Author: froberholzer

Victor Sehata, Kamogelo Morema, and Enock Morima will all return for a second stint in the Limpopo Impalas squad at the annual Khaya Majola Week, which will be held from 16-20 December in Cape Town’s southern suburbs.

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Sehata and Morema, both from the Mohodi Cricket Hub, made their bow at last year’s tournament after a historic year for the Mohodi side, which became the first Hub team in South Africa to claim a schools’ league title.

It was, unfortunately, a difficult week for the men from Limpopo, who managed only one victory from their five matches.

Since then, the pair has gone from strength to strength. Sehata was the leading runs scorer in the Limpopo Super 8 League this year, scoring 257 runs at an average of 51.40, including three fifties.

Morema was among the leading wicket-takers in the league, finishing in the top five after snapping up 13 wickets in six appearances. Mahlodi Sekuba earned a call-up, too, giving Mohodi three players in the team.

The Limpopo Champions, Hoërskool Pietersburg, deservedly, also has three representatives, with their most noteworthy inclusion being that of Hanno van Zyl. The all-rounder was in the mix to go to the Khaya Majola Week in Makhanda last year but opted to represent the province at the National Sevens tournament instead. This year, he takes his place in the Limpopo lineup alongside his fellow Pieties’ all-rounder, Nicholas Oerlemans, and opening batsman Philip Weterman.

The Impalas, also, boast the service of the province’s leading wicket-taker and left-arm spinner, Timothy Baker. Baker, Merensky Landbou Akademie‘s mainstay in 2024, racked up an outstanding 18 wickets in just six league games. Just like the man from Tzaneen, Luca van der Merwe, from Hoërskool Nylstroom, is the sole representative of his school.

The experienced Enock Morima will be joined by his Phalaborwa Hub teammate, Bradley Rickotso, while the Hoërskool Piet Potgieter’s fast bowler Du Preez Coetzee and batting all-rounder, Muhammed Muaaz will fly Mokopane’s flag high in Cape Town.

LIMPOPO IMPALAS SQUAD

Victor Sehata (Mohodi Hub), Kamogelo Morema (Mohodi Hub), Mahlodi Sekuba (Mohodi Hub), Ntshuxeko Sebata (Giyani Hub), Muhammed Muaaz (Piet Potgieter), Du Preez Coetzee (Piet Potgieter), Lucas van der Merwe (Nylstroom), Timothy Baker (Merensky), Enock Morima (Phalaborwa Hub), Bradley Rickotso (Phalaborwa Hub), Phillip Weterman (Pietersburg), Hanno van Zyl (Pietersburg), Nicholaas Oerlemans (Pietersburg).

Management

Head Coach: Ben Benzien
Assistant Coach: TK Kepekepe
Manager: Thato Jidde

Easterns have certainly had the pick of the litter for this year’s Khaya Majola Cricket Week, which takes place from 16-20 December in the southern suburbs of Cape Town.

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With sides like Hoërskool Kempton Park, Marais Viljoen, and Hans Moore punching far above their weight and producing outstanding cricket talent throughout the 2024 season, it will be interesting to see how Easterns, one of the smaller unions, fares against some of the bigger names at the week.

The side from Eastern Gauteng’s leadership core will feature returning players, Aldre Huyzers, last year’s hattrick and seven-wicket-haul hero, Parth Patel, and Sabelo Mabanga.

Huyzers is joined by a couple of his Marais Viljoen teammates, including the talented wicketkeeper/batsman, Jaden Govender, who has graduated from the region’s junior structures. Alongside Govender, Cayden Ramage and top order batsman, Tian Kühn, will also make their way down south with the team.

Kempies, the Easterns’ School SA20 champions, have two representatives in the talented JJ Havenga and all-rounder, Wian Pieters, who, also, led Kempton Park to the quarterfinals of the Fain Noordvaal competition.

Xavier Coetzee is Hans Moore’s only representative. He played a pivotal batting role in the school’s historic season, which ended with them winning the Noordvaal competition for the first time in Hans Moore’s history.

