Author: froberholzer

After an exciting run-fest at the 2023 tournament, the teams contesting the sixth annual Westvaal North/South tournament will be itching to take a crack at the prestigious title when the event takes place in Pretoria from 10-13 October.

Catch all the action live on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)

The back-to-back defending champions, Hoërskool Waterkloof, will have their work cut out for them in Pool A, where they face stiff competition.

When they won in 2023, the Klofies made history by becoming the first school to successfully defend the title. Now, in 2024, they return a well-seasoned and strong lineup, which includes wicket-keeper and captain, Beukes van den Berg, and the “Master Blaster”, Marcus Bakker. If firepower is what is needed, Waterkloof has it.

To pull off a three-peat, the Pretoria school will first need to navigate the dangerous waters of Pool A, where they will be challenged by Rondebosch Boys’ High, from Cape Town, Johannesburg’s St Stithians College, and Northwood School, from Durban. The Knights, who missed the 2023 tournament, return to the lineup in place of Selborne College.

Last year’s runners-up, Hoërskool Menlopark, will be a force to be reckoned with and their challenge in Pool B will start up front with their captain and South African u19 opening batsman, Steve Stolk, whose powerful strokeplay and fast scoring make him a potential match-winner every time he takes to the crease.

Paarl Boys’ High, who went with a young line-up at last year’s North/South, could be a serious contender, battle-hardened by a year of tough competition in the very competitive Western Cape under their belt. There’s no sure thing in the pool, however, with Grey High School, from Gqeberha, and St Andrew’s School, from Bloemfontein, possessing some outstanding individual talents with the ability to tilt games in their favour.

Grey College will be looking forward to a duel with their long-time rivals Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool (Affies) in Pool C.  It could be viewed as the “Pool of Death”, with Wynberg Boys’ High and Potchefstroom Volkskool, also in the running, but that tag could could just as easily apply to any of the pools.

Joining Northwood as a newcomer in 2024, Jeppe High School for Boys replaces Mbombela’s Hoërskool Nelspruit. They’ll face a Westville Boys’ High outfit, which includes some outstanding stroke-makers adept at fast scoring in the T20 format, in Pool D. SACS, the second of the Western Cape challengers, also poses a threat, while Hoërskool Centurion‘s challenge comes with a sprinkling of unpredictability.

POOLS 

Pool A – Waterkloof, Rondebosch Boys’ High, St Stithians College, Northwood School.
Pool B – Hoërskool Centurion, SACS, Jeppe High School for Boys, Westville Boys’ High.
Pool C – Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool (Affies), Wynberg Boys’ High, Potchefstroom Volkskool, Grey College.
Pool D – Hoërskool Menlopark, Paarl Boys’ High, St Andrew’s School, Grey High School.

Ruben Brandmuller’s bat proved to be the difference for Hoërskool Middelburg as they defeated Hoërskool Secunda in the Mpumalanga Premier League on Saturday.

Relive all the action on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschool.com)

The top-order batsman compiled a match-winning innings of exactly 100 at a crucial time to rescue his side from trouble.

Brandmuller, whose innings included 13 fours and a six, shared in a key partnership of 98 runs with Herman Potgieter, who struck a valuable 37.

Gavin Genis, who also scored a century (103*) earlier in the Middies’ campaign, looked dangerous, cracking 22 from only 10 balls, but he then fell victim to Alonzo Blackenberg.

Blackenberg led the Secunda attack, despite being called on the bowl only later in the innings. He sent down 8.1 overs and snapped up 5/42, helping to stem the flow of Middelburg runs while sending half of the team’s batsmen packing. Middelburg had threatened to go big but, in the end, they were bowled out for 216.

Unfortunately for Secunda, they couldn’t quite match the home side’s batting performance as the Middies’ bowlers put their run chase under heavy pressure. Ceejay Webb was the pick of the Secunda batsman, with a contribution of 31*, which showed just how difficult the visitors found it out in the middle.

Zubair Desai captured 2/14 in 3.1 overs, while Genis did his bit with the ball, picking up 2/38 in 10, and Eduan Strydom took 2/35, also in 10, as the visitors were dismissed for 165, leaving Hoërskool Middelburg the winners by 51 runs.

Vaughn van Zyl cleaned up Hoërskool Hoogenhout quickly to help propel Hoërskool Nelspruit to a comfortable eight-wicket victory at home.

