Author: mbloem

Bishops Diocesan College vs Paarl Boys’ High

Playing at the Paul Roos Oval in Stellenbosch on Friday morning, the 2025 national champion and Western Province regional winner, Bishops Diocesan College, took on the Boland region’s winner, Paarl Boys’ High, in the Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two Western Cape playoffs.

Bishops won the toss and opted to bat first. Opener Litha Mbiko liked that decision and made a statement in the first match of the second phase, smashing six fours and five sixes in his bold 81 runs off 49 balls.

Ibraheem Taliep contributed 32 runs of his own and shared a 96-run opening stand with Mbiko.

Harry Morgan, batting at six, added some impetus to the innings, striking five fours in his 26 off 13 before AB Jacobs ran him out.

Ullrich Drotschie shone with the ball for Boishaai, grabbing 3/27 in four overs, while Aden Batt bagged the other wicket to go to a bowler, finishing with 1/22 from his four overs.

After 20 overs, the southern suburbs outfit had tallied 169/5.

Jacobs, opening the batting for Boys’ High, brought the same energy to the crease that he exhibited while fielding and walloped seven fours and two sixes in a 57-ball stay that brought him 76 runs before he departed from a run out pulled off by Daniel Perold.

Harry Morgan, after his impactful batting contribution, made a further telling impact, snapping up 3/10 in three overs to undermine Paarl Boys’ High’s run chase.

It ended with Booishaai on 136/6 after their 20 overs, leaving Bishops the winners by 33 runs.

Wynberg Boys’ High vs Hoërskool Outeniqua

In another Friday morning match, the toss went the way of Wynberg Boys’ High, who faced Hoërskool Outeniqua on the Markötter One Oval.

A decision to bat first backfired on Wynberg, however. They lost both openers cheaply and found themselves in trouble on 10/2 after 3.4 overs.

Captain Michail Tarentaal and Joshua Prince were the only batsmen to make it beyond the teens, with Prince hitting a four and a six in his 28 off 27, while Tarentaal dispatched two deliveries for four in his 26 off 31 balls.

Nathan Best was the only one of the Kwaggas‘ bowlers to pick up multiple wickets, returning a tidy 2/20 in four overs.

After their early setbacks, Wynberg struggled to find their rhythm and were restricted to a modest 104/7.

Outeniqua found the going tough at the crease, too, and matters were delicately poised with the George locals on 44/4 after nine overs.

However, Daniel du Preez and Hanno Swart built a 58-run fifth-wicket partnership to set their team up for victory. Du Preez tallied 35 off 31 balls, striking two fours and a six, while Swart chipped in with an unbeaten 20 off 28 deliveries.

Outeniqua, then, made it over the line with an over to spare, reaching 107/5 after 19 overs to win by five wickets despite a fine return of 3/11 from Michail Tarentaal.

Paarl Gimnasium vs Bridgton Hub

In the third of three boys’ matches on Friday morning, Bridgton Hub chose to field first after winning the toss against Paarl Gimnasium on the Paul Roos B Oval.

Gim’s Wian Munnik played some well-timed shots, whacking six fours in his 35 runs off 32 balls, while his fellow opener, Dirk Hugo, bashed three fours of his own in his 26 off 25 to give their side a good start.

Daniel Carstens, batting at three, added 21 runs, while Matt Dippenaar, at four, contributed 23.

At the end of their 20 overs, Gimmies had posted 137/4, thus setting the Bridgton Hub XI a required run rate of 6.9 per over to win.

Lastio Williams picked up 2/41 from four overs, leaving him with the most runs conceded but also the most wickets taken for the Hub side.

Their run chase never got going. Ducayne Plaatjies top-scored with 18 as the Hub XI was knocked over for only 76 in 15.5 overs, leaving Paarl Gimnasium with an emphatic 51-run victory.

Waldus de Jager led the Gimmies’ bowling attack, cleaning out 4/7 in four overs. De Waal Vivier snapped up 2/7 in 1.5 overs to finish off the match.