Mabanga, in his second stint, will be joined by another Actonville Hub representative, Tshegofatso Nthare. Nkosibonile Sibisi is the Dudaza Hub’s sole representative, while Tlotlo Nchabaleng, from Christian Brothers College, and Ahmed Imraan, from Benoni High School, will aim to fly the flag high as the only representatives of their schools.

EASTERNS SQUAD

Sabelo Mabanga (Actionville Hub), Xavier Coetzee (Hans Moore), Aldre Huyzers (Marais Viljoen), JJ Havenga (Kempton Park), Jaden Govender (Marais Viljoen), Nkosibonile Sibisi (Dudaza Hub), Tlotlo Nchabaleng (Christian Brothers College), Cayden Ramage (Marais Viljoen), Wian Pieters (Kempton Park), Parth Patel (St Benedict’s College), Tian Kühn (Marais Viljoen), Tshegofatso Nthare (Actionville Hub), Ahmed Imraan (Benoni High School).

Management

Head Coach: Onke Mtsiba
Assistant Coach: Seun Beya
Manager: Andrew Smith

After five long years of hard work, Hoërskool Eldoraigne‘s first cricket team has finally entered the ring with Pretoria’s biggest names.

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They’ve worked their way up to join the likes of Waterkloof, Affies, and Garsfontein in the Titans Platinum A-League after convincingly beating Hoërskool Centurion by seven wickets in their promotion/relegation match on 13 November.

Playing a day/night match away from home, the Woeries won the toss and elected to bat first, aiming to put some scoreboard pressure on the Eldoraigne side.

Things, however, did not go to plan, as the home team’s sharp fielding and good spells from Reinhardt Haasbroek (3/21) and Matthew Sampson (3/25) set the tone.

Centurion captain, Morné Prinsloo, the younger brother of the talented Charl Prinsloo, who led the side earlier this year, fought back well with an important 47 runs.

Unfortunately for the visitors, apart from opening batsman, Leon Gunter, who battled his way to 35 runs from 75 deliveries, there was little support for Prinsloo’s effort. Still, the Woeries had something to defend after losing their last wicket with the score on 150. The hard-hitting Benyael Morkel did a good job for Eldoraigne, also showcasing his abilities with the ball by snapping up 2/33 in support of Haasbroek and Sampson.

Knowing the conditions well and with momentum on their side, the Eldo openers set things up nicely for the home side’s run chase.

Ryno Mulder got proceedings off to a flyer with a quickfire 23 runs before he was sent back to the pavilion by Centurion’s most successful bowler on the day, Morné Venter, who added further spice to the contest when he got rid of Morkel for a first-ball duck, on his way to a return of 2/25 from six overs.

Kyle de Bruin, however, teamed up well with Ruan Steyn to take the game away from the visitors. De Bruin kept a cool head after three wickets had gone down in quick succession, batting at a brisk pace despite the pressure being exerted by the Centurion attack. His unbeaten 56-ball knock was the key to Eldoraigne’s victory and it included nine fours and a six in an unbeaten 70.

Steyn worked the ball around effectively before going on the attack, which brought him an undefeated 45 and a match-winning partnership of 102 runs with De Bruin, which saw the green wave across the line in only the 24th over.

Summarised scorecard

Hoërskool Centurion 150/10 (Morné Prinsloo 47, Leon Gunter 35; Reinhardt Haasbroek 3/21, Matthew Sampson 3/25, Benyael Morkel 2/33); Eldoraigne 151/3 (Kyle de Bruin 70*, Ruan Steyn 45*, Ryno Mulder 23; Morné Venter 2/25). Eldoraigne won by seven wickets.

Merensky Landbou Akademie was crowned the champion of the Limpopo Schools SA20 after a tight tussle with a fired-up Phalaborwa Hub on Saturday, 9 November.

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The side from Phalaborwa had its tail up after an impressive performance in the second of the semi-finals earlier that morning.

They rolled Giyani Hub for a meagre 43, with Lesley Zimba returning a remarkable three wickets for only eight runs. Talenta Ndlovu snapped up a further three while conceding only 15 runs from his four-over spell. Ripfumelo Mabunda made another significant contribution, sending two Giyani batsmen back to the pavilion.

