Author: cschiwanza

Ombesa Matsha has lofty ambitions. The St Stithians College learner has set his sights on earning a place at the Cubs Week, being selected for South Africa u19, and developing into one of the top five batters in the country in the next two years.

A left-hander, he is firmly on track, if his recent performances are anything to go by.

At the start of the third term, Matsha demonstrated his aptitude for red ball cricket at the Fasken Time Cricket Festival, hosted by St David’s Marist Inanda, scoring three half-centuries in succession. He finished the showpiece with 220 runs in three innings for an average of 73, which left him among the top five run-scorers at the festival.

“Ombesa is a wonderful player. He has a well-rounded game and values his wicket,” Wim Jansen, the St Stithians Director of Cricket, told SuperSport Schools Plus.

A few weeks later, on 12 and 13 September, the Grade 10 learner stamped his authority at the CSA u17 camp, held in Irene. Opening the batting, he tallied 188 runs in two matches for an average of 94 at a strike rate of 96.9. FG Botha was the next-best batter with 105 runs in two innings.

“My cricket role models are Yashasvi Jaiswal and David Miller,” the teenager, whom Jansen described as a fearless match-winner, shared.

Jansen’s assessment of Matsha as a match-winner isn’t based only on what the 16-year-old has done for Saints with the bat. Matsha has been leading teams to success since he was eight.

In 2017, he flayed an unbeaten 149 to lead Laerskool Jan Cilliers to victory in a Junior tournament at Trinity House. He was also crowned the Best Batsman of the tournament, a sign of things to come.

Three years later, Matsha dominated with the bat at the Central Gauteng Lions‘ (CGL) u12 tournament by plundering three centuries, which included a highest score of 225 not out.

He maintained his huge appetite for “big” runs in representative cricket for the CGL’s u11 side in 2019 and the u13s in 2021 and 2022. It was enough to convince St Stithians to offer the youngster a scholarship. Matsha also played for the Lions’ u15s in 2023, was a member of the u16A side in 2024, and travelled to the 2024 Coca Cola Khaya Majola Week with the CSA Invitation team.

Jansen said Matsha isn’t afraid of high pace and is happy to take on aggressive bowlers who try to instil fear into top-order batters. That is what he did at the u17 camp.

Matsha led the Markram XI from the front and scored a brilliant 87 from 96 balls in an innings in which no other batter on his side reached 20. His crucial knock lifted the Markram XI to 209 and laid the foundation for a 28-run victory over the Bavuma XI.

The opener then scored a 98-ball 101 in the second match. The story of that encounter was similar to the first tie: Matsha played the role of a lone ranger as he held the Markram XI innings together while wickets tumbled around him. When he was dismissed after spending 36 overs in the middle, the Markram XI’s innings collapsed. Unfortunately for him, his one-man effort wasn’t enough to save his team from a 56-run defeat.

“He has grown a lot over the past 18 months,” Malibongwe Maketa, the SA u19 coach, said. “I sat down with him after the first match at the u17 camp. He showed great awareness of the opposition’s bowling plans and what approach the match required. He is no longer just trying to get runs by any means necessary.”

According to Maketa, who met the youngster when it seemed as if he was trying to launch every second ball over the ropes, Matsha now knows how to formulate a game plan to suit conditions. The left-hander is happy to shelve his best shots if the situation demands it.

To drive that point home, Maketa said that in both of Matsha’s innings at the u17 camp, the teenager rotated the strike well, was happy to soak up the pressure, and ready to pounce on the bad ball.

Saints’ Director of Cricket, Wim Jansen, would have been pleased to hear that. “We worked on various aspects of his game over the past few months,” he said. “In particular, strike rotation and his game against spin.”

Matsha’s success against spinners and his ability to take control of the middle overs was helped by the months he spent with Scarborough College as part of an exchange programme between St Stithians and the Yorkshire school. There, he learned to play the ball late and he improved his striking through the square region.

“The time he spent in the UK took him out of his comfort zone and didn’t just help him as a cricketer, but also as a person,” Jansen said.

The youngster is one of many St Stithians learners who have benefitted from the programme, which is now in its 12th year. Others who have benefitted from it include Proteas’ Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, and Lhuan-dre Pretorius. If that is used as a predictor of the future, the odds are in favour of Matsha achieving his dreams.

While abroad and playing for Wykeham in the Scarborough Evening Cricket League Division A, he struck a stunning 112 off 62 balls to help his club secure top spot with a seven-wicket win over Flixton, their title rivals. That match-winning knock underlined his potential.

“One of our core values is to back our guys. If they are good enough, they are old enough,” Jansen said.

“Ombesa showed that he was good enough when he was in Grade 9, and we backed him to perform. He has been outstanding since then.”

Graeme College returned to Templeton Drive, in Makhanda, a happy team after scoring four wins in four outings at the annual Pearson Festival that took place in Gqeberha, from 11 to 14 September.

“The team was flawless, dominating every match they played. They showcased exceptional skill, discipline, consistency, and teamwork in all departments,” Odwa Xonxa, the Graeme College coach, told SuperSport Schools Plus.

Facing Cambridge High in their first match, Graeme batted first and put 140/6 on the board. On a difficult surface, Luphelo Mdyesha and Enrique Strydom, both with 26, and Andrew Muir, with 25, did well.

The Graeme College bowling attack then made good use of the pitch as they bundled Cambridge out for only 70 runs to secure a comfortable victory. Mdyesha led the bowlers with 3/15, while Caleb Jatiem gave almost nothing away and finished with 2/4.

In their next outing, against Parel Vallei, Mdyesha led the way with the bat, contributing a well-played 50. He was well supported by Corbin Tidbury, who weighed in with 47, which helped Graeme to 133/5 in their 20 overs.

When Parel Vallei batted, Siba Deliwe took more wickets than runs conceded, finishing with 2/1 in Graeme’s emphatic 47-run win.

“The team showed a lot of maturity, with different guys putting their hands up and performing on different occasions,” Xonxa said. “The unbeaten run is a testament to the boys’ hard work, dedication, and team cohesion.”

Graeme chose to send a young side to the festival, and, despite their youth, the Makhanda school’s players showed that they were up to the task. Fifteen-year-old Caleb Jatiem unleashed his pace on Stirling and bagged a five-wicket haul, capturing 5/24 in 7.2 overs as Graeme bundled out their East London opposition for only 89 runs in their 40-over fixture.

