Author: mbloem

Thirteen players from four schools and a development side have been named in the Free State u19 team to contest the Khaya Majola Week.

They’ll have the advantage of playing at home, with the event taking place in Bloemfontein from 16 to 21 December.

St Andrew’s School leads the way with six players selected, while Grey College has four. Hoërskool Trio, HTS Sasolburg, and the Rocklands Hub have one representative each.

AJ van Wyk, of St Andrew’s, will serve as the team’s head coach. Sylvester KhauKhau, from the Rocklands Hub, is the assistant coach, and Mbali Mtana, from Grey College, is the team manager.

The line-up includes opening batsman Christian Kind, who was selected for the SA Schools side in 2024.

Naudé Botha, meanwhile, was one of only two batsmen to score a century at the Khaya Majola Week last year.

Joining Kind and Botha for a second year at the inter-provincial week are all-rounder Henru de Wet, and seam bowlers, Otto Krause and Cullen Kakora.

Free State Khaya Majola Week Team

1. Aiden Dodd (Grey)
2. FG Botha (St. Andrew’s)
3. Nikhil Sukraj (St. Andrew’s)
4. Henru de Wet (Grey)
5. Christian Kind (Grey)
6. Naudé Botha (St. Andrew’s)
7. Cullen Kakora (St. Andrew’s)
8. Otto Krause (Grey)
9. Lebohang Mohlomi (Sasolburg THS)
10. Bokang Mohasa (Trio HS)
11. Luthando Mnyameni (Rocklands Hub)
12. Andrew Sobiech (St. Andrew’s)
13. Bohlokwa Leketa (St. Andrew’s)

Hoërskool Fichardtpark vs Bethlehem Voortrekker Hoërskool (50-over)

In a 50-over contest on Saturday, Bethlehem Voortrekker, playing away from home, won the toss and elected to field first at Hoërskool Fichardtpark, in Bloemfontein.

The hosts found it difficult to deal with the intensity of the Voortrekker bowling attack, which was well led by Vlag Janse van Rensburg. They were dismissed for a low total, which the visitors chased down with seven wickets to spare.

Janse van Rensburg has been in good all-round form and starred for Voortrekker with the bat in a Switch Schools SA20 loss to Hoërskool Trio in mid-week. On Saturday, he excelled with the ball, capturing a superb 4/10 from 3.5 overs. Ruan Heunis also shone, snagging 3/23 in six overs.

Number three batsman, Davyd Oosthuizen, offered the most resistance for Fichardtpark, smashing four fours and a six in his 23 runs off 16 balls. But the Bloemfontein locals mustered only 79 all out in 20.5 overs.

Voortrekker opening batsman Thato Nthebere then it upon himself to stick around until the run chase was done. He stroked six fours in an unbeaten 40 from 36 deliveries to lay a sound foundation.

Jaden Geldenhuys struck for Fichies, sending two batsmen packing for 17 runs from 5.1 overs, but it was the visitors’ day. It took them just 12.1 overs to reach 80/3 and score a seven-wicket win.

Hoërskool Trio (Kroonstad) vs Hoërskool Witteberg (50-over)

Playing at home against Hoërskool Trio, Bethlehem’s Hoërskool Witteberg opted to field first after winning the toss. Although they didn’t see out their 50 overs, Trio put up a healthy 265 runs, which they comfortably defended to win by 82 runs.

Trio’s batsmen produced three fifties, with opener, WJ van Niekerk, scoring 50 runs off 47 balls. In at three, Theuns van Rensburg tallied 55 off 41, and eighth man in, Henrico van der Merwe, contributed 52 off 49 as the Kroonstad side tallied 265 all out in 43.1 overs.

Witteberg’s bowlers enjoyed some success, nonetheless, with Kyle Nel knocking over 3/27 in seven overs, Dumisani Johnson claiming 3/41 in eight, and Tian Jordaan picking up 2/24 in five.

The hosts’ opening batsmen provided their run pursuit with a sound footing. Janco Botha scored 30 off 40, while Xander Fourie weighed in with 37 off 43, but, after them, only HJ Eksteen‘s 34 off 35 delivered a meaningful impact.

In the end, Witteberg’s innings realised 183 runs and lasted exactly 200 balls.

