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Kearsney College wrapped up their Independent Schools Cricket Festival (ISCF) campaign with an action-packed big T20 win over St John’s College (Harare) behind an astonishing batting onslaught from Luke Grobbelaar.

The Makhanda duo of St Andrew’s College and Kingswood College also ended on a winning note, defeating  St Stithians College and St George’s College (Harare), respectively.

On the Murray Oval, at St Alban’s College, Blake Pugh‘s all-round skills played a key role in Kearsney College’s comfortable 88-run win over St John’s (Harare).

The Botha’s Hill school batted first after winning the toss and put the St John’s bowling attack to the sword, powering to 210/6 in their 20 overs. A sound performance in the field then saw the Zimbabweans dismissed for 122 in reply.

Luke Grobbelaar, who blitzed an electrifying 82 from only 39 balls, clubbing eight sixes and three fours, provided Kearsney with a sound footing by sharing in a 48-run opening stand with Asher Hollister (18).

Keegan de Jager made eight and didn’t stay around for long, but when Grobbelaar and Pugh got together, they lit up the St John’s attack, advancing the Kearsney total by 108 runs in only 9.3 overs.

Pugh held Kearsney’s innings together after Grobbelaar’s dismissal and finished with an unbeaten 61 from 49 balls. He next added a haul of 2/23 in four overs to help the KZN side to an emphatic victory.

Matthew Rice, with 3/11, was the pick of their attack, while Keegan de Jager claimed 2/18 and Daniel Miskey 2/9.

James Manning led the St John’s reply with a well-made 71 from 45 balls, but he was short of support. Noah Mitchell (18) and Shivaan Chouhan (11) were the only other batsmen to reach double figures.

St Andrew’s College vs St Stithians College

St Andrew’s College enjoyed a rewarding visit to St Stithians College, where they overpowered the hosts and cruised to a comfortable eight-wicket win on the Dlamini Oval.

The visitors were asked to field first after they lost the toss, but they turned that into a good toss to lose, staging a relentless attack to skittle Saints for 69 in only 16.3 overs. The St Andrew’s batsmen wasted little time in chasing down that small total and cantered to 70/2 and victory in 13.5 overs.

St Andrew’s bowler Will Stevens created a domino effect when he claimed a wicket in the second over. That wobbled the home team, and they were unable to settle after that blow, losing wickets at regular intervals thereafter.

Akhil Challa (24*) and Matthew Katzenstein (17) halted the procession of wickets with a 34-run fifth-wicket partnership that was broken by Rhys Wiblin in the ninth over. Katzenstein was the second of three scalps the St Andrew’s captain claimed, with his return of 3/13 from four overs an excellent example of leading from the front.

James Bronkhorst supported his skipper with a neat 2/12 from three overs, while Stevens, Thomas Bussiahn, and Adrian Gaunt contributed a wicket each.

After his heroics with the ball, Wiblin led the visitors’ run chase with an unbeaten 29 from 38 balls. He also shared a match-winning 52-run second-wicket partnership with Benjamin Scharges (25) before seeing his team home in Connor Holder‘s (12*) company.

Kingswood College vs St George’s College

Kingswood College put their T20 skills on display with a comprehensive nine-wicket win over St George’s when they duelled on the Baloyi Oval at St Alban’s College.

The Kingswood bowlers hardly put a foot wrong as they bundled out St George’s for only 79 runs in 18 overs. Then, their top three batsmen made light work of the run pursuit, racing to 80/1 in just 7.3 overs.

Edwin Geldenhuys was the pick of the Kingswood bowlers with 3/9 in two overs. He enjoyed sound support from Daniel Jakins and David Loudon, who each claimed a brace of wickets, while Sinawo Bukula, Rogan Goliath, and Simon Sheard finished with a wicket each.

St George’s had only three batsmen – Michael Mukori (14), Munashe Muchatukwa (12), and Allen Masiya (11) – who made it beyond single figures, but that was never going to be enough to challenge Kingswood.

Christopher Zimmerman led the Makhanda boys’ chase with an unbeaten 35 from 19 balls. He and Chad Roodt (22*) also shared an unbroken 51-run second wicket partnership, while Daniel Jakins contributed 16 runs from 11 balls to the chase.