Stellenberg High Girls vs HTS Drostdy Girls

At the Distell Cricket Field, HTS Drostdy won the toss and opted to field first against Stellenberg High. They turned that decision into a good one with an assured performance.

The Jade Brigade mustered only 47 all out as Drostdy’s bowlers enjoyed regular success. In three overs, Daneli Boshoff claimed 2/6, while Mia-Lize van der Vyver snagged 2/8 and Linique Luck 2/11 in four overs each.

Hannah Constable struck the lone boundary of the Stellenberg High innings and was her team’s highest scorer with a laboured 14 from 29 balls.

The Donkies easily hauled in Stellies‘ light total, thanks mostly to opener Lizé de Waal, who finished undefeated on 37 from 25 balls, which included five fours and a six in an electric knock.

After only 7.2 overs, the Worcester locals recorded a nine-wicket victory.

Summarised Scorecards

Bishops Diocesan College 169/5 (Litha Mbiko 81, Ibraheem Taliep 32, Harry Morgan 26; Ullrich Drotschie 3/27); Paarl Boys’ High 136/6 (AB Jacobs 76; Harry Morgan 3/10). Bishops won by 33 runs.

Wynberg Boys’ High 104/7 (Joshua Prince 28, Michail Tarentaal 26; Nathan Best 2/20); Hoërskool Outeniqua 107/5 (Daniel du Preez 35, Hanno Swart 20*; Michail Tarentaal 3/11). Hoërskool Outeniqua won by five wickets.

Paarl Gimnasium 137/4 (Wian Munnik 35, Dirk Hugo 26, Matt Dippenaar 23, Daniel Carstens 21; Lastio Williams 2/41); Bridgton Hub 76/10 (Waldus de Jager 4/7, De Waal Vivier 2/7, Gian van Eeden 2/20). Paarl Gimnasium won by 51 runs. 

Stellenberg High Girls 47/10 (Daneli Boshoff 2/6, Mia-Lize van der Vyver 2/8, Linique Luck 2/11); HTS Drostdy Girls 49/1 (Lizé de Waal 37*). HTS Drostdy Girls First XI won by nine wickets.

“Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” – From the play Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare.

Boland Landbou’s star captain and batting all-rounder, Francois Prins, was only 14 years of age when fate set him on the path to a great school’s cricket career.

The Farmers’ Head Coach, Handró le Roux, recalled: “In September of 2022, we had an injury occur only a few days before our first pre-season fixture. We had to select Francois despite not having seen him play much. It was a big jump, and he ended up making a duck on his debut.

“Obviously, I was left unimpressed. However, we kept him in the first team setup because I had a gut feeling that he was a natural-born cricketer; after all, it was the only thing that he talked about.”

Based on first impressions, one might not have expected Prins to become the player that he is now. He has come a long way since his debut and now boasts 124 caps for the Paarl school, making him the most capped player in the school’s history.

In December, he scored a century for the Boland u19 team at the 2025 Khaya Majola Week in Bloemfontein, and went on to be included in the SA Schools side. 

Francois, or “Skollie”, to his peers and teachers, found his first game of cricket to be similar to his debut innings for the 1st XI.

“My earliest memory of cricket was from when I was about eight years old. It all started when I was selected for the u11 team at my primary school, where I played my first hard-ball match.

“Something I will never forget is that I was dismissed without scoring a run. Through the tears and disappointment, I realised that this is what I wanted to pursue one day. That is where my passion and love for the game started.”

Prins is intensely passionate – a characteristic synonymous with strong leaders.

Coach Le Roux shared how the captain’s passion influences those who play under his guidance: “He is a great team player, making him well-liked by his teammates and peers in school.

“He brings a lot of discipline and balance to our setup, as well as the change room, classroom and boarding house. He is always keen for a good laugh, but knows where to draw the line between having fun and getting the serious work done.”

When asked about his plans over the next five years, Prins made it clear to SuperSport Schools Plus that his studies and cricket are his main ambitions.

