Author: froberholzer

Cornwall Hill College’s Blignaut brothers bashed them to a comfortable 33-run victory over the 2024 Eston One Insurance T20 Night League champions, St Charles College, on the last day of the 64th Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week In Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday.

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The side from the Jacaranda City batted first after winning the toss, but they lost both of their opening batsmen within the first three overs. Still, that set the stage for Kian and Michael Blignaut to set their team up for victory. Both batted sublimely.

Kian Blignaut played the anchor role, expertly making his way to an unbeaten 53 from 59 deliveries. Knocking it around gave his brother, Michael Blignaut, the opportunity to play the role of the aggressor. Smashing six fours and two sixes, he raced to 50 from only 29 balls, at a healthy strike rate of 172.4.

Saints’ captain Marcell Wellmann was the pick of the bowlers. The left-arm spinner picked up only one wicket, but he was economical, conceding just 11 runs from his three overs.

Cornwall Hill finished on 142/5. On the large St Charles Oval, that was a fair score.

The home team has played some good cricket this season, but they were not at their best on Tuesday. Obakeng Mokonyane damaged the Saints’ response, snapping up 4/25 in four overs, while Trent Hardie bagged 2/28 in his four, as St Charles was rolled for a disappointing 109.

Rico Honiball fought bravely with his 31 from 27 balls up front, while Kwanele Nqayi, batting eighth, tried valiantly and made 20 off of 16, but only three Saints’ batsmen made it into double figures and that was never going to be enough.

The Cricket South Africa Hub XI impressed once more, completing their Michaelmas Week assignments with a perfect record of three wins from three outings. This time around, Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool (Affies) fell victim to the Hub XI, going down by 17 runs at UKZN.

Batting first, the CSA Hub XI scratched their way to only 105/9 from their 20 overs in difficult batting conditions, thanks to a well-played 31 from Jevohndré Jacobs and a valuable 24 from Nkosibonile Sibisi.

That was all they needed, though, as opening bowler and captain, Enathi Kitshini, took it upon himself to see his team to victory. For a second day in succession, he captured four wickets and he did it cheaply, surrendering only nine runs from his four overs. Taywin Adams bowled well, too, snaring 2/11 from his four.

The pair’s economy rates of under three runs per over kept the Affies’ batsmen under immense pressure. Henré Smith tried to play the anchor role for the Pretoria school, but that brought him only 18 runs from 36 balls, and that was as good as it got for Affies, who were held to just 88/8 in their 20 overs.

Xavier de Wet was the standout with the ball for the boys from Pretoria. He used the bowler-friendly conditions to his advantage, knocking over 2/15 in four overs. Ruben Groenewald lent good support, taking 2/14 in three.

Summarised scorecards

Cornwall Hill College 142/5 (Kian Blignaut 53*, Michael Blignaut 50; Marcell Wellmann 1/11); St Charles College 109 (Rico Honiball 31, Kwanele Ngayi 30; Obakeng Mokonyane 2/25, Trent Hardie 2/28). Cornwall Hill won by 33 runs.

CSA Invitation XI 105/9 (Jevohndré Jacobs 31, Nkosibonile Sibisi 24; Ruben Groenewald 2/14, Xavier de Wet 2/15, Vihan Pretorius 2/16, JP Botha 2/23); Affies 88/8 (Henré Smith 18; Enathi Khitsini 4/9, Taywin Adams 2/11). CSA Invitation XI won by 17 runs.

Hilton College‘s Hart-Davis Oval saw superb batting performances from the Swarts – Charles, of Hilton, and Cornel, of Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) – on Monday. When it was over, PRG had scored a win over the home side on the second last day of the 64th Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week.

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Although he fell nine runs short of what would have been a well-deserved century, Cornel Swart, of Paul Roos, would have possibly derived a little more pleasure than Hilton’s Charles Swart, because his side won. Taking nothing away from the class and the importance of the Hiltons top-order batsman’s fine knock of 101, but the innings from the Stellenbosch middle-order batsman played a massive role in his team’s victory.

He spent 124 balls at the crease and struck eight fours and one six. Liam Basson, who contributed 42, and Matthew Seymore, who chipped in with 41, both played pivotal roles as PRG posted a respectable 253 all out.

Hilton’s experienced spearheads with the new ball, captain Ethan van Heerden and Natenzi Denenga, both enjoyed good outings. They were at their most dangerous when they returned for second spells. Van Heerden led the way with his return of 4/51, while Denega delivered a healthy return of 3/32.

Charles Swart’s innings lasted 117 deliveries, 14 of which he despatched to the boundary. He contributed almost half of his side’s runs to give the hosts a glimmer of hope. The prospect of a win began to shine more brightly when Van Heerden joined him in the middle and backed up his strong bowling performance with a vital 35.

However, Dion Slabber and Keauno Williams had other plans and they ripped the heart from the Hilton batting lineup. Both claimed three wickets and those returns, combined with a two-wicket haul from Dian Winkel, stopped the home side 35 runs short of their required target.