Stirling fought hard and picked up five wickets when Graeme batted, but they had too few runs to defend.

In addition to bowling his side to a comprehensive triumph, Caleb Jatiem was also part of a history-making team selection, as Xonxa elaborated.

“The team had two sets of brothers: Caleb Jatiem and Keagan Jatiem, and Andrew Muir and James Muir. This is the first time we have had two sets of brothers since 2007 when the Smuts and Van Der Muelen siblings played in the 1st XI,” he said.

Enrique Strydom and Kits McConnachie took control of Graeme’s final match against a Wynberg Invitational side. They produced stellar all-round performances, sharing seven wickets between them as the Invitational team was bowled out for 161 in the 46th over of their 50-over game.

In only four overs, Strydom ran rampant, knocking over 5/17, while McConnachie picked up 2/14 in eight overs.

The pair then recorded identical scores, each weighing in with 51 runs, to catapult Graeme College to 162/3 in 31 overs.

Strydom was the more measured of the pair, scoring his 51 from 81 balls, while McConnachie was more destructive, requiring only 45 deliveries for his 51.

“Each and every player contributed, whether on the field or off, showcasing unity and mutual support. We are very proud of the boys.

“Everyone stepped up, and it was a total team effort from start to finish, and going undefeated speaks volumes about the commitment and focus of this young team,” Xonxa declared.

“Grandpa would have been proud.”

The Basson family was overjoyed with JJ Basson’s selection by the Paarl Royals as one of their three u23 players for season four of the SA20. However, the family also felt that none of them would have been as thrilled as the man JJ Basson was named after.

Jacob Johannes Basson was the first cricketer in the Basson family. He had enough talent to trouble club cricketers with his right-arm off-spin, but his talent never took him beyond turning out for his club, Oostelikes.

When it became apparent that his grandson’s talent superseded his own, the older Basson helped him to cultivate it. It soon became apparent that the younger JJ’s cricket gifts were greater than all of his predecessors combined.

“He bought JJ his first bat, a Kookaburra bat, when he was a little boy,” Deon Basson, JJ’s father, told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“He, also, never missed a match JJ played. He showed up for everything. When JJ was selected for his first u11 tournament, which was played in White River, my dad just asked for the details and made the trip from Pretoria.”

That tournament was the first time JJ Basson’s world of cricket truly extended beyond his school, Krugersdorp North Primary. Like every youngster, his began his journey with dreams of becoming a batsman, and a century for the school’s first team helped to encourage those ambitions.

However, everyone who watched him at that tournament in White River left certain that they had watched a talented left-arm seamer.

It didn’t take long for more people to recognise his talent. When Gauteng West and Joburg North met at u13 level in a regional tournament, JJ almost singlehandedly won that encounter for his team.

Joburg North scuttled Gauteng West for a measly 110 after electing to bowl first and it looked as if they would cruise to victory when they got into a rhythm and reached 76/1, needing only 35 more runs to win. JJ, though, shattered their hopes of victory with a blistering second spell that saw him capture five wickets for 11 runs. Gauteng West won.

That performance was a sneak peek into the future. Later that year, Basson helped his side clinch the title in the Gauteng Cup. The winner’s medal found a place beside his 2021 Lenasia Premier League (LPL) u13 winners’ medal for the Celestial Knights. That was only the beginning.

Recalling the teenager’s early years, Rudi Erasmus, one of JJ’s coaches at Hoërskool Noordheuwel, said: “We really just focused on the basics of bowling, making sure every step was smooth, efficient, and strong. The rest was up to him, testing his limits and finding his own technique and rhythm through time and effort.”

In 2022, when JJ was 14, an improved action helped him play a leading role in the Black Widow Junior side’s victory in the Big Bom Lenasia T20. He also featured in the Diadora Jozi Cup u15 team that finished in second place at the annual winter tournament. That title didn’t elude him for long, however. The following year, he clinched it with the u16 side.

The accolades have kept rolling in. Besides 2024, when he was sidelined by injury, there hasn’t been a year when the left-armer hasn’t been part of Gauteng’s age group teams at national events.

Batsmen breathed easier when JJ Basson wasn’t bowling. His towering height and the left-arm angle made life difficult for them. However, with JJ, it isn’t just about height and being a southpaw.

“One of his greatest skills is his ability to bring the ball back into right-handers. He also has a good bouncer and has good variations in his armoury. What makes him dangerous is how quickly his wrists can snap to provide him extra pace,” Ahmed Nawab, the Gauteng Lions’ u19 coach, shared.

Nawab’s description of JJ is a glove that fits Mitchell Starc. That comes as no surprise because, before he found his own path, JJ copied the Australian star’s action. He did it for so long that his skillset makes it appear as if they came off the same production line. JJ was so enamoured by the Australian that he also wears the number 56 shirt. He couldn’t have chosen a better role model.

Among modern left-arm pacers, only New Zealand’s Trent Boult can keep company with the Aussie quick as an exponent of new-ball bowling, although Starc holds the edge. Earlier this year, the Aussie put his genius with the new ball on display when he recorded the fastest five-wicket haul against the West Indies in Test cricket history. It came in only 15 balls. Like Starc, JJ is a new-ball hitman.

“We worked on that a lot. The focus was on getting him to land the new ball in the right areas,” Donald Dinake, JJ’s coach at Noordheuwel, said.

In 2007, social scientist Angela Dweck published her seminal book, Mindset, which discussed fixed and growth mindsets. According to Dweck, people with a fixed mindset are bent on proving themselves to be outstanding or good over and over again, but they’re afraid of failure. Those with a growth mindset, on the other hand, are unafraid of failure because they believe that hurdles help them to develop their abilities.

When Dinake speaks of JJ, it sounds like he took a passage from Dweck’s publication and used it to talk of the teenager. He uses words like coachable, good listener, inquisitive, and sponge. JJ handles negative feedback with a maturity that is way beyond his young age, Dinake said.

““I always remind him that feedback is never personal. I say to him, the bowling is not you. It’s a skill that you have and need to improve and develop. So, when a coach gives you negative feedback, it’s not them criticising you, but rather, they are trying to help your skill,” his father, Deon, said.

As far as JJ is concerned, feedback is a ladder. One can use it to climb a few rungs or to go all the way to the top.

The Noordheuwel grade 11 learner has big dreams. When he was younger, he didn’t set his sights on playing for the biggest club in his area. He targeted representing the Lions. At 15, his ambition changed to representing his country.

