All roads lead to the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands where 26 of the country’s top cricketing schools will converge at Maritzburg College for the 65th edition of the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week, which will run from 4 to 7 October 2025.
Michaelmas, as the event is commonly called, is the oldest “private” cricket festival in the country. The showpiece was first staged in 1959 and has been held every year since, with the exception of 1970 and 2020.
Fourteen fields have been made available for this year’s edition.
Eight matches will be played on Maritzburg College’s Goldstone’s and Barns’ pitches over the four days of the festival.
Other venues include Collegians, Lynwood, Eston, Hilton, St Charles, Varsity 1, MP Oval – Woodlands, Richmond, Howick, Kearsney, and Michaelhouse‘s two fields, Roy Gathorne and Hannahs.
The host province, KZN, has a strong lineup of participating schools, which includes Glenwood, Clifton, Durban High (DHS), Hilton, St Charles, Westville, Michaelhouse, Kearsney, Northwood, and the hosts, Maritzburg College.
Gauteng also has a 10-team contingent, equally divided between its two regions, the Titans and the Lions.
Pretoria Boys, St Alban’s, Affies, Waterkloof, and Cornwall Hill will fly the flag for the Titans region, while St David’s Marist Inanda, St John’s College, Jeppe, St Stithians, and King Edward VII (KES) represent the Lions.
Three teams – Paarl Boys’ High, Paul Roos, and Paarl Gimnasium will travel from Western Cape, and Grey College will make a six-and-a-half-hour trip from the Free State. Like the Free State, the Eastern Cape has only one representative at the festival in Hudson Park. The CSA Invitational team completes the lineup.
The teams will each play three 50-over matches before contesting T20 fixtures on the final day of the festival.
FIXTURES
Saturday, 4 October: Maritzburg College vs Pretoria Boys (Goldstone’s), Glenwood vs St Alban’s (Barns’), Jeppe vs Hudson Park (Collegians), Clifton vs Paarl Boys (Lynwood), DHS vs St Stithians (Eston), Hilton vs Grey College (Hilton), St Charles vs Paul Roos (St Charles), Westville vs St David’s (Varsity 1), Cornwall Hill vs CSA Invitational (MP Oval – Woodlands), Michaelhouse vs Affies (Michaelhouse Roy Gathorne), Northwood vs Waterkloof (Michaelhouse Hannahs), Kearsney vs KES (Richmond), St John’s vs Paarl Gim (Howick).
Sunday, 5 October: Maritzburg College vs St John’s (Goldstone’s), Westville vs Grey College (Barns’), DHS vs St David’s (Collegians), Kearsney vs Waterkloof (Lynwood), Hudson Park vs St Alban’s (Eston), Hilton vs Affies (Hilton), St Charles vs KES (St Charles), Glenwood vs CSA Invitational (Varsity 1), Clifton vs St Stithians (MP Oval), Michaelhouse vs Paul Roos (Michaelhouse Roy Gathorne), Jeppe vs Paul Gim (Michaelhouse Hannahs), Cornwall Hill vs Northwood (Richmond), Paarl Boys vs Pretoria Boys (Howick).
Monday, 6 October: Maritzburg College vs Grey College (Goldstone’s), Clifton vs KES (Barns’), Cornwall Hill vs Paul Roos (Collegians), CSA Invitational vs Paarl Gim (Lynwood), Kearsney vs Jeppe (Eston), Hilton vs St David’s (Hilton), St Charles vs Hudson Park (St Charles), DHS vs Pretoria Boys (Varsity 1), Glenwood vs Waterkloof (MP Oval), Michaelhouse vs St Alban’s (Michaelhouse Roy Gathorne), Westville vs St Stithians (Michaelhouse Hannahs), St John’s vs Paarl Boys (Richmond), Northwood vs Affies (Howick).
Tuesday, 7 October: Maritzburg College vs Paarl Boys (Goldstone’s), Cornwall Hill vs Hudson Park (Barns’), Pretoria Boys vs Paarl Gim (Collegians), Glenwood vs Jeppe (Lynwood), Paul Roos vs Waterkloof (Eston), Hilton vs KES (Hilton), St Charles vs St David’s (St Charles), Northwood vs St Stithians (Varsity 1), Westville vs Affies (MP Oval), Michaelhouse vs St John’s (Michaelhouse Roy Gathorne), DHS vs Grey College (Michaelhouse Hannahs), Kearsney vs St Alban’s (Kearsney), Clifton vs CSA Invitational (Howick).
Morne Odendaal views his return to Oranje as a homecoming. Photo: Supplied.
C&N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje has announced the return of Morné Odendaal as the first team head coach and Director of Hockey at the school.
Odendaal, who left Oranje in 2022, remarked that being back at the Bloemfontein school feels like a homecoming.
“I look forward to building on the legacy we created together, working with the next generation, and competing at the highest level again,” he said.
“My focus will remain on principle and value-based coaching, getting the best out of every player, and making Oranje a dominant force in school hockey once more,” Odendaal told SuperSport Schools Plus.
When he left Oranje, Odendaal went to the USA before joining St Anne’s Diocesan College, whom he helped transform into a competitive force. As the director of hockey at the Hilton school, he successfully built a strong culture across all age groups of the hockey programme.
