Author: cschiwanza

Ryan Young and Ryan Parrish produced classy performances to help Jeppe secure a 25-run win over St Stithians College in their Johnny Waite Trophy match on the Dlamini Oval at St Stithians on Wednesday.

Young, the Jeppe captain, called correctly at the toss and elected to bat first on a dry and dusty pitch, on which the visitors compiled 115/9 in their 20 overs. The Black Caps, then, made good use of the conditions, bowling out Saints for only 90 runs in 18.4 overs.

The Black Caps were in dire straits when Young walked out to bat, off to a stuttering start on 10/2 after three overs. The skipper soon righted the ship,  joining forces with Aiden Reyneke (28) for a 60-run third-wicket partnership, which ended when Tajendra Naidu dislodged Reyneke in the 12th over.

Young, whose comfort at the crease made it appear as if he was batting on a different surface, cruised to 43 before being dismissed by Naidu after a 31-ball stay. No other Jeppe batsman reached double figures as the hosts ripped through their batting order.

Zaakir Hanslo was the destroyer in chief for Saints, snaring 4/13 in four overs. Naidu chipped in with his brace, claiming 2/23 from four, while Tendai Kadyamadare, who also bagged a pair of wickets, conceded 11 runs in three overs.

When they took to the field, Jeppe’s bowlers took a leaf from the St Stithians’ playbook and bowled tight lines that denied the hosts room to play attacking shots.

Ryan Parrish was the pick of the Jeppe bowlers, capturing 3/14 runs in four overs, while Zizi Mkhize and Keagan Cockburn chipped in with two wickets each, and Reza Ayob and Shreshth Kumar removed one batsman each.

Thomas Collins and Akhil Challa were St Stithians’ joint top scorers with 24 runs apiece, but support was sparse. Only Tendai Kadyamadare, with 10 runs from 12 balls, joined them beyond a single-figure score.

Steyn City vs King Edward VII

Sachin Sunker scored an unbeaten half-century to steer Steyn City to a six-wicket win over King Edward VII (KES) in their T20 clash on Steyn City’s A Field.

When Keegan Smallbone, the Steyn City captain, won the toss and chose to field first, his bowlers answered the call by restricting the visitors to 142/6 in 20 overs. It took their full allotment of overs, but Steyn City chased down that total, making it to 146/4 to claim victory.

Sunker, who arrived at the crease in the fifth over, struck an unbeaten 62 from 49 runs. Crucially, he was also part of four partnerships that pushed the hosts past the finish line. The highest of those was a 38-run stand with Smallbone for the fifth wicket.

Smallbone, who replaced Max Burroughs (11) in the middle in the 15th over, gave the hosts a much-needed boost with a brisk 20 runs from 10 balls.

Earlier in the day, Steele Grooteman had given KES a fighting chance with a belligerent 73 from 48 balls, a knock that transformed KES’s innings. When he walked out to bat, the visitors were in trouble on 21/3 after 3.4 overs. When he returned to the dugout, they had improved to 141/6.

Austin van Jaarsveld was the pick of the bowlers for Steyn City, claiming 2/30, while Kurt Losch, Max Burroughs, and Somaan Khan claimed a scalp each.

Summarised Scorecards

Jeppe 115/9 (Ryan Young 43, Aiden Reyneke 28; Zaakir Hanslo 4/13, Tendai Kadyamadare 2/11, Tejendra Naidu 2/23). St Stithians 90/10 (Thomas Collins 24, Akhil Challa 24; Ryan Parrish 3/14, Zizi Mkhize 2/17, Keegan Cockburn 2/23). Jeppe won by 25 runs.

King Edward VII 142/6 (Steele Grooteman 73, Keagan Hendey 19; Austin van Jaarsveld 2/30, Somaan Khan 1/18). Steyn City 146/4 (Sachin Sunker 62*, Keagan Smallbone 20; Tyler Cloete 1/22, Ryan Erasmus 1/25). Steyn City won by six wickets.

Connor van der Walt led a sensational lower-order fightback to set St John’s College up for a thrilling three-run win over Northcliff in their Johnny Waite Trophy match at Northcliff on Tuesday.

The hosts won the toss and decided to field first. The Blues accepted that challenge by scoring 175/5 in their 20 overs. In reply, Northcliff fought hard but came up narrowly short, finishing on 172/6.

Van der Walt produced an incredible knock under heavy pressure. The visitors were on 62/5 when he made his way to the crease. Instead of playing within himself, the number seven batsman launched a counterattack that catapulted St John’s to a winning total.

