Author: mbloem

Grey High vs St Andrew’s School

The hosts, Grey High, and St Andrew’s School were both undefeated heading into their third and final fixture of the 2026 Grey Festival.

Playing on the Pollock Oval, the Bloemfontein outfit won the toss and elected to bat first.

That was a misstep, however. Matthew Marshbank threw a spanner into the works when he dismissed three of Saints’ first four batsmen for ducks. His return of 3/11 in four overs left the opposition between a rock and a hard place.

The fifth and sixth men to the crease, Schalk van Rensburg and Grové du Preez, threatened to get a decent partnership going. But it was simply not the visitors’ day, with both succumbing to run outs, for 12 and 22 respectively.

After 19.3 overs, St Andrew’s was all out for 92.

The Bloemfontein boys had fared well with the ball during the festival, and Erhard Barends and Nikhil Sukraj were again on song, claiming 3/9 and 2/19 respectively in their four-over spells, but given the meagre total they had to defend, even those returns were not enough.

Grey High was made to battle, but they eventually claimed a hard-fought three-wicket victory with only four balls to spare. Connor Parry‘s contribution of 29 was the highest score of the match.

Grey College vs Namibia Invitational

Victoria Park High saw an intense “mano a mano” T20 contest between Grey College and the Namibia Invitational XI.

Contrary to the festival’s trend, Namibia opted to field rather than bat after winning the toss.

Aiden Dodd, in at four, led Grey College’s batting effort, smashing six fours in his 53 runs off 46 deliveries, while Dan Brassell was the best of the Namibian bowlers, capturing 2/17 in three overs.

After 20 overs, the Bloemfontein locals had accumulated a solid total of 153/7.

The Namibians’ reply was headlined by their captain and opener, Adriaan Coetzee, who cracked three fours and fours sixes in an aggressive 54 off 40 deliveries.

Grey College, meanwhile, received two-wicket contributions from three bowlers, with Bergh Vorster‘s 2/24 from 3.5 overs being the tidiest of them.

The contest came to an end seven balls before its scheduled completion when the Namibia Invitational XI lost their last wicket on 144, leaving Grey College the winners by a slim nine-run margin.

Pearson High vs Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom

Just like the Namibia Invitational outfit had done, Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom ignored the trend of batting first after winning the toss and sent Pearson High in to bat.

Volkies made good use of that decision, ripping into the home side’s batting to leave them punch drunk on 47/8 after 11.3 overs. At last, though, Pearson found their footing, with tailenders, Connor Thomas and Jayden Warden, putting on an unbeaten 52-run, ninth wicket partnership.

Both batsmen faced 26 deliveries, with Thomas making 18 and Warden top scoring with three fours and two maximums in his heroic 30.

Despite that rearguard action, Volkies restricted the hosts to 99/8 after their 20 overs. AW van der Merwe shone, snapping up 3/15 in four overs, while Johandré Jacobs and Andries Venter both removed two batsmen in their four overs.

The run chase was nail-biting. Volkskool lent on number four batsman Schalk Pienaar‘s hasty 28 from 18 balls, which included six fours, to get them going, but Sulaymaan Gangat made it an arduous journey for the visitors, snaring 3/5 in four overs.

Despite some setbacks, Volkies survived the storm and reached 100/9 after 19.4 overs to win the contest with just one wicket and two balls to spare.

Selborne College vs Northwood School

Northwood and Selborne College met on the Old Grey Oval, with the Knights visiting the crease first.

They posted a solid 145/5 from their 20 overs, with Luc Boyall, batting at four, just missing out on a fifty, losing his wicket two runs shy of the milestone, while opening batsman, Ross McGlashan, racked up 41 before he was run out.

Selborne’s reply started well enough, with openers Josh Wilkie and Thomas Lyon both making scores in the twenties and putting on 40 for the first wicket. Unfortunately for the East London school, no one else made it to 20.

Wilkie hammered three fours in his 24 off 25, while Lyon clobbered a four and six in his 21 from 23 deliveries. But Selborne was limited to just 97 all out in 18.2 overs.

Trevor van Vollenstee impressed for Northwood with his 3/5 in 2.2 overs, while three of his teammates chipped in with two wickets each as the Durban boys won by 48 runs.

Summarised Scorecards

St. Andrew’s School 92/10 (Grové du Preez 22; Matthew Marshbank 3/11); Grey High 93/7 (Connor Parry 29; Erhard Barends 3/9, Nikhil Sukraj 2/19). Grey High won by three wickets.

Grey College 153/7 (Aiden Dodd 53, Daniel Hattingh 27, Extras 23, Bergh Vorster 21*; Dan Brassell 2/17, Waldo Smith 2/27); Namibia Invitational 144/10 (Adriaan Coetzee 54, Luca Micillo 30, Extras 20; Bergh Vorster 2/24, Christoph Bronn 2/27, Danny Hayidakis 2/28). Grey College won by nine runs.

Pearson High 99/8 (Jayden Warden 30*; AW van der Merwe 3/15, Johandré Jacobs 2/12, Andries Venter 2/18); Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom 100/9 (Schalk Pienaar 28; Sulaymaan Gangat 3/5). Volkies won by one wicket. 

Northwood School 145/5 (Luc Boyall 48, Ross McGlashan 41, Extras 21); Selborne College 97/10 (Josh Wilkie 24, Thomas Lyon 21; Trevor van Vollenstee 3/5, Thabiso Mtambo 2/9, David de Bruyn 2/10, Max Nicholson 2/19). Northwood won by 48 runs.

Paarl Boys’ High vs Hoërskool Hans Moore

Paarl Boys’ High ended their HJS Festival with a 50 percent win rate after recording an impressive 48-run win over Hoërskool Hans Moore in a 50-over contest played on Brugstraat’s A Field on Friday.

The hosts won the toss and opted to bat. All the way down the batting order, at nine, Ullrich Drotschie showed fierce determination to stick around for the innings’ top score of 35 off 48 deliveries, which included two fours and a six. His effort helped Boishaai to 185 all out.

In the run chase, in-form opener, Xavier van Biljon, stood firm, striking six fours and three maximums in his 57 off 56. The batting all-rounder, who also took 2/42 with the ball, ended up being awarded the man of the match for his contributions.

Despite his fine all-round effort, Moories came up well short of the hosts’ total, being dismissed for 137 after some brilliant Boishaai bowling.

AB Jacobs took 4/24 in six overs, and Reese Petersen claimed 4/24 in three, to seal the deal.

Stellenberg High vs Grey High XI

Stellenberg High made it four wins from four matches with another win on Friday.

After the toss fell their way at home in their T20 against the Grey High XI, Stellies‘ opener Roux Wasserman wasted no time in turning up the heat, blasting five fours in a rapid 26 off 13 balls.

In at three, Michael Amoedo replicated that score, but his knock included two fours and two sixes.

As the expression goes, “the candle that burns half as bright only lasts half as long” and, after those two batmen were removed, the Jade Brigade ran out of steam, sliding to 132 all out in 19.5 overs.

Nathan Trytsman‘s 3/14 in four overs led the Grey XI’s bowling effort, and his modest 14 runs proved to be their highest score when they batted.

Jan-Jak Alberts delivered a wounding 3/19 as the visitors were knocked over for only 81 after 18.4 overs, resulting in a 51-run win for Stellenberg.

Somerset College vs Hoërskool Garsfontein

The Taberer Oval served as the 50-over battleground for Somerset College and the visiting Hoërskool Garsfontein.

The home team won the toss and went in for a bat, spending 46.2 overs at the crease to score 137 all out, which included 25 from opener Owethu Moyi.

Reinhard Niebuhr was at the heart of the Garsies‘ bowling attack, capturing 4/14 in 10 overs.

In pursuit of a humble total, Wikus du Preez did what good openers do. He stuck around until the end of the Garsfontein innings, hitting four fours in a 105-ball stay that brought him an unbeaten 64.

