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Jayden Zoutendyk scored a classy, unbeaten half-century to set up Hoërskool Noordheuwel for a 17-run win over Parktown Boys’ High at Parktown in their Johnny Waite Trophy contest on Monday evening.

The toss went Parktown’s way, and the hosts asked Noordheuwel to bat first on a tough surface.

With a battling effort, Norries worked their way to 123/7 before their bowlers restricted Parktown to 106/7 in reply.

Zoutendyk, who walked out to bat in the first over, held the Noordheuwel innings together with an unbeaten 64 from 58 balls, showing great application on a wicket that favoured the bowlers.

Norries struggled to stitch together partnerships. Their highest was Zoutendyk’s 36-run seventh-wicket stand with Juwan Lamont, who chipped in with 15.

Zoutendyk also added 28 runs for the sixth wicket with Tidimalo Moeketsane (17) and 22 runs for the fifth wicket with Steph Jooste (5).

Hlasi Mqingwana was Parktown’s most successful bowler, spearheading their attack with an impressive 4/20 in his four overs. Lulama Sithole, Ashton Govender, and Neo Lemmer chipped in with a wicket each.

Noordheuwel’s cohesion in the field played a huge role in their victory. It brought about the end of Parktown openers, Abdullah Wadee (13) and Mkhosi Makhaya (8), who were both run out. That forced the home side onto the back foot, and they weren’t able to properly recover from that position.

Lulama Sithole and Mikaeel Garda top-scored for Parktown with just 16 runs apiece, while Wadee, Neo Lemmer (12), and Josh van Rensburg (12) also made it into double figures.

Moeketsane led the Noordheuwel attack, capturing 2/16 in three overs, while Hanru Begeman and Reney van den Berg took a wicket each.

Helpmekaar vs Jeppe

Jeppe, the regional champion of the Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two competition, came out on the wrong end of the result when they hosted Helpmekaar in the Johnny Waite Trophy competition on Monday, in the same 20-over format. The visitors produced a clinical performance to win by five wickets.

Jeppe won the toss, elected to bat first, and scored 114/8, to which Helpmekaar replied with 117/5 in 18 overs.

Early in their run chase, though, Helpies found themselves in trouble, losing Frederick Zeelie and Ewald Haasbroek in the second over. Thankfully, for the visitors, Sebastian Kloek and Zuan Joubert got them back on course with an outstanding 83-run third-wicket partnership that put the required total within touching distance.

Joubert top-scored with a brisk 47 from only 34 balls, while Kloek adopted a more patient approach, on his way to 43 from 53 deliveries.

Earlier in the contest, Heinrich Minnaar claimed 3/20 in four overs to help Helpmekaar restrict Jeppe to a middling total. Dominic Tait and John Butner added a brace each, and Xander Jackson removed a batsman, too.

Lincoln Casais was Jeppe’s shining light with a steady 35 from 38 balls. Goolam Ahmed was their second-highest scorer with 22 from 27 balls, while Ryan Young (11) and Phemelo Sekopane (10) also made it into double figures.

Summarised Scorecards

Noordheuwel 123/7 (Jayden Zoutendyk 64*, Tidimalo Moeketsane 17; Hlasi Mqingwana 4/20, Ashton Govender 1/15). Parktown 106/7 (Lulama Sithole 16*, Mikaeel Garda 16; Tidimalo Moeketsane 2/16, Hanru Begeman 1/13). Noordheuwel won by 17 runs.

Jeppe 114/8 (Lincoln Casais 35, Goolam Hoosain Ahmed 22; Heinrich Minnaar 3/20, Josh Butner 2/17, Dominic Tait 2/18). Helpmekaar 117/5 (Zuan Joubert 47, Sebastian Kloek 43; Goolam Hoosain Ahmed 3/20, Shreshth Kumar 1/14). Helpmekaar won by five wickets.

Hoërskool Middelburg all-rounder Gavin Genis has been in a rich vein of form with the bat since the start of the 2026 calendar year, and on Saturday, he took that purple patch to an extraordinary height.

His blistering form was on full display in a monumental double-century in Lichtenburg, where Middies powered to a staggering 470-run bonus-point victory over Hoërskool Lichtenburg in the Finsbury League‘s C Section.

His unbeaten 219 propelled the visitors to an astonishing 563 all out, which was achieved in just 42.5 overs.

The off-spinning all-rounder required a mere 83 deliveries to reach the landmark, unleashing carnage with 36 boundaries, with more than half of them, 19, sent flying over the ropes.

Remarkably, 182 runs, or 83 percent of his total, came from fours and sixes. He was well supported by the hard-hitting Hendré Nel, who joined in the destruction by blasting 142 from just 70 deliveries. His innings featured 17 fours and seven sixes.

Despite the dominance of his knock, Nel’s innings was the supporting act in his partnership with Genis. They were together for only 21.2 overs, but added a colossal 334 runs in that time.

In the context of Middleburg’s massive onslaught, Juwan van Tonder‘s 4/77 was an exceptional return.