WJ van Niekerk was the destroyer in chief, snapping up 5/33 from 10 overs, while Myburgh Jacobs enjoyed outstanding success in only five overs, returning 4/20.

Summarised Scorecards

Hoërskool Fichardtpark 79/10 (Davyd Oosthuizen 23; Vlag Janse van Rensburg 4/10, Ruan Heunis 3/23, Thato Nthebere 2/15); Bethlehem Voortrekker Hoërskool 80/3 (Thato Nthebere 40*; Jaden Geldenhuys 2/17). Voortrekker won by seven wickets.

Hoërskool Trio (Kroonstad) 265/10 (Theuns van Rensburg 55, Henrico van der Merwe 52, WJ van Niekerk 50, Iwan du Plessis 27, Jaden Malherbe 26, Antoine Pelser 22; Kyle Nel 3/27, Dumisani Johnsen 3/41, Tian Jordaan 2/24, WJ Geldenhuis 2/59); Hoërskool Witteberg 183/10 (Xander Fourie 37, HJ Eksteen 34, Janco Botha 30, Extras 20; WJ van Niekerk 5/33, Myburgh Jacobs 4/20). Trio won by 82 runs.

Seven of the eight Wildeklawer T20 games that were meant to be played on Saturday morning were abandoned due to rain, with only Jeppe High School for Boys vs Wynberg Boys’ High fixture being spared.

The action continues on Sunday, however, with the classification matches.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

After the group stage assignments, the competition was split into the Cup and Plate, with the top eight contesting the former and the bottom eight in the latter.

Mother Nature’s disruption meant that the teams which had accumulated the most points over the previous two days were through to the semi-finals.

Below is a list of the matches and their results due to rain:

Hoërskool Waterkloof vs Northwood (quarter-final one).
King Edward VII (KES) vs Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) (quarter-final three).

Waterkloof and KES were put through to play each other in the first Cup semi-final.

Grey College vs Rondebosch Boys’ High (quarter-final two).
Jeppe High School for Boys vs Wynberg Boys’ High (quarter-final four).

Grey College was put through, while Jeppe played and won their match against Wynberg by just five runs.

The semi-final between Grey and Jeppe was subsequently reduced to 10 overs a side because of the rain, and Grey romped to a convincing nine-wicket win.

Grey High School vs Durban High School (DHS) (Match E)
Die Hoërskool Menlopark vs Westville Boys’ High (Match G)

Grey High and Menlopark were put through and will therefore play each other in the first Plate semi-final.

St. Andrew’s School vs CSA Invitational Hub (Match F)
St. David’s Marist Inanda vs Paul Roos Gimnasium (Match H)

St. Andrew’s and St. David’s were put through and face off in the second Plate semi-final.

The teams who missed out on the Cup final, Jeppe and KES, meet in the third-place playoff.

Affies vs Northwood and Wynberg vs Rondebosch will decide fifth to eighth places.

Then, Paul Roos vs CSA Hub and Durban High School (DHS) vs Westville determine 13th to 16th places.

Friday brought a Switch Schools SA20 – Volume Two showdown between Bethlehem Voortrekker and Hoërskool Trio to Kroonstad.

Showing a good understanding of their home pitch, Trio’s batsmen led their team to an eight-wicket victory.

The visitors, Voortrekker, batted first, but suffered a double-blow in the fourth over of their innings when WJ van Niekerk dismissed both Voortrekker openers within the space of three balls

The next two batsmen didn’t last too long either, with Chesline Mogasi and Van Niekerk nabbing a wicket each. Van Niekerk spearheaded Trio’s attack, finishing with 3/15 from four overs.

The Kroonstad side’s rapid successes were, however, ended by Vlag Janse van Rensburg, who made his way to the crease after the fall of the third wicket. Playing with freedom, he belted 12 deliveries for fours and launched another four over the boundary in an eye-opening 85 from only 42 balls.

Trio cheered with relief when Theuns van Rensburg sent his namesake’s bails spinning through the air.

Myburgh Jacobs grabbed two wickets late in the Voortrekker innings to help his side limit the Bethlehem boys to 142/7 after their 20 overs.

Trio’s Theuns van Rensburg opened the batting for his side and impressed with nine fours and a six in a speedy 46 off 31 balls. Thato Nthebere, however, accounted for both openers, but their removals brought Zayne Williams and Myburgh Jacobs to the crease. They took almost no time to settle in before going after the Voortrekker bowlers.

