vs Maritzburg College, St Michael’s 1 and 3
Queen’s vs Westville, St Michael’s 2 and 3
St Andrew’s College vs Hilton, Municipals 1 and 2

Saturday, 7 February

09:30
St Andrew’s A vs Grey High, St Andrew’s 1 and 2
St Andrew’s B vs Paarl Gim, St Andrew’s 2 and 3
Maritzburg College vs Selborne, Municipals 1 and 2
KES vs Michaelhouse, St Michael’s 2 and 3
Kingswood vs Pretoria Boys High, St Michael’s 1 and 2
Zwartkop vs Westville, Oudstudente 1 and 2
Kearsney vs Queen’s, Eunice 1 and 2
St John’s A vs Graeme, Ramblers 1 and 2
St John’s B vs St Andrew’s College, Ramblers 3 and 4
Hilton vs Parktown Boys’ High, Eunice 3 and 4
Grey College vs St Stithians, Grey College 1 and 2

14:30
St Andrew’s A vs Pretoria Boys High, St Andrew’s 1 and 2
St Andrew’s B vs Kingswood, St Andrew’s 2 and 3
Queen’s vs St John’s A, St Michael’s 1 and 2
Westville vs St John’s B, St Michaels 2 and 3
Grey College vs Michaelhouse, Grey College 1 and 2
Selborne vs Zwartkop, Ramblers 1 and 2
Grey High vs Maritzburg College, Eunice 3 and 4
St Andrew’s College vs St Stithians, Oudstudente 1 and 2
Graeme vs Kearsney, Municipals 1 and 2
KES vs Hilton, Eunice 1 and 2
Paarl Gim vs Parktown Boys’ High, Ramblers 3 and 4

Sunday, 8 February

08:30
St Andrew’s A vs Selborne, St Andrew’s 1 and 2
St Andrew’s B vs Queen’s, St Andrew’s 2 and 3
St John’s A vs Grey College, Grey College 1 and 2
St John’s B vs Hilton, Grey College 3 and 4
Maritzburg College vs Kingswood, Eunice 1 and 2
Parktown Boys’ High vs St Andrew’s College, Municipals 1 and 2
Michaelhouse vs Graeme, Grey College 1 and 2
Kearsney vs Pretoria Boys High, Ramblers 1, 2, and 3
Zwartkop vs Grey High, Oudstudente 1 and 2
Paarl Gim vs KES, St Michael’s 1, 2, and 3
St Stithians vs Westville, Eunice 3 and 4

Kearsney College and Westville Boys’ High dished up a tasty treat on the AH Smith Oval on Wednesday, with an edge-of-the-seat W100 contest coming down to the last ball before it was decided.

Victory, in the end, went to Westville by just two runs.

The visiting captain, Kyle McGough, called incorrectly at the coin flip, and Kearsney skipper, Keegan de Jager, decided to field first.

Opening batsman, Aidan Baudach, gave his side early impetus by striking five fours in his 29 from 19 deliveries. When he was run out, the second player to depart, he had scored all but seven of Westville’s 36-run total.

The Griffins struggled to get on top of the home side’s bowling and lost four more wickets within the space of 27 balls, which left them on 79/6 after 63 deliveries.

At last, though, they found a champion, with Aarin Rasmussen providing the visitors’ innings with the boost it needed. He hit four fours and a six in a 34-ball knock of 48 not out. He and Luca Roddan, who provided a run-a-ball 14, partnered for an unbroken 56 from 37 balls to lift Westville to 135/6 from their 100 balls – a solid total, but not a decisive one.

Five bowlers picked up a wicket each. Rivaan Moodley, with 1/19 from 20 balls, was the tidiest of them.

Kearsney’s reply started well. Gary Verbaan and Asher Hollister put on 19 for the first wicket before Hollister was out for 14 to the 14th ball of the innings. That brought captain Keegan de Jager to the crease, and he was electric.

With Verbaan playing a solid supporting role, De Jager went on the attack, clubbing four fours and three sixes in a 27-ball stay that brought him 50. Together, he and Verbaan put together a 76-run stand in just 45 balls before Liam de Villiers bowled the skipper.

