Author: cschiwanza

The bowler might just as well have told Ryan Young what he intended to do with the delivery. The Jeppe High School for Boys‘ captain read Likho Gidi’s mind, moved into position early, and smacked the ball for six.

The next delivery landed in the slot and Young gave it the same treatment as the previous one.

The back-to-back sixes off the Hudson Park High bowler took his score from 89 to 101.

Young acknowledged his teammates, the coaches, and the sparse crowd before preparing to face the next delivery. He wiped the three-figure score from his mind as he set up to face the third ball of Gidi’s over.

The slate was clean. What had come before didn’t matter. Gidi pitched the ball in a good area, and Young accorded it the respect it deserved, blocking it with the full face of the bat.

Young finished the match with 127 from 123 deliveries, which set up Jeppe for a convincing 162-win. It set the tone for the Johannesburg school’s Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week campaign. They wouldn’t pull any punches. That century was also added to the list of Young’s favourite knocks.

“My most memorable moments would be making my debut for the first team, my highest score, being 165 (not out) against St Andrew’s [School] and, lastly, being part of the team that won the Johnny Waite Cup in 2023,” Young told SuperSport Schools Plus.

Unlike the ton against Hudson Park, which was free-flowing, Young tapped into his patient side when he recorded his 165 against St Andrew’s School in a time cricket match at the Grey College Festival. After reaching his century, the Grade 11 learner hit the reset button and batted on until his side declared their innings closed on 304/5.

He was content to see off maiden overs whenever the bowlers consistently pitched the ball in troublesome areas. However, he was also ready to pounce on anything loose. Watching him was like watching Joe Root bat. Ironically, the England great once played for St Andrew’s. It is, therefore, no surprise that Root is one of two batsmen that Young looks up to; the other is Quinton de Kock.

“I have looked up to these players since I began playing cricket and have adapted my game to try resemble how they play,” Young revealed. He hopes to emulate both and play international cricket.

“My plans for after school would be to continue playing cricket at a high level: provincial, international or franchise cricket around the world. Wherever I end up, cricket will always be a part of my life,” Young declared.

Since he was able to play the game unsupervised, cricket has been an integral part of his life. He was drawn into the sport by an older cousin, whom he watched play for hours on end.

“I started playing cricket at six years of age and only played my first ever cricket match at 10. I spent many afternoons watching my older cousin play cricket and that drew me to the game,” he recalled.

Young received a taste of first team cricket at Jeppe nine years after picking up a bat for the first time. However, it wasn’t a full debut, he was an injury replacement for their wicketkeeper at the St David’s Marist Inanda Fasken Time Cricket Festival.

“My journey into the first team cricket started at Fasken in my grade 8 year, when the wicket keeper at the time got injured. This was an honour and privilege to play at such a young age,” he said.

Life came full circle when he celebrated his 100th cap for Jeppe at the 2025 Fasken Festival. Unfortunately, Young was unable to make the milestone a landmark score. However, he could take solace from the fact that he scored a wonderful 114 off 124 balls in his 99th match, again against Bloemfontein’s St Andrew’s, a school with a strong cricket pedigree.

“[Earning] 100 caps for Jeppe’s first team is a great honour and, hopefully, when I leave the school next year I’ll be leaving with 150 caps,” he said.

In the meantime, the grade 11 learner is focused on leading Jeppe’s challenge in the Gauteng Lions League and Switch Schools SA20 – Volume Two competition.

Young cites patience, guiding and assisting teammates, calmness, determination, and commitment as his strengths.

“I have learnt how to make the worst days become better days. I try and use the lessons to create a better tomorrow,” he explained.

Samuel Scheckter blasted a masterful century, while Rhys Wiblin bagged a five-wicket haul to help St Andrew’s College register an emphatic 177-run victory over Union High in their final Cape Schools Cricket Festival contest on Wynberg Boys’ High’s Silverhurst A Field on Tuesday.

Less than 10km away, Queen’s College and Dale College locked horns in a traditional rivalry on Rondebosch Boys’ High’s Meadows A Field, where Khazimla Simama’s bowling mastery and five-wicket haul led Queen’s to a comfortable 58-run win.

St Andrew’s College won the toss and chose to bat first, making good use of the opportunity to power their way to 316/8 in 50 overs. Union High, in reply, was unable to match the Makhands school’s momentum. Their innings lasted 38.5 overs, and they were all out for only 139.

St Andrew’s didn’t start well, losing William Beamish and Benjamin Scharges in the powerplay, which left them on 36/2 after 7.2 overs.

However, the departure of the duo opened the door for Scheckter, who took control of the innings over the next 35.4 overs. He faced 106 deliveries for his outstanding 101, striking nine fours and a six. Benjamin Coventry, with whom he shared a 98-run fifth-wicket partnership, contributed a vital 37 runs from 47 deliveries, while Warrick Campbell cracked a brisk 32 off 18 balls at the death.

Union’s Trystan Hulleman was again among the wickets, picking up 3/51, while Callum Jacobs was the pick of the Graaff-Reinet school’s attack, with a tidy haul of 3/38.

Union High’s start, by contrast, was decent, with Makukhanye de Beer (23) and Hulleman (19) putting up 50 for the first wicket. However, the tide swiftly turned when Union lost three wickets for 13 runs in 2.2 overs.