“Right now, my main goal is to finish my matric year, and then hopefully have the marks required to enter university.

“In terms of cricket, I hope to start reaching into the professional setup. I would love to make a living out of playing cricket.”

His story is a lesson about not being afraid of failure. The beginning of a story usually reveals little about its ending, but within Francois Prins’s story, his fighting spirit and his courage hold lessons for others.

Former Springboks’ Head Coach, Jacques Nienaber, just before the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, told his players: “Considering where some of you have started life, the chances are that you shouldn’t have been here. But you changed that script in your own life.

“Don’t let that change now. Don’t let anybody write your life story for you.

“Continue to show the world who you are, continue to write the story yourself.”

It’s as if Francois Prins heard that speech, took note, vowed to live by it, and has diligently stuck to it.

The toss favoured Hoërskool Jim Fouché (JF) on Wednesday night when they took on the visiting Hoërskool Diamantveld in a T20 in Bloemfontein.

JF chose to bat first and received their biggest contributions from batsmen four and five, Cobus Wilken and Ruan Klein, who weighed in 37 runs each.

Wilken smacked two sixes in his 34-ball innings, while Klein struck four fours from the 28 deliveries he faced.

Arno Mostert excelled for the Kimberley school. He gave up a miserly 10 runs from his four overs and claimed two wickets. Francois Holtzhausen also removed two batsmen, but his four overs were dearer, costing 30 runs.

After their 20 overs, the Bloemfontein locals had tallied 135/7.

In the chase, the Kimberley outfit found themselves in a spot of bother early on, at 16/2 after 3.3 overs. Cobus Fourie, who made his way to the crease after the fall of the first wicket, dug his side out of a trench, scoring 28 off 33 deliveries.

When Arno Mostert headed to the middle, the score was 57/3 after 11.4 overs. By then, Diamantveld needed to bat at almost 10 runs per over. Mostert was up for the challenge. He pummelled four sixes and a four in his side’s top score of 47 from only 28 deliveries.

His fighting knock, however, proved to be too little too late. Frustratingly for the visitors, they came up only five runs short of the home team’s total, finishing on 130/6.

All five of the JF bowlers claimed a wicket while also sending down their full quota of four overs each. Benco Olivier also chipped in with a run out.

Thanks to a good effort in the field, Jim Fouché did just enough to record a hard-fought victory.

Summarised Scorecards

Hoërskool Jim Fouché 135/7 (Ruan Klein 37, Cobus Wilken 37, Joben Vorster 23; Arno Mostert 2/10, Francois Holtzhausen 2/30) Hoërskool Diamantveld 130/6 (Arno Mostert 47, Cobus Fourie 28). Jim Fouché won by five runs. 

Six boys and three girls teams will contest the second phase of the Western Cape’s Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two competition, with the honour of representing the region at the national final on the line.

Stellenbosch and Somerset West host the playoff matches from Friday to Sunday.

The boys’ teams feature the top two sides from the Western Province, Boland, and South Western Districts (SWD) respectively. The girls’ line-up features the winners from those regions.

Bishops Diocesan College, who were, once again, the Western Province winners, Paarl Gimnasium, and the SWD champs, Bridgton Hub, make up the boys’ sides in Pool A. Paarl Boys’ High, the winners of the Boland region, Wynberg Boys’ High, and Hoërskool Outeniqua are in Pool B.

Stellenberg High, the Western Province winners; HTS Drostdy, the Boland winners; and Bridgton Hub, the SWD champs, make up the girls’ contingent.

Bishops bear watching. In 2025, they qualified for the third phase of the competition and went on to win the national title, defeating St David’s Marist Inanda in the title game.

Hard-hitting Litha Mbiko was the joint top-scorer with 22 runs in that final, and will be a big threat to those teams intent on dethroning the champions. It will, though, take something special for one of the other outfits to usurp Bishops’ Western Cape title.