Kearsney was sitting pretty, though, on 95/2 after 59 balls. They had another 41 deliveries to score 41 runs. They, however, mustered 38 and De Villiers, the man who halted the flying De Jager, was the primary reason that Kearsney came up agonisingly short of the victory target. He snapped up 5/17 in just 20 deliveries to send the home side’s innings into freefall.

At one point, they lost four wickets without adding a run, crashing from 100/2 to 100/6 in the space of 10 deliveries, with De Villiers picking up two wickets, while Ewan du Toit and Misbah Nair added one each. Verbaan was the fifth man out, for 33 from 28 balls, with two fours.

Suddenly, Kearsney needed 36 from 25 balls, with four wickets in hand, and the complexion of the contest had changed. When De Villiers added the wickets of Luke Grobbelaar and Rivaan Moodley, it was advantage Westville. Now, Kearsney was 106/8 and just 15 balls were left in their innings.

All credit to James Bishop, he met the challenge head-on, smashing two sixes in a quickfire 24 from 13 deliveries before he was run out off the second-last ball of the innings in a desperate effort to squeeze out one more run.

Matthew Gorrie made two off the final ball, but it wasn’t quite enough, and the home side finished on 133/9. They had been on course for an impressive victory, but then lost eight wickets for only 38 runs as Westville, the defending champion, turned the contest on its head to claim a much-needed win.

Westville’s bowling unit deserves a pat on the back. They didn’t surrender a single extra. Kearsney bowled seven wides.

Apart from Liam de Villiers’ match-winning 5/17, Ewan du Toit bowled well, returning 1/19 from 20 balls.

Clifton College vs Northwood School

After wins over Westville Boys’ High and Durban High School, Clifton College was brought back down to earth, losing to Northwood by 55 runs at the Riverside Sports Club.

Clifton produced an uneven performance in the field, putting down four catches. Daniel Rea, though, pulled off a spectacular one-handed catch near the long-off boundary, and the home side also added three run outs.

In extreme heat, Northwood was sent in to bat, but that didn’t pay off for Clifton, with opening batsmen, David de Bruyn and Ross McGlashan, putting up 62 runs for the first wicket from only 42 balls.

De Bruyn was the first to go after a 24-ball stay, which brought him 25 runs, including a four and two sixes. McGlashan followed for the innings’ top score of 31 off 22 deliveries, with four fours, run out by Muhammed Malek, who was also the pick of Clifton’s bowlers, claiming the wicket of De Bruyn for nine runs from 10 balls.

Luc Boyall added 24 before he fell victim to Rea’s magnificent catch, while Thomas Oosthuizen, who was fortunate not to become the fourth player run out, added 21 not out off only 11 balls, and Josh Mills chipped in with 18.

Clifton’s untidy day in the field included 16 wides, which helped Northwood to 143/6 from their 100 balls.

The home side faced a challenging run chase, but they started it well behind some clean ball striking from Daniyaal Klinck. He cracked a six and four fours to race to 27 before he was castled by Keegan Reeves, after he had faced 16 balls, which left Clifton on 43/1 after 26 deliveries. They were ahead of the required run rate. However, Klinck’s departure marked the start of a steady slide.

When his fellow opener, Yusuf Ahmed, was run out for 12, Clifton’s innings lost momentum, with no other batsmen making it into double figures.

The Knights‘ sixth and seventh bowlers made all the difference. James Searle knocked over 4/16 in 20 deliveries, while Trevor van Volenstee captured 3/11 in 12. Only 56 balls after Clifton lost their first wicket, they were all out for 88.

Durban High School vs Glenwood High

Durban High School (DHS) scored an impressively composed nine-wicket win over Glenwood on the Theobald Oval.

The toss went the visitors’ way, but they made a hesitant start to their innings after opting to bat, losing their first four wickets with only 38 runs on the board after 43 balls.

DHS was on a roll, but Mishael Gunawardana and Akhil Sinath put a stop to that, joining forces for an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 87 from 57 deliveries, which hoisted Glenwood to 125/4 after their 100 balls.