With Du Preez providing the foundation, Garsies claimed a fourth victory on the trot when they reached 138/5 after 38 overs.

Hoërskool Parel Vallei vs Hoërskool Marais Viljoen

Chris Hughes and Divan Sander were monumental for Hoërskool Parel Vallei (PV) in their home T20 bout against Hoërskool Marais Viljoen.

PV elected to bat after winning the toss and the top order duo turned that into a very good decision. Hughes punched eight fours in his innings of 58 off 47 balls, while Sander cracked five fours and two sixes in his 69 off 49. Together, they added a hasty 115 runs off 81 balls for the third wicket.

In response, the Alberton residents mustered 108 all out in 19.3 overs, with Matthew Bothma‘s 25 their highest individual score.

Daniel Leisegang and Imtiaz Oliver recorded figures of 2/25 each as Parel Vallei finished the festival with two wins and two losses.

Westville Boys’ High vs Hoërskool Noordheuwel

Playing next door to the hosts, Paarl Boys’ High, on Brugstraat’s B Field, Westville Boys’ High, the KZN Coastal Switch Schools SA20 champions, powered their way to a seven-wicket T20 victory over Hoërskool Noordheuwel.

The Krugersdorp boys continued the trend of deciding to bat first after winning the toss and they did a decent job, led by Wander Roolvink, who entertained with three fours and two maximums in his strong contribution of 59 off 46 balls. At the end of their overs, Nories had tallied 152/5.

Griffins‘ opener and captain Kyle McGough was phenomenal in the run chase. He thrashed six fours and went aerial and over the boundary an astounding nine times in his fiery and unbeaten 101 off only 46 deliveries.

Largely due to his excellence, the KZN side rocketed to 153/3 in only 13.2 overs to pick up an impressive victory.

Summarised Scorecards

Paarl Boys’ High 185/10 (Ullrich Drotschie 35, Reese Petersen 23, Aden Batt 21*, Extras 21; Stephan Vermaak 2/5, Xavier van Biljon 2/42); Hoërskool Hans Moore 137/10 (Xavier van Biljon 57, Stephan Vermaak 35; AB Jacobs 4/24, Reese Petersen 4/24). Paarl Boys’ High won by 48 runs.

Stellenberg High 132/10 (Roux Wasserman 26, Michael Amoedo 26, Wilhelm Smit 21; Nathan Trytsman 3/14, Daniel Ballack 3/37, Sanjay Sivakumar 2/13); Grey High XI 81/10 (Jan-Jak Alberts 3/19, Michael Amoedo 2/15, John Naudé 2/19). Stellenberg High won by 51 runs.

Somerset College 137/10 (Owethu Moyi 25, Extras 24; Reinhard Niebuhr 4/14, Wikus du Preez 3/37, Ruan Cuyler 2/13); Hoërskool Garsfontein 138/5 (Wikus du Preez 64*, Charl van Staden 24; Samarth Sreedhar 3/17). Garsfontein won by five wickets.

Hoërskool Parel Vallei 170/5 (Divan Sander 69, Chris Hughes 58, Extras 25); Hoërskool Marais Viljoen 108/10 (Matthew Bothma 25; Dirk van Zyl 2/14, Chris Hughes 2/17, Imtiaz Olivier 2/25, Daniel Leisegang 2/25). Parel Vallei won by 62 runs.

Hoërskool Noordheuwel 152/5 (Wander Roolvink 59, Steph Jooste 34, Kian Liebenberg 29*; Kyle McGough 2/31); Westville Boys’ High 153/3 (Kyle McGough 101*; Heinrich Smith 2/34). Westville won by seven wickets. 

The Grey Festival, taking place in Gqeberha this year – it alternates between Gqeberha and Bloemfontein – opened with two-day declaration matches on Thursday and Friday, and two of the big winners were set up for victory by a century from one of their batsmen.

Grey High vs Kearsney College

After being sent out to bat by the hosts on Grey High’s Pollock Oval, Kearsney College struggled to build effective partnerships.

Run scoring came slowly as wickets fell regularly and, after 54.2 overs, they were all out for only 129.

Batting eighth in the order, Daniel Miskey made the visitors’ top score of the match, hitting eight fours in his 40 off 68 balls.

Anré Schoeman was largely responsible for Kearsney’s batting struggles, collecting figures of 4/43 from 11 overs.

Opener Cullen Marais got Grey off to a great start in their reply, blasting 13 fours and a six in an outstanding 107 off 121 deliveries. Arriving after the fall of the first wicket, Connor Parry kept the momentum rolling with 76, while the fifth man in, Logan Goddard-Ford, tallied an unbeaten 82.

Leg spinner Rivan Moodley was electric for the Greyhounds, snaring 6/65 across a lengthy 23.5 overs. Despite his excellent effort, Grey High took a big 182-run lead on the first innings after tallying a mighty 311 all out in 75.5 overs.

In the Botha’s Hill boys’ second innings, Moodley and Keegan De Jager smashed three fours apiece in their contributions of 23 runs each. But matters went swiftly downhill after their dismissals.

Logan Groch was chiefly responsible for the slide, capturing 5/11 in 9.1 overs, but Micha Wessels, with 2/12, and Matthew Tinley, with 2/25, also played their part as Kearsney tumbled to 80 all out, leaving Grey High the handsome winners by an innings and 102 runs.

Die Hoërskool Menlopark vs Namibia Invitational 

Victoria Park High played host to the showdown between Die Hoërskool Menlopark and the Namibia Invitational outfit.

The Pretoria locals visited the crease first and produced 154 all out in 56.3 overs. In a battling batting effort, number eight batsman, Heinrich Claassen, topped the scoring stats, making a conservative 25 off 52 deliveries.

The Namibian side’s opening bowler, Waldo Smith, produced a strong return of 4/17 from only four overs. Erik Lintvelt was a touch costly, but he snared some vital wickets in the Menlo middle order, claiming 3/83 in 17.3 overs.

Like Menlo, the Invitational side had to rely on their lower order to boost their innings. Dan Brassel, at nine, and Rowan van Vuuren, at 10, provided a 52-run ninth wicket partnership to take their team past their opposition’s total.

Brassel hit a steady 38 off 54 balls, while Van Vuuren struck a solid 41 off 46, with both cracking three fours and two sixes, which helped the Namibians to 200 all out and a 46-run first innings’ lead.

Parkies‘ second innings didn’t start well. However, Monré Koekemoer, their seventh man to the crease, stopped the opposition bowlers’ flow of wickets. He came up only four runs shy of a century, taking 169 balls to score 96, which included seven fours and three sixes. Still, despite his valiant effort, Menlopark was all out for 207 after 74.4 overs.

While Koekemoer starred with the bat, Jovan Hartman was superb with the ball for the Namibia Invitational XI, knocking over 7/63 from 17 overs.

The Namibians, then, chased down their 162-run victory target with eight wickets to spare, finishing on 166/2 after 34 overs.

Openers, Adriaan Coetzee and Tiaan van der Merwe set up the win with an 88-run first wicket partnership. Coetzee was undefeated at the end, having struck three fours and a six in his 60 off 101, while Van Der Merwe walloped four fours and six sixes in his 58 off only 45 deliveries.

Pearson High vs St. Andrew’s School 

Like Grey High, St. Andrew’s School needed only one innings to secure victory, outplaying Pearson High at Pearson.

Batting first, after Saints‘ skipper Reuben van Aarde called the coin flip incorrectly, the home side posted 140 all out, with Daniel Smithdorff and Jude Septoo both providing 37 runs.

Three of the Saints‘ bowlers earned two wickets apiece, with Nikhil Sukraj’s 2/10 in nine overs being the neatest return from the trio.

Van Aarde, batting at four, then demonstrated patience and grit in compiling 116 off 241 deliveries in a Test-like performance. He hit 12 fours while Schalk van Rensburg contributed six fours and a six in his 41. Between them, the rest of the team added only two fours and a six.