In the girls’ competition, Stellenberg is a force to be reckoned with. The Jade Brigade will fancy their chances, but one cannot underestimate the fighting spirit of the Bridgton Hub and HTS Drostdy.

FIXTURES

Boys

Friday, 23 January, 09:30 

Paarl Boys’ High vs Bishops Diocesan College (Paul Roos Oval)
Wynberg Boys’ High vs Hoërskool Outeniqua (Markötter One Oval)
Paarl Gimnasium vs Bridgton Hub (Paul Roos B Oval)

Girls – Stellenberg High vs HTS Drostdy (Distell Cricket Field).

14:00

Paarl Gimnasium vs Bishops Diocesan College (Paul Roos Oval)
Wynberg Boys’ High vs Bridgton Hub (Markötter One Oval)
Hoërskool Outeniqua vs Paarl Boys’ High (Paul Roos B Oval)

Girls

HTS Drostdy vs Bridgton Hub (Distell Cricket Field).

Saturday, 24 January, 09:30

Boys

Wynberg Boys’ High vs Paarl Boys’ High (Taberer Oval)
Hoërskool Outeniqua vs Paarl Gimnasium (Somerset College A Oval)
Bridgton Hub vs Bishops Diocesan College (Somerset College B Oval)

Girls

Bridgton Hub vs Stellenberg High (Somerset College C Oval)

Saturday, 24 January, 14:00 

Boys – First place in Pool A will face the second-place finisher from Pool B, while the second-place finisher from Pool A will take on Pool B’s winner.

Girls’ final – A combination of win average and net run rate will be used to determine the finalists.

Sunday, 25 January, 09:30

Boys’ final

Bishops Diocesan College vs Rondebosch Boys’ High

The Frank Reid Oval hosted the Bish Bosch Day-Night T20 on Wednesday, where Rondebosch Boys’ High opted to bat first against Bishops Diocesan College after winning the toss.

Number three batsman for ‘Bosch, Tyler Heyns struck two fours and two sixes in an impressive 54 runs off 42 balls. In the middle order, at six, Raa’id Davids played some cracking shots, accumulating two fours and two maximums in his hurried 34 off 17.

The last Rondebosch wicket went down off the last ball of their 20 overs, with the visitors all out for 156.

Bishops’ captain, Alex Vintcent, was a constant threat with the ball, and although he went at 10 an over, he captured 3/30. Imran Leith bowled just one over, but made it count, snapping up 2/3.

Needing to score at 7.85 runs per over to win, openers Litha Mbiko and Ibraheem Taliep provided Bishops with a strong foundation. Following their dismissals, the hosts were on 73/2 after nine overs, thus requiring another 84 runs to win at 7.6 per over, with eight wickets in hand.

Mbiko’s contribution was a rapid 26 from 16 deliveries, with four fours and a six, while Taliep weighed in with three well-struck fours in his steady 35 off 35.

After the openers’ exits, however, it became a feeding frenzy for Ethan De Heer Kloots, and the left-arm off-spinner, Timothy Short. Short captured 3/20 in his four overs, while De Heer Kloots snagged 3/31 from his four.

Like Superman halting a train, the visiting fielding unit restricted the Bishops’ run scoring rate at the death, leaving them on 151/8, and Rondebosch the winners by a narrow five runs.

Wynberg Boys’ High vs HTS Drostdy

After a favourable toss, Wynberg Boys’ High made a relatively comfortable start, batting first in their T20 fixture against HTS Drostdy at the Jacques Kallis Oval on Wednesday afternoon.

Opener Fawaaz Hendricks smashed a four and a six each in his contribution of 35 runs off 37 deliveries to lead the home team’s batting effort, but the visitors did well to keep them in check.

Adriaan Krynauw and Karel Hugo spearheaded Drostdy’s bowling, with Krynauw claiming 2/29, while Hugo collected 2/32, both from four overs.

Their successes, along with two run outs, resulted in a bumpy ride for Wynberg, who stumbled from 84/3 after 13.1 overs to 120/8 by the end of their 20 overs.