Opening the bowling for Nellies, he ran through the Hoogenhout top-order, capturing 5/26. Rico Nel weighed in with 2/14  as Hoogenhout mustered a disappointing 123 all out, mostly thanks to Tokkie Buhali’s hard-fought innings of 45.

Nel then went on to do the damage with the bat, making 50 from 44 balls. Nathan Duncan chipped in with 36 runs as the openers put up 97 to take Nelspruit to within sight of a convincing victory. An unbeaten 21 from Jayden Meyer ensured there were no hiccups as Nelspruit sauntered across the line.

Summarised scorecards

Hoërskool Middelburg 216 (Ruben Brandmuller 100, Herman Potgieter 37, Gavin Genis 22; Alonzo Blackenberg 5/42, Rovonne Singh 2/29); Hoërskool Secunda 165 (Ceejay Web 31*; Zubair Desai 2/14, Eduan Strydom 2/35, Gavin Genis 2/38). Hoërskool Middelburg won by 51 runs.

Hoërskool Hoogenhout 123 (Tokkie Buhali 45; Vaughn van Zyl 5/26, Rico Nel 2/14); Hoërskool Nelspruit 124/2 (Rico Nel 50, Nathan Duncan 36, Jayden Meyer 21*; Tokkie Buhali 1/9). Hoërskool Nelspruit won by eight wickets.

Hoërskool Wesvalia’s victory over Potchefstroom Volkskool, by the barest of margins, sent waves rippling through the North West League on Saturday.

Relive all the action on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)

The side from Klerksdorp delivered something special as they got one over one of the most successful teams in the league over recent years.

Batting first, the Wessies made their way to 203 all out, thanks to a fighting knock from opening batsman, Luan Vermeulen, who grafted hard for 60 runs from 91 balls.

His opening partner Zaindré Stopforth chipped in with 31 of his own as the pair shared a solid 52-run opening stand, while Henco Greyling played an important knock of 35 in the middle order. Still, 203 didn’t look as if it would be enough.

Volkies’ golden arm, Themba Sontane, however, had other plans. His return of 4/29 in 5.2 overs pulled his side back into the contest. Berno de Klerk also delivered an impressive performance, snapping up 3/32 in nine overs.

In their reply, just like the Wessies, Volkskool also received solid contributions from their top order. The consistent Attie Liebenberg led the way with 61 runs from only 52 balls. Eduan van der Merwe’s damaging 51 from 37 deliveries, then, had Volkies on course for victory.

Ethan Walker, however, threw a spanner in the works, knocking over 4/57 in nine overs. Together with two-wicket returns from Henco Greyling, Marneu Dreyer, and Regardt van Deventer, the Wessies pulled it back and pulled it off by a single run.

Potchefstroom Gimnasium continued their purple patch with another convincing victory, this time beating Muhammad Bulbulia and his chargers from Fields College by six wickets. Bulbulia, however, didn’t go down without a fight.

The South African Schools Colts’ captain and opening batsman for the 2023 North West Dragons Khaya Majola side top-scored with a fluent 88 from 100 deliveries. Unfortunately for Bulbulia, his was the only noteworthy innings for Fields College, who mustered just 150 all out, in the face of good bowling by the Gimmies. Jahndré Coetzee snapped up 4/20 and Tommie Botha took 3/33 to ensure their side faced a comfortable run chase.

Set a moderate victory target, Divan van Eldik scored 39 from 43 balls and Tommie Botha followed up his bowling success with 34, to see Potch Gimnasium home in the 28th over. Bulbulia continued his star turn with the ball for Fields College,  claiming three Gimmie scalps for 33 runs.

Hoërskool Rustenburg’s top six, meanwhile, laid down the law to once again lead their side to a mammoth victory, this time over Matlosana Hub. Tristan van der Linde paced the batting lineup with 70, Callie Fryer put his all-round game on display with 62, and Zandré Diedricks chipped in 58, the third half-century of Rusties’ innings, to help his side to a big 319/8.

Matlosana was unable to mount a challenge, with Wessel Rossouw spearheading the Rustenburg attack with a return of 3/35, while Thian Labuschagne finished off the visitors by chipping in with two wickets as Rusties won by 170 runs.

Although they lost by a huge margin, Matlosana’s Tumelo Makume deserves a pat on the shoulder. He showed some fight with a courageous 51 from 55 deliveries.