“My time at St Anne’s was incredibly rewarding,” he reflected. “I’ll always treasure the relationships and the values-driven environment that allowed players to enjoy their hockey, develop as people, and express themselves on the field.”
Since Odendaal’s departure, Oranje has remained competitive, but the dominance that they once enjoyed under his leadership has dwindled. Hence, their approach to bring him back to Bloemfontein.
When he was in charge, from 2013 to 2022, Oranje was, beyond a shadow of doubt, the gold standard in the country. They won 36 of 38 tournaments they contested under Odendaal, whose overall record was a staggering 380 matches won from 480 played. That’s a 95 percent win rate!
Odendaal’s mission is not to replicate the incredible statistical successes of his first spell with the school. Instead, it is focused on helping the school to rediscover its greatness.
“I came back because Oranje has always been special to me,” he explained. “It’s a place where excellence is expected, but also where values and culture are deeply rooted.
“After my time at St Anne’s, I felt called to return and contribute to building Oranje back to where it belongs – at the top.”
Ben Scharges stood head and shoulders above all other batsmen in the rivalry clash between St Andrew’s and Kingswood. Photo: Supplied.
Ben Scharges carved an outstanding century to set up St Andrew’s College for an emphatic 143-run win over Kingswood College when they crossed swords at St Andrew’s on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Teun Kloppenburg and Jason Damons recorded unbeaten half-centuries to play decisive roles in victories for Grey High and Graeme College respectively.
In a 50-over clash against their Makhanda rivals, St Andrew’s won the toss, chose to bat first, and cantered to 314/6. Kingswood managed only 171 all out in 42 overs in reply.
Scharges, who arrived at the crease in the sixth over, produced a patient knock of 100 from 133 deliveries, which featured just seven fours. Batting third in the order, he anchored the innings and allowed his batting partners to express themselves at the other end.
Together with Sam Scheckter, he added 136 runs for the fourth wicket, with Scheckter scoring a fluent 64 from 73 balls. Myles Sansom, who replaced Scheckter, played his shots and raced to 51 from only 37 balls in 73-run fifth wicket stand with Kloppenburg.
Scheckter, then, showed off his all-round ability when St Andrew’s took to the field, wrecked the Kingswood innings by capturing 4/9 in only four overs.
Rhys Wiblin matched Scheckter’s haul with four wickets of his own as Kingswood was dismissed well short of the St Andrew’s total.
At Selborne College, in East London, Kloppenburg thumped an unbeaten half-century, leading the charge for Grey High, who secured a comfortable seven-wicket win.
He clubbed 12 fours and two sixes on his way to a 76-ball 91 as the visitors made light work of the 207-run target set for them by the hosts.
Selborne, who won the toss and elected to bat first, put up 206 in 48.3 overs, with Reece Wait‘s steady 45 from 66 deliveries their best batting effort. It was a vital contribution from the number seven batsman after the top six had struggled.
Teun Kloppenburg showed his all-round quality with bat and ball for Grey High. Photo: Supplied.
Grey High’s Drisden Pretorius was one of the reasons why they found the going tough. The left-arm spinner bamboozled the hosts and finished the match with four wickets for 35 runs from 10 overs.
Alejo Nota enjoyed a good outing, too, snapping up 2/18 from 7.3 overs. Kloppenburg, meanwhile, showed that he had more than one arrow in his quiver when he claimed Joshua Wilkie‘s wicket in the 29th over. His contribution was 1/14 in five overs.
Graeme College, who travelled to Woodridge, put on a dominant show to pick up a comfortable 47-run win over their hosts.
Jason Damons starred with the bat for Graeme, weighing in with an unbeaten 77 from 86 balls, which helped to catapult the visitors to 300/8 in 50 overs. Woodridge replied with 253/9.
Luphelo Mdyesha (33) and Enrique Strydom (20) made starts for the visitors but failed to kick on. Their steady start, though, helped to lay the platform from which Damons launched his fluent knock.
Woodridge took some damage late in the Graeme innings when Damons and Ajay Joggels (25*) shared an entertaining ninth-wicket partnership that added 86 runs from only 72 balls.
The home side’s innings was held together by Ethan Moothoo and Randy Syce, who threatened to bat Woodridge to victory with a big 153-run stand for the third wicket. Their partnership was, however, broken by brilliant interplay between Strydom and Qhama Ngoma, who combined to execute a run out that ended Moothoo’s stay just six runs shy of a century.
Syce held on until the 44th over. Unfortunately for him, he watched a procession of wickets falling at the other end. Still, he played his part with a well-played 81.
Luphelo Mdyesha was Graeme College’s standout bowler, claiming three wickets for 64 runs in 10 overs. Andrew Muir, who took the new ball with Erin Nelson, finished with two wickets for 30 runs in 10 overs.
Scorecards
St Andrew’s College 314/6 (Ben Scharges 100, Sam Schecter 64, Myles Sansom 51; Jack Collett 3/37, Sinawo Bakula 2/88). Kingswood 171/10 (Allister Knott 50, Josh Loon 30; Sam Schecter 4/9, Rhys Wiblin 4/31) St Andrew’s won by 143 runs.