In Balgowan, a man-of-the-match performance by Boago Motlhabedi saw St Alban’s College upset Michaelhouse by two wickets on the Roy Gathorne Oval.

Motlhabedi played a key role with both the bat and ball, claiming 2/41 before contributing a match-winning innings of 59 runs to help the side from Pretoria successfully chase down 163.

Liam Basch also delivered a strong all-round performance, knocking over 3/23, which he followed with an important 30. Tim Hewett will also get a special mention in the team meeting for his contribution of 2/29 with the ball.

Michaelhouse captain Cameron Strudwick was the standout for the home side with the willow in hand, keeping the ship afloat towards the end of his side’s innings, with 38 runs.

The seamers, Ross Moller and Harry Vickery did well for Michaelhouse, bagging two scalps each to keep their side in the hunt and very nearly seeing them to victory. The day, though, belonged to St Alban’s.

Summarised scorecards

Paul Roos Gimansium 253 (Cornel Swart 91, Liam Basson 42, Matthew Seymore 41, Extras 39; Ethan van Heerden 4/51, Natenzi Denenga 3/32, Kyle Christie 2/31); Hilton College 218 (Charles Swart 101, Ethan van Heerden 35; Dion Slabber 3/45, Keauno Williams 3/50, Dian Winkel 2/24). Paul Roos Gimnasium won by 35 runs.

Michaelhouse 162 (Cameron Strudwick 38, Extras 32, Sebastian Hofmeyer 23, Ethan Muir 21; Liam Basch 3/23, Tim Hewitt 2/29, Boago Motlhabedi 2/41); St Alban’s College 163/8 (Boago Motlhabedi 59, Liam Basch 30, Extras 21; Ross Moller 2/29, Harry Vickery 2/31). St Alban’s won by two wickets.

Hoërskool Rustenburg dethroned Potchefstroom Gimnasium as the North West’s T20 champions and became the first winners of the new Schools SA20 challenge in the region after a sustained high level of performance over two days.

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The Rusties’ run to the title started with a comprehensive 116-run victory over Hoërskool Lichtenburg in the semi-finals on Saturday.

Batting first, the Rustenburgers made their way to a big total of 198/7 in their 20 overs, thanks to almost the entire top order chipping in with solid contributions.

Tristan van der Linde, who was excellent over the two days, top-scored with 42, while Manfred Wenhold scored one less, finishing with an unbeaten 41.

Christivan Coetzer and Thian Labuschagne, known for their power-hitting, added further valuable contributions, with Coetzer smashing a quickfire 33 and Labuschagne weighing in with 29. The bowling department, then, did their part, restricting the Liggies to only 82/8 from their 20 overs.

Keany Janse van Vuuren shone with the ball, boasting a return of 3/6, and, with support from Manfred Wenhold, who snagged 2/14, he ensured that the Rusties cruised into Sunday’s final.

Potchefstroom Gimnasium was equally impressive as they, too, went past the 190-run mark in their Saturday semi-final against Hoërskool Wolmaransstad. Lukas Kotze was the batting standout, notching 52 runs. Ulrich Botha, also, played his part, contributing an unbeaten 51. Divan van Eldik tacked on another 42 runs to see the Potch boys to a formidable 195/4.

The Wollies didn’t bat as freely as their opponents, but they also didn’t surrender their wickets easily to the Gimmies. Thlalefo Thobedi shone for Wolmaranstad, scoring an unbeaten 46, while Gimmies’ Thlone Thabata did the most damage with the ball, claiming 2/9.

Although they struggled to take wickets, Gimmies bowled economically to restrict Wollies to 114/4, which left Potch Gimnasium the winners by a handsome 81-run margin.

On Sunday, in the final, it was the turn of Rustenburg’s Thian Labuschagne to set alight the JB Marks Oval, in Potchefstroom. Opening the batting, he kept the pedal to the metal, even after losing his opening partner Callie Fryer, to the first ball of the game.

Labuschagne smashed a vital 74 runs from only 60 balls, sending four balls to the boundary and four over it. Tristan van der Linde and Manfred Wenhold were in the runs again, with each adding 27, which helped Rustenburg to a challenging 172/6.

Caden Seleka, Gimmies’ leading all-rounder, delivered a performance to remember. He claimed his side’s best bowling figures of 2/25 and then put up a proper fight with the bat, top-scoring with 54. With Jahndré Coetzee scoring 32, Gimnasium was on top for a brief moment, before Tristan van der Linde stole the show again.

Van der Linde’s 2/6, together with Callie Fryer’s 2/23, and 2/31 from Thian Labuschagne, slowed the Potch side’s momentum, and they were eventually dismissed for 149, leaving Rustenburg the winners by 23 runs.