In the run chase, Drostdy opener Christopher du Toit saw the ball with clarity and made hay, bashing seven fours and two sixes in an entertaining 50 off 40 balls.

Unfortunately for the Donkies, none of his teammates found their own rhythm, with his fellow opener Albert Nel‘s dozen runs being their second-highest tally.

Nicholas Stafford was the standout among the Wynberg bowlers, snaring a match-winning 4/20 from his four overs.

Only one of the home team’s bowlers went for more than six runs an over, which enabled the southern suburbs’ side to limit the Worcester locals’ reply to 114/7, leaving Wynberg with a slim six-run victory.

Summarised Scorecards

Rondebosch Boys’ High 156/10 (Tyler Heyns 54, Raa’id Davids 34; Alex Vintcent 3/30, Imran Leith 2/3); Bishops Diocesan College 151/8 (Ibraheem Taliep 35, Litha Mbiko 26, Thaaifer Japtha 20; Timothy Short 2/20, Ethan De Heer Kloots 2/31). Rondebosch Boys’ High won the match by five runs.

Wynberg Boys’ High 120/8 (Fawaaz Hendricks 35; Adriaan Krynauw 2/29, Karel Hugo 2/32); HTS Drostdy 114/7 (Christopher du Toit 50, Extras 20; Nicholas Stafford 4/20). Wynberg Boys’ High won the match by six runs.

In a T20 fixture on Tuesday night, SACS hosted Paarl Boys’ High on their De Villiers Oval.

Batting first, Boishaai produced what appeared to be a decent total of 135/8.

AB Jacobs provided his side with a strong start, swatting six fours and a six in his rapid 42 off just 28 balls.

Later, Aden Batt, coming in at 10, boosted the visitors’ total with a quickfire 24 not out from 16 balls, two of which he sent to the boundary.

SACS picked up wickets regularly, though, which impacted Boys’ High’s ability to build up batting momentum.

Three bowlers claimed two wickets each in four overs, with Abhay Kalan returning 2/18 and Ben Blackburn 2/21. Saeed Conrad came in for some stick but finished with 2/55.

Much like their bowling attack, the SACS batting effort had three primary contributors.

Opener Aqeel Waggie smashed four fours and three sixes in an entertaining 51 off 34 deliveries. Benji Tilbury assisted him with 29 off 18, striking three fours and two maximums as they shared 54 runs for the first wicket.

Jordan Berry, the third man to the crease, cracked four fours and a six to contribute a sharp 35 off 26.

Batt, with 2/41 from four overs, was the only Boishaai bowler to claim more than one wicket. Jacobs, with 1/28, also removed a batsman.

With strong and aggressive batting, though, SACS bounded to a convincing victory in only 14.3 overs, reaching 136/3 to win by seven wickets.

Summarised Scorecards

Paarl Boys’ High 135/8 (AB Jacobs 42, Aden Batt 24*; Abhay Kalan 2/18, Ben Blackburn 2/21, Saeed Conrad 2/55); SACS 136/3 (Aqeel Waggie 51, Jordan Berry 35, Benji Tilbury 29; Aden Batt 2/41). SACS won by seven wickets.

St. Dominic’s College (Welkom) vs Welkom Gimnasium

The visitors, Welkom Gimnasium, lost the toss when they visited St Dominic’s College for a limited overs match on Saturday. The home side’s decision to bat, though, held unfortunate consequences for them.

Those consequences were delivered by Henru Heiberg, who captured 5/28 from 10 overs. His superb return was the main reason that St Dominic’s were all out on Nelson – 111 – after 34.2 overs.

Mohammed Al Haddad was unfortunate not to reach his half-century, being left stranded on 48 not out after a lengthy 95-ball stay at the crease.

Captain Alessio Salvado’s 22 was the second and only other score beyond single figures in the St Dom’s innings.

Heiburg’s star turn was backed up by a telling contribution from Bryan Haywood, who mopped up the tail, knocking over 2/14 in 7.2 overs. He, also, fired in a direct hit on the stumps to pull off a run out.

