Zieg Roos and Steele Grooteman shared seven wickets between them as they bowled King Edward VII School (KES) to a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Northcliff High School at Northcliff on Sunday.
Roos, the KES captain, won the toss and asked Northcliff to bat first. That was a good decision as KES bundled out Northcliff in 39 overs for only 82.
Coach Vincent Jordaan’s side easily chased down the victory target. They needed only 17.1 overs to score 86/1.
Sunday’s win was KES’s third victory of the year. They already have five matches under their belt in 2025 before the Northcliff game. They won against Queens High School and Trinity House Rand Park Ride and lost to Waterkloof. Their other matches, against Parktown and St John’s College, were washed out by rain.
Northcliff’s batsmen were watchful in the first 10 overs of the weekend’s encounter and compiled 37 runs in 9.4 overs before the opening stand was broken. Connor Kuijers provided KES with the breakthrough with the dismissal of Jack Woolard, who had scored a patient 22 off 38.
Wollard’s dismissal, unfortunately for Northcliff, began a procession of wickets over the next 29 overs, with Northcliff immobile, stuck in quicksand.
Roos tossed the ball to Steel Grooteman in the 15th over and the bowling change had an immediate impact. Grooteman grabbed a wicket with his second delivery to send Nkosana Tshabalala packing. That was the first of three wickets captured by Grooteman, who also accounted for Kyle Davies and Cade Bradley. He finished with a very tidy three wickets for 17 runs in 10 overs.
Roos, meanwhile, was adjudged the Player of the Match after his bowling performance.
He introduced himself into the attack in the 22nd over, strung together a couple of quiet overs, conceding five runs in two overs, and was, then, rewarded with a wicket off his first delivery of the 26th over, his third over. The KES captain tied down the Northcliff batsmen, conceding a miserly 1/1 runs per over, and claimed a superb 4/10 from his nine overs.
The bowlers’ outstanding performances served up a low total for KES’s batsmen to chase and they accomplished that at a canter. Tiago Dias (21*) and Khwezi Nyamathe (27) shared a 32-run partnership before it was broken by Declan Diesel in the fifth over, but Nyamathe’s wicket proved to be the only one that Northcliff was able to take before KES claimed victory.
Dias and Eric Southey (29*) shared an unbroken 54-run second-wicket partnership to see them home.
Summarised scorecard
Northcliff 82/10 (Jack Woolard 22, Kyle Davies 14, Zieg Roos 4/10, Steele Grooteman 3/17). King Edward VII 86/1 (Eric Southey 29*, Khwezi Nyamathe 27, Declan Davies 1/22, Alex West 0/9). KES won by nine wickets.
Cayden Wilson put together an outstanding all-round performance to steer Pearson High School to victory in the Eastern Province and Border regional finals of the Schools SA20 tournament.
In the final, played at Buffalo Park in East London, Pearson beat Grey High School by 24 runs on Sunday morning.
Throughout Phase Two of the Schools SA20 tournament – the regional final, which brought together the best teams from the Eastern Province and Border regions – Pearson remained unbeaten.
Sunday’s win ushered them into the third phase of the competition, which will see them lock horns with the other regional winners for the title of national champion.
Wilson flayed five fours and four sixes on his way to a match-winning 69 off 46 balls and led his side to an unassailable 156/8. He then marshalled his bowling attack with aplomb as they dismissed Grey for 127 runs.
The Pearson skipper was named the player of the tournament at the 2023 u16 National Week and received an award for that at the Cricket South Africa Awards in September 2024. In December 2024, he was an outstanding performer for Eastern Province at the Khaya Majola Week and was included in the SA Colts team.
Wilson, after some good performances at the Makhanda Cricket Festival earlier this month, carried that strong form into the final against Pearson’s Gqeberha neighbours, Grey High School, and, after winning the toss, he elected to bat first.
That decision appeared to have backfired somewhat when Matthew Burton was out in the second over. He had, however, blasted a quickfire 17 off nine balls by not allowing Grey High’s opening bowlers to settle into a threatening line and length.
Pearson’s troubles were compounded when they lost Jude Septoo five balls later. Burton and Septoo were the only Pearson batsmen who had entered the match with runs under their belts. Their bowlers had been so effective in dismissing opposing teams for low totals that Burton and Septoo had needed only a handful of overs to chase down the required runs. The removal of the pair meant Pearson’s middle order faced their first test of the competition.
Wilson and Sulaymaan Gangat (19) combined for a 34-run third-wicket partnership at close to a run-a-ball and were together until the eighth over, when Markus Potgieter made the breakthrough for Grey. Gangat’s removal paved the way for Wilson and Luke Hector to add 87 runs for the fourth wicket from only 63 deliveries. While Wilson took charge, Hector anchored the partnership with a patient 25 off 31.
In the 18th over, Potgieter ended Wilson’s fine innings. It was his third wicket in the match, which made him Grey’s High’s most successful bowler. Iviwe Mazomba, Frederick Jansen, and Nathan Howell chipped in with a wicket each.