Summarised scorecards 

Final

Hoërskool Rustenburg 172/6 (Thian Labuschagne 74, Tristan van der Linde 27, Manfred Wenhold 27, Extras 27; Caden Seleka 2/25); Potchefstroom Gimnasium 149 (Caden Seleka 54, Jahndré Coetzee 32, Lukas Kotze 27; Tristan van der Linde 2/6, Callie Fryer 2/23, Thian Labuschagne 2/31). Hoërskool Rustenburg won by 23 runs.

Semi-finals

Potchefstroom Gimnasium 195/4 (Lukas Kotze 52, Ulrich Botha 51*, Divan van Eldik 42; Handro Conradie 2/43); Hoërskool Wolmaransstad 114/4 (Thlalefo Thobedi 46*, Abrie Oosthuizen 27; Thlone Thabata 2/9). Potchefstroom Gimnasium won by 81 runs.

Hoërskool Rustenburg 198/7 (Tristan van der Linde 42, Manfred Wenhold 41*, Christivan Coetzer 33, Thian Labuschagne 29, Extras 23; Johan Coetzee 3/30, Douw Jacobs 2/35); Hoërskool Lichtenburg 82/8 (Douw Jacobs 26, Lithman Jacobs 24*; Keany Janse van vuuren 3/6, Manfred Wenhold 2/14). Hoërskool Rustenburg won by 116 runs.

A sublime bowling performance by Jared Havemann carried Durban High School (DHS) to their second victory of the 64th Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week on Monday.

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This time, they beat Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool (Affies) at Eston on the penultimate day of the week, thanks to the leg-spin of Havemann, who brought about the downfall of the visitors from up north.

Defending a decent total of 232, the Horseflies had to work hard for their first two wickets. However, after the run out of Vihan Pretorius, a key player in the top order, things went pear-shaped for Affies as wickets fell at regular intervals, thanks to Havemann’s consistency, which is something rarely seen from a young leg-spin bowler.

His return of 4/25 from nine overs, and two wickets each from Bhavesh Naicker and Semal Pillay, crippled the Affies’ reply and they slumped to 137 all out.

Affies’ captain Divan de Villiers put up a valiant fight. He was fantastic with the ball, bagging a five-wicket haul. His excellent performance of 5/28 in 8.4 overs received little backing, though, with only Janco Purchase, who top-scored with 41 runs, making a meaningful contribution. No other Affies’ batsmen made it past 20.

At UKZN, in Pietermaritzburg, Glenwood High School walloped Pretoria Boys High (PBHS) as they, too, delivered a sublime bowling performance in the second innings of the match. Just like DHS, Glenwood posted a respectable total, tallying 231/8 in their 50 overs.

Kreeshan Pillay led a combined effort from the top and middle order, with his mature 48, the highest score of the innings,  coming off of 70 balls. Karabo Ntsieng came close to matching him, contributing 44 runs. It was, however, Daniel Gunawardana who stole the show with his accurate off-spin.

Gunawardena capitalised on the platform laid by opening bowler, Sibonelo Phewa, who captured 4/33 in his 10 overs, before Gunawardene laid waste to the Boys High batting, snaring 4/10 in just 4.2 overs.

What made the Glenwood bowling performance even more impressive is that they did it without their SA Schools and SA Emerging u19 fast bowler, Ntando Soni, who normally spearheads the attack. He’s on tour with the SA u19 Emerging side in Zimbabwe.

Tim Gordon provided a glimmer of hope for PBHS and looked solid in scoring 24, which was the Gautengers’ highest score. However, they came up well short, bowled out for 107 to go down by a big 124-run margin

Summarised scorecards 

Durban High School 232/10 (Lazlo Jooste 58, Joshua van Biljon 33, Ethan Cooper 31, Ismaeel Omar 26, Semal Pillay 26; Divan de Villiers 5/28, Vihan Pretorius 2/46); Affies 137/10 (Janco Purchase 41; Jared Havemann 4/25, Pravesh Naicker 2/17, Semal Pillay 2/27). Durban High School won by 95 runs.

Glenwood High School 231/8 (Kreeshan Pillai 48, Karabo Ntsieng 44, Krian Jugoo 33, Nathan Moodley 32, Bandile Mbatha 28; Johan Coetzer 2/42, Patrick Mouton 2/46); Pretoria Boys High School 107/10 (Tim Gordon 24, Johan Coetzer 21*, Adam Cannata 20; Daniel Gunawardana 4/10, Sibonelo Phewa 4/33). Glenwood High School won by 124 runs.

After being kept out of action because of extreme weather on the first day of the 64th Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week, most teams finally had a chance to commence the battle between bat and ball on Sunday.

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St Charles College, spearheaded by an excellent all-round performance from Brendan Sunguro, flexed their muscles against Bloemfontein’s Grey College, claiming a comfortable five-wicket victory in Pietermaritzburg.

Sungoro led with both bat and ball. With Grey batting first, he captured 2/38 in eight overs to play a crucial role in restricting the Bloemfontein boys to only 164 all out.

Saints’ opening bowler Tristan Montile stole the show, knocking over 2/13 in six challenging overs. Pieter Smit looked the best of the Grey batsmen, notching 58 runs, while Dale Williams lent some much-needed support, with his 30 helping the visitors claw their way to a total that they would have a chance of defending.

