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Maritzburg College stole the spotlight at the annual American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ) Basketball Tournament over the weekend, while other schools clashed in their traditional fixtures.

Throughout the weekend, College was on fire, powering their way to the prestigious title with an emphatic victory over The King’s School Linbro Park in the final.

The Red, Black, and White put together a superb run, winning all their group matches before beating St Benedict’s College 36-31 in the quarterfinals. That was as close as any team got to the KZN powerhouse.

In the semi-finals, which delivered a traditional Pietermaritzburg rivalry, Maritzburg College downed St Charles College 41-32 to reach the title decider.

There, they faced The King’s School Linbro Park, a side they had beaten by 23 points in a group stage game. With the title on the line, the KZN side dominated once more, charging to the title with a conclusive 47-20 win.

In Pretoria, Pretoria Boys High School (PHBS) faced off in a derby against St Alban’s College. When the teams met earlier in the year, during the inaugural Pre-Season Basketball Festival at PHBS, Boys High beat St Alban’s on the opening day, but St Alban’s later avenged that defeat in the final game of the festival. On Saturday, PBHS won, running out 40-33 victors.

King Edward VII School (KES), maintaining the momentum they built up in 2025, also secured victory, holding off the Soweto Basketball Academy 60-52 in a closely contested match.

Jeppe High School for Boys faced Christian Brothers’ College Boksburg and asserted their dominance, rolling to a 71-38 win.

In KwaZulu-Natal, Kearsney College hosted their highway rivals, Westville Boys’ High, in a midweek match, in which the home team showcased their strength, winning the game 62-57.

Westville has struggled to find its rhythm in recent outings, but it started strongly against Kearsney, with the hosts sluggish and out of sync offensively in the opening quarter. They manufactured shots, but their shooting was cold. On the other side of the court, Westville scored with relative ease and led 21-12 after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Kearsney’s defence tightened up, forcing The Griffins, under greater pressure, to rush their shots. Kearsney’s offence became more fluid, and the home team sliced into the visitors’ lead, which was reduced to only two points at halftime, at 34-32.

All credit to Westville, they continued to give as good as they got during the third quarter. The momentum appeared to be with Kearsney, but Westville responded by sinking several challenging shots to preserve their lead. Heading into the final quarter, they were 46-45 ahead.

At last, though, in the final quarter, Westville wilted, missing some opportunities, while Kearsney forced some turnovers. They snatched the lead and, by the final whistle, they were five points clear, winning 62-57.

Pabatso Sithole led the way for Kearsney, with 19 points, while Kabo Ramodibedi contributed 10 points, Daniel Prinsloo nine, Lubanzi Mseleku eight, and Markus Wise six.

Luseko Sikhulume was Westville’s leading scorer, with 16. Tristan van Heerden had 14 points, Lwazi Phungula nine, and Ryan Mansfield five.

On Saturday, Northwood added to its winning streak and solidified its position as the top dogs in South African schools’ basketball. They were given a tough challenge at Hilton College, but came away with an eight-point win in a high-scoring contest that produced 165 points.

Kearsney hosted LIV Village, the winner of the 2025 Tier Two Schools Basketball Tournament at St Benedict’s School. In the familiar confines of The SportZone, Kearsney raced into a decisive early lead and kept building on it until the end of the contest, with Kwakuhle Sibiya contributing 22 points to a big 76-30 victory.

Durban High School (DHS) won by a large margin against Clifton College, while Glenwood, in the absence of the St Charles College first team, picked up a win over the Saints‘ second team.

A couple of matches took place in midweek for teams travelling to the AISJ Basketball Tournament. Apart from Westville facing Kearsney, which was mentioned earlier, Maritzburg College visited Michaelhouse. They ensured they left for Gauteng in a confident frame of mind after outplaying ‘House 68-39.

In the Eastern Cape, Kingswood College secured a 31-22 victory over Queen’s College.

RESULTS

Gauteng 

Pretoria Boys High 40-33 St Alban’s College
KES 60-52 Soweto Basketball Academy
Jeppe 71-38 CBC Boksburg

KwaZulu-Natal

Northwood 86-79 Hilton College
Kearsney College 62-57 Westville
Maritzburg College 68-39 Michaelhouse
Durban High School 78-24 Clifton College
Kearsney College 76-30 LIV Village
Glenwood 51-44 St Charles College 2nd

Eastern Cape 

Kingswood College 31-22 Queen’s College

Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) will be gunning for a successful title defence when the annual Grey College Water Polo Tournament commences in Bloemfontein this weekend.

The event, which has become a mainstay on the schools’ water polo calendar, runs from Thursday, 29 January, and ends with the final on Saturday at 17:30.