He smashed seven sixes and four fours on his way to an unbeaten 80 from only 39 deliveries. Van der Walt also shared an unbroken 113-run sixth-wicket partnership with Tapiwa Chikwava, who anchored the innings with 32 not out from 29 balls.

With Northcliff set 8.8 runs per over to win, Mabutho Mabambo set the home side on the right track with an aggressive 75 off only 43 balls at the top of the order.

The opener, who was in the middle until the 14th over, didn’t just keep one end intact; he also ensured that Nothcliff stayed within touch of the demanding run rate.

His half-century, along with 29 from Regan van der Walt and 14 from Rouxwan Coetzer, kept Northcliff in the fight. With two overs remaining, they required 19 runs.

Juan de Villiers and Ethan Robinson, who were tasked with defending those runs, held their nerves and delivered seven dot balls to keep Northcliff at bay.

Jamie McHugh (17*) and Caleb Henenne (16*) tallied 15 runs off the last two overs. Agonisingly, that wasn’t enough.

McHugh enjoyed a good all-round outing. He also produced the best bowling figures in the match, capturing 3/23.

Juan de Villiers, on the other hand, was the pick of the bowlers for St John’s with 2/28 runs in four overs. Bryn Gilmour, Tapiwa Chikwava, Ethan Robinson, and Jared Gilmour picked up one wicket apiece.

Tuesday wasn’t just a fruitful day for the St John’s 1st XI; it was also a great day for Avinash José, their u16A captain. He blasted 161 off only 74 balls to catapult the St John’s u16A team to 260/5 in their T20 against Northcliff on the Rice Oval, at St John’s. His assault included 21 fours and eight sixes.

Justin Fairley, who scored 19 from 10 balls, and Liam Barendrecht, who contributed 46 from 29, had the best seats to watch José’s innings. The skipper shared an 81-run second-wicket partnership with Fairley and added 159 runs for the third wicket with Barendrecht.

Thanks to the captain’s exceptional knock, St John’s u16A won by 96 runs after Northcliff replied with 164 runs in their 20 overs. Kellan White was their top scorer with a 36 off 29 balls, while Wade Warns weighed in with 28 from 20.

Summarised Scorecard

St John’s 175/5 (Connor van der Walt 80*, Tapiwa Chikwava 32*; Jamie McHugh 3/23, Aiden Gamma 1/35). Northcliff 172/6 (Mabutho Mabambo 75, Regan van der Walt 29; Juan de Villiers 2/28, Jared Gilmour 1/15). St John’s won by three runs.

Lincoln Casais performed an outstanding rescue job to lead Jeppe to a five-wicket win over South Africa College High School (SACS) in their 50-over contest on the AH Childe Oval at Jeppe on Sunday.

The win was the Black Caps‘ second in two days, following an outstanding victory over Waterkloof on Saturday in a 50-over match. It also meant that SACS finished their tour to Johannesburg with two losses and a single win. The Capetonians suffered a six-wicket defeat to Steyn City in a T20 match on Friday and then edged out St Stithians College by five runs in a limited-overs match on Saturday.

In Sunday’s game, SACS won the toss and elected to bat first. They battled their way to 194 all out in 38.4 overs. Jeppe, in reply, needed a handful more deliveries to reach the target, tallying 196/5 in 39.1 overs.

Casais led the way, scoring an unbeaten 93 from 113 balls, with seven fours and a six.

When he arrived at the crease, Jeppe was in a spot of bother. They had lost two wickets in six deliveries and were floundering on 9/2 after 2.5 overs. Demonstrating good maturity, Casais went with the ebbs and flows of the match, adopting a circumspect approach when the situation demanded it and accelerating when appropriate.

He helped to stem the slide with a 20-run third-wicket partnership with Aiden Reyneke. Then, he joined forces with his captain, Ryan Young, for a match-winning 99-run fourth-wicket stand. Young, who scored an unbeaten century in a midweek T20 game, contributed a valuable 57 from 70 balls.

Casais was also part of two other notable partnerships: he added 33 runs for the fifth wicket with Goolam Ahmed (14) and shared an unbroken 35-run sixth-wicket partnership with Vegas Scott (13*).

Earlier in the day, Shreshth Kumar starred with the ball for Jeppe, snaring 4/41 in eight overs. Included in that haul were the wickets of the SACS openers, Aqeel Waggie (30) and Benji Tilbury (37), who have given the visitors a solid 68-run opening stand. Their dismissals led to a downward spiral from which the visitors failed to recover.

