Cayden Wilson raises his bat and helmet in triumph and to acknowledge the applause after he reached a century against St Alban’s College. Photo: Pearson High School Official on Instagram.
Cayden Wilson and Patrick Mouton showed themselves to be a class apart with bat and ball on the first day of the Makhanda Cricket Festival. The event is being hosted by Kingswood College and runs from 9 to 12 January.
Wilson blitzed an outstanding century, while Mouton bagged a brilliant 10-wicket haul.
Wilson’s century was instrumental in Pearson High School securing a dominant draw against St Alban’s College. He was in an unforgiving mood, smashing 13 fours and eight sixes on his way to an imperious 128 off only 59 deliveries.
When he came in to bat, Pearson was on 24/2, but the youngster tore into the St Alban’s bowling attack, and his rapid strike rate of 217 set the game up for Pearson to take control.
Wilson has been on an incredible run of form since December 2024. Last month, he became the first Pearson learner to be selected for the SA Colts team after the completion of the Khaya Majola Week. He was outstanding with the ball, finishing the tournament as Eastern Province’s leading wicket-taker. However, he showed his class with the bat against St Alban’s.
Luke Hector was Pearson’s second-best batter with a wonderful 80 from 78 balls. Sulayman Gangat complemented the batters with a four-wicket haul for Pearson as the Gqeberha side made light work of the St Alban’s batting order. Zayd Mohanlall was the batsman from the Pretoria school to cross 40 runs, with a patient 42 off 95 deliveries.
Patrick Mouton starred with the ball for the hosts, Kingswood College, in their first match of the festival, capturing 10 wickets across two innings in his side’s draw with Hellenic College.
Mouton knocked over 6/42 as Hellenic was restricted to 148 all out in their first innings. The home side produced an emphatic reply to their Zimbabwean counterparts’ modest score. Ross Thompson struck a brilliant 56 off 41 and Daniel Jakins matched his tally. However, his runs came off slightly more than twice as many deliveries. He faced 83 balls for his 56.
Mouton then bagged 4/41 as Kingswood held Hellenic to 95/4 in their second innings. As they did in the first innings, the Zimbabweans struggled to handle Mouton’s bowling as he ran through their top order before time ran out.
Myles Sansom carved an unbeaten half-century in St Andrews College’s first innings’ victory over St David’s Marist Inanda. The number three batter struck 10 fours and two sixes to help St Andrew’s reach 204/2 in reply to the 203/9 posted by St David’s. Oliver Johns weighed in with an unbeaten 45 and he and Sansom shared an unbroken 122-run third-wicket partnership.
SACS had a low total in their sights thanks to some wonderful bowling from Ababalwe Zingela, who took 4/11. He was supported by Tom Busshain, who bagged a brace of wickets. Jared Stern stood firm, however, his valiant unbeaten half-century for St David’s was in vain. It wasn’t enough to help his side avoid defeat.
Summarised Scorecards
Hellenic Academy 1st innings 148/10 (Ruben Sanders 39, Daniel Makings 37; Patrick Mouton 6/42, Daniel Jakins 2/16). Kingswood College 1st innings 246/8d (Ross Thompson 56, Daniel Jakins 56; Tian Nicholson 3/33, Christian Makings 2/20). Hellenic Academy 2nd innings95/4 (Ruben Sanders 29, Tom Sinclair 28; Patrick Mouton 4/41, Franco Klopper 0/1). Match drawn.
St David’s 203/9 (Jared Stern 50*, Kamogelo Phiri 42; Ababalwe Zingela 4/11, Tom Busshain 2/71). St Andrew’s College 204/2 (Myles Sansom 68, William Beamish 49; Morteza Manack 1/46, Ethan Greenstein 1/49). St Andrew’s College won on the first innings.
Pearson 319/10 (Cayden Wilson 128, Luke Hector 80; Kallan Nel 5/75, William Hewitt 2/70). St Alban’s 131/9 (Zayd Mohanlall 42, Liam Chetty 29; Sulayman Gangat 4/32, Kade Myburg 2/13). Match drawn.
All roads in Makhanda will lead to Kingswood College, where schools’ cricket fans will be treated to four days of high-quality cricket action when the Makhanda Cricket Festival comes to life on Thursday.
The region’s top schools – Graeme College, Saint Andrew’s College, and Kingswood – take turns to host the season-opening showpiece, and Kingswood is home to the 2025 edition.
“We are excited to be this year’s hosts. We are looking forward to great action,” Andrew Birch, the Kingswood Head of Cricket and one of the festival’s organisers, said.
The event runs from Thursday, 9 January, to Sunday, 12 January, with teams competing in declaration cricket matches on the first day, 50-over contests on the second and third days, and T20 games on the final day.
The festival has been running for over 25 years and has often had 10 or more teams participating. However, the 2025 edition has been pared down to eight teams. Birch said this was done to improve the quality of cricket at the festival.
Pearson High School will make the one-and-a-half-hour trip from Gqeberha to join the local sides. Gauteng will be represented by two powerhouses, St David’s Marist Inanda and St Alban’s, while Peterhouse College and Hellenic make the trek from Zimbabwe.
“We are happy to have St Alban’s back. They didn’t attend the last couple of festivals. They are a strong and competitive outfit,” Birch said.
The event offers a good opportunity for up-and-coming players to show what they are capable of and to solidify their claims to places in their first XIs. It is also an opportunity for players to catch the eyes of provincial selectors, scouts, and the media with good performances. There is a good chance of some future stars making their mark.
“We have a side of exciting young players who are hungry to make an impact at the festival. Everyone is looking to fill the spots left vacant by last year’s matrics and this is an opportunity for youngsters to show what they can do,” Birch said of the host’s 1st XI.
The teams will spring into action on Thursday morning, at 9:00. The hosts, Kingswood, will lock horns with Hellenic. The contest between St Andrew’s College and St David’s is sure to attract attention and viewers on the SuperSport Schools app will be treated to a great clash, while Graeme College will square up against Peterhouse, and St Alban’s faces Pearson.
FIXTURES
Day 1 (declaration cricket)
9:00 – Kingswood College vs Hellenic
9:00 – St Andrew’s College vs St David’s
9:00 – Graeme College vs Peterhouse
9:00 – St Alban’s vs Pearson
Day 2 (50-over cricket)
9:00 – Saint Andrew’s College vs Hellenic
9:00 – Graeme College vs St Alban’s
9:00 – St David’s vs Pearson
14:00 – Kingswood College vs Peterhouse
Day 3 (50-over cricket)
9:00 – St Andrew’s College vs Pearson
9:00 – Graeme College vs Hellenic
9:00 – Peterhouse vs St Alban’s
14:00 – Kingswood College vs St David’s
Day 4 (T20 cricket)
9:30 – Kingswood College vs Pearson
9:30 – St Andrews College vs St Alban’s
9:30 – Graeme College vs St David’s
18:00 – Peterhouse vs Hellenic
Something was missing at the 2024 edition of the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in East London. No one heard Ian Melliar’s infectious laugh or his baritone voice discussing the game with officials, parents, and players. He was nowhere to be seen at the opening ceremony or by the poolside during the aquatic showpiece.