Wiblin was the architect of their undoing, capturing a match-winning 5/18 from 4.5 overs.

At Rondebosch, Queen’s decided to bat first after winning the toss. Battling tenaciously, the Komani boys tallied 170 all out in 43.3 overs. It didn’t matter that their total appeared average because they had Khazimla Simama, who bagged a five-wicket haul as Dale College was bundled out for only 112 in reply.

Queen’s decision to bat first went awry when Lihlumelo Ngcukana and Khwezi Mtshakazi took three early wickets to reduce them to 25/3 after seven overs. A 55-run fourth-wicket partnership between Ross Fitzhenry (19) and Rowan Miles (59) steadied the innings.

When that partnership ended, Miles and Caleb Waller shared a 64-run stand and those two healthy partnerships proved to be more than enough.

Afika Ganda fought hard with a steady 36-ball 39 when it was Dale College’s turn to bat, but the opener lacked support as he witnessed a steady stream of partners departing. Inga Mafanga was the only other Dale College player to reach double figures, contributing a run-a-ball 17.

Simama undermined their batting effort, knocking over 5/22 in 4.2 overs, while Chulumanco Geza inflicted further damage, returning 3/25 from five.

Scorecards

St Andrew’s College 316/8 (Samuel Scheckter 101, Benjamin Coventry 37, Warrick Campbell 32*; Callum Jacobs 3/38, Trystan Hulleman 3/51) Union High 139/10 (Xavier Barlow 29*, Makukhanye de Beer 23; Rhys Wiblin 5/18, Thomas Bussiahn 2/4, Andrew Turvey 2/40). St Andrew’s College won by 177 runs.

Queen’s College 170/10 (Rowan Miles 59, Caleb Waller 27; Sibongisile Nzima 4/26, Lihlumelo Ngcukana 3/35, Khwezi Mtshakazi 3/15). Dale College 112/10 (Afika Ganda 39, Inga Mafanga 17; Khazimla Simama 5/22, Chulumanco Geza 3/25). Queen’s College won by 58 runs.

Hayden Hewlett, Christian Sabela, and Keegan Caxeiro starred as they powered Michaelhouse, King Edward VII (KES), and Jeppe to victories in the final round of matches at the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week on Tuesday.

As they have done in most of their outings, St David’s Marist Inanda’s players produced an effective team performance on their way to a convincing win over St Charles College.

Michaelhouse brought cheer to local fans who had made their way to the Roy Gathorne Oval to watch their fixture against St John’s College.

The hosts, who lost the toss, were asked to bowl first. Using the conditions well, they held St John’s College to 153/5 in their 20 overs.

Hewlett drew enthusiastic applause by slashing four fours and five six in an unbeaten 46-ball 80, which catapulted Michaelhouse to 156/4 and a six-wicket triumph.

Radhesh Jhilmeet helped set the stage for Michaelhouse’s win with his 3/24 from four overs, while Rendani Nonge and Ben Heuer contributed a wicket each. Captain Alec Loveland fought hard for St John’s with a well-played 68 from 47 balls. However, his stout effort wasn’t enough to avoid defeat.

Michaelhouse was on 44/3 after 7.5 overs when Hewlett walked in. Combining superbly, he and Heuer stitched a scintillating 95-run fourth-wicket partnership together off 60 balls to take the game away from St John’s. The win made it four out of four for ‘House at the Michaelmas Week.

Hilton College won the toss and opted to bat first when they met KES at Hilton, only for Christian Sabela to run riot, ripping through their middle order before cleaning up the tail on his way to a match-winning five-wicket haul.

Sabela’s superb haul helped KES dismiss Hilton for only 72 runs in 19.5 overs. The Johannesburg side’s batsmen then made light work of the target and cantered to a comfortable nine-wicket win, reaching 76/1 after 9.1 overs.

Steele Grooteman took the new ball for KES and got the ball rolling with two wickets in his first over. Hilton never recovered. Sabela, usually an opening bowler, was introduced into the attack in the sixth over and replicated Grooteman’s feat by capturing two wickets in his first over.

Ben Erasmus (25) and Luke Wilson (20) provided some resistance, but it was only temporary.

Tiago Dias saw to it that Hilton did not get a foothold in the contest, bashing six fours and three sixes in an unbeaten 59, to steer KES to victory. Luke Clark was unbeaten on 15 off 14 when the match ended. Like Michaelhouse, KES went four for four.

Jeppe was in trouble when Keegan Caxeiro made his way to the crease against Glenwood at Lynwood. The men from Kensington, Johannesburg, were on a shaky 27/3 after 3.3 overs. Caxiero, though, steadied their innings by creaming 64 off 54 balls.

His sterling effort helped Jeppe to 137/7, which set them up for a seven-run win after they restricted Glenwood to 130/8 in reply. Akhil Maharaj put in a good shift for Glenwood with a haul of four wickets for 18 runs in four overs. But Caxeiro’s half-century was decisive.

Jeppe’s bowling attack held Glenwood behind the required run rate by taking wickets at regular intervals. Krian Jugoo top-scored for the Durban school with 32 runs, while only two other batsmen, Kyle Bryan (28) and Karabo Ntsieng (20), reached the 20-run mark.