After his batting heroics, Nel was far from finished. Brimming with confidence, the Middies’ paceman ripped through the Liggies’ batting line-up to cap his day with the sensational haul of 5/19 from just six overs. Ricardo Ras maintained the squeeze, with 3/20, as the hosts were bundled out for a meagre 66.

In Pretoria, Phillip Potgieter and Dawid Hanekom combined to bring Hoërskool Dinamika‘s perfect run to a halt, starring in Hoërskool Zwartkop’s commanding 128-run victory over the visitors from Alberton. Potgieter top-scored with a composed 60, while Hanekom added a crucial 43.

Hanekom’s influence continued with the ball. His penetrative spell of 3/13 proved telling and, despite a defiant 51 from Jared Cliffe, Dinamika was restricted to 132 all out in pursuit of 261.

In Polokwane, a disciplined bowling display from Hoërskool Pietersburg saw Pieties brush aside Hoërskool Centurion by 49 runs.

Defending a modest 162, experienced campaigners AJ Galloway and Stephan Swanepoel led from the front. Galloway spearheaded the home side’s bowling attack, capturing 4/28, while Swanepoel’s off-spin proved devastating as he snared 3/7 in 5.2 overs.

Willem Viljoen chipped in with 2/14, as the Woeries were dismissed for 113 in their reply.

Summarised scorecards 

Hoërskool Middelburg 563/10 (Gavin Genis 219*, Hendré Nel 142, Extras 52, Nijan Swart 37, Frederik Boshoff 32; Juwan van Tonder 4/77, Oratile Mmasa 3/94, Eduhan van den Berg 2/29); Hoërskool Lichtenburg 66/10 (Jurgen Hesse 25; Hendré Nel 5/19, Ricardo Ras 3/20, Eduan Strydom 2/4). Hoërskool Middelburg won by 470 runs. 

Zwartkop 260/10 (Phillip Potgieter 60, Dawid Hanekom 43, Extras 40, Esli Rall 29*, Liam van Wyk 24; Daniel Kerns 3/39, Andrew Marais 3/66); Dinamika 132/10 (Jared Cliffe 51, Andrew Marais 26, Dawid Hanekom 3/13, Stian Scholtz 2/38). Zwartkop won by 128 runs. 

Hoërskool Pietersburg 162/10 (Jan-Hendrik Boneshans 29, Hanru Marais 25, Willem Viljoen 23; Tyler Broodryk 3/34, Aden Schadle 2/8, Morné Prinsloo 2/46); Hoërskool Centurion 113/10 (Morné Prinsloo 32, Lubin Serfontein 24; AJ Galloway 4/28, Stephan Swanepoel 3/7, Willem Viljoen 2/14). Hoërskool Pietersburg won by 49 runs. 

Durban High School vs Hilton College

Durban High School’s Theobald Oval was like a furnace for the visit of Hilton College on Saturday. Yet, in extremely taxing conditions, DHS opening batsman, Ismaeel Omar, showed admirable resolve to score an unbeaten century and guide School to an impressive eight-wicket win.

DHS captain Josh van Biljon chose to bowl first and was swiftly rewarded for that decision by opening bowler, Taine Havermann, who got rid of Hilton’s openers, Barack Munawa and Ben Wilson, whose partnership has been one of the strengths of the team, within the first three overs.

James Peattie and Hilton captain Robert Burman hung tough, though, and spent almost 20 overs together, rebuilding the innings. Josh Morley ended their 78-run stand when he had Burman caught by Seth Edwards for 45, which included six fours.

Peattie and Obakeng Motsepa continued the good work, though, advancing the total by another 45 runs before Motsepa was bowled by Tristan Quail for 21.

That left Hilton on 129/4 in the 30th over. Soon, though, that became 142/7 in the 34th over, with Peattie the seventh man out for the innings’ top score of 50. He had faced 95 deliveries, hitting two fours and a six.

Sange Qangule ensured Hilton didn’t go quietly. He went on the attack, blasting four fours and two sixes in a 34-ball stay that brought him 48 runs. His wicket was the last wicket to fall, with Qangule another victim of Taine Havermann, but he had helped Hilton to 219 all out after 48.1 overs.

Havermann finished with a telling 4/39 from 9.1 overs, while Seth Edwards snapped up 2/11 in five. Up front, Havermann’s new ball partner, Bonga Maphanga, claimed 2/36 from 10.

The DHS openers, Ismaeel Omar and Suliman Jadwat, then set their side up for victory with a 111-run opening stand in just over 28 overs, which, in the energy-sapping heat, took a heavy toll on the visiting side.

When, at last, Obakeng Motsepa bowled Jadwat for 44, Josh van Biljon made his way to the crease, and matters didn’t improve for Hilton. Together with Omar, the DHS skipper tacked on another 107 runs for the second wicket in 103 balls.

With only two runs required to win, Van Biljon was bowled by Sechaba Gude for 57 from 64 balls, six of which he struck for four, and another for six. It was way too little too late for Hilton, however, and DHS eased to an emphatic victory.

Omar was unbeaten on 105 from 124 balls. His innings had included 16 fours and a six.

Motsepa was the pick of the visiting bowlers, returning 1/26 from seven overs.