It was the first time since 1978 that the water polo legend followed the action through online streaming, and articles on the matches.
However, his presence was undeniable. Melliar has been in the sport for so long that he has had a direct or indirect impact on everyone attending. His name is synonymous with water polo in South Africa.
Wendy Way’s name is spoken with reverence in the Camps Bay area. It is almost impossible to speak of swimming in the area without mentioning her name. She was the Camps Bay Swimming Club. She established it and used it as a vehicle to teach young people the craft. Melliar was one of her earliest pupils.
His happy place was in the Camps Bay municipal pool and the ocean. He learned to swim when he was five and spent whatever free time he had in those two bodies of water.
“I just seemed to grow a passion for water. I loved all sports, but swimming was my primary love,” he shared.
Way officially opened her swimming club in 1966 and Melliar was one of the first youngsters to sign up. However, he wasn’t just one of Way’s first students, he was also one of her first three Currie Cup swimmers. Mellier competed in the 100- and 200-metres butterfly at the 1977 Currie Cup Swimming Championships. The other disciplines at the event were springboard diving, synchronised swimming, and water polo.
“I enjoyed the swimming, but then when I was watching the water polo, I admired the team dynamic it had. I used to spend long hours alone in the pool working on my discipline. It was hours of swimming up and down in a lane at training and doing the same at competitions,” Melliar recalled.
He was a big fan of team sports. He thrived in them. He played rugby during his high school years at Wynberg Boys’ High and was a member of the Villagers team after school. He also played cricket.
In 1977, he was 17 and the first thing he did after he got home was look for a water polo club to join. He ended up with the Vikings Waterpolo Club in Sea Point. He was a natural at the sport. Melliar immediately caught the eye of the Western Province selectors, who picked him for the provincial side that took part in the 1978 IPTs.
That was the beginning of a playing career that lasted for over a decade.
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Melliar with other officials at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
“I had a single goal as a young man, and that was to get to the Olympics. That was my end outcome,” Melliar revealed.
However, in the 1980s, that goal did not seem realistic. South Africa was under sanctions and unwelcome on the international stage because of apartheid. Melliar, who became aware of the system only when he was older and witnessed it in action, had robust discussions with his father on the downsides of a country espousing such a model of governance. He could not understand why it was in place.
“I just couldn’t believe how people were completely ostracised, telling them sorry you can’t swim here, that beaches were for whites only and you got to go there. It really got me going with my dad. I had many discussions about it with him. You can’t treat people like that. It’s impossible,” Melliar said.
However, with or without it, Melliar had resolved that his Mount Everest was the Olympics.
“I realised early on that the only way I would get to the Olympics was as a coach or referee. I started my refereeing at school level in the Western Cape at junior school matches and then grew into the senior matches when I stopped playing club water polo,” he recalled.
He coached the Western Province Schools A and B teams from 1986 to 1992.
The first steps towards the realisation of his Olympics’ dream arrived in 1992 when the world was opening its doors to South African sportspeople and officials again. Melliar was part of a delegation of swimmers, water polo players, divers, coaches, and referees that was invited to Hungary for a tournament.
“There was a meeting at the end of the whole thing. An international panel had been watching us at some of the matches we officiated. They told us that there were four referees from South Africa that were accepted onto the international panel. They said that they thought they would pick only one referee, which would have been me, but we ended up with three,” Melliar said.
However, he had to wait another 12 months before he officiated in his maiden international water polo match. He was nominated to referee at the Junior World Championships in Cairo, Egypt. The veteran remembers the game as if was played yesterday.
“The match was between China and Brazil, their u20 teams. If my memory serves me right, China beat Brazil by two goals,” Melliar shared.
That was the beginning of a long and illustrious career of officiating at international events, in various age groups, and at World Cups as a neutral referee or with the South African team. However, the greatest moment of his career came seven years after his first international match. Melliar refereed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
“It was an amazing experience. I was one of the two referees who reffed in the first ever Women’s Olympic Games match between Australia and Kazakhstan in Sydney,” Melliar fondly recollected.
Almost 20 years after he had set the goal for himself, Melliar achieved it. He was 40. What made the experience even more surreal was that he was at the forefront of change in water polo, a change led by the Australian women’s team’s single-minded determination to be a part of the sporting showpiece.
For years, the Australian women’s water polo team had a delegation of players act as welcoming parties for Olympic Games and FINA officials visiting the country. They begged and accosted the visiting administrators to consider adding water polo to women’s disciplines at the Olympics. Melliar feels a deep sense of pride that he was part of the history-making event.
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Ian Melliar at the 1978 IPTs, the tournament that changed his life forever.“
“I have lived a blessed life. I got to experience something I had dreamed of for many years, and I also had the privilege of being part of a sport I love so much,” Melliar said.
Melliar held various positions and performed various functions within the Western Province water polo fraternity. He was one of the people at the forefront of developing the sport in Eden Districts and the South Western Districts aquatics union.
He coached in schools, and ever eager to contribute to the code’s growth and well-being, Melliar took a number of referees under his wing, some of whom officiated at the 2024 IPTs.
However, despite all of these successes, there remains a single regret. In his single-minded pursuit to achieve his Olympic dream, he did not give his family as much time as they deserved. It was a sacrifice he unknowingly made.
“Maybe I should have worried about my goal and my sports dream before I had a family. That’s the only regret I have,” Melliar candidly said.
Sadness came over him as he recounted what he considered the biggest mistake he made in his life. Melliar accepted that he couldn’t go back in time to undo the decisions he made, but he could do better in the present.
On 9 December 2024, he celebrated his 64th birthday. He fielded beautifully worded messages from friends, colleagues, and many people he had crossed paths with.
“Water polo has given me lifelong friendships, countless memories, and a profound appreciation for the values of sportsmanship, discipline, and resilience. I am deeply thankful to my family, colleagues, players, coaches, and the community who supported me throughout this incredible journey,” he said.
However, this time around, Ian Melliar shared his special day with his family and a handful of friends. It was the first time in 46 years that he had celebrated the day at home. He missed the action and being around the competing provincial sides. However, there was also a feeling of satisfaction. For 48 years he had selflessly contributed to the growth of water polo in South Africa in numerous ways, and now he has passed on the baton to the next generation of leaders.