St David’s did what they do so well when they crossed swords with St Charles at St Charles. They performed as a well-oiled, single entity. The men from Sandton won the toss, chose to bowl first, and limited St Charles to 117/8 in their 20 overs before replying with 121/3 after 15.3 overs to claim a comfortable win.

Matthew Weightman scored a sound 32 from 23 balls for St Charles at the top of the order, but he lacked support as three of the Saints’ top order fell for single-digit scores. The lower middle order trio of Ryan Clarke (10), Rowen Rajah (13*), and Connor Vogt (14) reached double figures but failed to make it out of the teens.

Armaan Manack, with 26, and Roberto Mariano, with 28 provided St David’s with a solid start before their captain, Jason Rowles, scored a quickfire 17 from eight deliveries. Those three contributions laid the foundation for Morteza Manack (22*) and Kamogelo Phiri (15*) to see them home with 4.3 overs to spare.

Scorecards

Hilton 72/10 (Ben Erasmus 25, Luke Wilson 20; Christian Sabela 5/18, Steele Grooteman 3/10, Wade McQuinn 2/10). KES 76/1 (Tiago Dias 59*, Luke Clark 15*; Sechaba Gude 1/18) KES won by nine wickets.

St John’s 153/5 (Alec Loveland 68, Connor van der Walt 34; Radhesh Jhilmeet 3/24, Rendani Nonge 1/20). Michaelhouse 156/4 (Hayden Hewlett 80, Ben Heuer 30; Ethan Robinson 2/24, Alec Loveland 1/44). Michaelhouse won by six wickets.

Jeppe 137/7 (Keegan Caxeiro 62, Zizi Mkhize 22*; Akhil Maharaj 4/18, Kyle Bryan 2/26). Glenwood 130/8 (Krian Jugoo 32, Kyle Bryan 28; Shreth Kumar 3/21, Ahmed Goolam 2/13). Jeppe won by seven runs.

St Charles 117/8 (Matthew Weightman 32, Connor Vogt 14; Jason Rowles 3/27, Kyle Butler 2/14, Morteza Manack 2/18). St David’s 121/3 (Roberto Mariano 28, Armaan Manack 26, Morteza Manack 22*; Relebogile Mokoena 2/22, Keegan Veermak 1/15). St David’s won by seven wickets.

Enrique Strydom anchored Graeme College’s innings to set them up for a convincing 73-run win over Queen’s College in a Cape Schools Cricket Festival match played on Rondebosch‘s Meadow A Field on Monday.

On the Cricket A Field, Rondebosch Boys’ High cruised to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Grey High.

Strydom flayed seven fours in an unbeaten 49 from 40 balls to steer Graeme College to a strong 124/2 in a match reduced to 14 overs a side after a rain delay.

Andrew Muir, the Graeme College captain, then rotated his bowlers well as they restricted Queen’s College to only 51/9 in reply.

Earlier, Queen’s had opted to field after winning the toss. Vijay George stuck early for Queen’s dismissing Luphelo Mdyesha for one in the second over, but Graeme shrugged off the wicket as a minor inconvenience and went on the attack, with Strydom and Corbin Tidbury adding 53 runs in 40 balls, with Tidbury’s contribution a brisk 18-ball 31.

Kits McConnachie was the next man in after Tidbury’s dismissal, and he matched his predecessor’s performance by also scoring at a strike rate of 172, but his contribution was an unbeaten 38 from 22 deliveries as Graeme College posted a healthy total, which left their Komani opposition needing to score at almost nine runs per over to win.

Queen’s College began their pursuit with a 17-run opening partnership, but once the first wicket went down, their challenge faltered. Ross Fitzhenry was the lone batsman to reach double figures, but he barely made it, scoring 11 from 12 balls.

Mdyesha starred with the ball for Graeme College, snaring three wickets for five runs in two overs, while Lisekho Zinyane and Ajay Jeggels chipped in with a brace each as Graeme rolled to a convincing win. Zinyane finished with 2/10 from three overs, while Jeggels nabbed 2/12 from his three.

When Rondebosch won the toss against Grey High, they decided to bowl first and that proved to be the right call. Making good use of the conditions, the home side bowled out the Gqeberha side for 105 in 19.1 overs.

Three bowlers – Schalk Fourie, James Kirsten, and Daniel Bosman – removed two batsmen each to hand the ‘Bosch batsmen a gettable victory target.

Daniel Cooke set up stall at one end of the crease, patiently accumulating an unbeaten 44 from 50 deliveries, which allowed his teammates to push the game forward with ease.

Tyler Heyns played his part with 18 off 14 balls, while Bosman chipped in with 19 from 14, and Noah Heath saw Rondebosch to victory with 21 not out off of 17 balls.

Rondebosch had taken 15.2 overs to wrap up the win, finishing on 107/2.

Scorecards

Graeme College 124/2d (Enrique Strydom 49*, Kitts McConnachie 38*, Corbin Tidbury 31; George Vijay 1/14, Khazimla Simama 1/25). Queen’s College 51/9 (Ross Fitzhenry 9, Duncan Hayes 8; Luphelo Mdyesha 3/5, Lisekho Zinyane 2/10, Ajay Jeggels 2/12). Graeme College won by 73 runs.