Selborne College 206/10 (Reece Wait 45, Joshua Wilkie 34; Drisden Pretorius 4/35, Alejo Nota 2/18) Grey High 210/3 (Teun Kloppenburg 91*, Charl Postumus 38; Reece Wait 1/19, Aaron Senekal 1/25). Grey High won by seven wickets.
Graeme College 300/8 (Jordan Damons 77*, Luphelo Mdyesha 33; Ethan Moothoo 3/56, Mpumelelo Magwetshu 2/63) Woodridge 253/9 (Ethan Moothoo 94, Randy Syce 81; Luphelo Mdyesha 3/64, Andrew Muir 2/30) Graeme College won by 47 runs.
Malan du Plessis ripped through the Queens High batting order to set St John’s up for victory. Photo: Supplied.
Tiago Dias and Troy Gordon scored half-centuries to steer King Edward VII (KES) to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Jeppe High School for Boys in a 50-over match on Jeppe’s Beckwith Oval, on Wednesday afternoon.
On Tuesday, St John’s College had also scored a seven-wicket win, with Malan du Plessis unleashing his pace on Queens High School to set up his team’s T20 win on Mitchell Field.
Dias and Gordon carried the fine form they showed on tour in Zimbabwe with the Johannesburg Schools Invitational XI, where they inspired their side to the title, into Wednesday’s game.
Dias’s most notable innings for the Invitational XI was a half-century in the semifinals, which played a key role in ushering the team into the final. Gordon, who was named the Batsman of the Tournament, topped the run-scoring charts and carved a match-winning 50 in the final.
Against Jeppe, Dias held the KES innings together with a patient 56-ball 52, while Gordon accelerated to an unbeaten 39-ball 51 as his side easily chased down the target set for them by Jeppe with 24.1 overs to spare.
Jeppe had won the toss and elected to bat first, but they mustered only 142 runs in 46.5 overs. It took 25.5 overs for KES to race to 144/3.
Batting first, the hosts finished the powerplay on 46/3. That wasn’t the firmest footing, and they struggled to get their feet under them thereafter. Their captain, Ryan Young (43), did his best to keep the innings together, but the procession of wickets at the other end made it an uphill battle.
Christian Sabela was the chief architect of Jeppe’s struggles. The right-arm pacer ripped out Jeppe’s core, dismissing Munib Ayob, Aiden Reyneke, and Ryan Young, on his way to four wickets for 25 runs from 10 overs. That excellent effort earned Sabela the Player of the Match award.
Dias, who spent 17.5 overs out in the middle, gave KES a solid start and shared a brief 29-run partnership with Gordon before being dismissed.
Unlike Dias, who had been watchful, Gordon played his shots, launching four sixes and cracking three fours in his unbeaten half-century. He was in the company of Zieg Roos (17*), when KES claimed victory.
St John’s, meanwhile, welcomed Queens onto their hallowed Mitchell Field with some fiery pace bowling.
The visitors won the toss and elected to bat first but lost a wicket off the first delivery of the match. From there, they stumbled to 102/7 in 20 overs. St John’s, in reply, charged to 103/3 in 12.5 overs.
Malan du Plessis did most of the damage with the ball, delivering 16 dots while sending four Queens’ batsmen packing for 20 runs from his four overs. Had he not conceded six wides, his figures would have been even more impressive.
In pursuit of 103 to win, the hosts lost Lutchman Darshik in the third over after he had scored nine runs from 10 balls. His dismissal brought Alec Loveland to the crease, and Loveland and Herman Basson then set about the Queens’ bowling. Together, they put on 66 runs for the second wicket, which left the Blues on the cusp of victory.
Loveland fell for a brisk 33 off 23 deliveries, while Basson batted through the chase and was unbeaten on 38 from 31 balls when the game was won.
Scorecards
Jeppe High School for Boys 142/10 (Ryan Young 43, Keegan Cockburn 22; Christian Sabela 4/25, Steele Grooteman 1/19). King Edward VII School 144/3 (Tiago Dias 52, Troy Gordon 51*; Sipho Potsane 1/8, Reza Ayob 1/26.) KES won by seven wickets.
Queens High School 102/7 (Bafana Mthunzi 26, Junior Makabe 14*; Malan du Plessis 4/20, David Ireland 1/17). St John’s College 103/2 (Herman Basson 38*, Alec Loveland 33; Junior Makabe 2/27, Preceli Molapisi 1/18). St John’s won by seven wickets.
The Johannesburg Schools Invitational XI won all their matches as they marched to the title at the St John’s Rams T20 Tournament. Photo: Supplied.
Troy Gordon, Wade McQuinn, and Lincoln Casais produced clutch performances to guide the Johannesburg Schools Invitational XI to the title at the annual St John’s College (Harare) Rams T20 Tournament on Sunday.
The Invitational XI faced CliftonCollege on Fisher Field in the final and defeated the KwaZulu-Natal side by 39 runs to lay claim to the trophy.
The composite side, made up of players from St John’s College (Johannesburg),Jeppe High School for Boys, Queens High School, and King Edward VII (KES), and coached by Bongani Ntini, won the toss, chose to bat first, and tallied a challenging 179/6 before restricting Clifton to 140/9.
Ntini, the St John’s College Director of Cricket, was assisted by Sharmin Naidoo, the Director of Cricket at KES, and Casey Arnold, the Director of Cricket at Jeppe.