Jordan Berry, who top-scored for SACS with 49 from 56 balls, did his best to keep his side in the contest, but, in the end, his effort was in vain. He was a victim of Zizi Mkhize in the 30th over, with Mkhize going on to record Jeppe’s second-best return of 2/22 from six overs.

With some midweek assignments awaiting them, victory over SACS was a welcome morale boost for the Black Caps.

St Stithians vs SACS

On Saturday, SACS tasted sweet success when Ronan Meintjies pulled a rabbit out of a hat to help the touring side snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at St Stithians College. His dramatic late-innings heroics resulted in a nail-biting four-run win for the visitors.

After Ulrich Roth, the SACS captain, won the toss and chose to bat first, his side responded well to score 268/6 in 50 overs. The Saints‘ reply came within a whisker of a win, but the hosts fell at the final hurdle, bowled out for 264 in 47.2 overs.

With St Stithians poised to claim a hard-fought win, Meintjies produced two perfect balls to dismiss Zaakir Hanslo (34) and Nqaba Matunda (0) in consecutive deliveries, and victory went to the visitors. Hanslo was the key wicket for SACS. The all-rounder had raced to 34 runs in only 25 balls and looked comfortable at the crease.

With those two scalps, Meintjies finished the contest with a match-winning 5/51 from 9.2 overs. Abhay Kalan impressed, too, with 3/41 from 10 overs, while Saeed Conrad picked up 1/46 from seven overs.

Matthew Katzenstein (77) and Nicholas Bayly (53) scored superb half-centuries from the middle order to keep the hosts in the contest after a disastrous start. But only Didier Le Roux, with 35, also reached double figures.

Earlier in the day, Mickey Watson and Max Fourie boosted SACS with half-centuries from the lower order. Batting at seven and eight, they shared an unbroken 100-run partnership to see the Capetonians to a competitive total.

Fourie struck a belligerent 51 not out in a 35-ball stay, while Watson tallied an unbeaten 50 from 45 balls. Aqeel Waggie (48), Litha Kraai (32), Ulrich Roth (23), and Jordan Berry (22) also contributed valuable runs to the SACS cause.

Summarised Scorecards

SACS 194/10 (Jordan Berry 49, Benji Tilbury 37; Shreshth Kumar 4/41, Zizi Mkhize 2/22). Jeppe 196/5 (Lincoln Casais 93*, Ryan Young 57; Ronan Meintjies 2/38, Abhay Khalan 1/28). Jeppe won by five wickets.

SACS 268/6 (Max Fourie 51*, Mickey Watson 50*; Nqaba Matunda 2/34, Tajandra Naidu 1/29). St Stithians 264/10 (Matthew Katzenstein 77, Nicholas Bayly 53; Ronan Meintjies 5/51, Abhay Kalan 3/41). SACS won by four runs.

Corbin Tidbury produced a classy all-round performance to help Graeme College secure a 32-run win over Selborne College in a declaration match at Selborne on Saturday.

It was the second clash between the sides in two days. They also met on Friday evening in a thrilling T20 match.

Graeme batted first and totalled 155/5 in their 20 overs. Selborne replied with 155/7, which sent the contest into a Super Over, from where Graeme College secured a win.

On Saturday, the hosts won the toss and elected to bowl first. Graeme College responded with 209 all out in 64.2 overs. The visitors then produced a strong bowling performance to dismiss Selborne for 177 in 45 overs.

Tidbury, batting at four, made an early appearance at the crease after Graeme lost two early wickets, which left them on 7/2 after 5.3 overs. He and Sibabalwe Deliwe (18) stitched together a useful 66-run third-wicket partnership to provide the Makhanda school with a platform from which to build.

Tidbury’s contribution was 41 runs from 50 balls, which was bettered only by Kits McConnachie, who weighed in with 49 from 80 deliveries. He carried on from where Tidbury left off and shared in three partnerships worth 99 runs.

McConnachie built a 31-run fifth-wicket stand with Luphelo Mdyesha (13), added another 22 runs with Jordan Damons (11) for the sixth wicket, and then tacked on a further 44 runs with Andrew Muir (24) for the seventh wicket.

After having played a pivotal innings, Tidbury excelled with the ball. He claimed 3/35 in 13 overs to help his side to a battling win. Jordan Damons, though, was the visitors’ best bowler, knocking over 4/27 in seven overs, while Andrew Muir, Luphelo Mdyesha, and Lisekho Zinyane took a wicket each.