Gunawardana played the lead role, hitting eight fours and a six in his unbeaten 61 from only 42 deliveries. Sinath worked to get his partner on strike and finished with 22 not out from 25 balls.

Tristan Quail, who bowled Kamo Moloto for 13, was the best of the DHS bowlers, snaring 1/8 in a tight 15-ball spell.

Much like their win over Hilton College on Saturday, the DHS top order delivered a solid and impactful response. Ismaeel Omar, who scored an unbeaten century against Hilton, weighed in with a measured 50 from 49 balls and shared a 104-run opening stand with Suliman Jadwat.

When Omar exited, DHS had 21 balls remaining and 18 runs to make. They needed only 14 balls to win.

The skipper, Josh van Biljon, came in, struck two fours and tallied 13 not out off 11 deliveries, while Jadwat remained unbeaten on 44 off 33, which included seven fours.

Glenwood’s batting hero, Mishael Gunawardana, was their lone wicket-taker, claiming 1/27 from 20 balls.

Summarised scorecards

Westville Boys’ High 135/6 (Aarin Rasmussen 48*, Aarin Rasmussen 29; Litha Gonya 1/16, James Bishop 1/17); Kearsney College 133/9 (Keegan de Jager 50, Gary Verbaan 33, James Bishop 24; Liam de Villiers 5/17). Westville Boys’ High won by two runs.

Northwood 143/6 (Ross McGlashan 31, David de Bruyn 25, Luc Boyall 24, Thomas Oosthuizen 21*; Muhammed Malek 1/9); Clifton College 88/10 (Daniyaal Klinck 27; James Searle 4/16, Trevor van Volenstee 3/11). Northwood won by 55 runs.

Glenwood High 125/4 (Mishael Gunawardana 61*, Akhil Sinath 22*; Tristan Quail 1/9); Durban High School 127/1 (Ismaeel Omar 50; Suliman Jadwat 44*; Mishael Gunawardana 1/27). Durban High School won by nine wickets.

Durban High School vs Hilton College

Durban High School’s Theobald Oval was like a furnace for the visit of Hilton College on Saturday. Yet, in extremely taxing conditions, DHS opening batsman, Ismaeel Omar, showed admirable resolve to score an unbeaten century and guide School to an impressive eight-wicket win.

DHS captain Josh van Biljon chose to bowl first and was swiftly rewarded for that decision by opening bowler, Taine Havermann, who got rid of Hilton’s openers, Barack Munawa and Ben Wilson, whose partnership has been one of the strengths of the team, within the first three overs.

James Peattie and Hilton captain Robert Burman hung tough, though, and spent almost 20 overs together, rebuilding the innings. Josh Morley ended their 78-run stand when he had Burman caught by Seth Edwards for 45, which included six fours.

Peattie and Obakeng Motsepa continued the good work, though, advancing the total by another 45 runs before Motsepa was bowled by Tristan Quail for 21.

That left Hilton on 129/4 in the 30th over. Soon, though, that became 142/7 in the 34th over, with Peattie the seventh man out for the innings’ top score of 50. He had faced 95 deliveries, hitting two fours and a six.

Sange Qangule ensured Hilton didn’t go quietly. He went on the attack, blasting four fours and two sixes in a 34-ball stay that brought him 48 runs. His wicket was the last wicket to fall, with Qangule another victim of Taine Havermann, but he had helped Hilton to 219 all out after 48.1 overs.

Havermann finished with a telling 4/39 from 9.1 overs, while Seth Edwards snapped up 2/11 in five. Up front, Havermann’s new ball partner, Bonga Maphanga, claimed 2/36 from 10.

The DHS openers, Ismaeel Omar and Suliman Jadwat, then set their side up for victory with a 111-run opening stand in just over 28 overs, which, in the energy-sapping heat, took a heavy toll on the visiting side.

When, at last, Obakeng Motsepa bowled Jadwat for 44, Josh van Biljon made his way to the crease, and matters didn’t improve for Hilton. Together with Omar, the DHS skipper tacked on another 107 runs for the second wicket in 103 balls.