“I had a really good group of boys. We’ve gelled so well together, and that made my job as captain really easy because the guys knew what they needed to do. My job was just about putting the guys in the right place,” captain Wade McQuinn told SuperSport Schools Plus after his team had lifted the trophy.
The Gauteng side went unbeaten on their march to the title. They thumped Prince Edward by 128 runs in their first match, spanked Christian Brothers College – Bulawayo (CBC) by 55 runs, and then clinched a last-ball victory over St John’s College (Harare) in their third pool match.
Those three wins earned them a semifinal spot, where they overran Wise Owl High School by 117 runs.
“I was glad I could execute my skill set in the semifinal and really put the team in a good position to get to that final,” said Tiago Dias after scoring a 43-ball 74, which earned the opener the Player of the MatchAward.
Clifton, on their way to the title decider, pounded Wise Owl by nine wickets, charged to an eight-wicket win over Churchill Boys’ High, and outplayed Peterhouse by six wickets to qualify for the semifinals.
The Durban school won all three of their group matches comfortably when chasing, so Falcon College asked them to bat in their semifinal showdown. The KZN side made light work of the Falcon College bowling and marched to 172/8, setting the stage for a 39-run triumph.
The final was clearly a clash between the two best teams of the tournament.
The Invitational XI’s victory in the title game was powered by Gordon’s outstanding half-century, with the KES learner flaying seven fours and a six in his 41-ball 54. It was his third half-century of the tournament, and it helped him to finish the event as its top scorer. He totalled 242 runs from five innings at an average of 60.50, while scoring at a healthy run rate of 155.13.
“I think T20 cricket’s a game of momentum. It’s about understanding when those moments come. I think I did really well in that in that sense. When we lost a few wickets, I was able to slow the game down a bit, rotate the strike and then pick it up later,” Gordon, who was named the Batsman of the Tournament, said.
The Johannesburg Schools Invitational XI took control of matters in the middle of the park.
His knock laid the foundation for his KES teammate, McQuinn, to express himself. The Invitational XI’s skipper put on a masterclass of batting at the death, plundering 38 runs from 17 deliveries to catapult his side to 179.
McQuinn batted only four times in the tournament, and when he did, late in his side’s innings, he performed exceptionally well, providing the team with valuable boosts. Overall, he tallied 120 runs an average of 60.00, with a superb strike rate of 184.62.
“I’m very grateful that my coaches gave me a clear role, so I knew exactly what I had to do,” McQuinn said. “My job was to mainly finish off games, and I felt like I was able to execute that.”
Casais, who is more renowned for his batting, took the new ball against Clifton. He hadn’t bowled all tournament, and his first two deliveries, looseners, were pounced on by Byron Ward, who sent them to the boundary.
However, with his third delivery, the off spinner showed why McQuinn entrusted him with the ball when he outfoxed the Clifton opener. Then he bamboozled the dangerous Tim Saulez three balls later. That double-blow was the beginning of a four-wicket collapse.
It included Tiago Dias executing a brilliant run out to see off Cohen Naidoo in the second over, before Casais claimed a third victim, to reduce Clifton to 12/4 after 2.4 overs.
That match-defining spell, which brought him 3/12 from two overs and undermined Clifton’s run chase from the start, led to Casais being named the Player of the Match.
Lawson Dinsdale and Zach Williamson stabilised the innings for Clifton with a 78-run fifth-wicket partnership. Dinsdale was the aggressor, carving 48 runs from 27 balls, while Williamson anchored the innings as he accumulated 39 runs from 43 deliveries. Unfortunately for Clifton, those hammer blows they had suffered in the early going took a toll and they didn’t have the batsmen or wickets in hand to properly challenge the Johannesburg Invitational XI’s total.
It also didn’t help Clifton’s cause when McQuinn unleashed his frontline bowlers in the second half of the innings. The Johannesburg side’s main strike bowler, Lebone Ramedupe, came on in the 11th over, while McQuinn, Uthman Khan, and Luke Clarke followed him. Between them, the quartet gave little away and were rewarded for their disciplined lines with five wickets in eight overs between them.
“The team comes first, so I’m really glad that we won the trophy,” Gordon said. “I am also happy that I am taking home the Batter of the Tournament. I will be looking to come back and defend that one. I hope I get chosen for next year’s team.”
SCORES
Final
Johannesburg Invitational XI 179/6 (Troy Gordon 54, Wade McQuinn 38, Bafana Mthunzi 33, Lincoln Casais 27; Eliah van Jaarsveld 3/28); Clifton College 140/9 (Lawson Dinsdale 47, Zach Williamson 39; Lincoln Casais 3/12, Uthman Khan 2/21).
Johannesburg Invitational XI won by 39 runs.
Semi-finals
Clifton College 172/8 (Tim Saulez 43, Lawson Dinsdale 38, Zach Williamson 37, Hayden Drieselmann 30; Reed Merick 2/18, Zach Gover 2/42); Falcon College 133/10 (Neil Rosenfels 66; Blake Johnson 5/26, Shiraz Perumal 2/10, Tim Saulez 2/29).
Clifton College won by 39 runs.