Summarised Scorecards

Kearsney College 210/6 (Luke Grobbelaar 82, Blake Pugh 61*; Sean Riley 4/23, Luca Spagnuolo 1/32). St John’s College (Harare) 122/10 (James Manning 71, Noah Mitchell 11; Matthew Rice 3/11, Blake Pugh 2/23). Kearsney won by 88 runs.

St Stithians College 69/10 (Akhil Challa 24*, Matthew Katzenstein 17; Rhys Wiblin 3/14, James Bronkhorst 2/12, Adrian Gaunt 1/1). St Andrew’s College 70/2 (Rhys Wiblin 29*, Benjamin Scharges 25, Connor Holder 12*; Thomas Collins 1/8, Tendai Kadyamadare 1/9). St Andrew’s College won by eight wickets.

St George’s College 79/10 (Michael Mukori 14, Munashe Muchatukwa 12; Edwin Geldenhuys 3/9, Daniel Jakins 2/13). Kingswood 80/1 (Christopher Zimmerman 35*, Chad Roodt 22*; Seth Machiya 1/13, Kundanashe Mushonga 0/25). Kingswood won by nine wickets.

Clifton College completed their Independent Schools Cricket Festival (ISCF) assignments on Sunday with a comfortable 28-run T20 win over Woodridge College on Cornwall Hill‘s Landsend Oval.

Batting, after winning the toss, Clifton’s innings was built upon a fine knock from opening batsman, Daniyaal Klinck, who gave the Durban school plenty of impetus, smashing 11 fours and a six in a 55-ball stay that brought him 79 runs.

He and Muhammed Malek, who had scored centuries on the previous two days, shared a 70-run stand for the second wicket before Malek fell for 22. Klinck, though, remained on and accelerated the scoring with his captain, Shiraz Perumal.

Eventually, Klinck was out after 17 overs, which left Clifton on 142/3, with three to go. Perumal followed eight runs later, but he had done his job, hitting three fours and two sixes in a rapid 34 from 22 balls.

Clifton added another 27 runs in the last two overs to finish on a challenging 177/5, with Daniel Rea going out off the last ball for 17 from 10.

Opening bowler, Daniel Darlow, led the Woodridge attack, capturing 2/28 in four overs. Stefan Ferreira was a tad expensive, but he also picked up two wickets, with his four overs going for 42 runs.

While Woodridge made a decent enough start to their run chase, left-arm spinner Blake Johnson, who shared the new ball with George Gooch, undermined their efforts.

The Eastern Cape side put up 25 for the first wicket, but they soon slid to 35/3 in the sixth over, with Johnson removing the top three in the order and returning an exceptional 3/6 from four overs.

Jack Feltham provided strong resistance, flaying three sixes and two fours in his 37 from 25 deliveries, but the pressure of the required run rate of 8.9 per over told. Ithi Arosa did well to weigh in with 22 from 15 balls, but Keegan Watson, who dismissed both batsmen, added another two victims, on his way to the match’s best figures of 4/36.

Skipper Shiraz Perumal then provided the coup de grace, claiming 2/33, including the last wicket, Brody McKinnon, for 11, as Woodridge ended on 148/9 in reply.

Michaelhouse vs St Benedict’s College

Michaelhouse finished the ICSF on a high note by scoring an emphatic nine-wicket win over St Benedict’s College, their third victory from four matches.

Bennies batted first on the Temba Bavuma Oval at St David’s Marist Inanda and made a fair start, with Ollie Brown and Keeghan Greensmith taking seven overs to score 45 for the first wicket.

Brown was the first to go, caught by Ben Heuer off Preston Greene for the innings’ highest score of 27, which came off 21 balls and included three fours and a six. His departure, though, signalled the start of a slow collapse.

Greensmith followed seven runs later, for 21, leaving St Benedict’s on 52/2. Only two more batsmen – Tom McArthur (12) and Alex Johnston (14) – made it into double figures.

Liam O’Dwyer was mostly responsible for the Bedfordview boys’ struggles. He tore through the top order, snapping up 4/10 from four overs, and Bennies never recovered. Preston Greene claimed 2/20, also from four, and two run outs further hurt St Benedict’s, who were bowled out for 101 in the last of their 20 overs.

When they replied, Michaelhouse lost Cody Sander to the second ball of the innings, but they didn’t blink. Ben Heuer and Graydon Leslie took it to the Bennies’ bowlers and shared an unbroken 102-run stand, with the scoring split in half exactly, to see their team to victory after 14 overs.