Josh Wilkie was Selborne’s top scorer with 48 runs from 45 balls. It was the latest impactful innings from the opener, who enjoyed an outstanding week. He had struck a match-winning 57 not out in a T20 win over Hudson Park mid-week, then followed that with a fiery 51 off 36 balls in Friday’s T20 against Graeme.

Summarised Scorecards

Declaration match: Graeme College 209/10 (Kits McConnachie 49, Corbin Tidbury 41; Titus Sweetnam 3/18, Matthew Hendry 2/40). Selborne 174/10 (Josh Wilkie 48, Afika Xuba 26; Jordan Damons 4/27, Corbin Tidbury 3/35). Graeme won by 32 runs.

T20 match: Graeme College 155/5 (Luphelo Mdyesha 51, Corbin Tidbury 41; Mathew Hendry 2/22, Rosh Els 2/27). Selborne 155/7 (Josh Wilkie 51, Mathew Hendry 28; Andrew Muir 2/27, Jordan Damons 1/17). Graeme College won in the Super Over.

Keegan Cockburn ripped through the Hoërskool Waterkloof middle order to set up Jeppe High School for Boys for an emphatic eight-wicket win over the visitors in their 50-over contest on the AH Childe Oval, in Kensington, on Saturday.

It was a dominant outing from Jeppe, resulting in the entire contest lasting less than 50 overs.

The toss, at least, went Waterkloof’s way and their captain, Franco Schmidt, elected to bat first. His batsmen failed to fire, though, and Klofies hobbled to 112 all out in 26.5 overs.

The hosts were in no mood for a conservative run chase in the searing Johannesburg heat. They went hard at the Waterkloof bowlers and took only 13 overs to rocket to 115/2 and victory.

Cockburn, who shared the new ball with Ahmed Goolam, went wicketless in his first spell, conceding 20 runs from four overs.

In his second spell, he targeted the top of off-stump and was rewarded with 4/12 in only 2.5 overs to finish with an impactful 4/32 from 6.2 overs. Add to that, Cockburn’s run out of Johan Liebenberg. The seamer’s victims included the prized wicket of Franco Schmidt, who looked solid before falling for a patient 27 from 41 balls.

Only Wian du Plessis bettered his skipper’s total, making 30 from 40 balls. Rico van der Walt, meanwhile, chipped in with 21 from 32 deliveries.

Reza Ayob supported Cockburn well, with 2/13, while Ahmed Goolam and Ethan Ferguson grabbed a wicket each.

Ethan van Dyk led Jeppe’s run pursuit with a brisk 31 from 28 deliveries and shared a 61-run opening partnership with Zizi Mkhize, who made 22.

Lincoln Casais (14*) and Aiden Reyneke (20*), who replaced the openers, saw Jeppe home with an unbroken 37-run partnership.

King Edward VII vs Pretoria Boys High

On the Hofmeyr Oval, at Pretoria Boys High (PBHS), Tiago Dias struck a confident, unbeaten half-century to power King Edward VII (KES) to a nine-wicket win in a limited-overs contest.

After Matthew Bromley, the KES captain, won the toss and elected to bat first, his bowlers did a splendid job and restricted the hosts to 200/8. The KES top order then made light work of the run chase, cantering to 201/1 in 28 overs.

Timothy Gordon top-scored for Boys High, with a measured 46 from 70 balls, and he and Ethan Nel, who made 27, put together the home side’s highest partnership of 59 for the second wicket.

Louis Kruyshaar (28), Tshepang Baloyi (26), and Victor Louw (20) helped to advance the PBHS total beyond 200. They barely made it there, though, as KES kept matters tight with the ball.

Tyler Cloete admirably led the KES bowling attack, knocking over 3/41 in seven overs, while Luke Clarke returned a tidy 2/27 in nine. Connor Kuijers, Abdullah Mohammed, and Troy Gordon took a wicket each.

Needing to bat at just over four runs per over to win, KES played positively. Dias struck 12 fours and two sixes in his 75-ball 89 not out and gave the visitors a superb 108-run first-wicket start with Urav Mukhija, who weighed in with 49. Their stand spanned only 14.1 overs and inflicted significant damage on the PBHS bowling attack.

After Mukhija exited, Dias joined forces with Troy Gordon for an unbroken 93-run second-wicket stand. When victory was achieved, Gordon was 35 not out.

The victories by Jeppe and KES meant Johannesburg schools won three out of three high-profile traditional matches against Pretoria opposition on Saturday, with St John’s College defeating St Alban’s College by 51 runs.

