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The two-time defending champion, Herschel, punched their ticket to the quarterfinals at the 2026 Brian Baker Water Polo Tournament on Friday, along with St Stithians, Durban Girls’ College, and St Anne’s, who all impressed, too.

Hudson Park, Clarendon, Reddam Constantia, and Roedean joined them in the last eight but had to win playoff matches to secure their berths.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

Herschel finished the first day in second place in Pool C; However, that was because they had played a single match compared to Reddam House Bedfordview, who had two wins from two outings.

On day two, the Capetonians came out guns blazing and powered past Glenwood House, St Mary’s Waverley, and Reddam Bedfordview.

Jemma Pearse led Herschel with a hat-trick in their 10-4 win over Glenwood House. Emma Stevens (4) and Charlotte Wiltshire (3) sparkled with seven goals between them in their 13-8 win over St Mary’s Waverley. Then, Herschel closed out their group matches with a 9-6 victory over Reddam Bedfordview, which was built on the back of Charlotte Wiltshire’s outstanding five-goal haul.

Like Herschel, St Stithians scripted an unbeaten run in the group stages. On Friday, they added two more wins to the two they stacked on the opening day.

Hannah van Heerden and Gabriella Lobban recorded hat-tricks in their convincing 15-5 victory over St Dominic’s. They followed that up with a comprehensive 20-2 romp against Alexander Road, which featured five goals from Cadha Mosehla and hat-tricks from Taylor Dukes and Lobban.

St Anne’s also maintained a clean record, posting four wins from four outings in Pool D.

The ladies from KwaZulu-Natal defeated Pearson on the opening day. On Friday, they accounted for Hudson Park, Reddam Constantia, and Woodridge, with their largest margin of victory coming in their 17-0 thrashing of Woodridge in their last group match.

In the group’s key clash, St Anne’s edged out Reddam Constantia 8-7.

RESULTS

Pool A

St Stithians 15 (Hannah van Heerden 3, Gabriella Lobban 3, Jessica Eblen 2, Cadha Mosehla 2, June Stander, Taylor Dukes, Anna Springer, Danielle Sassenberg). St Dominic’s 5 (Emma Davies 2, Chiara Kriel, Chloe Regnaard, Gabriella Douglas).

Kingswood 17 (Nina de Jong 5, Lilly Collins 3, Kate Wilson 2, Lily-Mae Craig 2, Iviwe Ntloko 2, Lucy Nagel, Holly Elliot, Casey Wlliamson). Alexander Road 1 (Bailey Howard).

Clarendon 21 (Megan Phillips 4, Holley Jacoby 3, Kate Booyens 3, Quinn Carr 2, Kate van Biljon 2, Jenna Botha 2, Eva Saffy 2, Jodi Carr 2, Khloe Hurn). St Dominic’s 2 (Emma Davies 2).

St Stithians 20 (Cadha Mosehla 5, Taylor Dukes 3, Gabriella Lobban 3, Leila Springer 2, June Stander 2, Keira Holland 2, Hannah van Heerden, Riley Burger, Rachel Hardy). Alexander Road 2 (Jenna Charles, Kaysen Francis).

Clarendon 9 (Jenna Botha 3, Quinn Carr 2, Kate van Biljon 2, Megan Phillips, Jodi Carr). Kingswood 7 (Kate Wilson 2, Shannon Hobson, Madison Edwards, Holly Elliot, Megan Sheard, Lucy Nagel).

Pool B

Durban Girls’ College 8 (Leah Kent 3, Anri Human, Jazlyn Moolman, Laura Nel, Jemima Parry). Stirling 7 (Abigail Tesmer 3, Nicola Schwartz 2, Jordan van Eek, Katie Pickering).

DSG Makhanda 16 (Carys Johnstone 5, Alexandra Ovendale 2, Cate Harrison 2, Emily Kennedy 2, Jessica Apps, Kate Newborn, Lila de Romijn, Gina Lindhorst, Zoe Kennedy). Rhenish 5 (Charlotte Joubert 2, Genevieve Ward, Eryn Gouws, Isla Roos).

Roedean (1) 5 (Ané du Plessis 2, Esmé du Plessis, Sophie Willcox, Nadia Dohmen). Durban Girls’ College (3) 5 (Jazlyn Moolman 3, Lara Nel 2).