Johannesburg Invitational XI 198/3 (Tiago Dias 74, Troy Gordon 43, Joshua Hall 30, Wade McQuinn 24*); Wise Owl 81/10 (Tapiwa Chikwava 3/11, Lebone Ramedupe 2/11).
Johannesburg Invitational XI won by 117 runs.
Eliminators
St John’s College 144/8 (Hayden Croxford 38, Connor Lovatt 24, Khulekani Nduku 21; Darren Ncube 2/15, Dmitry Fatch 2/31, Liam Nel 2/40); Falcon College 146/8 (Liam Nel 35, Brandon Ndiweni 27, Alastair Carle 24; Tawana Nyandoro 2/23; Khulekani Nduku 2/27, Hayden Saunders 2/30).
Wise Owl scored back-to-back victories on Saturday to secure a place in the Eliminator playoff. Photo: Wise Owl on Facebook.
Wise Owl High School charged to an 83-run win over Churchill Boys’ High to punch their tickets to the Eliminator round of the St John’s College (Harare) Rams T20 Tournament, in Harare, on Saturday afternoon.
They joined the hosts, as well as Falcon College (Bulawayo), and Kearsney College in the four-team playoffs.
The Marondera-based side won the toss, chose to bat first, and ran up the second-highest total of the competition, 218/7, against Churchill.
The highest score of 232/2 was posted by St John’s against Prince Edward, and the third highest and only other 200-plus run total was Hellenic Academy‘s 201/7 against St George’s College.
Wise Owl started slowly. It was only when Tadiwanashe Kurehwatira reached the crease in the fourth over that their run rate picked up. His contribution was 47 off 35 balls. However, the arrival of Thelson Madziwana turbo-charged their innings, with the middle-order batsman launching five sixes and as many fours in a scintillating 35-ball 67.
Madziwana’s knock alone would not have been enough to send Wise Owl’s total beyond 200 runs, but they were helped along by Churchill’s bowling attack, which contributed 38 runs to the overall total of 48 extras. The biggest culprit was Ryan Madzima, who couldn’t get his lines right and conceded 42 runs in an 18-ball over littered with wides and no-balls.
Wise Owl’s bowlers bowled with better discipline to restrict Churchill to 135/6 from their 20 overs. The Marondera team’s bowling attack forced Churchill into their shell for an extended period. It was only when Zvikomborero Masango came out swinging and raced to 30 from just 14 balls that Churchill ensured they didn’t suffer a three-figure defeat.
Wise Owl’s win over Churchill was their second of the day. They defeated their neighbours, Peterhouse, by 33 runs in their first outing on Saturday. In that game, Marshall Mashava led the way, scoring 48 off 35 balls, while Tatenda Chimugoro (24), Thelson Madziwana (21), and Tadiwanashe Kurehwatira (21) contributed 66 runs to the total.
Falcon College, the other side that made it to the playoffs, endured mixed fortunes. They won their first but lost their second match of the day.
In the morning, they thumped Hellenic Academy by seven wickets. Dmitry Fatch, Darren Ncube, Neil Rosenfels, and Liam Nel took a brace of wickets each as they restricted the Harare side to 157 all out in 19.2 overs.
Falcon skipper Alastair Carle, then, produced another brilliant innings at the top of the order, rocketing to 73 off just 46 balls to set the tone for an easy and comfortable run chase.
The opener tried to give his side another strong start when they were chasing a 190-run target set for them by Kearsney College, in their second match. Unfortunately for Falcon, Carle’s stay in the middle was shorter, although he was very effective in sprinting to 27 off 14 balls. The Bulawayo boys need more, though, and they came up 26 runs short of the mark.
The fourth playoff qualifier and defending champion, St John’s, headed into the second day with a clean record of two wins from two matches on Friday. However, they ran into an inspired Wade McQuinn and his Johannesburg Schools Invitational XI, who denied them a third win in a last over nail-biter.
Pilate Ndlovu did for Christian Brothers College – Bulawayo (CBC) what Shivaan Chouhan failed to do for St John’s. Ndlovu was handed the ball in the final over with three runs to defend against Prince Edward.
Junaid Nyawasha, Prince Edward’s number 10 batsman, was on a roll, batting with freedom, as he moved to 32 runs from 22 balls. He ran two off the first delivery of the 20th over, which left Prince Edward needing only a single run from five balls.
Ndlovu, though, struck with the second delivery of the over, trapping Nyawasha LBW to claim an improbable win for his side. He finished the match with one wicket for 26 runs from 3.2 overs.
However, the standout bowlers for CBC were Tawana Ratisai (4/9) and Takudzwa Maposa (3/30).
Wade McQuinn powered the Johannesburg Schools Invitational XI to a thrilling last-ball victory over St John’s College (Harare) at the St John’s Rams T20. Photo: Supplied.
Wade McQuinn pulled off incredible final over heroics to help the Johannesburg Schools Invitational XI secure a five-wicket win over St John’s College (Harare) in their St John’s Rams T20 Tournament clash on the Fisher Field, at St John’s, on Saturday afternoon.
The victory completed a clean sweep of Group A for the Johannesburg side – a team comprising players from St John’s College (Johannesburg),Jeppe High School for Boys, Queens High School, and King Edward VII (KES) – who moved through to the semi-finals, where they will meet the winner of the Eliminator tie between KearsneyCollege and Wise Owl.