Heuer, at the top of the order, slammed two sixes and a four in his unbeaten 51 off 43 balls. Leslie, the captain, batted slightly faster, taking only 39 deliveries for his 51 not out, which included four fours and a six.

Tlotliso Mhlanga, the lone bowler to take a wicket, finished with a tidy 3/11 from three overs. Credit to Bennies, they didn’t concede a single extra.

Summarised scorecards

Clifton College 177/5 (Daniyaal Klinck 79, Shiraz Perumal 34, Muhammed Malek 22; Daniel Darlow 2/28, Stefan Ferreira 2/42);
Woodridge College 148/9 (Jack Feltham 37, Ithi Arosi 22; Keegan Watson 4/35, Blake Johnson 3/6, Shiraz Perumal 2/33). Clifton College won by 28 runs.

St Benedict’s College 101/10 (Ollie Brown 27, Keeghan Greensmith 21; Liam O’Dwyer 4/10, Preston Greene 2/20); Michaelhouse 102/1 (Ben Heuer 51*, Graydon Leslie 51*; Tlotliso Mhlanga). Michaelhouse won by nine wickets.

The St John’s College Basketball Tournament concludes on Sunday, with Northwood, who began their title defence with back-to-back defeats, in the final again and aiming to win the tournament for a third successive year.

Saturday’s playoffs rewrote the script of the previous two days, with St Stithians College, St Charles College, and King Edward VII (KES), who were all unbeaten, falling in the playoffs. Instead, Northwood advanced to a Sunday showdown against Michael Mount Waldorf School for the title.

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On Thursday, when the Knights suffered defeats against St Stithians College and The King’s School Linbro Park, questions were raised about their ability to defend the title.

Northwood, stung and with their pride hurt, met the challenge head-on and lifted their game, knowing they couldn’t afford any more slip-ups.

They finished third in their group, which barely qualified them for the play-in games. However, once afforded a chance to regain their momentum, they showed their championship pedigree.

They took on a tenacious Pretoria Boys High School (PHBS) team for a place in the quarterfinals and were stretched, but the Knights came through with a narrow 55-52 victory

In the quarter-finals, they took on St Stithians, who had beaten them 48-35 in a Pool A clash. This time, Northwood was ready. Playing with intensity and at a high pace, they pulled away to a 57-45 win.

Their reward was a repeat of the 2025 final – a clash with the hosts, St John’s College. Spurred on by a partisan home crowd, St John’s gave it their all, but the Knights had found their mojo, and they powered their way to a 60-48 victory and a place in the title decider.

St John’s had beaten St Benedict’s College 57-40 in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, St Charles College‘s clean record was spoiled by Michael Mount in their quarterfinal clash. In a tight contest dominated by the defences, Michael Mount triumphed 30-24.

Then, in the semi-finals, Michael Mount ended another clean run, sneaking by KES 47-45. KES had cruised to a 49-25 victory over The King’s School Linbro Park in the quarters.

In the u19 Category B playoffs, Lomagundi College defeated the YUT Basketball Academy (Mauritius) 62-34, Crawford Lonehill ran out 53-46 winners against Redhill, and Saheti defeated Alma Mater International School 46-26.

In the semifinals, Maritzburg College B outplayed St John’s College B 51-30, and St Peter’s College defeated Sacred Heart College 34-21 to book their places in the final.

RESULTS

Saturday, 21 February

u19 Category A

Quarterfinals
Northwood 57-45 St Stithians College
St John’s College 57-40 St Benedict’s College
KES 49-25 King’s Linbro
St Charles College vs Michael Mount

Semifinals
Northwood 60-48 St John’s College
Michael Mount 47-45 KES

Classification Games

Position 13-16
St George’s College 68-58 Jeppe

Position 17-20
Crawford College (Sandton) 42-31 Curro Helderwyk
St Andrew’s College 46-Parktown Boys’ High

Quarterfinal Losers

St Benedict’s College 47-46 St Stithians College
King’s Linbro 59-55 St Charles College

u19 Category B

Playoffs
Lomagundi 62-34 YUT Basketball Academy
Crawford Lonehill 53-46 Redhill
Saheti 46-Alma Mater

Semifinals
Maritzburg College B 51-30 St John’s College B
St Peter’s College 34-21 Sacred Heart College