Besides those two players, the Saints’ batsmen offered little, and they were all out for 223. Pearson’s new ball bowlers, Aiden Mitchell and Jaydan Ward, did well, claiming 3/19 and 2/20 respectively.

Trailing by 83 runs on the first innings, Pearson collapsed in their second visit to the crease, scraping only 45 all out in 22 overs.

Opening bowler Heindré Serfontein set Saints on course for an emphatic victory, bagging 3/8 in six overs, while Nikhil Sukraj and FG Botha both took 2/3; the only difference being that Sukraj achieved those figures in four overs, while Botha did it in two.

In the end, St Andrew’s School won by an innings and 38 runs.

Summarised Scorecards

First Innings

Kearsney College 129/10 (Daniel Miskey 40, Aaron Blackburn 29, Rivan Moodley 21; Anré Schoeman 4/43, Connor Parry 2/8, Logan Groch 2/16); Grey High 311/10 (Cullen Marais 107, Logan Goddard-Ford 82*, Connor Parry 76, Rivan Moodley 6/65, Michael Groom 2/71).

Second Innings

Kearsney College 80/10 (Keegan de Jager 23, Rivan Moodley 23; Logan Groch 5/11, Micha Wessels 2/12, Matthew Tinley 2/25). Grey High won by an innings and 102 runs.

First Innings

Die Hoërskool Menlopark 154/10 (Heinrich Claassen 25, Keagan Hills 24, Monré Koekemoer 21, Jacques de Villiers 20; Erik Lintvelt 6/43); Namibia Invitational 200/10 (Rowan van Vuuren 41, Dan Brassel 38, Michael Muller 30, Tiaan van der Merwe 25, Adriaan Coetzee 25; Jovan Hartman 7/63).

Second Innings

Die Hoërskool Menlopark 207/10 (Monré Koekemoer 96, Keagan Hills 31; Ben Brassel 4/33, Erik Lintvelt 2/37); Namibia Invitational 166/2 (Adriaan Coetzee 60*, Tiaan van der Merwe 58, Janko Engelbrecht 34*). Namibia Invitational won by eight wickets.

First Innings

Pearson High 140/10 (Daniel Smithdorff 37, Jude Septoo 37; Nikhil Sukraj 2/11, Heindré Serfontein 2/26, Erhard Barends 2/30); St. Andrew’s School 223/10 (Reuben van Aarde 116, Schalk van Rensburg 41, Extras 23; Aiden Mitchell 3/19, Jaydan Ward 2/20, Jude Septoo 2/59).

Second Innings

Pearson High 45/10 (Heindré Serfontein 3/8, Nikhil Sukraj 2/3, FG Botha 2/3). St. Andrew’s School won by an innings and 35 runs.

Paarl Boys’ High vs Helpmekaar College

After suffering losses on the first two days of the HJS Cricket Festival, the tournament hosts, Paarl Boys’ High, secured their first win at the third attempt on Thursday.

The format was, once again, 50 overs a side for their clash with Helpmekaar College at Brugstraat’s A Field.

Batting first, the Johannesburg school didn’t quite see out their full quota of overs, being bowled out for 232, with seven balls remaining.

AB Jacobs was the pick of the Boishaai bowlers, knocking over 4/23 in 5.5 overs.

Then, Christiaan van der Heever, batting sixth in the order, led a successful run chase, which brought Boys High victory by two wickets.

He struck nine fours and two sixes in an unbeaten 88 runs off 107 deliveries, which steered the home team over the line with 5.2 overs to spare.

Hoërskool Garsfontein vs Westville Boys’ High

Brugstraat’s B Field hosted a battle between the sides which had beaten Paarl Boys’ High on the previous two days.

Hoërskool Garsfontein, after winning the toss, elected to bat first against Westville Boys’ High and put up 224 all out, losing their last wicket to the second ball of their final over.

Righard Joubert and Riaan Boshoff combined for a 60-run third-wicket partnership, which was the second highest of the match. Joubert contributed three fours and two sixes in his 46 off 72 balls, while Boshoff hit two fours and three sixes in his 38 off 40.

The Griffins‘ Misbah Nair was once again a standout performer with the ball, claiming 3/27 in five overs.

Unfortunately for the KZN crew, they didn’t have enough in the tank to make it across the line, despite some fight from their middle order. Liam de Villiers tallied 43, batting at six, while Kai Cotton, at seven, smashed six fours and a six in a hasty 40 off 30 balls.

They also shared the highest partnership of the match, adding 69 runs before De Villiers became the fifth Griffin to lose his wicket.

Alzjandro Potgieter, with 5/17 in eight overs, undermined Westville’s run chase, while Ruan Coetsee’s 3/13 from six overs also severely damaged Westville’s hopes of victory. They were all out in the 43rd over for 175, leaving Garsies with a convincing 49-run win and their third victory on the trot.

Stellenberg High vs Hoërskool Marais Viljoen 

Stellenberg High won the toss at home and opted to bat against Hoërskool Marais Viljoen (MV).

After a bumpy 46.3 overs, the Jade Brigade tallied 180 all out. Opener Roux Wasserman anchored their innings, making the Marais Viljoen bowlers work hard for their wickets as he tallied 36 off 51 deliveries. Wilhelm Smet held the middle order together, contributing a patient 40 from 72 balls.

Trent Shrives was the most penetrating MV bowler and snapped up 3/19 in six overs. Then, when the Alberton school batted, he pounded three fours and three sixes to record the contest’s highest score of 54, which came off 80 balls.

Despite Shrives’ strong individual showing, Marais Viljoen came up well short of Stellies’ 180. Their reply lasted into the 43rd over, which was when they lost their last wicket with 135 runs on the board.

With a 45-run victory, Stellenberg, like Garsfontein, takes a three from three record into Friday’s fixtures.

Hoërskool Parel Vallei vs Hoërskool Dr. E.G. Jansen 

Juan Ungerer’s unbeaten 57 off 100 deliveries was the difference maker in the match between Hoërskool Dr. E.G. Jansen and Hoërskool Parel Vallei (PV) in Somerset-West on Thursday.

After losing the toss and being put in to bat first, Jansies scrambled their way to 165/9 in their 50 overs. PV‘s response was a grinding 110 all out in 43.5 overs.

Stian Ungerer, Juan Ungerer, and Henri Juan Coetzee took three wickets apiece to see their side to a 55-run win.

Boland Landbou vs Hoërskool Noordheuwel

On the Stiaan van Zyl Oval, Gunther Schmidt was once again at the heart of the action for Boland Landbou, capturing 3/17 in 8.3 overs against Hoërskool Noordheuwel. He was well supported by Kobus Conradie, who grabbed 3/27 from his 10 overs as Nories limped to 109 all out after 36.3 overs.

The Farmers‘ batsmen produced a more consistent effort in their pursuit of a modest total, with both openers, Conradie and Gideon Kotze, making 21. There were a few bumps along the way, but they secured a four-wicket win when they reached 114/6 after 31.5 overs at the crease.

Summarised Scorecards

Helpmekaar College 232/10 (AB Jacobs 4/23, Reese Petersen 2/42, Ed Lee Koopman 2/51); Paarl Boys’ High 233/8 (Christiaan van den Heever 88*, Extra 31, JP Immelman 29, Ruan Heyns 29, Charl du Toit 20). Paarl Boys’ High won the match by two wickets.

Hoërskool Garsfontein 224/10 (Righard Joubert 46, Riaan Boshoff 38, Alzjandro Potgieter 33, Charl van Staden 23, Extras 20; Misbah Nair 3/27, Liam de Villiers 2/14); Westville Boys’ High 175/10 (Liam de Villiers 43, Kai Cotton 40, Jamie Hasselbach 32; Alzjandro Potgieter 5/17, Ruan Coetsee 3/13). Garsfontein won by 49 runs.