Grey High 105/10 (James Upton 22, Drisden Pretorius 19; James Kirsten 2/20, Daniel Bosman 2/11, Schalk Fourie 2/15). Rondebosch 107/2 (Daniel Cooke 44*, Noah Heath 21*; Nathan Howell 1/10, Matthew Tinley 1/13). Rondebosch won by eight wickets.

Troy Gordon starred with the bat to lead King Edward VII to a comfortable win over Clifton College, while Keegan Cockburn shone with the ball as Jeppe comprehensively outplayed Kearsney College on Monday at the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week.

In other matches, Jason Joiner and Thomas Collins starred with the ball to help St Stithians clinch a thrilling four-run victory over Westville Boys’ High, while Sohail Seonath and Morteza Manack recorded half-centuries in a win for St David’s Marist Inanda over Hilton College.

Gordon went into beast mode and smashed a 67-ball century to fire KES to 228/4 and victory over Clifton College on Maritzburg College’s Barns Field.

KES, who won the toss and chose to bowl first, had restricted Clifton to 227/7 in 50 overs.

When Gordon arrived at the crease, KES was on 58/2 and in need of 170 runs from 36.4 overs to win, thanks to solid starts from Tiago Dias (25), Abdullah Mohammed (21), and Matthew Bromley (25).

Gordon let loose, plundering 13 fours and four sixes in a match-winning unbeaten 109 from 74 balls. He was in Khwezi Nyamathe’s (34*) company when KES crossed the finishing line.

At the Beaumont Eston Farmer’s Club, Keegan Cockburn delivered a mind-blowing spell to lead Jeppe to a 98-run triumph over Kearsney.

Jeppe won the toss, chose to bat first, and were bowled out for 183 runs in 47.1 overs. Kearsney, though, had a far briefer stay in the middle. They were skittled for only 85 runs in 32.4 overs.

Cockburn was introduced into the attack after Reza Ayob had sent the Kearsney top-order packing for single-digit scores and his impact was immediate. He knocked over Cole Young, Jonty Wiggett, and Matthew van Zyl in a triple-wicket maiden that brought Kearsney to their knees. Aaron Blackburn was the last man standing with an unbeaten 53 from 98 balls, but his defiant effort was in vain.

Cockburn ended with the astonishing figures of 4/4 from five overs, while Ayob captured 3/12 in eight overs.

Westville and St Stithians locked horns on Michaelhouse’s Hannahs Field, where Westville captain Seth Simpson won the toss and opted to bowl first. Ombesa Matsha (51) gave Saints a sturdy platform with a brisk half-century before Matthew Katzenstein clubbed eight fours and three sixes in an 81-ball 80. With their efforts leading the way, St Stithians tallied 300/7 in their 50 overs.

Simpson then led Westville’s run chase with an inspiring 107 from 106 balls, and the Griffin accumulated runs at the required run rate. Unfortunately for the KwaZulu-Natal side, Thomas Collins put a spanner in the works to help Saints to a four-run win, with only one delivery remaining in the match.

He claimed 3/34 from 7.5 overs, including the last wicket to go down. Jason Joiner, meanwhile, led the St Stithians’ attack with a return of 4/35 from eight overs.

On the Hart-Davis Oval, Sohail Seonath (52) and Morteza Manack (52) scored well-paced half-centuries to lead St David’s to 233 all out in 45.4 overs after being put in to bat by Hilton. Obakeng Motsepa was a big reason why St David’s failed to bat out the full 50 overs. He bagged 4/50 in 10 overs.

However, the men from Sandton’s batsmen had done enough. Their bowlers did a commendable job to blunt the Hilton challenge. No batsman bettered the 24 scored by James Ogilby, which was matched by extras.

Not even the extras helped Hilton come close to the required victory target and they were bowled out for 131 runs in 37.4 overs, suffering a 102-run defeat.

Scorecards

Clifton 227/7 (Shiraz Perumal 48*, Byron Ward 41; Connor Kuijers 4/21, Christian Sabela 2/54). KES 228/4 (Troy Gordon 109*, Khwezi Nyamathe 34*; Timothy Saulez 1/42, Gabriel Vermeulen 1/35, Shiraz Perumal 1/64). KES won by six wickets.

Jeppe 183/10 (Aiden Reyneke 43, Ahmed Goolam 36; Mathew Gorrie 4/47, Jason De Gryse 2/5, Litha Gonya 2/27). Kearsney 85/10 (Aaron Blackburn 53*; Keegan Cockburn 4/4, Reza Ayob 3/12). Jeppe won by 98 runs.

St Stithians 300/7 (Matthew Katzenstein 80, Ombesa Matsha 51; Tristin Delvin 4/40, Misbah Nair 1/34). Westville 296/10 (Seth Simpson 107, Sean McGough 37; Jason Joiner 4/35, Thomas Collins 3/34). St Stithians won by four runs.

St David’s 233/10 (Morteza Manack 52, Sohail Seonath 52; Obakeng Motsepa 4/50, Luke Wilson 2/17). Hilton 131/10 (James Ogilby 24, Obakeng Motsepa 21; Christopher Emslie 2/13, Roberto Mariano 2/11, Kyle Butler 2/32). St David’s won by 102 runs.