Stirling 12 (Nicola Schwartz 3, Jorja Linke 3, Caitlyn Mthembu 2, Abigail Tesmer 2, Cyan van den Berg, Katie Pickering). Rhenish 3 (Genevieve Ward, Hannah Arangies, Hailey Black).

Roedean 7 (Ané du Plessis 3, Esmé du Plessis 2, Gabriella Morrell, Nadia Dohmen). DSG Makhanda 4 (Jasmine Apps, Alexandra Ovendale, Kate Newborn, Emily Kennedy).

Pool C

Herschel 10 (Jemma Pearse 3, Emma Stevens 2, Samantha Miller, Holly Deneys, Ruby Lumb, Jessica Bosch, Charlotte Wiltshire). Glenwood House 4 (Mia Gibson 2, Nelly Hansson, Rosslyn Squair).

St Mary’s Waverley 8 (Jenna Blaauw 3, Georgia van der Walt 2, Kathryn Thorburn, Megan Crossley, Reabiloe Kodisang). Collegiate 4 (Kate Brennan, Charlotte van Bochove, Emily de Witt, Brigid Guest).

Reddam Bedfordview 8 (Caitlyn Scrimgeour 6, Jessica McCamlie, Jessica Boamgard). Glenwood House 7 (Rosslyn Squair 2, Emma Loubser 2, Mia Gibson 2, Tatum Dace).

Herschel 13 (Emma Stevens 4, Charlotte Wiltshire 3, Jessica Bosch 2, Samantha Miller, Holly Deneys, Anna Sherren, Tess Anderson). St Mary’s Waverley 8 (Kathryn Thorburn 4, Georgia van der Walt 2, Jenna Blaauw, Reabiloe Kodisang).

Collegiate 4 (Kate Brennan 2, Charlotte van Bochove, Emily de Witt). Glenwood House 10 (Chelsey Penlington 2, Mela Loubser 2, Mia Gibson 2, Rosslyn Squair, Emma Loubser, Nelly Hansson).

Herschel 9 (Charlotte Wiltshire 5, Ruby Lumb 2, Sophie Maurel, Anna Sherren). Reddam Bedfordview 6 (Jessica McCamlie 3, Caitlin Scrimgeour 2, Erin Caminsky).

Pool D

St Anne’s 6 (Maggy Matthews 2, Keira Sim, Farrann Elliot, Hannah Savage, Inez Letschert). Hudson Park 3 (Kara Batting 2, Kaydan Glasgow).

Reddam Constantia 10 (Summer-Lee Wain 3, Holly Strydom 2, Isabella Batistich, Lauren Helm, Abigail Weatherall, Samantha Nimb, Jessica Bester). Pearson 9 (Danica Smith 3, Kayla-Linke Seyffert 2, Milan Janse van Rensburg, Caitlyn Gemmill, Olivia Attwell, Sarah Whitehead).

Woodridge 3 (Bailey Varrie, Milla Aylesbury, Leah Owen). Hudson Park 6 (Sarah Barrett 2, Kayden Glasgow 2, Kara Batting, Baily Lake).

Reddam Constantia 7 (Summer-Lee Wain 3, Eva Hacking, Isabella Batistich, Jessica Bester, Abigail Weatherall). St Anne’s 8 (Maggy Matthews 3, Farrann Elliot 2, Jessica Bosman 2, Inez Letschert).

Hudson Park 4 (Kayden Glasgow 2, Kara Batting 2). Pearson 3 (Milan Janse van Rensburg, Danica Smith, Olivia Attwell).

St Anne’s 17 (Motloduwa Makwane 4, Lorna Kernahan 3, Farrann Elliot 3, Ella Chalupsky 3, Hannah Savage 2, Kate Sardi, Inez Letschert). Woodridge 0.

Playoffs (Winners qualify for quarterfinals)

Clarendon (1) 10 (Quinn Carr 4, Jenna Botha 3, Megan Phillips, Eva Saffy, Jodi Carr). DSG Makhanda (0) 10 (Alexandra Ovendale 3, Kate Newborn 3, Emily Kennedy 3, Cate Harrison).

Roedean 7 (Gabriella Morrell 4, Ané du Plessis 3). Kingswood 3 (Kate Wilson, Nina de Jongh, Iviwe Ntloko).