FIXTURES

Sunday, 22 February 

u19 A Classification Games

Position 5-6
08:00 – SJC – Court 7: St Benedict’s College vs King’s Linbro

Position 7-8
08:00 – SJC – Court 8: St Stithians College vs St Charles College

Position 9-12
08:00 – SJC – Court 3: St David’s vs St Alban’s College
08:00 – SJC – Court 5: PHBS vs Hilton College

Position 13-16
08:00 – SJC – Court 6: Falcon College vs Michaelhouse

Position 17-18
08:00 – SJC – Court 9: Crawford College vs St Andrew’s College

Position 19-20
08:00 – SJC – Court 10: Curro Helderwyk vs Parktown Boys’ High

u19 Category A Bronze
09:20 – SJC – Court 1: St John’s College vs KES

u19 Category A Final
13:30 – SJC – Court 1: Northwood vs Michael Mount

u19 Category B Bronze
09:20 – SJC – Court 2: St John’s College B vs Sacred Heart College

u19 Category B Final
12:00 – SJC – Court 3: Maritzburg College B vs St Peter’s College

One of Callie Fryer‘s finest performances in the Hoërskool Rustenburg kit inspired a 39‑run victory, which secured Rusties‘ place in A Section of the Finsbury League.

Summarised scorecard

Hoërskool Rustenburg 133/10 (Tristan van der Linde 30, Callie Fryer 22, Xander Wenhold 20, Extras 20; Beyers Pretorius 4/18, Tehan Maré 2/6). Midstream College 94/10 (Dian de Villiers 20, Ryan Strauss 20, Extras 20; Callie Fryer 6/28, Augustus Behrens 2/24). Hoërskool Rustenburg won by 39 runs. 

Helpmekaar Kollege combined their talents to power to a two-wicket Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method win over Kearsney College in a rain-affected Independent Schools Cricket Festival match played on the Baloyi Oval at St Alban’s College in Pretoria on Saturday.

Xander Jackson, the Helpmekaar captain, asked Kearsney to bat first, and the KwaZulu-Natal side responded with 213 all out in 48.5 overs.

The Johannesburg side’s innings was disrupted by rain. They lost some overs to the stoppage and had a revised target of 111 runs when they resumed their innings. It was tight, but they claimed victory after 25.2 overs when they reached 113/8.

Zuan Joubert led the chase with a steady 35 runs at better than a run a ball. Heinrich Minnaar (22) and Ewald Haasbroek (18) chipped in with a valuable 40 runs between them.

Their efforts nullified Rivan Moodley‘s heroics. The Kearsney leg-spinner enjoyed a great outing, snaring four wickets for 17 runs in six overs.  Michael Groom, Blake Pugh, Daniel Miskey, and Matthew Gorrie chipped in with a wicket each.

Earlier in the day, Gary Verbaan top-scored for Kearsney with a patient 33 from 61 balls. Asher Hollister (32), Michael Groom (31) and Kegan de Jager (30) also made valuable contributions.

Christo Badenhorst (24) and Luke Grobbelaar (22) played their part, too; unfortunately, for Kearsney, it wasn’t enough to lift them to a winning score against Helpies, who had been one of the ISCF’s most impressive sides on the first two days of the event.

St Stithians College vs St Andrew’s School

On the Dlamini Oval, at St Stithians College, Matthew Anderson launched a middle-order onslaught that played a big part in setting up the home side for a tight eight-run win over St Andrew’s School.

Reuben van Aarde, the St Andrew’s captain, won the toss and elected to bowl first. The hosts responded to that challenge with vigour, led by Anderson, who played a gem of an innings, scoring 74 off 62 balls, to help St Stithians correct course and compile a winning total of 265 all out in 48.4 overs.

St Andrew’s very nearly hauled it in, but came up just short, dismissed for 257 in 49.5 overs.

When Anderson made his way to the crease, St Stithians had lost four wickets for only two runs between the 14th and 18th overs. He, however, went about his business with assurance, partnering with Chris Collins (22) for 80 runs for the sixth wicket to firm up the home team’s innings.

Matthew Katzenstein, with 37 at the top of the order, produced an important knock before falling victim to Erhard Bahrends, who claimed 3/49 in nine overs. Nikhil Sukraj returned 2/43 in seven, and Jonathan Hickley 2/25 in 4.3, while Ryle Beckmann tied down the Johannesburg school’s batsmen with a neat 1/19 from 10 overs of left-arm spin.

