Author: cschiwanza

Munib Ayob held his nerve and defended 10 runs in the 20th over to help Jeppe High School for Boys secure a tight five-run win over St John’s College in a Johnny Waite Trophy thriller contested on the Mitchell Field, in Houghton, on Thursday.

Jeppe won the toss, opted to bat first, and put up 139/5. St John’s had a shot at bagging the win when they completed the 19th over needing 11 runs from the remaining six balls to snatch the win.

Munib Ayob was up for the challenge, however, and he produced a fine over to lead Jeppe to victory after they restricted the St John’s reply to 134/9.

Sipho Potsane, the Jeppe captain, planned to employ Ayob’s skills at the death and used him sparingly early on. The pacer delivered one over in the powerplay and the 14th over, too, which cost him 11 runs in total.

At the death, he did a superb job. He bowled the 18th over and conceded only five runs. Then, he won the game for Jeppe in the last over, which also went for only five runs.

The Jeppe bench might have been on the edge of their seats at the start of the final over because of the presence of an accomplished batsman, Nkosana Sibiya, at the crease. Ayob calmed their nerves, however dismissing the St John’s star, who represented the Central Gauteng Lions’ u16 team at the end of 2024, with his first delivery of the last over.

Sibiya was the key wicket. Batting third in the order, he had arrived at the crease in the first over and played a patient innings, scoring at around a run-a-ball while holding the St John’s run chase together. He turned up the heat in the 19th over by plundering 14 runs off Reza Ayob, which left St John’s needing 11 runs for the last over. Sibiya, then, fell for a valiant 52 off 44 balls.

Ayob drove the final nail in the host’s coffin by removing Joshua Hall three balls after Sibiya’s dismissal. The pacer finished with two wickets for 21 runs from four overs. Reza Ayob, Potsane, and Zizi Mkhize also bagged two wickets each, while Franco Nortjie took a single wicket.

Earlier in the day, Ayob shared a 66-run fifth-wicket partnership with Keegan Caxeiro that helped Jeppe set St John’s a run rate of seven runs an over to win. They came together in the 11th over, after the dismissal of Ryan Young. While Caxeiro departed after scoring a well-played 40 off 32 deliveries, Ayob remained unbeaten on 32 off 29 balls.

Jeppe struggled to engineer partnerships of substance. Mkhize and Tiago Almeida got Jeppe underway with a 22-run opening stand, which was followed by Mkhize and Aiden Reyneke’s 30-run second-wicket partnership. Reyneke and Young then added 10 runs.

Herman Basson was the most successful bowler for St John’s with a tidy two wickets for 15 runs from four overs, while Alec Loveland and Nkosana Sibiya finished with a wicket each.

Scorecards

Jeppe High School for Boys 139/5 (Keegan Caxeiro 40, Munib Ayob 32*, Herman Basson 2/15, Alec Loveland 1/19) St John’s College 134/9 (Nkosana Sibiya 52, Ethan Robinson 19, Munib Ayob 2/21, Zizi Mkhize 2/21). Jeppe won by five runs.

Malan du Plessis carved a fluent half-century that created the foundation for St John’s College’s 28-run win over Grey College at Grey College on Sunday, while FG Botha’s half-century powered St Andrew’s School to a 77-run victory over King Edward VII School (KES).

St John’s victory was their first over Grey in seven years. It also marked a successful tour of Bloemfontein for the Johannesburg side, who also defeated St Andrew’s on Saturday.

Du Plessis crunched six fours and four sixes for his 68 off 51 to help St John’s make 240 all out in 39.4 overs in their one-day match against Grey College. Later in the day, he bagged a brace of wickets as St John’s dismissed the home side for 212 in 39.3 overs.

St John’s won the toss and elected to bat first but ran into choppy waters almost immediately, losing two early wickets, with Herman Basson and Nkosana Sibiya back in the visitor’s dugout by the close of the sixth over.

Darshik Lutchman (33) offered some resistance, but it wasn’t until Du Plessis and Aiden Barberrini batted together that St John’s seized control. Barberrini anchored their 98-run sixth-wicket partnership while Du Plessis played his shots.

Otto Krause and Edrich Hannekom bagged three wickets each for Grey as they strived to keep the visitors’ total within reach.  Krause finished with three for 51 from seven overs, while Hanekom returned a very tidy three wickets for 17 runs in eight overs.

The hosts made a good start to their run chase with a 52-run opening stand between Christian Kind (29) and Pieter Smit. After Kind’s dismissal, Smit shared the crease with four other batsmen, but he found himself fighting a lone battle against the St John’s bowling attack. He almost made it to triple figures, cracking 12 fours and a single six for his outstanding 98 from 97 balls.

However, his effort was in vain, and the St John’s attack did the trick. Ethan Robinson was their most successful bowler, claiming three wickets for 37 runs in eight overs, while Du Plessis bagged two wickets for 30 runs in eight overs.

