Author: froberholzer

As the old saying goes, you can’t keep a good man down. That is exactly what Hoërskool Menlopark’s “Super Steve” showed on the second morning of the Westvaal North/South Tournament.

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After his disappointing start of only 10 in the Parkies’ win over Paarl Boys’ High on the first day, someone was bound to fall victim to Steve Stolk’s immense power-hitting ability.

St Andrew’s School, from Bloemfontein, was, unfortunately for them, the recipient of his broad bat and hard-hitting on Friday morning.

Striking at a run rate of 276.8, Stolk lit up the André van der Walt Oval, Hoërskool Waterkloof’s home field.

Smashing an astonishing 18 sixes and six fours, the SA u19 opening batsman raced to a memorable 155 runs, which took a mere 56 deliveries. Boundaries accounted for 132 of his 155 runs.

To the delight of Stolk, Wian van Deventer also played a gem of an innings. He, too, batted briskly and contributed 60 runs from 38 balls, which included five fours and four sixes, as the pair combined expertly for a 150-run partnership. After their 20 overs, Menlopark had rushed to an intimidating 261/6.

Saints’ opening batsman, Naudé Botha, also used the batting-friendly conditions to show his class. He struck 62 from just 27 deliveries, including six sixes and four fours, Unfortunately for the Bloemfontein boys, Botha was their only batsman to make it past 20.

That had plenty to do with the bowling of Menlo seamer, Ewald Meyer, who knocked over 4/32 in his four overs. Tiaan Serfontein impressed, too, capturing 3/19, while Morné Koekemoer claimed 2/7 as St Andrew’s was dismissed for 132, leaving Menlopark the winners by a massive 129 runs.

Charl Prinsloo could bat with a stump and still score a century it seems, considering the form he is in. With Centurion chasing yet again, this time against Jeppe High School for Boys, Prinsloo upped his performance from the opening day to score another unbeaten century. He scored the winning runs to finish with an undefeated 118.

Prinsloo was, also, again among the wickets, scooping up 2/16. Logan Fourie, however, was the standout with the ball for the Woeries, boasting a return of 3/36. Munid Ayob led the charge for Jeppe, scoring an unbeaten 48, while Christopher Elston chipped in with 35 to help the Johannesburg school to 185/5 from their 20 overs.

It wasn’t enough. Jeppe’s bowlers toiled as Prinsloo took only 68 deliveries to deliver his match-winning innings. He and Jayden Potgieter (23) took charge to share the decisive partnership of the match to see Hoërskool Centurion home by six wickets.

Not even an unbeaten 82 from SACS‘s Reeza Salie was enough to topple Westville Boys’ High. Salie, however, was the only SACS’ batsman who seemed comfortable at the crease as Tristin Delvin (2/21) and Nicandro Kistna (2/25) shared four wickets between them to restrict the Captonians to a sub-standard 158/5.

Kaeden McAllister‘s 58 and 46 from Seth Simpson ensured the KwaZulu-Natal school made light work of the run chase and they cruised home with six wickets to spare.

Good bowling from Grey High School saw them to a 25-run victory over Paarl Boys’ High. Kian Cambier was the standout for the side from the Windy City, snapping up 2/13, while Nathan Howell provided good support with his 2/32.

The experienced Tristan Grundling then led the way with the willow, notching a well-played 49, to secure his side’s victory. Boys’ High’s Pieter Gildenhuys bowled well to return his side’s best figures of 2/26.

Summarised scorecards

Menlopark 261/6 (Steve Stolk 155, Wian van Deventer 60; Cullen Kakora 2/39); St Andrew’s School 132/10 (Naudé Botha 62; Ewald Meyer 4/32, Tiaan Serfontein 3/19, Morné Koekemoer 2/7). Menlopark won by 129 runs.

Jeppe High School for Boys 185/8 (Munib Ayob 48*, Christopher Elston 35, Aiden Reyneke 26; Logan Fourie 3/36, Charl Prinsloo 2/16); Hoërskool Centurion 189/4 (Charl Prinsloo 118*, Jayden Potgieter 23; Christopher Elston 1/22). Hoërskool Centurion won by six wickets.