Affies lifted the title in 2025, when they beat Jeppe High School for Boys 14-11 in the final.

That title-winning success had been some time in the making and arrived after Affies had finished as the runner-up to Selborne College in the previous two years.

Others from the Gauteng region, who will be joining them at the tournament, include their second-string side, Jeppe, Pretoria Boys High, and debutants, King Edward VII (KES).

Jeppe and KES will fancy their chances of clinching the title. They have started the season well in the KES Thursday Night League.

There will also be a three-strong KwaZulu-Natal contingent battling it out in the Pool.

Northwood, who defeated Reddam House Constantia on the final day last year to finish third, will be back, along with Maritzburg College, while Durban High School (DHS) debuts.

The KZN trio will also be chasing top spot, and they’ll be match-ready after playing in the opening two rounds of the Kearsney Night Series and some traditional local derbies.

For the first time since the tournament’s inception, there will be no teams from the Eastern Cape or Western Cape.

The action kicks off with a rivalry clash between  Affies and Pretoria Boys High at 14:00.

FIXTURES

Thursday, 29 January

14:00 – Affies 1st vs Pretoria Boys High; 14:30 – Grey College 2nds vs DHS; 15:00 – Jeppe vs Maritzburg College; 15:30 – Grey College vs Northwood; 16:00 – Affies 2nds vs KES; 16:30 – Affies vs DHS; 17:00 – Pretoria Boys High vs Maritzburg College; 17:30 – Grey College 2nds vs Northwood; 18:00 – Jeppe vs KES; 18:30 – Grey College vs Affies 2nds.

Friday, 30 January

08:00 – Affies vs Maritzburg College; 08:30 – DHS vs Northwood; 09:00 – Pretoria Boys High vs KES; 09:30 – Grey College 2nds vs Affies 2nds; 10:00 – Jeppe vs Grey College; 10:30 – Affies vs Northwood; 11:00 – Maritzburg College vs KES; 11:30 – DHS vs Affies 2nds; 12:00 – Grey College vs Pretoria Boys High; 12:30 – Jeppe vs Grey College 2nds; 13:00 – Affies vs KES; 13:30 – Northwood vs Affies 2nds; 14:00 – Grey College vs Maritzburg College; 14:30 – DHS vs Jeppe; 15:00 – Pretoria Boys High vs Grey College 2nds; 15:30 – Affies 1st vs Affies 2nds; 16:00 – Grey College vs KES; 16:30 – Jeppe vs Northwood; 17:00 – Maritzburg College vs Grey College 2nds; 17:30 – DHS vs Pretoria Boys High; 18:00 – Affies vs Grey College; 18:30 – Jeppe vs Affies 2nds; 19:00 – Grey College 2nds vs KES; 19:30 – Northwood vs Pretoria Boys High; 20:00 – Maritzburg vs DHS.

Saturday, 31 January

08:00 – Affies vs Jeppe; 08:30 – Grey College 1st vs Grey College 2nds; 09:00 – Affies 2nds vs Pretoria Boys High; 09:30 – KES vs DHS; 10:00 – Northwood vs Maritzburg College; 10:30 – Affies vs Grey College 2nds; 11:00 – Jeppe vs Pretoria Boys High; 11:30 – Grey College vs DHS; 12:00 – Maritzburg College vs Affies 2nds; 12:30 – KES vs Northwood.

Playoffs to follow on Saturday afternoon.

The St Stithians College first team water polo side isn’t loaded with big names or so-called “star players”, and that’s no secret. But it’s a group of talented players who are always willing to work hard, follow instructions, and put their bodies on the line for each other and the school badge.

This was evident over the past weekend when Saints participated in the annual St Andrew’s College (SAC) Shield in Makhanda.

The side, guided by coaches Michael Stewart and Jason Sileno, wasn’t mentioned among the pre-tournament favourites. They were quick to silence their critics, however, and played some entertaining water polo in the group stage of the competition, winning four of their five matches in a tough and competitive Pool B.

Those results set them up for a quarterfinal clash against Clifton College, which they won 9-7, to progress to the last four. Making it to the semifinals was an achievement in itself for Saints, considering that they finished eighth in 2025.

They took on eventual winners, Bishops, in the semis and showed grit, character, and fight, falling way behind in the early going, but fighting on before eventually losing 5-12 to an on-fire side. There was still plenty to play for on the final day, and St Stithians took on South African College High School (SACS) for the bronze medal.

SACS was one of the tournament favourites. They were the only team to go through the group stage unbeaten, but their winning streak ended in the semi-finals against Rondebosch Boys’ High.