CliftonCollege topped the table to book their semi-final berth against the winner of second Eliminator between St John’s and Falcon College.
McQuinn received the Player of the Match accolade for his all-round contributions to the Invitational XI’s victory. The KES learner, the team’s captain, led from the front. He won the toss, chose to bowl first, and rotated his bowlers well as the Joburg side restricted St John’s to 153/7 in 20 overs. It took the Invitational XI every one of their 20 overs to snatch victory.
McQuinn starred with the ball, taking three wickets for 17 runs in four overs. One of those three was the dangerous-looking Luca Spagnuolo, whom he dismissed for a 29-ball 44. That wicket provided a turning point. It slowed the hosts down and reduced a potential 170-plus total to 153.
St John’s was cruising at a rate of 8.6 runs an over before Spagnuolo’s dismissal, and they went at just over six runs an over after that.
Only four other batsmen from St John’s reached double figures. Connor Lovatt scored a brisk 31 off 17 balls, James Manning made 18 from 16, while Riley Ettlin and Tawana Nyandoro managed 14 runs apiece.
The Invitational XI made a poor start to their run chase, losing both of their openers in the space of four deliveries, which left them on 9/2 after 2.2 overs. That brought the day one heroes Troy Gordon and Lincoln Casais (38) to the crease. The pair set the Gauteng side’s innings on course with a 70-run third wicket stand from 50 deliveries.
Gordon played the lead role, tallying an outstanding 61 from 40 balls. When he was dismissed, the Invitational XI needed 33 runs from 23 balls.
The Johannesburg side advanced slowly and found themselves under pressure, requiring 25 runs from the last two overs. McQuinn scored 11 of the 13 runs they mustered in the 19th over. Then, the Invitational XI took singles off the first three balls of the 20th over and found themselves needing nine runs from three balls.
McQuinn held his nerve and slammed back-to-back boundaries before taking a single to seal the game off the last delivery of the match. He finished the contest unbeaten on 25 off 14 deliveries. His partner, Joshua Hall, was on 12 not out.
Scorecard
St John’s 153/7 (Luca Spagnuolo 44, Connor Lovatt 31; Wade McQuinn 3/17, Tapiwa Chikwava 2/22). Johannesburg Schools Invitational XI 154/5 (Troy Gordon 61, Lincoln Casais 38; Connor Lovatt 2/27, Khulekani Nduku 2/28). Johannesburg Schools Invitational XI won by five wickets.
Joubert played an outstanding innings to steer Helpmekaar to victory over Queen’s. Photo: Supplied.
Zuan Joubert led HelpmekaarKollege to a deserved four-wicket win over Queens High School with a zesty half-century when the sides locked horns in a Lions Schools Cricket League 50-over match at the University of Johannesburg on Saturday.
In Krugersdorp, Corné Botha delivered an outstanding spell of bowling to lay the foundation for Hoërskool Noordheuwel to also claim a four-wicket win over their arch-rivals, HoërskoolMonument.
Joubert took control of Helpmekaar’s innings, stroking 10 fours and a single six on his way to a brisk 57-ball 69. His innings created a solid platform for his team’s successful chase of the 215-run target set them by Queens.
After winning the toss, Queens elected to bat first and tallied 214 all out in 40.2 overs.
Ruben Bredenkamp performed well with the ball, capturing four wickets for 50 runs to help prevent Queens from batting out their 50 overs. He received good support from John Butner, who removed two batsmen, while Stefan Trumpelman, Dominic Tait, Rudolph Odendaal, and their hero with the bat, Joubert, took a wicket each.
Opening batsman Dimpho Sefoli (77) did his best to stem the tide for Queens but he lacked support, with wickets tumbling around him. His 68-ball knock turned out to be the only bright light in the Queens’ innings.
When Joubert arrived at the crease, with the total on 48, Helpmekaar had lost two wickets for four runs in the space of 13 balls. They needed him to consolidate and rebuild the innings. However, the right-hander had barely settled in when Helpmekaar lost a third wicket.
Joubert, though, kept his wits about him and combined with Heinrich Minnaar for a productive 101-run fourth-wicket partnership that tilted the contest firmly Helpmekaar’s way.
When Joubert was dismissed, Helpmekaar was only 47 runs away from the target, and Minnaar took over the lead role in the chase, working his way to 50 off 66 balls. That effort helped them into a position of almost certain victory, and Helpies duly claimed a hard-fought win when they reached 217/6.
In the battle for bragging rights in Krugersdorp, Noordheuwel, playing in front of their home crowd, won the toss and elected to bowl first.
That proved to be a good call as Corné Botha blew away Monument’s top order with an outstanding opening spell. His captain, Dian Taljaard, tasked him to bowl six overs up front, and that’s all he needed to bring the Monnas‘ innings to its knees.
Botha combined with JJBasson in the powerplay overs, and the pair ensured that Monument was off kilter after they lost three early wickets.
His second delivery brought Botha his first wicket and he made it two wickets in an over three balls later. Basson, who kept things quiet in his first five overs, gave little away and was eventually rewarded with a wicket of his own.
The pair had Monument on shaky ground on 42/3 after the powerplay. Skipper Taljaard, then, gave Basson a rest after the first 10 overs but he kept Botha on for an extra over. It was a masterstroke. Botha bagged two wickets in two balls to leave Monument wobbling on 47/5 after 11.5 overs.