While he is scaling back on his workload, he has not withdrawn his support and contributions to the code completely. He is still active, but on a smaller scale, and he is enjoying his new chapter.
“Reflecting on these decades, I am filled with immense pride, gratitude, and a deep sense of fulfillment. Officiating at World Championships, Junior World Championships, and over 45 IPT schools tournaments and countless senior and junior provincial events has allowed me to witness the growth of our sport and the rise of future champions,” Melliar smiled.
Cooper Haworth stuck away a late penalty for Central Gauteng to send the final to a penalty shootout. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Matthew Cross registered a hat-trick as Central Gauteng A edged out Western Province A in a closely contested final at the 2024 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in Buffalo City on Wednesday. The two sides delivered a humdinger in the Joan Harrison East Pool.
There was little to separate the teams, with Central Gauteng sneaking a penalty shootout win, 4-3 from the spot. Final score: Central Gauteng (4) 9-9 (3) Western Province.
Siya Guzana’s side enjoyed a great run at the showpiece event and remained unbeaten throughout. The Gauteng coach has consistently stated that he sees sport as an opportunity for his charges to share experiences and for experiences to come to them. Now, his team has achieved the highest experience possible at the IPT in their age group.
Guzana doesn’t dwell on the match too much when his side is not at practice or in the contest. His parting shot with them before retiring for bed on the eve of the final was to remind them about the importance of making use of the opportunities that come their way.
“I told them that we were lucky enough to get this opportunity. Now what was left was for us to make use of it,” he shared after his charges had clinched the gold medals.
Central Gauteng came out firing on all cylinders, but their opponents were in the same frame of mind. Coach Ross van Schoor’s side gave as good as they received.
Western Province applied early pressure, forcing Dylan Wiggill into a save of a five-meter penalty shot from Benjamin Bigara. The Cape side tested Gauteng’s defences, but it was Gauteng who drew first blood through Matthew Cross.
James Malan, the Western Province captain, equalised for his side early into the second half. That goal was the first of five goals on the bounce in the chukka as Van Schoor’s side romped to a 5-1 lead. Danilo Giuricich pulled one back to send the teams into halftime with Province 5-2 to the good.
With Gauteng teams forming a wall of red in the background, Western Province’s Benjamin Bigara rockets a shot towards the Central Gauteng goal. Photo: Brad Morgan.
“I reminded them of the journey they have been on this year – what they have been doing at practice, all the hours they have invested, all the sessions they turned up for, and the balancing of studies and sport. They worked hard to get to the final and this was the time for them to leave it all in the pool,” Guzana shared about his half-time talk.
His charges came out for the second half in unstoppable form and turned the tide by scoring three goals, which went unanswered, to level the scores at 5-5. However, Central Gauteng wasn’t on equal terms for long. Western Province fired two more past Wiggill to take the lead once more. However, Guzana’s boys pulled one goal back to trail just 6-7 heading into the final chukka.
Early in that last quarter, Central Gauteng exerted pressure on Western Province, and they were rewarded with a goal. Van Schoor’s team responded again, edging two goals clear, 9-7 ahead with less than a minute to play.
Craig Toet, who was a regular goal scorer for Central Gauteng through the tournament, scored only one goal in the final, but it was a crucial strike, which brought his team back to within a goal of Province. It also breathed new life into Gauteng’s challenge. They kept pressing and were rewarded with an equaliser five seconds from the end of regulation time.
Relieved and ecstatic, Central Gauteng roared with delight when they equalised five seconds from the end of regulation time. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Western Province took the first shot in the penalty shootout. For the first three sets of penalty-takers, all went according to plan as they slotted their opportunities. Matt Fenn, Province’s leading goal scorer, took the fourth penalty. He had scored the first one in the shootout, but this time Wiggill denied him with a great save.
Cooper Hayworth had an opportunity to win it for Central Gauteng and he grabbed it, firing the ball past Michael Mafunda to claim victory for his team.
“Our goal for this tournament was to help these boys grow. My primary focus is on building young adults and future leaders and Samaritans in society. This achievement, winning the trophy, gives them a platform from which to share this experience with someone else and help them see what is possible with hard work and dedication,” Guzana reflected.
His refusal to focus on results, but rather to work on the process allowed his side to play the best water polo they could. They played with joy and freedom and it brought them the title of champions of South Africa.
SCORES
Final: Western Province A 9 (3): Benjamin Bigara (2), James Malan (2), Matthew Fenn (1), James Pinnock (1), Timothy Young (1), Connor Mortlock (1), Alex Barrett (1). Central Gauteng A 9 (4): Matthew Cross (3), Cooper Haworth (2), Craig Toet (1), Aiden Khoury (1), Danillo Giuricich (1), David Latilla-Campbell (1).
3rd/4th: KwaZulu Natal 9: Thomas Francke (3), Thomas Aylward (3), Musawenkosi Mponda (1), Levi Thom (1), Garrick Phillips (1). Northerns A 5: James King (2), Ben Swarts (2), Ruan Engelbrecht (1).
5th/6th: Central Gauteng B 6: Matthew Peacock (2), Tegan Fisher (1), Ethan Kempen (1), Peter Zigiriadis (1), Travis Kempen (1). Nelson Mandela Bay 10: Dane Paterson (2), Carter Rosser (2), Johan Moolman (2), Stefan Polderman (1), Tiago Williams (1), Jade Paterson (1), Taye Colesky (1).
7th/8th: Western Province B 7: Rupert Robinson (4), Ross Prinsloo (2), Noah Viuff (1). Zimbabwe 6: Patrick Duff (2), Daniel Oxden-Willow (1), Blaise Scheepers (1), Liam Chicksen (1), Bongani Dube (1).
9th/10th: Eden Districts 5: Luca Whitehead (3), Jacob Hersch (1), Rorke Bubanj (1). Buffalo City 6: Daniel Woodin (3), Joshua Lentz (2), Nicholas du Toit (1).
11th/12th: Eastern Gauteng 10: Connor Cockcroft (3), Campbell Hustler (2), Matthew Craukamp (2), Remo Ferrari (1), Andrew Castley (1), Daniel Rheeder (1). Northerns B 1: Jean Engelbrecht.
Western Province A and Central Gauteng A will face off in what promises to be a humdinger of a final of the boys’ u16 section of the 2024 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in East London.
The sides will lock horns in the Joan Harrison East Pool at 12:05 on Wednesday.
Western Province was the first side to book their place in the final with a tense come-from-behind 8–7 victory over KwaZulu Natal.