After that strong bowling performance, the Phalaborwa batsmen didn’t have too much to do, although Marcus Ngobeni looked solid in scoring an unbeaten 16 runs coming from just 12 deliveries as they advanced to the final.

The Phalaborwa bowlers continued their good form in the title decider. This time, Rivoningo Chauke hit his straps. Chauke, who’ll be playing for the Limpopo Impala side at the Khaya Majola Week in December, did the bulk of the damage, capturing three quick wickets for only nine runs from his four overs.

It, however, came as no surprise that it was Merensky’s top performers over the last couple of months, JP Botha and Rinaldo Bornman, who steered the Plasie ship to safety. Botha led the charge with another exciting innings. Smashing three sixes and one four, the wicketkeeper/batsman took the game to the Phalaborwa bowlers, striking an unbeaten 43 from 35 balls.

Bornman also played a little gem, contributing 27 runs, while some good running between the wickets by the pair led to them combining nicely for a crucial and match-winning partnership of 48 runs. Their stand helped Merensky to an average total of 121/6 from their 20 overs, but it gave them something to defend.

Phalaborwa Hub found the going tough out in the middle. Bornman tied them down with his off-spin, snaring 3/14, while the right-arm medium pacer, Xander Schoeman, claimed two timely wickets at the top of the order.

Benjie Mathebela, with 19, was the Phalaborwa Hub’s top scorer, but they came up well short, tumbling to a disappointing 75 all out, 46 runs short of the Merensky total.

Summarised scorecards

Semi-Final Two 

Giyani Hub 43/10 (Thabiso Silinda 12; Lesley Zimba 3/8, Talenta Ndlhovy 3/15, Ripfumelo Mabynda 2/5); Phalaborwa Hub 45/1 (Marcus Ngobeni 16*; Ntshovelo Mkhavele 1/17). Phalaborwa Hub won by nine wickets.

Final

Merensky 121/6 (JP Botha 43*, Rinaldo Bornman 27; Rivoningo Chauke 3/9, Ripfumelo Mabynda 2/22); Phalaborwa Hub 75/10 (Benjie Mathebela 19; Rinaldo Bornman 3/14, Xander Schoeman 2/20). Merensky won by 45 runs.

The Hoërskool Hans Moore 1st XI made history by claiming the school’s first-ever Fain Noordvaal title after beating Hoërskool Middelburg by seven wickets on St Alban’s College’s TC Mitchell Oval on Saturday.

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It was an exceptional day for the Moories’ vice-captain, Henré Everleigh. Not only was he part of the winning team, but Everleigh also equalled the school’s record for the most wickets in a season.

At the start of play, he had 59 to his name, but Everleigh was intent on producing a special performance in the biggest game of his school career.

Bowling seven overs, the Hans Moore opening bowler snapped up the four wickets he needed to equal the record and, at the same time, conceded only 16 runs to heap further pressure on the Middelburg batsmen.

The spin twins, Kyle Wratten and Kenan Shaw provided good support and shared six wickets between them. Wratten snared 3/27 in nine overs, while Shaw bowled his full quota of 10 overs and claimed 3/29.

The trio’s efforts led to a massive Middies’ collapse as the side from Mpumalanga lost six wickets for only five runs, slipping from 120/4 to 125 all out.

Reuben Brandmuller and Eduan Strydom were the only standouts for Middelburg, with Brandmuller weighing in with a mature 43 runs and Strydom contributing 33 as they shared a 76-run partnership.

While the Middies’ batsmen scored slowly, Hans Moore’s batsman, took a different approach and went on the attack right from the get-go. Adrian Watson, with 16, and Kenan Shaw, with 20, took only 6.4 overs to rustle up 48 runs for the first wicket.

They departed in quick succession, though, without the addition of a run, with Watson falling victim to Strydom and Shaw chipping a catch to mid-wicket off the bowling of Gavin Genis, who picked up 1/33.

Strydom castled the Moories’ captain, Warren Minnaar, shortly before lunch for his second wicket, but it was to be the last wicket taken by Middelburg.

After lunch, the impressive Xavier Coetzee continued his good form, playing freely for an unbeaten 32 runs from 35 deliveries. Aiden Shaw made a telling contribution, striking an unbeaten 28 from 33 as he and Coetzee saw the Benoni school to victory off the second ball of the 20th over.