Summarised Scorecards

Waterkloof 112/10 (Wian du Plessis 30, Franco Schmidt 27; Keegan Cockburn 4/32, Reza Ayob 2/13). Jeppe 115/2 (Ethan van Dyk 35, Zizi Mkhize 22; Rian Klopper 2/34, Frank van der Westerhuizen 0/31). Jeppe won by eight wickets.

Pretoria Boys 200/8 (Timothy Gordon 46, Louis Kruyshaar 28; Tyler Cloete 3/41, Luke Clark 2/37). King Edward VII 201/1 (Tiago Dias 89*, Urav Mukhija 49; Steyn Botha 1/46, Ruan Coetzee 0/25). King Edward VII won by nine wickets.

Sohail Seonath carved an imperious 172 to power St David’s Marist Inanda to a 113-run win over St Benedict’s College when they crossed swords in a 50-over match on the La Valla Oval at St David’s on Saturday.

Roberto Mariano, the St David’s captain, won the toss and elected to bat first. His side responded with an impressive 314/6 in their 50 overs. St Benedict’s struggled to find a foothold in the match and were bowled out for 201 after 48.5 overs.

Seonath hit 22 fours and four sixes in his match-winning 172 from 153 balls. Last weekend, the opener was St David’s highest scorer against Affies, contributing 102 from 133.

He was one half of the home side’s highest partnership, 158 runs for the second wicket, with Jonah Gruskin, who provided the foil to Seonath’s attacking stroke play, scoring a steady 98 from 131 deliveries.

Their partnership took the game beyond St Benedict’s reach. Even though the rest of St David’s batsmen failed to reach double figures, that didn’t matter as the duo had done all the work.

Mariano made up for his single-digit score at the top of the order by performing excellently with the ball, with the St David’s skipper capturing 4/27 in 8.5 overs. Miles Pegg and Christopher Emslie added their support by bagging a brace each, and Kairav Koobair and Maru Challies chipped in with a wicket apiece.

Treasure Dube was the shining light for St Benedict’s with a well-played 72 from 88 balls. Shae Pollard (24*), Matthew Hickman (24), and Tom McArthur (23) made decent contributions, but those couldn’t match the big innings of Sohail Seonath and Jonah Gruskin.

St John’s vs St Alban’s

Jared Gilmour and Herman Basson shared eight wickets between them to help St John’s College secure a 51-run win over St Alban’s College on Mitchell Field, in Houghton, on Saturday.

The hosts, who won the toss and opted to bat first, put up 214 all out in 48.3 overs. Gilmour and Basson then formed a formidable tag team to help the Blues restrict St Alban’s to 163/9 in reply.

Gilmour delivered  St John’s a much-needed breakthrough when he dismissed Rea Makoka (22) in the 14th over. The opener had looked comfortable and was rebuilding the St Alban’s innings with Thomas Hall (39), after Zaid Mohaniarr‘s dismissal earlier.

Maintaining disciplined lines and lengths, the Grade 10 paceman accounted for four of the visitors’ top five batsmen. He finished the match with 4/28 from 10 overs.

Basson then took over and spun his way through the next four wickets, causing a St Alban’s collapse. He returned 4/21 in eight overs. Ethan Robinson, the other wicket-taker for the Blues, claimed 1/20 from seven overs.

Ethan Nel was the best of the St Alban’s batsmen, scoring a patient 41 from 71 balls. Thomas Hall almost matched him, with his 39, but only Rea Mokoka and Kyle Earl (13) also exited single figures.

Earlier in the day, Ethan Robinson led the scoring for St John’s with a brisk 39-ball 43. Captain Nkosana Sibiya added a vital 42 from 44 deliveries, while Darshik Lutchman (38) and Joshua Hall (33) contributed a combined 71 runs.

The St John’s win was the third of three victories by Johannesburg teams over Pretoria sides on Saturday. Jeppe and King Edward VII registered wins over Waterkloof and Pretoria Boys High, respectively.

Summarised Scorecards

St David’s Marist Inanda 314/6 (Sohail Seonath 172, Jonah Gruskin 98; Treasure Dube 3/13, Shae Pollard 1/70). St Benedict’s College 201/10 (Treasure Dube 72, Shae Pollard 24*; Roberto Mariano 4/27, Christopher Emslie 2/22) St David’s won by 113 runs.

St John’s College 214/10 (Ethan Robinson 43, Nkosana Sibiya 42; Christopher von La Chevallerie 3/23, Tristan Naidoo 2/35). St Alban’s College 163/9 (Ethan Nel 48, Thomas Hall 39; Herman Basson 4/21, Jared Gilmour 4/28). St John’s won by 51 runs.