Ross van Schoor’s side looked dead in the water when they trailed 2-5 at halftime. “Our boys showed a lot of tenacity, grit, and determination to come back from that position,” Van Schoor said proudly after the contest.
Western Province headed into the tournament seeking redemption after they finished as the runner-up o KZN last year in Gqeberha. They were determined to improve on that result. Well led by James Malan, Province didn’t panic when they fell behind. They heeded Van Schoor’s reminders to focus on the process.
“We are not focusing on the results. When you focus on the scoreboard, you run the risk of making bad decisions while trying to chase the score,” he explained. “However, if you focus on the process and keep doing the right things, the results will take care of themselves.” the coach had said the day before the tournament started.
By focussing on the process, the Western Province side was able to turn the momentum and shift the pressure from themselves onto KZN. Deep into the final chukka, they edged into a slim one-goal lead, through Timothy Young, and they desperately held on to it until the end to keep their record clean.
Young, Benjamin Bigara, and Matthew Fenn scored a brace each, while James Pinnock and Malan contributed a goal each.
Levi Thom was outstanding for KZN, notching a hat-trick, while Thomas Aylward recorded a double, and Oliver Ludwig and Thomas Francke scored a goal each. Jason Sileno’s side will take on Northerns A for third place on Wednesday. When they met earlier in the tournament, KZN triumphed 13-8.
Central Gauteng A punched their ticket to the final in style. Siya Guzana’s side romped to a 13-2 victory over Northerns A to keep their unbeaten record intact.
It was a second win for Central Gauteng over their neighbours. In their first meeting, they scored an 8-2 victory. There was no complacency in their ranks for their semifinal clash, though, and Guzana’s side scored a more comfortable win the second time around.
“A lot of work has gone into building this team. We haven’t been simply looking at ability, but also character,” Guzana had shared before the showpiece kicked off.
He and the Gauteng coaching staff focused on creating a team with a positive and vibrant culture. They were fortunate that the same players who did well at the Currie Cup earlier in the year fitted the mold. “We have a team of players who go into the pool to play for each other,” Guzana said.
They had each other’s back in the semifinals. Matthew Cross led the scoring with four goals, while Connor McJannet and Ryan Morley registered a brace each, with Danillo Guiricich, Dylan Gander, Cooper Haworth, and David Latilla-Campbell adding one each.
SCORES
Buffalo City 7: Daniel Woodin (5), Reid deConing (1), Michael Russell (1). Eden Districts 5: Rorke Bubanj (2), Connor Keys (1), Jacob Hersch (1), Luca Whitehead (1).
Western Province A 12: Benjamin Bigara (3), Matthew Fenn (2), Alex Barrett (2), Harry Oldham (2), Connor Mortlock (1), Aiden Turrell (1), James Malan (1). Western Province B 3: Noah Coleman (3).
Nelson Mandela Bay 4: Carter Rosser (2), Dane Paterson (1), Stefan Polderman (1). Northerns A 7: Ettiene van der Merwe (4), Ruan Engelbrecht (3).
Central Gauteng B 4: Ethan Kemp (2), Tegan Fisher (1), Gui-Nam Chen (1). KwaZulu Natal 9: Thomas Francke (2), Levi Thom (2), Thomas Aylward (2), Oliver Guy (1), Musawenkosi Mponda (1), Oliver Ludwig (1).
Zimbabwe 2: Tapfuma Taundi (1), Blaise Scheepers (1). Central Gauteng A 11: David Campbell (2), Matthew Cross (2), Aiden Khoury (2), Luke Shipway (1), Roan Wessels (1), Danillo Guiricich (1), Connor McJannet, Ryan Morley (1).
Buffalo City 12: Joshua Lentz (3), Michael Russell (2), Daniel van Biljon (2), Rael Govind, Daniel Woodin (1), Reid deConing (1), Jadan Grobler (1), Nicholas du Toit (1). Eastern Gauteng 5: Connor Cockcroft (2), Luke Laporte (1), Daelan Brijmohun (1), Matthew Craukamp (1).
Eden Districts 18: Jake Wood (5), Luca Whitehead (4), Rorke Babanj (3), Connor Keys (2), Matthew Tindall (1), Adrian Geldenhuys (1), Jacob Hersch (1), Matthew Eickhaus (1). Northerns B 1: Hawk Lamont (1).
Western Province B 8: Ross Prinsloo (3), Rupert Robinson (2), Umr Firfirey (1), Noah Coleman (1), Noah Viuff (1). Central Gauteng B 9: Matthew Peacock (2), Tegan Fisher (1), Ethan Kempen (1), Morgan Thomson (1), Adam Stoutjesdyk (1), Brayden Macfie (1), Daniel Pronk (1), Travis Kempen (1).
Nelson Mandela Bay 11: Adam Ball (4), Dane Paterson (2), Stefan Polderman (1), Samuel Barnes (1), Carter Rosser (1), Taye Colesky (1), Christian Chandler (1). Zimbabwe 7: Patrick Duff (3), Blaise Scheepers (2), Tapfuma Taundi (1), Bongani Dube (1).
Western Province A 8: Matthew Fenn (2), Benjamin Bigara (2), Timothy Young (2), James Pinnock (1), James Malan (1). KZN 7: Levi Thom (3), Thomas Aylward (2), Oliver Ludwig (1), Thomas Francke (1).
Northerns A 3: Ettiene van der Merwe (2), Ruan Engelbrecht (1). Central Gauteng A 12: Matthew Cross (4), Connor McJannet (2), Ryan Morley (2), Danillo Guiricich (1), Dylan Gander (1), Cooper Haworth (1), David Latilla-Campbell (1).
Buffalo City 14: Michael Russell (5), Campbell Dickinson (3), Daniel Woodin (2), Abakhe Ngamlana (1), Daniel van Biljon (1), Ried deConing (1), Joshua Lentz (1). Northerns B 3: Hawk Lamont (1), Raghard Bosman (1), Liam Russell (1).
Eastern Gauteng 3: Connor Cockcroft (1), Campbell Hustler (1), Daniel Rheeder (1). Eden Districts 5: Rorke Bubanj (2), Joshua Arbuzova (1), Matthew Eickhaus (1), Jacob Hersch (1).
Central Gauteng A and Western Province A were among the sides that booked quarterfinal slots in the boys’ u16 section of the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in Buffalo City on Monday.
Coach Siya Guzana’s Central Gauteng side did not drop a point in the group stages, winning three out of three with relative ease.
They didn’t blow their opposition away. They didn’t score many either, but they conceded far less than their opponents, finishing with a positive goal difference of 12, after scoring 20 and conceding eight.