The other Johannesburg side touring Bloemfontein, KES, was not as successful. They failed to follow up their big victory over Grey College on Saturday with another over St Andrew’s School.

FG Botha’s 84 helped St Andrew’s post a total of 214 all out in 45.1 overs. Then, in a display of brilliance with the ball, he snared four wickets for 32 runs as  Saints bowled KES out for only 137 in 32.2 overs. With a dazzling performance, the all-rounder showed why he was named the Player of the Week at Cricket South Africa’s National u16 Week.

The hosts won the toss, elected to bat first, and put their best foot forward, with Naudé Botha and Andrew Sobiech stitching together a 62-run opening partnership that provided the innings with a solid foundation. However, after the pair’s dismissals, the hosts struggled to build partnerships.

It wasn’t until Reuben van Aarde joined FG Botha in the middle that they got it right. Botha had arrived at the crease in the 12th over, after his namesake Naudé Botha’s dismissal. His combination with his first two partners didn’t produce much, but he and Van Aarde then shared a telling 51-run fourth-wicket stand.

Christian Sabela and Luke Clark bowled superbly and finished with four wickets each. Clark led the way with four wickets for 27 runs in seven overs and Sabela captured four wickets for 34 runs in 9.1 overs. However, FG Botha’s four-wicket haul for St Andrew’s was an effective counter to their efforts. He got rid of Matthew Bromley, Eric Southey, Wade McQuinn, and Matthew Burgess to help St Andrew’s take control.

Opening batsman Tiago Dias stood tall for KES, scoring a patient 63 off 93 deliveries. However, his effort lacked support from the rest of the KES batting lineup. Only Matthew Bromley passed the 20-run mark, with a breezy 22 off 30 balls. The rest simply failed to get their eye in.

Scorecards

St John’s 240/10 (Malan du Plessis 68, Aiden Barberrini 48, Henru de Wet 3/17, Otto Krause 3/51). Grey College 212/10 (Pieter Smit 98, Christian Kind 29, Ethan Robinson 3/37, Malan du Plessis 2/30). St John’s won by 28 runs.

St Andrew’s School 214/10 (FG Botha 84, Andrew Sobiech 44, Naudé Botha 22, Luke Clark 4/27, Christian Sabela 4/34). KES 137/10 (Tiago Dias 63, Matthew Bromley 22, FG Botha 4/32, Grove du Preez 2/1). St Andrew’s won by 77 runs.

Rhys Wiblin produced a brilliant all-round performance for St Andrew’s College as they played out a draw in their declaration match against Kingswood College at City Lords, in Makhanda, on Saturday.

Queen’s College and Dale College also crossed swords in a declaration match at Dale College. It, too, ended in a draw.

Wiblin struck a brilliant unbeaten century to lead St Andrew’s College to 242/4 declared against their archrivals. Then, he was at the forefront with the ball, taking three wickets as St Andrew’s restricted Kingswood to 122/9 in reply.

St Andrew’s won the toss, elected to bat first, and made the best of the decision. Wiblin led the charge with an outstanding and unbeaten 126 off 170 balls. He shared the crease with five different partners and was part of three stands that contributed 50 or more runs to his team’s total.

The first was a 93-run second-wicket stand with Myles Sansom, who joined Wiblin in the middle in the fourth over, following William Beamish’s dismissal. Sansom, with 53, scored the lion’s share of the runs in the partnership.

The next useful stand that included Wiblin was a 53-run fourth-wicket partnership with Benjamin Coventry (21). After Coventry’s dismissal, Wiblin joined forces with Ben Scharges (30*) for an unbroken 87-run fifth-wicket partnership.

Patrick Mouton starred with the ball for Kingswood, grabbing three wickets for 59 runs in 15 overs. Franco Klopper was the other wicket-taker, claiming one wicket for 30 runs from eight overs.

Kingswood’s reply was anything but smooth. They struggled out of the gate, losing four wickets for 20 runs in the first 10 overs.

Patrick Mouton (36) and Chris Zimmerman (25) arrested the procession of wickets with a 55-run fifth-wicket partnership that stabilised the Kingswood innings. However, after it was broken, Kingswood struggled to form further partnerships. Only David Louden was able to match Mouton and Zimmerman with a score of higher than 20.

Rhys Wiblin was St Andrew’s most successful bowler with three wickets for 25 runs in 14 overs, while William Beamish chipped in with two wickets for 28 runs in eight overs.

Dale College vs Queen’s College

Lihumelo Ncukana registered a five-wicket haul for Dale College, knocking over 5/27 in 13.3 overs when his side took on Queen’s College in Qonce.

His first scalp was that of Aiden van Jaarsveld in the eighth over, which gave Dale College a foothold in the contest because it came only nine balls after Dale had claimed their first wicket.