They were favoured to clinch the bronze medal, but Saints had other ideas. The boys from Johannesburg produced one of their best performances at the tournament, outplaying SACS 11-4 to secure third place.

“I’m immensely proud of medalling at SAC Shield,” head coach Michael Stewart told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“This is the first time we have medalled since we first came to the tournament in 2021. Saints’ teams of old had a ‘fourth-place curse’ – we would make semi-finals but often ended up being the lone team in the top four not to walk away with something to show for our efforts.

“This team wasn’t our most talented age group when they arrived in Grade 8. However, what they lacked in talent they made up for in hard work.

“They also have grit; they’re as hard as nails. They listen; they rarely make selfish and ego-driven decisions. I call these ‘TikTok highlights’ decisions, and we try to avoid those as much as possible.”

Before heading to Makhanda, Saints opened their season with back-to-back victories in the KES Thursday Night League.

They defeated KES 9-6 before claiming the big scalp of St David’s Marist Inanda 5-3. That imbued them with confidence, ahead of the SAC Shield.

Coach Stewart revealed the approach that he and coach Sileno took to get the best out of the side: “We really emphasised a simple game plan – get the basics right,” he said. “We also backed every player in the team.

“Jason Sileno and I don’t feel nervous putting any of my players into the pool. We back them and let them work their magic, play their role, and celebrate them when they execute the game plan.

“This doesn’t have to be scoring or making a ”TikTok Highlights reel’ – it’s listening, correct body position, getting into the right space, and making the extra pass. The last thing was to focus on accuracy rather than hype. Getting hyped for eight games in a row is exhausting; it often drains the boys by the fourth match.

“In rugby season, when you only have one match per weekend to play, hype is okay; it brings intensity. However, at long, highly competitive tournaments like the SAC Shield, we need the boys to be accurate, precise, and calculated.

“It’s a think-don’t-feel, read-don’t-respond game plan,” he explained.

Saints, as mentioned above, is also contesting the KES Night League, which takes place every Thursday.

It’s an initiative which pits some of Johannesburg’s best water polo-playing schools against each other, and coach Stewart has gladly welcomed it.

“When the league resumed post-Covid 19 (in 2021), the coaches and managers of Johannesburg schools decided that we would try to play as much ‘polo as possible.

“Water-based athletes benefit from maximum exposure to high-pressure situations, especially seeing as water is not where humans move naturally. This has been our policy as a collective since then, and I think it is one of the big reasons that Central Gauteng has won SA Schools three out of five times post-Covid, and has been in the final every year since 2021.

“This goes for both our girls’ and boys’ programmes. Water polo, unlike rugby, is also a sport which can be played without a high risk of injury. Therefore, the league gives our players maximum exposure. We also don’t have the same number of athletes playing the sport as the Western Cape and KZN schools.

“Saints Boys College has only 60 polo players in the whole school. We have some diamonds from the beginning but, because of the lack of depth, we also need to turn coal into diamonds regularly.

“The best way to do this is play, play, play – expose, expose, and expose.”

St Stithians returns to action on Thursday in the KES League when they take on St Benedict’s College. A win in that clash would see them sitting comfortably atop the standings. The match starts at 18:00.

Paarl Gimnasium vs Hoërskool Parel Vallei

After finishing as the runner-up in the Western Cape Switch Schools SA20 Volume 2 Regional Final on Sunday, Paarl Gimnasium got straight back down to business when they hosted Hoërskool Parel Vallei (PV) in a 40-over fixture on Tuesday afternoon.

A decision to bat went poorly for the hosts at first, with openers Wian Munnik and Dirk Hugo both being dismissed for less than 10 runs.

In at three, Matt Dippenaar soon changed the trajectory of the Gim innings, cutting loose and smashing five fours and five sixes in his undefeated 102 runs off 96 deliveries.

Paul Schoeman, Gim’s number seven batsman, struck five fours in his 49 and shared a 98-run sixth-wicket partnership with Dippenaar, which carried the home side to 211/6 after their 40 overs.

Daniel Adonis was the only PV bowler to claim more than one wicket, returning 2/40 from six.

When Parel Vallei replied, Wian Munnik made life difficult for them, conceding only 15 runs from his six overs while snapping up two wickets. Dippenaar, after his batting heroics, chipped in with 2/25 from four.

PV opener, Benjamin Trout, was one of only two of the visiting side’s batsmen to make it beyond the teens. He contributed 27 from 33 balls, while Divan Stander, in at five, top-scored with 30 off 28.

Parel Vallei was, however, unable to mount a serious challenge, and they were bowled out for 113, leaving Paarl Gimnasium the runaway winner by 98 runs.