Stellenberg High 180/10 (Wilhelm Smet 40, Roux Wasserman 36, Extras 22; Trent Shrives 3/19, Jacques Ferreira 2/20); Hoërskool Marais Viljoen 135/10 (Trent Shrives 54, Ethan van Rooyen 35, Rieshaeel Hashim 22; JJ Rothman 3/22, John Naudé 2/3, Aidan Pienaar 2/32, Jan-Jak Alberts 2/40). Stellenberg won by 45 runs. 

Hoërskool Dr. E.G. Jansen 165/9 (Jayden Barnes 57*, Brenton Francis 36, Extras 20; Imtiaz Olivier 3/28, Daniel Adonis 3/33, Chris Hughes 2/26); Hoërskool Parel Vallei 110/10 (Matthew Vermeulen 25, Ruben du Plessis 20; Stian Ungerer 3/14, Henri Juan Coetzee 3/24, Juan Ungerer 3/24). E.G. Jansen won by 55 runs.

Hoërskool Noordheuwel 109/10 (Kian Liebenberg 22; Gunther Schmidt 3/17, Kobus Conradie 3/27, Francois Prins 2/28); Boland Landbou 114/6 (Louis du Plessis 24, Matthew Geldenhuys 23, Gideon Kotze 21, Kobus Conradie 21; Hanru Begemann 3/7). Boland Landbou won by four wickets. 

Paarl Boys’ High vs Hoërskool Garsfontein

After defeating Paarl Gimnasium by eight wickets on Tuesday, Hoërskool Garsfontein took on another Paarl school, the tournament hosts, Paarl Boys’ High, on Wednesday.

The home side was the first to pick up the willow at  Brugstraat’s A Field. Like all of the matches on the day, this one was a 50-over affair.

Boishaai lasted 44.1 overs at the crease against the Pretoria powerhouse before being bowled out for 174.

Number five batsman, Roan Haynes, top-scored for the hosts, smashing six fours and two sixes in his 57 runs off 73 balls.

Garsfontein was subjected to a tougher chase than they faced on Tuesday, but the Pretoria school had the answers, claiming a narrow two-wicket win when they reached 179/8 despite a 3/12 haul from Ra-eez Isaacs.

Paarl Gimnasium vs Westville Boys’ High 

After Tuesday’s draw against Cornwall Hill College left a strong Westville Boys’ High outfit frustrated, the KZN side took out their frustrations on Paarl Gimnasium on Wednesday.

The hosts won the toss and opted to bat first. Wian Munnik, batting at three, scored his second consecutive fifty of the festival, walloping seven fours and three sixes in his 64 off 70 deliveries.

De Waal Vivier, who made his way to the crease after the fall of the fourth wicket, stirred up the excitement in the middle overs, blasting four fours and a maximum in an unbeaten 62 off 68 balls as Gim tallied 235 all out off of the second-last ball of their 50 overs.

Four Westville bowlers picked up two wickets each, with Misbah Nair‘s 2/18 from 2.5 overs being his side’s best return.

In reply, it took the Griffins 48.2 overs to get across the finishing line, which they achieved for the loss of eight wickets, thus recording a two-wicket win.

Misbah Nair shone again. Batting at 10, he struck a vital and undefeated 37 from only 20 balls, including three fours and a six to power his team past Gim’s total. Ewan du Toit, though, provided the crucial anchor innings, top scoring with 82.

Boland Landbou vs St John’s College (Harare)

In their contest against St John’s College (Harare), Boland Landbou opted to bat first on their Stiaan van Zyl Oval after the coin flip fell their way.

Both Matthew Geldenhuys and Johannes Goosen weighed in with half-centuries. Geldenhuys struck five fours in his 58 off 75 balls, while Goosen sped up the tempo, clobbering two fours and two sixes, in his 51 off 49.

Fergus Dorward claimed 2/20 in three overs for the Zim outfit, which was tidy. However, they conceded a huge 43 extras, which included 25 wides. That helped the Farmers to total 221 before they were bowled out in the 46th over.

In reply, St John’s never really got going. Gunther Schmidt was one of the primary reasons for that, capturing 3/27 in seven overs, which put the skids under the visitors’ efforts.

Their innings lasted 38 overs before they were dismissed for 145, resulting in a 76-run victory for the Farmers.

Hoërskool Hans Moore vs Hoërskool Diamantveld 

On the Brugstraat B Field, Hoërskool Hans Moore delivered a dominant performance against Hoërskool Diamantveld.

The Benoni school posted a strong total of 256 all out, which they achieved in 46.2 overs, thanks mainly to opener, Xavier van Biljon, who was on fire, clubbing eight fours and eight sixes in a superb 114 runs off only 83 deliveries.

In their chase, the Kimberley locals were able to muster only a quarter of the Moories‘ total. Their innings ended on 64 all out in the 23rd over, leaving Hans Moore the runaway winners by a mighty margin of 192 runs.

Parel Vallei High School vs Cornwall Hill College

Parel Vallei (PV) lost the toss on their A Field, where they faced Cornwall Hill College, and were made to bat first.

The Centurion team’s Kirill Broughton made it a difficult innings for PV, snapping up 3/21 in 10 overs and, although the home side spent 46.5 overs at the crease, they tallied only 109 all out. Their best knock came from Divan Sander, who top-scored for the hosts with a slow and steady 28 off 56 balls.

Defending a modest total, the Somerset West school made early inroads into the Cornwall Hill batting order. The tide turned, however, when Oliver Richards came in at seven to guide his team to a three-wicket victory.

He stroked five fours in an unbeaten 38 off 54 deliveries, which lifted Cornwall Hill to 112/7 after 38.2 overs.

Hoërskool Durbanville vs Napso Namibia 

Hoërskool Durbanville‘s Vissershok Field saw Napso (Namibian Private Schools Organisation) become the first non-South African outfit to earn a victory at this year’s edition of the festival.

Durbies won the toss and decided to bat first. Napso responded well to the challenge as an emerging trend of four bowlers taking two wickets each continued.

The home team’s batting effort was inconsistent, but two batsmen stood out. In the top order, Liam Kirsten hit four fours in his 35 off 57, while Jeandré Janse van Rensburg, batting at 10, weighed in with a quickfire 34 off 25 balls, which included three fours and a six.

After 43.1 overs, Durbanville was all out for 178, which wasn’t enough to prevent the Namibians from picking up a three-wicket win.

They batted at almost exactly the same run rate as Durbies, taking 42.4 overs to reach 181/7. Drikus Swart, who made his way to the middle at the fall of the fourth wicket, led the way, striking five fours in an undefeated 50 off 66 deliveries.

Summarised Scorecards

Paarl Boys’ High 174/10 (Roan Haynes 57, Extras 22); Hoërskool Garsfontein 179/8 (Ra-eez Isaacs 3/12, Ed Lee Koopman 2/26, Aden Batt 2/52). Garsfontein won by two wickets. 

Paarl Gimnasium 235/10 (Wian Munnik 64, De Waal Vivier 62*, Louis Koen 23, Waldus de Jager 22, Extras 21; Misbah Nair 2/18, Tristin Delvin 2/32, Aarin Rasmussen 2/40, Kyle McGough 2/65); Westville Boys’ High 236/8 (Ewan du Toit 82, Misbah Nair 37*, Aarin Rasmussen 24*, Kai Cotton 22; De Waal Vivier 3/50, Wian Munnik 3/50). Westville Boys’ High won by two wickets.

Boland Landbou 221/10 (Matthew Geldenhuys 58, Johannes Goosen 51, Extras 43; Fergus Dorward 2/20, Shivaan Chouhan 2/33, Hayden Saunders 2/33); St. John’s College (Harare) 145/10 (Hayden Croxford 31, Luca Spagnuolo 24, Shivaan Chouhan 24, Shaylen Parmar 20; Gunther Schmidt 3/27, Caleb Seroot 2/12, Matthew Geldenhuys 2/20). Boland Landbou won by 76 runs.