Spin bowler Matthew Burton opened the bowling for Pearson and set the tone with disciplined lines and lengths. He gave nothing away in his four-over spell, which he bowled out on the trot. He was, also, unlucky not to bag a wicket. However, Burton’s economy rate of 2.5 runs per over was the best achieved by any Pearson bowler and it heaped pressure on the Grey reply.
Kade Myburgh looked unstoppable with his deliveries that attacked the channel just outside the line of the off stump. He was the most successful bowler, capturing three wickets for 21 runs in four overs. Jadyan Ward, Sulaymaan Gangat, and Cayden Wilson also shone, bagging two wickets each.
Wilson could have finished with better figures had Frederick Jansen not come in and provided Grey High with a faint glimmer of hope by smashing an enterprising 28 off 12 balls. He launched three sixes in his brief but entertaining innings before Wilson had the last say by clean-bowling the Grey all-rounder.
Grey High’s second-highest run-scorer was Logan Goddard-Ford, who did for Jansen what Hector did for Wilson earlier in the day. He scored 16 off 15 balls while anchoring the innings. However, Goddard-Ford’s anchor role was not by choice. He simply could not hit the ball off the square.
Pearson demonstrated quality with both the bat and ball and they will be worthy opponents for whomever they go up against in the national final.
Summarised scorecard
Pearson 156/8 (Cayden Wilson 69, Luke Hector 25, Markus Potgieter 3/20, Nathan Howell 1/19). Grey High 127/10 (Frederick Jansen 28, Logan Goddard-Ford 16, Kade Myburgh 3/21, Jadyan Ward 2/13). Pearson won by 29 runs.
Darshik Lutchman in full flow. Photo: Bongani Ntini, St John’s.
St John’s College began 2025 with a 35-run win over Jeppe High School for Boys in a league match played at St John’s on Saturday.
The match was pencilled in to be contested at Jeppe. However, rain left Jeppe’s pitches unsuitable for play and the contest was moved to Houghton.
The change of venue also resulted in a loss of overs, with the match being reduced to 35 overs a side.
St John’s won the toss, elected to bat first, and recorded a challenging total of 180/8.
Jeppe lost four overs to another shower, which left them to chase a revised target of 159 runs in 31 overs. They scored 123/8 and lost by 35 runs, calculated by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method.
Darshik Lutchman top-scored for St John’s with a well-played 57 off 81 balls, which featured four fours and earned the opener the Player of the Match award.
He also shared an outstanding 92-run opening partnership with James Yuill, who carried the torch after Lutchman’s dismissal. Yuill went on to notch the second St John’s half-century of the match, scoring 51 from 55.
He shared a 32-run second-wicket partnership with Nkosana Sibiya, too. But when Yuill departed in the 24th over, it was the beginning of a collapse, which cost St John’s four wickets in five overs while they added only 20 runs. Herman Basson was the only batsman who withstood the procession of wickets, scoring an unbeaten 22 off 20 balls.
Sipho Potsane kept Jeppe in the game with three wickets for 32 runs in five overs. Munib Ayob, who gave Jeppe hope with the dismissal of Lutchman, was one of four Jeppe bowlers to take a wicket each. Reza Ayob, Shreth Kumar, and Zizi Mkhize were the other three.
Ethan Robinson denied Jeppe as good a start as St John’s by accounting for both openers, Tiago Almeida (11) and Adam Franken (20), in the fourth and eighth overs respectively. The rest of the bowling attack did not deviate from the tone set by Robinson and took wickets at regular intervals.
Aiden Barberrini captured three wickets for 15 runs, Alec Loveland bagged a brace, and David Ireland rounded off the wicket-takers with a single wicket.
Keegan Caxiero top-scored for Jeppe with 24 runs from 30 deliveries in a valiant attempt at lower-order resistance that was, ultimately, in vain. Zizi Mkhize, also, produced a spirited rearguard action and was on 22 not out at the end.
Scorecards
St John’s College 180/8 (Darshik Lutchman 57, James Yuill 51, Sipho Potsane 3/32, Munib Ayob 1/17). Jeppe High School for Boys 123/8 (Keegan Caxiero 24, Zizi Mkhize 22*, Aiden Barberrini 3/15, Alec Loveland 2/20). St John’s won by 35 runs (DLS).
Nomandi outplayed Stirling High School, defeating them by 105 runs in the final of the girls’ section of the Eastern Province and Border Schools SA20 regional tournament at Buffalo Park, in East London, on Saturday afternoon.
Grey High goes up against Pearson in the boys’ final on Sunday morning at the same venue.
Grey and Pearson have been a class apart from the rest of the teams competing in the boys’ section. Neither has lost a match on their way to qualifying for the final.
Grey shrugged aside all opposition to qualify for the final with four wins from four games, while their Gqeberha rivals, Pearson, registered three wins in their three completed matches.
A big 108-run win over Queen’s College on Saturday afternoon launched Grey into the final, while Pearson secured their place with a four-wicket win over Selborne College.