Reddam Constantia 8 (Summer-Lee Wain 4, Lauren Helm 2, Abigail Weatherall, Samantha Nimb). Reddam Bedfordview 5 (Jessica Boamgard 2, Jessica McCamlie, Caitlin Scrimgeour, Kelsey Meth).

Glenwood House 4 (Mia Gibson 2, Emma Loubser, Mela Loubser). Hudson Park 7 (Kayden Glasgow 3, Kara Batting 3, Eva Moore).

Two unbeaten records will be put to the test on Saturday morning, the second day of the Northerns Region’s Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two playoffs.

Hoërskool Hans Moore will have the advantage of playing at home when they host Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies).

Relive all the Switch Schools SA20 action on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) 

The formidable Benoni boys and the Pretoria powerhouse, the reigning Titans’ champions, have emerged as the teams to beat after Friday’s opening day action.

Affies underlined their credentials with a crushing 139-run victory over Hoërskool Marais Viljoen in their second fixture of the day at Willowmoore Park‘s B Field.

Vihan Pretorius rediscovered his best form, blasting a breathtaking 108 from just 48 balls, the standout innings of the opening day. He dealt almost exclusively in boundaries, with 86 of his runs coming from nine sixes and eight fours as he dismantled the Alberton school’s bowling attack. Pretorius was well supported by Ethan Williams, who added an unbeaten 34 in a commanding 137-run partnership.

The Affies’ bowlers then completed the rout, with Zian Labuschagne and JP Botha delivering outstanding spells. Labuschagne’s penetrative left-arm pace, which brought him 4/4 from four overs, was too much for Marais Viljoen.

Botha’s off-spin was also devastating, yielding 4/11 from 3.3 overs to take his tally for the day to eight wickets. In reply to Affies’ healthy 198/4, Marais Viljoen was dismissed for a paltry 59.

The Ysbere of Hoërskool Garsfontein quickly put their morning defeat to Hans Moore behind them and surged to a 75-run victory over the Black Caps of Hoërskool Ben Vorster.

Garsfontein’s bowling unit did most of the damage, restricting the Tzaneen side to just 76 all out. Rowan Plaaitjies led the way, knocking over 3/19, with good support from Katlego Lebelo, who snapped up 2/7, and Ruan Coetzee, whose disciplined new ball spell earned him 2/18.

Garsies’ 20 overs, when batting first, ended with the Pretoria school on 151/6, with Wikus du Preez (29) and Richardt Joubert (26) anchoring their effort. Khaya Majola and Cubs Week fast bowler Rivoningo Chuake stood out for Ben Vorster, capturing 2/38.

After their team narrowly missed out on a bonus point in their morning victory over Garsfontein, the Hans Moore spin twins, Kearan Weyers and Kyle Wratten, ensured Moories claimed the extra point from their afternoon clash against Merensky Landbou Akademie.

Wratten was devastating, returning the astonishing figures of 4/2 from four overs, while Weyers completed the demolition with 2/10 as the Plasies were knocked over for only 35.

A rapid 21 from six balls by Xavier van Biljon then sealed the bonus-point win for Hans Moore, who head into their blockbuster encounter with Affies brimming with confidence.

Summarised scorecards

Affies 198/4 (Vihan Pretorius 108, Ethan Williams 42*, JP Botha 26; Marco Hoffman 2/26); Marais Viljoen 59/10 (Ziam Hashim 19; Zian Labuschagne 4/14, JP Botha 4/11). Affies won by 139 runs. 

Garsfontein 151/6 (Wikus du Preez 29, Extras 28, Righardt Joubert 26; Rivoningo Chauke 2/38); Ben Vorster 76/10 (Khulani Mnisi 23; Rowan Plaatjies 3/19, Katlego Lebelo 2/7, Ruan Coetzee 2/18). Garsfontein won by 75 runs. 

Merensky Landbou Akademie 35/10 (Extras 15, Willem Moster 9; Kyle Wratten 4/2, Kearan Weyers 2/10); Hans Moore 37/1 (Xavier van Biljon 21; Vir Patel 1/13). Hans Moore won by nine wickets. 

Lunch at Hoërskool Hans Moore must have tasted just a little more flavourful than usual for Aidan Shaw and Kearan Weyers after they spearheaded their side to a scintillating victory over the defending Northern Region champions in the Switch Schools SA20 on Friday morning.