Hoërskool Hans Moore 256/10 (Xavier van Biljon 114, Josh Venter 45, Duan Maree 34; Hanru Rademeyer 2/13, Janno Du Plessis 2/14, Arno Mostert 2/28, Rulo van der Merwe 2/35); Hoërskool Diamantveld 64/10 (Josh Venter 2/13, Isaac Aube 2/19). Hans Moore won by 192 runs.

Hoërskool Parel Vallei 109/10 (Divan Sander 28, Chris Hughes 20, Extras 20; Kirill Broughton 3/21); Cornwall Hill College 112/7 (Oliver Richards 38*; Imtiaz Oliver 4/17, Chris Hughes 2/17). Cornwall Hill won by three wickets.

Hoërskool Durbanville 178/10 (Liam Kirsten 35, Jeandré Janse van Rensburg 34, Juan van Coller 24, Extras 23; Abri Oberholtzer 2/21, Drikus Swart 2/22, Emile Kuhn 2/25, Christiaan Kriel 2/25); Napso Namibia 181/7 (Drikus Swart 50*, Janco Schlechter 27, Abri Oberholtzer 27, Jandré de Jager 26, Christof Van Der Merwe 24; Juan van Coller 4/35). Napso Namibia won by three wickets.

Paarl Boys’ High began their HJS Cricket Festival by hosting Hoërskool Noordheuwel on Tuesday. The declaration format fixture turned into a nail-biter.

It was tough going at the crease with Aden Batt, Boishaai‘s number eight batsman, grafting hard for 25 off 55 deliveries, which was the home side’s best effort against a consistent Nories‘ bowling attack.

Four of their bowlers claimed two victims each, with Tristan Helmand, the tidiest of them, snapping up 2/9 in six overs as Paarl Boys’ High was limited to 151 all out after 52.5 overs.

Noordheuwel was forced to scratch and claw for every run in their run pursuit but, after 40.4 overs, the Krugersdorp outfit snatched victory when they reached 156/9.

Meanwhile, Paarl Boys’ High’s arch-rivals, Paarl Gimnasium, hosted Pretoria’s Hoërskool Garsfontein in a game that was reduced to a 30-over-a-side bout.

Sent out to bat after the toss went Garsies‘ way, Gim posted 148/7, led by Wian Munnik, who made his way to the crease at the fall of the first wicket and hammered five fours in an innings of 58 off 72 deliveries.

In their successful run chase, all four Garsfontein batsmen achieved contributions of over 20, with opener Wikus du Preez top scoring with an unbeaten 44 off 74.

They won by eight wickets with 13 balls to spare when they reached 149/2 after 27.5 overs at the crease.

In the Hoërskool Bellville versus Hoërskool Outeniqua match on Bellville’s A Field, the sides felt they had enough overs in hand to turn their contest into a double-innings declaration match. However, that proved to be a little too optimistic.

The Kwaggas’ Ross Taljaard captured an emphatic 6/16 in 6.3 overs to help bowl out Bellville for only 65 in their first innings. The second time around, trailing by 89 runs after the first innings, Bellville was in trouble on 21/5, with Johalin Oosthuizen knocking over 5/4 in only 3.1 overs.

Stellenberg High was the first Western Cape team to defeat opposition from another province. They showed admirable resilience to edge out Boksburg’s Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen by one wicket in their declaration contest.

As he often does in the middle order, Jan-Jak Alberts came through in the clutch, cracking three fours in his steadfast 38 off 77 balls. His heroic effort helped the Jade Brigade to sneak by Jansies‘ 96 all out, but it took them a battling 41.3 overs to get there.

Hoërskool Parel Vallei is a school that has invested a lot of time and effort into their sport in recent years, and it’s shown in their continually improving results. They, perhaps, remain underestimated, however.

The Hoërskool Waterkloof XI, or second team, found themselves overwhelmed by the Somerset-West outfit’s clique of ferocious bowlers.

Daniel Leisegang collected 3/13 in four overs, while Chris Hughes picked up 2/1 in three overs as Klofies were knocked over for only 65 runs. Hughes then weighed in with an unbeaten 30 to help his side to 71/2 after 28 overs and a comfortable eight-wicket victory.

Grey High XI opener, Reece Bailes, has also turned out for the Gqeberha school’s 1st XI, and he showed why by scoring an undefeated 61 off 59, which included four fours and a six, against Curro Durbanville‘s 1st XI.

His effort helped to propel Grey to a 14-run win. They tallied 131/3 before bowling out Curro for 117.

Summarised Scorecards

Paarl Boys’ High 151/10 (Aden Batt 25, JP Immelman 24, Tom Krige 24; Tristan Helmand 2/9, JD Bezuidenhout 2/11); Hoërskool Noordheuwel 156/9 (Aden Batt 3/42, Ullrich Drotschie 2/24, Reese Petersen 2/31). Noordheuwel won by one wicket.

Paarl Gimnasium 148/7 (Wian Munnik 58, De Waal Vivier 25, Extras 23; Alzjandro Potgieter 3/16, Ruan Coetsee 3/22); Hoërskool Garsfontien 149/2 (Wikus du Preez 44*, Joshua De Villiers 38, Ruan Cuyler 29*, Charl van Staden 24). Garsfontein won by eight wickets.

Hoërskool Bellville 65/10 (Johan Bergh 23; Ross Taljaard 6/16); Hoërskool Outeniqua 154/10 (Hanno Swart 51, Daniel du Preez 41; Tiaan Hartman 2/20, Lehano van der Westhuyzen 2/22, Kian Joubert 2/31, Jay-C Dikella 2/32); Hoërskool Bellville 21/5 (Johalin Oosthuizen 5/4). Match drawn.

Hoërskool Dr. E.G. Jansen 96/10 (Gunther Hofmann 31, Henri Coetzee 21; JJ Rothman 3/12, Aidan Pienaar 3/29, Jan-Jak Alberts 2/25); Stellenberg High 97/9 (Jan-Jak Alberts 38, Ethan Vermeulen 23; Jayden Van Wyk 3/20). Stellenberg won by one wicket.

Hoërskool Waterkloof XI 65/10 (Daniel Leisegang 3/13, Chris Hughes 2/1, Daniel Dreyer 2/20); Hoërskool Parel Vallei 71/2 (Chris Hughes 30*). Parel Vallei won by eight wickets. 

Grey High XI 131/3 (Reece Bailes 61*, Extras 27, James Bonnage 21); Curro Durbanville 117/10 (Reece Bald 42, Dylan Herman 41; Nathan Trytsman 3/11, Francois van der Walt 2/20, Jatin Nefdt 2/21). Grey High XI won by 14 runs.

The HJS Krieketfees, or Paarl Boys’ High Cricket Festival, is one of the biggest festivals in South African schoolboy cricket.

In 2026, 54 teams across 29 schools will be in action from Tuesday, 6 January to Friday, 9 January.

In the u19 age group, there will be 15 fixtures per day, with 30 teams participating in that age demographic.

As is often the case, some teams who were part of last year’s festival have departed, while some newcomers enter the fray. This year, the newbies include St John’s College (Harare), Napso Namibia, Oakdale Landbou, and the Paarl Boys’ XI.

On day one, the games will follow a declaration format, which allows for a maximum of 120 overs to be played on the day, with both sides having one innings each to bat.

Days two and three will be played in the 50-over format, while day four will be divided between 50-over and 20-over formats.

The Teams (u19)

Boland Landbou: Francois Prins, Kobus Conradie, Louis du Plessis, Matthew Geldenhuys, Gideon Kotzé, Gunther Schmidt, Divan Meyer, Phillip Louw, Caleb Seroot, Juan Visagie, Troy Davis, Johannes Goosen, Diwan Schoeman.

Centurion Secondary: Leon Gunter, Meyer Gunter, Morné Prinsloo, Morné Venter, Tyler Broodryk, Carlo Kotze, Eben Kotzee, Aden Schadle, Johann Boshoff, Kyle Fourie, Christiaan Pietersen, Dillon Guthrie, Ewald Calitz.