Maritzburg College and King Edward VII (KES) unleashed the full might of their batting lineups to record comprehensive victories over St John’s College and St Charles College in their Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week matches on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Durban High School (DHS) and St Stithians College claimed nail-biting wins over St David’s Marist Inanda and Clifton College.

After Maritzburg College welcomed St John’s onto Goldstone’s, the pleasantries stopped following the coin clip. Given the call, College captain Daniel Nadasan elected to bat first.

The Red, Black, and White, then, put up 245 all out in 49 overs before bundling St John’s out for 204 in 44.5 to claim a 41-run triumph.

The hosts stumbled out of the blocks, but Akhil Bharath (52) corrected the hosts’ radar and set them on course with a well-played half-century, while Daniel Nadasan (30), and Luka Puddu (39) added a vital combined 69 runs.

Things took a turn for the worse for St John’s when the Player of the Match, Joseph Currie, arrived at the crease at the start of the 35th over. The number seven batsman unfurled his full range of shots, delivering a blistering 34-ball 61 that featured seven fours and a pair of sixes. He was particularly severe on Ethan Robinson, bludgeoning 22 runs off him in the 42nd over.

When they took to the crease, St John’s struggled to get their run chase going. It was only when Connor van der Walt (50) came in eighth in the order that one of their batsmen recorded a significant score.

KES arrived at St Charles College, in Pietermaritzburg, keen to build on their victory over Kearsney College on Saturday, and they did so with panache. Batting first, KES put 317/3 on the board before restricting Saints to 273/9 in their 50 overs to register a 44-run win.

Tiago Dias (51) and Urav Mukhija (85) created a concrete platform for KES with a 98-run opening stand that set the Johannesburg school on the right course.

Matthew Bromley added impetus to their innings with a 51-ball 50 before Troy Gordon and Steele Grooteman carted the St Charles’ bowlers all over the park. Gordon blasted a swift, unbeaten 29-ball 61, while Grooteman was not out on 48 from 28 deliveries.

Grooteman, who collected the Player of the Match award, was not done yet. He delivered the full quota of 10 overs and bagged three wickets for 42 runs. Connor Simpson put up a good fight with a 79-ball 87. However, his strong effort wasn’t enough to save the game for St Charles.

At Collegians, captain Bayanda Majola and the rest of the DHS bowling attack were well backed by their fielders when they met St David’s.

The Horseflies lost the toss and were asked to bowl first. Kamogelo Phiri (82) and Jason Rowles‘s (68) scored half-centuries to take St David’s to 270/9 in 50 overs, but a run out of Rowles, one of two pulled off by DHS, proved to be pivotal to the outcome of the contest.

Joshua van Biljon (82) and Taine Havemann (79) took control of the chase and shared a 126-run third-wicket partnership that gave School a shot at victory. A rapid 27 off 18 from Majola, then, took them to within reach of the St David’s score and DHS kept their cool to slide over the line off the last ball to claim a two-wicket win.

St Stithians crossed swords with Clifton at the MP Oval and sneaked a tight one-wicket win. Coach Lazarus Mokoena’s charges won the toss, elected to bowl first, and unleashed Nqaba Matunda on their opposition. The pacer wreaked havoc, knocking over 5/31 in 10 overs as Saints bowled Clifton out for 147 in 39.4 overs.

The Johannesburg side’s reply was anything but smooth, however. They lost their first wicket in the third over, which brought Thomas Collins to the crease, and he steadied the ship with a well-paced 52 off 73 balls. Tahseen Hanslo supported him before Shiraz Perumal ripped through the Saints’ middle order to give Clifton a chance.

St Stithians was in trouble on 97/8, but, unfortunately for Clifton, Tendai Kadyamadare stopped the collapse, steering the Gauteng side to 150/9 and a one-wicket triumph. He finished unbeaten on 33 off 43 balls.

Scorecards

Maritzburg College 245/10 (Joe Currie 61, Akhil Bharath 52, Luka Puddu 39, Daniel Nadasan 30; Ethan Robinson 3/38, David Ireland 3/45); St John’s College 204/10 (Connor van der Walt 50, Herman Basson 36, Michael Stubbs 30, Lwazi Khupe 26; Sam Hughes 3/37, Nathan Pembridge 2/61). Maritzburg College won by 41 runs.

KES 317/3 (Urav Mukhija 85, Troy Gordon 61*, Tiago Dias 51, Matthew Bromley 50; Jayden Saville 2/48, Keegan Vermaak 1/50). St Charles 273/9 (Connor Simpson 87, Relebogile Mokoena 39*; Steele Grooteman 3/42, Connor Kuijers 2/38). KES won by 44 runs.

St David’s 270/9 (Kamogelo Phiri 82, Jason Rowles 68; Ethan Cooper 2/48, Bayanda Majola 1/37). DHS 271/8 (Joshua van Biljon 82, Taine Havemann 79; Jared Stern 3/43, Morteza Manack 2/43). DHS won by two wickets.

Clifton 147/10 (Lawson Dinsdale 34, Hayden Drieselmann 22; Nqaba Matunda  5/31, Zaakir Hanslo 2/31). St Stithians 150/9 (Thomas Collins 52, Tendai Kadyamadare 33*; Shiraz Perumal 5/32, Blake Johnson 2/25). St Stithians won by one wicket.