Hoërskool Klerksdorp‘s Bernie Fourie and Winton Abrahams bowled their side to a seven-wicket victory over Hoërskool Lichtenburg. Fourie sent four Liggie batsmen packing for only 22 runs, while Abrahams showed that he’s not only a gifted rugby player, by capturing 4/32.

Stephan Janse van Rensburg‘s 41 at the top of the order then set Klerksdorp on course for victory as they chased only 121 to win. All that was needed was a little support and he found it from Tiaan Koen, whose unbeaten 22 got his side over the line.

Liggies’ trusty Lethabo Memani showed promise, making 46 runs to narrowly out on a half-century.

Summarised scorecards

Wesvalia 203/10 (Luan Vermeulen 60, Henco Greyling 35, Ziandré Stopforth 31, Marneu Dreyer 23; Temba Sontane 4/29, Berno de Klerk 3/32); Potchefstroom Volkskool 202/10 (Attie Liebenberg 61, Eduan van der Merwe 51, Berno de Klerk 20; Ethan Walker 4/57, Henco Greyling 2/23, Regardt van Deventer 2/33, Marneu Dreyer 2/35). Wesvalia won by one run.

Fields College 150/10 (Muhammad Bulbulia 88, William Matsitsi 22; Jahndré Coetzee 4/20, Tommie Botha 3/33); Potchefstroom Gimnasium 151/4 (Divan van Eldik 39, Tommie Botha 34; Muhammad Bulbulia 3/33). Potchefstroom Gimnasium won by six wickets.

Hoërskool Rustenburg 319/8 (Tristan van der Line 70, Callie Fryer 62, Zandré Diedricks 58, Nathan Rossouw 31*; Tshiamo Mitingoe 3/107, Katlego Maloto 2/76, Castro Ndlambewu 2/107); Matlosana Hub 149/10 (Tumelo Makume 51, Ismail Gangat 34; Wessel Oosthuizen 3/35, Thian Labuschagne 2/24, Marnus de Witt 2/24, Nathan Rossouw 2/41). Hoërskool Rustenburg won by 170 runs.

Hoërskool Lichtenburg 120/10 (Lethabo Memani 46, Luan Snyman 22; Bernie Fourie 4/22, Winton Abrahams 4/32); Hoërskool Klerksdorp 124/3 (Stephan Janse van Rensburg 41, Tiaan Koen 22*; Riyan Pathan 1/25). Hoërskool Klerksdorp won by seven wickets.

Hoërskool Pietersburg was the first to bite in a battle between Limpopo’s big dogs on Saturday.

Relive all the action on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)

A man of the match performance by Stephan Swanepoel, who was aided by a superb batting display from captain, Hanno van Zyl, saw the Pieties to a convincing 83-run victory over Merensky Landbou Akademie in Tzaneen.

The pair did the bulk of the hard work with the willow for the visitors, combining well for a massive and much-needed partnership of 140 runs. Merensky was left wondering what might have been if they had held onto their chances early on in the partnership.

Van Zyl was dropped just after his arrival, then went on to play some high-quality strokes, facing 75 balls for a crucial 73 runs. Swanepoel, meanwhile, played the anchor role wonderfully and also notched a half-century. He was eventually the victim of a peach of a delivery from seamer, Topher Elphinstone, for 68.

Swanepoel then led the way with the ball, capturing 5/50 from his 10 overs to cause a severe wobble in the Merensky response. Good support from SJ Stander, who took 2/25, and AJ Galloway, who picked up 2/35, meant the Pieties never looked like losing.

Merensky’s newfound gem, bowling all-rounder Timothy Baker, fought valiantly. The left-arm off-spinner snared 4/52 in 10 and smashed a quick-fire 35 from only 22 deliveries. Rinaldo Borman chipped in with 35 runs, too, while opening batsman Logan Janse van Rensburg knuckled down for a well-played 29.

Hoërskool Ben Vorster’s home field, the Premier Park Oval, hosted a low-scoring thriller. On a weekend in which there was a five-for in the second innings of every match played across the league, it was the Ben Vorster captain Njabulo Maseko who stepped up to the plate and guided guide his side to an important victory over Phalaborwa Boys Hub.