With only two runs required to win, Van Biljon was bowled by Sechaba Gude for 57 from 64 balls, six of which he struck for four, and another for six. It was way too little too late for Hilton, however, and DHS eased to an emphatic victory.

Omar was unbeaten on 105 from 124 balls. His innings had included 16 fours and a six.

Motsepa was the pick of the visiting bowlers, returning 1/26 from seven overs.

St Charles College vs Maritzburg College

St Charles College hosted Maritzburg College on the SCC Oval on Saturday in a Pietermaritzburg derby that has delivered some thrilling contests in recent years. This one was no different, with College sneaking a tight one-wicket victory.

The toss went the way of the home team. They chose to bat first but produced an uneven performance. Nine players visited the crease, six of them made only single-figure scores, and another, captain Thando Zama, made 10. However, the other two, Ryan Clarke and Lebo Mokoena, excelled.

Saints were forced onto the back foot in the very first over when College captain Reece Willson bowled Caleb Sharp for a duck. Zama was in and out quickly, but that brought Clarke to the crease.

Then, Keegan Vermaak departed for two, Owen Widdows followed for five, and Connor Simpson for six, which left St Charles searching for traction on 59/5 in the 21st over. At last, though, Clarke found a solid partner in Mokoena.

They settled in, grafted hard, and kept College at bay, adding 118 runs for the sixth wicket in 28.1 overs. It took a run out to part them, with Mokoena exiting in the 49th over for 50. He had faced 96 balls and hit three fours.

Clarke stayed until the end and blasted the last ball of the innings for four to go to his century. He finished on exactly 100 not out, having faced 131 deliveries and struck 10 fours to help Saints to 186/7.

Reece Willson was the pick of the Maritzburg College attack, knocking over 3/38 from 10 overs. Luke Venter claimed 1/30 from nine, and Akhil Bharath clamped down on the St Charles’ run-scoring rate by conceding only 12 runs from his six overs.

College made a steadier start to their innings than St Charles, but their openers, Akhil Bharath and Kyle de Bruyn, fell within five balls of one another, leaving the visitors on 27/2 in the eighth over.

Luka Puddu and Dax Jursa quickly steadied the innings with a sound 47-run third-wicket stand in 57 balls. After Puddu departed for 20, Jursa and Luan van der Merwe boosted the College total by a further 42 runs before Jursa was caught and bowled by Kaiyuran Naidoo for 44, which featured five fours.

Reece Wilson joined Van der Merwe, and they continued to keep the Saints’ bowlers at an arm’s length until the 45th over, when, with balls running out and runs needed, he was run out by Jack Richards for 52. He’d faced 80 balls and stroked three fours.

Still, on 167/5, Maritzburg College was well positioned to push forward to victory. Ryan Clarke and Jayden Saville, however, almost stole the game for the hosts.

Clarke bowled Dom du Toit before Saville accounted for Rory Schirge, Ethan Fabre, and Greg Hoskings in a shade under three overs. When Hoskings exited, College was on 183/9. They needed another four runs to win. Luke Venter joined Reece Willson at the crease.

It was Venter who, at last, clinched a heart-stopping win for the Red, Black, and White, sending the second ball of the final over from Clarke to the boundary. Willson was on 14 not out.

Jayden Saville excelled, knocking over 4/26 in eight overs, while Kaiyuran Naidoo was miserly, snaring 2/18 from 10. Victory, though, belonged to Maritzburg College.

Summarised scorecards

Hilton College 219/10 (James Peattie 50, Sange Qangule 48, Robert Burman 45; Taine Havermann 4/39; Seth Edwards 2/11, Bonga Maphanga 2/36); Durban High School 220/2 (Ismaeel Omar 104*, Josh van Biljon 57, Suliman Jadwat 44; Obakeng Motsepa 1/26). Durban High School won by eight wickets.

St Charles College 186/7 (Ryan Clarke 100*, Lebo Mokoena 50; Reece Willson 3/38); Maritzburg College 190/9 (Luan van der Merwe 52, Dax Jursa 44, Luka Puddu 20; Jayden Saville 4/26, Kaiyuran Naidoo 2/18). Maritzburg College won by one wicket.