The teenager doesn’t just listen. He treasures the feedback, taking it on board and then putting it to the test through hour upon hour of bowling innumerable deliveries to upskill himself. That’s how he became the South Africa u19 side’s premier strike bowler at the age of 17. Now, he is so good that Malibongwe Maketa, the SA u19 coach, expects him to deliver early wickets, which he does. However, JJ Basson is not solely a new ball specialist.

“His control has come a long way. He has now developed wonderful consistency, which makes him not just useful in the middle overs and at the death, but also a proper wicket-taker in those periods,” Nawab explained.

JJ has made many sacrifices to earn such high praise from everyone around him. Those sacrifices include forgoing some things his peers enjoy, like late nights. His father, Deon, said JJ understands the value that good sleep provides his development, and he is dedicated to his schedule and dietary requirements.

“Nothing explains his dedication better than the work he put in when he was injured. JJ showed great resilience during that time. He would wake up at 04:30, do gym work, go to school, and then come to the Wanderers for physiotherapy appointments and net sessions,” Nawab recalled.

His mother, Nicolene, ensured that he was where he needed to be, on time. When the Joburg Super Kings conducted trials ahead of the SA20 auction, she got him to the Wanderers on time, despite JJ being under the weather. He had been unable to do much because of a severe cold the previous week. However, he showed up at the trials and pushed himself to perform as if he were 100 percent fit.

“He had no discomfort. He was determined to learn as much as he could from Allan Donald and Eric Simons,” Nawab said. “That’s what you can expect from JJ, though. He is the kind of person you would want beside you in a battle because of his commitment.”

Given an opportunity to impress, JJ Basson grabbed it, and he enjoyed himself. His grandfather and namesake would have been proud.

He would have been even prouder to learn that his 17-year-old grandson had been picked by the Paarl Royals as one of their three u23 players at the mega auction.

Jacob Johannes Basson, the elder, would have been proud that his grandson has also grown into an outstanding young man.

Pearson High School staked its claim to being one of the leading cricketing schools in South Africa in 2025 when both their girls’ and boys’ teams qualified for Phase 2 of Schools SA20 in January.

The Gqeberha school is focused on building on those foundations in its bid to be a national powerhouse. An important and massive step in that quest was taken in August with the completion of a state-of-the-art High-Performance Centre.

The facility has six specialised cricket turfs catering for various batting and bowling conditions and it features PitchVision equipment, which will allow for detailed analysis and statistics on each player’s batting and bowling technique.

The technology allows coaches and players access to, among others, bowling speeds, pitch maps, impact points, and degrees of turn and variation in bowling styles.

Building a state-of-the-art centre was, however, only one half of Pearson’s strategy to boost their cricket programme. The other part was the appointment of Rudi Second as the Head of Cricket and first team coach.

Second hung up his bat and gloves last year after a solid professional playing career spanning 13 years, during which he was capped 140 times at first-class level, during which he scored 9 021 runs at an average of 43.4. A renowned wicketkeeper, he also pulled off 416 catches behind the stumps and executed 15 stumpings.

Second represented the Free State Knights, captained the Dafabet Warriors, and a regular in the South Africa A team. He was also selected for the South African Test and spent six seasons in England playing county cricket.

“I’ve come in to try to continue what they’re doing, and luckily enough, they have set up a big indoor centre, which has increased our contact time with the players, allowing us to work on the days when it’s raining, and a little bit later into the evenings and the winter. So that’s been a great addition, and it’s really helped us to upskill the players,” Second told SuperSport Schools Plus.

He said his primary focus will be on utilising what he’s learned as a professional cricketer to help Pearson to establish a competitive edge over their opposition.

“Just add one or two things that I’ve learned over my career, and just to unlock it in the players, because I believe all the players have it in their makeup, and it’s a good coach who unlocks that,” he explained.

The coach praised the hard work put in by Charl van der Merwe, his predecessor, and said that it had laid the foundation for his work.

“We have a goal of being one of the strongest cricketing schools in the country. Our first team showed that last season by getting to the Schools SA20 final round. So, there’s a very strong place for cricketers at the school, and that’s something that I want to continue,” he elaborated.

Second said that one of the things that attracted him to Pearson was that its cricketing programme is not just earmarked for the boys. The school is also intent on becoming the top girls’ cricketing school in the nation.

“We’ve got a strong girls’ programme, as well, and it shows with the number of good girls’ cricketers coming through,” he said.

However, Second remains cognisant of the fact that Pearson is an educational institution, not a cricket academy. Therefore, his goal isn’t limited to helping the school produce outstanding cricketers, but he also aims to help it turn out good, well-rounded people.

“It’s an education establishment at the end of the day, and there’s a lot of focus on integrity and being empathetic to the kids. We can use sport to grow really good individuals, and that is what we want to do,” he said.

Second pointed out that part of that focus includes him encouraging the players under his guidance to not only excel at cricket but also in academics and in other sports available at the school.

“It’s a really great all-round school,” he enthused, “and it shows in the quality of the people that are coming out of it.”

Kingswood College unveiled Kelly Smuts as their new Head of Cricket and first team coach on Tuesday.

Smuts, who called time on his professional career earlier this year, collected 124 first-class caps from 2009 to 2025. He also featured in 95 List A matches and 61 T20s.

“I’m really excited to be joining Kingswood. I grew up in Grahamstown, so this feels a bit like a homecoming,” Smuts told SuperSport Schools Plus.

He represented Eastern Province in representative cricket and was selected for the South Africa u19 team in 2008. A year later, Smuts debuted for the Dafabet Warriors and went on to spend 10 years with the Division 1 side. He later turned out for the Northern Cape Heat and the SWD Garden Route Badgers.

The 35-year-old confessed to having a passion for coaching from an early age and said he felt he was in his element when he played and coached for clubs in the UK during the South African off-season. However, he doesn’t see himself as only a cricket coach.

Describing how he sees his role at Kingswood, he explained: “I really want to mentor them in life, so that they grow to be good, strong people, as well as good cricketers.”

To achieve that, he hopes to instil four core values: resilience, humility, hard work, and gratitude.

“These four values are really key for me. I think humility and gratitude go together. I want them to be grateful for the opportunity that they’ve been given at Kingswood. These youngsters are at a great school, and the starting point is to be grateful for that,” Smuts said. “I think that there’s always a lot to be grateful for each and every day, so I really want to instil that.