They scored 12 of those 20 goals in their first two matches, against Western Province B and KwaZulu Natal, who put six past them. Gauteng was in better form in their final Pool B match. Cooper Haworth scored a hat-trick and Luke Shipway a brace, while Craig Toet and Roan Wessels contributed a goal each as they handed their highveld neighbours, Northerns A, an 8-2 defeat.
They have a date with high-flying Zimbabwe in the quarterfinals. Bradley Crause’s side dominated Pool C, scoring 48 goals on their way to a clean record of three wins from three games. They were also sturdy in defence, conceding only six goals. Zimbabwe registered their biggest margin of victory when they thumped Northerns B 23-1 to book their place in the last eight.
Blaise Scheepers scored five, Troy Reed and Patrick Duff registered hat-tricks, while Matthew Chiwota, Liam Chicksen, Bongani Dube, and Tristan Harris all bagged braces. Luca Savo, Daniel Oxden-Willows, Tapfuma Taundi, and Teak Watson chipped in with one each in the goal-fest.
However, Buffalo City showed the rest of the teams that the visitors were not invincible when they pushed them to the limit. Coach Khanyisa Mpumlwana’s side refused to cede an inch during regulation time, with their contest against the Zimbabweans finishing 7-7. The winner was decided through a penalty shootout, in which the visitors inched past Buffalo City 3-2. Central Gauteng A will look to exploit the same mistakes Buffalo City found when they take on Zimbabwe in the quarterfinals.
Western Province A faced a tough examination in their final group match. Ross van Schoor‘s charges scored 30 goals and conceded only six in their first two matches against Central Gauteng B and Buffalo City.Nelson Mandela Bay proved to be a different kettle of fish, however. Cole Edworthy‘s boys gave Western Province a good run for their money, with Province eventually claiming a 9-7 win.
Matt Fenn led the scoring for Western Province with a hat-trick, while Ben Bigara and James Malan scored a brace each, with Alex Barrett and Connor Mortlock completing their side’s scoring. Christian Chandler starred for Nelson Mandela Bay with a brace, while Adam Ball, Stefan Polderman, Tiago Williams, Dane Paterson, and Carter Rosser netted one each.
Western Province A will lock horns with their practice partners, Western Province B, in the quarterfinals. The Province B team has not enjoyed the best of tournaments, but they will be eager to pull off an upset in the knockout stage of the tournament. Nelson Mandela Bay will face Northerns A, and KwaZulu Natal will go up against Central Gauteng B in the other quarterfinal matches.
SCORES
Northerns B 1: Jean Engelbrecht. Eden Districts 15: Luca Whitehead (6), Rorke Bubanj (4), Jacob Hersch (1), Matthew Eickhaus (1), Connor Keys (1), Joshua Arbuzova (1).
Buffalo City 5: Daniel Woodin (1), Cambell Dickinson (1). Central Gauteng B 5: Matthew Peacock (2), Travis Kempen (1), Tyler Mwekassa (1), Adam Stoutjesdyk (1).
Northerns A 2: Oliver Oberholzer (1), Ettiene van der Merwe (1). Central Gauteng A 8: , Cooper Haworth (3), , Luke Shipway (2), Craig Toet (1), Roan Wessels (1), Connor McJannet (1).
Eden Districts 8: Rorke Bubanj (3), Luca Whitehead (3), Matthew Tindall (1), Matthew Eickhaus (1). Eastern Gauteng 4: Connor Cockcroft (3), Luke Laporte (1).
Nelson Mandela Bay 7: Christian Chandler (2), Adam Ball (1), Stefan Polderman (1), Tiago Williams (1), Dane Paterson (1), Carter Rosser (1). Western Province A 9: Matthew Fenn (3), Benjamin Bigara (2), James Malan (2), Alex Barrett (1), Connor Mortlock (1).
Western Province B 5: Colin Douglass (2), Christopher McLagan (1), Noah Viuff (1), Rupert Robinson (1). KwaZulu Natal 17: Thomas Francke (6), John Watkins (3), Levi Thom (3), Musawenkosi Mponda (2), Taylor Seiler (1), Garrick Phillips (1), Keegan Vogt (1).
Zimbabwe 23: Blaise Scheepers (5), Troy Reed (3), Patrick Duff (3), Liam Chicksen (2), Bongani Dube (2), Tristan Harris (2), Luca Savo (1), Daniel Oxden-Willows (1), Tapfuma Taundi (1), Teak Watson (1), Matthew Chiwota (1). Northerns B 1: Alejandro De Freitas (1).
Buffalo City 7 (2): Michael Russell (3), Daniel Woodin (2), Nicholas du Toit (1), Daniel van Biljon (1). Zimbabwe 7 (3): Daniel Oxden-Willows (4), Patrick Duff (2), Blaise Scheepers (1).
Western Province B 7: Rupert Robinson (3), Cole Abrahams (1), Ross Prinsloo (1), Noah Viuff (1), Noah Coleman (1). Eden Districts 5: Luca Whitehead (4), Rorke Bubanj (1).
Eastern Gauteng 13: Connor Cockcroft (5), Campbell Hustler (4), Luke Laporte (3), Daniel Rheeder (1). Northerns B 3: Reghard Bosman (1), Alejandro de Freitas (1), Jordan Davids (1).
Central Gauteng A catapulted to the summit of Pool B on the first day of action in the u16 boys’’ section of the 2024 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in Buffalo City on Sunday.
Coach Siyabonga Guzana‘s side arrived in Buffalo City determined to enjoy themselves, entertain the crowd, and push themselves to perform at their best. They achieved all three on Sunday. They cruised to a victory over Western Province B in their opener and then edged out the defending champions, KwaZulu Natal, by a single goal in their second outing.
In their morning encounter, Central Gauteng A roared to an emphatic 6-1 victory over Western Province B. Ryan Morley beat the Province goalie twice, while Craig Toet, Luke Shipway, Roan Wessels, and Danilo Guiricich added a single goal each. Rupert Robinson scored a consolation goal for Samuel Hanssen‘s side, but that did little to dent Gauteng’s confidence.
They were upbeat when they splashed into the pool to tackle KwaZulu Natal, one of the powerhouses of the sport. Coach Jason Sileno‘s talented team is one that some view as the favourites and, despite going down, they showed why those people feel that way, giving Central Gauteng as good as they got.
They pushed each other to the limit and were separated by only one goal after 11 had been scored at the end of play, with Guzana’s squeezing past KZN 6-5. Craig Toet and Danillo Guiricich led the scoring with a brace each, while Aiden Khoury and Ryan Morley struck, too. Thomas Francke scored two goals for KZN, while Garrick Phillips, Thomas Aylward, and Musawenkosi Mponda weighed in with a goal each.