In reply, WJ Lindhout (61) and Reuben van Aarde (59) recorded half-centuries for St Andrew’s. Erhard Bahrends added 42 and Heindré Serfontein a quickfire 36 from 28 balls, with three fours and two sixes, but the visitors, under pressure to up their run rate, lost their last five wickets for 21 runs.

Nqaba Matunda was the pick of the bowlers for St Stithians, capturing 3/33, while Didier Le Roux took some stick, but dislodged three batsmen, to claim 3/51 from seven overs.

Woodridge College, after two defeats, picked up a first victory, beating St Benedict’s College by 28 runs on the Temba Bavuma Oval at St David’s Marist Inanda.

Batting first, they tallied 162 all out behind 44 from Jack Feltham, 29 from Daniel Darlow, and 25 from Stefan Swanepoel, as the Eastern Cape side’s top and middle order flourished.

Matthew Lewis, with 2/17, and Shae Pollard, with 2/20, ensured Woodridge was unable to play with freedom, though. Alex Johnston and Sanyay Wengat added good support, claiming 2/23 and 2/39 in 10, respectively.

The Bennies‘ reply started promisingly, but it trailed off, with the Bedfordview boys being bowled out in 40.2 overs for 134.

Opener Matthew Hickman-Steel played responsibly, top scoring with 35 from 75 balls, but, apart from Shae Pollard, who chipped in with 23, support was sparse.

Jack Feltham, Woodridge’s batting hero, was also their bowling hero, snapping up 3/12 in 6.2 overs, while Daniel Darlow, their second-highest scorer, nabbed 2/22 from seven.

Cameron Jones played his part in Woodridge’s successful run defence, claiming 2/13 in four, while opening bowler Brody McKinnon removed two of the top three for 31 runs from his 10 overs.

The festival ends on Sunday with T20 matches.

Summarised Scorecards:

Kearsney College 213/10 (Gary Verbaan 33, Asher Hollister 32; Michael Groom 31, Keegan de Jager 30; Keanu du Plooy 3/49, Frederick Zeelie 2/21). Helpmekaar Kollege 113/8 (Zuan Joubert 35, Heinrich Minnaar 22; Rivan Moodley 4/17, Michael Groom 1/13). Helpmekaar won by two wickets.

St Stithians College 265/10 (Matthew Anderson 74, Matthew Katzenstein 37; Erhard Barends 3/49, Nikhil Sukraj 2/43, Jonathan Hickley 2/25). St Andrew’s School 257/10 (WJ Lindhout 61, Reuben van Aarde 59, Erhard Bahrends 42, Heindré Serfontein 36; Nqaba Matunda 3/33, Didier le Roux 3/51). St Stithians College won by eight runs.

Woodridge College 162/10 (Jack Feltham 44, Daniel Darlow 29; Matthew Lewis 2/17, Shae Pollard 2/20, Alex Johnston 2/23). St Benedict’s College 134/10 (Matthew Hickman-Steel 35, Shae Pollard 23; Jack Feltham 3/12, Cameron Jones 2/13, Daniel Darlow 2/22). Woodridge College won by 28 runs.

The Jenny Orchard Invitational Basketball Tournament will witness a new champion being crowned on Sunday after last year’s winner, Westville Boys’ High, was eliminated in Saturday’s semifinals by ESCA. To win the title, ESCA will need to get by the high-flying host team, Maritzburg College.

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While ESCA cruised to an impressive 64-43 victory over the Griffins in the semifinals, Maritzburg College was every bit as impressive in a 74-45 dismantling of Kearsney College.

Earlier in the day, in the quarterfinals, Westville beat St John’s College (Harare) 65-55. ESCA, meanwhile, rolled to a 67-37 win over South African College High (SACS).

Maritzburg College faced a tough opponent in the quarterfinals, the Soweto Basketball Academy (SBA). The hosts were up for the challenge, claiming a comfortable 74-53 win. In the tightest quarterfinal clash, Kearnsey College outlasted Durban High School 72-67.

While most of the attention on Sunday will be focused on the A Division final, the B Division title game features an Eastern Cape showdown between Kingswood College and Queen’s College. Both take unbeaten records into the final.

In late January, when they met, Kingswood came out on top, winning 31-22. That result, though, will serve as motivation for the Khomani crew with gold medals on the line.

Kingswood College defeated their local rivals, St Andrew’s College B, 74-54 to secure their place in the semifinals, while Queen’s downed Bishops Diocesan College 52-33.