Johan Zeedijk, the only Monument batsman to reach 20 runs, provided some lower-order resistance. However, his stay at the crease was tentative, and he was sent packing by Basson. Monument added a single run after Zeedijk’s dismissal as they slid to 98 all out after 31.3 overs.
Noordheuwel chose an aggressive approach in their pursuit of the modest 99 runs required for victory, and they barrelled along to get there in about half the number of overs that Monument used to score 98.
In just 15.5 overs, Nories reached 101/6 to claim a solid victory. Wander Roolvink led the run chase with a 44-ball 36, while Ethan Smith played a valuable innings, too, weighing in with 31 from 29 balls.
Scorecards
Queens High School 214/10 (Dimpho Sefoli 77, Bokamoso Makhaphela 35; Ruben Bredenkamp 4/50, John Butner 2/33). Helpmekaar Kollege 217/6 (Zuan Joubert 69, Heinrich Minnaar 50; Junior Makabe 2/19, Karabo Lekalakala 2/25). Helpmekaar won by four wickets.
Monument 98/10 (Johan Zeedijk 20, Logan Weetman 18; Corné Botha 4/18, Gomolemo Sibi 3/15). Noordheuwel 101/6 (Wander Roolvink 36, Ethan Smith 31; Rieghardt Prinsloo 3/17, Tristan Mecuur 2/6). Noordheuwel won by four wickets.
James Manning, Alastair Carle, and Cameron Oosthuizen were outstanding with the bat and ball as they led St John’s College (Harare),Falcon College, and Peterhouse to victories on the first day of the St John’s Rams T20 Tournament, on Friday.
The hosts, St John’s, beat Christian Brothers College – Bulawayo (CBC) by 33 runs, while Falcon College trounced St George’s College by nine wickets, and Peterhouse won by 36 runs against Churchill School.
After being asked to bat first, they started slowly, losing Jetas Sai Maramreddy in the third over for only six runs. However, James Manning, who took over from Maramreddy, quickly took charge.
He slashed 65 runs from 48 deliveries during a 66-minute stay, and his half-century was supported by a trio of 30s from Riley Ettlin (37), Connor Lovatt (36), and Luca Spagnuolo (34*), as St John’s powered their way to 193/5.
CBC suffered a trainwreck at the beginning of their run chase, losing four wickets for seven runs from the first 14 balls they faced.
That collapse was arrested when Joshua Armstrong (75*) joined Kelebokile Moyo (45) at the crease. Together, they cobbled a 100-run partnership that gave the visitors hope. However, when Moyo fell in the 14th over, CBC’s challenge fell away and they finished with 160/7 from their 20 overs, well shy of the St John’s total.
Alastair Carle smote an impressive, unbeaten 91 from 46 deliveries when Falcon College went up against St George’s College on Fisher Field. The opener launched six sixes and cracked 10 fours as he almost singlehandedly chased down the 128-run victory target.
After electing to bat first, St George’s ran into early trouble, losing their first wicket in the second over. Wickets fell regularly after that as they struggled to build partnerships.
St George’s opening batsman, Jayden Petersen, occupied the crease until the 11th over and top-scored with a run-a-ball 24, but no other player made it to 20 as the Harare side limped to 127/8 in 20 overs. Dmitry Fatch and Reed Merick led the charge with the ball for Falcon with two wickets apiece.
However, the star of the show was Carle, who got off the mark with a four, off the second ball he faced, and closed the innings with another four. His 91 runs accounted for 70 percent of Falcon’s runs, and his imperious knock secured a nine-wicket win for his side.
The Bulawayo side’s win left them in second place in Pool B, behind Kearsney College.
Cameron Oosthuizen, meanwhile, landed the ball in the right areas as he bowled Peterhouse to a 36-run victory over Churchill on the Honey B Field. The medium pacer delivered 17 dot balls in four overs on his way to a decisive haul of four wickets for 10 runs. He also executed two run outs to help his side dismiss Churchill for a meagre 111 in 17 overs.
Oosthuizen had sufficient runs to defend after Peterhouse posted a total of 147/8. Luke Marillier anchored their innings with a steady 39 runs from 32 deliveries at the top of the order, while Cameron Rae chipped in with a crucial 30 off 37. Panashe Fantiso‘s 13-ball 22 gave the innings a boost, as did Isaac Hildebrand‘s 15 off 14, and Ryan Moyo’s contribution of 11 runs.
With the win, Peterhouse occupies second place in Pool C behind Clifton College, who opened their account with two commanding victories.
Scorecards
St John’s 193/5 (James Manning 65, Riley Ettlin 37; Pilate Ndlovu 1/20, Presley Jere 1/31). CBC 160/7 (Joshua Armstrong 75*, Kelebokile Moyo 45; Connor Lovatt 3/22, Tawana Nyandoro 2/25). St John’s won by 33 runs.
St George’s College 127/8 (Jayden Petersen 24, Abhiraj Singh 19; Dmitry Fatch 2/17, Reed Merick 2/23) Falcon College 130/1 (Alastair Carle 91*, Callum Orford 17; Abhiraj Singh 1/18, Munyaradzi Maunze 0/12). Falcon won by nine wickets.
