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Kearsney College and Westville Boys’ High dished up a tasty treat on the AH Smith Oval on Wednesday, with an edge-of-the-seat W100 contest coming down to the last ball before it was decided.

Victory, in the end, went to Westville by just two runs.

The visiting captain, Kyle McGough, called incorrectly at the coin flip, and Kearsney skipper, Keegan de Jager, decided to field first.

Opening batsman, Aidan Baudach, gave his side early impetus by striking five fours in his 29 from 19 deliveries. When he was run out, the second player to depart, he had scored all but seven of Westville’s 36-run total.

The Griffins struggled to get on top of the home side’s bowling and lost four more wickets within the space of 27 balls, which left them on 79/6 after 63 deliveries.

At last, though, they found a champion, with Aarin Rasmussen providing the visitors’ innings with the boost it needed. He hit four fours and a six in a 34-ball knock of 48 not out. He and Luca Roddan, who provided a run-a-ball 14, partnered for an unbroken 56 from 37 balls to lift Westville to 135/6 from their 100 balls – a solid total, but not a decisive one.

Five bowlers picked up a wicket each. Rivaan Moodley, with 1/19 from 20 balls, was the tidiest of them.

Kearsney’s reply started well. Gary Verbaan and Asher Hollister put on 19 for the first wicket before Hollister was out for 14 to the 14th ball of the innings. That brought captain Keegan de Jager to the crease, and he was electric.

With Verbaan playing a solid supporting role, De Jager went on the attack, clubbing four fours and three sixes in a 27-ball stay that brought him 50. Together, he and Verbaan put together a 76-run stand in just 45 balls before Liam de Villiers bowled the skipper.

Kearsney was sitting pretty, though, on 95/2 after 59 balls. They had another 41 deliveries to score 41 runs. They, however, mustered 38 and De Villiers, the man who halted the flying De Jager, was the primary reason that Kearsney came up agonisingly short of the victory target. He snapped up 5/17 in just 20 deliveries to send the home side’s innings into freefall.

At one point, they lost four wickets without adding a run, crashing from 100/2 to 100/6 in the space of 10 deliveries, with De Villiers picking up two wickets, while Ewan du Toit and Misbah Nair added one each. Verbaan was the fifth man out, for 33 from 28 balls, with two fours.

Suddenly, Kearsney needed 36 from 25 balls, with four wickets in hand, and the complexion of the contest had changed. When De Villiers added the wickets of Luke Grobbelaar and Rivaan Moodley, it was advantage Westville. Now, Kearsney was 106/8 and just 15 balls were left in their innings.

All credit to James Bishop, he met the challenge head-on, smashing two sixes in a quickfire 24 from 13 deliveries before he was run out off the second-last ball of the innings in a desperate effort to squeeze out one more run.

Matthew Gorrie made two off the final ball, but it wasn’t quite enough, and the home side finished on 133/9. They had been on course for an impressive victory, but then lost eight wickets for only 38 runs as Westville, the defending champion, turned the contest on its head to claim a much-needed win.

Westville’s bowling unit deserves a pat on the back. They didn’t surrender a single extra. Kearsney bowled seven wides.

Apart from Liam de Villiers’ match-winning 5/17, Ewan du Toit bowled well, returning 1/19 from 20 balls.

Clifton College vs Northwood School

After wins over Westville Boys’ High and Durban High School, Clifton College was brought back down to earth, losing to Northwood by 55 runs at the Riverside Sports Club.

Clifton produced an uneven performance in the field, putting down four catches. Daniel Rea, though, pulled off a spectacular one-handed catch near the long-off boundary, and the home side also added three run outs.

In extreme heat, Northwood was sent in to bat, but that didn’t pay off for Clifton, with opening batsmen, David de Bruyn and Ross McGlashan, putting up 62 runs for the first wicket from only 42 balls.

De Bruyn was the first to go after a 24-ball stay, which brought him 25 runs, including a four and two sixes. McGlashan followed for the innings’ top score of 31 off 22 deliveries, with four fours, run out by Muhammed Malek, who was also the pick of Clifton’s bowlers, claiming the wicket of De Bruyn for nine runs from 10 balls.

Luc Boyall added 24 before he fell victim to Rea’s magnificent catch, while Thomas Oosthuizen, who was fortunate not to become the fourth player run out, added 21 not out off only 11 balls, and Josh Mills chipped in with 18.