Defending only 102, the home side opted to open with spin from both ends. Maseko worked his magic, spinning a web around the visitors to snap up 5/11 in 9 overs. Fellow spinner, Ndzalama Mushswana, also enjoyed success, claiming three scalps from his end while conceding 44 runs as the Phalaborwa side was rolled over for a meagre 68.

Phalaborwa’s Hlalani Ngomane continued his good form with the ball, leading the visitor’s attack with a sparkling return of 4/11 from four overs, while opening bowler Bradley Rikotso bowled well up front, capturing 4/37.

Hoërskool Piet Potgieter, a dark horse contender for league honours, taught Nkowankowa Boys Hub a proper cricket lesson.

After setting Nkowankowa a target of 228 for victory, thanks to a fine contribution of 85 runs from Muaaz Muhammed and 56 from captain Aeron Vaidyan, his second half-century in succession, it was up to the bowlers to get the job done. They did it in some style.

Opening bowler Ruben Oosthuizen led the way with an innings-destroying spell that he will remember for a long time. He stormed in, sending down six overs during which he knocked over 7/11 to return his best figures of the season thus far.

Vaidyan, meanwhile, capped off a proper captain’s performance by picking up three wickets for only one run as the visitors stumbled to a disappointing 52 all out.

Nkowankowa’s seamer, Allen Shiviri, was the star of the show for his side. While his team was well beaten, Shiviri would have been satisfied with his haul of 6/55.

Summarised scorecards

Hoërskool Pietersburg 256/8 (Hanno van Zyl 73, Stephan Swanepoel 68, Hanru Marais 35, Juan Rademeyer 20*; Timothy Baker 4/52); Merensky 173/10 (Rinaldo Borman 35, Timothy Baker 35, Logan Janse van Rensburg 29, Extras 28, JP Botha 23; Stephan Swanepoel 5/50, SJ Stander 2/25, AJ Galloway 2/35). Hoërskool Pieterburg won by 83 runs.

Ben Vorster 102/10 (Amaris Nortjé 28; Hlulani Ngomane 4/11, Bredley Rokotso 4/37); Phalaborwa Boys Hub 68/10 (Rivoningo Chauke 21; Njabulo Maseko 5/11, Ndzalama Mushwana 3/44). Ben Vorster won by 34 runs.

Hoërskool Piet Potgieter 227/10 (Muaaz Muhammed 85, Aeron Vaidyan 56, Du Preez Coetzee 28, Extras 28, Jaque Fourie 21; Allen Shiviri 6/55); Nkowankowa Boys Hub 52/10 (Extras 14, Nhlalala Malangana 13; Ruben Oosthuizen 7/11, Aeron Vaidyan 3/1). Hoërskool Piet Potgieter won by 175 runs.

Wian Ruthven enhanced his status as one of the best opening batsmen in South African schoolboy cricket by rising to the occasion and playing a match-winning innings in a massive Titans League clash on Saturday.

SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)

The Waterkloof opening batsman showed off his big match temperament as Klofies scored an important home victory over Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool (Affies) on the André van der Walt Oval in Pretoria.

Ruthven was at his destructive best as he and his opening partner, Divan Behrens, who weighed in with 40, got their team off to a superb start, putting on 91 runs for the first wicket before Behrens was sent back to the pavilion.

Not even the early departure of Marcus Bakker fazed Ruthven as he went on to notch an exquisite 107 from just 95 deliveries. His innings included 11 fours and five sixes and came at a healthy strike rate of 112.63.

Beukes van den Berg did his part, combining nicely with Ruthven, as they added 114 between them.

The Waterkloof skipper showcased his stroke-playing ability, compiling a mature 59 runs, to show why he was invited to the South African u19 Identification Camp last month.

Riley Miller, with 52, and Rico van der Walt, with an undefeated 44,  cashed in on the solid platform laid by the top order to help Waterkloof to a healthy 324/6 in their 50 overs.

Affies’ Vihan Pretorius, aged only 16, has enjoyed an impressive season and he continued in that vein with another classy innings for Affies in their reply, facing only 65 balls for a wonderful 88 runs, which included 10 fours and a six.

His captain, Divan de Villiers, fought valiantly with both the bat and ball. He made 61 after taking two wickets in the Waterkloof innings, although he was expensive, finishing with figures of 2/89 from his 10 overs.

Ruben Groenewald was the pick of the Affies’ attack, knocking over 2/34 in seven overs.