Peterhouse 147/8 (Luke Marillier 39, Cameron Rae 30; Zvikomborero Masango 2/19, Brandon Sam 2/22). Churchill 111/10 (Praise Dube 38, Wessly Maramwidze 15; Cameron Oostuizen 4/10, Nicholas Orphanides 2/28). Peterhouse won by 36 runs.
The Johannesburg Schools Invitational XI hit the ground running at the St John’s Rams T20 tournament in Harare. Photo: Supplied.
Troy Gordon, Lincoln Casais, and Lebone Ramedupe produced superb T20 batting and bowling performances on the Honey A Field to inspire the Johannesburg Schools Invitational XI to back-to-back victories over Prince Edward and Christian Brothers College – Bulawayo (CBC), on the first day of the St John’s College (Harare) Rams T20 Tournament on Friday afternoon.
The wins catapulted the Johannesburg Schools Invitational XI to the top of Group A.
Their next assignment is against the hosts, St John’s (Harare), on Saturday.
They are guaranteed a top two finish in their pool. However, a first-place finish sees them through to the Super Six stage, while a second-place finish will send them through to the Eliminator round.
The Johannesburg Schools Invitational XI, a team comprising players from St John’s College (Johannesburg), Jeppe High School for Boys, Queen’s High School, and King Edward VII (KES), pummelled Prince Edward by 128 runs in their first outing and then thrashed CBC by 55 runs later in the day.
“We have a good group of players. They are wonderful people, great characters, and this has made it easy for them to gel and play for each other on the field,” Bongani Ntini, the touring side’s coach, told SuperSport Schools Plus.
In the game against Prince Edward, Troy Gordon and Lincoln Casais plundered a combined 154 runs from only 98 deliveries. Gordon, from KES, and Casais, from Jeppe, joined forces at the start of the fifth over after Shayne Garwe struck a double blow, dismissing Tiago Dias and Bafana Mthunzi in the space of five deliveries.
Gordon and Casais consolidated over the next five overs before unfurling their power-hitting, smashing 19 runs in the 11th over. They were unstoppable thereafter. Gordon, who reached his half-century in just 35 balls, lofted seven sixes and five fours on a 53-ball innings that brought him 84 runs. He was named the Player of the Match for his performance.
Like Gordon, Casais also reached his fifty in 35 balls and ended unbeaten on 70 off 45 deliveries after the completion of 20 overs. Their efforts helped to catapult the SA Invitational XI to 193/3.
“One of the best things about this tour is that the boys play without pressure, and so they express themselves freely. It’s good to see. I constantly remind them to do the best they can because they are ambassadors of their schools,” Ntini said.
Lebone Ramedupe, Shreshth Kumar, Keegan Hendey, and Wade McQuinn took two wickets each as the Johannesburg Schools Invitational XI bowlers skittled Prince Edward for only 65 runs in 15 overs. The total would have been lower if the Joburg side had not boosted their score with 11 extras through wides and no-balls.
Later in the day, like Prince Edward, CBC won the toss and opted to bowl first when they met the Johannesburg Schools Invitational XI. The CBC bowlers performed reasonably well, picking up wickets at regular intervals, but the South African side still posted a more than useful 185/6.
“We did not maintain the same batting order in both matches because we wanted to take the boys out of their comfort zones. Besides winning matches, we want the boys to learn to adapt to different situations,” Ntini said about his team’s batting effort.
Tiago Dias (36) and Joshua Hall (39) played the conditions well and mounted a 77-run second-wicket partnership off 58 deliveries to provide a springboard from which their explosive middle order could capitalise.
McQuinn strode to the middle after Dias’s departure and scored a brisk 33 off 24. Then, Bafana Mthunzi (13 off nine), Luke Clarke (13* from eight), and Casais (13 off three) maximised the remaining deliveries.
When they bowled, the Joburg outfit made better use of the conditions than CBC, dismissing the Bulawayo school for 130 runs in 17.1 overs.
Ramedupe and his new ball partner, Connor Kuijers, set the tone with two early wickets before Clarke bagged 3/23 to push CBC onto the ropes.
Joshua Armstrong (34), Lee Ellerman (29), and Rowyn Konson (28) provided resistance for the Bulawayo boys, but their efforts were futile.
Right-arm paceman Ramedupe starred with the ball, capturing 4/25 from four overs. He was well supported by Clarke’s three-wicket haul and a brace of wickets from Kuijers.
Scorecards
Johannesburg Schools Invitational XI 193/3 (Troy Gordon 84, Lincoln Casais 70*; Shane Garwe 2/25, Junaid Nyawasha 1/41). Prince Edward 65/10 (Mike Takodza 9*, Keith Mabhena 9; Shreshth Kumar 2/4, Keegan Hendey 2/7). Johannesburg Schools Invitational XI won by 128 runs.
Johannesburg Schools Invitational XI 185/6 (Joshua Hall 39, Tiago Dias 36; Rowyn Konson 3/22, Dylan Saudan 2/18). Christian Brothers College 130/10 (Joshua Armstrong 34, Lee Ellerman 29; Lebone Ramedupe 4/25, Luke Clarke 3/23). Johannesburg Schools Invitational XI won by 55 runs.