Milnerton High vs Hoërskool Strand

Also on Tuesday afternoon, the coin flip favoured Milnerton High in their home T20 against Hoërskool Strand. They opted to bat first.

As should be the case, most of their runs came from the top order. Ryan Trollip, their number three batsman, whacked four fours in his 32 runs, while opener Ryan Gretschel made 20 off 21 deliveries. In at six, Daniel Bloemetje kept the momentum rolling at the end, scoring an unbeaten 20 off 17 balls.

Keathon Gertze got rid of the middle-order dangermen, Michael Bloemetje and Tristan Logie, to bag 2/22 from four overs and keep Milnerton in check.

At the end of their allotment, Millies had 121/7 on the scoreboard.

Opener Gustav du Plessis anchored the Strand reply, contributing a patient and unbeaten 36 off 53 deliveries, and Cloete de Jager added some mustard to their total, blasting two fours and two maximums in his 24 off just nine balls. They were, though, the only batsmen to make it to the twenties.

Bradley Barnes was the standout player in the field. He ran out big hitters, Matthew Barnard and Keathon Goetze, on 11 and 15 runs respectively, and he also claimed a tidy 1/15 in four overs with the ball.

Strand was limited to 112/6 in reply, resulting in a hard-earned, nine-run victory for Milnerton.

Summarised Scorecards

Paarl Gimnasium 211/6 (Matt Dippenaar 102*, Paul Schoeman 49, Daniel Carstens 28; Daniel Adonis 2/40); Parel Vallei 113/10 (Divan Stander 30, Benjamin Trout 27; Wian Munnik 2/15, Matt Dippenaar 2/25). Paarl Gimnasium won by 98 runs.

Milnerton High 121/7 (Ryan Trollip 32, Daniel Bloemetje 20*, Ryan Gretschel 20; Keathon Gertze 2/22); Hoërskool Strand 112/6 (Gustav du Plessis 36*, Cloete de Jager 24). Milnerton won by nine runs.

Jeppe is one of the eight boys’ teams that will travel to the University of Pretoria to compete for the title at the Switch Schools SA20 Final Showdown, which takes place from 3-7 March.

The trip has been two-and-a-half years in the making and is one of the markers on Jeppe’s road to claiming a spot as one of the top cricket-playing schools in the Lions’ region.

“We want to be a premier cricket club in the country. We want to provide an experience for all of our 18 cricket teams to thrive,” Casey Arnold, the Jeppe u19 head coach, told SuperSport Schools Plus.

Arnold, who spearheads the ambitious programme, is a Jeppe old boy and captained the 1st XI in 2006. He said he is grateful that the school and their primary sponsor, Teljoy, have been on board with his ideas about how to elevate Jeppe’s cricket programme.

His most ambitious proposal was the construction of a facility for use during the winter months, which would enable the school’s cricketers to work on their game throughout the year. It has delivered encouraging results.

“We now have a forward-thinking winter programme that helps us to upskill our boys. Most of them come from good primary schools, but a good number of them also don’t play 50-over cricket. The winter programme helps us align the boys with our goals,” Arnold explained.

One of the first successes Jeppe had under Arnold’s guidance was lifting the Johnny Waite Trophy in 2023. It had been a 34-year wait since they last won it in 1989. The Black Caps have been on an upward curve ever since then.

Those two milestones are not the only notable achievements Jeppe has recorded over the past two-and-a-half years. In 2025, they finished third at the Wildeklawer North-South Tournament, which was their best showing yet in the high-quality T20 competition. They have also regularly recorded good results at the various festivals in which they have participated.

The biggest testament to Jeppe’s rising influence can be found in provincial and national cricket teams. The school had 19 representatives in the various Central Gauteng Lions cricket teams that competed in interprovincial weeks during the December holidays.

The Black Caps also had two players, Sipho Potsane and Munib Ayob, represent the Lions and the CSA Invitational side at the 2025 Khaya Majola Week. Ryan Young was selected for u19B team for the Regional Week, while Aiden Reyneke, Shreshth Kumar, and Reza Ayob were included in the Lions u17 Regional Week side.

Jeppe hasn’t focused only on the senior players. They have invested in younger talent, creating a pipeline for more of those players to make a smooth transition to the senior level in the future.

“We know it’s tough in Joburg, where there are several really good schools, and we are trying to elevate our programme until it reaches a point where we are one of the top schools,” Arnold said.

Nothing underscores the strength of Jeppe’s junior programme more than the large number of players who flew the school’s flag at junior inter-provincial tournaments.

The Black Caps had six representatives in the Lions u16 team that competed at the u16 National Week, namely: Zizi Mkhize, Lincoln Casias, Goolam Ahmed, Ethan Ferguson, and Phumelo Sekopane. Keegan Cockburn, meanwhile, made it to the u16 Regional Week.