Cornwall Hill College: Connor Alexander, Kirill Broughton, Zander Davel, Rourke de Lange, Ethan Feris-Philander, Trent Hardie, Tumisho Lekaote, Neoentle Makwela, Obakeng Mokonyane, Mohale Pitso, Oliver Richards, Daneel Swanepoel, Keagan van Wyk.

Curro Durbanville: Alex van der Westhuizen, Reece Bald, Ryan Lategan, Daniel Myburgh, Jean Paul Smith, Janré Lourens, Joshua van der Merwe, Landseer Collen, Liam Store, Tyler Jones, Christiaan Vorster, Ryan Heusmann, Dylan Herman.

Grey High: James Bonnage, Sam du Preez, Ryan Swarbrick, Sanjay Sivakumar, Nathan Trytsman, Stephan Trytsman, Reece Bailes, Trent Barnardo, Cullen Nortier, Daniel Ballack, Jayden Rohroff, Jaytin Nefdt, Cameron Pretorius.

Helpmekaar College: John Butner, Keanu du Plooy, Dawid Fourie, Ewald Haasbroek, Xander Jackson, Zuan Joubert, Sebastian Kloek, Heinrich Minnaar, Rudolph Odendaal, Dominic Tait, Stefan Trumpelman, Stian van den Berg, Keegan van Schoor, Frederick Zeelie.

Hoërskool Bellville: Xander Lategan, Johan Bergh, Rheeder Heath, Stiaan Maritz, Jay-C Dikella, Ruben Botha, Aldo Botha, Edmund Klue, Lehano van der Westhuyzen, Kian Joubert, Krige van Jaarsveld, Darius de Goede.

Hoërskool Diamantveld: Cobus Fourie, Ruben Viljoen, Neil Steynberg, Arno Mostert, Hanru Rademeyer, Francois Holtzhausen, Janno du Plessis, Rulo van der Merwe, Michael Nieuwoudt, Francois Hattingh, Juandré van Staden.

Hoërskool Dr. E.G. Jansen: Henri Juan Coetzee, Deacann Pagel, Brenton Francis, Jayden Barnes, Ernst de Beer, Gunther Hofmann, Jaco Engelbrecht, Juan Ungerer, André Pretorius, Stian Ungerer, Nailin Carter, Jayden Fortuin, Tristan van Wyk.

Hoërskool Durbanville: Juan van Coller, Danté Mouton, Liam Kirsten, Jan-Oscar van Tonder, Johan Potgieter, Braam Smit, Farrel-Leigh Dido, Ruben La Grange, Jeandré Janse van Rensburg, Erich Vermeulen, Van As van As, Andreas Smit, Antoine Smit.

Hoërskool Garsfontein: Wikus du Preez, Joshua de Villiers, Riaan Boshoff, Righard Joubert, Arrie Verster, Ruan Cuyler, Aljzandro Potgieter, Willem Louw, Katlego Lebelo, Reinhard Niebuhr, Nathan Ferreria, Ruan Coetsee.

Hoërskool Hans Moore: Keanan Serfontein, Aiden Shaw, Gert Greyling, Isaac Aube, Stephan Vermaak, Sohil Jugnath, Xavier van Biljon, Joshua Venter, Kearan Weyers, Jake Bevolo, Kyle Wratten, Duan Maree, Nathan King.

Hoërskool Marais Viljoen: Ethan van Rooyen, Jadon Pretorius, Daymian Coetzee, Riyaan Marques, Trent Shrives, Jared Mentz, Rieshaeel Hashim, Zaim Hashim, Hendré Cilliers, Jacques Ferreira, Marco Hoffman, Stiaan Janse van Vuuren.

Hoërskool Marais Viljoen XI: Aron Ambachtsheer, Ruan van der Merwe, Evann Myburgh, Tameem Ismail, Ovaya Jonas, Luan Ackermann, RJ de Beer, Warrick Hood, Phathu Ndou, Yerushen Chellan, Matthew Bothma.

Hoërskool Montana: Marco Rudolph, Juan Theunissen, Du Preez Prinsloo, Markus Espag, Woudter Kotze, Jovhanne Conradie, Liam Vorster, Adriaan Nel, Leejan van Jaarsveld, Reinhardt Swart, Dewet du Toit, Durandt Stassen.

Hoërskool Noordheuwel: Dian Taljaard, Tristan Helmand, Steph Jooste, Tidi Moeketsane, Jayden Zoutendyk, Kian Liebenberg, JD Bezuidenhout, Gerhard Roolvink, Wander Roolvink, Liam Roets, Hanru Begemann, Drew Phillips.

Hoërskool Outeniqua: Daniel du Plessis, Nathan Best, Hanno Swart, Idan Balzun, Dehan Meyer, Johalin Oosthuizen, Wernich Cassell, Matthew Coleman, Liam Haasbroek, Devon van der Heever, Daniel du Preez, Ross Taljaard.

Hoërskool Waterkloof: Adriaan du Plessis, Juan du Preez, Justin Pretorius, Luan van Wyk, Herschelle van Loggerenberg, Johan Ernst, Mieder Erasmus, Wihan Rademan, Chris Klopper, JJ Thom, Ruan de Meyer, Heinrich Tolmie, Anru Nel.

HTS Drostdy: Bryan Cochrane, Christopher du Toit, Alex Matthee, Karel Hugo, M-Jay van Reenan, Adriaan Krynauw, Jannes Krynauw, Willem Louwrens, DJ Luck, Albert Nel, Ruan Nortjie, Stephan Steyn.

Napso Namibia: Malan Morkel, Malan Esterhuyzen, Emile Kuhn, Henré Opperman, Christof van der Merwe, Jandré de Jager, Abri Oberholzer, Tiaan van der Westhuizen, Christiaan Kriel, Janco Schlechter, Drikus Swart, Damian Kotze, Ethan du Toit.

Northcliff High: Rouxwan Coetzer, Caleb Henenne, Gareth Hunkin, Jack Woolard, Mabtho Mbambo, Tristan Stanley, Zach Soares, Oliver Vermaak, Mahomed Bux, Ntokozo Tshabalala, Jordan Venter, Regan van der Walt, Charl Erasmus.

Oakdale Landbou: Marty Kortje, André Gouws, Harri Venter, Rico Ferreira, Schalk van der Merwe, Stian Pfaff, Jaco Bouwer, Charlie Terblanche, Albert Myburgh, Barry Durr, Ian Saayman, Ruben Ludik.

Paarl Boys’ High: Neil Louw, AB Jacobs, Daniel Francke, Ruan Heyns, Tom Krige, JP Immelmann, Aden Batt, Reese Peterson, Charl du Toit, Ullrich Drotschie, Ra-eez Isaacs, Ed-Lee Koopman, Ra’ed Fredericks.

Paarl Boys’ XI: Christo Muller, Willem Nolte, William Eaton, Dylan da Silva, Jean de Villiers, Christiaan van den Heever, Keanu February, Da-Niell Willemse, Andreas Dippenaar, Divan Fourie, Schalk van der Merwe, Zavier Swartz, Latham Domoney.

Paarl Gimnasium: Matt Dippenaar, Wian Munnik, Louis Koen, Waldus de Jager, Dirk Hugo, Beon Swanepoel, Derrick Groenewald, De Waal Vivier, Paul Schoeman, Werner Steyn, Gian van Eeden, Daniel Carstens.

Parel Vallei: Ben Traut, Luke Engelbrecht, Chris Hughes, Divan Sander, Paul Kruger, Matthew Vermeulen, Ruben du Plessis, Daniel Adonis, Johnathan Roos, Daniel Dreyer, Dirk van Zyl, Rayyan Wally, Daniel Leisegang, Imtiaz Olivier.