“Results matter, but the way we train, prepare, and show up for each other matters more,” Morné Odendaal.

Perennial hockey powerhouse, Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje (Oranje), will head into the 2026 season eager to collect as much silverware as possible. However, their focus is on a bigger, long-term goal.

The Bloemfontein side has welcomed back Morné Odendaal after his three-year sojourn with St Anne’s Diocesan College in KwaZulu-Natal.

In his first stint with Oranje, a 10-year run, Odendaal’s teams won a phenomenal 36 out of 38 tournaments in which they competed.

In that period, Oranje was also victorious in a jaw-dropping 380 out of 400 games. That included a 127-match unbeaten run, one of the longest in the history of South African schoolgirl hockey. Converted to days, Oranje was unbeaten in more than 1000 days. Odendaal is hoping his charges can replicate that astounding run.

“This season forms part of a long-term five-year programme aimed at taking schoolgirl hockey to the next level again. We are currently in a rebuilding phase, laying strong foundations that will allow this team, and the programme, to grow sustainably, competitively, with purpose, over time,” Odendaal told SuperSport Schools Plus.

Everything that they hope to achieve as a collective hinges on establishing the right culture within the setup, Odendaal explained. He highlighted four core values that he has been working to encourage since taking over in January: discipline, accountability, fight, and belonging.

“We believe players perform best when they feel they belong. Every player is encouraged to be themselves, to feel safe, and to play with confidence. When individuals grow, the team grows,” he added.

The celebrated coach, who helped St Anne’s regularly feature among the top hockey sides in the country, said ticking off the above boxes will create a platform to develop players who are confident decision-makers and are proud to be part of a team that competes with intensity and clarity.

“The primary focus is to help the team establish habits that support long-term success and create an environment where improvement is expected daily,” Odendaal said.

On the field, his philosophy will be a balance between structure and freedom. He wants his charges to combine strong positional discipline with speed, intent, and an attacking mindset.

A key focus will be on decision-making; knowing when to hold and control the game, and when to go, attacking with speed.

The coach stated that one of his biggest desires is for his charges to play an attractive brand of hockey.

“Beyond the results, we want to play a style of hockey that is fun to watch. When people walk past one of our matches, we want them to feel drawn in; to stop, to ask who this team is, and to be excited by the way we play the game.

“Energy, intent, and expression are central to our identity,” Odendaal shared.

This year, Oranje will be captained by Marlene du Plessis. She leads through example, has an exceptional work rate, is accountable, and will play a key role in driving standards and culture within the group, Odendaal said.

Fortunately, for Du Plessis, she is part of a group of players who have bought into their coach’s philosophy, which will make her leadership role on the field easier.

“This is a hungry group,” the coach said. “They are eager to learn, committed to improvement, and willing to sacrifice for the team and for each other. They are also united by purpose.

“We are building something meaningful; one session, one game, and one decision at a time.”

Odendaal also took time to thank Oranje’s sponsors, Fairtree and Grays, without whom the school wouldn’t be able to achieve as much as they do on the Astro.

“We are very thankful to our sponsors. Their backing plays an important role in enabling the growth and development of our programme,” he said.

Oranje’s 2026 Team Squad

Dané Janse van Vuuren, ⁠Louise Scholtz, ⁠Kirstin Booysen, ⁠Louise Oelschig, ⁠Zené Beukes, Daniella Grobbelaar, Marlene du Plessis (C), Carli Oosthuizen, Carmen van Wyk, ⁠Marichelle Crous, Estelle Marx, ⁠Kayla du Preez, Camilyn Parkin, ⁠Ellé Cloete, ⁠Xylia Choene.

Ombesa Matsha compiled a brilliant half-century to steer St Stithians College to a thrilling seven-wicket win over Hoërskool Noordheuwel in their Johnny Waite Trophy clash on the Main Oval at Noordheuwel on Thursday.

Nicholas Bayly, the Saints‘ captain, won the toss and chose to bowl first. His bowlers answered the call and restricted Norries to 138/8 from their 20 overs. After a tension-packed run chase, the visitors snatched victory off the final delivery of the match, which finished with St Stithians on 139/3.

Matsha struck nine fours and three sixes on his way to a match-winning 87 from only 65 balls. The opener, who held the Saints’ innings together, was in the middle for 18.2 overs. He shared a cracking 126-run second-wicket partnership with Thomas Collins (43) that all but confirmed victory for the visitors.