That double strike destabilised the visitors’ innings and set the tone for the rest of their batting effort, during which they lost wickets at regular intervals. Their highest partnership was a moderate 28 runs for the eighth wicket between Rowan Miles and Chulumanco Geza. Duncan Hayes was the best of the Queen’s batsmen, though, scoring 47 off 70 balls, as the visitors tallied 177 all out.

In reply, Inga Mafanga stroked 11 fours and three sixes for his 109 off 106 balls, to lead Dale to 208/6 in response. When he arrived at the crease in the eighth over, the home side was unsteady on 23/2. Mafanga, though, spent 38 overs at the crease and held Dale’s innings together.

Mthoko Mbambo was the most successful bowler for Queen’s, bagging two wickets for 35 runs in nine overs.

Scorecards

St Andrew’s College 242/4d (Rhys Wiblin 126, Myles Sansom 53, Patrick Mouton 3/59, Franco Klopper 1/30). Kingswood 122/9 (Patrick Mouton 36, Chris Zimmerman 25, Rhys Wiblin 3/25, William Beamish 2/28). The match was drawn.

Queen’s College 177/10 (Duncan Hayes 47, Chulumanco Geza 23, Lihumelo Ncukana 5/27, Sibongisile Nzima 2/28). Dale College 208/6 (Inga Mafanga 109, Endinako Mnguni 27, Mthoko Mbambo 2/35, Caleb Waller 1/17). The match was drawn.

Luka Plekker stroked an outstanding century to help Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) register a 10-wicket win over Grey High School in a two-day declaration match played at Grey High on Friday and Saturday.

After the visitors had limited Grey to only 140 in their first innings, Plekker compiled a patient 104 off 176 balls, which included 10 fours and two sixes. His composed knock led the visitors to a healthy 202-run first innings lead.

The Stellenbosch side chose to field after winning the toss and made use of seven bowlers, with all of them making an impact.

The most expensive economy rate came from James Holm, but he picked up a wicket for only seven runs in a single over. Nathan van der Berg performed an exemplary job, snapping up three wickets for 21 runs in nine overs. Plekker, too, chipped in, dismissing Anfred Jansen and Nathan Howell for 29 runs from 10 overs.

Logan Goddard-Ford battled hard for Grey, keeping the PRG’s attack at bay as scored 55 runs from 93 deliveries.

Paul Roos replied with 342/6 declared, which gave them an intimidating first innings. Plekker’s ton was the cornerstone of their total, but there were many other good contributions. In, after the fall of the first wicket, Plekker shared a 122-run second-wicket partnership with Etienne Serfontein (62). That was one of two major partnerships that put Paul Roos in control. The second was a 114-run third-wicket stand between Plekker and Matthew Seymore (63).

Liam Basson (67) became the third Paul Roos batsman to record a half-century as Grey High’s bowlers toiled for little reward. Nathan Howell, Markus Potgieter, Matthew Tinley, Anfred Jansen, and Teun Kloppeneburg finished with a wicket each.

Jansen stood tall in Grey’s second innings with a brisk half-century. The all-rounder lashed 76 runs off 50 balls to help the home team to 232 all out the second time around. He was also part of an industrious 115-run sixth-wicket partnership with Goddard-Ford, who weighed in with 44 to come close to a half-century in both innings.

Grey’s downfall was their inability to stitch together partnerships, and the one between Jansen and Goddard-Ford stuck out like a sore thumb in a desultory innings.

Nathan van der Berg was, again, the destroyer-in-chief for Paul Roos, knocking over five for 25 in 10.5 overs. That left him with an impressive match haul of eight wickets for 46 runs from 19.5 overs.

Requiring only 32 to win, Paul Roos chased down those runs in 8.2 overs. Enré van Zyl and Etienne Serfontein had no trouble as they shepherded the visitors home with an unbroken 34-run opening partnership.

Scorecards

Grey High first innings 140/10 (Logan Goddard-Ford 55, Charl Posthumus 20, Nathan van der Berg 3/21, Luka Plekker 2/29). Paul Roos first innings 342/6d (Luka Plekker 104, Liam Basson 67, Teun Kloppenburg 1/23, Nathan Howell 1/47). Grey High second innings 232/10 (Anfred Jansen 76, Logan Goddard-Ford 44, Nathan van der Berg 5/25, Etienne Serfontein 3/30). Paul Roos second innings 34/0 (Enre van Zyl 10*, Etienne Serfontein 15*, Iviwe Mazomba 0/1, Conner Parry 0/1). Paul Roos won by 10 wickets.

Keegan Caxeiro and Zizi Mkhize carved outstanding half-centuries to lay the foundation for Jeppe High School for Boys’ comprehensive 176-run home win over St Benedict’s on Saturday.

Across town, Dian Taljaard slashed an unbeaten 66 to help Noordheuwel to a six-wicket win at St Stithians. 

Jeppe’s coach, Casey Arnold, tinkered with his batting order, moving Ryan Young, who has done well at the top of the order, into the middle order, and elevating Zizi Mkhize up a few rungs. That move paid dividends as Mkhize and Munib Ayob gave Jeppe an excellent start with a 102-run opening partnership.