Both units could have scored more goals had their respective defences been lax in their approach. Instead, KZN and Gauteng executed 10 blocks between them, with six of those belonging to Gauteng.
Sileno’s charges went into their match on the back of a spirited 13-8 win over Northerns A in which Aylward and Francke notched hat-tricks and Levi Thom scored a brace. There were further goals from Andrew Schnell, Taylor Seiler, Garrick Phillips, Oliver Ludwig, and Keegan Vogt. That victory over Northerns left KZN in second place in the group after the end of the day’s action.
Gauteng will play the first match of Pool B at 09:20 on Monday when they go up against Northerns A in an all-Gauteng clash. The Jukskei derby is expected to produce fireworks. However, the first encounter of the u16 boys’ section will feature Pool C stragglers Northerns B and Eden Districts at 07:30.
SCORES
Nelson Mandela Bay 7: Jed Paterson (2), Dane Paterson (2), Carter Rosser (1), Johan Moolman (1), Tiago Williams (1). Buffalo City 5: Daniel Woodin (3), Michael Russell (1), Nicholas du Toit (1).
KwaZulu Natal 13: Thomas Aylward (3), Thomas Francke (3), Levin Thom (2), Oliver Ludwig (1), Andrew Schnell (1), Taylor Seiler (1), Garrick Phillips (1), Keegan Vogt (1). Northerns A 8: Christiaan Truter (3), Ruan Engelbrecht (2), Ettienne van der Merwe (1), Joshua Bergh (1), Ben Swarts (1).
Western Province A 13: Benjamin Bigara (3), Matthew Fenn (3), James Malan (2), Timothy Young (2), Aiden Turrell (1), Alex Barrett (1), Caleb Harley (1). Central Gauteng B 4: Matthew Peacock (2), Gui-Nam Chen (1), Tegan Fisher (1).
Central Gauteng A 6: Ryan Morley (2), Craig Toet (1), Luke Shipway (1), Roan Wessels (1), Danilo Giuricich (1). Western Province B 1: Rupert Robinson (1).
Northerns B 1: Stephan van Tonder (1). Eastern Gauteng 16: Luke Laporte (6), Connor Cockroft (4), Matthew Craukamp (2), Daelan Brijmohun (1), Campbell Hustler (1), Daniel Rheeder (1), Samkelo Maphaphu (1).
Nelson Mandela Bay11: Carter Rosser (3), Taye Colesky (2), Christian Chandler (2), Stefan Polderman (2), Dane Paterson (1), Adam Ball (1). Central Gauteng B 1: Brayden Macfie (1).
KwaZulu Natal 5: Thomas Francke (2), Musawenkosi Mponda (1), Garrick Phillips (1), Thomas Aylward (1). Central Gauteng A 6: Craig Toet (2), Danilo Guiricich (2), Ryan Morley (1), Aiden Khoury (1).
Western Province A 17: Matthew Fenn (6), Benjamin Bigara (4), James Malan (3), Alex Barrett (1), Connor Mortlock (1), James Pinnock (1), Andrew Reynolds (1). Buffalo City 2: Cullen Mortlock (1), Daniel Woodin (1).
Western Province B 5: Cole Abrahams (2), Ross Prinsloo (1), Christopher McLagan (1), Rupert Robinson (1). Northerns A 9: Ettienne van der Merwe (3), Oliver Oberholzer (1), Caleb Bowden (1), joshua Bergh (1), Liam Joao-Palm (1), Adran Robinson (1), Siwon Lee (1).
Western Province u16A made light work of their opposition in their first two games at the 2024 edition of the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in Buffalo City on Sunday. The tournament runs through until 11 December.
Province has been so good in front of goal that they have two of the top three goal-scorers in the tournament after the opening day of action in the age group. Matthew Fenn tops the charts with nine goals to his name while Benjamin Bigara is in third place, with seven.
The Capetonians’ James Malan has scored three goals on the counterattack and leads all players in that statistic.
Coach Ross van Schoor’s side was beaten by KwaZulu-Natal in the final of last year’s event, and they arrived at Buffalo City with their sights set on going one better this time around.
They got matters off on the right foot. Bigara and Fenn slammed hattricks as Province trounced Central Gauteng B 13-4 in their opener. Timothy Young and James Malan struck twice each, while Alex Barrett, Caleb Hurley, and Aiden Turrell also made it onto the scoresheet.
Gauteng responded with a brace from Matthew Peacock and further goals from Tegan Fisher and Gui-Nam Chen. However, those four goals were not enough to challenge the 2023 runners-up.
Western Province’s performance against Central Gauteng B was, however, only a teaser of their capabilities. They were in white-hot form when they splashed into the pool to face Buffalo City. The home side headed into the tie hoping to improve on their showing in the age group’s opening match, an Eastern Cape showdown, which Nelson Mandela Bay edged 7-5.
Coach Khanyisa Mpumlwana watched from the poolside as the local side was dragged this way and that, like a ragdoll, by Western Province. Matthew Fenn fired six goals into the back of the net, while Benjamin Bigara netted four. James Malan registered a hattrick, and Alex Barrett, Connor Mortlock, James Pinnock, and Andrew Reynolds also scored.
Western Province scored 17 times in total and gave up only two goals in their big win over Buffalo City. Those two victories rocketed them to the top of Pool A.
Nelson Mandela Bay also recorded two victories, one over Buffalo City and the other over Central Gauteng B. However, their margins of victory were far tighter than those recorded by Western Province. They only just reached double figures in their contest against Central Gauteng B, although they posted a convincing 11-1 win but not even that 10-goal winning margin enabled them to close the goal-difference gap on Western Province A.
Zimbabwe swooped in and took pole position in Pool C after victories over Eden Districts and Eastern Gauteng. South Africa’s northern visitors kicked off their campaign with an 11-4 victory over Eden before decimating Eastern Gauteng 14-1. Those victories thrust them to the head of the class in their pool.
Eastern Gauteng headed into their tie against Zimbabwe with their morale boosted by a 16-1 trouncing of Northerns B, only for their hopes of topping the group to be deflated.
Pool C stragglers Northerns B and Eden Districts will kick off the action in the u16 section on Monday morning.
Results
Nelson Mandela Bay 7: Jed Paterson (2), Dane Paterson (2), Carter Rosser, Johan Moolman, Tiago Williams. Buffalo City 5: Daniel Woodin (3), Michael Russell, Nicholas du Toit.