Somerset College: Owethu Moyi, Inam Buhla, Mark Pyle, Oliver Prothero, Buhle Mfunelwa, David de Klerk, Ave Nikatine, Mila Silamsi, Troy Varie, Johann Rauch, Micqal Mentoor, Daniel Kaplan, Finn Rankin, Samarth Sreedhar, William McIntosh.

St. John’s College (Harare): Riley Ettlin, Brendan Kalonga, Hayden Croxford, Luca Spagnuolo, Jetas Sai Maramreddy, Shivaan Chouhan, Hayden Saunders, Shaylen Parmar, Ross Gibbons, Noah Mitchell, Fergus Dorward, Sean Riley, Sean Price.

Stellenberg High: Roux Wasserman, Aidan Pienaar, Francois Hugo, Wilhelm Smet, JJ Rothman, Jan Jak Alberts, Michael Amoêdo, Gerrad Kamalie, Liam Fourie, Tede September, Joshua van Wyk, John Naude, Ethan Vermeulen.

Westville Boys’ High: Kyle McGough, Tristin Delvin, Aidan Baudach, Aarin Rasmussen, Ashton Kidgell, Lwandle Bulose, Ewan du Toit, Misbah Nair, Liam de Villiers, Jamie Hasselbach, Luca Roddan, Jay-Reece Madatt, Kai Cotton.

Monday, the final day of the 2025 CSA Boys u17 Rural Week, was arguably the tournament’s best day. Rather than the 20-over format that had been employed up until then, the last of the playoff matches took place over 50 overs.

As a result of that, the day also delivered the lone century of the tournament and its sole six-for. Meanwhile, Boland and Limpopo battled it out for the title.

Throughout the event, the bowlers had dominated, yet Limpopo chose to bat first when the toss went their way. That proved to be a costly decision as just over 10 overs into their innings they had stumbled to a miserable 22/6.

Coming in at eight, after everyone above him had failed to make more than single figure contributions, Luhan Drotskie produced the innings’ top score of 24. It took him 46 balls and included a four and a six.

The going was extremely slow, but, after 40.1 overs, Limpopo was all out for just 73. They had done themselves no favours by losing three batsmen to run outs.

Each of the first three bowlers used by Boland picked up two wickets each. Bryan Cochrane bowled the maximum 10 overs and claimed 2/19, while it took Therenzo Jacobs five overs to bag his 2/15.

Adriaan Krynauw ended the Limpopo innings when he bowled tail-ender Dumisani Negwenya on the first ball of the 41st over. He finished with 2/7 from 4.1 overs.

Much like Limpopo’s innings, Boland’s reply was littered with single digit scores, with only one batsman making it beyond that, but Daniel Adonis‘s knock was the difference between victory and defeat.

He compiled an unbeaten 39 from 87 balls, hitting only one four, to guide Boland to 74/8 after 26.5 overs and to victory by just two wickets.

Tiaan Haasbroek made life difficult for the Capetonians, capturing 4/10 in six overs, while AJ Galloway returned 2/22 in six. It wasn’t quite enough to prevent Boland from taking the title, however. They also finished the event as the lone unbeaten side.

The day’s sole century and six-for came from Eastern Province players in their fifth-place playoff match against North West, which was also the Plate final.

Opening the batting, Enrique Strydom amassed 12 fours and three sixes in his outstanding 119 runs off 130 deliveries, which helped Eastern Province to the highest total of the tournament, 278/9. The consistent Keagan Jattiem played his part with 55.

Then, thanks to Muhammad Yaseem Kazi’s phenomenal 6/14 in 5.1 overs, Eastern Province was able to better the biggest win of the tournament, beating their previous 154-run win over Kei on Sunday by inflicting a 157-run loss on North West after bowling them out for only 121 after 30.5 overs.

Eastern Province may have placed fifth, but they were the only team in the tournament to win three of their five matches by more than 100 runs.

The Lions struggled to get going in their third-place playoff against Northern Cape, with the top three in their batting order all going out for three.

The next two players to the crease, Bokamoso Bantjie and Declan Steinmann, put an end to that trend, adding a hasty 50 off 35 balls in their fourth-wicket partnership.

Bantjie weighed in with 33 off 39, while Steinmann contributed two sixes and a four in his rapid 20 off 14.

After only 24.1 overs, however, Gauteng had been limited to 90 all out.

Northern Cape batted patiently in their run chase, scoring at only 2.7 runs per over, but, after 35.3 overs, they reached 96/8 to claim a two-wicket win.

Ruan Esterhuizen, batting at eight, carried the Northern Cape to victory with an unbeaten 41 off 74 balls.

KZN Coastal versus Kei for seventh place was the only game of the day that finished with all 20 wickets being taken.

Batting first, KZN Coastal mustered just 67 all out, with Gift Banda‘s 16 their best effort.

There were some strong performances from the Kei bowlers, with Bulumko Didi knocking over 4/13 in 6.4 overs, while Luthando Gwazela secured 3/15 in seven.

Coastal’s 67 didn’t appear to be enough, but Eastern Province had skittled Kei for only 22 on Sunday and, once again, batting proved to be Kei’s downfall.

Their opener, Liso Mfisi, provided the match’s top score of 18 off 43 deliveries, but Kei totalled only 52 all out, leaving KZN Coastal the winners by 15 runs.

Sahl Peerbhay dominated with 4/13 in nine overs, while Jordan Gopaul racked up four maidens in his miserly 3/5 from six overs.

In the Shield final, for ninth place overall, the Free State’s Zander Fourie struck 43 off 65, which included four fours, against the Eastern Cape Iinyathi.

Fourie had entered the fray at 14/3, but his crucial innings helped Free State to reach triple figures, just. They ended on 104 all out.

The Iinyathi’s Akhanya Bontsi and Akhona Ntlathi saved their best performances for last. Bontsi returned the tidy figures of 3/5 from five overs. Ntlathi, meanwhile, wrapped up the innings by collecting 3/8 from 3.4 overs as the Free State effort was halted after 31.4 overs.

In reply, the Eastern Cape side struggled. Three of their top seven batsmen were removed without scoring.

Batting at nine, Zingce Poni provided a late spark, cracking three fours and a six in his 23 off 18, but the Iinyathi didn’t have enough in the tank and were dismissed for 81.

Liam Singleton and Dumisani Johnson ensured the chase lasted only 17.2 overs. Singleton snapped up 4/16 in six overs, while Johnson chipped in with 4/36.

In the 11th-place playoff, Armand Kotze‘s 54 off 74 got Mpumalanga off to a strong start against KZN Inland. Andries Coetzer was forced to retire hurt, but not before he had contributed a useful 43 runs off 70 balls.

Sanele Mabote and Hendré Nel both scored 33, but in vastly different manners. Mabote took 77 balls to get there while Nel went in with guns blazing, striking two sixes and a four in his 20-ball stay.

After their 50 overs were up, Mpumalanga had tallied 246/8.

Janko Hatting was the only Inland bowler to claim multiple wickets, acquiring 2/40 across eight overs.

Inland’s reply lasted only 30.4 overs and brought them just 101 all out. Devon Earle stubbornly resisted, making 32, but four other batsmen barely made it into the teens, and the rest recorded single figure scores.

Fezile Mthombeni claimed some important wickets, picking up 2/26 in five overs, but Adil Larya stole the show. He averaged a wicket every four deliveries in an incredible return of 4/7 from 2.4 overs.

Summarised Scorecards

Limpopo 73/10 (Luhan Drotskie 24; Adriaan Krynauw 2/7, Therenzo Jacobs 2/15, Bryan Cochrane 2/19); Boland 74/8 (Daniel Adonis 39; Tiaan Haasbroek 4/10, AJ Galloway 2/22). Boland won by two wickets.

Lions 90/10 (Bokamoso Bantjie 33, Declan Steinmann 20; Senzo Fillies 2/1, Liam Laing 2/15, Schalk Human 2/25); Northern Cape 96/8 (Ruan Esterhuizen 41*, Extras 26; Milan Nel 3/11). Northern Cape won by two wickets.