Nomandi registered the highest total in the girls’ section’s matches in the final after being put in to bat first by Stirling High captain Cayleigh Wankel. Enkosi Mditshwa paved the way with a 35-ball 27 on a surface that offered assistance to the spinners.
Sikho Khetho, with whom Mditshwa shared a 29-run third-wicket partnership, had little trouble taking the baton from the opener. She struck seven fours on her way to an unbeaten 39 off 40 balls as Nomandi tallied 138/5. Stirling did not do themselves any favours with the numerous wides and no balls they served up to Nomandi, who benefitted from 39 extras.
It was the second meeting of the sides in as many days. On Friday, Nomandi, astonishingly, bundled out Stirling for only 11 runs. While Stirling was a little better and surpassed that score in the final, they failed to tally as many runs as the extras they conceded. They had trouble reading the Nomandi spinners and medium pacers and slumped to 33 all out.
Enkosi Mditshwa, Yamkhela Mnqabashe, Chumani Majambe, and Kwanele Kratshi bagged a brace of wickets each.
In the boys’ semi-finals, Luke Tait and Charl Posthumus acquitted themselves well, with both registering half-centuries that catapulted Grey High to 167/5 in their showdown with Queen’s College. They ran hard and dispatched any bad balls that were sent their way while compiling a hasty 123-run opening partnership, which lasted 15.2 overs.
Posthumus finished with a brilliant 65 from 45, while Tait added 64 from 59. After their dismissals, no other Grey batsmen were able to exit single figures. However, they had done enough damage to lift them to an unassailable total.
Teun Kloppenberg was Grey High’s hero with the bat on Friday, when they met Queen’s for the first time. In the semifinals, he showed up with the ball and captured two wickets for nine runs as Grey restricted Queen’s to just 59/7. The pick of the Grey bowlers, though, was Nathan Howell, who snapped up two for five in three overs.
The victory over Queen’s came after an eight-wicket victory over Mqanduli Village in the morning session.
Sulaymaan Gangat spun a web around Selborne College as Pearson limited the locals to 87 all out, snaring 3/13 from four overs.
Josh Wilkie, who was at the crease for 10.5 overs, did his best to resist the Pearson bowling attack. However, not even his 37-ball 38 runs could lift Selborne to a defendable total because no other batsmen bettered 10 runs.
Pearson’s reply was uneven as they lost four wickets in the powerplay. However, they assuaged that collapse with runs on the board. They had already scored 57 and needed only 31 more runs when they lost their fourth wicket in the sixth over.
That was in large part thanks to Cayden Wilson, who refused to be tied down by the Selborne bowlers and blasted an 11-ball 28. Luke Hector carried on the good work, with 21 off 18, and by the time he departed, Pearson required only two runs to win.
Bungqina Nuku did his best for Selborne, claiming three wickets for 31 runs. That wasn’t enough, however, to stop Pearson. Not even a double strike in a single over by Michael Hess could turn the tide.
Given the form of the finalists, the clash between Grey High and Pearson could be a humdinger of a contest. They lock horns at 09:30 on Sunday morning.
Grey High 167/5 (Charl Posthumus 65, Luke Tait 64, Khazimila Simama 1/30, Geza Culumanco 1/25). Queen’s College 59/7 (Duncan Hayes 24, Fitzhenry Ross 14, Nathan Howell 2/5, Teun Kloppenberg 2/9). Grey High won by 105 runs.
Selborne College 87/10 (Josh Wilkie 38, Connor Fowles 9, Sulaymaan Gangat 3/13, Kade Myburgh 2/20). Pearson High 90/6 (Cayden Wilson 28, Luke Hector 21, Bungqina Nuku 3/31, Michael Hess 2/4). Pearson won by four wickets.
Morning session
Mqanduli Village 54/4 (Sinawo Nongalo 21, Bulumnko Didi 7, Nathan Howell 1/2, Connor Parry 1/7). Grey High 55/2 (Charl Posthumus 23, Teun Kloppenberg 13, Sanele Mphathelwa 2/16, Iviwe Ntengwane 0/35). Grey High won by eight wickets.
Queen’s College 30/10 (Geza Culumanco 10*, Aiden van Jaarsveld 9, Daniel Ritchie 3/5, Jadyan Ward 2/10). Pearson 32/0 (Jude Septoo 16*, Matthew Burton 15*, Mthokozisi Mbambo 0/20, Khazimla Simama 0/11). Pearson won by 10 wickets.
Grey High School’s Teun Kloppenberg. Photo: Richard Gilbert.
Grey High all-but confirmed their qualification for the semifinals of the Eastern Province and Border Schools SA20 tournament by beating Queen’s College by eight wickets in the second round of matches in East London on Friday afternoon.
All has not been decided, but Grey High has one foot in the semifinals after posting back-to-back wins in Pool A.
Their morning victory over Selborne was thanks to Connor Parry’s patient innings, and their afternoon win was courtesy of some serious hitting from Teun Kloppenberg.