KwaZulu Natal 13: Thomas Aylward (3), Thomas Francke (3), Levin Thom (2), Oliver Ludwig, Andrew Schnell, Taylor Seiler, Garrick Phillips, Keegan Vogt. Northerns A 8: Christiaan Truter (3), Ruan Engelbrecht (2), Ettienne van der Merwe, Joshua Bergh, Ben Swarts.
Zimbabwe 11: Blaise Scheepers (3), Patrick Duff (2), Bongani Dube (2), Tristan Harris, Daniel Oxden-Willows, Joshua Edwards, Tapfuma Taundi. Eden Districts 4: Luca Whitehead (3), Rorke Bubanj.
Western Province A 13: Benjamin Bigara (3), Matthew Fenn (3), James Malan (2), Timothy Young (2), Aiden Turrell, Alex Barrett, Caleb Harley. Central Gauteng B 4: Matthew Peacock (2), Gui-Nam Chen (1), Tegan Fisher.
Central Gauteng A 6: Ryan Morley (2), Craig Toet, Luke Shipway, Roan Wessels, Danilo Giuricich. Western Province B 1: Rupert Robinson.
Eastern Gauteng 16:Luke Laporte (6), Connor Cockroft (4), Matthew Craukamp (2), Daelan Brijmohun, Campbell Hustler, Daniel Rheeder, Samkelo Maphaphu. Northerns B 1: Stephan van Tonder.
Nelson Mandela Bay11: Carter Rosser (3), Taye Colesky (2), Christian Chandler (2), Stefan Polderman (2), Dane Paterson, Adam Ball. Central Gauteng B 1: Brayden Macfie.
KwaZulu Natal 5: Thomas Francke (2), Musawenkosi Mponda, Garrick Phillips, Thomas Aylward. Central Gauteng A 6: Craig Toet (2), Danilo Guiricich (2), Ryan Morley, Aiden Khoury.
Western Province A 17: Matthew Fenn (6), Benjamin Bigara (4), James Malan (3), Alex Barrett, Connor Mortlock, James Pinnock, Andrew Reynolds. Buffalo City 2: Cullen Mortlock, Daniel Woodin.
Western Province B 5: Cole Abrahams (2), Ross Prinsloo, Christopher McLagan, Rupert Robinson. Northerns A 9: Ettienne van der Merwe (3), Oliver Oberholzer, Caleb Bowden, Joshua Bergh, Liam Joao-Palm, Adran Robinson, Siwon Lee.
The Central Gauteng A u16 Boys’ team is geared up for a stiff challenge when they take to the pool in their section of the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament, which is being held in Buffalo City, East London, from 7-11 December.
Their matches will be played at Clarendon High School from Saturday. However, the final of the u16 competition will be held in the Joan Harrison East Pool on Wednesday afternoon, the final day of the IPT.
Central Gauteng A has been drawn in Pool B alongside Western Province B, KwaZulu Natal, and Northerns A.
Siyabonga Guzana’s team has had a good year. They finished third at the Currie Cup in March and have been continuously working on improving since then. They’re not taking any of their opponents lightly.
“We are not going in thinking we are one of the best teams because we came third in the Currie Cup. We are going there with a clean slate, and we will take things one match at a time. The biggest thing for us is to challenge ourselves to go further in each contest,” Guzana said.
One of the things the Gauteng coach has been focusing on has been to alleviate the pressure of expectation from his boys’ minds.
“We come from a big province, and everyone expects us to do well. It is easy for that to weigh down these boys’ minds. I want them to be free of those expectations because that is the only way they can perform at their best,” he explained.
He constantly reminds his side that they should focus only on what they can control, and that is their skills. Guzana tells his charges that if they give 100 percent at training then it will be easy to give 100 percent in matches. You can only get out what you put in.
The coach believes that a team with a good culture has the best chance of doing well, and that has been one of his areas of focus during the side’s preparations. He has emphasised the importance of every team member adding value, both from the bench and in the pool.
“I always use the Springboks as an example. When they appear on TV or in social media clips, none of them is talking about themselves. They are always talking about the team and what someone else did to help the team. The lesson from that is that despite being world champions, none of them thinks they are above the team,” the coach shared.
Each team member is a piece of the puzzle without whom a complete picture would be impossible to create. The coach hopes the message will hit home and his charges will uplift each other in every contest. His message revolves around the fact that if everyone in the team serves the team, the team will serve them. Guzana also believes those values he is imparting will serve his side well as they grow into young adults.
“One of the great things about sports is that they help develop young men into team players. It helps them become confident adults who add value to their circles and communities,” he said.
The Central Gauteng A team will begin their tournament with a game against Western Province B. Guzana’s side will go into it with one thing on their minds: do the right things, execute skills, and the results will take care of themselves.
The Dolphins named Ross Coetzee their captain for the forthcoming Khaya Majola Week. The Kearsney College captain enjoyed a spectacular and record-breaking year with the bat. He has been a part of the Dolphins’ set-up from u11 and has represented the province through all the age groups. He played in the 2023 Khaya Majola Week and was picked for the Cubs Week at the beginning of the year.
Coetzee boasts a track record of lifting silverware with the sides he leads. He has a bright future in the game and hopes to represent his country in the future.
“Ross is a thinker of the game and understands what needs to be done, and, most importantly for him, it’s about the team winning the game, so he must bat for them,” Duzi Mbatha, the Dolphins’ assistant coach said.
Captain Ross Coetzee acknowledges the applause after scoring a century against Hilton College in his 100th match for the Kearsney College 1st XI. Photo: Hannah Shirley.
A thin layer of fibreglass tape close to the toe-end of his bat tells you that Ross Coetzee has used it as a digging tool to repel yorkers. The face of the blade is blood red. It’s as if Coetzee tried his hand at painting on it, targeting the middle to lower part of his bat.
However, Coetzee is no painter. He prefers fishing over wielding a paintbrush. The red region on his bat is evidence of the thousands of balls Coetzee has middled while decimating bowling attacks.
On 12 October 2024, Coetzee unknowingly recreated Walter Crane’s illustration of a young King Arthur holding up the Excalibur. The young man stood in the middle of the pitch, facing his team’s dugout, his battle-worn bat in one hand and helmet in the other. Like King Arthur, Coetzee had vanquished the opposition on his way to a century in his 100th first-team match for Kearsney College.
If one considers underarm bowling and gentle half-trackers as coaching, Coetzee’s first coach was his father, Lourens. The older Coetzee has no cricket background and possesses only a fan’s understanding of the game. Nonetheless, Lourens threw hundreds of balls after work, on weekends, and during holidays to his son.
“How do you decide that you are not going to have a weekend? Ross loves cricket so much that he plays on Saturday and Sunday. He has always been like this. As a child, he just wanted me to throw balls at him all the time,” Lourens recalled.