Clifton’s untidy day in the field included 16 wides, which helped Northwood to 143/6 from their 100 balls.

The home side faced a challenging run chase, but they started it well behind some clean ball striking from Daniyaal Klinck. He cracked a six and four fours to race to 27 before he was castled by Keegan Reeves, after he had faced 16 balls, which left Clifton on 43/1 after 26 deliveries. They were ahead of the required run rate. However, Klinck’s departure marked the start of a steady slide.

When his fellow opener, Yusuf Ahmed, was run out for 12, Clifton’s innings lost momentum, with no other batsmen making it into double figures.

The Knights‘ sixth and seventh bowlers made all the difference. James Searle knocked over 4/16 in 20 deliveries, while Trevor van Volenstee captured 3/11 in 12. Only 56 balls after Clifton lost their first wicket, they were all out for 88.

Durban High School vs Glenwood High

Durban High School (DHS) scored an impressively composed nine-wicket win over Glenwood on the Theobald Oval.

The toss went the visitors’ way, but they made a hesitant start to their innings after opting to bat, losing their first four wickets with only 38 runs on the board after 43 balls.

DHS was on a roll, but Mishael Gunawardana and Akhil Sinath put a stop to that, joining forces for an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 87 from 57 deliveries, which hoisted Glenwood to 125/4 after their 100 balls.

Gunawardana played the lead role, hitting eight fours and a six in his unbeaten 61 from only 42 deliveries. Sinath worked to get his partner on strike and finished with 22 not out from 25 balls.

Tristan Quail, who bowled Kamo Moloto for 13, was the best of the DHS bowlers, snaring 1/8 in a tight 15-ball spell.

Much like their win over Hilton College on Saturday, the DHS top order delivered a solid and impactful response. Ismaeel Omar, who scored an unbeaten century against Hilton, weighed in with a measured 50 from 49 balls and shared a 104-run opening stand with Suliman Jadwat.

When Omar exited, DHS had 21 balls remaining and 18 runs to make. They needed only 14 balls to win.

The skipper, Josh van Biljon, came in, struck two fours and tallied 13 not out off 11 deliveries, while Jadwat remained unbeaten on 44 off 33, which included seven fours.

Glenwood’s batting hero, Mishael Gunawardana, was their lone wicket-taker, claiming 1/27 from 20 balls.

Summarised scorecards

Westville Boys’ High 135/6 (Aarin Rasmussen 48*, Aarin Rasmussen 29; Litha Gonya 1/16, James Bishop 1/17); Kearsney College 133/9 (Keegan de Jager 50, Gary Verbaan 33, James Bishop 24; Liam de Villiers 5/17). Westville Boys’ High won by two runs.

Northwood 143/6 (Ross McGlashan 31, David de Bruyn 25, Luc Boyall 24, Thomas Oosthuizen 21*; Muhammed Malek 1/9); Clifton College 88/10 (Daniyaal Klinck 27; James Searle 4/16, Trevor van Volenstee 3/11). Northwood won by 55 runs.

Glenwood High 125/4 (Mishael Gunawardana 61*, Akhil Sinath 22*; Tristan Quail 1/9); Durban High School 127/1 (Ismaeel Omar 50; Suliman Jadwat 44*; Mishael Gunawardana 1/27). Durban High School won by nine wickets.

Ryan Young smashed an unbeaten century to lead his side to an emphatic 111-run win over Parktown Boys’ High in their Johnny Waite Trophy fixture on the Beckwith Oval at Jeppe High School for Boys on Wednesday afternoon.

Young, the Jeppe captain, made all the right calls on Wednesday afternoon. He won the toss, elected to bat first, and then expertly led his side to 196/2 in their 20 overs.

When he unleashed his bowlers on the visitors, they were unable to mount a serious challenge to Jeppe’s challenging total and were restricted to 85/8.

It wasn’t all sunshine and roses, however. The Black Caps were in an unenviable position when Young walked out to bat. They were on 4/2 after 1.3 overs, having lost both of their openers.

The skipper responded magnificently by mounting an outstanding and unbroken 192-run third-wicket partnership with Aiden Reyneke.

Young struck nine sixes and two fours in his unbeaten 57-ball 102, while Reyneke was 81 not out from the same number of balls.

Reza Ayob, who recorded an outstanding economy rate of 1.8 runs per over in four overs, was Jeppe’s best bowler. He tightened the screws and denied Parktown runs in the middle overs and finished the match with 3/7.