Relive all the Switch Schools SA20 action or catch it LIVE on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)

The younger of the Shaw brothers produced a statement performance, striking an unbeaten century in a 24-run win over Hoërskool Garsfontein on home soil in Benoni.

The hosts, however, narrowly missed out on a valuable bonus point, falling short by four runs of restricting the Ysbere to 120, which would have earned them an extra point.

Shaw was the central figure in a dramatic recovery after Moories slumped to 8/2 early on, and then to 12/3 in the fourth over.

Facing 70 of the innings’ 120 balls, the all-rounder smashed a superb unbeaten 103, peppering the boundary with 12 boundaries, six of which cleared the rope. Remarkably, he was the only Hans Moore batsman to pass 20, with the next highest score a modest 15 from Stephan Vermaak, which was almost seven times less than Shaw’s outstanding knock.

The bulk of the damage inflicted by the Garsies‘ bowlers was wrought by Ruan Coetzee, who produced an impressive new-ball spell, grabbing two wickets in his four overs, which cost 27 runs.

Weyers, Han Moore’s left-arm off-spinner, continued his outstanding form. Fresh off scoring 95 and bagging a four-wicket haul against Potchefstroom Gimnasium, he was again decisive, returning match-winning figures of 4/17 from four overs, which played a pivotal role in restricting the defending champions to 126 all out.

Riaan Boshoff top-scored for the Pretoria side with a fluent 38 from 28 balls to sound a warning ahead of Garsfontein’s afternoon clash against Hoërskool Ben Vorster.

At Actonville Cricket Club, Hoërskool Marais Viljoen swept aside Merensky Landbou Akademie, winning by six wickets behind an inspired innings from opening batsman Trent Shrives. Chasing 117 to win, Shrives struck an unbeaten 62 from 51 balls to almost single-handedly steer his side to victory. No other batsmen made it beyond the teens.

Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) also made a powerful early statement, skittling the Black Caps of Hoërskool Ben Vorster for only 58 to set up an emphatic eight-wicket victory.

JP Botha starred with a superb all-round display, which was highlighted by his 4/8 from four overs, which tore apart Ben Vorster’s innings. Later, he chipped in with an unbeaten 24.

Vihan Pretorius, who is usually a seam bowling threat, bowled off spin and was rewarded with two wickets in three balls in the 15th over. He was also part of a run out and finished with figures of 2/14.

AJ Morkel helped JP Botha make light work of the run chase. He faced only eight balls, but made them count, blasting his way to 23 runs as Affies overhauled the Limpopo side’s total in only five overs.

Summarised scorecards

Hans Moore 150/5 (Aiden Shaw 103*; Ruan Coetzee 2/27); Garsfontein 126/10 (Riaan Boshoff 38, Arrie Verster 21; Kearan Wyers 4/17, Nathan King 2/7). Hans Moore won by 24 runs. 

Merensky 116/9 (Logan Janse van Rensburg 26; Extras 23; Rieshaeel Hashim 2/16, Ethan van Rooyen 2/21, Zaim Hashim 2/22); Marais Viljoen 117/4 (Trent Shrives 62*; Yogi Brahmbatt 2/22). Marais Viljoen won by six wickets. 

Ben Voster 58/10 (Ruben Pohl 13; JP Botha 4/8, Vihan Pretorius 2/14); Affies 59/2 (JP Botha 24*, AJ Morkel 23; Rivoningo Chauke 1/14). Affies won by eight wickets. 

St Stithians College, Reddam House Bedfordview, and Roedean made strong starts, winning all their group games on the first day of the Brian Baker Water Polo Tournament, in Makhanda, on Thursday.

The annual showpiece, hosted by Kingswood College and DSG Makhanda, runs through to Sunday afternoon, when the 2026 winner will be crowned.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

After finishing fourth in 2024 and ninth in 2025, St Stithians is eager to live up to the school’s hard-earned reputation as a water polo powerhouse. They got their campaign off to a strong start with victories over Kingswood and Clarendon.

Cadha Mosehla and Daniella Sassenberg each scored a brace in Saints‘ 8-5 win over Kingswood in the opening match of the tournament.

Mosehla, who starred for Central Gauteng in their run to the title at the 2025 Schools Water Polo South Africa (SWPSA) Water Polo IPTs, added a hat-trick in St Stithians’ 9-3 win over East London’s Clarendon later in the day.