SACS 158/5 (Reeza Salie 82*, Luke Whitehead 23; Tristin Delvin 2/21, Nicandro Kistna 2/25); Westville Boys’ High 159/4 (Kaeden McAllister 58, Seth Simpson 46; Abhy Kalan 1/16). Westville Boys’ High won by six wickets.

Paarl Boys’ High 144/8 (Ullrich Drotschie 35*, Bjorn Berry 28, Johan Wege 20; Kian Cambier 2/13, Nathan Howell 2/32); Grey High School 145/6 (Tristan Grundling 49, Dylan Garrod 28, Xander Elkington 21; Pieter Gildenhuys 2/26). Grey High School won by four wickets.

It’s not every day a team scores 208 in a T20 and loses by nine wickets.

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However, with a talent like Hoërskool Centurion’s Charl Prinsloo, anything seems possible.

In an astonishing turn of events, the talented Prinsloo, along with his opening partner Jayden Potgieter, sent the ball to all parts of the Affies Oval as Centurion claimed a nine-wicket victory over SACS that they will remember for some time.

Chasing 209 for victory, after Keiran Bowers had bashed 62 from 25 balls and Reeza Salie 54 off just 31, the Woeries’ opening pair produced an extraordinary, breath-taking 140-run partnership in only 11 overs. Potgieter was the main aggressor, striking 78 from just 38 balls.

Prinsloo went about his business as usual, but he was moving at a rate of knots. It was, however, only after the demise of Potgieter that he truly put the pedal to the metal, smashing 12 fours and six sixes in an unbeaten 104, which was the first century of the tournament. In just 15.3 overs, Centurion rocketed past the required target.

Carlo Kotze was the pick of the Woeries’ bowlers snapping up 2/24, while Prinsloo showcased his all-round ability by claiming two SACS’ scalps.

A return to the first side for all-rounder Franco Cronje saw him help the defending champions, Hoërskool Waterkloof, to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Rondebosch Boys’ High. Cronje who tore knee ligaments during the rugby season, received a rude welcome from Rondebosch’s batsmen, though, travelling for 20 runs in his first over.

Responding well, he brushed that off quickly and snapped up four wickets for just five runs in his second spell. The magician, Marcus Bakker, played his part, claiming three wickets for 24 runs in his four-over spell, as the side from the Western Cape was held to only 142 all out.

Wian Ruthven, who also returned from injury, got back into the swing of things with a rapid 29 at the top of the order, but it was Divan Behrens who stole the show with an unbeaten 43. Alexander Volschenk added a useful 28 to ensure a comfortable win for the Klofies.

Paarl Boys High‘s spin-bowling attack challenged the 2023 runners-up, Hoërskool Menlopark. That was, however, until Matt van der Westhuizen and Pierre de Villiers met up in the middle.

Menlopark was limping along, on 61/5, when Van der Westhuizen and De Villiers joined forces. Van der Westhuizen struck an unbeaten 41 and De Villiers made 34 not out as they shared in an unbroken 82-run partnership to take their team to a five-wicket victory.

The Camp Discovery pitch will offer something for the spinners across the four days. That was shown by Menlopark’s young right-arm off-spinner, Murray Hofmeyr, and Boys’ High’s left-arm off-spinner, Aden Batt, as they shared five wickets between them. Hofmeyr snared 3/25 while Batt impressed with a return of 2/17 from his four overs.

St Andrew’s School, from Bloemfontein, and Grey High School, from Gqeberha, put together the closest contest of the day with the Free Staters eventually winning by 10 runs. Andrew Sobiech was, without a doubt, their standout. He led their batting effort with a well-played 56 and then claimed two wickets for 28 runs with the ball.

Kian Cambier‘s 47 and Xander Elkington‘s undefeated 41 gave the Eastern Cape side a glimmer of hope, but they were unable to topple Saints.

Day One of the tournament saw 10 half-centuries and one century scored, which emphasised the abundance of talent that has made its way to the Jacaranda City.

Summarised scorecards 

SACS 208/6 (Keiran Bowers 62, Reeza Salie 54, Luke Whitehead 23, Keegan Borst 22; Carlo Kotze 2/24, Charl Prinsloo 2/37); Hoërskool Centurion 212/1 (Charl Prinsloo 104*, Jayden Potgieter 78; Ulrich Roth 1/20). Hoërskool Centurion won by nine wickets.