“Hard work and resilience go together, as well. I would like them to be prepared to work hard and be able to stick with it, show resilience. When things don’t go your way and you don’t get it right the first time, keep going, and keep giving it everything.”

In his dual role as the first team coach and Head of Cricket, he has the opportunity of ensuring uniformity in spreading those values and culture across all the Kingswood teams, including in the junior school.

“I’ll also be involved in the running and organisation of cricket in both high school and junior school,” he explained.

Smuts will work hand-in-hand with the Junior School coaches to help develop good cricketers and good cricketing habits from a young age, so that when those players move into the high school they aren’t on the back foot and playing catch-up. His vision aligns with Kingswood’s outlook for the future.

The school wants to grow and develop its cricket programme. But that goal won’t rest solely on Smuts’s shoulders. Kingswood has provided him with a support structure that includes Ryan van Niekerk, the current Netherlands‘ Assistant Coach. He will assist on a consulting basis.

Smuts’ lengthy playing career taught him that sometimes speed isn’t the only way to get things done, and the Kingswood coach is not aiming to revolutionise the system overnight. It is a process. And it will unfold much like some innings during his playing days did, when he needed to spend time in the middle before accelerating the scoring.

“There isn’t a lot of cricket [to be played] in this last school term because of the matric exams and other things. So, this term will be more about settling in and getting to know the cricketers that I’ve got available and see where we’re at,” Smuts said.

Jason Rowles, Steele Grooteman, and Tiago Dias collected the three most coveted awards at the just-ended Fasken Time Cricket Festival at St David’s Marist Inanda on Sunday.

Rowles, who scored two centuries and an unbeaten half-century for a total of 272 runs in three innings and picked seven wickets in 44.1 overs, took home the Player of the Festival accolade. The St David’s learner’s contributions helped the hosts to two wins in as many outings.

The King Edward VII School (KES) duo of Steele Grooteman and Tiago Dias were named the Bowler of the Festival and Batsman of the Festival, respectively. Grooteman finished the festival with a haul of 15 wickets in four matches at an average of 11 and best bowling figures in an innings of 5/35.

Dias, on the other hand, scored a century and two half-tons on his way to 292 runs in four innings. No other batter besides Dias and Rowles had scores of more than 250 runs.

Rowles scored a wonderful 100 as he helped his side to 302/9 in the first innings of their tie against the Lions Invitational XI. However, he didn’t do it alone; Hayden Campbell contributed a handy 50 runs. The Lions replied with a Matthew Barbour-powered 148. Morteza Manack (5/61) did most of the damage with a five-wicket haul.

Sensing an opportunity to deliver the killer punch, St David’s asked the Lions to follow-on. Manack was unplayable in the second innings as he took another five-wicket haul, 5/63, as St David’s restricted the Lions to 240/9. The total left St David’s with an 87-run target, which they made light work of as they romped to an eight-wicket win.

Dias scored an unbeaten century, 101, in the first innings and 79 not out in the second to help KES record a nine-wicket victory over Clifton College. The opener’s ton propelled KES to 205/3 in their reply to Clifton’s first innings score of 198/8. The KwaZulu-Natal side failed to cross the 200-run mark thanks to Grooteman’s outstanding 4/58.

However, Grooteman saved his best bowling performance for Clifton’s second innings as he took 5/35 as the KZN side stumbled to 169/10. That left KES with a 163-run target for victory. Dias led KES to 166/1 to complete a dominant victory.

Noordheuwel and Waterkloof were the other two sides to record wins in the second round of matches. The Norries beat Nelspruit by nine wickets, thanks to Dihan Grove’s four-wicket haul in Nelspruit’s first innings, Gomolemo Sibi’s 4/37 in Nelspruit’s second, and Corné Botha’s unbeaten 103* as well as Wander Roolvink’s 55 not out as they chased down the 156-run target Nelspruit had set for them.

Waterkloof fended off the challenge from Jeppe High School for Boys to register a seven-wicket triumph. Riyan Booysen took 4/67 as Waterkloof restricted Jeppe to 296/8 in the first innings. Wian du Plessis carted a masterful 126 as Waterkloof to a one-run lead in their reply.

Booysen was at hand again, taking 5/53 in the third innings to bundle Jeppe out for 162, and leave Waterkloof with a 161-run target to win. Rico van der Walt saw the Klofies home with an unbeaten 64. Goolam Ahmed contributed 53 runs in the chase.

St Stithians and St Andrew’s School played out a draw, as did St Charles College and St John’s College.

Summarised Scorecards:

St David’s Marist 302/9 (Jason Rowles 100, Hayden Campbell 50; Tebogo Lebuya 3/50, Kurt Loch 2/33). Lions Invitational XI 148/10 (Matthew Barbour 51, Murray Leith 21; Morteza Manack 5/61, Jason Rowles 3/31). Lions Invitational XI (follow-on) 240/10 (Sachin Sunkar 61, Murray Leith 50; Morteza Manack 5/63, Miles Pegg 3/62). St David’s Marist 90/2 (Armaan Manack 50, Sohail Seonath 29*; Josh van Rensburg 2/19). St David’s Marist won by eight wickets.

Clifton College 198/8 (Muhammed Malek 53, Hayden Drieselman Moodly 50; Steele Grooteman 4/58, Wade McQueen 2/19). King Edward VII 205/3 (Tiago Dias 101*, Troy Gordon 64; Veer Ramouthar 1/17, Caleb Naiker 1/56). Clifton Clifton College 169/10 (Matthias Samuel 38, Shiraz Perumal 28*; Steele Grooteman 5/35, Connor Kuijers 3/22). King Edward VII 166/1 (Tiago Dias 79*, Abdullah Mohammed 45; Shiraz Perumal 1/78). King Edward VII won by nine wickets.

Jeppe High School for Boys 296/8 (Lincoln Casias 54, Vegas Scott 51; Riyan Booysen 4/67, Ricards Crous 2/30). Waterkloof 297/10 (Wian du Plessis 126, Franco Schmidt 46; Zizi Mkhize 5/80, Reza Ayob 3/37). Jeppe High School for Boys 162/10 (Goolam Ahmed 35, Aiden Reyneke 27; Rivan Booysen 5/53, Wian du Plessis 3/22). Waterkloof 163/3 (Rico van der Walt 64*, AJ de Villiers 53; Goolam Ahmed 1/23, Keegan Cockburn 1/22). Waterkloof won by seven wickets.