They also had seven players flying the Jeppe flag high at the u15 Regional Week.  Boitumelo Skunka, Artav Kathuria, and Liam Matjekane represented Lions Grey, while Ethan Matjekane and Letago Malepe were part of the Lions Blue team. Mohammed Ahmed and Mpho Mofokeng, represented the Lions’ Yellow and Orange sides, respectively.

While he is the face of Jeppe’s success, Arnold has enjoyed strong support. The institution has ensured that he has a solid and dependable team beside him, and he shares the load in the senior team with another Jeppe alumnus, Craig Templeton, who captained the 1st XI in 2015.

Arnold and Templeton constantly tap into the knowledge and experience of Roland Blanks, the school’s resident cricket professional. They also have Easterns’ veteran all-rounder, Grant Thomson, on board as a consultant. Retired first-class cricketer, Gionne Koopman, is in charge of the u15A team, while Byron Geyve and Chris van Der Merwe oversee the development of the u14A side.

“It helps that we have these coaches working full-time with our boys. They don’t just coach them, but help them in finding the right balance with their other commitments,” Arnold explained.

He said Jeppe’s presence at the Schools SA20 Final Showdown is not by chance, but an indication of how much the school’s cricket programme has progressed.

While earning themselves the right to play for a national title is the highlight of their programme work thus far, Arnold doesn’t consider it a destination. Rather, he said, it is an indication of their ambition.

Menlopark 217/10 (Monré Koekemoer 52, Jacques de Villiers 42, Murray Hofmeyr 37*, Jordan van Eck 20; Ruan Boshoff 3/35, Matthew Sampson 2/34, Benyael Morkel 2/45). Eldoraigne 165/10 (Vince Lotz 34, Logan Early 30, Matthew Sampson 23; Murray Hofmeyr 3/22, Monré Koekemoer 3/36, Verster Richter 3/53). Menlopark won by 52 runs. 

Hoërskool Kempton Park 201/10 (Sheldon Kruger 70, Anthony Stocight 28, Hanroux Siemens 23; Hendri Kemp 4/55, Xander Wenhold 3/7, Thian Labuschagne 2/38); Hoërskool Rustenburg 120/10 (Henlo van Rooyen 51, Xander Wenhold 25; Ewald van der Linde 2/8, Ruan Pretorius 2/15, Deon Lange 2/25). Hoërskool Kempton Park won by 81 runs. 

Sunday 

Potchefstroom Volkskool 264/10 (Theunis Nel 53, Handré de Beer 32, Extras 33, Riekert Kruger 30, AW van der Merwe 27, Righardt Kruger 27, Andries Venter 23; Callie Fryer 4/17, Hendri Kemp 2/66); Hoërskool Rustenburg 151/10 (Tristan van der Linde 50, Callie Fryer 22, Thian Labuschagne 20; Johandré Jacobs 5/18, Olefa Padi 4/39). Potchefstroom Volkskool won by 113 runs. 

Finsbury League – Section B

Midstream College 121 (Maarten Nortje 28, Extras 27; Samuel Day 4/15, Kesha Moore 2/15); Hoërskool Nelspruit 122/7 (Extras 30, Marcus Froneman 22; Jonathan Wiseman 3/32, Dian de Villiers 2/23). Hoërskool Nelspruit won by three wickets. 

Potchefstroom Gimnasium 137 (Bernard Judels 36, Extras 21, Lukas Kotze 20; Jovhanne Conradie 4/35, Durandt Stassen 2/33); Montana 114 (Juan Theunissen 53; Thloni Thabatha 3/9, Adriaan van Niekerk 3/30). Potchefstroom Gimnasium won by 23 runs. 

Finsbury League – Section C

Hoërskool Middelburg 420 (Eduan Strydom 183, Gavin Genis 89, Nijan Swart 77, PJ van der Merwe 28; Stian Scholtz 4/42); Zwartkop 102 (Stian Scholtz 33; Hendré Nel 4/11, Wilré Cilliers 2/22, Nijan Swart 2/27). Hoërskool Middelburg won by 319 runs.

Hoërskool Pietersburg 258 (AJ Galloway 85, Stephan Swanepoel 59, Extras 37, Alex Thomson 33, Jan-Hendrick Boneschans 25; Eduhan van den Berg 5/12, Johan Duvenhage 2/60); Hoërskool Lichtenburg 161 (Johann Duvenhage 40, Juwan van Tonder 22; Christiaan van der Merwe 5/24, AJ Galloway 2/27, Willem Viljoen 2/34). Hoërskool Pietersburg won by 97 runs.