When they replied, Welkom Gim’s number three batsman, Dian Erasmus, took charge of the chase, striking four fours in his unbeaten 35 off 58 balls.

Aiden Hewitt, the fifth man to the crease, hit an electric two fours and three sixes in an entertaining 31 off 15 balls to thrust the visitors to 112/5 after 24.4 overs and a five-wicket win.

Hoërskool Goudveld vs Hoërskool Witteberg

After Hoërskool Goudveld won the toss and opted to bat first in their 50-over match against Hoërskool Witteberg,  opener Kellan Kleynhans got his side off to a solid start, dispatching four fours in his patient 51 runs off 102 balls. Kleynhans, though, needed greater support.

Heino Bruwer led the Witteberg bowling attack, cleaning out 3/19 in five overs, while WJ Geldenhuis was another thorn in Goudveld’s side, snapping up 2/7 in six overs. Anru Erasmus chipped in, too, picking up 2/31 in six overs.

After 31 overs, Goudveld was all out for 108, leaving the visitors to chase a modest victory target.

Openers, Geldenhuis and Janco Botha, ensured it would be a successful run chase by top-scoring for Witteberg. Geldenhuis cracked four fours and a maximum in his 35 off 27 deliveries, while Botha, the captain and wicket-keeper, played a more conservative innings, weighing in with an unbeaten 30 off 43.

When HJ Eksteen joined Botha at the crease, he was in a rush to see the Bethlehem boys across the finishing line. He clubbed three fours and a six in an unbeaten 24 off 15 as Witteberg won by three wickets after reaching 109/3 off only 17.3 overs.

Vian Boardman collected 2/45 in eight overs for Goudveld.

Summarised Scorecards

St. Dominic’s College (Welkom) 111/10 (Mohammed Al Haddad 48*, Extras 25, Alessio Salvado 22; Henru Heiberg 5/28, Bryan Haywood 2/14); Welkom Gimnasium 112/5 (Dian Erasmus 35, Aiden Hewitt 31). Welkom Gimnasium won by five wickets.

Hoërskool Goudveld 108/10 (Kellan Kleynhans 51; Heino Bruwer 3/19, WJ Geldenhuis 2/7, Anru Erasmus 2/31); Hoërskool Witteberg 109/3 (WJ Geldenhuis 35, Janco Botha 30*, HJ Eksteen 24*; Vian Boardman 2/45). Witteberg won the match by seven wickets.

Bishops Diocesan College vs Paarl Gimnasium (Round one)

In round one of Saturday’s two 20-over matches against Bishops Diocesan College, Paarl Gimnasium was blown out of the water after they won the toss and elected to bat on the Frank Reid Oval.

Their innings lasted only 12.4 overs, and it brought them a miserable 38 all out.

While there were no batting performances worth spotlighting, three bowlers shone. Daniel Perold snapped up 3/7 in three overs, while Thaaifer Japtha claimed 3/15 in four, and Alex Vintcent knocked over 2/6 in two.

Faced with a low victory target, Bishops went after it with aggression, rocketing to a 10-wicket win in just 2.5 overs.

Waco Bassick smashed three fours and two sixes in a brutal, unbeaten 29 runs off 12 balls, with Alex Vintcent, at the other end, providing support with four off five balls.

Bishops Diocesan College vs Paarl Gimnasium (Round two)

While the first match was surreal, the second clash was more ordinary, although Bishops again won convincingly.

They batted first, and opener, Litha Mbiko, gave the southern suburbs’ outfit a great start, thrashing 79 off 49 while going big with seven sixes and two fours.  Cameron Macbeth‘s undefeated 26 was the next best Bishops’ score.

Gim’s bowlers were unable to get much in return for their efforts, with Wian Munnik‘s 1/22 from three overs their most economic and best figures.

After 20 overs, Bishops posted a mighty total of 212/5. Given their collapse earlier in the day, it was a daunting task that faced the visitors when they attempted to chase it down.