Rondebosch Boys’ High 142/10 (Declan Gillespie 27, Joshua Neill 24, Noah Heath 20; Franco Cronje 4/25, Marcus Bakker 3/24, Marno Pienaar 2/18); Waterkloof 148/3 (Divan Behrens 43*, Wian Ruthven 29, Alexander Volschenk 28, Riley Miller 20*; Jamie Hundermark 1/13). Waterkloof won by seven wickets.

Paarl Boys’ High 139/9 (Pieter Gildenhuys 38, JJ van der Sandt 30, Christiaan Wege 25; Murray Hofmeyr 3/25, Tiaan Serfontein 2/30); Menlopark 143/5 (Matt van der Westhuizen 41*, Pierre de Villiers 34*, Wian van Deventer 30; Aden Batt 2/17). Menlopark won by five wickets. 

St Andrew’s School 187/9 (Andrew Sobiech 56, FG Botha 25, Mosa Maqunqi 21; Tristan Grundling 3/52, Nathan Howell 2/18); Grey High School 177/6 (Kian Cambier 47, Xander Elkington 41*, Frederick Jansen 34*; Andrew Sobiech 2/28). St Andrew’s School won by 10 runs.

Who would want to be a bowler at the Westvaal North/South tournament?

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Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool (Affies) and their captain Divan de Villiers welcomed Wynberg Boys’ High to the highveld by smashing 269/4 in their 20 overs on Thursday, the opening day of the tournament.

De Villiers lit up the CBC Old Boys Oval. Opening the batting, as he usually does in the shorter form of the game, the crafty right-hander did not hang around.

He needed only 35 balls to blast an entertaining 94, bashing nine sixes and seven fours at a strike rate of 268.

Vihan Pretorius celebrated his recent inclusion in the Titans u16 side by demonstrating why he deserved his selection by cracking an equally impressive 82, also from only 35 deliveries.

Jorich van Schalkwyk contributed 51 as he and De Villiers launched the Affies’ innings with a rollicking 121-run partnership from just 9.3 overs.

Although he was expensive, Wynberg’s Joshua Prince picked up two wickets from his four overs, which made him the most successful of the Cape Town school’s bowlers.

Facing a huge run chase, Wynberg had their backs to the wall, but they possessed some serious firepower of their own. Paul James, the younger brother of SA u19 captain, Juan James, started like a house on fire. He needed only eight balls to get to 30 before he was sent back to the pavilion. Divan Linde followed suit, contributing his side’s only half-century, scoring a quickfire 52 from just 18 balls.

However, Ruben Groenewald, backed up his innings of 31 with a decisive return of 3/7, while Xavier de Wet and De Villiers each contributed two scalps as the visitors were restricted to 153, 116 runs short of the mammoth victory target.

Grey College‘s Daniel Hattingh and Ruben Maree both scored half-centuries as the side from Bloemfontein put Potchefstroom Volkskool under the pump. Volkies’ stalwart Dian Liebenberg bowled an exceptional spell, returning figures of 3/31, to get his team back into the game, but Hattingh’s 76 and Maree’s 51 lifted Grey College to 223/7.

In reply, Volkies suffered a terrible batting collapse, which was brought about by Henru de Wet, who snapped up an impressive 4/33. Diaan van der Merwe tried valiantly, making 30, and Berno de Klerk weighed in with 27, but it was not enough as they were bowled out for only 145.

St Stithians College‘s Hanslo brothers helped the Johannesburg school to a significant six-wicket victory over Northwood. Tasheen led the way, claiming three Northwood sticks, while Zakier sent two others back to the pavilion.

With only 144 required for victory, SA u19 representative, Richard Seletswane got Saints off to a good start with a breezy 31. It was, however, 56 runs from Thomas Rew that led Saints to the win in only 13 overs

Westville Boys’ High‘s Seth Simpson and Max Robertson powered their side to a 63-run victory over Jeppe High School for Boys. Simpson played well for his 65 and Robertson raced to 48, which helped the Griffin to 186/8.