Meanwhile, also at St Alban’s College, but on the Baloyi Oval, Hoërskool Garsfontein successfully defended their u15 Noordvaal title, recording a comfortable 56-run win over Hoërskool Waterkloof.

Arrie Verster was the Garsies’ mainstay with the willow. The middle-order batsmen came to his side’s rescue after some early trouble, which was brought on by Klofies’ new ball bowler William van den Berg, who captured 4/32, and Christiaan Smit, who took 3/35.

Verster did a good job of occupying the crease, spending 95 balls out in the middle while compiling 79 runs, which was the key innings in Garsfontein’s 181 all out.

Waterkloof mustered just 125 in response as the Garsies’ bowlers dominated. Katlego Lebelo led the way with the ball, snapping up one wicket in his first spell before returning for a second spell, during which he did more damage by claiming another two scalps. The young quick eventually ended with an impressive and match-winning return of 3/32 from 10 overs.

Under heavy pressure from Garsfontein’s good bowling and high-intensity fielding, Waterkloof struggled, but Wynand Gouws grafted hard for 35 runs. Unfortunately for him, only Lian Claasen, with 21, offered good support.

Ruan Cuyler, with 2/8, and Iwan Trollope, with 2/25, gave solid backing to Lebelo, leading to Waterkloof coming up 57 runs short of the victory target.

Summarised scorecards

1st Team Final

Hoërskool Middelburg 125/10 (Reuben Brandmuller 43, Eduan Strydom 32; Henre Everleigh 4/16, Kyle Wratten 3/27, Kenan Shaw 3/29); Hans Moore 129/3 (Xavier Coetzee 32*, Aiden Shaw 28*, Kenan Shaw 20; Eduan Strydom 2/42). Hans Moore won by seven wickets.

U15 Final 

Garsfontein 181/10 (Arrie Verster 79, Dean Wilbers 20; William van den Berg 4/32, Christiaan Smit 3/35); Waterkloof 125/10 (Wynand Gouws 35, Lian Claasen 21; Katlego Lebelo 3/32, Ruan Cuyler 2/8, Iwan Trollope 2/25). Garsfontein won by 56 runs.

Saturday will be a historic day for schools’ cricket north of the Vaal River.

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The Fain Noordvaal Competition will crown a new champion when the history-making underdogs, Hoërskool Hans Moore and Hoërskool Middelburg, face off on the TC Mitchell Oval, the home of St Alban’s College cricket, in Pretoria.

The Middies have won the Noordvaal competition once previously, way back in 1941, while the Moories will be chasing their first title.

The sides’ respective roads to the final weren’t easy. Hans Moore had to get past last year’s runners-up, Hoërskool Marais Viljoen, and Die Hoërskool Menlopark, tests which they passed with flying colours.

The Middies brushed aside Hoërskool Kempton Park in the quarter-finals and then, a week later, at home, stunned the defending champions, Hoërskool Waterkloof, in the semi-finals. Those victories mean that for the first time since 2013, a Pretoria-based school won’t feature in the title decider.

The Klofies, the most successful side over the past 10 years, contested nine of those 10 finals, winning six times, including consecutive victories in 2019, 2022, and 2023.

Saturday’s showdown should be a fascinating battle between bat and ball.

Middelburg possesses a strong bowling lineup, led by off-spinner Gavin Genis, who has bagged a sensational 16 wickets, including three five-fors, in his last three appearances. His best figures of 6/51 were achieved in the shocking upset of Waterkloof, a team that boasts a talented and deep batting lineup. Genis has also been a key performer with the bat, scoring over 450 runs in eight limited-overs matches in 2024.

Middies’ vice-captain, Eduan Strydom, will also be full of confidence after knocking over a crucial 4/44 in the win over the Klofies.

Facing the Middelburg attack will be a challenge, but Hans Moore’s captain, Warren Minnaar, will, no doubt, be looking forward to it. The Moories’ skipper has shown his class throughout 2024, accumulating 1 354 runs thus far. He’ll be eyeing one last big and game-changing score on Saturday.