Munnik, again, led Paarl Gim’s efforts, top scoring with 19 at the top of the order at almost a run a ball. Daniel Perold, though, had Paarl Gim’s number, and he captured 3/17 from three overs to ruin the visitors’ innings.

Harry Morgan and Matthew Edwards aided Perold towards the back end of the opposition’s innings, claiming 2/6 and 2/11 respectively, both from three overs.

Gim almost saw out their 20 overs, but nine balls short of completing their allotment, they were dismissed for 90, leaving Bishops the runaway winners by 122 runs.

Summarised Scorecards

Paarl Gimnasium 38/10 (Daniel Perold 3/7, Thaaifer Japtha 3/15, Alex Vintcent 2/6); Bishops Diocesan College 39/0 (Waco Bassick 29*). Bishops won by 10 wickets.

Bishops Diocesan College 212/5 (Litha Mbiko 79, Cameron Macbeth 26*, Inbraheem Taliep 25, Harry Morgan 25, Waco Bassick 23*); Paarl Gimnasium 90/10 (Daniel Perold 3/17, Harry Morgan 2/6, Matthew Edwards 2/11). Bishops won by 122 runs.

Boland Landbou vs Paul Roos Gimnasium

After a favourable coin flip, Boland Landbou captain, Francois Prins opted to field first against the visiting Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) on the Stiaan van Zyl Oval on Saturday.

He, then, led from the front, top scoring with 45 from 71 balls, which included six fours before he fell victim to PRG’s James Holm, trapped LBW.

Holm set the standard for the visitors, snapping up 5/30 in 7.4 overs. Dion Slabber and Morné Pauw enjoyed success, too, chipping in with a handy two wickets apiece as the home team was limited to 160 all out after 40.4 overs.

When Paul Roos batted, Prins sent Aiden Titus packing via an LBW decision before a run had been scored, which brought Janko Webb to the crease.

The top order batsman proceeded to steal the spotlight, smashing six fours and six sixes in an excellent 100 off 110 deliveries.

Opener Enré van Zyl aided the PRG cause with a patient 38 off 89 balls and partnered Webb in a 140-run partnership from 193 deliveries for the second wicket, which carried the visitors to within sight of victory.

Three wickets in quick succession, which reduced the visitors from 140/1 to 147/4, caused a flutter in the Paul Roos ranks, but they went on to a six-wicket win after 42.3 overs when they reached 163/4.

Hoërskool Strand vs HTS Drostdy

HTS Drostdy‘s M-Jay van Reenen played the primary role in powering his side to a big 221/4 in their 20-over contest away at Hoërskool Strand.

He racked up a strike rate of 210, thumped eight fours and four sixes, in an explosive 47-ball stay, which cruelly ended on 99 when he was bowled by Nicolae Roux.

Opener Christopher du Toit tallied the Donkies’ second-highest score, clubbing three fours and four maximums in his 52 off 37, while Stephan Steyn also peppered the boundary in his quickfire 32 from 23.

Benjamin de Reuk was the pick of the Strand bowlers, claiming 2/30 in four overs.

Faced with a steep required run rate of 11.1 per over to win, Strand tried going hard from the very first ball. It was brave, but also somewhat reckless, with the batsmen hitting too many uncontrolled shots in the air, which resulted in the home side finding themselves in a deep hole on 50/5 after nine overs. All five of the departed batsmen had lost their wickets to catches.

Batting at eight, Robin Beukes played more conservatively, and it brought him the innings’ best score of 29 not out from 35 deliveries.

DJ Luck was the only Drostdy bowler to pick up more than one wicket, but his 4/23 was more than enough to seriously damage Strand’s slim hopes of a successful run chase. Two run outs helped, also.

Unfortunately for the hosts, they were never really in it, and they mustered only 104/9 after their 20 overs, leaving the Donkies with a large 117-run victory.