St Charles College vs Maritzburg College

St Charles College hosted Maritzburg College on the SCC Oval on Saturday in a Pietermaritzburg derby that has delivered some thrilling contests in recent years. This one was no different, with College sneaking a tight one-wicket victory.

The toss went the way of the home team. They chose to bat first but produced an uneven performance. Nine players visited the crease, six of them made only single-figure scores, and another, captain Thando Zama, made 10. However, the other two, Ryan Clarke and Lebo Mokoena, excelled.

Saints were forced onto the back foot in the very first over when College captain Reece Willson bowled Caleb Sharp for a duck. Zama was in and out quickly, but that brought Clarke to the crease.

Then, Keegan Vermaak departed for two, Owen Widdows followed for five, and Connor Simpson for six, which left St Charles searching for traction on 59/5 in the 21st over. At last, though, Clarke found a solid partner in Mokoena.

They settled in, grafted hard, and kept College at bay, adding 118 runs for the sixth wicket in 28.1 overs. It took a run out to part them, with Mokoena exiting in the 49th over for 50. He had faced 96 balls and hit three fours.

Clarke stayed until the end and blasted the last ball of the innings for four to go to his century. He finished on exactly 100 not out, having faced 131 deliveries and struck 10 fours to help Saints to 186/7.

Reece Willson was the pick of the Maritzburg College attack, knocking over 3/38 from 10 overs. Luke Venter claimed 1/30 from nine, and Akhil Bharath clamped down on the St Charles’ run-scoring rate by conceding only 12 runs from his six overs.

College made a steadier start to their innings than St Charles, but their openers, Akhil Bharath and Kyle de Bruyn, fell within five balls of one another, leaving the visitors on 27/2 in the eighth over.

Luka Puddu and Dax Jursa quickly steadied the innings with a sound 47-run third-wicket stand in 57 balls. After Puddu departed for 20, Jursa and Luan van der Merwe boosted the College total by a further 42 runs before Jursa was caught and bowled by Kaiyuran Naidoo for 44, which featured five fours.

Reece Wilson joined Van der Merwe, and they continued to keep the Saints’ bowlers at an arm’s length until the 45th over, when, with balls running out and runs needed, he was run out by Jack Richards for 52. He’d faced 80 balls and stroked three fours.

Still, on 167/5, Maritzburg College was well positioned to push forward to victory. Ryan Clarke and Jayden Saville, however, almost stole the game for the hosts.

Clarke bowled Dom du Toit before Saville accounted for Rory Schirge, Ethan Fabre, and Greg Hoskings in a shade under three overs. When Hoskings exited, College was on 183/9. They needed another four runs to win. Luke Venter joined Reece Willson at the crease.

It was Venter who, at last, clinched a heart-stopping win for the Red, Black, and White, sending the second ball of the final over from Clarke to the boundary. Willson was on 14 not out.

Jayden Saville excelled, knocking over 4/26 in eight overs, while Kaiyuran Naidoo was miserly, snaring 2/18 from 10. Victory, though, belonged to Maritzburg College.

Summarised scorecards

Hilton College 219/10 (James Peattie 50, Sange Qangule 48, Robert Burman 45; Taine Havermann 4/39; Seth Edwards 2/11, Bonga Maphanga 2/36); Durban High School 220/2 (Ismaeel Omar 104*, Josh van Biljon 57, Suliman Jadwat 44; Obakeng Motsepa 1/26). Durban High School won by eight wickets.

St Charles College 186/7 (Ryan Clarke 100*, Lebo Mokoena 50; Reece Willson 3/38); Maritzburg College 190/9 (Luan van der Merwe 52, Dax Jursa 44, Luka Puddu 20; Jayden Saville 4/26, Kaiyuran Naidoo 2/18). Maritzburg College won by one wicket.

Westville Boys’ High vs Clifton College

A superbly controlled opening partnership between Aidan Baudach and Ewan du Toit provided the defining passage of play in Westville Boys’ High‘s huge 170-run win over Clifton College in a limited-overs clash on Bowden’s Field on Saturday.

When Clifton captain Shiraz Perumal called incorrectly at the coin flip, Westville’s Kyle McGough chose to bat first in hot and humid conditions. Baudach and Du Toit then drained the visitors’ energy with a focused 118-run opening partnership in just over 30 overs.

It was eventually broken by Muhammed Malek, who delivered a tidy spell of off-spin as the seventh bowler introduced into the attack. He bowled Du Toit for a watchful 38 from 83 balls, which included only two fours.

Five balls later, both openers were out when Perumal bowled Baudach for 68. His 100-ball stay had featured nine fours. A lower-order batsman last season, the Westville wicketkeeper has been a revelation at the top of the order in 2026, consistently providing the Griffins with solid starts, no matter the format of the game.

While none of the batsmen that followed replicated the success of the openers, they all made it into double figures. Misbah Nair added some impetus, cracking two sixes and a four in a 24-ball knock that brought him 32 runs.

The skipper, Kyle McGough, added 20, while Jamie Hasselbach added a quickfire 23 not out to lift Westville to 256/7 after their 50 overs.