Jeppe’s batsmen faltered in the early going, stumbling to 30/4, thanks to a wonderful display of fast bowling by Dayalan Boyce, who claimed four of the first five wickets to fall and conceded only 25 runs from his four overs.

Sekou Shangase struck twice to hasten Jeppe’s demise and the Johannesburg boys were bundled out for a disappointing 123.

Summarised scorecards

Affies 269/4 (Divan de Villiers 94, Vihan Pretorius 82, Jorich van Schalkwyk 51, Ruben Groenewald 31; Joshua Prince 2/41); Wynberg Boys’ High 153/10 (Divan Linde 52, Paul James 30, Xavier Garvs 29, Storme van Rooyen 22; Ruben Groenewald 3/7, Xavier de Wet 2/18, Divan de Villiers 2/28). Affies won by 116 runs.

Grey College 223/7 (Daniel Hattingh 76, Ruben Maree 51, Pieter Smit 30; Dian Liebenberg 3/31, Berno de Klerk 2/42); Potchefstroom Volkskool 145 (Diaan van der Merwe 30, Berno de Klerk 27, Jim Visser 20; Henru de Wet 4/33, Kamo Mokomela 2/5, Daniel Hattingh 2/30, Darion Rabie 2/33). Grey College won by 78 runs.

Northwood 143/6 (De Bruyn David 46, Nqobani Mokoena 25; Tasheen Hanslo 3/25, Zakier Hanslo 2/28); St Stithians College 145/4 (Thomas Rew 56, Emile Odendaal 33, Richard Seletswane 31; Nqobani Mokoena 2/39). St Stithians College won by six wickets.

Westville Boys’ High 186/8 (Seth Simpson 65, Max Robertson 48, Roxton Payne 23; Christepho Elston 2/12, Matthew Costa 2/28, Shreshth Kumar 2/47); Jeppe High School for Boys 123 (Jeremiah Marshall 29; Dayalan Boyce 4/25, Sekou Shangase 2/4). Westville Boys High won by 63 runs.

If the 2024 Westvaal North-South T20 cricket tournament for schools is anything like the year before, it promises to be another cracker of a week.

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The tournament runs from Thursday, 10 October, to Sunday, 13 October.

With an abundance of talent and stars about to be born, we take a closer look at five players who may hold the key to their respective teams’ success. To pick only five proved a challenge in itself.

Beni Hansen (Wynberg Boys High):

Already a well-known name around the country, Wynberg Boys High’s Beni Hansen will be one to keep an eye on. Hansen burst onto the South African schoolboy cricket scene in 2023 with a dominant display at the Khaya Majola Week. His consistent performances with the bat saw him scoop the Player of the Tournament award.

Still in Grade 11, Hansen went on to lead the SA Schools side in their one-off match against the South Africa Schools ‘A’ side, more commonly known as the Colts side, which was also selected at the week and represented the Southern Superstars in the Cubs Week in January this year.

Hansen’s batting prowess and stroke-making ability will play a pivotal role if Wynberg wants to advance further than the dangerous Pool C.

Marcus “Master Blaster” Bakker (Waterkloof): 

Known for his destructive nature, especially in the shortest format of the game, Waterkloof’s Marcus Bakker will be a prize wicket to any team coming up against the defending champs, even more so with the possible absence of Wian Ruthven due to an injured hand. Bakker’s insane innings of 169* from only 66 balls, when he smashed an astonishing 19 sixes, will be fresh in the memories of those who played in the 2023 tournament.

However, Bakker’s batting is not the only threat. His highly-skilled left-arm spin has seen him bag 37 wickets throughout 2024 and is a weapon which might come in very handy as the Pretoria pitches start to deteriorate over the four days of cricket. He also brings a wealth of experience having already played, like Hansen, in the Khaya Majola and Cubs Week.

 Jorich van Schalkwyk (Affies):

Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool’s Jorich van Schalkwyk has been in a rich vein of form this year. Boasting over a thousand runs, including a record-breaking 240, which saw him become the Affies player with the highest individual score in the school’s history, the talented right-handed batsman has scored his runs at a healthy average of 60,41.