Hoërskool Nelspruit 190/10 (Luan Siebrits 54, Gherdu van Eeden 28; Dihan Grove 4/60, Gomolemo Sibi 2/23). Noordheuwel 187/6 (Dian Taljaard 40, Corné Botha 25; Gherdu van Eeden 2/31, Duan Smal 2/31). Hoërskool Nelspruit 152/10 (Janco Breyl 47*, Waldemar Graham 42; Gomolemo Sibi 4/37, JJ Basson 2/8). Noordheuwel 159/1 (Corné Botha 103*, Wander Roolvink 55*; Gherdu van Eeden 1/32). Noordheuwel won by nine wickets.

St Stithians College 243/10 (Ombesa Matsha 79, Nicholas Bayly 26; FG Botha 4/28, Bohlokwa Leketa 2/33). St Andrew’s School 299/9 (Jonathan Hickley 91, Grove du Preez 68; Zaakir Hanslo 3/62, Tajendra Naidu 2/41). St Stithians College 239/10 (Nicholas Bayly 74, Ombesa Matsha 61; FG Botha 5/71, Cullen Kakora 2/32). St Andrew’s School 163/7 (Naude Botha 80, Grove du Preez 24; Akhil Challa 3/25, Thomas Collins 2/35). Match drawn.

St Charles College 242/8 (Caleb Sharp 76*, Ryan Clarke 58; David Ireland 3/37, Alec Loveland 3/79). St John’s College 268/10 (Connor van der Walt 75, Michael Stubbs 49; Keegan Vermaak 3/54, Daksesh Rajah 2/36). St Charles College 276/6 (Christiaan Prinsloo 121, Thandolwethu Zuma 88; Tapiwa Chikwava 2/44, David Ireland 1/10). St John’s College 0/0. Match drawn.

Alec Loveland made St John’s College history when he became the 13th player to earn 100 caps for the school’s first team at the just-ended Fasken Time Cricket Festival at St David’s Marist Inanda.

“Playing for the first team is a huge privilege, and doing it 100 times is an even bigger honour. This is one of the best feelings that I have ever experienced,” Loveland shared after The Blues’ contest against Nelspruit.

The all-rounder marked the occasion with a haul of six wickets. He took 4/66 in the first innings and 2/38 with the ball and scored 11 runs in a single innings as he helped The Blues draw with Nelspruit.

“I am really honoured to lead the side. Mr Ntini and Mr De Villiers help me to develop as a person and as a cricketer with their advice and guidance. They also help shape my character with the tough conversations we have,” Loveland told SuperSport Schools Plus.

Loveland fell in love with cricket early. The first toys he was drawn to were a cricket bat and ball. However, it wasn’t until his Grade 5 year at St John’s Prep that he took his game to the next level. The transformation was spurred on by his change from medium pace to left-arm spin.

“I always wanted to be that pace bowler that knocks the stumps, but Mr. Mahony, my coach at the time, proposed to me that I try out spin,” Loveland explained.

He took to spin like a duck to water and earned his spot in the teams he played for as a bowler; however, he enjoyed his batting and put work into it to develop as an all-rounder. Loveland’s progress wasn’t immediate; he took a little time to find his feet.

However, once he got going, he did well enough to earn selection not just in the school teams, but also in the provincial squads and teams at every level through the junior age groups. The matric student’s hope for 2025 is to make the Gauteng Lions u19 side at the Khaya Majola Week in December.

Loveland, who admires David Miller’s approach to cricket and AB de Villiers’ 360-degree game, is less like his South African heroes and more like his Indian role model, Ravindra Jadeja.

“I really like Jadeja’s consistency, the way he puts batters under pressure, and how he keeps them guessing. His batting is also something I enjoy watching,” Loveland stated.

He just doesn’t spin webs around batters; he takes down opposition spinners with the bat. His ability to play the turning ball well makes him a great middle-order batter. Loveland, who came into his own as an all-rounder in the 2024-25 season, preferred positions are numbers five, six, and seven.

“My ability to rotate strike and get into fifth gear to kick on make me a great candidate for those positions,” he said.

The Blues skipper is an all-rounder in every sense. He has played first team hockey for St John’s in the last two years and is, in his words, “an all-right student,” expecting several distinctions at the end of the year.

Loveland made his first team debut in Grade 9 and bagged a wicket with his first delivery on his way to a three-wicket haul. While that was a moment to cherish because he had an immediate impact in his maiden outing, Loveland’s most memorable performance was a couple of years away.

Loveland scored a steady 38 from 43 balls and shared a match-winning 47-run third-wicket partnership with Joe MacRobert on a tricky surface and against a strong St Stithians bowling attack led by Kwena Maphaka in the 2024 Johnny Waite final. With the ball, Loveland took 3/16 in four overs to help his side win the trophy.

“It was a great match. Playing with great players like Joe MacRobert and Cole Francis and winning the title made everything great,” he shared.

Loveland finished the Fasken Time Cricket Festival with 101 caps and is keen to add more to his tally of appearances for St John’s.

The list of St John’s College centurions includes:

Bradley Dial (2010 – 2013) – 139 caps.
Lorenzo Masselli (2011 – 2015) – 135 caps.
Wesley Coulentianos (2010 – 2013) – 123 caps.
Connor Esterhuizen (2016-2019) – 115 caps.
Devon Conway (2006 – 2009) – 108 caps.
M Strydom (2010 – 2014) – 108 caps.
M Blair (2014 – 2017) – 106 caps.
C Smith (2013 – 2016) – 105 caps.
Connor McKerr (2012 – 2015) – 102 caps.
Jack Lees (2016 – 2019) – 102 caps.
Nick Halsted-Cleak (2016 – 2019) – 102 caps.
Joe MacRobert (2022 – 2024) -101 caps.

Jason Rowles, Alec Loveland, and Ombesa Matsha collected their second Fasken Time Cricket Festival purple caps on the third day of action at St David’s Marist Inanda, on Saturday.

The trio produced performances that helped their sides establish a foothold in their contests.

Noordheuwel opener, Wander Roolvink, also has two purple caps to his name after top-scoring in both innings of his team’s first game against Clifton College.

Rowles compiled his second century of the tournament, contributing a well-made 100 from 133 balls, to help St David’s to a total of 302/9 in their match against the Lions Invitational XI.

It was, though, the first time that the SA u19 star had been dismissed in three innings. His exploits have him at the top of the run scorers’ list, with a tally of 272. Tiago Dias, from King Edward VII (KES), is in second place with 213.