Five other Jeppe bowlers – Keegan Cockburn, Lincoln Casais, Zizi Mkhize, Shreshth Kumar, and Daniel Keating – finished with a wicket each.

Abdullah Wadee was Parktown’s best batsman with an unbeaten 34 from 43 balls. Only Neo Lemmer, with 17, and Josh van Rensburg, with 15, joined him in double figures.

St David’s vs Northcliff

St David’s Marist Inanda recorded their second Johnny Waite victory in two days when they powered to a nine-wicket win over Northcliff on the Gier Oval at St David’s. They had beaten St John’s College by five wickets the previous day.

Jack Woolard, the Northcliff captain, called correctly at the toss and chose to bat first, but the visitors found the going tough, huffing and puffing their way to 90/7 in their 20 overs. St David’s, in reply, needed only 11.5 overs to race to 91/1 to claim an emphatic victory.

Northcliff’s batting effort was undermined by Kyle Butler, who snapped up 3/9 in four overs. He ripped through the visitors’ middle order and accounted for their top scorers, Rouxwan Coetzer (32) and Woolard (21). Ntokozo Tshabalala was the only other Northcliff batsman to make it beyond single figures, contributing 14 from 15 balls.

The hosts responded with a steady first-wicket partnership of 40 in 7.2 overs from Sohail Seonath and Roberto Mariano.

Unfortunately for Northcliff, Mariano’s dismissal brought Jason Rowles to the crease, and the South Africa u19 star blitzed an unbeaten 41 in just 15 balls to hasten St David’s charge to victory. His aggressive attack included only one four but five sixes.

Summarised Scorecards

Jeppe 196/2 (Ryan Young 102*, Aiden Reyneke 81*; Hlasi Mqingwana 1/13, Abhay Patel 0/15). Parktown 85/8 (Abdullah Wadee 34*, Neo Lemmer 17; Reza Ayob 3/7, Lincoln Casais 1/2). Jeppe won by 111 runs.

Northcliff 90/7 (Rouxwan Coetzer 32, Jack Woolard 21; Kyle Butler 3/9, Christopher Emslie 2/18). St David’s 91/1 (Jason Rowles 41*, Sohail Seonath 39*; Regan van der Walt 1/19, Jamie McHugh 0/10). St David’s won by nine wickets.

When Milnerton High hosted Hoërskool Brackenfell for a 40-over fixture on Wednesday afternoon, the visitors won the toss and walked straight into the den of Connor de Villiers.

In just six overs, De Villiers proved to be a nightmare to the Brakkies‘ batting line-up, capturing a match-winning 5/9.

Number three batsman, Dean Hatting, and opener Hiram Ockhuis, were the only visiting batsmen to tally double-digits.

Ockhuis punched three fours in his patient 16 runs off 28 balls. Hatting was more aggressive, smashing four fours and a six in his side’s top score of 27 from 30 deliveries.

Ryan Trollip brought a swift end to Brackenfell’s innings, however, collecting the last two wickets to finish with 2-0 from one over.

After 28 overs, the northern suburbs’ side was bowled out for only 89.

Milnerton successfully chased down the modest total behind an unbeaten 74-run second-wicket partnership between opener Tristan Logie and Ryan Trollip.

Logie rotated the strike, but still mixed in six fours in his 36 off 42 deliveries. Trollip went on to the match’s top score, blasting an electrifying 48 from only 28 balls, with six fours and a blast for six over mid-on.

It was a dry spell for the Brakkies’ bowlers, who went wicketless as the visitors’ sole wicket came from a run out.

It took Millies only 12.1 overs to reach 90/1, which earned them a comfortable nine-wicket win.

Summarised Scorecard

Hoërskool Brackenfell 89/10 (Dean Hatting 27, Extras 21; Connor de Villiers 5/9, Ryan Trollip 2/0); Milnerton High 90/1 (Ryan Trollip 48*, Tristan Logie 36*). Milnerton won by nine wickets.

The weekend’s games captivated the community of basketball enthusiasts as sides sharpened their claws ahead of two big tournaments to be held later this month – Maritzburg College‘s Jenny Orchard Invitational and the St John’s Basketball Tournament.

In KZN, Northwood delivered an impressive performance against Kearsney College, with the Knights winning a very high-scoring, hard-fought contest 98-88 at the Skweyiya SportZone.