In the other quarterfinal matches, Michaelhouse B defeated Marist Brothers Linmeyer 64-36, and St Nicholas Diocesan School B beat Meridian Karino School 64-50.

Then, in the semifinals, Kingswood College recorded a 77-61 win over Michaelhouse B. Queen’s defeated St Nicholas 44-37.

RESULTS 

Saturday, 21 February

Quartefinals: Division A

Westville Boys’ High 66-56 St John’s College (Harare)
ESCA 64-37 SACS
Maritzburg College 74-53 Soweto Basketball Academy
Kearsney College 72-67 DHS

Semifinals: Division A

ESCA 64-43 Westville Boys’ High
Maritzburg College 74-45 Kearsney College

Playoff 

Position 9-15

Westerford High 87-49 Rondebosch Boys’ High
Pinelands High 80-33 Northwood B
Wynberg Boys’ High 73-42 Glenwood
Clifton College 63-50 St Nicholas Diocesan A

Position 15-16 

Glenwood 61-36 Northwood B

Position 13-16 

Rondebosch Boys’ High 48-46 Glenwood
St Nicholas A 69-47 Northwood B

Position 13-14

St Nicholas 65-49 Rondebosch Boys’ High

Position 9-12

Wynberg Boys’ High 64-60 Westerford High
Pinelands High 65-40 Clifton College

Position 5-8 

SACS 78-74 St John’s College (Harare)
DHS 78-74 Soweto Basketball Academy

Division B

Quartefinals 

Michaelhouse B 64-36 Marist Brothers Linmeyer
St Nicholas Diocesan B 64-50 Meridian Karino School
Kingswood College 75-54 St Andrew’s College B
Queen’s College 52-33 Bishops Diocesan College

Semifinals 

Kingswood College 77-61 Michaelhouse B
Queen’s College 44-37 St Nicholas B

Playoff

Position 9-16

Alexandra High School 87-55 Riverwood College
Enjabulweni Independent School 63-57 Etham College
Maritzburg College B 63-28 Thomas More College
Treverton College 54-52 Maritzburg College

Position 13-16

Riverwood College 72-68 Thomas More College
Etham College 78-57 Maritzburg Cubs

Position 13-14 

Riverwood College 69-56 Etham College

Position 15-16

Maritzburg Cubs 90-61 Thomas More College

Position 9-12

Maritzburg College B 82-77 Alexandra High School
Enjabulweni High Independent School 39-34 Treverton College

Position 5-8

St Andrew’s College B 47-43 Marist Brothers Linmeyer
Meridian Karino School 86-81 Bishops Diocesan

Sunday, 22 February

FIXTURES

Division A

APH 1

Position 5/6

08:00 – W38 vs W40

Position 3/4

09:30 – L37 vs L39

Division B Final 

11:00 – W85 vs W87

Division A Final

12:30 – W37 vs W39

APH 2

Position 11/12

08:00 – Westeford High vs Clifton College

Position 9/10

09:30 – Wynberg Boys’ High vs Pinelands High

Position 7/8

11:00 – L38 vs L40

St. Andrew’s College vs Bishops Diocesan College

On day three of the Independent Schools Cricket Festival (ISCF), Bishops Diocesan College earned a second win in three games, with a victory over St Andrew’s College on the Murray Oval on Saturday.

Opener Ibraheem Taliep was the first Bishops’ batsman to impress, hammering two sixes and a four in a 46-ball stay, which brought him 36 runs.

Pace-bowling all-rounder, Waco Bassick, was the fourth man to the crease, where he settled in to strike three fours and two sixes in his 69 off 98.

Batting at seven, Harry Morgan picked up the pace, cracking three fours and four sixes in a hasty 66 off 54, which helped to boost Bishops to 265 all out after 49.5 overs.

Ethan Malan recorded the best figures for St Andrew’s, claiming 2/26 in five overs, while Will Stevens returned 2/41.

With rain impacting play, St Andrew’s was set a revised target of 165 off 30 overs. They came up short.

Connor Holder, the Makhanda side’s number four batsman, did enough to set up a successful run chase, though, sending six balls to the boundary in his 38 off 34, and Caleb Emslie, at five, chipped in with 29, but the Bishops’ bowlers held sway.

Thaafier Japhta led the way, collecting 3/25 in 6.1 overs, while Matthew Schultz returned 2/27 in five.

The St Andrew’s College run chase never quite hit its stride and, after 29.1 overs, they were bowled out for 137, leaving Bishops as the winner by a 27-run margin via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.