Williams blasted an unbeaten 38 off 18, cracking four fours and three sixes, while Jacobs weighed in with two of each in making an unbeaten 25 from only 12 deliveries.

When Williams sent the first delivery of the 15th over flying over the boundary, Trio reached 148/2 and with that secured a convincing win with 29 balls in hand.

Summarised Scorecards

Bethlehem Voortrekker Hoërskool 142/7 (Vlag Janse van Rensburg 85; WJ van Niekerk 3/15, Myburgh Jacobs 2/39); Hoërskool Trio 148/2 (Theuns van Rensburg 46, Zayne Williams 38*, Myburgh Jacobs 25*, WJ van Niekerk 24; Thato Nthebere 2/41). Trio won by eight wickets.

Hoërskool Diamantveld vs NCC Hub

There was a local showdown in the Diamantveld Wildeklawer T20 on Friday when Hoërskool Diamantveld, took on the NCC Hub on the Kimberley Country Club B Oval.

Diamantveld might be the hosts, but their warm welcome faded on the field where they romped to a one-sided nine-wicket win.

The toss went the Hub team’s way, but they were met by a fiery Diamantveld bowling attack, who ran through the opposition batting, bowling them out for only 86 after 19 overs.

Opener Tlhafelo Gabannelwe stood firm and defied the Diamantveld bowlers, but around him he saw his batting partners come and go one after the other. When he lost his wicket, he had faced 38 balls, struck four fours, and contributed the innings’ top score of 29 runs.

Unfortunately for NCC Hub, his departure meant there was little resistance against the Diamantveld assault. Francois Holtshausen led the onslaught, capturing 3/9 in three overs, while Nathan Baird knocked back 3/23 in four overs.

When Diamantveld took to the crease, opener Cobus Fourie batted with serious intent, cracking an unbeaten 43 off 26 deliveries, striking five fours and two sixes. He and Neil Steynberg produced a 68-run opening stand from 44 balls, with Steynberg contributing a quick 26 off 18.

Botshelo Diphaye, then, claimed the wicket of Steynberg, caught by Phumzile Makatong, but Diamantveld cruised to victory, reaching 87/1 after only 10.1 overs.

Hoërskool Outeniqua vs Hoërskool Montana

Hoërskool Outeniqua won the toss and elected to bat first against Hoërskool Montana on the CBC Backfield. Montana accepted that decision and, led by Juan Theunissen, they ripped into the Outeniqua batting.

Theunissen removed half of the opposition’s batsmen in only four overs, snagging 5/28, but Hanno Swart and Idan Balzun, in the middle order, held up Montana’s charge, sharing a 70-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

Swart scored 37 off 36 balls, while Balzun chipped in with 26 off 25. Despite their sound stand, Outeniqua was skittled for just 118 after 19.5 overs.

Opener Marco Rudolph led Montana’s run chase but was dismissed only one run shy of a fifty, out for 49 from 29, which featured six fours and a six. Monties, though, had momentum on their side, and they raced to 119/4 after 12.2 overs to win by six wickets.

Johalin Oosthuizen was the only Kwaggas‘ bowler to claim multiple wickets, collecting 2/27 from 3.2 overs.

Hoërskool Hans Moore vs Hoërskool Nelspruit

Hoërskool Hans Moore faced Hoërskool Nelspruit at the Diamond Oval. In a high-scoring affair, the Benoni boys tallied almost 200 runs and went on to score an impressive 25-run win.

Xavier van Biljon and Aiden Shaw were the mainstays of the Moories‘ innings, sharing a 100-run second wicket partnership off 67 balls. Opening batsman Van Biljon batted at two runs a ball, blitzing his way to 70 off 35 deliveries, with three fours and double that number of sixes. Shaw, meanwhile, rotated the strike and scored 37 off 35.

After their respective departures, Kenan Shaw smashed an unbeaten 43 off 18, launching four sixes and a four in his belligerent knock to boost Hans Moore to 197/6 after 20 overs.

Nelspruit made a hesitant start to their innings and although they were able to put a healthy number of runs on the board, they also shipped wickets regularly.

They were struggling before John Duncan’s electric 46 off 18, which included 10 fours and a six, revived their innings.