It was Kearsney’s fourth outing of the term, and the challenge they faced was their biggest yet. Northwood, under the guidance of coach Kent Vanderyacht, has become a formidable outfit, arguably the best team in the country over the past two years, which included back-to-back titles at the St John’s Basketball Tournament.

It might, therefore, have been viewed as a David versus Goliath Bible clash, but Kearsney, who won the Independent Schools Stayers’ Basketball Tournament on their home court in late 2025, was not a pushover. They’ve been in good form, but they faced a talented Knights’ line-up, which included Siyamthanda Shabalala, a South African u18 national player,  and the prolific Awande Chiliza, two of the architects of the Knights’ dominant run.

In oppressive heat, the games kicked off at an exciting pace, with Kearsney quickly establishing a 7-1 advantage. However, the wear on the Kearsney defence from Northwood’s attacking forays resulted in the visitors being sent to the foul line early and often. With their sights on target, they picked up 12 points from the free throw line and finished the first quarter with a narrow 20-17 lead.

Kearsney kept taking it to Northwood, but each time they threatened to overhaul the Knights, Northwood found a response. By halftime, they had extended their advantage to seven points and led 45-38.

The third quarter marked Kearsney’s most successful offensive period, as they tallied an impressive 28 points. Top teams, though, find a way to repulse challenges, and Northwood added 30 of their own. As the contest entered the final quarter, they enjoyed a 75-64 lead.

All credit to Kearsney, they didn’t lie down. In fact, they edged out Northwood 24-23 over that quarter. Victory, though, went to the Knights by a 10-point margin. With 186 points scored, it was a richly entertaining clash.

Key players for Kearsney included Daniel Prinsloo, a regular starter and a crucial contributor, alongside Pabatso Sithole. They scored 17 and 16 points respectively. Kwa Sibiya and Lubansi Msuleku added 10 each, Ithu Khubeka scored nine, and Kabo Ramadobedi finished with eight points.

Northwood’s challenge was boosted by 25-point outputs from both Siya Shabalala and Awande Chiliza, while Simamukele “Sims” Vacu contributed nine points.

In Durban, the home team, Durban High School (DHS), withstood the crippling heat of the outdoor court’s hot surface, and they also handled Hilton College‘s onslaught to come away with a 60-49 victory.

Westville Boys’ High, meanwhile, shut down Clifton College, romping to an 85-29 victory behind a solid defensive performance, which featured effective fast breaks when they turned over possession.

Maritzburg College, after winning the American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ) Basketball title, is preparing for the annual Jenny Orchard Invitational Tournament, and would dearly love to add a second title in their home tournament.

They faced St Charles College, whom they had beaten in the semi-finals of the AISJ tournament and showed their form remains red hot, charging to a 70-49 win in the SK Arena.

In Zululand, Empangeni High School claimed a narrow 29-26 victory over Aquadene Secondary School in a match distinguished by exceptional sportsmanship.

In the Eastern Cape, St Andrew’s College celebrated a 63-44 victory over Queen’s College, while Grey High defeated Kingswood College by a narrow four-point margin, 34-30.

In Gauteng, St John’s College faced one of their toughest annual challenges when they took on St Benedict’s College, with both teams eager to claim a prestigious scalp ahead of the St John’s Basketball Tournament. In a fierce contest, Bennies recorded a tough 41-32 win.

The game marked an important milestone for Bahlebonke Mazibuko, the St Benedict’s captain, who earned his 100th cap for the first team. His achievement was recognised with praise for his outstanding leadership, dedication, and consistency in representing the Bennies’ basketball team.

King Edward VII School (KES), the runner-up at the St John’s Basketball Tournament in 2024 and the ninth-place finisher in 2025,  continued their strong season with a 65-40 win over Jeppe High School for Boys. St Stithians College, meanwhile, scored a nail-biting 39-38 win over St Alban’s College.

Michaelhouse visited Gauteng and played twice. They pushed the high-flying ESCA all the way, but eventually fell to a 33-36 defeat. ‘House, though, picked up a win over St David’s Marist Inanda, triumphing 36-32 in an evenly-contested clash.