St. John’s College vs Michaelhouse

St. John’s College hosted Michaelhouse on their Mitchell Field on Saturday, where they elected to field first after the coin flip favoured the hosts.

Captain Nkosana Sibiya‘s attack responded well to the challenge, bowling tightly to restrict ‘House to 159 all out from 46.4 overs.

Opening batsman Victor North led the way for the Balgowan boys with an aggressive knock, smashing five fours and three sixes in the innings’ top score of 50 off 46 deliveries.

Riley Muir, who entered after the fall of the first wicket, struck six fours in an otherwise conservative 37 off 64 as he and North added 82 for the second wicket in 16.1 overs.

Once North departed, though, the home bowlers stole the show. Ethan Robinson procured 4/34 in 8.4 overs, while Tapiwa Chikwavha claimed 2/29. Each of the other four bowlers claimed a wicket.

When rain intervened, St John’s was set a revised victory target of 116 off 30 overs. Their skipper, Nkosana Sibiya, ensured they chased it down by anchoring the home team’s innings with an unbeaten 46 off 71 balls, which featured five fours.

Rendani Nonge shook the hosts with his 2/26 from six overs, but Tapiwa Chikwavha settled their nerves by counterattacking effectively at five.

His undefeated 32 off 25 included a six and four fours, and he and Sibiya shared an unbroken 46-run fourth wicket partnership to see their side over the finishing line to a seven-wicket victory in 25 overs.

Summarised Scorecard

Bishops Diocesan College 265/10 (Waco Bassick 69, Harry Morgan 66, Ibraheem Taliep 36, Extras 23, Thaafier Japhta 22; Ethan Malan 2/26, William Stevens 2/41); St Andrew’s College 137/10 (Connor Holder 38, Caleb Emslie 29; Thaafier Japhta 3/25, Matthew Schultz 2/27). Bishops won by 27 runs via the DLS method.

Michaelhouse 159/10 (Victor North 50, Riley Muir 37; Ethan Robinson 4/34, Tapiwa Chikwavha 2/29); St John’s College 119/3 (Nkosana Sibiya 46*, Tapiwa Chikwavha 32*; Rendani Nonge 2/17). St John’s won by seven wickets via the DLS method.

Batting first at home, in a limited-overs clash, the Hoërskool Fichardtpark top-order provided consistent efforts against the visiting Welkom Gimnasium on Saturday.

Damian Mulder top-scored with a patient 36 runs off 70 deliveries, while his opening partner, Jaden Geldenhuys, also showed restraint in his 35 off 60.

Diederik de Vos, batting at three, was a little more aggressive, weighing in with 31 off 48.

After the dismissal of the top three, though, Gim’s Dian Erasmus turned venomous, knocking over 6/36 across 9.3 overs.

Bryan Haywood lent good support, bagging 3/30 in 10 overs, which led to the home side being bowled out for 167 after 46.3 overs.

Welkom Gimnasium responded with 168/7 in 37.1 overs to claim a three-wicket win. Luhan Botha hammered two fours and a six in his 30 off 40 balls, while Aiden Hewitt contributed 27 from 47.

Dylan Gerener starred with the ball, picking up a miserly 2/19 in 10 overs, while Damian Mulder recorded figures of 2/20 in a three-over spell.

Fichies, though, were the architects of their own defeat, conceding a huge 49 extras, which included 42 wides. With better bowling discipline, they could have claimed victory. Instead, Welkom Gimnasium returned home as winners.

Summarised Scorecard

Hoërskool Fichardtpark 167/10 (Damian Mulder 36, Jaden Geldenhuys 35, Diederik de Vos 31, Daniel Badenhorst 23*; Dian Erasmus 6/36; Bryan Haywood 3/30); Welkom Gimnasium 168/7 (Extras 49, Aiden Hewitt 30, Luhan Botha 27; Dylan Gerener 2/19, Damian Mulder 2/20). Welkom Gimnasium won by three wickets.

Wynberg Boys’ High vs Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool

They lost the toss in a win over Paul Roos on Friday and were made to bat first. On Saturday, when they won the toss at Wynberg Boys’ High‘s Jacques Kallis Oval, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) decided to field first.

They made that decision count, with Vihan Pretorius and Armin Snyman leading a penetrative attack, which kept Wynberg on the defensive.

Pretorius captured 4/12 in 8.2 overs, while Snyman bowled five maidens in his nine overs, knocking over 3/14.