Connor Parry produced an exceptional all-round performance to help Grey High record a 60-run win over Queen’s College in their Cape Schools Cricket Festival declaration match on Wynberg Boys’ High’s Silverhurst A Field on Sunday.

In another fixture played at Wynberg, Corbin Tidbury and Andrew Muir scored masterful centuries when Graeme College locked horns with Wynberg Boys’ High on the Jacques Kallis Oval.

Morgan Hayes, the Queen’s College captain, won the toss and invited Grey High to bowl first. The boys from Gqeberha happily accepted the challenge and put on a bowling clinic to dismiss Queen’s for only 122.

Six of the eight bowlers employed by Teun Kloppenburg, the Grey High captain, went at less than four runs an over as they placed Queen’s under heavy pressure.

Nathan Howell was the most economical, conceding a miserly 15 runs in 10 overs while also picking up two wickets. Connor Parry was the most successful, knocking over 3/12 in five overs.

Parry, though, had more to contribute. He weighed in with a 46-ball 51, creaming eight fours, in Grey High’s 268/6 declared. His effort was aided by a 71-run partnership between Charl Posthumus and James Upton before he made his way to the middle.

Parry and Posthumus shared a brief 21-run stand before he was joined by Kloppenburg, who made 57 runs. Together, the pair put up 96 runs for the third wicket to place the Gqeberha boys firmly in control.

Batting again, Queen’s had a mountain to climb, trailing by 146 runs. By the end of the game, they were on 86/4 in their second innings. Aiden van Jaarsveld, who top-scored for Queen’s with 47 in the first innings, was unbeaten on 38.

A short distance away, Corbin Tidbury and Andrew Muir put on a show with the bat, with both recording centuries for Graeme College. Tidbury, who had to head out to the middle at the start of the third over, showed good temperament as he worked his way to 117 from 145 balls.

When his skipper, Muir, joined him, the pair shared a 131-run fifth-wicket partnership which helped to lift Graeme College to 289 all out. Muir’s contribution was a brisk 113 from 114 deliveries.

Tidbury’s stay was ended by Muhammad Ameen Schroeder, who claimed an outstanding four wickets for 35 runs in nine overs, while Damien Harris accounted for Muir. He finished with three wickets for 30 runs from 12 overs.

Wynberg had several batsmen who made starts, but they failed to kick on, with the home side’s innings progressing in fits and starts as they ambled their way to 182/9.

Eight players reached double figures, but only four made it to 20 runs, and just two of those went past the 30-run mark. Fawaaz Hendricks and Storme van Rooyen tied for the top score for the home side with 33 runs apiece.

Scorecards

Queen’s College 122/10 (Aiden van Jaarsveld 47, Rowan Miles 19; Nathan Howell 2/15, Connor Parry 3/12). Grey High 268/6 (Teun Kloppenburg 57, Connor Parry 51; Morgan Hayes 2/71, Chulumanco Geza 2/24). Queen’s College 86/4 (Aiden van Jaarsveld 38*, Ross Fitzhenry 19*; Logan Groch 2/24, Connor Parry 1/4). Grey High won by 60 runs.

Graeme College 289/10 (Corbin Tidbury 117, Andrew Muir 113; Muhammed Ameen Schroeder 4/35, Damien Harris 3/30). Wynberg 182/9 (Fawaaz Hendricks 33, Storme van Rooyen 33; Lisekho Zinyane 2/29, Luphelo Mdyesha 2/34, Corbin Tidbury 2/6). Match drawn.

Selborne College and Graeme College made strong starts to their Cape Schools Cricket Festival campaigns on Saturday, with Selborne subjecting Union High to a 161-run thrashing, while Graeme College marched to a six-wicket win over Dale College on Rondebosch Boys High’s Meadow A field.

At Wynberg Boys’ High, in a declaration match, the toss went the way of Selborne captain Aaron Senekal, and he chose to bat first.

The skipper backed up his decision with a wonderful half-century as the East London side put 353/7 declared on the board in 55 overs. Then they bowled out Union out for 182.

Opener Matthew Hendry (84 off 82) gave Selborne a solid start with a well-paced half-century and held down the fort for 28.2 over before he was dismissed by Tristan Hulleman. With Hendry’s departure, Senekal made his way to the middle with Selborne was in the throes of a collapse, having lost three wickets for three runs in 11 balls as Hulleman wreaked havoc.

Senekal, who finished the match with an 80-ball 83, however, consolidated with a 131-run sixth-wicket partnership with Reece Wait (50). Both were dismissed by Hulleman, who took it upon himself to stop Selborne and captured 6/78 in 12 overs.

When Union High batted, Senekal put his all-round skills on display by claiming three wickets for 13 runs in three overs. He was the joint-highest wicket-taker with Michael Hess, who bagged 3/52 from 12 overs.

Yaseen Kazi top-scored for Union with a patient 39 from 74 balls, while Hulleman weighed in with 35 from 49 deliveries.