Alongside him, Easterns’ Khaya Majola representative, Xavier Coetzee, always appears to be in form. He, too, will be a scalp the men from Mpumalanga will regard as critical to their success.

In the Moories’ bowling department, their vice-captain, Henré Everleigh, has already captured 59 wickets this year, which leaves him just four short of equalling the school’s record of 63. Appearing in the Fain Noordvaal final means motivation to equal or better that mark will not be an issue for him.

TEAMS

Hans Moore: Warren Minnaar (Captain), Henré Everleigh (Vice-Captain), Kenan Shaw, Stephan Vermaak, Xavier Coetzee, Adrian Watson, Aiden Shaw, Zander Swart, Ethan Smith, Kearan Weyers, Kyle Wratten.

Head Coach: Paul Amorin.
Assistant Coaches: Werner Swart, Justin Brink.

Hoërskool Middelburg: Le Roux French (Captain), Eduan Strydom (Vice-Captain), Zubair Desai, Herman Potgieter, Reuben Brandmuller, Gavin Genis, Shaun Taljaard, Ivan Deale, Hendré Nel, Wian van Heerden, Sibusiso Maduna, Christian Jansen.

Head Coach: Shaun Neethling.
Assistant Coach: Waldo Prinsloo.

Merensky Landbou Akademie‘s first XI will be holding their breath to see who they’ll face in the final of the Limpopo Schools SA20 on Saturday.

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In the final, Merensky will face either Giyani Hub or Phalaborwa Hub for the title. Those sides meet in a semi-final showdown on Saturday morning.

The Plasies booked their place in the title decider by comfortably defeating Mohodi Boys Hub by 47 runs on 2 November.

Playing at the prestigious Stanford Lake College, after the teams chose to meet one other halfway, the Plasies opted to bat first, and their opening batsmen, James Durant and Bernard Wandrag, started well, combining for a 57-run partnership, to which they both contributed 21 runs.

This laid the platform for the attacking duo of all-rounder, Rinaldo Bornman, and wicket-keeper/batsman, JP Botha, to do what they do best. Botha led the Merensky charge, smashing three sixes and three fours on the big Stanford Field, in his innings of 39 runs from 30 deliveries.

Bornman chipped in with 36, which included four fours, and the pair partnered for a scintillating 81-run stand.

After their demise, Xander Schoeman went on the attack, smashing two sixes and two fours in a quickfire 28 from only 13 balls.

By the conclusion of their 20 overs, Merensky Landbou had posted a very challenging 189/4.

In reply, Mohodi’s Kamogelo Morema, who’ll be heading to his second Khaya Majola Week in December, batted phenomenally. The experienced opening batsman gave the Plasie bowlers grey hairs while cracking four fours and three sixes in an entertaining contribution of 72 runs.

Unfortunately for Morema, the only other noteworthy contribution was 25, scored by Mphontseng Mashlane, but more were needed.

The Plasies’ fast bowler, Schalk Rossouw, impressed with his three wickets, which included the scalps of Morema and Mashlane, at the cost of 18 runs from his three overs

Captain and opening bowler, Luka Heinlein, did a tidy job, generating good swing, to claim 2/12 from three overs.

After 20 overs, the Mohodi Hub had been restricted to 142/7.

Summarised scorecard 

Merensky Landbou 189/4 (JP Botha 39, Extras 39, Rinaldo Bornman 36, Xander Schoeman 28*, James Durant 21, Bernard Wandrag 21; Mahloti Sekuba 1/15) Mohodi Boys Hub 142/7 (Kamogelo Morema 72; Mpontsheng Mashlane 25; Schalk Rossouw 3/18, Luka Jeinlein 2/12).

Merensky Landbou won by 47 runs.

Hoërskool Hans Moore showed why they are one of the best teams north of the Vaal River by claiming a historic spot in the Fain Noordvaal Final.

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The side from Benoni withstood a fiery spell from Die Hoërskool Menlopark‘s quicks, Tiaan Serfontein and Monré Koekmoer, just before lunch on their way to a comfortable seven-wicket victory in Pretoria on Saturday.