Those moments are imprinted on Ross Coetzee’s mind. “I remember when my dad was throwing balls to me, and I was hitting them with the baseball bat.”
Lourens’ dedication and their backyard did not meet Coetzee’s needs as a budding cricketer. The father quickly realised that his son required more and went to a local indoor cricket centre and asked if they could join it.
Instead of being buried by the wave of talent he encountered, Coetzee thrived in his new surroundings. Playing in a stream of talented and driven youngsters fed into his desire to excel. He rode the wave. In 2018, he was selected for the title-winning South Africa u13 indoor team that defeated Australia in the Indoor Cricket World Cup final in Christchurch, New Zealand.
That team’s triumph marked the first time that Australia had been beaten at u13 level. Coetzee and company became the first South African team to be crowned world champions of indoor cricket. That side included Lhuan-Dre Pretorius and 2023 Kearsney College captain Hayden Bishop. However, having some of the most talented youngsters of his generation in that line-up didn’t mean that Coetzee rode his teammates’ coattails. He did so well that he was voted the third most valuable player of the tournament.
Future Kearsney College 1st XI captains, Hayden Bishop and Ross Coetzee, helped the South African u13 team win the Indoor Cricket World Cup in 2018.
There was a touch of Barry Richards in the manner in which Coetzee was going about business. The legendary Durbanite was like a video game that had two modes: easy and expert.
The easy mode was like the autopilot version of Richards, which he engaged when facing lesser bowling attacks. He switched on to expert when up against the best bowlers of his time. He was hard to dismiss in either mode.
Despite conditions being different from what Coetzee was used to, none of the bowlers he faced could dismiss him. They were playing cricket in a park in India. The pitch was devoid of any grass. It was completely bare. Instead of a regular cricket ball, they were using a heavier tennis ball. The Bengaluru temperatures were also higher than he was accustomed to in Durban.
If those differences were not enough, there were also 10 other matches taking place around his. The constant action and noise were enough to distract any batsman. Coetzee, though, was locked in easy mode during the early part of his knock., However, he had to engage expert mode as better bowlers gravitated to his side’s pitch. Word had gotten around that no one could dismiss him.
Lourens took his son to India because he felt that Coetzee needed to experience cricket in one of the biggest cricketing nations in the world. However, park cricket was not their raison d’etre in Bengaluru. Coetzee was a member of the Carter Cricket Academy team that was on tour to the subcontinental nation for an eight-team tournament.
The teams competed in two T20 and seven 50-over contests. As he did with the u13 side, Coetzee led his team to the title.
“Ross is a special player,” Sam Mofokeng, the Dolphins’ u19 coach stated.
Mofokeng’s assessment is not based on Coetzee’s trip to India. The Dolphins’ coach didn’t watch that series of matches. However, he is aware of what the Kearsney learner has been doing on the local scene. In March 2022, Coetzee was adjudged to be the Dolphins Castle Corner Bash’s Youth Player of the Tournament. The showpiece features Hollywoodbets Dolphins’ professionals, Dolphins Academy players, top club players, and a select number of school boys.
A highlight was when Coetzee carved an unbeaten 37-ball 65 against a bowling attack that featured Prenelan Subrayen and Jason Smith to help his side to victory. “It was amazing to test myself against the pros and it was really cool batting with Jon-Jon Smuts, Robbie Frylink, and Slade van Staden. Jon-Jon gave me some great advice with my batting options and scoring areas, especially against left-arm spin,” Coetzee said.
Ross Coetzee receives the winner’s trophy after leading his Carter Cricket Academy team to success in India.
“Ross is one of the most complete batters I have come across. He has an excellent technique that he can rely on but his greatest strength is his explosiveness. He can destroy a bowling attack when he wants to. He is very innovative and is the complete 360-degree batter,” Matt Savage, Coetzee’s coach at Kearsney, shared.
That view is also shared by Mofokeng and Duzi Mbatha. And that is not the highest compliment that trio of coaches has paid Coetzee. The three gaffers agree that Coetzee’s greatest attribute is his coachability.
“When I first saw him, he was that kid who was constantly asking questions. He asked coaches and professional players. He hasn’t changed. He has a hunger to learn and improve,” Mofokeng explained.
When Mofokeng gave Coetzee his Dolphins Colts debut, the youngster didn’t score many runs. Instead of brooding and sulking in the dugout, Coetzee quickly removed his pads, went to sit beside his coach, and, almost immediately, asked the mentor to show him what he had done wrong.
“I have seen a lot of youngsters come through, and most of the highly talented are not coachable. This is what makes Ross stand out. It’s almost as if he doesn’t realise how talented he is,” Mofokeng said.
Coetzee’s hunger to grow and develop is the reason why he is Kearsney’s all-time leading run-scorer for the first team in a calendar year, with 1 463 runs at an average of 63.6 in 2024. He surpassed the record set by his long-time friend Hayden Bishop, who made 1 428 runs last year.
In celebration of a meaningful milestone, Ross Coetzee rang the AH Smith Oval’s bell after scoring a century in his 100th match for the Kearsney College 1st XI.
Cricket is a sport with a high failure rate. Most batsmen fail more than they succeed, and so do bowlers. Most of them fail in landmark innings. A handful chalk up outstanding performances in milestone matches. However, for Coetzee, dedication and years of learning from failure culminated in him registering a century in his 100th match for the Kearsney 1st XI.
“There was a matric thing for our grade on the Friday before my 100th match, but I didn’t go because I wanted to have the best chance the Saturday for my game,” Coetzee shared.
Hilton College batted first, and Kearsney was in the match for most of the contest. However, Kearsney collectively felt a sense of dread as Hilton creamed 100 runs in the last seven overs of their innings.
“I remember saying to Mr Savage that all Hilton’s late surge means is there are more runs to score,” Coetzee recalled.
In the middle, he drove like Kohli, smashed spin like Heinrich Klaasen, employed Chris Gayle’s hitting and striking ability, and engaged AB de Villiers’ 360 batting as he motored to an incredible ton, on his way to leading his team to victory. He embodied his cricket heroes as he went about his business. It was fitting that he did so with his favourite bat.
“Yousuf, from KH, gave it to me because they noticed that it had a hole in the side after it came through customs. The hole made it unsellable and he gave it to me for free,” said Coetzee.
He used it in the nets for a while before he promoted it to club and school matches. Coetzee has scored a lot of runs with it. It is as if the bat was made for him, just like King Arthur and the Excalibur.
All roads in Makhanda will lead to Kingswood College, where schools’ cricket fans will be treated to four days of high-quality cricket action when the Makhanda Cricket Festival comes to life on Thursday.