Josh Wilkie scored the first half-century in the tournament as Selborne bounced back from their morning loss with a vengeance, overrunning Mqanduli Village by 123 runs.
Pearson is in a good position after recording their first win in the afternoon, a comprehensive 10-wicket victory over Jumba High, after they shared the points with Mqanduli Village because of a waterlogged outfield in the morning.
Teun Kloppenberg launched more sixes than the Queen’s batting line-up combined, lashing four on his way to an unbeaten 28 off 13 deliveries to lead the Gqberha boys to an emphatic eight-wicket victory. He arrived at the crease in the sixth over, with Grey High on 29/2, chasing only 59 runs to win.
The target was low because of an incredible shift put in by Grey’s spin contingent, led by Drisden Pretorius. The left-arm spinner was practically unplayable in his four overs, one of which was a maiden. He conceded only three runs for his three wickets. Led by his star turn, Grey High rolled Queen’s for only 58 in 19 overs.
Grey, then, needed only 8.5 overs to get to 63/2 and claim the spoils.
When Kloppenberg arrived at the crease, Luke Tait had laid a platform with his 17-ball 18. The right-hander, then, shared an unbroken 39-run third-wicket partnership with Connor Parry (11*) that saw Grey High over the line.
Selborne College bounced back from a defeat at the hands of Grey in the morning with a comprehensive 123-run win over Mqanduli Village, thanks to a Josh Wilkie masterclass with the bat, which brought him a brilliant 66 off 53 deliveries. Wilkies’ effort was the first half-century of the tournament, on a day when batsmen struggled to get themselves, which resulted in teams being knocked over for low totals.
Wilkie also shared a 57-run fifth-wicket stand with Reece Waite (39). Theirs’ was the highest partnership in all matches played on Friday. Their efforts also helped Selborne chalk up the highest total of the day, 174/8. That total proved to be a mountain too high for Mqanduli Village, who stuttered their way to 51/8 in reply.
Siphumeze Nonwana (21) was the only Mqanduli Village batsman who offered resistance to the Selborne bowling attack, which was led well by Michael Hess and Mjo Lukhanyiso. Hess sent down three overs, one of them a maiden, conceded three runs, and took two wickets. Lukhanyiso also bagged a brace while conceding 11 runs from his three overs.
Pearson powered their way to a first victory with an emphatic 10-wicket win over Jumba High. Pearson’s bowling and fielding were outstanding, and they enjoyed immediate success, grabbing two wickets in the first over. For the first wicket, Jonathan Holmes clean-bowled Momeleze Nama. For the second, Jadyan Ward executed a run out to send Baphelele Silo packing.
Those two dismissals led to a procession of wickets falling, with Jumba High’s batsmen falling like dominoes. None made it to 10 runs. Their highest scorer was Chulumanco Soyizwaphi, with eight. Jadyan Ward was outstanding with the ball for Pearson, capturing three wickets for four runs, while Sulaymaan Gangat was equally good, snaring three wickets for two runs in 1.1 overs.
Matthew Burton (15*) and Jude Septoo (6*) made light work of the run chase, needing only 11 balls to see Pearson to victory. Burton creamed three fours, while Septoo found the boundary once, to match Jumba High’s number of fours.
In the girls’ section, Nomandi put together a brilliant performance against Stirling, who had played well against Pearson in their morning match. In that clash, Stirling took just under nine overs to reach 67/3 and claim victory, thanks to Cayleigh Wankel’s brilliance with the bat. Against Nomandi, at Hudson Park, their batting failed.
Wankel put on another brilliant show, bagging four wickets for a paltry five runs as Stirling skittled Nomandi for 77 runs. However, her performance was matched by Enkosi Mditshwa’s five-wicket haul for Nomandi.
Mditshwa was a handful as she knocked over 5/8 in 3.4 overs. She was superbly backed up by Thembakazi Gegesi (3/2) and Olwethu Njani (1/1), as Nomandi destroyed the Stirling batting lineup, dismissing the East London school for only 11 runs in 7.4 overs to claim a big 66-run victory.
Earlier in the match, Mditshwa top-scored for Nomandi with 16 runs. Njani (10) and Sikho Khetho (14) were the only other batters to reach double figures. Stirling’s leading batter was Tama Tandwa (5).
Scorecards
Queen’s College 58/10 (Joe Aucamp 12, Duncan Hayes 9, Drisden Pretorius 3/3, Connor Parry 2/2). Grey High 63/2 (Teun Kloppenberg 28*, Luke Tait 18, Khazimla Simama 2/16, Mthokozisi Mbambo 0/14). Grey High won by eight wickets.
Connor Parry played an outstanding patient innings to help Grey High grind out a four-wicket win over Selborne College on Friday, while Queen’s College bowled their way to a 56-run victory over Jumba High School in the first round of the Eastern Province and Border Schools SA20 playoffs, hosted by Selborne and Border Cricket in East London.
Mqanduli Village and Pearson High were the first teams to score points in the tournament. Their match was considered unsafe to play due to a wet outfield. That resulted in the sides sharing the points.