Noah du Plooy, batting at six, defiantly scored a patient and unbeaten 22 runs off 81 deliveries. He also shared a 48-run seventh-wicket partnership with Chad Campbell, who top-scored for the hosts, striking three fours and two sixes in his run-a-ball 41.

After a tough 45.2 overs, Wynberg was dismissed for 114 runs.

The Affies’ reply began disastrously, with two of their top-order batsmen being dismissed for ducks by way of run out.

Vihan Pretorious showed off his all-round game, though, by entering at the fall of the second wicket and taking charge. He smashed six fours and four sixes in an unbeaten tally of 72 off 62 deliveries to take the game away from Wynberg.

Daniel Murray was with him when a seven-wicket victory was achieved in 21 overs, unbeaten on 19 off 25 balls, which included two fours. Together, he and Pretorius compiled a 56-run fourth-wicket stand.

Bowling a full quota of 10 overs, Fawaaz Hendricks was the lone home bowler to claim a wicket, collecting 1/38.

Parel Vallei High vs Reddam House Constantia

Playing away from home on Saturday, Parel Vallei High (PV) was made to field first after Reddam House Constantia won the toss in their 50-over affair.

The Somerset West school’s bowlers responded with a strong performance. Chris Hughes was on song, capturing 3/3 in 3.1 overs, while the dangerous Daniel Dreyer preceded Hughes’s devastating spell by claiming 3/19 in his six overs.

Imtiaz Oliver and Dirk van Zyl played their part, too, with both returning 2/14.

Batting at six, Hayden Blanckensee was the top-scorer for the hosts, hitting two fours in his modest 14 off 16 balls. Connor Duncan, at 10, was the second Constantia batsman to tally double figures, finishing with 12 not out, which featured the only six of the innings.

In 29.1 overs, Reddam House Constantia was bowled out for only 68. Chasing down that sub-standard total proved to be a doddle for Parel Vallei.

Opener Sean Grant fell for 17, caught by Connor Duncan off Jack Hindmarch, but that was Reddam’s lone wicket-taking success.

After Grant’s exit, PV hurried their way across the finishing line, with Luke Engelbrecht and Daniel Adonis sharing an unbroken 39-run partnership for the second wicket.

Engelbrecht contributed 22 off 27, while Adonis smashed a six in his 18 off 13.

In just 9.1 overs, after batting at a healthy run rate of 7.7 runs per over, Parel Vallei reached 71/1 to earn themselves a comfortable nine-wicket win.

Summarised Scorecards

Wynberg Boys’ High 114/10 (Chad Campbell 41, Noah du Plooy 22*, Extras 21; Vihan Pretorius 4/12, Armin Snyman 3/14); Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool 115/3 (Vihan Pretorius 72*). Affies won by seven wickets.

Reddam House Constantia 68/10 (Chris Hughes 3/3, Daniel Dreyer 3/19, Dirk van Zyl 2/14, Imtiaz Oliver 2/14); Parel Vallei High 71/1 (Luke Engelbrecht 22*). Parel Vallei won by nine wickets.

Despite the wet weather rolling in, which caused two of the third day’s 10 matches to be abandoned on the Independent Schools Cricket Festival‘s third day, Omphile Maredi and Prestige College claimed their first victory of the tournament.

Summarised scorecards

St George’s College (Harare) 80/10 (Munashe Muchatukwa 25, Omphile Maredi 4/9, Bongani Sithole 2/18); Prestige College 83/5 (Tumelo Ndlovu 29; Abhiraj Singh 3/25). Prestige College won by five wickets. 

Kingswood College 179/10 (Daniel Jakin 34, Rogan Goliath 30; Christopher Von La Chavallerie 4/31, Luke Ward 2/27); St Alban’s College 180/6 (Ethan Detert 37, Jesse Eckard 36*, Ethan Nel 25*, Kyle Block 22; Daniel Jakin 3/23). St Alban’s College won by four wickets. 

Uplands College 162/10 (Mfundo Mthimunye 41, Aiden van Zyl 36, Richo Wentzel 28, Extras 24, Graeme Spear 23; Luca Spagnuolo 5/27, Shivaan Chouhan 3/33); St John’s College (Harare) 87/4 (Shivaan Chouhan 30*, Extras 21; Jordan Botha 2/18, Benjamin Kazandjis 2/28). Match Abandoned.