Summarised Scorecards

Boland Landbou 160/10 (Francois Prins 45, Extras 29, Juan Visagie 20*, Matthew Geldenhuys 20; James Holm 5/30, Morné Pauw 2/21, Dion Slabber 2/24); Paul Roos Gimnasium 163/4 (Janko Webb 100, Enré van Zyl 38). Paul Roos won by six wickets.

HTS Drostdy 221/4 (M-Jay van Reenen 99, Christopher du Toit 52, Stephan Steyn 32; Benjamin de Reuk 2/30); Hoërskool Strand 104/9 (Robin Beukes 29*; DJ Luck 4/23). HTS Drostdy won by 117 runs.

Hoërskool Parel Vallei vs SACS

After his side was instructed to field first at Parel Vallei High (PV) on Saturday, Saeed Conrad led a strong SACS bowling effort, picking up 3/29 in four overs, which included one top-order, one middle-order, and one lower-order batsman.

His peer, Aqeel Waggie, removed dangermen, Chris Hughes and Divan Sander, and returned a tidy 2/8 in six overs, helping to restrict the Somerset West school to only 81 all out from 26.2 of their 50 overs.

Opener Luke Engelbrecht was the only PV batsman to score more than a dozen, tallying a patient 36 runs off 87 balls.

When SACS batted, Hughes got his revenge on Waggie, dismissing the opener for just four runs.

From there, however, the other opener, Benjamin Blackburn, smashed six fours and three sixes in an unbeaten 48 off only 43 deliveries.

He was the primary driver for the Cape Town school, steering them to 84/2 after 17.4 overs and an eight-wicket victory.

Paarl Boys’ High vs Wynberg Boys’ High 

The hosts, Paarl Boys’ High, decided to bat first after winning the toss in their one-day, one-innings fixture against Wynberg Boys’ High, and Neil Louw took it to Wynberg, collecting a highlight reel of 11 fours in his impactful 82 runs off 153 balls.

Batting at four, Roan Heyns was the next highest scorer for the Paarl outfit, blasting five fours and a six in his otherwise conservative 43 off 82 deliveries.

Raihan Kahn was, meanwhile, the only member of the visiting bowling unit who looked at home on the Paarl pitch, taking 4/75 in 15 overs as Boishaai declared after 65 overs with 247/9 on the board.

Faced with a challenging run chase, Wynberg got off to a shaky start and veered off course to find themselves in early trouble on 33/4 after 13.2 overs.

Arriving at the crease after the fall of the second wicket, English exchange student, James Mitchell, hammered 14 fours and a six in a fighting knock of 108 off 136 balls, and captain Michail Tarentaal stuck around with him to share an 83-run fifth-wicket partnership, striking seven fours in his 35. Their efforts, though, weren’t enough as further batting support was sparse.

Aden Batt was one of the reasons for that, capturing 4/50 across a lengthy 18 overs. Ed Lee Koopman played his part, too, by dismissing two of the top order batsmen early. He finished with 2/30 from nine overs.

The visitors’ innings ended after 52.4 overs at the crease on 189 all out, leaving Boishaai the handsome winners by 58 runs. This is also the second year in a row in which Paarl Boys’ High has defeated Wynberg Boys’ High despite wearing the underdog collar. The fixture is turning into quite a fearsome rivalry.

Summarised Scorecards:

Hoërskool Parel Vallei 81/10 (Luke Engelbrecht 36; Saeed Conrad 3/29, Aqeel Waggie 2/8, Ronan Meintjies 2/20); SACS 84/2 (Benjamin Blackburn 48*, Ulrich Roth 27*). SACS won by eight wickets.

Paarl Boys’ High 247/9 dec. (Neil Louw 82, Roan Heyns 43, Ullrich Drotschie 27, Reese Peterson 24, Christo Muller 21; Raihan Khan 4/75); Wynberg Boys’ High 189/10 (James Mitchell 108, Michail Tarentaal 35; Aden Batt 4/50, Ed Lee Koopman 2/30). Paarl Boys’ High won the match by 58 runs.