Affies came up well short in their run chase, with an inspired spell of 4/54 from Marcus Bakker, who always seems to be in the middle of the action, proving to be the turning point as the visitors lost a number of batsmen cheaply, on their way to an 81-run defeat.

Testing batting conditions forced Hoërskool Menlopark to fight to the very end to overcome Cornwall Hill College. They managed it, just, winning by only seven runs at home.

Parkies’ Matt van der Westhuizen continued his suburb run of form, top-scoring for his side once again, with a well-played 68. Captain Steve Stolk made his way to another half-century, contributing an important 55, while James Bronkhorst produced a little gem of 42 runs.

It was no surprise that Lhuan-dré Pretorius led the way for Cornwall Hill. He top-scored with a patient 86 but would’ve desperately wanted to keep batting as another couple of runs from his bat would have likely produced a much-needed victory for his side.

A dominant performance by Hoërskool Garsfontein’s bowlers blasted Hoërskool Centurion out of the water. The Ysbere’s quick, Nayleo Sanna, did the early damage, snapping up 3/15 in five overs. Xander Venter shone, too, also claiming 3/15, but in four overs.

An unbeaten 34 from opening batsman Reuben van Zyl was enough to break the backbone of the small run chase. Garsfontein needed only 83 to win and they wasted no time, spending only 12 overs at the crease as they recorded a convincing seven-wicket victory.

Summarised scorecards

Waterkloof 324/6 (Wian Ruthven 107, Beukes van den Berg 59, Riley Miller 52, Rico van der Walt 44*, Divan Behrens 40; Ruben Groenewald 2/34, Divan de Villiers 2/89); Affies 243 (Vihan Pretorius 88, Divan de Villiers 61, Henré Smith 35, JP Botha 20; Markus Bakker 4/54). Waterkloof won by 81 runs.

Menlopark 233/9 (Matt van der Westhuizen 68, Steve Stolk 55, James Bronkhorst 42; Michael Blignaut 3/17, Neo Makwela 3/42); Cornwall Hill College 226/9 (Lhuan-dré Pretorius 86, Ab Rasool 43, Neo Makwela 27, Michael Blignaut 26; Murray Hofmeyer 3/36, Ewald Meyer 2/23, Matt van der Westhuizen 2/31). Menlopark won by seven runs.

Hoërskool Centurion 82 (Rehan Lues 26; Nayleo Sanna 3/15, Xander Venter 3/15, Sebastian Bouwer 2/11, Eckard Struwig 2/22); Garsfontein 83/3 (Reuben van Zyl 34*; Rehan Lues 1/10). Garsfontein won by seven wickets.

A battle of the batsmen awaits Hoërskool Waterkloof’s home field, the André van der Walt Oval, when the Klofies face their old rivals, Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool, in a massive Titans League showdown on Saturday.

Follow all the action live on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)

Both sides have shown that they possess deep batting lineups, which suggests their match will be a high-scoring affair on the batting-friendly wicket.

Affies’ Jorich van Schalkwyk will be itching to pass the 1 000-run mark this year. He has 943 to his name already at an average of 67.36.

His tally includes two double-centuries, three centuries, and a fifty, which reflects well on his ability to turn starts into substantial scores.

Captain Divan de Villiers, Vihan Pretorius, and Ruben Groenewald, an unsung hero, further bolster the visitor’s lineup. Groenewald, batting lower down the order, has been in immaculate form, scoring 489 runs at a very useful average of 40.75.

Waterkloof, on the other hand, possesses the striking power of opening batsman Wian Ruthven, who has been at the forefront of their success this year. He’s scored 832 runs at an average of 52.

The Klofies have other regular run scorers in their ranks, including their captain and wicketkeeper, Beukes van den Berg, and Ruthven’s opening partner, Divan Behrens. He, too, has been exceptional this season, scoring 786 runs, while Van den Berg has also excelled behind the stumps, claiming 12 dismissals thus far this term, including nine catches, two run outs, and a stumping.

The left-arm offspinner, Marcus Bakker, is a dangerman for Waterkloof with 32 wickets this year. He’s also a hard-hitting batsman capable of tearing a bowling attack to shreds. Opening bowler Petrus Rautenbach leads the attack, having sent 34 batsmen packing in 2024.