When Matsha fell in the 19th over, run out while trying to scamper through for a quick single, St Stithians needed only five more runs from 10 deliveries. His exit offered a lifeline to the Norries’ challenge, and they grabbed it, bowling tight lines and good lengths to the two new batsmen, Nicholas Bayly and Matthew Anderson.

Hanru Begeman conceded only a single run from the remaining four balls of the penultimate over, which left Saints needing three runs to win from six balls. Tidi Moeketsane was as disciplined and tight as Begeman. The Norries’ captain conceded only two runs off the first five deliveries of the 20th over. His opposite number, Bayly, though, held his nerve and struck a single off the final delivery to clinch a heart-stopping victory for the visitors.

Earlier in the day, Moeketsane stood tall for Noordheuwel with an unbeaten 43 from 36 balls, which included sharing a wonderful 45-run sixth-wicket partnership with Juvan Lamont (35) that helped the hosts to recover from an indifferent start to their innings.

Kian Liebenberg (16) and Wander Roolvink (13) were the only other Noordheuwel batsmen to reach double figures.

Tajendra Naidu was the pick of the Saints’ bowlers, claiming 2/26 from four overs. Zaakir Hanslo was only slightly more costly. He also bagged a brace but surrendered 28 runs from his four overs.

St John’s College vs Steyn City School

Steyn City enjoyed a rewarding visit to the Mitchell Oval at St John’s, where Matthew Barbour‘s steady half-century set up the visitors for a five-wicket win.

The hosts won the toss, batted first, and raced along at a healthy clip to tally a challenging 173/4. It took Steyn City every ball of their 20 overs, but they overhauled St John’s in the end, finishing on 174/5.

Darshik Lutchman, with an unbeaten 73, and captain Nkosana Sibiya, with 67, led a sterling batting effort from the home side. They provided the bulk of their side’s runs, with Tapiwa Chikwava, who chipped in with 11 not out, being the only other St John’s batsman to get to double figures.

Kurt Losch was the pick of the bowlers for Steyn City, capturing 2/31 from 3.5 overs. Austin van Jaarsveld and Somaan Khan picked up a wicket each.

Matthew Barbour, then, led Steyn City’s successful run pursuit, anchoring their innings with a well-paced 59 runs from 51 balls. The opener cobbled together a 55-run opening stand with Murray Leith, who weighed in with a useful 30.

Next, Barbour combined with Joshua Michau (12) for 33 runs for the second wicket. His last act was a match-winning 62-run third-wicket stand with Sachin Sunker.

Sunker, who shared a brief 10-run sixth-wicket partnership with Max Burroughs (10*), kept Steyn City’s scorecard ticking after Barbour’s dismissal in the 18th over and finished the contest with a crucial unbeaten 39 from 27 balls.

Herman Basson led the St John’s attack, removing three batsmen while giving up 34 runs.

Summarised Scorecards

Noordheuwel 138/8 (Tidi Moeketsane 42*, Juwan Lamont 35; Tajendra Naidu 2/26, Zaakir Hanslo 2/28). St Stithians 139/3 (Ombesa Matsha 87, Thomas Collins 43; Tidi Moeketsane 1/19, Gerhard Roolvink 1/33). St Stithians won by seven wickets.

St John’s 173/4 (Darshik Lutchman 73*, Nkosana Sibiya 67; Kurt Losch 2/31, Somaan Khan 1/27). Steyn City 174/5 (Matthew Barbour 59, Sachin Sunker 39*; Herman Basson 3/34, Tapiwa Chikwava 1/26). Steyn City won by five wickets.

Ryan Young smashed an unbeaten century to lead his side to an emphatic 111-run win over Parktown Boys’ High in their Johnny Waite Trophy fixture on the Beckwith Oval at Jeppe High School for Boys on Wednesday afternoon.

Young, the Jeppe captain, made all the right calls on Wednesday afternoon. He won the toss, elected to bat first, and then expertly led his side to 196/2 in their 20 overs.

When he unleashed his bowlers on the visitors, they were unable to mount a serious challenge to Jeppe’s challenging total and were restricted to 85/8.

It wasn’t all sunshine and roses, however. The Black Caps were in an unenviable position when Young walked out to bat. They were on 4/2 after 1.3 overs, having lost both of their openers.

The skipper responded magnificently by mounting an outstanding and unbroken 192-run third-wicket partnership with Aiden Reyneke.

Young struck nine sixes and two fours in his unbeaten 57-ball 102, while Reyneke was 81 not out from the same number of balls.