After an impressive display with the ball and in the field, the Moories had momentum on their side as they headed to the crease, thanks to their young spin bowlers, Kyle Wratten and Kearan Weyers, who delivered a masterclass in left-arm spin bowling, sharing five wickets between them.

Wratten led the way with an impressive return of 3/22 from his quota of 10 overs, while Weyers, who had converted from a left-arm seamer to a spin bowler earlier in the year, backed up his colleague with an impressive 2/21 from his 10 overs.

Kenan Shaw added another two wickets to his 2024 tally while keeping Menlopark’s batsmen quiet, snapping up 2/13 in 7.1 miserly overs.

Parkies’ James Badenhorst was a thorn in the side of Hans Moore, top-scoring with a mature 39 runs. He and Monré Koekemoer (28) combined nicely for a vital 48-run partnership, which lifted the home side to 131 all out, which could’ve been a challenging target on an unfamiliar pitch for the visitors.

Xavier Coetzee and captain Warren Minnaar, however, put Menlopark under the pump with some classy batting, steering the visitor’s ship to safety with a match-winning 53-run partnership to which Coetzee contributed a well-played 40 runs.

Minnaar kept going after the demise of Coetzee, who fell victim to Menlo’s Murray Hofmeyr (1/34). The skipper punished the Parkies’ bowlers, especially behind square, going on to finish with an unbeaten 42 as Hans Moore secured victory in just 19 overs.

In an u15 semi-final. Hoërskool Garsfontein overcame Potchefstroom Gimnasium, winning by 69 runs to book their place in the final against Hoërskool Waterkloof.

The Garsies’ Arrie Verster shone with a superb 68 runs not out. He was well supported by Ruan Cuyler‘s 54 and a vital 39 runs from Nathan Ferreira lower down the order. Gimmies’ Ruan Steenkamp did the bulk of the damage, claiming three Garsonfontein scalps for only 19 runs.

The Potchefstroom school was set 209 to win, but Jaydon Schmidt and Ruan Cuyler had other plans. Schmidt sent four batsmen back to the pavilion at a cost of only 27 runs, while Cuyler claimed 3/47, as the Gimmies were held to 139 all out.

Summarised scorecards

Menlopark 130/10 (James Bronkhorst 39, Monré Koekemoer 28, Jan-Willem 24; Kyle Wratten 3/22, Kenan Shaw 2/13, Kearan Wyers 2/21); Hans Moore 132/3 (Warren Minnaar 42*, Xavier Coetzee 40; Monré Koekemoer 1/23). Hans Moore won by seven wickets.

u15

Garsfontein 208/10 (Arrie Verster 68*, Ruan Cuyler 54, Nathan Ferreira 39, Extras 34; Ruhan Steenkamp 4/19, Adriaan van Niekerk 2/41, Ulrich Botha 2/59) Potchefstroom Gimnasium 139/10 (Wicko Cato 42, Ulrich Botha 34; Jaydon Schmidt 4/27, Ruan Cuyler 3/47). Garsfontein won by 69 runs.

That’s 16 wickets in just three Noordvaal matches.

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Hoërskool Middelburg‘s 1st XI will remember 2 November for a long time.

They had already made history by qualifying for the semi-finals of the Fain Noordvaal tournament, but the Middies took it another step further by knocking out the defending champions, Hoërskool Waterkloof, in what was, arguably, the biggest upset of the 2024 school cricket season so far.

It’s hard to believe that young Gavin Genis is still only 16 years old after witnessing his BMT in a showdown against one of the country’s most prolific and aggressive schoolboy batting lineups.

Defending only 155, the Middelburg off-spinner bowled his side to victory by snaring a third consecutive five-for, which included three of Waterkloof’s big fish.

In nine overs, Genis sent down 34 dot balls while picking up six wickets and conceding 51 runs to increase his tally in the Noordvaal competition to an astonishing 16 in just three games.

The all-rounder also delivered with the bat, contributing a vital 32 runs. He combined with Hendré Nel, who made 33, in a vital partnership of 54 runs for the ninth wicket, to help the Middies to 155 all out after 44.4 overs. Opener, Zubair Desai, however, led the way with the willow. His fighting knock of 36 runs was the top score for the home side.