RESULTS

KwaZulu-Natal 

Northwood 98-88 Kearsney College
Maritzburg College 70-49 St Charles College
Durban High School 60-49 Hilton College
Westville Boys’ High 85-29 Clifton College

Eastern Cape 

St Andrew’s College 63-44 Queen’s College
Grey High 34-30 Kingswood College

Gauteng

KES 65-40 Jeppe
St Benedict’s College 41-32 St John’s College
ESCA 36-33 Michaelhouse
St Stithians College 39-38 St Alban’s College
St David’s Marist Inanda 32-28 Michaelhouse

When Sir Alex Ferguson led Manchester United to their first English Premier League title during the 1992/93 season, backing it up the following year was always going to be a major hurdle, but it was also the primary goal.

In an interview after the historic triumph, Ferguson said: “We’ve done what we’ve done, but I just hope we can keep the hunger.”

They certainly maintained their hunger and dominated the English Premier League over the next two decades, with the Red Devils winning 13 titles under Ferguson.

Now you might be wondering why the football comparison. It’s about cultivating a championship mindset.

Rhenish Girls’ High produced back-to-back stellar seasons in 2024 and 2025, during which they dominated schoolgirls’ hockey in South Africa. They intend to maintain that “hunger” in 2026 to continue to build upon those successes.

“Every year is different and has different types of challenges,” head coach Chris Gerber told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“This group has been together for a couple of years now, and we need to build on this to make sure we work hard. These girls are extremely motivated to do well, and they don’t take anything for granted.”

Gerber has been at the wheel for several seasons now, during which Rhenish’s hockey programme has undergone a remarkable resurgence.

He bade farewell to some of his senior players last year but has retained the bulk of the team, with a couple of youngsters set to make the step up to first-team level. These are exciting times, he said.

“It’s important to keep moving the team forward from what we’ve been doing over the last couple of years. It’s exciting to build on these trends and bring a couple of fresh players into the system.

“The new players in the squad have really been excited to be part of this special group. I’m also excited to work with them because they have the drive to get better and perform against the best.”

Speaking of the best, Rhenish will be tested once again this season, not only in the Western Cape but by teams from all corners of the country.

They’ll open their campaign at the Greg Beling Festival in East London, from 13 to 15 March, before heading to Johannesburg for the annual St Mary’s Waverley Festival.

The Stellenbosch side will also host the All Girls Festival in May. Between the tournaments, they’ll lock horns with their local rivals.

“I think a lot of teams will be really good this year, so we will have to be at our best each game if we want to be successful,” Gerber said

“We will keep working on our systems to improve and make sure we are as well prepared as possible for every challenge.”

“From a Rhenish perspective, you can expect a passionate team hungry for success that will play with lots of fire and energy,” he ended.

Last week, on Tuesday, Stellenberg High pulled off a shock four-wicket T20 win over Rondebosch Boys’ High. This week, on Tuesday, they added the scalp of another southern suburbs school to their growing list of victories.

Stellies visited SACS for a showdown on the De Villiers Oval and, after winning the toss, opted to bat first.

The visitors made a shaky start and lost two of their top-order batsmen for ducks as they stumbled to 18/3 after 3.2 overs.

That brought their captain, JJ Rothman, to the crease. The number five batsman stood strong, striking three fours and a six in his contribution of 39 runs from 38 balls.

Wilhelm Smet, who batted at four, partnered Rothman in a fourth wicket stand that produced 48 runs off 51 deliveries. He added four fours and 29 runs from 25 balls.

When Stellenberg lost their fifth wicket, leaving them on 87/5, Gerrard Kamalie made his way to the middle, where he delivered some late innings’ entertainment, lofting two sixes and hitting a four in an unbeaten 29 off 19 balls, which boosted the Jade Brigade to 133/8 after their 20 overs.

Abhay Kalan, as he often does, picked up multiple wickets for the hosts, capturing 3/14 in four overs. He impressed in the field, too, getting rid of Rothman by a run out.

Rob Anderson weighed in with 2/30, also from four overs.

In reply, openers Aqeel Waggie and Litha Kraai gave the Newlands’ school a solid start. Waggie blasted three fours and a six in his 22 off 16, while Kraai hammered two fours and a maximum, tallying a hasty 20 off 12.

The innings’ top score went to number six batsman, Benji Tilbury, who cracked two fours in his 26 off 29 balls.

Although SACS suffered no collapses, they were unable to build momentum, which left them having to bat aggressively late in their run chase, and that cost them vital wickets.

Gerrard Kamalie met the moment, knocking over 4/14 in his four overs to lead the Stellenberg attack. He was aided by a disciplined effort from his fellow bowlers, who conceded only two wides.

In the end, SACS came up well short, restricted to 114/7 from their 20 overs, which left Stellenberg with a 19-run victory.