Dinamika 228 (Connor Griffin 84, Liam de Swardt 27, Jared Cliffe 24, Jesse Simpson 24*; Johan Boshoff 2/24, Meyer Ginter 2/27, Eben Kotze 2/39); Hoërskool Centurion 72/4 (22) (Morné Prinsloo 32*; Jayden Smith 2/14).

Finsbury League – D Section

Dr Malan 370/8 (Heinrich Jansen van Rensburg 120, Ruben Muller 90, AJ Els 73, Glangi Morrico 30, Extras 24; Rivoningo Chauke 3/54, Mpotsheng Mashalane 2/80); Ben Vorster 148 (Christiaan Duvenhage 38, Talent Ndlovu 30; Aldo Kotze 3/38, Glangi Morrico 2/18, Heinrich Jansen van Rensburg 2/19). Dr Malan won by 222 runs.

HTS Middelburg 147 (Extras 41, Jandré de Clerq 37, Armand Kotze 20; Kehan Baird 4/28, Jaco Botha 2/31); Heidelberg Volkskool 105/4 (12.4) (Kehan Baird 47*, Dave Pelzer 26*; Heinrich Botha 2/13). Match Abandoned.

Connor Kuijers was in top form, bagging a five-wicket haul, to help King Edward VII (KES) to a comfortable 146-run win over St Andrew’s School in their 50-over encounter on the John Hurry Oval at KES on Sunday.

The contest against St Andrew’s was KES’s second of the weekend against a visiting Free State side. They faced Grey College on Saturday, but that match was abandoned due to lightning, 19 overs into the second innings.

In that game, Troy Gordon scored a fluent 105 to help the home side to 255/9. When play was stopped, Grey had stumbled to 79/5 in reply.

On Sunday, Matthew Bromley, the KES captain, won the toss, chose to bat first, and his batsmen fired, charging to 319/4 from their 50 overs. Kuijers then led the KES bowling attack as they bundled out St Andrew’s in 40 overs for 173.

Saints were on 89/3 in the 24th over of their reply, doing a steady job of rebuilding their innings after losing three early wickets, when Bromley introduced Kuijers into the attack. His first task was to break a budding 36-run fourth-wicket partnership between FG Botha and Schalk van Rensburg.

Kuijers obliged by getting rid of Van Rensburg for 18. He also added the wickets of Harbin Smith and Botha in his first three overs, bringing to an end Botha’s fine 75 off 70 balls.

In his fourth over, KES enjoyed further success, this time from a run out, and Kuijers added two more wickets in the 38th and 40th overs as the St Andrew’s reply hit the skids. After nine overs, Kuijers’ contribution was an outstanding 5/28.

Earlier in the day, Gordon, Bromley, and Abdullah Mohammed struck half-centuries to bat KES into a strong position.

Bromley got KES going with two partnerships worth a combined 135 runs. The opener, who scored 71 runs from 78 balls, shared a 72-run stand with Tiago Dias for the first wicket. He, then, added 52 more with Gordon, the innings’ top scorer.

Gordon’s 95-ball stay resulted in an exceptional 96 runs, and he pushed the game forward with a solid 124-run third-wicket partnership with Mohammed, which lasted until Gordon’s dismissal in the 46th over.

Mohammed, who finished unbeaten on 85 from 75 balls, stitched together a 60-run fourth-wicket partnership with Luke Clark that was broken on the last delivery of the innings.

Summarised Scorecard

KES 319/4 (Troy Gordon 96, Abdullah Mohammed 85*, Matthew Bromley 71; Heindré Serfontein 1/21, Berno Coetzee 1/54). St Andrew’s School 173/10 (FG Botha 75, Dean Katzin 27; Connor Kuijers 5/28, Luke Clark 1/21). KES won by 146 runs.

When Michaelhouse hosted Maritzburg College on the Roy Gathorne Oval for a two-innings showdown on Saturday and Sunday, there was next to nothing to separate the sides after the bowlers dominated the first innings, but, when College’s batting failed to fire for a second time, thanks mostly to an exceptional spell from Liam O’Dwyer, Michaelhouse came through with a four-wicket win.

On Saturday, 281 runs were scored, and 24 wickets went down.

College captain Reece Willson won the toss and decided his team would bat first. His openers, Akhil Bharath and Kyle de Bruyn, provided the desired response with a 47-run first-wicket partnership, which Ben Heuer ended when he had De Bruyn caught by ‘House skipper, Graydon Leslie, for 26. From that point on, the visitors regularly lost wickets.