Those wins catapulted St Stithians to the top of Pool A, which also features Kingswood, Clarendon, St Dominic’s, and Alexander Road.

Roedean charged to the top of Pool B with wins over Stirling High and Rhenish.

Ané du Plessis netted four goals, and Gabriella Morell added three more as Roedean overpowered Stirling 10-5. The Johannesburg school, which finished fifth last year, followed that up with a comfortable 12-5 win over Rhenish.

Those back-to-back victories sent them to the summit in Pool B, where they are up against Durban Girls’ College (DGC), DSG Makhanda, Stirling, and Rhenish.

Last year’s runner-up, Reddam House Bedfordview, defeated Collegiate and St Mary’s Waverley on their march to the top of Pool C. The ladies from Gauteng are in the same group as the Herschel, who won the title in 2024 and 2025, Glenwood House, St Mary’s Waverley, and Collegiate.

Caitlin Scrimgeour and Gemma Caminsky led the charge for Reddam House Bedfordview with a brace each in their 7-4 win over Collegiate. Jessica McCamille and Scrimgeour, then, stood tall and scored hat-tricks in their 6-4 win over St Mary’s Waverley.

There is parity in Pool D after the opening day. Reddam Constantia House, Pearson, and St Anne’s DSG each scored a single win and are tied on three points after Thursday’s assignments. For them, Friday will be moving day.

RESULTS

Pool A

St Stithians 8 (Cadha Mosehla 2, Danielle Sassenberg 2, Keira Holland, Jessica Eblen, June Stander, Leila Springer). Kingswood 5 (Lucy Nagel 4, Kate Wilson).

St Dominic’s 14 (Emma Harmzen 6, Emma Davies 4, Julianna da Conceicao 2, Abigail Sandwell, Olivia Branders). Alexander Road 4 (Jenna Charles 2, Kaysen Francis 2).

Clarendon 18 (Megan Phillips 6, Quinn Carr 3, Kate van Biljon 2, Jenna Botha 2, Holley Jacobs, Kate Booyens, Eva Saffy, Jodi Carr, Khloe Hurn). Alexander Road 1 (Kaysen Francis).

St Stithians 9 (Cadha Mosehla 3, June Stander 2, Keira Holland 2, Jessica Eben, Taylor Dukes). Clarendon 3 (Jenna Botha, Keira Naidoo, Jodi Carr).

Kingswood College 7 (Lucy Nagel 4, Madison Edwards, Lily Collins, Iviwe Ntloko). St Dominic’s 2 (Emma Davis 2).

Pool B

Roedean 10 (Ané du Plessis 4, Gabriella Morell 3, Esmé du Plessis, Ambrin McEwan, Nadia Dohmen). Stirling 5 (Nicola Schwatz 3, Kirsty Ikin, Jordan van Eek).

DSG Makhanda 8 (Alexandra Ovendale 2, Sage Hawkins 2, Michaela Blaine 2, Gina Lindhorst, Alexandra Miller). Stirling 4 (Nicola Schwartz, Abigail Tesmer, Jorja Linke, Jessica Greeff).

Rhenish 3 (Genevieve Ward 2, Isla Roos). Durban Girls’ College 13 (Isabella Stephenson 2, Anri Human 2, Jazlyn Moolman 2, Laura Nel 2, Leah Kent 2, Lia Janse van Rensburg, Bailey Bartlett, Lascala Pengelly).

Durban Girls’ College (3) 3 (Baily Bartlett, Lara Nel, Leah Kent). DSG Makhanda (2) 3 (Cate Harrison 2, Alexandra Ovendale).

Roedean 12 (Gabriella Morell 4, Esmé du Plessis 3, Ané du Plessis 2, Nadia Dohmen 2, Ambrin McEwan). Rhenish 5 (Genevieve Ward, Charlotte Joubert, Emily van Selm, Bailey Black, Dani Henn).

Pool C

Reddam House Bedfordview 7 (Caitlin Scrimgeour 2, Gemma Caminsky 2, Amber Visser, Jessica McCamlie, Annabelle Morton). Collegiate 4 (Charlotte van Bochove, Emily de Witt, Jamie Brown, Brigid Guest).

St Mary’s Waverley 2 (Jenna Blaauw, Georgia van der Walt). Glenwood House 4 (Mia Gibson 2, Rosslyn Squiar, Emma Loubser).