A good start from Grey College’s opening bowler, Otto Krause, who claimed two early wickets, saw the home side wobble for a brief moment. Zimbabwean international, Sunguro, however, kept his nerve, knuckling down to contribute a match-winning batting performance of 72* from 97 deliveries.

His 91-run partnership with Kwanele Nqayi, who contributed 28 runs to their stand, proved to be the turning point in the innings as they got their side over the line in the 46th over.

At Eston, Pretoria Boys High School was unable to weather the “storm” produced by Northwood’s Mason Storm. He was all over the team from up north, sending six Boys High batsmen packing. Storm was not only penetrative, but he was also economical, conceding only 15 runs from his six overs.

Opening bowler, Nqobani Mokoena, did his bit, claiming 2/16 as only Tim Gordon, with 34, offered decent resistance. Unfortunately for Boys High, that made up almost half of their total and they were bowled out for a disappointing 78 all out.

A quickfire 24* from 12 deliveries from Mfanafuthi Shange in the middle order, and a composed 21 not out from Thayin Kuppan, saw the Knights cruise to a convincing seven-wicket victory in the 14th over.

A strong bowling performance by Paul Roos Gimnasium, led by Neil Barnard’s 3/41 in his eight overs saw them claim a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over St Alban’s College. Combined with contributions of 2/18 by Callum Apollis and 2/27 by Keauno Williams, the side from Stellenbosch restricted their opponents from up north to only 154.

Patrick Weir was mostly responsible for the bulk of the runs with his contribution of 66 runs. Paul Roos’ openers, however, didn’t hang around as they made light work of the chase, combining for a 151-run partnership.

Luca Plekker showed his stroke-making ability, doing most of the work with his 87* from only 74 balls. Ruben Coetzee did his part, anchoring the innings on his side with a mature 55 from 85 deliveries which saw their team home within 27 overs.

Hoërskool Waterkloof and Westville Boys’ High missed out on another day’s action as their match was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Summarised scorecards 

Grey College 164/10 (Pieter Smit 58, Dale Williams 30, Henru de Wet 23; Tristan Montile 2/13, Brendon Sunguro 2/38); St Charles College 167/5 (Brendon Sunguro 72*, Kwanele Nqayi 28; Otto Krause 2/18). St Charles College won by five wickets.

Pretoria Boys High School 78/10 (Tim Gordon 34; Mason Storm 6/15, Nqobani Mokoena 2/16); Northwood 79/3 (Mfanafuthi Shange 24*, Thayin Kuppan 21*; Grant Spencer 2/19). Northwood won by seven wickets.

St Alban’s College 154 (Patrick Weir 66, Ethan Nel 27, Kyle Block 21; Neil Barnard 3/41, Callum Appollis 2/18, Keauno Williams 2/27); Paul Roos Gimnasium 155/1 (Luca Plekker 87*, Ruben Coetzee 55; Kyle Earl 1/31). Paul Roos Gimnasium won by nine wickets.

As many of the other provinces prepare to start their Schools SA20 campaigns, the teams in the North West are already looking forward to seeing who will be crowned the king of the province on Sunday.

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However, the finalists will first need to be decided on Saturday.

Potchefstroom Gimnasium and Hoërskool Rustenburg are the strong favourites to battle it out in the final, but both will have their work cut out for them when they face unpredictable opponents in the semi-finals.

The new country-wide competition has created a platform to expose young up-and-coming talent to opponents that they might not usually meet and it has also opened up a stage for that talent to be exposed to a wider audience.

Jan van Staden, the head coach of Hoërskool Rustenburg, expressed his delight with the competition on the eve of the semi-finals.

“The SA20 presents a tremendous opportunity for all cricket players involved. It allows them to showcase their talent at one of the highest levels of school competition,” he said.

“This platform can help identify potential future stars and serves as an opportunity for selectors to scout new talent. At Rustenburg High School, we cherish every moment we get to compete in these top-level competitions and we eagerly await the upcoming semifinals.”

The Gimmies, last year’s North West T20 champions, will have to get past Hoërskool Wolmaransstad to have a shot at winning the regional title. The Wollies have surprised with a couple of good performances in the round-robin and, in their most recent outing, they beat Hoërskool Schoonspruit by six wickets to qualify for the semi-finals.

Their key player is André Dreyer. His impressive all-round performances have been pivotal in his side’s successes.

Gimmies, on the other hand, have benefitted from a number of regular contributors, with Jahndré Coetzee leading the way. His consistency with both the bat and ball has taken significant pressure off the shoulders of captain Tommie Botha, who has been equally impressive with the willow thus far.

Hoërskool Lichtenburg will have a second bite at the cherry in less than a week when they face Hoërskool Rustenburg. When they squared off recently in a 50-over-a-side match, the Rusties recorded a comfortable win.