That opening stand formed the foundation of Jeppe’s 292-run total. Mkhize scored an outstanding 78 off 90 balls, while Ayob contributed 34 runs. However, after their partnership was broken, Jeppe suffered a collapse.

Three wickets went down for the addition of only 10 runs in 2.4 overs. Arnold’s charges regrouped and took the game away from Bennies with an 83-run fifth-wicket partnership between Caxeiro and Adam Franken. Caxeiro top-scored for Jeppe with a superb 86 off 76 deliveries.

Ed Smith bagged four wickets for 51 runs from 10 overs for St Benedict’s, which included the crucial wickets of Munib Ayob, Aiden Reyneke, Ryan Young, and Tiago Almeida. However, his four-wicket haul was trumped by Munib Ayob’s four wickets for 37 runs in seven overs for Jeppe.

Ayob was one of five Jeppe bowlers to strike against Bennies. Zizi Mkhize and Sipho Potsane bagged a brace, and Reza Ayob and Franco Nortjie picked up one each.

Jeppe’s bowling was on point, restricting St Benedict’s from playing expansive shots, and that resulted in only one visiting batsman getting beyond 30 runs. Matthew Hickman-Steel top-scored with a laboured 34 off 72, which almost doubled the 18 scored by Alex Johnson and Cruz Pillay, Bennies’ next-highest scorers.

In Sandton, Dian Taljaard flayed an unbeaten 66 off 62 to power Noordheuwel to 124/4 after 22.3 overs and a six-wicket victory over St Stithians. After finding himself at the crease in the fourth over, the number three batsman buckled down and led his side across the finishing line.

In the early going, Noordheuwel struggled to put partnerships together, but, Taljaard’s 64-run third-wicket partnership with Ethan Smith, who made 22, made all the difference. An unbroken 18-run stand with Brandon Pieters secured the victory.

St Stithians, batting first, lost wickets at regular intervals and stumbled to only 121 all out in 34.3 overs. Zaakir Hanslo and Nqaba Mathunda’s 20-run 10th-wicket partnership was their highest in the match. That light total was going to be very difficult to defend.

The host’s inability to get going was because JD Bezuidenhout, Tristan Helmand, Gomolemo Sibi, and Sage Pretorius gave little away. Between them, the quartet captured eight wickets, two each, as they pummeled St Stithians. Sibi returned the best figures of two wickets for 16 runs from 7.3 overs, while Bezuidenhout was hot on his heels with two wickets for 25 runs in eight overs.

Also in Sandton, despite Roberto Mariano’s valiant 93 off 92 balls, St David’s Marist Inanda fell to a 55-run home defeat at the hands of Affies on the La Valla Oval.

The visitors won the toss, elected to bat first, and tallied a daunting 329 all out in their 50 overs. Christian Linde carved eight fours and a single six on his way to 76 off 86, and Dylan Stander struck a hasty 50 off 36.

Morteza Manack’s three-wicket haul and a brace of wickets each from Hayden Campbell, Christopher Emslie, and Kyle Butler were not enough to stem the tide, just as Mariano’s near-century wasn’t quite enough to help St David’s overhaul Affies’ big total.

Scorecards

Jeppe 292/10 (Keegan Caxeiro 86, Zizi Mkhize 78, Ed Smith 4/51, Mark Munava 3/44). St Benedic’s 116/10 (Matthew Hickman-Steel 34, Alex Johnson 18, Munib Ayob 4/37, Zizi Mkhize 2/8). Jeppe won by 176 runs.

St Stithians 121/10 (Zaakir Hanslo 23, Matthew Anderson 20, Gomolemo Sibi 2/19, JD Bezuidenhout 2/25). Noordheuwel 124/4 (Dian Taljaard 66*, Ethan Smith 22, Tendai Kadyamadare 1/8, Zaakir Hanslo 1/22). Noordheuwel won by six wickets.

Affies 329/10 (Christian Linde 76, Dylan Stander 50, Morteza Manack 3/57, Hayden Campbell 2 /60). St David’s 274/10 (Roberto Mariano 93, Armaan Manack 41, Nico Loggenberg 2/18, Zian Labuschagne 2/64). Affies won by 55 runs.

Zizi Mkhize struck an unbeaten half-century and claimed two wickets to help Jeppe High School for Boys score a comfortable 44-run win over Hoërskool Randburg in their Johnny Waite Trophy match at Jeppe on Thursday.

Mkhize was in fine form, blasting two sixes and as many fours in his unbeaten 52 off 33 deliveries. The left-hander shepherded Jeppe, who had won the toss and elected to bat first, to 162/5.

The home side’s bowling attack backed up their batsmen with a clinical display, restricting Randburg to 118/8 in reply.

“Zizi Mkhize is an exciting talent. He scored a 50 on Wednesday and followed that up with this half-century,” Casey Arnold, the Jeppe head coach, said.