The region had been subjected to persistent rain over the past few days and the result was a slow and sticky surface and slow outfield.
Boundaries were hard to come by. Between them, Grey High and Selborne struck four fours and five sixes across 40 overs.
Grey’s Frederick Jansen carved a four and two sixes in his knock of 23 off 14 balls to pull his side to victory. His strike rate of 164 was unmatched in the contest.
Jansen’s knock was possible thanks to a patient and outstanding 31 from 34 balls from opener Connor Parry, who expertly guided his side through a tricky powerplay.
Selborne’s Bunqina Nuku and Joshua McKay kept Grey High’s top order in check with their disciplined bowling, and they were rewarded with two early wickets. However, Parry held Grey’s innings together with a watchful knock. When he departed, he passed the baton to Jansen, with whom he had shared a 23-run fourth-wicket partnership.
Jansen combined with Logan Goddard-Ford (24 from 35) for a match-winning 37-run fifth-wicket partnership that took Grey to the brink of victory. When Jansen lost his wicket, coach Richard Gilbert‘s side was only 10 runs away from victory with 3.5 overs in which to accomplish the task.
Like Jansen, Goddard-Ford was unable to see his side past the finishing line. However, when he was dismissed, the match was almost over. Grey needed two runs from two over.
The difference between the two sides was partnerships. Selborne College’s highest partnership was their 27-run opening stand between Aaron Senekal (12) and Joshua Wilkie (13). After that, they had a couple of partnerships that were worth 20 runs or more. However, none breached the 30-run mark.
Khazimla Simama and Geza Culumanco were outstanding with the ball for Queen’s College in their game against Jumba High. The pair ran riot, sharing six wickets, as they led an assault on Jumba’s batters. Queen’s had battled their way to 98 all out after batting first.
Aiden van Jaarsveld led from the front with a brisk 16-ball 22. However, his dismissal in the fifth over, after sharing a 20-run second-wicket partnership with Duncan Hayes, was the beginning of Queen’s problems with the bat.
Mangaliso Mosehle’s side struggled to settle in tough batting conditions and only three other batsmen reached double figures. The Queen’s struggles were further emphasised by the fact that they were unable to see out their 20 overs and were bowled out in 17.5.
However, their bowling attack came to their rescue, led by Simama and Culamanco. They conceded only 20 runs between them to thrust their side into a winning position. In just 14.1 overs, Queen’s bundled out Jumba for 42 to claim their first victory of the playoffs.
In the girls’ section, Stirling High made light work of the 63/7 chalked up by Pearson High. Amyoli Mgebe and Malakiwe Somhlahlo snapped up six wickets between them as they ran through Pearson’s batting order, with only one Pearson batter, Kisa-li Borman, with 14, making it into double figures.
Stirling needed just under nine overs to chase down the required total. Cayleigh Wankel smashed an unbeaten 28-ball 42 to lead the charge to victory. However, she had to do it all on her own. None of her partners made it out of single figures.
Scorecards
Selborne College 102/8 (Cian O’Neil 23, Matthew Hendry 18*, Drisden Pretorius 2/12, Ameer Muller 1/14). Grey High 102/6 (Connor Parry 31, Logan Goddard-Ford 24, Joshua McKay 2/15, Aventandwa Manyongo 1/11) Grey High won by four wickets.
Queen’s College 98/10 (Aiden van Jaarsveld 22, Duncan Hayes 14, Baphele Silo 3/16, Kwakhanya Jayiya 2/13). Jumba High 42/9 (Liso Mfisi 16, Ahlume Honono 7, Khazimla 3/7, Geza Culumanco 3/13). Queen’s won by 56 runs.
Girls’ section
Pearson 63/10 (Kisa-li Borman 14, Emma Tinley 9, Malakhiwe Somhlahlo 3/14, Amyoli Mgebe 3/21). Stirling High 67/3 (Cayleigh Wankel 42*, Malakhiwe Somhlahlo 9*, Kisa-li Borman 2/26, Tara Nel 1/16). Stirling won by seven wickets.
Queen’s College and Selborne College are pulling out all the stops in preparation for the final lap of the Eastern Province and Border Schools SA20 matches, which will be hosted by Selborne and Border Cricket from 17-19 January.
Queen’s qualified for the playoffs by finishing second in the Border and Kei districts, behind Selborne College, who beat them in a thrilling encounter.
The Komani school is in Pool B, along with Pearson High and Jumba High School. Their rivals, Selborne, are in Pool A, where they will face Grey High School and Mqanduli Village.
Check out DStv Channel 216 and the SuperSport Schools App for live coverage of the Schools SA20
“We had a tough outing at the Grey College Cricket Festival. Several of our experienced players matriculated last year, and we went there with a young side,” Murray Spence, the Selborne Master of Cricket, said.
Aaron Senekal is into his third year with the Selborne College first team, and the captain delivered strong batting performances and leadership in Bloemfontein. He’s not only an experienced contributor to the school’s first team, but he has also represented the Eastern Cape Iinyathi. Spence was pleased that the youngster did not shy away from his responsibilities.