After that contest, Lichtenburg will be aware of the danger that Rustenburg’s Callie Fryer poses. Fryer, still only 16 years old, has provided Rustenburg with a massive boost. His pace and his ability to nip the ball about will sternly test the character and ability of the Lichtenburg batsmen.

They, in turn, have a couple of bowling weapons of their own in Ona Senekwane and Lethabo Memani. That duo will, without a doubt, test the abilities of Thian Labuschagne and the rest of the Rustenburger’s batting line-up and, in the shorter form of the game, anything is possible.

TEAMS

Maritzburg College: Llewellyn Sutherland, Daniel Nadasan, Chad Mason, Oliver Da Costa, Michael Gibson, Tian van Niekerk, Deolyn Naidoo, Samuel Hughes, Karl Dedekind, Reece Willson, Ryan McKean, Julian Konigkramer. Coaches: Kyle Nipper, Robbie Coutts.

Hilton College: Robert Burman, Ben Erasmus, Simon Steyn, Charles Swart, Jayden Roux, Alex Pitman, James Peattie, David Hill, Ethan van Heerden, Kyle Christie, Natenzi Denega, Beniot Rey, Luke Campbell. Coaches: David Griffiths, Travis Pieters.

Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool (Affies): JP Botha, Henré Smith, Vihan Pretorius, Divan de Villiers, Ruben Groenewald, Ruben Groenewald, Janco Purchase, Daniel Murray, Zirk Meyer, Xavier de Wet, Armin Snyman, Nico Loggerenberg, Nicolai Bester, Andru van Zyl. Coaches: Francois Schuld, Pieter Cronje, Justin Swan.

Clifton College: Lawson Dinsdale, Hayden Drieselman, Blake Johnson, Muhammed Malek, Luthando Mazibuko, Cohen Naidoo, Shazaad Perumal, Timothy Saulez, Gabriel Vermeulen, Byron Ward, Regan Radley, Zach Williamson. Coaches: Brandon Scullard, Robbie Frylinck, Brian Shabangu.

Cornwall Hill College: AB Rasool, Khumo Kgagodi, Cody Sandler, Evan Nixon, Kian Blignaut, Michael Blignaut, Neo Makwela, Oliver Richards, Trent Hardie, Mohale Pitso, Obakeng Mokonyane, Zander Davel, Ethan Feris-Philander. Coaches: Tom Khoza, Dewald Kruger.

Cricket South Africa Invitation XI: Taywin Adams, Rivhoningo Chauke, Jaydon Damos, Matthew Florence, Jevohndré Jacobs, Ryall Julies, Enathi Khitshini, Tshepang Laka, Sabelo Mabanga, Nathan Nwafor, Bradley Rikhotso, Omphemetse Seroke, Nkosibonile Sibisi. Coaches: Lerato Malesa, Elridge Booysen, Colin Gxowa.

Durban High School: Semal Pillay, Lazlo Jooste, Joshua van Biljon, Sbiosos Msibi, Bayanda Majola, Sfundo Mthembu, Bhavesh Naicker, Ethan Cooper, Taine Havemann, Jared Havemann, Dilan Nariadu, Ismeel Omar. Coaches: Fabian Lazurus, Caleb Pillay.

Glenwood High School: Kyle Bryan, Karabo Ntsieng, Krian Jugoo, Bandile Mbatha, Kreesan Pillai, Sibenelo Phewa, Olwami Zondi, Daniel Gunawardana, Akhil Maharaj, Prince Shezi, Xavier Snyman, Algenio Oersen. Coaches: Darryll Govender, Theesan Naicker.

Grey College: Ruben Maree, Christian Kind, Cullen Marais, Henru de Wet, Dale Williams, Pieter Smit, Adem Nieuwoudt, River Scott, Daniel Hattingh, Jano Venter, Darion Rabie, Otto Krause, Sicelo Matayi. Coaches: Adri Swanepoel, Ryan McLaren, Sean van Niekerk.

Hudson Park: Landile Gidi, Opishesona Mbekwa, Lithemba Nomoyi, Lukhanyo Hlathuka, Chulumanco Macozoma, Kugqamile Nomtshongwana, Lindokuhle Nothse, Cwenga Bata, Slade Bambie, Somila Mkokeli, Sibabalo Mtshini, Iminathi Jumba. Coaches: Viwe Tongo, Franklin Plaatjies.

Jeppe High School for Boys: Munib Ayob, Kai van Aardt, Jeremaih Marshall, Ryan Young, Aiden Reyneke, Keegan Caixeiro, Tiago Almeida, Matthew Costa, Christopher Elston, Luke Cannon, Shreshth Kumar, Sipho Potsane, Ahmed Sheri. Coaches: Casey Arnold, Craig Templeton.

Kearsney College: Ross Coetzee, Murray Weyer, Jack O’Donovan, Keegan de Jager, Cameron Veenstra, Matthew Mendes de Oliveira, Cole Young, Jason de Gryse, Matthew Lamplough, Sandiswa Yeni, Asavela Khambule, Ryan Browning, Litha Gonya. Coaches: Matt Savage, Cameron Gordon.