At Rondebosch, Graeme College produced a solid team performance to record a six-wicket win over Dale College. Avuyile Ngqawana, the Dale College captain, elected to bat first at the toss, but his side struggled, progressing in fits and starts on their way to being bowled out for only 99.

Endinako Mnguni top-scored for Dale with 28 runs from 35 balls, while Somila Malapi was the only other batsman to reach the 20-run mark, contributing a patient 21 from 45 deliveries.

Andrew Muir, who took the new ball for Graeme College, knocked over 3/13 in six overs, while Ajay Jeggels and Luphelo Mdyesha took a brace each.

Graeme College replied with 161 all out, which owed much to a fighting 36 from Enrique Strydom and Mdyesha’s relatively brisk 33 from 38 deliveries.

Lihlumelo Ngcukana and Endinako Mnguni picked up three wickets each to ensure that Graeme didn’t build a mammoth lead.

The second time around, Dale produced an improved performance with the bat, declaring after scoring 94/5. Inga Mafanga led the way with a 49-ball 40, while Malapi chipped in with a patient 23 from 62 deliveries. That small 33-run lead, however, did not put the match beyond Graeme’s reach.

The boys from Makhanda won, but not without some setbacks. Only Mdyesha, with an unbeaten 17, reached double figures as the Odwa Xonxa-coached side fought their way to 35/4 to claim victory.

Ngcukana and Sibongisile Nzima did their best to stop Graeme College in their tracks with the ball, snapping up two wickets each.

SCORES

Selborne 353/7 (Matthew Hendry 84, Aaron Senekal 83; Tristan Hulleman 6/78, Leander Kraai 1/52). Union High 182/10 (Yaseen Kazi 39, Tristan Hulleman 35; Aaron Senekal 3/13, Michael Hess 3/52).

Selborne won by 161 runs.

Dale College 99/10 (Endinako Mnguni 28, Somila Malapi 21; Andrew Muir 3/31, Luphelo Mdyesha 2/10). Graeme College 161/10 (Enrique Strydom 36, Luphelo Mdyesha 33; Lihlumelo Ngcukana 3/17, Endinako Mnguni 3/31). Dale College 94/5 (Inga Mafanga 40, Somila Malapi 23; Lisekho Zinyane 3/12, Andrew Muir 1/13). Graeme College 35/4 (Luphelo Mdyesha 17*, Enrique Strydom 4; Sibongisile Nzima 2/16, Lihlumelo Ngcukana 2/18).

Graeme College won by six wickets.

Ryan Young, Troy Gordon, and Thomas Collins were in outstanding form for Jeppe, King Edward VII (KES), and St Stithians respectively on Saturday, the first day of the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week.

In another match featuring a Gauteng side, St David’s Marist Inanda unleashed the full might of their collective effort to make light work of Westville Boys’ High.

Young smoked a brilliant century to set the stage for Jeppe’s emphatic 162-run win over Hudson Park at Collegians.

The Jeppe captain lost the toss, but not much more went wrong for him after that. His side was asked to bat first, and he led the way with an imperious 127 from 123 balls to steer Jeppe to 296/7, before marshalling his bowling attack well as they dismissed Hudson Park for 134 in 40 overs.

When Young walked out to the crease, Jeppe was on 68/2, thanks to a brisk knock from Tiago Almeida (58 from 47 balls) that made up for Zizi Mkhize and Munib Ayob’s cheap dismissals. The skipper immediately took control of the innings and didn’t let go until the 47th over. His 102-run fourth-wicket stand with Aiden Reyneke (43) was the foundational beam of Jeppe’s big total.

In reply, Hudson Park made a good start, with a 57-run opening partnership between Iminathi Sam and Alulutho Mapukata. Then, though, the wheels came off, with five wickets falling for 35 runs in 10.5 overs, and the East London school didn’t recover. The rest of the batting lineup added only 42 runs in the next 20 overs.

At Richmond, Troy Gordon stood head and shoulders above his teammates, scoring an unbeaten 90 to shepherd KES to a three-wicket triumph over Kearsney College.

Zieg Roos, the KES captain, assessed conditions and determined that chasing would be better, so he asked Kearsney to bat first. The KwaZulu-Natal side struggled to get going and lost three wickets in the powerplay. However, Cole Young stepped up and kept an end intact with a well-played 83 from 122 balls, but he received little support, with no other Kearsney batsmen making it out of the teens.

When KES batted, Gordon found himself in a similar predicament to Young. The biggest difference was the contribution of Roos (27), with whom he shared a 77-run fourth-wicket stand, which helped to significantly reduce the gap between the sides.

KES needed only 55 runs to win, with six wickets in hand, when the captain was dismissed, and Gordon took it upon himself to see his team home.

At Eston, Thomas Collins stepped up and recorded a watchful half-century to guide St Stithians to a three-wicket win over Durban High School (DHS).

The Gauteng side’s Tahseen Hanslo won the toss and elected to bowl, and his bowlers made good use of conditions to dismiss DHS for 163 in 37.4 overs. Akhil Challa delivered an almost unplayable 3.4-over spell that earned him a four-wicket haul as DHS was restricted to a gettable total.

The Horseflies‘ top three, as usual, made runs. Ismaeel Omar led the way with 42, Josh van Biljon chipped in with 41, and Ethan Cooper contributed 20 but, apart from 24 from captain Bayanda Majola, there was not much more to speak about.