He looked especially impressive during the SA U19 Emerging tour of Zimbabwe last month, scoring 189 runs, at an average of 94,5, and a couple of fifties in the four matches he played. His off-break spin bowling has also been a huge asset to Affies. Van Schalkwyk has claimed 14 scalps in the 22 matches he played for Affies this year and achieved a four-for on the Zimbabwean tour.

Charl Prinsloo (Hoërskool Centurion):

Charl Prinsloo has been the sole contributor to Hoërskool Centurion’s run tally in 2024. He, too, boasts a magnificent record of well over a thousand runs for the year. Normally batting at four in the longer formats, Prinsloo swaps his role as anchor of the innings to the aggressor in T20s, where he opens the batting, a move that has proved fruitful for the young batsman and his side.

In the four T20s he has played this year, he has scored a total of 208 runs at an average of 69, including a mammoth 135 against Prestige College and a classy 73 against the powerful Waterkloof, upping his normal strike rate of 97,69 to a whopping 230. Like Bakker and Van Schalkwyk, he’s also a handy option with the ball, which could see him contribute even more during the four days.

Daniel Bosman (Rondebosch Boys High): 

Being the youngest of the five and still in Grade 11, Rondebosch’s Daniel Bosman has nevertheless shown that he can punch at the same weight as the above-mentioned four big names. He also toured Zimbabwe with the U19 Emerging squad, alongside Van Schalkwyk, and has experience at provincial level having played for Western Province at the 2023 CSA U16 National Youth Week.

The young all-rounder’s shot-making ability and calmness under pressure have been major weapons in the Rondebosch arsenal. However, his right arm medium pace holds the key for his side, having the ability to take a wicket at exactly the right time, which might prove pivotal as Rondebosch also has to battle it out in the difficult Pool A.

Fixtures:

Day 1 – Thursday, 10 October: 

13:30:
Menlopark vs Paarl Boys High – Camp Discovery
St Andrews (Bloem) vs Grey High School – Sinoville
Hoërskool Centurion vs SACS – Affies Oval
Jeppe High School for Boys vs Westville Boys – Harlequins
Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) vs Wynberg Boys’ High – CBC Old boys
Potchefstroom Volkskool vs Grey College – Waterkloof
St Stithians College vs Northwood – Pretoria Old Boys
Waterkloof vs Rondebosch – Menlopark

Day 2 – Friday, 11 October: 

09:00:
Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) vs Potchefstroom Volkskool – Camp Discovery
Wynberg Boys High School vs Grey College – Sinoville
Waterkloof vs St Stithians College – Affies Oval
Rondebosch vs Northwood – Harlequins
Grey High School vs Paarl Boys High – CBC Old Boys
St Andrews (Bloem) vs Menlopark – Waterkloof
SACS vs Westville Boys High – Pretoria Old Boys
Jeppe High School for Boys vs Hoërskool Centurion – Menlopark

14:00:
Potchefstroom Volkskool vs Wynberg Boys High – Camp Discovery
Grey College vs Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies)
Rondebosch vs St Stithians – Affies Oval
Northwood vs Waterkloof – Harlequins
Menlopark vs Grey High School – CBC Old Boys
Paarl Boys High vs St Andrews (Bloem) – Waterkloof
Hoërskool Centurion vs Westville Boys High – Pretoria Old Boys
Jeppe High School for Boys vs SACS – Menlopark

Hoërskool Garsfontein‘s First XI, more affectionately known as the “Ysbere”, was too good on home soil for St Alban’s College in their first outing of the Schools SA20 Titans League.

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After the visitors had won the toss and elected to bowl, a collective batting effort from the home side saw the Ysbere reach a very competitive total of 189/7 in the allotted 20 overs.

Wikus du Preez led the onslaught with the willow. Smashing four sixes and two fours, Du Preez raced to 47 from only 30 balls, falling three runs short of what would’ve been a well-deserved half-century.

His innings was made possible thanks to Charl van Staden who laid the platform at the top of the order. Van Staden, too, batted at a brisk pace making his way to 39 from only 27 deliveries, while Zizwe Khumalo lent a helpful hand with his aggressive 35 towards the back end of the innings, sending five of his 20 balls to the boundary.

The St Alban’s opening pair of stalwart Liam Basch and Christian Visagie were exceptional. Bowling on a batter-friendly wicket, the pair grafted hard to claim two wickets each, at critical moments.