King Edward VII School: Callum Ritchie, Cameron Smith, Fayaaz Vawda, Troy Gordon, Wade McQuinn, Abdullah Mohammed, Tiago Dias, Luke Clark, Connor Kuijers, Christian Sabela, Zieg Roos, Matthew Burgess, Khwezi Nyamathe. Coaches: Vincent Jordaan, Sharmin Naidoo.

Michaelhouse: Seabstian Hofmeyer, Michael Spencer, Murray Hall-Jones, Dylan Hewlett, Hayden Hewlett, Ethan Muir, Cameron Strudwick, Radesh Jhilmeet, Graydon Leslie, Jean-Luc Rey, Ross Moller, Harry Vickery, Thandanani Zuma. Coaches: Khalipa Cele, Lwandiswa Zuma.

Northwood School: Kyle White, Pride Buthelezi, Ben Cilliers, David de Bruyn, Connor Leclezio, Alistair Duncan, Jamie Wimbie, Thayin Kuppan, Nqobani Mokoena, Tuswa Phetha, Thomas Oosthuizen, Mfanafuthi Shange, Mason Storm. Coaches: Alex van der Merwe, Nantie Hayward, Richard Tyler.

Paul Roos: Luca Plekker, Ruben Coetzee, Matthew Seymore, Cornel Swart, Liam Basson, Beor van Reenen, Roux Joubert, Neil Barnard, Callum Appollis, Keanu Williams, Dian Winkel, Dylan van Schalkwyk. Coaches: Deon Botes, Dereno Alexander, Rian Wolfaardt.

Pretoria Boys High: Adam Cannata, Johan Coetzer, Tim Gordon, Eduan Gottfried, Graydon Lubbe, Patrick Mouton, Nicolas Rossouw, Grant Spencer, Tim Tattersall, Marc van der Merwe, Aidan van Straaten. Coaches: Maurice Aronstam, Abram Ndhlovu.

St Alban’s College: Kyle Block, Ethan Nel, Patrick Weir, Liam Basch, Boago Motlhabedi, Wayne Kruger, Liam Detert, Josh Melville, Mduduzi Mahlangu, Tim Hewitt, Kyle Earle, Luke Ward, James Godwin. Coaches: Barry Detart, Shylock Captain, Gareth Morgan.

St Charles College: Cian Fortmann, Dresden Coetzee, Tristan Montile, Rico Honiball, Marcell Wellmann, Brendon Sunguro, Connor Riley, Thandolwethu Zama, Kwanele Nqayi, Kaiyuran Naidoo, Stefan Veldsman, Covhan Baatjies. Coaches: Lucky Dlaldla, Mzamo Cele.

St David’s Marist Inanda: Samrat Basu, Jared Beilings, Kyle Butler, Hayden Campbell, Christopher Emslie, Ethan Greenstein, Armaan Manack, Morteza Manack, Roberto Mariano, Kamogelo Phiri, Khutso Sekgobela, Jared Stern. Coaches: Jeff Levin, Grant Mokoena.

St John’s College: Cole Francis, Thomas Ievers, Joe McRobert, Kago Masote, Oliver Tait, Alec Loveland, Malan du Plessis, Nkosana Sibiya, Darshik Lutchman, David Ireland, Lwazi Khupe, Jacob Smith. Coaches: Bongani Ntini, Gilbert de Villiers.

St Stithian’s College: Liam Mudenda, Pranav Raichetti, Emile Odendaal, Richard Seletswane, Tasheen Hanslo, Chris Anderson, Josh Meyer, Daydun Sunker, Kwena Maphaka, Ethan Jacobs, Oliver Wilson, Aidan van der Westhuizen. Coaches: Lazurus Mokoena, Jonathan von Hoesslin.

Waterkloof: Wian Ruthven, Divan Behrens, Marcus Bakker, Beukes van den Berg, Riley Miller, Alexander Volschenk, Rico van der Walt, Marno Pienaar, Ruan Ferreira, GJ de Swart, JAco van der Walt, Jaydon Blom, Franco Schmidt. Coaches: Cobus Pienaar, Rigardt Roos.

Westville Boys’ High: Max Robertson, Nicandro Kistna, Kaeden McAllister, Roxton Payne, Chad van Breda, Josh Beck, Sekou Shangase, Sean McCough, Seth Simpson, Heath Scott, Kyle McGough, Trisyan Delvin, Bashkar Sewlal. Coaches: Richard Wissing, Thomas Jackson.

Who other than the captain of Hoërskool Garsfontein, Xander Venter, and the trusty Eckardt Struwig to get them over the line?

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The pair was at the forefront of their team’s success as the Ysbere delivered a statement victory by beating Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool (Affies) at Affies on Saturday.

Venter led the way with the bat, top-scoring with a well-played 65. Struwig, then, showed that he’s not only a threat with the ball, but more than handy with the bat as he smashed a quickfire 55* from only 30 balls.