Eduan Strydom provided superb support to Genis, returning 4/44 to restrict the Klofies to only 117 all out in just 19 overs. Wian Ruthven was the Pretoria side’s mainstay scoring a bitter-sweet half-century. His 54 came from just 40 balls and included five fours and four sixes, but his departure, the ninth man out, left Waterkloof on the brink of defeat.

The Klofies will, however, have a finalist in the Fain-Noordvaal competition this year after their u15 side hammered Hoërskool Kempton Park by 178 runs. After some early trouble, thanks to a good start from Kempies’ Tristan Brits (4/26) and Tiaan Pretorius (2/15), Jean Cloete stepped up to the plate.

Showing good composure, he sent 13 balls to the boundary in an innings of 94 runs. Lian Claasen weighed in with an important knock of 56, while Mieder Erasmus chipped in with a quick 37 runs to see Waterkloof to a respectable total of 259 all out.

They felt confident defending that total and it showed in their bowling, with William van den Berg making early inroads on his way to a return of 3/24.

Rivan Booysen (2/10) and Mieder Erasmus (2/0) chipped in with two wickets each as the Kempies stumbled to a disappointing 81 all out in reply.

Summarised Scorecards:

Hoërskool Middelburg 155/10 (Zubair Desai 36, Hendré Nel 33, Gavin Genis 32; Marcus Bakker 3/26, Jaydon Blom 2/4, Johan Feuth 2/21); Waterkloof 117/10 (Wian Ruthven 54; Gavin Genis 6/51, Eduan Strydom 4/44). Hoërskool Middelburg won by 38 runs.

u15 semi-final

Waterkloof 259/10 (Jean Cloete 94, Lian Claasen 56, Mieder Erasmus 37; Tristan Brits 4/26, Tiaan Pretorius 2/15, Zian Ferero 2/43); Hoërskool Kempton Park 81/10 (Anthony Stockigt 29; William van den Berg 3/24, Mieder Erasmus 2/0, Rivan Booysen 2/10). Waterkloof won by 178 runs.

Saturday, 2 November, will be a special day for Hoërskool Middelburg‘s 1st XI, regardless of the result of their Fain Noordvaal semi-final.

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The Middies face the tournament favourites, Hoërskool Waterkloof, in their first-ever trip to the final four.

Optimism about the Middies’ cricket programme is high, with some of the school’s top performers still having a number of years in the 1st XI ahead of them.

Gavin Genis has been his side’s best player throughout the year, even though he is in Grade 10. In the seven 50-over matches in which he has batted, the young all-rounder has scored a total of 456 runs at an impressive average of 76, hitting two centuries and three half-centuries.

He’s also stamped his authority with the ball, snapping up 22 wickets at an economy rate of 4.75. He’s bagged successive five-wicket hauls in his most recent outings. If Middies are to pull off a shock and upset Waterkloof, who boast a powerful batting lineup, the off-spinner will have to perform well with the ball.

Alongside Genis, in the bowling department, a lot will fall on the shoulders of Eduan Strydom. He’s developed a useful habit of snapping up wickets at just the right time. His stats also speak for themselves: he’s taken 25 wickets at just 3.9 runs per over.

Playing away from home is never as comfortable as playing at home, and the Klofies will be challenged by Hoërskool Middelburg’s lower and slower wicket. Waterkloof’s batsmen have, however, proved their adaptability, apart from in one game against a high-class spin bowling attack from Grey College in the Westvaal North-South T20 tournament.

Last week, they welcomed back from injury their best player of spin, captain Beukes van den Berg.

Divan Behrens will be oozing confidence after his fantastic 173 not out against Merensky Landbou Akademie last time out. He’s put together an outstanding 2024, tallying over 1 500 runs.

Left-arm spinner Marcus Bakker will, meanwhile, look forward to the assistance he will get from a slower wicket, which might also suit, Klofies’ unsung hero Ruan Ferreira.

Ferreira’s economical right-arm seam bowling has played an integral part in Waterkloof making early inroads into their opposition’s batting. His consistency and accuracy might just be the right combination for the wicket in Middelburg.