“He has just come into the first team. He also bowls good off-spinners. We are extremely excited about Zizi and how he has taken to first-team cricket.”

When Mkhize arrived at the crease, Jeppe was in trouble after losing two wickets in six balls, which reduced them from a decent 42/2 to a wobbly 42/4. The new batsmen, Mkhize and Keegan Caxeiro, needed to arrest the fall of wickets before it devolved into a collapse.

The pair shared the crease from the eighth to the 17th over and in that time produced a 78-run fifth-wicket stand. Caxeiro anchored the partnership with a patient 40 off 44 deliveries, but he also let loose for two sixes and a single four. Unlike earlier, when he departed, one wicket did not turn into two. No more went down after his dismissal.

Mkhize and Sipho Potsane (15*) saw out the remaining overs, combining for an unbroken 37-run seventh-wicket partnership.

“We have had a really good start to the year, barring the mishap against St John’s. We are starting to understand our plans as a team,” Arnold said.

When Randburg visited the crease, Reza Ayob gave Jeppe the start they wanted with the ball, bagging a wicket with his second delivery of the first over. Randburg hadn’t yet registered a run. Potsane followed that up with a wicket in the fifth over to leave Randburg in a spot of bother on 22/2.

The visitors halted Jeppe’s attack for a while as they rebuilt and consolidated through Liam Peek (56) and Josef van den Berg (31), who put on 42 for the third wicket. But Van den Berg’s dismissal in the 11th over proved to be Randburg’s undoing. He was one of Mkhize’s two victims.

The visitors needed another partnership to keep their run chase on track. They, however, lost wickets at regular intervals, which made that impossible. The next four batsmen failed to score a total of 10 runs between them. Peek finished with a hard-fought 56 off 57 balls, but he didn’t receive the support he needed. His outstanding effort was in vain.

Left-arm spinner Sipho Potsane was Jeppe’s most successful bowler, snaring three wickets for 15 runs in four overs. Mkhize chipped in with two for 23 from four, while Reza Ayob kept Randburg in check, capturing one for 17, also from four.

Summarised scorecard

Jeppe 162/5 (Zizi Mkhize 52*, Keegan Caxeiro 44, Louw Geldenhuys 2/27, B Viljoen 1/19,). Randburg 118/8 (Liam Peek 56, Josef van den Berg 31, Sipho Potsane 3/15, Zizi Mkhize 2/23). Jeppe won by 44 runs.

Roedean started the 2025 edition of the Brian Baker Water Polo Tournament like a house on fire. The Johannesburg side registered, by far, the most goals by a team on Thursday, the first day of the annual showpiece.

The competition, which is being hosted by Kingswood College, runs from 23 to 26 January.

Coach Siya Guzana‘s outfit powered their way to 41 goals and conceded a mere five in two matches on their way to the summit of Pool D.

Roedean also boasts the top three scorers in the tournament, thus far. Ané du Plessis, Gabrielle Morell, and Emma Pelicot were responsible for more than half the goals Roedean chalked up, with 23 between them.

Du Plessis and Morell netted eight goals each, while Pelicot beat opposition goalkeepers seven times. In Roedean’s first match of the day, Morell starred with five goals, as the Gauteng side trounced Kingswood 17-5, while Du Plessis and Pelicot bagged a hat-trick each.

Du Plessis led the way with a five-goal haul when Roedean overran Alexander Road 24-0 and Pelicot struck four times. Du Plessis’s sister, Esmé, scored a hat-trick, which was matched by Morell, Taylor Billet, and Amy Stubbs.

St Anne’s is in second place in Pool D, followed by Kingswood, Stirling, and Alexander Road, in third, fourth, and fifth respectively.

St Stithians scored the second-most goals on day one and had the fourth-highest individual scorer, with Emily Carle netting six of their 25 goals. She opened her account by tallying four in Saints’ 12-2 win over Rhenish.

Carle played second fiddle to Erin Blackburn when St Stithians handed St Dominic’s a 13-7 defeat, with Blackburn scoring four, while Carle, Courtney Calenborne, and Tori Tanner-Ellis contributed two each. The back-to-back wins launched Saints to the top of Pool A after day one, Clarendon lies second, followed by St Dominic’s, Rhenish, and Woodridge.

Pool B leaders Reddam House Bedfordview were way behind Roedean’s incredible goal-scoring pace, but ended Thursday with the third-most goals, netting 20 times. The Malcolm Ackermann-coached side began their campaign with a nailbiter against Durban Girls’ College (DGC).

Four goals from Jessica McCamlie, and hat-tricks from Anastasia Hambakis and Annabelle Morton, plus a solitary strike from Aimee Hattingh lifted Reddam Bedfordview to 11 goals. However, their KZN opposition struck back with four goals each from Kayla Andrews and Lara Mervis, a brace from Bailey Bartlett, and a single goal from Inge Southey, to match that tally.