Summarised Scorecard

Stellenberg High 133/8 (JJ Rothman 39, Gerrard Kamalie 29*, Wilhelm Smet 29; Abhay Kalan 3/14, Rob Anderson 2/30); SACS 114/7 (Benji Tilbury 26, Aqeel Waggie 22, Ulrich Roth 22, Litha Kraai 20; Gerrard Kamalie 4/14). Stellenberg won by 19 runs.

Miles Pegg spun his way to a five-wicket haul, which set up St David’s Marist Inanda for a comfortable five-wicket win over St John’s College in their Johnny Waite Trophy match at St David’s on Tuesday evening.

St David’s, who won the toss and elected to bowl first, dismissed St John’s for 120 in 17.2 overs. The hosts then took a mere 16.3 overs to reach 122/5, winning with 21 balls in hand.

Pegg, who was introduced into the attack in the 11th over, didn’t enjoy a great start to his spell. Herman Basson and Joshua Hall smashed 11 runs off him in his first over, but the leg spinner didn’t lose heart.

He responded by dismissing Basson and Connor van der Walt in the space of three balls in the 13th over.

Basson’s wicket pushed the Blues onto the back foot because the number three batsman had been holding their innings together. His 39 from 27 balls was the highest individual score for St John’s in the contest.

Pegg then completed a sensational three-over spell with the dismissals of Hall, Ethan Robinson, and Juan de Villiers in only four balls in the 15th over.

He finished the match with 5/22, while Kyle Butler and Hayden Campbell took two wickets apiece, and Christopher Emslie chipped in with another.

St David’s lost Roberto Mariano in the first over of their reply but recovered well with a 33-run second-wicket partnership between Sohail Seonath (22) and Jason Rowles (31).

Rowles then combined with Jonah Gruskin (25) for a 35-run third-wicket partnership that carried them over the halfway mark, well on their way to victory.

Ethan Robinson was the most successful bowler for St John’s, claiming 3/23 in four overs. Juan de Villiers chipped in with 2/25, also from four.

Summarised Scorecard

St John’s 120/10 (Herman Basson 39, Nkosana Sibiya 15; Miles Pegg 5/22, Hayden Campbell 2/11, Kyle Butler 2/22). St David’s 122/5 (Jason Rowles 31, Jonah Gruskin 25; Ethan Robinson 3/23, Juan de Villiers 2/25). St David’s won by five wickets.

Hoërskool Rustenburg‘s Callie Fryer has become the latest young talent to be called up by a South African franchise.

On 31 January, the Rusties‘ all-rounder made his debut for the North West Dragons at just 17 years and 294 days old, featuring in their CSA Four-Day Competition fixture against the Hollywoodbets Dolphins at the JB Marks Oval.

Batting first in the four-day encounter, the Dolphins were put under pressure as Fryer wasted no time in making his mark on the opening day of his first-class career.

The right-arm quick dismissed the in-form Romashan Pillay for 34 before later removing former Proteas Test batsman Khaya Zondo for 25.

Fryer ended an impressive debut innings with figures of 2/32 at a miserly economy rate of 2.67, which was the best return of any Dragons’ bowler, ahead of established performers, including Caleb Seleka and Ruan de Swardt.

Fryer has long been earmarked for higher honours, and, in 2025, he twice represented the South African u19 side, playing against Bangladesh and England.

Since making his 1st XI debut for Hoërskool Rustenburg in Grade 10, Fryer has been a cornerstone of their line-up. His raw pace, relentless work ethic and willingness to run in hard for extended spells make him a constant threat. At first, he made his mark as a bowler, but his batting has continued to develop steadily, and he is now a genuine all-rounder.

His prowess with the bat was on full display during the most recent edition of the Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two Competition, where he struck a commanding 149 during the provincial phase. More recently, Fryer produced another telling performance with a crucial half-century against St Andrew’s School in the Central Region Playoff Final in Potchefstroom during phase two of the competition, scoring an unbeaten 54.

Rustenburg head coach Jan van Staden expressed immense pride in Fryer’s rapid rise. Since identifying the youngster’s potential early on, Van Staden has steadfastly maintained a quiet confidence that Fryer’s talents, which have been central to Rustenburg’s recent success, would eventually translate into opportunities at higher levels.