Janco Breyl produced a solid 39 off 31, striking six fours, but Nelspruit’s challenge was done after 18.2 overs, when the last wicket went down with the total on 172.

In four overs each, Kearan Weyers claimed 2/27, while Kyle Wratten picked up 2/33 for Hans Moore.

Summarised Scorecards

NCC Hub 86/10 (Tlhalefo Gabannelwe 29, Extras 20; Francois Holtzhausen 3/9, Nathan Baird 3/23); Hoërskool Diamantveld 87/1 (Cobus Fourie 43*, Neil Steynberg 26). Diamantveld won by nine wickets.

Hoërskool Outeniqua 118/10 (Hanno Dwart 37, Idan Balzun 26; Juan Theunissen 5/28); Hoërskool Montana 119/4 (Marco Rudolph 49; Du Preez Prinsloo; Johalin Oosthuizen 2/27). Montana won by six wickets.

Hoërskool Hans Moore 197/6 (Xavier van Biljon 70, Kenan Shaw 43*, Aiden Shaw 37, Adrian Watson 21); Hoërskool Nelspruit 172/10 (John Duncan 46, Janco Breyl 39, Luan Siebrits 21; Kearan Weyers 2/27, Kyle Wratten 2/33). Hans Moore won by 25 runs.

Stellenberg High vs Hoërskool Monument

On Friday, day two of the Diamantveld Wildeklawer T20 in Kimberley, Stellenberg High opted to bat first against Hoërskool Monument at the Diamond Oval after winning the toss.

Unfortunately, the match was cut short by rain, but enough play had taken place for the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method to be applied, and it led to a win for Monnas, although it was pretty clear that the calculation was going to work out in their favour. When play ended, they were three runs shy of victory with 37 balls remaining.

The top five in Stellenberg’s batting order all made it into double figures. Unfortunately for Stellies, they failed to crack on much, and Wilhelm Smet‘s 23 runs off 20 balls was their largest contribution.

Once the top order was out, Stellenberg’s tail folded quickly, with their last four wickets going down for only 15 runs.

LeJean Banks and Logan Weetman swept through the tail, with Banks collecting 4/15 in 3.4 overs, while Weetman took 3/29 in four overs as Stellenberg tallied 126 all out.

Monument made a poor start to their run chase, however, and were under early pressure after losing both openers cheaply.

Weetman, though, followed up his strong bowling performance with an excellent innings, smashing three fours and three sixes in a decisive 59 from 30 deliveries.

Stellenberg’s bowling was inconsistent. JJ Rothman claimed 1/9 in two overs, but JJ Alberts wasn’t his usual effective self, going for 31 runs from his two overs.

Monument will feel satisfied with their rapid 124/5 from 13.5 overs, but a ball or two more might have allowed them to win without calling on a mathematical method to determine the outcome.

Paarl Boys’ High vs CBC Invitational

At the Sol Plaatjie University‘s South Campus, the CBC Invitational XI chose to bat first against Paarl Boys’ High. A tight contest unfolded, but some individual brilliance in both the batting and bowling departments resulted in a 13-run victory for the Invitational side.

Their innings started poorly, however, with Boishaai opening bowler, Aden Batt, dismissing both openers on his way to a tidy 2/13 from four overs.

Noah Breyl, batting third in the order, changed the course of the Invitational side’s innings by wrestling control of the contest from the Bolanders. He thumped nine fours and four sixes in an electric 78 from only 42 balls.

Faizeen Kajee, who made his way to the middle after the fall of the second wicket, proved to be a great sidekick to Breyl, contributing 57 off 44, which included five fours and three maximums. Together, they added 115 runs for the third wicket from only 68 deliveries.

Ra’ed Fredericks was the pick of the Paarl Boys’ High bowlers, removing both Breyl and Kajee and adding two more victims to finish with 4/33 from four overs.

At the end of their 20 overs, the CBC Invitational XI had posted a challenging 161/6.

Boys’ High’s run pursuit was undermined by the loss of wickets at regular intervals, with Otliwile Diphokaje, who captured 3/25 in four overs, joining forces with Faizeen Kajee, who snapped up 3/24 in four, to keep the opposition under pressure.

Christo Muller top scored with 38, while Daniel Francke chipped in with 27, but Booishaai failed to see out their overs, with their innings ending after 18.3 overs on 148 all out.