However, Senekal won’t have to do it all alone. Josh Wilkie and Matthew Hendry showed their full range of shots and temperament with outstanding half-centuries at the Grey College Festival.
Reece Wait, Selborne’s wily spinner, challenged opposing batsmen and registered a five-wicket haul against Grey College, while Bunqina Nuku unsettled batters with his pace. Josh McKay shone against Jeppe, capturing 5/28, which he followed with the top score of 40 in Selborne’s innings.
“The boys are excited for the opportunity to play at this stage of the Schools SA20 and will go out there to do their best to win this weekend,” said Spence.
Supersport Schools Plus caught up with Queen’s College’s head coach, Mangaliso Mosehle, on the sidelines of a warmup match against Royals Cricket Club. Unlike Selborne, Queen’s did not participate in any of the preseason festivals held over the last weekend, hence the need to play back-to-back matches against the club.
“The boys showed good form in their first match,” he said. “We chose to focus on our batting today, and guys like Aiden van Jaarsveld and Duncan Hayes performed well. We retired a few of them after they had spent time in the middle, so they could give others a chance.”
Queen’s College adopted the mantra “chase lost causes” at the beginning of their Schools SA20 campaign. Mosehle explained that it reflects a mindset that his side will wholeheartedly chase down a ball as long as there is a one-percent chance of reining it in before it reaches the boundary. It is a never-give-up mentality.
“It was a concept that Mr Dave Hansen, our team psychologist, who is also an economics teacher, helped us devise,” Mosehle revealed.
He will need his team to live out the mantra and be the sum of their parts to succeed. Queen’s has outstanding bowlers in Caleb Waller and Mthokozisi Mbambo. However, they are fresh out of the u15 side and will need support from the rest of the team to shine.
Queen’s takes Jumba High School in their first match, while Selborne faces a daunting showdown with Grey High, who went unbeaten at the Grey College Cricket Festival, to kick off their campaign.
FIXTURES
Friday, 17 January
10:00 – Selborne College vs Grey High School, Selborne Main Oval 1; 10:00 – Jumba High School vs Queen’s College, Selborne Main Oval 2; 10:00 – Mqanduli Village vs Pearson High, Bohemians Club; 10:00 – (Girls) Stirling High vs Pearson High, Stirling.
14:00 – Pearson High vs Jumba High School, Selborne Main Oval 1; 14:00 – Grey High School vs Queen’s College, Selborne Main Oval 2; 14:00 – Mqanduli Village vs Selborne College, Bohemians Club; 14:00 – (Girls) Nomandi School vs Stirling School, Stirling.
Saturday, 18 January
09:30 – Queen’s College vs Pearson High, Selborne Main Oval 1; 09:30 – Grey High School vs Mqanduli Village, Selborne Main Oval 2; 09:30 – Selborne College vs Jumba High School, Bohemians Club; 09:30 – (Girls) Pearson High vs Nomandi School, Port Rex.
14:00 – Pool A 1 vs Pool B 2 (semi-final), Selborne Main Oval 1; Pool B 1 vs Pool A 2 (semi-final), Selborne Main Oval 2, Log 1 vs Log 2 (Girls’ final), Buffalo Park.
William Beamish, the 2025 St Andrew’s College cricket captain.
St Andrew’s College registered a clean sweep of all of their matches at the Makhanda Cricket Festival. The local school was on course to make it five wins from five starts, but persistent rain spoiled the final day of action.
In each of their contests, St Andrew’s had different match-winners. In their victory over Peterhouse, Oliver Johns starred with the bat. Then, Ababalwe Zingela took a hat-trick in his first over and finished the match with four wickets when St Andrew’s locked horns with St David’s Marist Inanda. Zingela’s brilliance with the ball set the stage for Miles Sansom to shine with the bat, and he struck an unbeaten half-century as St Andrew’s cantered to victory.
However, on the healthy list of contributors, one player stood out above the rest: William Beamish.
The opening batsman shared a match-winning partnership with Sansom and missed out on a 50 by a single run in College’s win over St David’s. He bowled tight overs and chipped in with wickets. As the captain of St Andrew’s College, he made on-field decisions that either helped turn the tide or strengthened his team’s position in games.
In addition to all of the above, Beamish produced the second-highest individual score of the festival, an imperious 201, as he laid the platform for an emphatic win over Hellenic Academy. His 319-run opening partnership with Rhys Wiblin (130) tore the life out of the visitors. Beamish crunched 22 fours and seven sixes for his double-century, which set him apart from the rest of the College batsmen.
“William remained positive, putting the disappointment of missing out on the EP Khaya Majola Week side. He has enjoyed a fruitful few weeks,” Ethan O’Reilly, the St Andrew’s first XI coach, commented.
After the setback of omission from the provincial team, the teenager let his bat do the talking. He lent his talents to the EP u17 Rural side and helped them capture the title at the CSA Rural Week in Wellington.