Unfortunately, for the St Stithians’ bowling hero, Challa, he was unable to perform heroics with the bat; he fell on the first delivery he faced and was replaced by Collins. The number three batsman made sure that Saints didn’t lose wickets at both ends, compiling a steady, unbeaten 69 from 96 deliveries while the rest of the Johannesburg side’s lineup batted around him as they tallied 165/7 in 36 overs.

In Pietermaritzburg, St David’s Marist Inanda showed the might of their bowling attack as they cantered to a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Westville at Varsity 1. The Jason Rowles-captained team won the toss, elected to bowl first, and dismantled Westville for only 93 runs in 31.2 overs.

Kyle McGough resisted with a hard-earned 20 from 52 deliveries, while Westville’s next-best effort came from Seth Simpson with a relatively brisk 25-ball 16, while the St David’s bowling attack was the third-highest contributor to the Westville score with 13 extras. However, they made up for that by restricting their opposition to less than 100 runs in 31.2 overs.

The St David’s batsmen then needed only 13.3 overs to chase down the victory target. Sohail Seonath led the scoring with an unbeaten 43-ball 40, while Rowles was the next-best batter with a quick 36 from 29.

Scorecards

Jeppe 296/7 (Ryan Young 127, Tiago Almeida 58; Somila Mkokeli 3/61, Lukhanyo Hlathuka 2/63). Hudson Park 134/10 (Iminathi Sam 43, Alulutho Mapukata 24; Shreth Kumar 3/22, Reza Ayob 2/18). Jeppe won by 162 runs.

Kearsney 168/10 (Cole Young 83, Jonty Wiggett 18; Luke Clark 3/23, Lebone Ramedupe 3/37). KES 171/7 (Troy Gordon 90*, Zieg Roos 27; Rivaan Moodley 3/40, James Bishop 1/15). KES won by three wickets.

DHS 163/10 (Ismaeel Omar 42, Josh van Biljon 41; Akhil Challa 4/13, Zaakir Hanslo 3/46). St Stithians 165/7 (Thomas Collins 69*, Matthew Anderson 30; Taine Havemann 2/15, Joshua Moeley 2/51). St Stithians won by three wickets.

Westville 93/10 (Kyle McGough 20, Seth Simpson 16; Kyle Butler 3/14, Christopher Emslie 2/25). St David’s 95/2 (Sohail Seonath 40*, Jason Rowles 36; Tristan Delvin 1/8, Dayalan Boyce 1/29). St David’s won by eight wickets.

Nkosana Sibiya made a triumphant return to St John’s College’s first team, contributing an outstanding half-century to lead them to a comfortable six-wicket T20 win over Jeppe on Mitchell Field, at St John’s, on Wednesday.

The coin toss went the hosts’ way, and captain Alec Loveland, elected to bowl first.

That was a good call as Loveland’s bowlers did a fine job of restricting Jeppe to 127/9. St John’s, chasing, then maintained a run-rate above six per over to claim victory after 19 overs, having reached 129/4.

Sibiya had been out of action for 12 weeks with a hip injury. The 17-year-old was initially sidelined for five weeks after picking up the injury during a Jozi Cup match. Unfortunately, in his fourth game back, he reinjured the hip taking a quick single during The Blues’ preseason tour of Sri Lanka.

Recent rains in Johannesburg meant batting on the Mitchell Field pitch was a challenge. Sibiya, however, read the conditions perfectly and clubbed eight fours on his way to a 35-ball 50 that helped The Blues take control of the contest.

If anyone had thought that the opener might be rusty, their doubts were quickly dispelled when Sibiya stamped his authority on proceedings by stroking a four off the second delivery he faced.

With Sibiya setting the tone, St John’s made a sound start, putting up 31 runs for the first wicket before Darshik Lutchman was out. Jeppe pulled things back when Keegan Caxiero accounted for Herman Basson before the number three settled in.

St John’s, though, consolidated and regained control through Sibiya and Loveland, who added 49 off 40 runs for the third wicket.

When Sibiya lost his wicket, St John’s was on 98 and needed another 31 runs from six overs. The odds favoured the home side, and Loveland steered his team home with an unbeaten 36 off 37 balls.

Earlier in the afternoon, Ethan Robinson undermined Jeppe’s batting effort with a brilliant four-wicket haul, which included more dot balls than runs conceded – 16 dot balls and 14 runs.

Jeppe’s captain, Ryan Young, batting at four, led by example, cracking a blistering 21-ball 38 in the middle order.

Unfortunately for the visitors, their top three didn’t contribute much, and the next four batsmen after Young struggled, too. Sipho Potsane, though, provided the visitors with a late boost, striking 32 from 24 balls, but that wasn’t enough to see them to a match-winning total.

Both sides will next be in action in the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week, which features 26 of the country’s best teams in action in the KZN Midlands.

Scorecard

Jeppe 127/9 (Ryan Young 38, Sipho Potsane 32*; Ethan Robinson 4/14, David Ireland 2/27). St John’s 129/4 (Nkosana Sibiya 50, Alec Loveland 36*; Munib Ayob 1/6, Sipho Potsane 1/24). St John’s won by six wickets.