Boland Landbou vs NCC Hub

The NCC Hub won the toss at Kimberley Boys’ High and chose to bat first against Boland Landbou, but they found the Farmers‘ bowlers to be a handful and failed to make it to triple figures, which led to Boland Landbou recording a comfortable eight-wicket victory.

Troy Davis was in top form for the Paarl school, acquiring 3/10 in four overs, while Janco Venter and Louis du Plessis aided their team’s bowling efforts with two wickets each.

Ikanyeng Matlhoko tallied an unbeaten 26 for the Hub, while Katlego Pharedi scored 22, but no other batsmen exited single figures as the Hub was dismissed for only 94.

Facing a modest run chase, the Farmers went hard at the Hub’s bowlers and it paid dividends. After only 7.3 overs, they had rocketed to 95/2 and victory, scoring at almost 13 runs per overs.

Francois Prins smashed seven fours and a six in his fiery unbeaten 42 off 18, while Gideon Kotze weighed in with 37 off 23, thumping four fours and two maximums. Together, they enjoyed an 89-run second wicket partnership off only 40 deliveries.

Summarised Scorecards

Stellenberg High 126/10 (Wilhelm Smet 23; LeJean Banks 4/15, Logan Weetman 3/29); Hoërskool Monument 124/5 (Logan Weetman 59). Monument won by five wickets via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method.

CBC Invitational 161/6 (Noah Breyl 78, Faizaan Kajee 57; Ra’ed Fredericks 4/33, Aden Batt 2/13); Paarl Boys’ High 148/10 (Christo Muller 38, Daniel Francke 27, Extras 25; Faizaan Kajee 3/24, Otliwile Diphokaje 3/25). CBC Invitational won by 13 runs.

NCC Hub 94/10 (Ikanyeng Matlhoko 26*, Katlego Pharedi 22; Troy Davis 3/10, Jaco Venter 2/4, Louis du Plessis 2/15); Boland Landbou 95/2 (Francois Prins 42*, Gideon Kotze 37). Boland Landbou won the match by eight wickets.

King Edward VII School vs Durban High

On Thursday, day one of the Wildeklawer T20, a good-looking clash awaited between King Edward VII (KES) and Durban High School at Sinoville Park, pitting one of Gauteng’s best against one of KwaZulu-Natal’s best.

The toss went the way of DHS, and they elected to bowl first. After a poor start to their innings, KES steadied the ship and posted a solid total, which they were able to defend and score a 17-run victory.

The Johannesburg side was on the back foot early, losing both of their openers within the first three overs, which left them on a shaky 12/2. Fortunately for KES, Luke Clark came in at three and took charge, blasting his way to 43 off only 26 deliveries, which included three fours and four big sixes.

Steele Grooteman, who came in at the fall of the fifth wicket, proved his mettle at the back of the innings, scoring an undefeated 33 off 27 to see KES to 149/7 after their 20 overs.

Left-arm spinner Dhilan Naraidu, who takes the new ball for the Horseflies, bowled superbly, snaring 3/12 in four overs.

DHS made a decent start to their run chase, with opener Ismaeel Omar playing well for 39 from 42 balls. When he was joined by Josh van Biljon, following the departure of Ethan Cooper, KES was made to sweat. Van Biljon, well organised, with a tidy technique, thumped seven fours and a six in tallying 64 off 46 deliveries.

KES bowled with discipline, however, to prevent the DHS batsmen from getting on top. Christian Sabela was to the fore, nabbing 2/15 from four overs, while Wade McQuinn pitched in with 2/28 from his four.

Together, the KES bowlers bowled economically, even those who weren’t rewarded with wickets, which led to DHS completing their overs on 132/6.

Die Hoërskool Menlopark vs Paul Roos Gimnasium

Local side, Die Hoërskool Menlopark won the toss at the Groenkloof Oval and chose to bat first in their clash with Paul Roos Gimnasium. A tightly contested match unfolded, which ended with Menlopark claiming a tight eight-run victory.

Opener Dian van Zyl got Menlo off to a good start, striking five fours in making 28 off 23 balls at the top of the order. Further useful contributions came from Matt van der Westhuizen, with 29, and Juan Lombard, with 26.