Shiraz Perumal was the pick of the Clifton bowlers, generating sharp turn with his leg spin and picking up 1/34 from 10 tidy overs. Muhammed Malek finished with 1/23 from seven as he and Perumal stemmed Westville’s run scoring when they joined forces.

After a hard day in the field, Clifton needed to emulate Westville by their openers providing an enduring partnership, which would allow their players to recuperate and prepare for the challenge of batting.

While they put some runs on the board quite quickly, both openers, Daniyaal Klinck and Muhammed Malek, were out within the first six overs. Klinck exited in the fifth over for 12. One run later, in the next over, Malek followed for 16, leaving Clifton on 24/2.

The visitors desperately needed to stabilise their innings. Instead, they slid to 40/5, with Jamie Hasselbach removing the dangermen, Hayden Drieselmann and Shiraz Perumal, cheaply.

Daniel Rea held up Westville for a while, flat-batting a six over long on off Misbah Nair and adding two more fours in his 19 from 26 balls, which turned out to be Clifton’s highest scorer in a disappointing innings.

The visitors were unable to stop Westville’s frequent wicket-taking successes. Once the slide had begun, it couldn’t be arrested. In only 26.3 overs, Clifton was all out for 86.

Slow left-armer, Ewan du Toit, snared 3/14 from 5.3 overs, while Jamie Hasselbach snapped up 2/12 in three. Misbah Nair returned 2/19 from five, while the other three bowlers – Kyle McGough, Lwandle Bulose, and Aarin Rasmussen – claimed a wicket each.

It was a fine win for Westville, but a disappointing outing for Clifton, who will be aiming to tap into their excellent form in the W100 on Wednesday ahead of the Clifton T20 Tournament, which takes place from 13-15 February.

Kearsney College vs Northwood School

Kearsney College hosted Northwood on the AH Smith Oval, in Botha’s Hill, on Saturday, fresh off a strong showing in a draw with Westville Boys’ High and a superb win over Glenwood in the W100.

Kearsney’s batting fired against the Green Machine in a 10-wicket win, but it faltered against Northwood after the coin flip fell in the home side’s favour.

The Knights struck early, with Ryan van Zyl getting rid of Gary Verbaan in the first over, but Rivaan Moodley and Aaron Blackburn steadied matters with a slow 22-run partnership, which took 55 balls. Once Moodley was dismissed for 10, though, Kearsney stumbled. From 22/2 in the 10th over, they slid to 33/5 in the 15th, and they never fully recovered.

Luke Grobbelaar and Daniel Miskey slowed Northwood by adding 34 for the sixth wicket, and Grobbelaar and James Bishop added 34 more for the eighth wicket, but Kearsney fell to 101/8 when Ryan van Zyl trapped Grobbelaar LBW for 37.

The home side added another 20 runs for the last two wickets but were all out for 121, a total in which they were, no doubt, disappointed.

Faced with a very average target, Northwood needed to build partnerships, and victory would be theirs. They were stunned early, though, with Litha Gonya striking twice as the Knights crashed to 7/3 in the fifth over of their reply.

Luc Boyall and Josh Mills provided the innings with some substance in a 31-run fourth-wicket partnership before Boyall fell to the leg spin of Rivaan Moodley.

Mills and Hamza Amla advanced the total to 60 before Mills was stumped by Asher Hollister off the bowling of Matthew Gorrie for 36, which had included six fours.

The contest was in the balance with the visitors on 60/5, but they had plenty of overs in hand. Thomas Oosthuizen, the next man in, at seven, took charge to spur Northwood to a four-wicket victory.

He cracked six fours and a six in his match-winning knock of 44 from 59 balls, which took the Knights to within two runs of victory, before he became Matthew Gorrie’s second victim.

Four balls later, Northwood secured the win. Amla was not out for a steadfast 18 from 50 deliveries.

Gorrie led Kearsney’s attack with 2/22 from six overs, while Gonya returned 2/27 from 7.1. Rivaan Moodley bowled with impressive control to capture 1/28 from 10.

Summarised scorecards

Westville Boys’ High 256/7 (Aidan Baudach 68, Ewan du Toit 38, Misbah Nair 32, Jamie Hasselbach 23*, Kyle McGough 20; Muhammed Malek 1/23); Clifton College 86/10 (Daniel Rea 19; Ewan du Toit 3/14, Jamie Hasselbach 2/12, Misbah Nair 2/19). Westville Boys’ High won by 170 runs.

Kearsney College 121/10 (Luke Grobbelaar 37; James Searle 3/14, Keegan Reeves 2/20, Trevor van Volenstee 2/25, Ryan van Zyl 2/25); Northwood School 124/6 (Thomas Oosthuizen 44, Josh Mills 36; Matthew Gorrie 2/22, Litha Gonya 2/27). Northwood won by four wickets.

Bishops Diocesan College vs Pearson High

After a morale-boosting win over Paarl Boys’ High on Saturday, Bishops Diocesan College hosted Pearson High for a 50-over match on the Frank Reid Oval on Sunday.

When the coin flip fell in their favour, Bishops chose to bat first and made that decision count.