Basch then went on to put up a valiant fight with the bat. Striking at 177, the St Alban’s all-rounder only required 30 deliveries for his 53, scoring most of his runs through four sixes. Kyle Block provided able support with 29, while Visagie, too, added to his fine bowling performance with a contribution of 25 runs.

Garsies’ Jared Carr, however, had other plans. Claiming all three the St Alban’s top scorers, Carr bagged impressive figures of 3/31 in his allotted four overs. This stemmed the flow of runs significantly, restricting the visitors to 162/6 in their 20, to secure a relatively comfortable 27-run victory.

Summarised scorecard: 

Garsfontein 189/7 (Wikus du Preez 47, Charl van Staden 39, Zizwe Khumalo 35; Liam Basch 2/34, Christian Visagie 2/37); St Alban’s College 162/6 (Liam Basch 53, Kyle Block 29, Christiaan Visagie 25, Josh Melville 24; Jarred Carr 3/31). Garsfontein won by 27 runs.

Abdullah Tadwala has proven to be Hoërskool Marais Viljoen‘s most valuable asset since the start of the Easterns leg of the Schools SA20 earlier this year.

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Tadwala has performed in every match with either the bat or the ball but has outdone himself in his most recent appearance during the side from Alberton’s last encounter of the region’s round-robin stage, to help secure a semi-final spot for one of the region’s favourites.

In the match against neighbours, Alberton High School, Tadwala once again led the way with the bat. As usual, the left-hander opened the batting and looked in control from the get-go, needing only 52 deliveries to smash a scintillating 115. His knock included 17 boundaries, comprising 14 fours and three sixes.

Tadwala’s confidence spilt over into his bowling, as he spun around the home side’s batting lineup to claim figures of 3/24 in his allotted four overs.

His captain, the talented Jaden Govender, however, refused to let Tadwala have all the fun. Govender showed why is one of the highest-rated batsmen in the region as he also carved his way to a century in no time. His unbeaten 104 runs came from just 42 deliveries, striking at an astonishing rate of 247 and smashing nine fours and six sixes.

The right-arm medium pace of Riyaan Marques was the pick of the Marais Viljoen bowlers on the day. Defending a mammoth 276 courtesy of Tadwala and Govender’s efforts with the bat, Marques took three wickets conceding only 15 runs in the four overs he bowled. Alongside him, Marco Hoffman also claimed two scalps to restrict Alberton High to just 83, securing a handsome win by 193 runs.

The second semi-final berth in Pool A will be decided on Wednesday when Hoërskool Dr. EG Jansen faces the unpredictable Actionville Hub. Actionville has impressed with some serious performances, including a four-run victory over Pool A table toppers, Marais Viljoen.

Summarised scorecard:

Marais Viljoen 276/2 (Abdullah Tadwala 115*, Jaden Govender 104*, Rieshaeel Hashim 30*; Ntokozo Masuku 1/33); Alberton High School 83 (Kagiso Moholos 28; Riyaan Marques 3/15, Abdullah Tadwala 3/24, Marco Hoffman 2/23). Marais Viljoen won by 193 runs.

With the Easterns leg of the Schools SA20 competition entering the business end, Hoërskool Kempton Park made a massive push for a semi-final berth.

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The semi-finals are scheduled for the 11th and 12th of October and will serve as curtain-raisers for the CSA T20 knockout match between the Easterns Storm and AET Tuskers at Willowmoore Park, the home of Easterns Cricket.

The Kempies batsmen, in particular, fired serious warning shots ahead of the weekend’s action and yet again played a major role in their side’s unbeaten run.

Marko Richter and Shaun Nash took it upon themselves to take apart Hoërskool Dinamika‘s bowling attack after the side from Alberton initially had the Kempies in a bit of a pickle.

A fiery spell by Dinamika’s opening bowler, Jayden Smith, had the Kempies wobbling in the powerplay. Smith’s return of 2/29 in his allotted four overs had the scoreboard flashing 36-3 when Richter and Nash strode to the crease. The fallen three scalps would be the last, though, as both middle-order batsmen teed off.