Matthew Barbour‘s half-century did little to help the Lions Invitational side make an impact in their reply to the St David’s first-innings score. They were on 125/7 at stumps, still 177 runs in arrears.

St John’s College’s captain, Alec Loveland, earned his purple cap through an all-round performance that saved the Blues the blushes. He bagged 3/79 as St Charles College posted 242/8 in their first innings, which was built around an unbeaten 76 from Caleb Sharp and Ryan Clarke’s solid 58.

St John’s struggled in their reply. Loveland’s 36 proved to be crucial as they stumbled on their way to 178/7 at the close of play. The Blues are in something of pickle, though. They trail St Charles by 64 runs.

Ombesa Matsha stood tall against a rampant St Andrew’s School bowling attack, led by FG Botha. The Bloemfontein side bowled St Stithians College out for 243, with Botha snaring a commendable 4/28, while Bohlokwa Leketa finished with 2/33. Their brilliance with the ball was counteracted by Matsha’s 79.

Jonathan Hickley (91) and Grove du Preez (66*) capitalised on the platform built by the bowlers to lead St Andrew’s to 229/5 by stumps. That left the Bloemfontein boys only 14 runs shy of the Saints‘ total ahead of the second day’s play.

Tiago Dias, meanwhile, struck an unbeaten 101 to steer Edward VII School (KES) to 205/3 in their reply to Clifton College‘s first innings score of 198/8. He shared an impressive 143-run partnership with Troy Gordon, who weighed in with 64, as they put Clifton under the pump.

At stumps, Clifton was on 17/2 in their second innings, which gave them a marginal eight-run lead.

Jeppe’s Lincoln Casias (54) and Vegas Scott (51) registered half-centuries to help lift the Kensington school to 296/8, batting first against Waterkloof. Riyan Booysen, with 4/67, led the Klofies‘ attack.

When Waterkloof visited the crease, Jeppe had no one to replicate Booysen’s effort and the Pretoria side reached 211/3 at the close of play, with Wian du Plessis still out in the middle on 102.

Jeppe takes an 85-run lead into Sunday’s action.

At the close of play on Saturday, Nelspruit was only seven runs clear of Noordheuwel. The Mpumalanga side batted first and were bowled out for 190, thanks to a classy performance from Dihan Grové, who picked up 4/60 for Nories.

Nelspruit responded well and gave little away to restrict Noordheuwel to 187/6 in their reply. When play ended, Nelspruit was on 4/1 in their second innings.

Results

St David’s 302/9 (Jason Rowles 100, Hayden Campbell 50; Tebogo Lebuya 3/50, Kurt Loch 2/33). Lions Invitational XI 125/7 (Matthew Barbour 51, Murray Leith 21; Morteza Manack 4/51, Miles Pegg 2/17). Lions trail by 177 runs.

Clifton 198/8 (Muhammed Malek 53, Hayden Drieselman 50; Steele Grooteman 4/58, Wade McQueen 2/19). KES 205/3 (Tiago Dias 101*, Troy Gordon 64; Veer Ramouthar 1/17, Caleb Naiker 1/56). Clifton 17/2 (Matthias Samuel 8*, Veer Ramouthar 8). Clifton leads with eight runs.

Jeppe 296/8 (Lincoln Casias 54, Vegas Scott 51; Riyan Booysen 4/67, Ricards Crous 2/30). Waterkloof 211/3 (Wian du Plessis 102*, Franco Schmidt 46; Goolam Ahmed 1/21, Shreshth Kumar 1/53). Waterkloof trails by 85 runs.

Nelspruit 190/10 (Luan Siebrits 54, Gherdu van Eeden 28; Dihan Grové 4/60, Gomolemo Sibi 2/23). Noordheuwel 187/6 (Dian Taljaard 40, Corné Botha 25; Gherdu van Eeden 2/31, Duan Smal 2/31). Nelspruit 4/1 (Dian Boucher 4; Gomolemo Sibi 1/4). Nelspruit leads by seven runs.

St Stithians 243/10 (Ombesa Matsha 79, Nicholas Bayly 26; FG Botha 4/28, Bohlokwa Leketa 2/33). St Andrew’s School 229/5 (Jonathan Hickley 91, Grove du Preez 66*; Tajendra Naidu 2/41, Cayden Sunker 2/52). St Andrew’s trails by 14 runs.

St Charles 242/8 (Caleb Sharp 76*, Ryan Clarke 58; David Ireland 3/37, Alec Loveland 3/79). St John’s 178/7 (Michael Stubbs 49, Alec Loveland 36; Keegan Vermaak 3/37, Daksesh Rajah 2/23). St John’s trail by 64 runs.

Jason Rowles and Shiraz Perumal proved themselves to be the most consistent players after day two of the Fasken Time Cricket Festival at St David’s Marist Inanda.

SA u19 star Rowles scored an unbeaten half-century to accompany his first-innings century, while Perumal snared his second six-wicket haul, with the duo’s brilliance propelling St David’s and Clifton College to victories.

Joining St David’s and Clifton School in the win column was King Edward VII (KES), who beat St Charles College. St David’s batted superbly in their second innings to win by nine wickets against Hoërskool Waterkloof, while Clifton also batted well in their second innings, on their way to a 55-run win.

The contest between Jeppe High School for Boys and St Andrew’s School finished in a draw, as did the fixtures between St Stithians College and the Lions Invitational XI, and St John’s College and Nelspruit.

Jason Rowles produced a well-rounded performance with both bat and ball. He scored an unbeaten century in the first innings and an outstanding second-innings 56 not out to steer St David’s to victory and took 3/100 across the two innings. On day one, his 116 had helped St David’s to 219/8 at the close of play. That total left them with a negligible nine-run deficit going into the second day.

The all-rounder, then, helped squeeze the Waterkloof batting lineup, which was restricted to 276/6 in their second innings. The hosts started their run chase brilliantly thanks to a 185-run opening stand between Roberto Mariano (116*) and Armaan Manack (97). After the departure of Manack, Mariano joined forces with Rowles to see St David’s home.

Clifton’s players and supported erupted into delighted cheers as they avoided a draw and sealed victory in the last over of their match against Noordheuwel.

The KwaZulu-Natal side’s victory was built around Shiraz Perumal’s beguiling leg-spin. He was the only bowler with double-digit wickets after two days of play. He bagged 12, while Nikhil Sukraj, from St Andrew’s, was the second most successful bowler with seven.