Dion Slabber and Marcus Conradie, however, put the skids on the home side’s innings, with Slabber knocking over 3/18 in four, and Conradie returning 3/22, which helped to restrict Menlopark to 128/6.

In the run chase, opener Luca Plekker gave Paul Roos a fantastic shove at the top of the order, stroking four fours and hitting two sixes in a sparkling 53 off 45 balls. but after he departed no one took over the reins.

Nonetheless, PRG was closing in on Menlopark’s total when Jordan van Eck struck with wickets off successive balls in the 19th over. Van Eck missed out on a hat-trick from the next delivery, but a run out from Murray Hofmeyr made it three wickets in succession.

Not only had Menlo picked up three wickets, but, as importantly at that late stage of the match, they had prevented Paul Roos from adding to the total. In the end, the Boland boys finished on 120/6.

Jeppe High School for Boys vs CSA Hub Invitational XI

Jeppe High School for Boys won the toss and decided to bat first in their match against the CSA Hub Invitational XI on the Affies Main Oval. They played well to put up a competitive total and then comfortably defended it with some equally strong bowling to record a 47-run win.

Jeppe opener, Vegas Scott, just missed out on a half-century, out for 49 from 44 balls after hitting five fours and a six. Ryan Young came close to a half-century, too. blitzing his way to 46 from 28 deliveries, five of which he sent to the boundary, with two others being deposited over the boundary.

Taywin Adams led the Hub bowlers, collecting 2/31 from four overs as Jeppe posted 155/5.

Opener Matthew Florence, and fourth batsman in Enathi Kitshini, both scored 22 to keep the Hub XI in the chase, but support was sparse and they were limited to only 108/8 in reply.

Zizi Mkhize’s 3/26 in four overs and Daniel Keating’s 2/9 in two overs were instrumental in disrupting the flow of runs for the CSA outfit.

At the tail end of the Hub XI’s batting, Awonke Mngini chipped in with an unbeaten 22, while Taywin Adams made 20 not out, but by then their side had fallen way behind the required run rate.

Summarised scorecards

King Edward VII 149/7 (Luke Clark 43, Steele Grooteman 33*; Dhilan Naraidu 3/12); Durban High 132/6 (Joshua van Biljon 64, Ismaeel Omar 39; Christian Sabela 2/15, Wade McQuinn 2/28). KES won by 17 runs.

Die Hoërskool Menlopark 128/9 (Matt van der Westhuizen 29, Dian van Zyl 28, Juan Lombard 26; Dion Slabber 3/18, Marcus Conradie 3/22); Paul Roos Gimnasium 120/6 (Luca Plekker 53, Nathan van den Berg 23; Murray Hofmeyr 2/11). Menlopark won by eight runs.

Jeppe High School for Boys 155/5 (Vegas Scott 49, Ryan Young 46, Lincoln Casais 32*, Zizi Mkhize 21; Taywin Adams 2/31); CSA Hub Invitational XI 108/8 (Matthew Florence 22, Enathi Kitshini 22, Awonke Mngini 22*, Taywin Adams 20*; Zizi Mkhize 3/26, Daniel Keating 2/9). Jeppe won by 47 runs.

Northwood School vs Grey College

On Thursday’s opening day of the Wildeklawer T20, Grey College won the toss at Hoërskool Waterkloof and decided to field first against Northwood.

From the start, they kept the Knights under pressure, restricting their scoring to set up a successful run chase and an eight-wicket victory.

The best the Durban school was able to muster was 23 off 20 balls by number three batsman, Thomas Oosthuizen, who also struck three fours.

Grey College’s bowlers were relentless, however, with Bergh Vorster claiming 3/14 in three overs, while Jano Venter wasn’t far behind him, snapping up 2/16, also in three.

With all of their dangermen being dismissed by midway through their innings, Northwood was unable to accelerate later and was limited to 112/5 after their 20 overs.

Faced with a moderate total, Grey opener, Christian Kind, showed no hesitation in attacking it, thumping an astonishing eight fours and five sixes in a fiery 69 off only 34 deliveries to power his side to victory.

The Bloemfontein locals were on it from the start and Northwood’s bowlers took a pounding as Grey raced to 115/2 after only 9.5 overs to win the match with a massive 61 balls to spare.