Number three batsman, Thaafier Japhta, gave the home side’s innings impetus with a fine knock, striking five fours and five sixes in a solid 79 runs off 71 balls.

He was, however, outdone by Harry Morgan, who made his way out to the middle after the fourth wicket went down. The middle-order menace then blasted six fours and six sixes in a superb 104 off 90 deliveries.

After Japhta was dismissed, the hosts were on 152/5, but they soon regained momentum through Morgan and Luc Dicey, who combined for 87 runs for the sixth wicket. Dicey’s contribution was 33 off 42, with two fours and two sixes.

Bishops lost their last wicket off the final ball of their innings, but by then they had totalled 321 runs.

Deanu Bezuidenhout was the most successful of the Pearson bowlers, claiming 3/59 in eight overs. Daniel Ritchie, meanwhile,  returned 2/58 from nine.

The Gqerbha school had been set an intimidating total to chase, and the home team’s bowlers revelled in that fact. Waco Bassick steamed in and ran roughshod through the visitors’ top order, capturing 3/5 in five overs. He also enjoyed good support.

Imraan Leith nabbed 2/14 in his four-over spell, while Matthew Edwards picked up 2/27 from seven.

Under a heavy onslaught, seventh man to the crease, Jude Septoo, hit out, clubbing three fours and a six, to top-score for Pearson with 20 off 13 balls.

Bishops, though, had the touring team’s number and dismissed Pearson for 108 to score a mighty 213-run victory.

HTS Drostdy vs Hoërskool Parel Vallei

Playing away from home on Saturday, HTS Drostdy won the toss and opted to bat first at Hoërskool Parel Vallei (PV).

The Donkies’ top order, however, struggled. By the fifteenth over, the visitors were labouring on 27/3. But their middle order came to the rescue.

Christopher du Toit, batting at four, lofted two sixes in his 40 off 76 balls. Up next, at five, Ruan Nortjé contributed 41 runs from 77 deliveries, hitting four fours and a six, and the pair added 89 runs for the fourth wicket, the highest stand of the match. Bryan Cochrane, in at six, punched three fours in his run-a-ball 34 off 34 balls.

Thanks mostly to those three impactful contributions, HTS Drostdy tallied 175 all out in 49.1 overs.

Daniel Dreyer led PV with a five-for, grabbing 5/41 from 10 overs, while Dirk van Zyl was exceptionally tidy, snaring 2/17 from his 10.

When Parel Vallei’s reply began, opener Sean Grant weighed in with 22 runs, but solid partnerships were missing from the home team’s response. Eventually, though, they found their way.

Number six batsman, Divan Sander, top-scored for the Somerset West outfit, making 39 from 53 balls, to steer PV towards victory, and they overhauled Drostdy after 44.1 overs, reaching 176/7, to win by four wickets.

Karel Hugo was the only visiting bowler to collect multiple wickets, claiming 3/50 in 8.1 overs.

Summarised Scorecards

Bishops Diocesan College 321/10 (Harry Morgan 104, Thaafier Japhta 79, Luc Dicey 33, Cameron Macbeth 29, Extras 20; Deanu Bezuidenhout 3/59, Daniel Ritchie 2/58); Pearson High 108/10 (Jude Septoo 20; Waco Bassick 3/5, Imraan Leith 2/14, Matthew Edwards 2/27). Bishops won by 213 runs.

HTS Drostdy 175/10 (Ruan Nortje 41, Christopher du Toit 40, Bryan Cochrane 34, Extras 21; Daniel Dreyer 5/41, Dirk van Zyl 2/17); Hoërskool Parel Vallei 176/7 (Divan Sander 39, Extras 33, Sean Grant 22; Karel Hugo 3/50). Parel Vallei won by three wickets.

Clarendon High School for Girls first-team water polo coach, Hannah Muller, was over the moon after her side clinched gold at the National Aquatics Festival in Johannesburg on the weekend.

The annual tournament, which features some of the country’s top girls’ sides, was hosted at St Stithians College.

In a tense final, Clarendon defeated Durban Girls’ College (DGC) 8-7 to get their hands on the trophy after previously falling agonisingly short several times.

“I am incredibly proud of the girls and what they have achieved this weekend,” Muller told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“The effort, commitment, and resilience they showed throughout the tournament were outstanding. They worked together, stayed focused under pressure, and never stopped believing in their capabilities.

“Their determination and teamwork truly shone through, and I couldn’t be happier with their performance. It was a true testament to their hard work and dedication.”

Clarendon was drawn in Pool C and took on Kingsmead College and St Mary’s DSG (Kloof) in the round-robin stages.

The girls from East London were solid in both outings, beating St Mary’s 16-1 before outplaying Kingsmead 8-1.

In the cross-pool playoffs, Muller’s side hammered Maris Stella 15-6 to set up a semifinal showdown with the hosts.

Saints had played some outstanding water polo on their way to a final four berth, and they were favoured to topple the visitors. Clarendon had other ideas, though, and pulled off a fantastic 8-5 win, silencing the home crowd in the process.

They produced one last top-notch performance in the final and sealed a one-goal victory to make up for the disappointment of a semi-final exit in 2025.