Perumal showed that his six-wicket haul on day one wasn’t due to luck but skill as he registered back-to-back six-wicket hauls against Noordheuwel. He snared 6/83 in Nories’ first innings and 6/90 in their second dig, and he also contributed a handy 44 runs with the bat in Clifton’s second innings.

Steele Grooteman’s match haul of 6/72 for KES earned him the purple cap, which is awarded to the leading performers from both teams in each match, on day two of the festival. He formed a lethal combination with Lebone Ramedupe as they ran through the St Charles top six.

With their primary batsmen removed, St Charles stumbled to 202 all out in their second innings, leaving them with a fragile lead of 165. Tiago Dias set up a successful run chase for KES with a wonderful 76 as the Johannesburg side cantered home with seven wickets to spare.

Day one centurion and purple cap recipient, Andrew Sobiech, was unable to record back-to-back milestones in his 99th appearance for St Andrew’s School. However, his century helped to put his side in a position of strength after day one. It took brilliant knocks from Aiden Reyneke (140) and Ryan Young (114) to turn the tide for Jeppe and force a draw.

Bafana Mthunzi did for the Lions Invitational XI what Reyneke and Young did for Jeppe. The top-order batsmen scored an inspirational 172 for the Lions team, which removed any chance of them losing to St Stithians.

Hoërskool Nelspruit‘s top five batsmen learned a tough lesson in their first innings, so they shelved their aggressive shots and chose a more circumspect approach in their second innings against St John’s College. Only one of them struck at a strike rate north of 50.

Their patient approach helped blunt the St John’s bowling attack and their match ended in a quiet draw.

St David’s will lock horns with the Lions XI on La Valla Oval in the second round of matches from Saturday. St John’s meets St Charles on the Mitchell Oval, while St Stithians duels with St Andrew’s on the Dlamini Oval. Jeppe crossees swords with Waterkloof on the Gier Oval, with KES taking on Clifton on the Temba Bavuma Oval, and Noordheuwel jousting with Nelspruit on the La Rosey.

Results:

Waterkloof 228/9 (Johan Feuth 100*, AJ de Villiers 81; Jared Stern 4/37, Miles Pegg 3/56). St David’s 219/8 (Jason Rowles 116*, Samrat Basu 64; Christiaan Smit 3/33, Johan Liebenberg 2/46, Vorster de Villiers 2/10). Waterkloof 276/6 (AJ de Villiers 73, Wian du Plessis 52*; Roberto Mariano 2/19, Jason Rowles 2/60). St David’s 287/1 (Roberto Mariano 116*, Armaan Manack 97, Jason Rowles 56*; Rivan Booysen 1/47). St David’s won by nine wickets.

Clifton 206/10 (Muhammed Malek 69*, Eliah van Jaarsveld 35; Hanru Begeman 3/22, Dihan Grove 3/59, Hinrich Smith 2/23). Noordheuwel 202/10 (Wander Roolvink 49, Kian Liebenberg 40; Shiraz Perumal 6/83, Keegan Watson 2/10). Clifton 274/10 (Hayden Drieselman 47, Shiraz Perumal 44, Declan Shaw 41; Gomolemo Sibi 2/48, Dihan Grove 2/60). Noordheuwel 223/10 (Wander Roolvink 78, Hinrich Smith 37; Shiraz Perumal 6/90, Blake Johnson 2/32). Clifton won by 55 runs.

Jeppe 188/10 (Goolam Ahmed 92, Keegan Cockburn 30; Nikhil Sukraj 4/41, Bohlokwa Leketa 3/34). St Andrew’s School 254/10 (Andrew Sobiech 109, Reuben van Aardé 34*; Zizi Mkhize 6/46, Shreshth Kumar 3/90). Jeppe 363/8 (Aiden Reyneke 140, Ryan Young 114; Nikhil Sukraj 3/31, FG Botha 3/96). St Andrew’s 209/4 (Naude Botha 95*, Reuben van Aarde 37*; Caleb Coates Moggee 2/39, Shreshth Kumar 1/39). Match drawn.

St Charles 188/10 (Connor Simpson 51, Ryan Clarke 22; Connor Kuijers 4/56, Steele Grooteman 3/40, Luke Clark 2/25). KES 225/8 (Urav Mukhija 53, Luke Clark 44; Keegan Vermaak 3/28, Daksesh Rajah 1/47). St Charles 202/10 (Caleb Sharp 84, Ryan Clarke 71; Lebone Ramedupe 3/15, Steele Grooteman 3/32). KES 166/3 (Tiago Dias 76, Matthew Bromley 39*; Daksesh Rajah 1/23, Keegan Vermaak 1/37). KES won by seven wickets.

Lions Invitational XI 266/8 (Matthew Barbour 88, Sachin Sunkar 47, Zuan Joubert 44; Akhil Challa 3/40, Tajendra Naidu 2/36). St Stithians 207/3 (Ombesa Matsha 80, Tahseen Hanslo 40*, Nicholas Bayly 28*). Lions Invitational XI 341/4 (Bafana Mthunzi 172, Murray Leith 58; Nqaba Matunda 2/49, Tendai Kadyamadare 1/39). St Stithians 126/2 (Liam Mudenda 72, Thomas Collins 24*; Josh van Rensburg 1/33). Match drawn.

Nelspruit 227/7 (Joshua Knoetze 71, Waldemar Graham, Janco Breyl 41*; Alec Loveland 4/66, Lwazi Khupe 1/34). St John’s 232/5 (Aiden Barberin 79*, Darshik Lutchman 69; Duan Smal 2/40, Jason Knoetze 2/26). Nelspruit 215/6 (Juan Maritz 57*, Luan Siebrits 48; Alec Loveland 2/38, Malan du Plessis 1/23). St John’s 136/6 (Herman Basson 52*, Joshua Hall 30; Jason Knoetze 1/16, Safwaan Miller 1/24). Match drawn.

Jason Rowles, Johan Feuth, and Andrew Sobiech recorded centuries on the opening day of the Fasken Time Cricket Festival, at St David’s Marist Inanda, on Thursday.

Shiraz Perumal and Zizi Mkhize dominated with the ball and claimed the first five-wicket hauls of the competition.