Wikus du Preez and Reuben van Zyl played their part, too, laying a sound platform for Venter and Struwig. Du Preez anchored the innings, contributing 38, while his fellow opener, Van Zyl, chipped in with 34.

Ruben Groenewald proved his worth for Affies once more, doing most of the damage with the ball for his side. He bagged four Garsfontein scalps while conceding only 27 runs from his 10 overs and followed up with a  solid 43 runs in the Affies’ innings.

Affies’ captain, Divan de Villiers, who was his side’s best player on the day, shone with both bat and ball. After picking up 2/46 with the ball, the talented right-hander scored a masterful 80 runs.

Janco Purchase marked his return to the team with a well-played 40 from 44 balls.

It was, however, Struwig who decided the game for the umpteenth time this season. His return of 4/35 caused the Affies’ batting lineup to wobble and, with a contribution of 2/70 from Sebastian Bouwer, that was enough to keep Affies to 247 all out, which left them 31 runs short of the Garsfontein total.

The golden bat of Charl Prinsloo saw Hoërskool Centurion finally bag their first league victory. Earlier in the season, he had struck a scintillating 137 against Hoërskool Waterkloof. This time around, it was Cornwall Hill College’s turn to face the music as the talented top-order batsman produced a corking 120.

He and Anton Stassen were almost solely responsible for the Woeries’ total of 256. Stassen played the supporting role coolly, scoring 63, as he combined with his captain to put together a match-winning 168-run partnership before they both fell victim to the bowling of Oliver Richards, who finished with 2/42.

Cornwall captain Lethabo Phahlamohlaka showed signs of his best form with an innings of 41 from just 24 balls. He and Michael Blignaut fought valiantly but a good performance with the ball from Carlo Kotze, who snapped up 3/27, meant that not even Blignaut’s unbeaten 44 was enough to stop the Woeries’ momentum.

Prestige College made Hoërskool Waterkloof work hard for their three-wicket victory. Hadji Mafadza, with 2/18, and Lesedi Mabena, with 2/30, turned the screws tight after a sublime 77 from Keamogetswe Semenya and 53 from Mabena lifted them beyond the 200-run mark.

Wian Ruthven, though, led the Klofies‘ winning effort again. He weighed in with a vital 54 and also returned 3/42 with the ball as Waterkloof further enhanced their impressive record.

After a well-rounded batting performance, led by Dian van Zyl’s 51 runs, Gerhard Engelbrecht knocked over 5/20 to lead Hoërskool Menlopark to an important 42-run victory away from home over Pretoria Boys High.

A silver lining for the Boys High side was the performance of their star leg-spin bowler Adam Cannata. Operating in tandem with Johan Coetzer, he bowled well to grab three wickets, which Coetzer matched, despite facing an explosive batting lineup.

Summarised scorecards

Garsfontein 278/9 (Xander Venter 65, Eckardt Struwig 55*, Wikus du Preez 38, Reuben van Zyl 34, Extras 24, Rickardt Joubert 20; Ruben Groenewald 4/27, Xavier de Wet 2/46); Affies 247/10 (Divan de Villiers 80, Ruben Groenewald 43, Janco Purchase 40, Henré Smith 25; Eckardt Struwig 4/35, Sebastian Bouwer 2/70). Garsfontein won by 31 runs.

Hoërskool Centurion 256/6 (Charl Prinsloo 120, Anton Stassen 63, Extras 20; Oliver Richards 2/42, Lhuan-dré Pretorius 2/45); Cornwall Hill College 214/10 (Michael Blignaut 44*, Lethabo Phalamohloka 41, Lhuan-dré Pretorius 33, Extras 33; Carlo Kotze 3/27, Morné Venter 2/22, Wouter Kileblock 2/32). Hoërskool Centurion won by 42 runs.

Prestige College 200/7 (Keamogetswe Semenya 77, Lesedi Mabena 53; Wian Ruthven 3/ 42, Jaco van der Walt 2/45); Waterkloof 202/7 (Wian Ruthven 54, Beukes van den Berg 39, Rico van der Walt 35*; Hadji Mafadza 2/18, Lesedi Mabena 2/30). Waterkloof won by three wickets.

Menlopark 221/9 (Dian van Zyl 51, Steve Stolk 44, Wian van Deventer 41, Matt van der Westhuizen 31; Johan Coetzer 3/40, Adam Cannata 3/53); Pretoria Boys High 165/10 (Tim Gordon 43; Gerhard Engelbrecht 5/20, Ewald Meyer 2/30, Pierre de Villiers 2/32). Menlopark won by 56 runs.

The defending champions of the Limpopo Super 8 League, Mohodi Boys Hub, showed signs that they have what it takes to successfully defend their title on Saturday.

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They impressed in a victory over Hoërskool Piet Potgieter, a dark horse title challenger, in their round-robin clash in Mokopane.

A tremendous bowling display from their mainstay, Kamogelo Morema,  who was well supported by Nyedi Photona, laid the platform for the visitor’s victory.