St David’s Marist, Inanda vs Westville Boys’ High

At the Pretoria High Old Boys Club, Westville Boys’ High won the toss against St David’s Marist Inanda and elected to bowl first. The St David’s batsmen happily accepted the challenge and batted well to set their side up for a 61-run victory.

Between them, their first five batsmen combined for 166 runs. Captain Jason Rowles, batting third in the order, made the largest contribution, smashing four fours and two sixes in an entertaining 45 off 25 balls.

His opposite number, Seth Simpson, was the only Westville bowler to take multiple wickets, claiming 2/17 in two overs as St David’s tallied a challenging 188/5.

In their run chase, most of the Westville batsmen were dismissed before they had an opportunity to play themselves in. However, the side’s captain, Seth Simpson, was even better with the bat than he was with the ball. He struck 68 off 50, cracking three fours and five sixes in a defiant knock.

Kai Davis led the St David’s attack with a return of 2/19 from four overs, while Kyle Butler claimed 2/24.

What stood out was the excellent economical bowling and discipline of the St David’s bowlers. The 12 extras that they conceded featured only one no-ball, while the rest came from byes and leg-byes.

In the end, Westville came up well short, finishing their 20 overs on 127/6.

Summarised scorecards

Northwood School 112/5 (Thomas Oosthuizen 23; Bergh Vorster 3/14, Jano Venter 2/16); Grey College 115/2 (Christian Kind 69). Grey College won by eight wickets.

St David’s Marist, Inanda 188/5 (Jason Rowles 45, Armaan Manack 37, Morteza Manack 34, Sohail Seonath 29; Seth Simpson 2/17); Westville Boys’ High 127/6 (Seth Simpson 68, Heath Scott 22; Kai Davis 2/19, Kyle Butler 2/24). St David’s Marist won by 61 runs.

Grey High vs Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool

On Thursday, day one of the Wildeklawer T20 started with a bang, as last year’s winners, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool defeated Grey High by seven wickets at Camp Discovery.

After Affies won the toss and chose to field first, the Gqeberha locals got off to a strong start with the willow.

Opener Connor Parry was the cornerstone of Grey’s innings, blasting nine fours and three sixes in a rampaging 83 off 54 balls.

Reuben Groenewald, though, brought a sigh of relief for Affies when he sent Parry’s bails spinning through the air, on his way to a superb return of 3/12 from three overs.

Behind Parry’s excellent innings, Grey High posted 169/8 in their 20 overs.

The Affies’ run chase was led by opener AJ Morkel, the son of retired Proteas‘ all-rounder, Albie Morkel, who took the attack to the Grey bowlers. He cracked 10 fours and two sixes in a decisive 74 off 40 deliveries.

His fellow opener, JP Botha, tallied an unbeaten 56 off 39, cracking six fours and a maximum, thus creating a rock-solid platform for a successful run chase.

It took the defending champs only 17.1 overs to overhaul Grey High’s total, taking victory when they reached 173/3, thus winning with 17 balls to spare.

Matthew Tinley was the best of the Grey High bowling lineup, taking 2/34 in three overs.

Rondebosch Boys’ High vs Hoërskool Waterkloof

Hoërskool Waterkloof won the toss at the Gijima Sports Ground and elected to field first against Rondebosch Boys’ High. While ‘Bosch delivered a solid batting performance, Waterkloof showed outstanding resilience to stage a successful run pursuit and win by four wickets.

Rondebosch openers, Daniel Bosman and Daniel Cooke, both made solid contributions. Bosman knocked 22 runs off 19 balls, smashing a six in the process, while Cooke weighed in with 32 off 38, smacking two fours and a six in an otherwise conservative innings.

In at five, Adeeb Levy contributed an unbeaten 35 off 31 at the back of the innings, which included a four and two sixes.

Despite not taking a wicket, Rivan Booysen made an important contribution with the ball, conceding only 15 runs from his four overs, giving him an economy rate of only 3.8 runs per over.

At the end of their 20 overs, Rondebosch had reached 139/5.

Waterkloof got off to a shaky chase, with two of their top batsmen being run out for ducks. Rico van der Walt was run out without facing a single delivery, while Wian du Plessis was run out for a golden duck.

The other two top order batsmen were dismissed for less than five, leaving the Pretoria locals in deep trouble on 19/4 after 3.1 overs. However, Juan Swart, in at five and Riley Miller, in at six, played bravely to not only rescue their side’s innings but set them on the path to victory.