“Last year’s disappointment definitely stayed with us, especially since it was at home, but that wasn’t our driving force this year,” Muller shared. “We were focused on taking each game as it came and giving our best, regardless of the outcome.

“Our main goal was to play as a team, to trust in each other and the plan, which resulted in the girls leaving everything in the pool, and I think that mindset really paid off for us in the end.”

Clarendon’s win against DGC was their second over the KZN side in as many weeks; they also beat the Durban school 10-6 at the Brian Baker Water Polo Tournament.

Coach Muller said teamwork and strong leadership were two of the vital keys to her side’s title win: “This achievement was a true team effort, with every player contributing in their own way to our success. To achieve this amazing result, every single player stepped up when it mattered most, and I couldn’t be prouder of their dedication and hard work.

“Quinn Carr (captain), Jenna Botha (vice-captain), Holly Jacoby, and Megan Philips, our four matric players, really stepped up and set an excellent example throughout the competition, both in and out of the pool.

“They played a key role in keeping the team focused in big moments and setting the standard for everyone around them.”

It wasn’t only Clarendon’s water polo side that made history. Their swimming team also won the overall prize. They claimed three gold medals, six silvers, and eight bronzes on their way to the historic triumph.

Muller admitted that her side drew inspiration from the swimming team: “I think winning the swimming section for the first time fuelled the girls to make history once again by winning both the swimming and water polo sections.

“I can honestly say the girls left every single last thing they had inside of them in the pool this weekend, and that is all a coach can ask of her. They played with heart and executed a lot of the skills and strategies we have been working on in practice.

“We have been focusing on some key components that we needed to sharpen up from last year, and I believe we saw a lot of improvement in those areas during the tournament this weekend.”

Clarendon side will return to action this month at the Old Petrian’s Water Polo Tournament taking place at St Peter’s College.

Grey College came agonisingly close to capping off their Pretoria tour on a high note, narrowly failing to topple one of the capital’s cricketing heavyweights, Hoërskool Waterkloof, on their home ground, the André van der Walt Oval.

The hosts won the toss and elected to chase, fully aware that conditions typically favour the side batting second. That call ultimately proved decisive as Klofies snatched a hard-fought one-wicket victory over the visitors from Bloemfontein.

Just a day earlier, Grey College had been forced to dig deep to claim a three-wicket win over Pretoria Boys High on the Hofmeyr Oval.

When Grey found themselves under pressure in the early going, Daniel Hattingh and Juan Maree anchored the visitors’ innings. Both passed the 30-run mark, with Hattingh opting to go on the counter-attack, striking three sixes and two fours in a brisk 33 from just 21 deliveries. By contrast, Maree adopted a more measured approach, compiling 32 from 40 balls.

Their contributions, along with a useful 28 from Peter le Roux, lifted the visitors to 147 all out.

Johan Liebenberg was the standout with the ball for Waterkloof, snapping up 3/36 from six overs. His performance came as little surprise to those familiar with Liebenberg’s rise. In 2025, when he was 15 years old, he captured an extraordinary 99 wickets in 56 matches in that age group during the calendar year.

In Jano Venter, Grey found a bowler to lead their attack. He took the new ball and immediately made inroads into the Klofies’ formidable batting line-up. In just 4.2 overs, the hosts were left tottering on 5/4, with Venter in devastating form.

Captain Franco Schmidt then drew on his experience and joined forces with Johan Feuth, fresh off a century against Hoërskool Rustenburg the previous day, to stabilise the home side’s innings.

Together, they engineered a match-defining partnership of 65 runs before Feuth became Venter’s fourth victim. Schmidt pressed on, eventually departing for a resolute 57, though the contest remained finely balanced.

In the end, Rian Klopper held his nerve, contributing an unbeaten 21 to steer Klofies to a nail-biting one-wicket victory.

Despite a superb spell of 4/24 from Venter and Daniel Hattingh’s 2/6 from one over, Hoërskool Waterkloof did just enough to survive a stern examination.

Summarised scorecard 

Grey College 147/10 (Daniel Hattingh 33, Juan Maree 32, Peter Le Roux 28; Johan Liebenberg 3/36, Juan Swart 2/5, Rivan Booysen 2/12); Waterkloof 152/9 (Franco Schmidt 57, Johan Feuth 29, Rian Klopper 21*; Jano Venter 4/24, Daniel Hattingh 2/6). Waterkloof won by one wicket. 

St Andrew’s College made history on Sunday when they became the first team to win the inaugural Grey High Water Polo Tournament in Gqeberha.

The boys from Makhanda defeated the hosts, Grey High, 8-7 in a hotly contested final to grab their first piece of silverware in almost two seasons.

The last time St Andrew’s won a tournament was in October 2024, when they defeated Selborne College in the final of the Woodridge Stayers, in Thornhill.

They performed superbly at Grey High from the get-go, dominating their pool before heading into the playoffs.

In the quarterfinals, they defeated Paarl Boys’ High 9-2 before edging out Reddam House Constantia 13-10 in the last four.

Grey, meanwhile, was also on an unbeaten run and posted wins over Hudson Park and Woodridge College, respectively, in the quarterfinals and semi-finals.