The contest went to a penalty shootout from there, with DGC edging it 4-3. Reddam Bedfordview bounced back from that tough loss with a 9-5 win over Pearson, courtesy of goals from Hambakis (2), Caitlin Scrimgeour (2), Kacey Williams (1), Annabelle Morton (1), Aimee Hattingh (1), Jessica McCamlie, and Alisha Beswick (1).

Reddam Constantia occupies second place in the pool, followed by Glenwood House, DGC, and Pearson.

St Mary’s Waverley surged to the top of Pool C with two wins in as many matches. They scraped a thrilling 8-7 win over Hudson Park in their opener, with Julia Joseph stealing the spotlight with a hat-trick. She was well-supported by Jenna Blaauw, who added a brace, while Giorgia Leather, Skyla Roberts, and Isabella Rajak all made it onto the score sheet with one each.

St Mary’s was also extended in their second outing, with Kyla Moolman‘s team holding on for a 6-4 win over Collegiate late in the afternoon. This time, Jenna Blaauw chalked up a hat-trick, with Kathryn Thorburn bagging two and Julia Joseph the other.

Defending champions Herschel ended the day second in Pool C after winning their only match. DSG Makhanda, Hudson Park, and Collegiate fill third, fourth, and fifth places respectively.

Results

Roedean 17-5 Kingswood
DSG Makhanda 8-2 Collegiate
Reddam Bedfordview (3) 11–11 (4) DGC
St Dominic’s 6-2 Woodridge
Pearson 2-4 Glenwood House
St Mary’s Waverley 8-7 Hudson Park
Roedean 24-0 Alexander Road
St Stithians 12-2 Rhenish
St Anne’s 11-8 Stirling
Clarendon 10-3 Woodridge
St Mary’s Waverley 6-4 Collegiate
Reddam House Bedfordview 9-5 Pearson
Reddam House Constantia 10-4 DGC
Herschel 11-4 DSG Makhanda
St Stithians 13-7 St Dominic’s
Kingswood 12-7 Stirling.

Fixtures

07:00 – Clarendon vs Rhenish, Reddam House Constantia vs Pearson
07:50 – Herschel vs Hudson, Reddam House Bedfordview vs Glenwood House
08:40 – Kingswood vs Alexander Road, DSG vs St Mary’s Waverley
09:30 – Woodridge vs Rhenish, Roedean vs St Anne’s
10:20 – Clarendon vs St Dominic’s, DGC vs Pearson
11:10 – Herschel vs Collegiate, Reddam House Constantia vs Glenwood House
12:00 – St Anne’s vs Kingswood, DSG vs Hudson Park
12:50 – St Stithians vs Woodridge, Stirling vs Alexander Road
13:40 – St Dominic’s vs Rhenish, DGC vs Glenwood House
14:30 – Herschel vs St Mary’s Waverley, Reddam Bedfordview vs Reddam Constantia
15:20 – St Stithians vs Clarendon, St Anne’s vs Alexander Road
16:10 – Hudson Park vs Collegiate, Roedean vs Stirling

St John’s College and King Edward VII School (KES) will make the almost 400km trip to Bloemfontein for what promises to be four enthralling encounters against the Free State’s leading teams, Grey College and St Andrew’s School. over the weekend,

Back in Johannesburg, St David’s Marist Inanda will host Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies), while St Stithians College jousts with Noordheuwel. Jeppe High School for Boys will play their third match of the week against St Benedict’s College.

St John’s heads to the Free State capital on a high, after securing a 43-run win over Parktown Boys’ High on Wednesday in the Johnny Waite T20 competition.

Coach Bongani Ntini’s side is the tournament’s defending champion – they beat St Stithians by 21 runs in the 2024 final – and they will be aiming to go back-to-back this year. Their victory against Parktown came on the back of a 35-run win over Jeppe.

St John’s has a Saturday morning appointment with St Andrew’s on Vossie’s Field and will travel a short distance to Grey College on Sunday. KES plays the reverse of St John’s fixtures. They tackle Grey College on Saturday and then go up against St Andrew’s on Sunday.

KES, coached by Vincent Jordaan, won against Northcliff in a truncated 50-over encounter on Saturday before going down to Waterkloof on Sunday. They’ll be eager to get back to winning ways in Bloemfontein.

Jeppe will chase a hat-trick of victories within four days when they cross swords with St Benedict’s on Saturday. Should they pull it off, it would be their second victory over Bennies within the week.

Coach Casey Arnold‘s side cruised against St Benedict’s on Wednesday, walloping them by 101 runs in a Johnny Waite clash. They added a 44-run thrashing of Randburg in another Johnny Waite encounter on Thursday. The format on Sunday will change from T20 to a 50-over-a-side contest, which will present the teams with a different challenge.