Eastern Province 278/9 (Enrique Strydom 119, Keagan Jattiem 55, Extras 26, Herman le Roux 23; Ayaan Chaudhary 4/50, Divan Lombard 2/68); North West 121/10 (André Dreyer 42, Isah Bulbulia 26, Extras 24; Muhammad Yaseem Kazi 6/14, Ruan Nel 2/18). Eastern Province won by 157 runs.

KZN Coastal 67/10 (Bulumko Didi 4/13, Luthando Gwazela 3/15); Kei 52/10 (Sahl Peerbhay 4/13, Jordan Gopaul 3/5, Shivaar Sivpersad 2/25). KZN Coastal won by 15 runs.

Free State 104/10 (Zander Fourie 43, Extras 20; Akhanya Bontsi 3/5, Akhona Ntlathi 3/8); Eastern Cape Iinyathi 81/10 (Zingce Poni 23, Extras 20; Liam Singleton 4/16, Dumisani Johnson 4/36). Free State won by 23 runs.

Mpumalanga 246/8 (Armand Kotze 54, Andries Coetzer 43*, Extras 38, Hendré Nel 33, Sanele Mabote 33; Janko Hatting 2/40); KZN Inland 101/10 (Devon Earle 32; Adil Larya 4/7, Fezile Mthombeni 2/26). Mpumalanga won by 145 runs.

Sunday’s action at the CSA u17 Rural Week, taking place in Mpumalanga, involved the semi-finals in the Cup, Plate, and Bowl competitions, with the top four sides from the group stage contesting the Cup.

Each of the second placed teams from the groups, which comprised three sides each, moved into the Plate semis, while the third placed units shifted their attention to the Bowl.

Cup semi-finals

Limpopo and the Lions delivered an edge-of-the-seat semi-final, which was decided by the slimmest of margins.

Batting first, Limpopo narrowly failed to reach triple figures, accumulating 97/9 after their 20 overs. Opener Marcus Ngobeni was their leading run scorer, making 27 from 34 balls, while Tshepo Matsaneng claimed 3/6 in two overs for the Lions.

Needing to bat at 4.9 runs per over to win, the Lions mustered 4.8. They just missed out on forcing a Super Over, totalling 96/8, one run shy of levelling the scores.

Frederik Botes, Luhan Drotskie and Tiaan Haasbroek took two wickets apiece, but Limpopo let themselves down by giving away 18 extras, 16 of which were wides. That very nearly cost them a place in the final.

It was a first loss for the Lions, and it leaves Boland and Limpopo as the only unbeaten teams heading into the title game, where only one of them will finish the Rural Week undefeated.

In the semi-final between Boland and the Northern Cape, Luhan Noeth came in at five and struck 29 in an otherwise barren innings of 64 all out for the Northern Cape.

The trio of Karel Hugo, Bryan Cochrane and Chris Hughes were near unplayable at times, with Cochrane capturing 3/11 in four overs, while Hughes snapped up 2/8 in two overs. Between them, they dismissed four of the first five batsmen.

Later, Hugo’s 4/24 ensured there would be no fight back from the Northern Cape.

Liam Laing did everything he could to defend a sub-standard total, knocking over 4/2 in his four overs. However, his fellow Northern Cape bowlers weren’t able to produce the support Laing required to help lead his side to an improbable victory. Candin Coetzee’s 1/2 in one over was the only other dent in Boland’s run chase.

It took the Western Cape side 13 overs to reach 65/5, with opener Noah Goliath‘s 19 off 24 their top score.

Plate semi-finals

There was another low scoring game in the Plate semi-finals, where Onalenna Maphoso got the North West off to a great start against KZN Coastal by nabbing 4/7 in four overs. No batsmen made it into double figures as the KZN boys tumbled to 57 all out in the last of their 20 overs.

André Dreyer, who has been North West’s mainstay with the bat and ball throughout the tournament, led their run pursuit, top scoring with 32 off 23 balls.

There was a slight hiccup towards the end of the North West innings when Veolan Palavar collected 2/1 in one over, but, after 12 overs, they won by four wickets when they reached 58/6.

In an Eastern Cape derby, Eastern Province (EP) posted a substantial total of 176/8 against Kei.

In at three, Chris Zimmerman blasted five sixes and two fours in an impressive 64 off 34. He was well supported by opener Keagan Jattiem, who cracked four sixes and two fours in his 40 off 25. Together, the pair added a hasty 65 off 37 for the second wicket.

Despite EP’s strong performance at the crease, Bulumko Didi excelled for Kei, taking 4/16.

The contest turned into a rout when Kei’s batting folded with little resistance for only 22. Jordan Damons continued his excellent wicket-taking form, recording figures of 3/7 in four overs, while Andrew Muir, Enrique Strydom and Ockert Du Preez all picked up two wickets each as EP bounded to a massive 154-run win.

Shield semi-finals

Free State took on the hosts, Mpumalanga, in the Shield semi-finals and rode opener Aiden Hewitt‘s excellent innings to 115/6 and, eventually, victory by 38 runs. Hewitt’s contribution was 51 from 41 balls, with four fours and a six, and it was, also, 30 runs more than the next highest score attained by a batsman in the match.

Logan Schutte shone for the home side, sending four batsmen packing for only 12 runs from his four overs.

However, Mpumalanga’s run chase never really got going and they were restricted to just 77/9 in reply. Dumisani Johnson picked up 3/32 and Zander Fourie snared 2/11, both in four overs, to lead Free State’s effort in the field.

They’ll face the Eastern Cape Iinyathi in the Shield final after the boys from the Border region comfortably accounted for KZN Inland.

The bowlers continued to rule the roost when Inland batted first. Opener Devon Earle provided their only score above 20, tallying 24 off 25, as the KZN team was bowled out for only 76 after 19.3 overs.

Zingce Poni and Milani Manya did most of the damage for the Iinyahti. Poni bagged 3/17 in two overs, while Manya returned 2/11 from four.

While KZN Inland struggled at the crease, the Iinyathi didn’t. It took them only 9.2 overs to race to 80/3 and a seven-wicket victory.

Manya followed up his miserly bowling performance with an aggressive batting display, which brought him an undefeated 47 from just 24 balls, including three fours and four sixes.

Summarised Scorecards

Limpopo 97/9 (Marcus Ngobeni 27; Tshepo Matsaneng 3/6, Ruan Coetzer 2/22); Lions 96/8 (Frederik Botes 2/16, Tiaan Haasbroek 2/17, Luhan Drotskie 2/17). Limpopo won by one run.

Northern Cape 64/10 (Louhan Noeth 29; Karel Hugo 4/10, Bryan Cochrane 3/11, Chris Hughes 2/8); Boland 65/5 (Liam Liang 4/2). Boland won by five wickets.

KZN Coastal 57/10 (Onalenna Maphoso 4/7, André Dreyer 2/5); North West 58/6 (André Dreyer 32; Veolan Palavar 2/1). North West won by four wickets.

Free State 115/6 (Aiden Hewitt 51; Logan Schutte 4/12); Mpumalanga 77/9 (Hendré Nel 21; Dumisani Johnson 3/23, Zander Fourie 2/11). Free State won by 38 runs.

Eastern Province 176/8 (Chris Zimmerman 64, Keagan Jattiem 40, Andrew Muir 20; Bulumko Didi 4/16, Luthando Gwazela 2/16); Border Kei 22/10 (Jordan Damons 3/7, Enrique Strydom 2/1, Andrew Muir 2/3, Ockert Du Preez 2/10). Eastern Province won by 154 runs.

KZN Inland 76/10 (Devon Earle 24; Zingce Poni 3/17, Milani Manya 2/11); Eastern Cape Iinyathi 80/3 (Milani Manya 47*; Stuart Talanda 2/15). Eastern Cape Iinyathi won by seven wickets.