The final was expected to entertain, and it lived up to those expectations. After an absorbing first half, St Andrew’s carried a slim 3-2 lead into the break after making a fast start.

The third quarter was all about the visitors. They bossed proceedings and converted 80 percent of their chances to score four times. Grey mustered only a single goal in response, leaving the Makhanda boys 7-3 to the good as the contest headed into the final chukka.

Andrew Ellis extended the lead to 8-3. The outcome appeared to be done and dusted, but Grey, while down, was not out. They launched a furious fightback.

Jed Paterson scored a quick brace to cut the deficit to three goals before strikes by Caleb Levey and Christian Horne made it a one-goal game with minutes remaining.

In a nervy finish, Grey had one more opportunity to attack, but St Andrew’s College held on for the win.

“I was happy with the overall performance; the team stuck to our defensive structures, kept things simple and worked together as a unit,” St Andrew’s coach Grant Mackenzie said afterwards.

“Each game, we had built on what we would do going into the knockout stages. We know Grey has a strong attacking team and enjoys creating mismatches with their picks and screens. We made sure we did not concede too many easy goals and exploited their mistakes on defence.”

While the coach was pleased with his side’s effort, he reiterated the importance of working on closing off games.

St Andrew’s will return to tournament action in two weeks at the Vides Water Polo Tournament, which takes place at East London’s Selborne College.

“Our main aim before Vides is to stay injury-free, keep the momentum and work on converting our extra-man opportunities.

“We also need to tighten our defence and ensure teams work hard to score goals,” Mackenzie said.

St Andrew’s finished in second place at last year’s Vides Tournament, losing to St David’s Marist Inanda in the final.

Results

Grey Invitational 4-6 Stirling High (9th/10th)
Hudson Park 1-8 Paarl Boys’ High (7th/8th)
Pearson High 6-8 Glenwood House (5th/6th)
Woodridge College 7-9 Reddam House (3rd/4th)
St Andrew’s College 8-7 Grey High (Final)

Hoërskool Hans Moore‘s spotless record in the B Section of the Finsbury League came to an abrupt end on Saturday when Midstream College scored a surprise victory in Benoni.

In a low-scoring thriller, the Midrand school edged past the section’s only unbeaten team with two wickets in hand.

Batting first, Hans Moore was restricted to only 132 all out, with Aidan Shaw, as has become the norm, carrying their batting. In difficult conditions, he continued his excellent run of form. His 63 made up almost half of his side’s total.

Support, however, proved scarce. Sohil Jagnath weighed in with a gritty 32, standing firm against relentless pressure from Tehan Maré and the rest of the Midstream bowling attack.

Maré was the pick of the bowlers, capturing 3/12, while Jonathan Wiseman was, as ever, a constant threat, finishing with 2/14.

Midstream’s reply resembled Moories‘ innings, but their top scorer enjoyed greater support. Rikus Cilliers led the way with 38, while two additional contributions of 20-plus runs from Wian de Bruin and Keegan Gibson proved decisive.

Despite disciplined spells from Nathan King and Isaac Aube, who both claimed 2/21, Midstream did just enough to battle their way to a memorable victory.

In Nelspruit, Christivan Coetzer was near his fluent best as he guided Potchefstroom Gimnasium back to winning ways with a man-of-the-match 87 against Hoërskool Nelspruit.

In contrast to his usual attacking style, though, Coetzer showed restraint and maturity, facing 110 deliveries, while rotating the strike with authority and stroking eight fours.

Jahndré Coetzee excelled when Potch Gim was in the field, claiming 3/27, the best figures of the match, which helped to restrict Nellies to 171 all out in pursuit of a victory target of 214. Luan Siebrits stood out for the hosts with a well-made 61, but he was their only batsman to pass 30.

In Alberton, Hoërskool Montana captain Juan Theunissen delivered a commanding all-round performance in his side’s six-wicket victory over Hoërskool Marais Viljoen.

Theunissen was particularly incisive with the ball, ripping into the Marais Viljoen batting with a telling 4/16 from just six overs as the hosts were dismissed for a mere 89.

He then capped off a fine day by top-scoring with 28, the highest individual contribution in the Monties‘ innings, to guide his side to a comfortable win inside 22 overs.

Summarised scorecards

Hans Moore 132/10 (Aidan Shaw 63, Sohil Jagnath 32; Tehan Mare 3/12, Jonathan Wiseman 2/14, Dian de Villiers 2/20); Midstream College 134/8 (Rikus Cilliers 38, Wian de Bruin 22*, Keegan Gibson 20; Nathan King 2/21, Isaac Aube 2/21, Kyle Wratten 2/30). Midstream College won by two wickets. 

Potchefstroom Gimnasium 213/10 (Christivan Coetzer 87, Ulrich Botha 33, Thloni Tabatha 31; Kesha Moore 3/35, Gerdu van Eeden 3/45, Hanru van der Merwe 2/28); Hoërskool Nelspruit 171/10 (Luan Siebrits 61, Jeandré de Bruyn 22, Dian Boucher 20; Jahndré Coetzee 3/27, Henré Cronje 2/26, Adriaan van Niekerk 2/54). Potchefstroom Gimnasium won by 42 runs. 