The South African u19 opening pair of Steve Stolk and Lhuan-dré Pretorius will be raring to go but find themselves on opposite sides for the clash between Hoërskool Menlopark and Cornwall Hill College.

Pretorius, fresh off a well-played 91 against Affies last week, seems to be in good touch. Stolk, meanwhile, has not quite been at his destructive best, but that is likely to end soon, which will be a major warning sign for Cornwall Hill.

Hoërskool Centurion would have had some time to reflect on and analyse their performances ahead of their clash with Hoërskool Garsfontein’s Ysbere.

The Garsies have enjoyed a strong season so far, losing only by one wicket to Menlopark, whereas the Woeries are still chasing a first victory of their campaign. Centurion captain Charl Prinsloo has played some spectacular innings in 2024 and he will be aiming to set his side up for a win.

The name Jorich van Schalkwyk will be etched into Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool’s (Affies) cricket history, alongside some legends, who are renowned on the world stage and who have passed through the school before him.

That’s because just a few weeks ago, the young top-order batsman thrust his name into the spotlight by breaking the Affies’ record for the highest individual score in a 50-over match.

Playing against Cornwall Hill College, he made a masterful 240 from only 152 deliveries, striking 34 fours and seven sixes.

The talented right-hander’s love for the game, especially batting, started at the age of five in the small town of Warmbaths in Limpopo. Warmbaths was also home to his idol and former Affies’ star, AB de Villiers, one of the greatest batsmen of the modern era.

At the age of 11, Van Schalkwyk got his first taste of provincial cricket, making the Limpopo u11 side. Multi-talented, like De Villiers, he also represented the province in tennis and hockey. His cricketing talent, however, stood out and he was selected for the provincial u13 side the following year. Since then, he’s grown from strength to strength.

In 2023, at the age of 17, Van Schalkwyk was chosen for the Titans‘ u19 Khaya Majola side. At the end of a successful week, he was included in the South African Schools squad. He also appeared for the Northern Champions at the Cubs Week in Stellenboch.

Assessing his successes, he said they wouldn’t have happened without the help of his coach at Affies, Pieter Cronje. “Coach Pieter Cronje has played a massive role in my cricket since I came to Affies. I owe him a lot,” Van Schalkwyk said.

His latest representative achievement is his recent selection for the SA u19 Emerging squad, which will tour Zimbabwe from 15 to 30 September in preparation for the 2026 u19 Cricket World Cup.

Van Schalkwyk, though, said tours with Affies rank highly in his estimation. “The tours, like the Michaelmas and the Cape Peninsula Festivals, are my favourites. It not only allows me to do what I love, but I get to do it with my friends. Those are the memories I’ll cherish,” he said.

He has two double-centuries to his name this year and he’s closing in on another big milestone. He’s within touching distance of surpassing the 1 000-run mark for 2024. It should arrive in his next outing given his consistency.

With bucketloads of talent, humility, a huge hunger to succeed, and high aspirations, Van Schalkwyk has the necessary character traits and talent to make his name at a higher level of cricket. Keep an eye out for him.

As the hype around the newly launched Schools SA 20 grows, sides from the North West have already started fighting it out to see which school will be tasked with flying the union’s flag in the national finals.

Relive all the action SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)

It was fitting that the first game, just after the reveal and launch of the revived schools’ T20 competition, was a clash of the North West Titans as Potchefstroom Gimnasium and their cross-town rivals, Potchefstroom Volkskool, met in a quarterfinal clash.

The day, very clearly, belonged to the Gimmies. They produced a scintillating bowling performance, which set them up for a comfortable eight-wicket victory.

Batting first, Volkskool struggled to construct any meaningful partnerships. Only Herman Hesse, who’s more often seen causing damage with the ball, was able to find any sort of rhythm with the bat. He led Volkies’ run-scoring, with 23 from 16 deliveries, while Ruan Smit, with 21, and Diaan van der Merwe, with 20, were the only other batsmen to move beyond the teens.

Bennet Keet led the Gimmies’ attack, capturing 2 for 14 from his four overs. He was well supported by Ruan Steenkamp, who kept Volkskool quiet through the middle overs on his wat to a superb return of 2 for 10 from his four overs. Henré Cronje and Jahndré Coetzee also bagged two wickets apiece, as Volkskool folded for 111.