Swart struck an unbeaten 45 off 42, cracking three fours and two sixes. Meanwhile, Miller, the Klofies‘ captain blitzed his way to 60 off 39, smashing six fours and two maximums.

Their courageous assault helped Waterkloof to 141/6 and victory with two overs to spare despite the best efforts of Daniel Cooke, who claimed 3/27.

Wynberg Boys’ High vs St. Andrew’s School

At Die Hoërskool Menlopark, Wynberg Boys’ High won the toss and decided to bat in their game against St Andrew’s School. After putting up a strong total, they dismissed the Saints‘ dangermen early and the Bloemfontein boys never recovered as the Cape Town school went on to a comfortable 85-run.

While four of Wynberg’s first five batsmen made scored in the twenties at impressive run rates, it was Qaeed Shaik’s 50 runs off 38 balls which stood out. His innings included a four and two sixes.

Erhard Barends was the only St Andrew’s bowler to claim multiple wickets, taking 2/29 in four overs as Wynberg totalled 169/5.

Saints struggled to get going in their chase after losing the dangerous duo of Naudé Botha and FG Botha early. Only Andrew Sobiech, Dean Katzin, and Reuben van Aarde made it into double figures, but none progressed beyond the teens.

Nicholas Stafford produced the brilliant figures of 4/20 in three overs for Wynberg, while Fawaaz Hendricks took the last wicket of the match to finish with 2/11 from 2.4 overs as St. Andrew’s School fell for a disappointing 84 all out after only 13.4 overs.

Summarised scorecards

Grey High 169/8 (Connor Parry 83, Markus Potgieter 24*, James Upton 22; Reuben Groenewald 3/12); Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool 173/3 (AJ Morkel 74, JP Botha 56*, Vihan Pretorius 25*; Matthew Tinley 2/34). Affies won by seven wickets.

Rondebosch Boys’ High 139/5 (Adeeb Levy 35*, Daniel Cooke 32, Daniel Bosman 22, Extras 21); Hoërskool Waterkloof 141/6 (Riley Miller 60, Juan Swart 45; Daniel Cooke 3/27). Waterkloof won by four wickets.

Wynberg Boys’ High 169/5 (Qaeed Shaik 50, Muhammad Ameen Schroeder 28, Storme van Rooyen 25, Joshua Prince 24, Michail Tarentaal 24; Erhard Barends 2/29); St. Andrew’s School 84/10 (Nicholas Stafford 4/20, Fawaaz Hendricks 2/11). Wynberg won by 85 runs.

South Africa’s Hub or development sides are often underestimated when compared to the more established elite teams of South African schoolboy cricket. However, those sides exist for many good reasons, with one being that they unearth diamonds in the rough.

In Wednesday’s Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two fixtures, there were a handful of players whose performances suggested that they might be among those diamonds in the rough.

In Victoria Hub‘s astounding 184-run victory over Groote Schuur High, Abdur Razzaaq Saiet slammed an unbeaten 68 runs off 34 balls, flying along at two runs a ball.

His teammate, Zaid Pocha was especially excellent, delivering the eye-popping bowling figures of 7/18 from four overs.

Two other bowling performances caught the eye. St Augustine Hub‘s Matthew Samuels captured 5/9 in four overs in his side’s low-scoring win over Gugulethu Hub, while Anele Pama knocked back 5/14 in three overs for Gugulethu.

SCORES

Victoria Hub 229/7 (Abdur Razzaaq Saiet 68*, Ebrahim van Niekerk 44, Extras 33, Ziyaad Adams 30, Fayaaz Isaacs 28, Abdul-muizz Simons 24; Zayden Michael 2/42); Groote Schuur High 45/10 (Zaid Pocha 7/18, Zarrar Begg 2/4). Victoria Hub won by 184 runs.

Mitchells Plain Hub 80/7 (Ashwin Jordaan 37); Curro Durbanville 84/0 (Reece Bald 42*, Alex van der Westhuizen 30*). Curro Durbanville won by 10 wickets.

St. Augustine Hub 56/10 (Ayden Manuel 25; Anele Pama 5/14, Avumbile Mbekeni 3/22); Gugulethu Hub 25/10 (Matthew Samuels 5/9, Blake Barkley 2/14). St. Augustine won by 31 runs.