The aggressive opening batsman didn’t just give his side good starts, he also put the game away beyond the opposition’s reach. He wowed the organisers and spectators with his all-round skills. Then, he carried on that form in Makhanda.
“If he (Beamish) didn’t have an impact with the bat, he had an impact with the ball or with his captaincy,” Scott Jackson, St Andrew’s Master in Charge of Cricket, explained.
Beamish was the highest run-scorer for St Andrew’s College at the festival, finishing with 280 runs at an average of 70. He’s one of the players to look out for in 2025, Jackson reckoned.
Morteza Manack on the drive for St David’s Marist Inanda.
There were no centuries on Saturday, with matches on day three of the Makhanda Cricket Festival affected by rain. The conditions made for good bowling surfaces, but Josh Loon, Oliver Johns, Corbin Tidbury, and Tyler Chapman, nonetheless, produced scintillating performances with the bat to lift their teams to victory.
Morteza Manack continued his fine run of form with a half-century as St David’s Marist Inanda came up just short against Kingswood College, going down by one wicket in a tense and chaotic finish.
Fresh off scoring an imperious unbeaten double-century in a win over Pearson, Manack followed up that stupendous performance with a brisk 53-ball 61.
Unlike in the match against Pearson, which had seen Manack take to the crease with his side on 47/2, this time St David’s had already laid a sound platform and were on 124/3. However, the dismissal that brought him to the crease, the wicket of Khutso Sekgobela, was the first of three to tumble in the space of 1.5 overs. Manack, then, stabilised matters by sharing in a 92-run sixth-wicket partnership with Samrat Basu (38).
Patrick Mouton continued his great run with the ball for Kingswood, with his 10 overs bringing him a return of 4/55. His fine effort and an unbeaten 75 from Josh Loon in Kingswood’s innings, enabled the home team to squeak by their Johannesburg opposition.
Oliver Johns struck an unbeaten half-century to guide St Andrew’s College to a five-wicket victory over Pearson. Following the dismissal of Rhys Wiblin in the 17th over, Johns took charge, cracking 10 fours on his way to an even-paced 71 off 113 balls. At the other end, though, he had to watch Ethan Bradfield and Benjamin Coventry depart within 14 deliveries of each other, after adding only two runs.
Johns’ measured innings received the support it needed when Ben Scharges contributed an undefeated 31 as the duo combined for an unbroken 85-run sixth-wicket partnership, which took them to victory.
Earlier in the contest, Alistair de Kock and Rhys Wiblin had claimed three wickets apiece as Pearson was bowled out for 174 in 48 overs. Sulaymaan Gangat‘s half-century and Luke Hector‘s 49 were not enough to carry the Gqeberha school to a total that would challenge the Makhanda boys. William Beamish and Thomas Bussiahn also got in on the wicket-taking act for College, picking up two each.
Corbin Tidbury carved a brilliant 95 off 94 balls to lead Graeme College to an insurmountable total of 235/7 in a match restricted to 40 overs a side by the rain when they faced off against Hellenic Academy. That score was too great for the Zimbabwean side, who folded for a meagre 130 runs in 39 overs, giving Graeme College an emphatic 105-run victory.
Tidbury joined forces with Zuko Pontshi (46) to add 109 runs for the fourth wicket, which took the game away from Hellenic. Tom Sinclair shone for visitors, capturing 4/36, but Graeme went on to a dominating victory.
On the batting front, Ruben Sanders offered stubborn resistance, carrying his bat to score an unbeaten 66 off 114 balls. Unfortunately for the opener, he was one of only two Hellenic batsmen to make it into double figures. The other was Kirby Madharamete, whose approach was aggressive. He chipped in with 36 and together with Sanders put on 57 for the fourth-wicket, which was the best partnership of Hellenic’s innings.
Andrew Muir was Graeme College’s most successful bowler, snapping up three wickets for 19 runs. Jordan Damons weighed in with a useful 2/10, while Erin Nelson, Ajay Jegels, and Lisekho Zinyane grabbed a wicket each.
Tyler Chapman and Isheunopa Mutungi scored superb half-centuries to steer Peterhouse to a 62-run victory over St Alban’s College. Chapman’s 71, from 70, and Mutungi’s unbeaten 52, from 37, boosted Peterhouse to a sound 254/7 after their 40 overs. Liam Chetty excelled for St Alban’s, knocking over 5/30, but the Zimbabwean side batted at more than six runs an over.
In reply, Zayd Mohanlall kept Peterhouse at bay, fighting hard for a valiant 46 from 83 balls, but St Alban’s was limited to 192/7 in their 40 overs.
It was a welcome pick-me-up for the Zimbabwean schools after Hellenic’s heavy defeat at the hands of Graeme College.
Summarised scorecards
Kingswood 269/9 (Josh Loon 75*, Ross Thompson 40, Alister Knott 38, Hayden Campbell 3/48, Christopher Emslie 3/58). St David’s 268/9 (Morteza Manack 61, Hayden Campbell 46, Samrat Basu 38, Patrick Mouton 4/55, David Loudon 2/17). Kingswood won by one wicket.