Set a small victory target, Jahndré Coetzee took charge and cracked an unbeaten 53 to guide Gimnasium to victory. He received useful support from Divan van Eldik, who made 25, and Lukas Kotze, who was on 23 not out when Gim claimed the win.

Themba Sontjane was the only Volkies’ bowler able to make any inroads into the Potchefstroom Gimnasium batting lineup. He did a solid job, claiming two wickets while conceding only 14 runs from three overs, which included 11 dot balls.

Coetzee, for his 46-ball 53 not out and 2 for 24, was named the man of the match.

The reward for Gimnasium is a semi-final clash with the winners of the tie between Hoërskool Hartbeespoort and Rustenburg’s Fields College.

Scores

Potchefstroom Volkskool 111 (Herman Hesse 23, Ruan Smit 21, Dian van der Merwe 20; Ruan Steenkamp 2/10, Bennet Keet 2/13, Henré Cronje 2/23, Jahndré Coetzee 2/24); Potchefstroom Gimnasium 113/2 (Jahndré Coetzee 53*, Divan van Eldik 25, Lukas Kotze 23*; Themba Sontjane 2/14). Potchefstroom Gimnasium won by eight wickets.

Hoërskool Pietersburg‘s 1st XI was buzzing after they powered their way to a seven-wicket win over the defending champions, Mohodi Boys Hub, on Saturday.

It was a sweet victory for the Pieties on their home oval over the team that beat them in the 2023 Limpopo Super Eight League final.

Nicholaas Oerlemans, who was part of that league decider last year and later went on to represent the Limpopo Impala u19 side at the Khaya Majola Week, did the bulk of the damage when the Pieties bowled first.He sent three batsmen back to the pavilion while only conceding seven runs. AJ Galloway played his part, too, picking 3/13 from six overs.

Those top bowling performances were well supported by a good effort from the Pieties’ fielders, which stopped the Mohodi batsmen from getting going on a surface which is usually a good one to bat on. Only Victor Sehata, Mohodi’s opening batsman, seemed comfortable out in the middle. He made 28 as the visitors slumped to 98 all out in the 27th over.

Facing a low victory target, the Pieties’ Hanno van Zyl showed his experience with the bat. He’s been an important member of the Pietersburgers’ batting lineup over the past three years and could well find himself representing the province’s u19 team later this year. Van Zyl struck a classy 36 not out from 46 deliveries, which anchored the home side’s charge to victory in the 25th over.

The Tzaneen derby between old rivals, Hoërskool Ben Vorster and Merensky Landbou Akademie, belonged to the all-rounder Timothy Baker.

He led the way with the bat for Merensky, smashing a quickfire 77 runs from 50 balls on Ben Vorster’s Renier Reyneke Oval. His innings included nine fours and five sixes as he and Cashan Jacobsz (27*) stabilised the visitor’s innings after the Ben Vorster captain, Njabulo Maseko (2/21), and his fellow opening bowler Stian du Randt (3/27), shared five wickets between them.

Later, in the field, Baker tormented the Vossie batters. He opened the bowling with his left arm off-spin and quickly picked up three wickets in six overs while conceding only 21 runs.

His opening partner, Luka Heinlein, was, as usual, among the wickets. An impressive five-over spell brought him a return of 2/17.

The Black Caps were unable to recover from those early setbacks and they tumbled to 82 all out, leaving Merensky the handsome winner by 106 runs.

Summarised scorecards 

Mohodi Boys 98 (Victor Sehata 28, Kwena Mohloatshaba 20*; Nicholaas Oerlemans 3/7, AJ Galloway 3/13, Ignus Ferreira 2/15, Juan Rademeyer 2/26); Hoërskool Pietersburg 100/3 (Hanno van Zyl 36*, Stephan Swanepoel 21; Mahlodi Sekuba 2/25). Hoërskool Pietersburg won by seven wickets.

Merensky 188 (Timothy Baker 77, Extras 36, Cashan Jacobsz 27*, Rinaldo Bornman 26; Stian du Randt 3/27, Njabulo Maseko 2/21, Aiden von Straate 2/31, Amaris Nortje 2/42); Ben Vorster 82 (Extras 20, Amaris Nortje 18; Timothy Baker 3/21, Luka Heinlein 2/17, Kyle Crous 2/19). Merensky won by 106 runs.

Yet another batting record has tumbled in the north of Gauteng. This time it was the turn of Affies’ and South African Schools’ top-order batsman, Jorich van Schalkwyk to rewrite the record books.