Richter led the way, striking 11 fours and nine sixes for his unbeaten 123* from only 52 balls, while maintaining a very healthy strike-rate of 236.5 throughout his innings. Nash, providing quality support, also got in on the action. Needing only 43 deliveries for his 80 runs, Nash combined excellently with Richter for a 217-run partnership, leading their side to a massive 253/3 in the allotted 20 overs.

Facing up to a young and inexperienced Dinamika batting lineup, opening bowler, Kristian du Plessis, made early inroads with a remarkable return of 4/38. Captain, Wian Pieters, also delivered, claiming two wickets for only five runs, while the rest of the attack also chipped in.

Mohammed Valli appeared to be the only Dinamika batsman comfortable at the crease. Valli top-scored, looking in good nick for his 33, but was, unfortunately, the only batter to make it past the 20 mark as the side from Alberton was bundled out for 76, falling 175 runs short of the required target.

St Benedict’s are the other likely favourites in Pool B to qualify for the semi-finals. The Bennies have won three out of their four games, one less than pool leaders, Kempton Park.

Summarised scorecards:  

Hoërskool Kempton Park 253/3 (Marko Richter 123*, Shaun Nash 80*; Jayden Smith 2/29); Dinamika 76 (Mohammed Valli 33; Kristian du Plessis 4/38, Wian Pieters 2/5, Francois Marais 2/32, Stian van Breda 2/18). Hoërskool Kempton Park won by 175 runs.

 

It is a day the Hoërskool Eldoraigne faithful and young Benyael Morkel won’t forget in a hurry.

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Morkel delivered an innings for the ages when the Eldos hosted Hoërskool Pretoria-Noord in the B Section of the Titans Platinum League on the 1st of October.

Coming in at number seven, the all-rounder benefited from a dominant platform set up by the 238-run partnership of top-order duo, Kyle de Bruin and Johan Broekman.

Both De Bruin and Broekman recorded magnificent centuries, with De Bruin racing along for his 123 from only 83 deliveries and Broekman also batting at a brisk pace for 106, also from 83 balls.

It is not often that two innings of 123 and 106 respectively play second fiddle in a single match, yet Morkel managed to steal the show by some margin.

Requiring only 59 deliveries, Morkel lit up the Eldos Oval to smash the ball all over the park. His unbelievable innings of 174 not out included 16 sixes and 15 fours, with the boundary count of 31 meaning that 156, or 89%, of his runs were scored from boundaries.

The Eldo trio’s prowess with the willow set the visitors a mammoth target of 551/6 in their allotted 50 overs.

Pretoria-Noord’s Jean Swart and Ulrich Breytenbach exhibited great patience with the ball and eventually emerged as the pick of the bowlers. Although expensive, which was to be expected given the extraordinary batting performance by their hosts, each claimed two well-deserved wickets.

Unfortunately, with their backs against the wall, the Pretoria-Noord batsman could not quite find the necessary rhythm to successfully chase such a mammoth score.

Etiene du Bruyn and Rohan Louw nevertheless deserve a pat on the back. Showing some class of his own, Du Bruyn grafted his way to an industrious 56 from 78 balls. Louw, too, showed that he can bat at a brisk pace, contributing a 29-ball 45 and smashing 10 fours in the process.

Eldo’s Daniel Steyn was the standout with the ball. Opening the bowling, Steyn claimed the best figures on the day, boasting a return of 3/37 in the nine overs he bowled. Ruhan Oliphant also got in on the action, claiming two wickets for 27 runs.

Morkel, who seemingly couldn’t stay out of the spotlight, also contributed two wickets as the Eldo bowlers’ efforts restricted the visitors to 168 all out, claiming a resounding victory by 383 runs.

Summarised scorecard: 

Eldoraigne 551/6 (Benyael Morkel 174*, Kyle de Bruin 123, Johan Broekman 106, Ryno Mulder 45, Ryno Redelinghuys 24*; Jean Swart 2/65, Ulrich Breytenbach 2/68); Hoërskool Pretoria-Noord 168 (Etiene du Bruyn 56, Rohan Louw 45; Daniel Steyn 3/37, Ruhan Oliphant 2/27, Benyael Morkel 2/40). Eldoraigne won by 383 runs.

No school has performed better in the history of the Titans Platinum League than Hoërskool Waterkloof.