Pearson 174/10 (Sulaymaan Gangat 54, Luke Hector 49, Alastair de Kock 3/21, Rhys Wiblin 3/36). St Andrew’s College 175/5 (Oliver Johns 71*, Ben Scharges 31*, Cayden Wilson 2/21, Jonno Holmes 1/19). St Andrew’s College won by five wickets.
Graeme College 235/7 (Corbin Tidbury 95, Zuko Pontshi 46, Tom Sinclair 4/36, Ruben Sanders 2/20). Hellenic Academy 130/10 (Ruben Sanders 66*, Kirby Madharamete 36, Andrew Miur 3/19, Jordan Damons 2/10). Graeme College won by 105 runs.
Peterhouse 254/7 (Tyler Chapman 71, Isheunopa Mutungi 52*, Liam Chetty 5/30, Joshua Jordaan 1/32). St Alban’s College 192/7 (Zayd Mohanlall 46, Liam Detert 38, Tafadzwa Kashaya 3/25, Isaac Hildbrand 2/22). Peterhouse won by 62 runs.
Morteza Manack and William Beamish unfurled their full range of shots as they punished the bowlers on the second day of the Makhanda Cricket Festival and powered St David’s Marist Inanda and St Andrew’s College to emphatic victories.
St David’s scored 343/4, on their way to a 181-run victory over Pearson, whom they bowled out for a paltry 162.
St Andrew’s College thrashed Hellenic Academy by 242 runs, scoring a monumental 376/2, to which Hellenic responded with an ineffectual 134.
Manack arrived at the crease in the eighth over, with St David’s on 47/2 after they had lost two wickets in three deliveries. They needed someone to stabilise their innings. Manack did more than that. He creamed 24 fours and nine sixes on his way to a brilliant 203 off 139 balls.
Pearson needed a good opening partnership to stand a chance in the contest. That didn’t happen. The Gqeberha side lost three wickets in the powerplay for 75 runs, and that put them on the back foot. Any hope they had of chasing down the stiff victory target died shortly after the powerplay, when their talismanic captain, Cayden Wilson, was dismissed after scoring 39 runs.
Meanwhile, St Andrew’s College’s William Beamish and Rhys Wiblin tore apart the Hellenic Academy bowling attack when they compiled an outstanding 319-run opening partnership in 45.3 overs.
Beamish scored an excellent 201 off 145 balls, with his innings featuring 22 fours and seven sixes. Wiblin was the foil to Beamish’s aggressive approach. He registered a more sedate 130 off 143 balls, striking 10 fours and a single six.
Hellenic tried eight different bowlers, but none had an answer to Beamish and Wiblin’s dominance. The openers’ effort was complemented by the St Andrew’s bowling attack, led by Thomas Bussiahn, who captured 5/31. He received good support from Oliver Johns and William Stevens, who grabbed a brace each.
Peterhouse registered a hard-fought two-wicket victory over Kingswood, thanks to half-centuries from Victor Watama and Luke Marillier. Watama’s run-a-ball 74 was the highest individual score in the contest, and his presence at the crease from the 16th over until the 40th all but ensured victory for the visitors. Marillier’s 50 off 50 created a solid platform for Peterhouse in their run chase.
The Zimbabwean school took 46.2 overs to score 274/8 after Kingswood had batted first and compiled 270/7 in 50 overs.
Marillier and Watama’s efforts counterbalanced Kingswood’s trio of half-centuries, scored by Daniel Jankins, Franco Klopper, and Chris Zimmerman. Jankins and Klopper did a fantastic job with a 127-run opening partnership. After their dismissals, however, the hosts struggled to maintain momentum
Zimmerman’s valiant effort, an unbeaten 50 off 44 with the tail, wasn’t enough to push Kingswood’s total beyond Peterhouse’s reach.
Summarised scorecards
St David’s 343/4 (Morteza Manack 203*, Hayden Campbell 52*; Jayden Ward 2/68, Daniel Ritchie 1/43). Pearson 162/10 (Cayden Wilson 39, Cade Hummel 33; Kyle Butler 2/16, Ethan Greenstein 2/25). St David’s won by 181 runs.
St Andrew’s College 376/2 (William Beamish 201, Rhys Wiblin 130; Oliver van Zyl 2/80). Hellenic Academy 134/10 (Christian Makings 29, Ruben Sanders 28; Thomas Bussiahn 5/31, Oliver Johns 2/4). St Andrew’s College won by 242 runs.
Kingswood College 270/7 (Franco Klopper 57, Daniel Jankins 53; Nicholas Orphanides 3/51, Callum Scott-Elliot 1/35). Peterhouse 274/8 (Victor Watama 74, Luke Marillier 50; David Louden 4/30, Patrick Mouton 3/73). Peterhouse won by two wickets.
Zieg Roos and Steele Grooteman shared seven wickets between them as they bowled King Edward VII School (KES) to a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Northcliff High School at Northcliff on Sunday.