Relive all the action on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)

The nifty right-hander showed why he’s well on his way to 1 000 runs for the season by contributing a wonderful 240 from only 152 deliveries when Affies batted first against Cornwall Hill College in their Titans League fixture at Affies on Saturday.

That was the highest individual score yet achieved by one of the school’s batsmen in a 50-over match. It was also his second double-century of the season.

Van Schalkwyk’s superb innings included a whopping 34 fours and seven sixes as he raced along at a brisk strike rate of 157.89.

He then rubbed further salt into the Cornwall wounds by spinning a web around the visitors to claim figures of three for 39 from 10 overs.

Vihan Pretorius contributed 65 runs and claimed two wickets, one of which was the prized scalp of his older brother and SA u19 opener, Lhuan-dré Pretorius. The younger Pretorius, in a match that produced an astonishing 772 runs, conceded only 33 from his seven overs.

He and captain Divan de Villiers, who smashed 66 from just 20 deliveries, played an integral part in Affies reaching a mammoth total of 454/5 from their 50 overs.

Cornwall Hill, however, wasn’t going down easily. Lhuan-dré Pretorius did some damage up front, taking only 60 balls to make 91 runs. He and his opening partner Ab Rasool combined nicely for a strong 154-run opening stand. Kian Blignaut (55) and Michael Blignaut (53) showed serious grit, too. Both made their way to well-deserved half-centuries after a middle-order collapse.

Unfortunately for the visitors, not even 318/6 was enough to get Cornwall Hill close to victory as Affies bagged an important 136-run win.

In another big Pretoria clash, Hoërskool Garsfontein’s Ysbere secured a nail-biting three-wicket victory over Pretoria Boys High. Boys High’s Tim Gordon continued his impressive batting form, top scoring with an attractive 71 runs. Johan Coetzer weighed in with  52 and Connor Hall made 37, but there were no more scores of substance.

Garsies’ Reuben van Zyl broke the backbone of their run chase with a well-played 68 while Wikus du Preez did his bit with 28 as Garsfontein overhauled Boys High’s 205 all out in the 35th over of their innings.

Prestige College produced a much improved performance but it wasn’t enough to get them past Hoërskool Menlopark. Matt van der Merwe, one of the Parkies’ top performers this season, led the way with the willow. His 85, combined with contributions of 37 from Dian van Zyl, 32 from Ewald Meyer, and 31 from Steve Stolk, helped Menlo to a healthy total of 262 all out.

Gift Motlhasedi impressed with the ball, claiming four Menlo scalps while conceding only 28 runs. Then, Lesedi Mabena made the Menlopark bowlers work hard as he top-scored with 63. Omphile Maredi rounded off a good all-round performance by adding 33 runs to the two wickets he had taken earlier in the day.

Summarised scorecards

Affies 454/5 (Jorich van Schalkwyk 240, Divan de Villiers 66, Vihan Pretorius 65, Henré Smith 33, Extras 26; Trent Hardie 2/62); Cornwall Hill College 318/6 (Lhuan-dré Pretorius 91, Ab Rasool 65, Kian Blignaut 55*, Michael Blignaut 53, Oliver Richards 21; Jorich van Schalkwyk 3/39, Vihan Pretorius 2/33). Affies won by 136 runs.

Pretoria Boys High 205/10 (Tim Gordon 71, Johan Coetzer 52, Connor Hall 37; Sebastian Bouwer 3/50, Eckard Struwig 2/11, Zandré Nel 2/16); Garsfontein 210/7 (Reuben van Zyl 68, Wikus du Preez 38, Extras 26, Richardt Joubert 21, Jared Carr 21*; Patrick Mouton 3/28, Johan Coetzer 2/50). Garsfontein won by three wickets.

Menlopark 262/10 (Matt van der Merwe 85, Dian van Zyl 37, Ewald Meyer 32, Steve Stolk 31, Extras 28, Morné Koekemoer 24; Gift Motlhasedi 4/28, Omphile Maredi 2/28, Lesedi Mabena 2/36); Prestige College 163/10 (Lesedi Mabena 63, Omphile Maredi 33, Extras 29; Pierre de Villiers 4/20, Ewald Meyer 2/23, Murray Hofmeyer 2/51). Menlopark won by 99 runs.