Rowles (116*), Sobiech (109), and Feuth (100) were among the cohort of 12 players awarded purple caps as recognition for their outstanding craftsmanship on the field. The other recipients were: Goolam Ahmed, Jason Knoetze, Alec Loveland, Matthew Barbour, Ombesa Matsha, Luke Clark, Connor Simpson, Muhammed Malek, and Wander Roolvink.

Rowles put his experience on show to spare the hosts the blushes with a beautifully compiled unbeaten century that drew St David’s within touching distance of Waterkloof’s first innings total.

St David’s, who won the toss and elected to bowl first, had Waterkloof with their backs against the wall when Jared Stern ran through the Klofies‘ top order. The visitors, though, wrestled back control with an outstanding 98-run fifth-wicket partnership between Johan Feuth and AJ de Villiers, with Feuth carving an unbeaten 100 and De Villiers adding 81.

Rowles, who broke the big fifth-wicket partnership, anchored the St David’s innings with an unbeaten 116 and was well supported by Samrat Basu, who scored a valuable 64. At the close of play, the hosts trailed Waterkloof by only nine runs.

Andrew Sobiech constructed the third century of the day with a superb 109 against Jeppe High School for Boys. The opener held firm for the first 32 overs to lead St Andrew’s School’s reply to Jeppe’s first innings total of 188. While he survived the challenge of Shreshth Kumar’s bowling, he was unable to do the same against Zizi Mkhize.

Mkhize ran through the St Andrew’s batting order, snapping up 6/46. However, that wasn’t enough to prevent Saints from taking a handy 66-run lead into the second day after the Bloemfontein school tallied 254 all out.

Shiraz Perumal spun a web around Noordheuwel‘s batting lineup to prevent the Gauteng side from bettering Clifton’s first innings.

The Durban school batted first and found the conditions to be challenging. Mohammed Malek, though, grafted hard for an unbeaten 69 from 117 deliveries to see Clifton to 206 all out. That total also owed a lot to Eliah van Jaarsveld, who cracked an aggressive 35 off only 25 balls, which included five fours and two sixes. He added 49 for the ninth wicket with Malek, which propelled Clifton past 200. 

After Noordheuwel made a strong start to their reply, with Wander Roolvink making 49 and Kian Liebenberg 40 in an opening stand of 72, Clifton needed something special to halt Nories‘ smooth progress.

Leg-spinner, Shiraz Perumal, put his hand up. He snared six wickets for 83 runs as Noordheuwel was dismissed for 202, leaving Clifton with a small four-run first innings’ lead. By stumps, Clifton had reached 34/1 in their second knock.

King Edward VII‘s (KES) Connor Kuijers and Steele Grooteman combined to take seven St Charles’ College wickets, which helped restrict the KZN side to a first innings score of 188. When it was their turn to bat, KES overhauled the Pietermaritzburg school’s middling score and put 225/8 on the board.

Batting again, St Charles made a poor start to their second innings, with Grooteman and Lebone Ramedupe picking up early wickets to leave the KZN side on 10/2 and 27 runs behind at the close of play.

Matthew Barbour was one of 11 players to score half-centuries on the first day of the festival, and the opener’s contribution, 88 from 139 balls, helped lift the Lions Invitational XI to a good-looking 266/8 against St Stithians College.

Undaunted, St Stithians confidently set about chasing down the Lions’ total and by stumps they were only 59 runs in arrears, with seven wickets in hand. Ombesa Matsha struck a 97-ball 80, while Tahseen Hanslo settled in and was unbeaten on 40 when Saints ended the day on 207/3.

After Hoërskool Nelspruit had posted 227/7, led by 71 from Joshua Knoetze and 41 not out from Janco Breyl, St John’s College replied with 232/5 to end day one with a five-run lead.

St John’s opener, Aiden Barberini performed his job well, putting together an unbeaten 79, and together with Darshik Lutchman, who made 69, shared an opening stand of 111 runs. Alec Loveland shone with the ball in Nelspruit’s innings, knocking over 4/66.

Scores

Waterkloof 289/9 (Johan Feuth 100*, AJ de Villiers 81; Jared Stern 4/37, Miles Pegg 3/56). St David’s 219/8 (Jason Rowles 116*, Samrat Basu 64; Christiaan Smit 3/33, Johan Liebenberg 2/46, Vorster de Villiers 2/10). Waterkloof leads St David’s by nine runs.

Clifton 206/10 (Muhammed Malek 69*, Eliah van Jaarsveld 35; Hanru Begeman 3/22, Dihan Grove 3/59, Hinrich Smith 2/23) Noordheuwel 202/10 (Wander Roolvink 49, Kian Liebenberg 40; Shiraz Perumal 6/83, Keegan Watson 2/10). Clifton 34/1 (Declan Shaw 16*, Muhammed Malek 12*; JD Bezuidenhout 1/8). Clifton leads Noordheuwel by 38 runs.

Jeppe 188/10 (Goolam Ahmed 92, Keegan Cockburn 30; Nikhil Sukraj 4/41, Bohlokwa Leketa 3/34). St Andrew’s School 254/10 (Andrew Sobiech 109, Reuben van Aarde 34*; Zizi Mkhize 6/46, Shreshth Kumar 3/90). St Andrew’s leads Jeppe by 66 runs.

St Charles 188/10 (Connor Simpson 51, Ryan Clarke 22; Connor Kuijers 4/56, Steele Grooteman 3/40, Luke Clark 2/25). KES 225/8 (Urav Mukhija 53, Luke Clark 44; Keegan Vermaak 3/28, Daksesh Rajah 1/47). St Charles 10/2 (Thandolwethu Zuma 5, Keegan Vermaak 4*; Lebone Ramedupe 1/0, Steele Grooteman 1/4). St Charles trails by 27 runs.

Lions Invitational XI 266/8 (Matthew Barbour 88, Sachin Sunkar 47, Zuan Joubert 44; Akhil Challa 3/40, Tajendra Naidu 2/36). St Stithians 207/3 (Ombesa Matsha 80, Tahseen Hanslo 40*, Nicholas Bayly 28*; Tebogo Lebuya 2/56, Heinrich Minnaar 1/18). St Stithians trails by 59 runs.

Nelspruit 227/7 (Joshua Knoetze 71, Janco Breyl 41*; Alec Loveland 4/66, Lwazi Khupe 1/34). St John’s 232/5 (Aiden Barberini 79*, Darshik Lutchman 69; Duan Smal 2/40, Jason Knoetze 2/26). St John’s leads by five runs.