Run scoring was not easy, and the Michaelhouse bowlers’ successes kept College in check. Bharath was the third man out for 21, with his being one of two wickets going down on 58 as Heuer, Rex Wardlaw, and Liam O’Dwyer kept denting the visitors’ batting efforts, reducing them to 94/8 in the 34th over.

A defiant ninth-wicket partnership of 25 between Dom du Toit and Greg Hosking gave College’s innings a needed boost, and they went on to 121 all out. Du Toit, the last man out, top scored with 27, striking three fours and a six in a 57-ball stay.

O’Dwyer bowled beautifully and claimed 3/18 from 10 overs, Wardlaw knocked over 2/10 in six, and Heuer’s contribution was 2/19 in seven. Preston Greene chipped in with two late wickets, ending with 2/20 from 6.2.

When Michaelhouse replied, College captain Reece Willson led from the front, removing the top three in the batting order – Graydon Leslie, Cody Sander, and Riley Muir – before Matt Bisset bowled Thandanani Zuma to leave the home team deep in the mire on 25/4.

Ben Heuer and Rex Wardlaw halted the College march, adding 33 runs before Willson made Heuer his fourth victim when he trapped him in front for 20. Wardlaw followed soon after, run out for 20.

When Luke Venter claimed the wickets of Jack Campbell and Victor North shortly after that, Michaelhouse slumped to 81/8. Much like College, though, an eighth-wicket partnership revived their innings.

Preston Greene and Rendani Nonge spent 36 balls together and added 33 runs before Nonge also fell to Venter after making 22, the highest score of the innings. Two runs later, Venter claimed his fourth wicket, and Michaelhouse was all out for 116, just five runs short of the Maritzburg College total. Greene was not out with 16.

Venter, with 4/21 from 6.4 overs, and Willson, with 4/23 from nine, led the way for the College bowling attack.

When Maritzburg College returned to the crease on Saturday afternoon, it was slow going. In 25.5 overs, they batted at only two runs per over, compiling 53/5 before the day’s play concluded. Dax Jursa, with 22, was their leading scorer.

On Sunday, when play resumed, Rendani Nonge struck early, bowling Luan van der Merwe, to reduce College to 55/6. He went on to finish with 2/20 from seven.

Preston Greene chipped in with a tidy 2/25 from 16 overs, but it was Liam O’Dwyer, who, once again, had the visiting batsmen’s number. He snared a miserly 5/19 in 15.3 overs as Maritzburg College fell to 98 all out. Jursa’s 22 remained their highest score, and while five other batsmen made it into double figures, none made it beyond the teens.

O’Dywer was the primary reason for that. He finished with the magnificent match figures of 8/37 from 25.3 overs.

Michaelhouse lost an early wicket in their second innings, but captain Graydon Leslie set a solid foundation with an aggressive knock of 39 from only 26 balls, slamming six fours as he went hard at College’s bowlers.

When Leslie exited after eight overs, his side had reached 51/2. Only 52 more runs were needed to win.

The skipper’s departure slowed the run-scoring rate, and it took them another 15.5 overs to reach 103/6. But victory belonged to Michaelhouse by four wickets.

College captain Reece Willson did his utmost to stop the home side, knocking over 3/27 in nine overs, but Ben Heuer, with an unbeaten 35, shepherded Michaelhouse across the line.

Summarised scorecard

Maritzburg College 121/10 (Dom du Toit 27, Kyle de Bruyn 26, Akhil Bharath 21; Liam O’Dwyer 3/18, Rex Wardlaw 2/10, Ben Heuer 2/19, Preston Greene 2/20); Michaelhouse 116/10 (Rendani Nonge 22, Ben Heuer 20; Luke Venter 4/21, Reece Willson 4/23)

Maritzburg College 98/10 (Dax Jursa 22; Liam O’Dwyer 5/19, Rendani Nonge 2/20, Preston Greene 2/25); Michaelhouse 103/6 (Graydon Leslie 39, Ben Heuer 35*; Reece Willson 3/27).  Michaelhouse won by four wickets.

Jeppe High School for Boys vs St Andrew’s School

After winning the toss against Jeppe High School for Boys on Friday afternoon, St Andrew’s School chose to bat first in their T20 fixture on the Beckwith Oval.

Jeppe’s bowlers responded well to the challenge, dominating proceedings. Goolam Ahmed snapped up 3/12 in three overs, Reza Ayob snared 3/29 across four overs, and Daniel Keating claimed 2/10 in a two-over spell.

Schalk van Rensburg, batting at five, was the only Saints‘ batsman to muster more than 20 runs, striking two fours and a six in his 32 off 35 balls.

The visitors were kept in check and bowled out for 114 off the last ball of their 20 overs. Captain Reuben van Aarde was unbeaten on his 100th cap for the school – but then again, he didn’t face a single delivery.