St David’s gave their team a breather after their pre-season sojourn to Makhanda, where they took part in the Makhanda Cricket Festival. Coach Jeff Levin’s side returned to Gauteng on a positive note, after scoring more victories than losses. They will be keen to replicate their exceptional performance against Pearson at the Makhanda Festival, which saw them to a massive 181-run victory, when they face off against a talented and skilled Affies side on Saturday.

Noordheuwel started the year with a victory over Northcliff in a low-scoring encounter. Coach Donald Dinake‘s side navigated a tricky pitch to post an unassailable total and will head into their Saturday encounter with a positive mindset after a Johnny Waite win on Wednesday. Their opposition, St Stithians, went down to Helpmekaar in a Johnny Waite match on the same day. Saints, coached by Lazarus Mokoena will be focussed on avoiding consecutive defeats.

It’s a tasty fixture list between top teams, with the results difficult to predict. Spectators, though, should be the winners.

Fixtures

Saturday: St Andrew’s vs St John’s, Grey College vs KES, St David’s vs Affies, Noordheuwel vs St Stithians, Jeppe vs St Benedict’s.

Sunday: St Andrews vs KES, Grey College vs St John’s.

St John’s College, Helpmekaar, and Noordheuwel registered victories on Wednesday as the race for the 2024/25 Johnny Waite Trophy intensified.

The tournament is hurtling towards the knockout stages with most of the sides in the round-robin phase left with only two matches before the quarterfinals.

Anrich Liebenberg’s brilliant half-century lifted Helpmekaar to 147/7 and was pivotal in his side’s two-run win over St Stithians College in a thriller.

Saints put together a commendable run pursuit, but came up just short, finishing on 145/4.

Liebenberg was at the crease for 8.1 overs for his vital 59 off 32 deliveries, during which he clubbed seven fours and three sixes to set his side up for victory.

The opener shared partnerships worth 28 and 48 respectively with Kyle Swanepoel (2) and Zuan Joubert (20). Especially with Swanepoel, Liebenberg faced the lion’s share of deliveries and contributed the majority of the runs.

After four overs, Liebenberg was on 22 from 15. When Swanepoel was dismissed at the start of the fifth over, it seemed as if a switch had been flicked for Liebenberg. He blasted 28 runs off the next nine deliveries to race to a 21-ball half-century. After he departed, Helpmekaar struggled to maintain the momentum. Kevin Oliver (14), Juandré Verwey (15), and Anthony Stone (17*) reached double figures but none exited the teens.

In reply, Liam Mudenda struck a valiant 70 off 42. However, his half-century was not enough to secure a win for St Stithians. Like his opposite number, Liebenberg, Mudenda scored most of the runs in Saints’ opening partnership. Then, he followed it up with a good second wicket stand with Thomas Collins (34*). St Stithians, though, needed Mudenda to bat through their innings because he was the only one scoring at a brisk rate.

Darshik Lutchman (36) top-scored for St John’s College for a second time in succession to help them secure a 43-run home win over Parktown Boys’ High. He joined hands with James Yuill (34) for a 48-run opening stand that set the hosts up for a score of 152/8. That total proved to be too much for Parktown, who mustered only 109/6 in response.

Lutchman and Yuill were the only St John’s batsmen to go past the 30-run mark. Alec Loveland came close with a 22-ball 28, while Malan du Plessis chipped in with 16 off 14. Merrick Schwartz’s three wickets for 23 runs from four overs for Parktown was not enough to prevent coach Bongani Ntini‘s charges from batting at over 7.5 runs an over.

Ethan Robinson, Malan du Plessis, and Rohan Bray, then, claimed wickets at regular intervals and finished with a brace of wickets each to stop Parktown from finding a foothold in the contest. Their efforts meant that Khanyisa Kraai lacked support in the run chase. The wicketkeeper scored a valiant 53 off 38, in vain.

Playing at home, Steyn City won the toss and opted to put Noordheuwel in to bat first and that decision delivered early dividends as Noordheuwel scored slowly. Openers Marius Penning (14) and Ethan Smith (26) went at moderate strike rates of less than 100.

Matters took an upward trajectory, though, when Corné Botha and Brandon Pieters arrived at the crease. Botha struck a 16-ball 20 and Pieters weighed in with 25 off 21.

Their efforts helped Noordheuwel tally 110/6. That proved to be more than enough for Nories, who restricted Steyn City to only 74/8 to run out the convincing winners by 36 runs.

Steyn City made a positive start to their innings. Their top three batsmen, Murray Leith (28), Matthew Little–Barbour (12), and Sachin Sunker (13) reached double figures. However, after they were removed, no one bettered seven runs, thanks to a disciplined bowling and fielding performance from Noordheuwel.

Sage Pretorius led their attack with two wickets for seven runs in three overs. Gomolemo Sibi and Corné Olivier also picked up two each very cheaply.

Scorecard

Helpmekaar 147/7 (Anrich Liebenberg 59, Zuan Joubert 20, Nicholas Bayly 2/19, Akhil Challa 1/12). St Stithians 145/4 (Liam Mudenda 70, Thomas Collins 34*, Jandre Verwey 2/32, Anrich Liebenberg 1/8). Helpmekaar won by two runs.