Hoërskool Marais Viljoen 89/10 (Hendré Cilliers 31, Ethan van Rooyen 27; Juan Theunissen 4/16, Woudter Kotsze 2/10, Durandt Stassen 2/12, De Wet du Toit 2/26); Hoërskool Montana 90/4 (Juan Theunissen 28; Ethan van Rooyen 2/24). Montana won by six wickets. 

SACS vs Paul Roos Gimnasium

After a comfortable win at home against Pearson High on Friday, Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) hit the road on Saturday morning to face SACS in a limited-overs match on the De Villiers Oval.

PRG started poorly, crashing to 18/4 in the early going, with four of their first five batsmen dismissed for single-digit scores. Janko Webb, batting at four, was the only survivor of that early SACS onslaught.

He not only survived, but he made it two centuries in two days, hammering two sixes and an astounding 18 fours while contributing a desperately needed 127 runs off 134 balls.

Webb and Aiden Titus, who made 28, partnered for 67 runs for the sixth-wicket, which was followed by a 91-run stand between Webb and Dion Slabber, who added 31 runs of his own.

Those important partnerships lifted Ou Polla’s Boys from 37/5 to 195/7.

Abhay Kalan, the best of the SACS bowlers, with 4/32 from eight overs, at last halted Webb’s superb innings by bowling him.

Aqeel Waggie, Ronan Meintjies, and Saeed Conrad chipped in with two wickets apiece as PRG totalled 229 all out from 47.1 overs.

In reply, Aqeel Waggie and Benji Tilbury gave SACS a solid start, putting on 74 for the first wicket. Tilbury rotated the strike while scoring 24 runs. Waggie was more attacking, smashing six fours and four sixes in his 59 off only 48 balls.

However, after Tilbury departed, SACS began to lose wickets quickly, sliding from 74/1 to 124/6.

Litha Kraai, batting at five, wielded his blade with intent, striking six fours and five maximums, in a fiery 77 off 61 deliveries, which included a seventh-wicket partnership of 89 with Abhay Kalan, who played patiently for 25 off 56.

When Kraai was dismissed, SACS was on 213/7. They needed only 17 runs to win with three wickets remaining. They managed only 12 of them as Dion Slabber and Morné Pauw stopped the hosts’ bid for victory on 225, leaving Paul Roos with a heart-stopping four-run win.

Slabber was expensive, going for 77 runs from his 10 overs, but his two wickets were crucial to PRG’s victory. Pauw ended the game and collected 2/26 from 7.3 overs.

Earlier, James Holm dismissed both openers, on his way to 2/40 from 10 overs. Marcus Conradie got stuck into the SACS middle order, claiming 3/43 from seven overs.

Hoërskool Strand vs Klein Nederburg Secondary

Hoërskool Strand was at home against Klein Nederburg Secondary for a limited-overs clash. It never went the distance as two bowlers dominated.

After they lost both openers within four balls of one another, Strand was on 24/2. Zaylin Rule provided their innings with some stability, making 46 from 80 deliveries, including two fours and two sixes, from his position at three in the batting order.

Matthew Barnard, at four, contributed 24 runs to their 60-run third-wicket partnership.

Nederburg’s Wasim Davids claimed both of their wickets and then every Strand wicket after that in a stunning performance. In only 9.2 overs, he knocked over an eye-opening 8/40, which kept Strand to 144 all out after 39.2 overs.

In reply, Klein Nederburg openers, Diego Lodewyk and Dineo Goedeman, gave their side a solid 62-run opening stand. Lodewyk hit out and struck five fours in his explosive 27 off 15, while Goedeman sent six deliveries to the boundary in his run-a-ball 30.

After Goedeman’s exit, however, the Nederburg innings unravelled. Astonishingly, Strand’s Benjamin de Reuk matched the visitors’ Wasim Davids by snapping up eight wickets. His, though, came at a cost of only 17 runs from nine overs.

Five of the Paarl outfit’s batsmen were dismissed for ducks as Klein Nederburg tumbled to 88 all out, leaving Strand with a handsome 56-run win.

Summarised Scorecards

Paul Roos Gimnasium 229/10 (Janko Webb 127, Dion Slabber 31, Aiden Titus 28; Abhay Kalan 4/32, Saeed Conrad 2/31, Ronan Meintjies 2/44, Aqeel Waggie 2/50); SACS 225/10 (Litha Kraai 77, Aqeel Waggie 59, Abhay Kalan 25, Benji Tilbury 24; Marcus Conradie 3/43, Morné Pauw 2/26, James Holm 2/40, Dion Slabber 2/77). Paul Roos won by four runs.

Hoërskool Strand 144/10 (Zaylin Rule 46, Matthew Barnard 24, Extras 23; Wasim Davids 8/40); Klein Nederburg Secondary 88/10 (Dineo Goedeman 30, Diego Lodewyk 27; Benjamin de Reuk 8/17, Keaton Gertze 2/17). Strand won by 56 runs.