Morema, who was a member of the 2023 Mohodi side that made history by becoming the first Hub team in South Africa to win a Premier League trophy, showed his experience as he returned a splendid 3/4 from four overs.

Photona stole the limelight with his opening spell, however. Maintaining a consistent line and length, he tore through the Piet Pot top order to capture 4/21 from six overs. Only Piet Potgieter’s captain, Aeron Vaidyan, seemed comfortable at the crease as he top-scored with 30 runs from 33 deliveries, but his side slumped to a disappointing 103 all out.

Mohodi’s other seasoned campaigner, Victor Sehata, then, shone with the bat. He played with confidence, tallying an unbeaten 58 from 62 deliveries at the top of the order to steer the Hub team to a much-needed five-wicket victory.

Merensky Landbou Akademie’s head coach, Stebian van der Walt, would have enjoyed his team’s return to winning ways on Saturday, with the Plasies stamping their authority on proceedings in a convincing nine-wicket victory over Nkowankowa Boys Hub.

Wicketkeeper/batsman JP Botha was, once again, the star of the show. With Merensky needing only 79 to win, he paced his innings nicely, accelerating towards the end and signing off with a boundary to finish with an unbeaten 51 from just 34 deliveries.

Luka Heinlein and Timothy Baker were again the standouts with the ball. Heinlein picked up 3/18 in five overs, while Baker’s left-arm spin brought him a return of 3/28.

Hoërskool Pietersburg, the only unbeaten side in the league, kept their clean record intact. The men from the Limpopo capital thrashed their old rivals, Hoërskool Ben Vorster, by nine wickets. A good all-round bowling performance, led by young AJ Galloway’s 3/7, restricted the Vossies to only 79 all out.

Dian Gouws made light work of the small target, striking an unbeaten 47, while Nicholaas Oerlemans weighed in with 23 not out as the Pieties crossed the line in the tenth over.

Summarised scorecards 

Piet Potgieter 103/10 (Extras 36, Aeron Vaidyan 30; Nyedi Photona 4/21, Kamogelo Morema 3/4); Mohodi Boys Hub 106/5 (Victor Sehata 58*; Du Preez Coetzee 2/27, Ruben Oosthuizen 2/33). Mohodi Boys Hub won by five wickets.

Nkowankowa Boys Hub 78/10 (Nhlalala Malungani 18; Luka Heinlein 3/18, Timothy Baker 3/28, Rinaldo Borman 2/12); Merensky 79/2 (JP Botha 51*; Nhlalala Malungani 1/16). Merensky won by eight wickets.

Ben Vorster 79/10 (Extras 22, Anton Lourens 13; AJ Galloway 3/7, Ignus Ferrera 2/19, Andreas Jansen 2/29); Hoërskool Pietersburg 80/1 (Dian Gouws 47*, Nicholaas Oerlemans 23*; Kulani Mnisi 1/41). Hoërskool Pietersburg won by nine wickets.

Not only was Tiaan Hall a threat with the bat, but he also contributed with the ball as Hoërskool Marais Viljoen claimed an important away victory over Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen in the Easterns leg of the Schools SA20 competition.

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Opening the batting, he combined wonderfully with his opening partner, Jaden Govender, as the pair got the visitors off to a flying start by putting on an 87-run partnership for the first wicket.

Hall, who contributed 45 from 36 deliveries, was the aggressor, smashing seven fours and one six. Govender, on the other hand, went about his business in a more restrained manner, playing some exquisite shots for his contribution of 38.

With the foundation firmly laid, Abdulla Thadwala had the opportunity to score freely. He raced to his side’s second-best score of 41, and it took him only 21 deliveries to do so. Rieshaeel Hashim provided good support, making 31, to help the visitors from Alberton to a healthy total of 177/4 from their 20 overs.

The Jansies struggled to take wickets, but Egan Pretorius found a way. Although expensive, he made two much-needed breakthroughs towards the end to finish his two-over spell with a return of 2/25.

The Marais Viljoen visiting bowling attack then kept EG Jansen in check, starting with the very first ball, which brought Hall his first wicket. He finished with a tidy return of 2/9 from three overs. Riyaan Marques, with 2/7 in two, and Raynie Kruger, with 2/12, ensured Jansies wouldn’t get close to the visitor’s total.

Egan Pretorius, again, shone for the hosts, cracking 39 runs from only 31 deliveries, while Andre Pretorius played nicely for his 34. They were, however, the only two to make it past 20 and EG Jansen came up 45 runs short, kept to 132/7 from their 20 overs.

Scores 

Marais Viljoen 177/4 (Tiaan Hall 45, Abdulla Thadwala 41*, Jaden Govender 38, Riesheel Hashim 31; Egan Pretorius 2/25); EG Jansen 132/7 (Egan Pretorius 39, Andre Pretorius 34; Riyaan Marques 2/7, Tiaan Hall 2/9, Raynie Kruger 2/12).

Marais Viljoen won by 45 runs.