St John’s 152/8 (Darshik Lutchman 36, James Yuill 34, Merrick Schwartz 3/23, Abhay Patel 1/29). Parktown 109/6 (Khanyisa Kraai 53, Hlasi Mqingwana 18, Ethan Robinson 2/12, Malan du Plessis 2/17). St John’s won by 43 runs.

Noordheuwel 110/6 (Etan Smith 26, Brandon Pieters 25, Daniel Thomlinson 2/15, Austin van Jaarsveld 2/22) Steyn City 74/8 (Murray Leith 28, Sachin Sunker 13, Sage Pretorius 2/7, Gomolemo Sibi 2/12). Noordheuwel won by 36 runs.

“Spectators can expect high intensity and action-packed early season rivalries in the pool.”

That was the promise from Kyle Kumm, the organiser of the 2025 edition of the Brian Baker Water Polo Tournament, which will be played at Kingswood College, in Makhanda, from 23 to 26 January.

The tournament is in its 14th year and is named after Brian Baker, a passionate educationalist and a deep lover of sport to whom much of the success of girls’ water polo in South Africa is attributed. Baker was a fierce competitor who also believed that sport offered valuable life lessons to competitors and everyone around them.

“We continue to hold these beliefs close to our hearts and hope that our 2025 tournament will foster lifelong friendships, grit, determination, and a genuine love for water polo,” Leon Grové, the Kingswood College Head, stated in a press release.

Kumm, the tournament organiser, shares those sentiments. “We encourage teams to play hard, play fair, and enjoy the excitement that comes with participating in a tournament,” he said.

Kumm also coaches the Kingswood first team, so, because of his coaching commitments, he will relinquish control of the organising to the highly respected Ian Melliar.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools and the SuperSport Schools app

The early season showdown offers an opportunity for teams to assess themselves and to improve on their performances from last year, while the dominant outfits will be keen to carry on from where they left off before the holidays.

Herschel, the defending champion, will be one of the 20 teams battling for supremacy at the showpiece.

In 2024, Alex Hawkins’ side overcame Reddam House Constantia 14-11 in a thrilling final. They will begin their title defence with a Pool C showdown against DSG Makhanda. They’ll also face Collegiate Girls’ High School, Hudson Park, and St Mary’s Waverley in the group phase of the event.

While Herschel went on to add the Old Petrians‘ title to their list of achievements, last year’s runners-up, Reddam House Constantia, enjoyed success later in the year,  beating Herschel to win the Mackenzie Cup in home waters, and they also won the St Anne’s Water Polo Tournament against a high-quality field in KZN. They gave Herschel a good run for their money in the 2024 title game, and it was only in the last chukka that their Cape Town rivals pulled clear.

Reddam will be aiming to go a step further at Kingswood this time around. They’re in Pool B, where they will compete against Durban Girls’ College (DGC), Glenwood House, Pearson, and Reddam House Bedfordview. DGC claimed the National Aquatics Festival honours in early 2024, while Reddam House Bedfordview lifted the Roedean Prestige Cup in October.

Perennial favourites, Roedean, finished in third place last year and closed off the tournament with a 14-7 victory over Clarendon. They will, also, be aiming to go all the way in 2025 after winning the St Stithians Invitational at the end of October. They are in Pool D with the hosts, Kingswood, Alexander Road, St Anne’s, and Stirling. The KZN girls, runners-up in their own St Anne’s Water Polo Tournament, will likely prove to be Roedean’s toughest group-stage opponents.

Pool A should be very competitive and it would be no surprise if one, two, or even three teams from the group challenge for the title.

Last year’s fourth-place finishers, Clarendon, take on Rhenish, St Dominic’s, St Stithians, and Woodridge. St Stithians, especially, has a proven record of excellence and will be one of the teams to watch out for. They, together with St Domonic’s and Rhenish, completed last year’s Brian Baker tournament with a victory. Woodridge found the going tougher, but they’ll be keen to improve on last year’s performances despite a very tough Pool D lineup.

The first whistles will sound at 12:00 on Thursday, when Roedean takes on Kingswood at Kingswood, while DSG Makhanda locks horns with Collegiate at DSG Makhanda.

Day one fixtures

12:00: Roedean vs Kingswood, DSG Makhanda vs Collegiate
12:50: Reddam Bedfordview vs DGC, St Dominic’s vs Woodridge
13:40: Pearson vs Glenwood, St Mary’s vs Hudson
14:30: Roedean vs Alexander Road, St Stithians vs Rhenish
15:20: St Anne’s vs Stirling, Clarendon vs Woodridge
16:10: Reddam Bedfordview vs Pearson, St Mary’s vs Collegiate
17:00: Herschel vs DSG, Reddam House Constantia vs DGC
17:50: Kingswood vs Stirling