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Following their eight-wicket victory over Cornwall Hill College, Waterkloof’s First XI became the first team to win the prestigious Titans Platinum League for four consecutive years, two years of which captain and wicketkeeper, Beukes van den Berg, had the opportunity to don the captain’s armband.

Van den Berg was also instrumental in the victory over Cornwall, contributing an unbeaten knock of 39 runs, which, like most of his other innings, came at a healthy strike rate.

The day, however, belonged to opening batsman, Divan Behrens, who led the chase in fine form to notch a well-deserved half-century. Facing the Cornwall attack without his long-time batting partner, Wian Ruthven, who had injured his hand in the Klofies’ victory over Garsfontein earlier in the season, Behrens showcased his experience by smashing seven fours and two sixes in his contribution of 56 runs, not out.

Marcus Bakker was in one of his destructive moods racing to a 15-ball 46, an innings which included six fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 306.7. This would have pleased head coach, Cobus Pienaar, with the annual Noord-Suid T20 cricket tournament around the corner.

It was the Klofie bowlers, however, who set the scene for the batting trio. Marno Pienaar was exceptional as the spearhead of the Klofie attack with a return of 3/30, which included the wicket of SA Emerging U19 representative and Cornwall’s captain, Lethabo Phahlamohlaka.

Jaco van der Walt (3/35) and Ruan Ferreira (3/38) rubbed further salt in the wounds, contributing six wickets between the two of them.

Cody Sander was the star of the show with the willow for the home side. Not only was he the only Cornwall batsman to make more than 20 runs, but he did so in style. Sander commanded the crease for a gutsy and very well-deserved half-century before he was eventually sent back to the pavilion with 61 runs behind his name.

With the ball, it was Trent Hardie who put up a valiant fight. Although he was expensive, the Cornwall opening bowler showed grit and determination, and was rewarded with two wickets, making him the only successful bowler for his side.

Summarised scorecard:

Cornwall Hill College 146 (Cody Sander 61; Marno Piennaar 3/30, Jaco van der Walt 3/35, Ruan Ferreira 3/38); Waterkloof 150/2 (Divan Behrens 56*, Marcus Bakker 46, Beukes van den Berg 39*; Trent Hardie 2/73). Waterkloof won by eight wickets.

Nkosibonile Sibisi and Thabiso Mabe were Dudaza Hub’s heroes, helping their side stun Hoërskool Marais Viljoen during the past weekend’s Schools SA20 clash.

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After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Sibisi stepped up to the plate. With a relatively solid foundation set up by captain Luyanda Beya’s contribution of 25 and Siyathemba Chakela’s 24, Sibisi was able to capitalise, grafting his way to an industrious 41 not out that came from only 36 deliveries.

Sibisi and Moeketsi Beya combined fluently to put together a vital 45-run partnership, which helped Dudaza to achieve a competitive score of 145 in their allotted 20 overs.

Marais Viljoen’s Abdullah Tadwala once again showcased his importance with the ball, producing another fine spell of spin bowling. Although he only took one wicket, Tadwala kept the scoring to a minimum and, together with Stiaan Janse van Vuuren and Ethan van Rooyen, pulled it back nicely for the hosts.

Tadwala then led the chase as well. Opening the batting alongside the dangerous Tiaan Hall, the pair got Marais Viljoen off to a flyer. Tadwalla hit 45 from 17 balls, including five fours and three sixes, while Hall produced a mature 39 to set up an interesting chase with a 53-run partnership. Ethan van Rooyen found himself in the spotlight again as he, too, made a valuable contribution of 28 runs.

It was, however, Thabiso Mabe’s spell which found the home side wanting. Boasting a return of 3/29 in his four overs, Mabe turned the tide to limit Marais Viljoen to 141/8 in their 20 and thereby secure a tight four-run victory.

Summarised scorecard:

Dudaza Hub 145/3 (Nkosibonile Sibisi 41*, Extras 26, Luyanda Beya 25, Siyathemba Chakela 24; Abdullah Tadwalla 1/28); Marais Viljoen 141/8 (Abdullah Tadwala 45, Tiaan Hall 39, Ethan van Rooyen 28; Thabiso Mabe 3/29). Dudaza Hub won by four runs.