Faced with a modest victory target, Jeppe needed to put one or two partnerships together, and openers Christian Naik and Vegas Scott set them up for a comfortable win by combining for 70 for the first wicket.

Scott smoked two fours and two sixes in his 37 off 34 deliveries, while Naik was there at the end, unbeaten on 44 from 39, with a four and two sixes.

Leg spinner Nikhil Sukraj was the only bowler to enjoy success, snaring 2/18 in four overs, but Jeppe cruised to 115/2 in 16.2 overs to score a convincing eight-wicket victory.

St. John’s College vs Grey College

In Houghton, on Sunday, Grey College won the toss against St. John’s College in their 45-over fixture, played on the Mitchell Oval.

After the visitors chose to bat first, opener Peter le Roux put his head down, grafted hard and accumulated a hard-earned 92 runs off 147 balls, striking just one four and two sixes in his patient innings.

Aiden Dodd joined Le Roux in the twelfth over, when Grey College was on 40/2, and they partnered for 53 runs for the third wicket, with Dodd contributing 31 runs.

With Le Roux playing the anchor role, the visitors tallied 191 all out, losing their last wicket off the last ball of their 45 overs.

Tapiwa Chikwava produced some top-notch bowling, capturing 4/33 in eight overs. Nkosana Sibiya was lethal at the end, picking up 3/18 in four overs as the visitors were dismissed for 191 on the last ball of their 45 overs.

Herman Basson led the St John’s reply, hammering four fours and a six in his contribution of 56 off 68 balls. He and Connor van der Walt also put on 46 for the fifth wicket, with Van der Walt’s part in that stand being 21 runs.

Daniel Hattingh shook the ladder that the hosts were climbing, knocking over 4/14 in five overs before Jano Venter wrapped up a Grey College win by claiming 3/24 in 6.2 overs.

St John’s were dismissed in 36.2 overs for 149, leaving the Bloemfontein boys with a comfortable 42-run win.

Summarised Scorecards

St. Andrew’s School 114/10 (Schalk van Rensburg 32; Goolam Ahmed 3/12, Reza Ayob 3/29, Daniel Keating 2/10); Jeppe High School for Boys 115/2 (Christian Naik 44*, Vegas Scott 37, Zizi Mkhize 31; Nikhil Sukraj 2/18). Jeppe won by eight wickets.

Grey College 191/10 (Peter le Roux 92, Aiden Dodd 31, Bergh Vorster 22; Tapiwa Chikwava 4/33, Nkosana Sibiya 3/18); St. John’s College 149/10 (Herman Basson 56, Connor van der Walt 21; Daniel Hattingh 4/14, Jano Venter 3/24). Grey College won the match by 42 runs.

When the toss favoured SACS on the De Villiers Field on Saturday morning, in Cape Town, and openers Aqeel Waggie and Benji Tilbury put together a 113-run opening stand, it looked as if it might be a tough day in the field for Boland Landbou.

Waggie struck eight fours and tallied 56 runs off 78 balls, while Tilbury stroked three fours and lofted two sixes in his 46 off 69 as the Paarl school’s bowlers struggled to engineer a breakthrough.

After the first wicket fell, though, the visitors fought back well, allowing SACS to add only 99 more runs, although Max Fourie held them up with 51.

The home team was bowled out in 48.2 overs for 212.

Matthew Geldenhuys led the Farmers’ bowling attack, capturing 3/30 in 10 overs, while Troy Davis played his part by claiming 3/41 from his 10.

Kobus Conradie, with 2/37 in 9.2 overs, put the final nail in the coffin of the home side’s batting effort.

Boland Landbou’s reply gained momentum when captain Francois Prins, batting at four, weighed in with eight fours and 54 off 73 balls.

His innings, along with 33 from Louis du Plessis, set up Divan Meyer, at six, and Johannes Goosen, at seven, to drive the visitors across the line. They combined for an unbroken 65-run sixth-wicket partnership to seal the deal.

Meyer, who finished with 40 off 43, hit three fours, while Goosen pulled off some explosive shots, rocketing three deliveries for six in his 35 off 26.

After 44.3 overs, Boland Landbou reached 214/5 to claim a five-wicket victory.

Summarised Scorecard

SACS 212/10 (Aqeel Waggie 56, Max Fourie 51, Benji Tilbury 46; Matthew Geldenhuys 3/30, Troy Davis 3/41, Kobus Conradie 2/37); Boland Landbou 214/5 (Francois Prins 54, Divan Meyer 40*, Johannes Goosen 35*, Louis du Plessis 33; Saeed Conrad 2/51). Boland Landbou won by five wickets.