Reza Ayob, who recorded an outstanding economy rate of 1.8 runs per over in four overs, was Jeppe’s best bowler. He tightened the screws and denied Parktown runs in the middle overs and finished the match with 3/7.

Five other Jeppe bowlers – Keegan Cockburn, Lincoln Casais, Zizi Mkhize, Shreshth Kumar, and Daniel Keating – finished with a wicket each.

Abdullah Wadee was Parktown’s best batsman with an unbeaten 34 from 43 balls. Only Neo Lemmer, with 17, and Josh van Rensburg, with 15, joined him in double figures.

St David’s vs Northcliff

St David’s Marist Inanda recorded their second Johnny Waite victory in two days when they powered to a nine-wicket win over Northcliff on the Gier Oval at St David’s. They had beaten St John’s College by five wickets the previous day.

Jack Woolard, the Northcliff captain, called correctly at the toss and chose to bat first, but the visitors found the going tough, huffing and puffing their way to 90/7 in their 20 overs. St David’s, in reply, needed only 11.5 overs to race to 91/1 to claim an emphatic victory.

Northcliff’s batting effort was undermined by Kyle Butler, who snapped up 3/9 in four overs. He ripped through the visitors’ middle order and accounted for their top scorers, Rouxwan Coetzer (32) and Woolard (21). Ntokozo Tshabalala was the only other Northcliff batsman to make it beyond single figures, contributing 14 from 15 balls.

The hosts responded with a steady first-wicket partnership of 40 in 7.2 overs from Sohail Seonath and Roberto Mariano.

Unfortunately for Northcliff, Mariano’s dismissal brought Jason Rowles to the crease, and the South Africa u19 star blitzed an unbeaten 41 in just 15 balls to hasten St David’s charge to victory. His aggressive attack included only one four but five sixes.

Summarised Scorecards

Jeppe 196/2 (Ryan Young 102*, Aiden Reyneke 81*; Hlasi Mqingwana 1/13, Abhay Patel 0/15). Parktown 85/8 (Abdullah Wadee 34*, Neo Lemmer 17; Reza Ayob 3/7, Lincoln Casais 1/2). Jeppe won by 111 runs.

Northcliff 90/7 (Rouxwan Coetzer 32, Jack Woolard 21; Kyle Butler 3/9, Christopher Emslie 2/18). St David’s 91/1 (Jason Rowles 41*, Sohail Seonath 39*; Regan van der Walt 1/19, Jamie McHugh 0/10). St David’s won by nine wickets.

Miles Pegg spun his way to a five-wicket haul, which set up St David’s Marist Inanda for a comfortable five-wicket win over St John’s College in their Johnny Waite Trophy match at St David’s on Tuesday evening.

St David’s, who won the toss and elected to bowl first, dismissed St John’s for 120 in 17.2 overs. The hosts then took a mere 16.3 overs to reach 122/5, winning with 21 balls in hand.

Pegg, who was introduced into the attack in the 11th over, didn’t enjoy a great start to his spell. Herman Basson and Joshua Hall smashed 11 runs off him in his first over, but the leg spinner didn’t lose heart.

He responded by dismissing Basson and Connor van der Walt in the space of three balls in the 13th over.

Basson’s wicket pushed the Blues onto the back foot because the number three batsman had been holding their innings together. His 39 from 27 balls was the highest individual score for St John’s in the contest.

Pegg then completed a sensational three-over spell with the dismissals of Hall, Ethan Robinson, and Juan de Villiers in only four balls in the 15th over.

He finished the match with 5/22, while Kyle Butler and Hayden Campbell took two wickets apiece, and Christopher Emslie chipped in with another.

St David’s lost Roberto Mariano in the first over of their reply but recovered well with a 33-run second-wicket partnership between Sohail Seonath (22) and Jason Rowles (31).

Rowles then combined with Jonah Gruskin (25) for a 35-run third-wicket partnership that carried them over the halfway mark, well on their way to victory.

Ethan Robinson was the most successful bowler for St John’s, claiming 3/23 in four overs. Juan de Villiers chipped in with 2/25, also from four.

Summarised Scorecard

St John’s 120/10 (Herman Basson 39, Nkosana Sibiya 15; Miles Pegg 5/22, Hayden Campbell 2/11, Kyle Butler 2/22). St David’s 122/5 (Jason Rowles 31, Jonah Gruskin 25; Ethan Robinson 3/23, Juan de Villiers 2/25). St David’s won by five wickets.