Fryer is set to return to the Rusties’ teams for their A Section Finsbury League clash against Die Hoërskool Menlopark on Saturday. His experience of cricket at franchise level will, no doubt, serve Hoërskool Rustenburg well as they head into the last two rounds of the 2026 competition.

For the first time in several years, the 50-over spoils in the Tzaneen derby fell the way of the Black Caps of Hoërskool Ben Vorster, who held their nerve to claim a narrow eight-run victory over Merensky Landbou Akademie in Section D of the Finsbury League on Saturday.

It was the first of several encounters between the sides from behind the citrus curtain in 2026 across different leagues.

The same Ben Vorster group that won on Saturday had already tasted success against their rivals late last year when they dethroned them as the Limpopo champions in the Switch Schools SA20 competition.

The Black Caps made the correct call at the toss and elected to bat first, posting a competitive 171 before being dismissed in the 41st over.

While not a commanding total, it was one that still required discipline and application to chase down. Ruben Pohl, a key figure in the Ben Vorster batting line-up over recent seasons, led the way with a top score of 36.

He was well-supported by Wilhelm Brummer and Aidan von Straate. Von Straate anchored the innings with a composed 31, while Brummer injected late momentum with a valuable 32 not out from just 28 deliveries.

The lanky Logan Janse van Rensburg was the hosts’ standout with the ball, sending down a full quota of 10 overs while nabbing an impressive 4/24.

However, ultimately, the difference came from the bowling of Rivoningo Chauke, the Black Caps’ Cubs Week representative, whose four-wicket haul proved decisive. He claimed 4/34 from 8.1 overs, while Talent Ndlovu provided excellent support, taking 3/29.

Despite their good returns, an inflated extras count from the Ben Vorster attack nearly proved costly. If they improve on that, they’ll be a far more dangerous team in the remaining two rounds of the competition.

In Meyerton, Hoërskool Dr Malan captain Heinrich Jansen van Rensburg continued his remarkable run of form, striking his third consecutive century as the Dokkies secured a hard-fought three-wicket victory over Heidelberg Volkskool.

The victory target of 226 was set largely through the efforts of Dave Pelzer, whose unbeaten 93 was the foundation upon which the Volkies’ innings was built.

In Dr Malan’s reply, Jansen van Rensburg was as devastating as he had been in the preceding two weeks. The Dokkies’ skipper needed just 63 balls to compile a blistering 111, an innings featuring 14 fours and five sixes.

He was superbly supported by Jacques Nel, whose fluent 62 played a match-winning role in their decisive 180-run partnership.

In Klerksdorp, an outstanding all-round display from Jandré Greyling underpinned Hoërskool Wesvalia‘s commanding 90-run victory over Hoër Tegniese Skool Middelburg.

Greyling first starred with the bat, top-scoring with a brisk 65 from 60 balls, as Wesvalia posted an imposing 267/4 from their 50 overs. He then delivered a decisive 5/39 in eight overs with the ball to set up his side’s win.

Ethan Walker, with 20 runs and 2/22, and Ziandré Stopford, with 24 and 2/37, also enjoyed productive all-round outings to complement Greyling‘s match-defining performance.

Summarised scorecards 

Ben Vorster 171/10 (Ruben Pohl 36, Wilhelm Brummer 32*, Aidan von Straate 31, Christiaan Duvenhage 29, Extras 20; Logan Janse van Rensburg 4/24, Schalk Rossouw 3/23, Altus Vorster 2/35); Merensky 163/10 (Extras 43, James Durant 19; Rivinongo Chauke 4/37, Talent Ndlovu 3/29). Ben Vorster won by eight runs. 

Heidelberg Volkskool 225/9 (Dave Pelzer 93*, Quentin Dietrechesen 38, Vaughn Steynvaart 37, O’Neill Ponton 3/39, Damian du Plessis 2/28); Dr Malan 228/7 (Heinrich Jansen van Rensburg 111, Jacques Nel 62; Francois Smith 4/24, Jaco Botha 2/51). Dr Malan won by three wickets. 

Wesvalia 267/4 (Jandré Greyling 65, L Maritz 49, Quwen Fourie 40*, Jordan Lategan 25, Ziandré Stopford 24, Ethan Walker 20, Extras 20; Henco Britz 2/26); HTS Middelburg 177/10 (Eddie Harris 38, Armand Kotze 31, Hugo Bierman 25; Jandré Greyling 5/39, Ethan Walker 2/22, Ziandré Stopford 2/37). Wesvalia won by 90 runs.