Herschel 15 (Samantha Miller 3, Tess Anderson 3, Jessica Bosch 3, Jemma Pearse 2, Ruby Lamb 2, Holly Deneys, Charlotte Wiltshire). Collegiate 3 (Alexis Fourie, Amy Wilmot, Brigid Guest).

Reddam House Bedfordview 6 (Jessica McCamille 3, Caitlin Scrimgeour 3). St Mary’s Waverley 4 (Jenna Blaauw, Kathryn Thorburn, Georgia van der Walt, Alexis James).

Pool D

Pearson 11 (Kayla-Linke Seyffert 3, Danica Smith 3, Alivia Attwell 3, Alexi du Plessis, Sarah Whitehead). Woodridge 1 (Ava Pledger).

Reddam House Constantia 7 (Holly Strydom 3, Abigail Weatherall 2, Isabella Batistich, Lauren Helm). Hudson Park 9 (Kayden Glasgow 5, Kara Batting 2, Baily Lake, Amy Fortuin).

St Anne’s DSG 11 (Farrann Elliot 4, Maggy Matthews 3, Keira Sim, Jessica Bosman, Inez Letschert, Ella Chalupsky). Pearson 7 (Danica Smith 3, Caitlyn Gimmill 2, Kayla-Linke Seyffert, Milan Janse van Rensburg).

Reddam House Constantia 18 (Tayla Bosman 6, Jessica Bester 3, Joy Waller 2, Samantha Nimb 2, Holly Strydom 2, Summer-Lee Wain 2, Isabella Batistich). Woodridge 0.

“Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” – From the play Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare.

Boland Landbou’s star captain and batting all-rounder, Francois Prins, was only 14 years of age when fate set him on the path to a great school’s cricket career.

The Farmers’ Head Coach, Handró le Roux, recalled: “In September of 2022, we had an injury occur only a few days before our first pre-season fixture. We had to select Francois despite not having seen him play much. It was a big jump, and he ended up making a duck on his debut.

“Obviously, I was left unimpressed. However, we kept him in the first team setup because I had a gut feeling that he was a natural-born cricketer; after all, it was the only thing that he talked about.”

Based on first impressions, one might not have expected Prins to become the player that he is now. He has come a long way since his debut and now boasts 124 caps for the Paarl school, making him the most capped player in the school’s history.

In December, he scored a century for the Boland u19 team at the 2025 Khaya Majola Week in Bloemfontein, and went on to be included in the SA Schools side. 

Francois, or “Skollie”, to his peers and teachers, found his first game of cricket to be similar to his debut innings for the 1st XI.

“My earliest memory of cricket was from when I was about eight years old. It all started when I was selected for the u11 team at my primary school, where I played my first hard-ball match.

“Something I will never forget is that I was dismissed without scoring a run. Through the tears and disappointment, I realised that this is what I wanted to pursue one day. That is where my passion and love for the game started.”

Prins is intensely passionate – a characteristic synonymous with strong leaders.

Coach Le Roux shared how the captain’s passion influences those who play under his guidance: “He is a great team player, making him well-liked by his teammates and peers in school.

“He brings a lot of discipline and balance to our setup, as well as the change room, classroom and boarding house. He is always keen for a good laugh, but knows where to draw the line between having fun and getting the serious work done.”

When asked about his plans over the next five years, Prins made it clear to SuperSport Schools Plus that his studies and cricket are his main ambitions.

“Right now, my main goal is to finish my matric year, and then hopefully have the marks required to enter university.

“In terms of cricket, I hope to start reaching into the professional setup. I would love to make a living out of playing cricket.”

His story is a lesson about not being afraid of failure. The beginning of a story usually reveals little about its ending, but within Francois Prins’s story, his fighting spirit and his courage hold lessons for others.

Former Springboks’ Head Coach, Jacques Nienaber, just before the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, told his players: “Considering where some of you have started life, the chances are that you shouldn’t have been here. But you changed that script in your own life.

“Don’t let that change now. Don’t let anybody write your life story for you.

“Continue to show the world who you are, continue to write the story yourself.”

It’s as if Francois Prins heard that speech, took note, vowed to live by it, and has diligently stuck to it.

JJ Basson’s five-wicket haul was not enough as South Africa u19 suffered a 55-run defeat to the West Indies in their last group stage match of the ICC u19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, in Windhoek, on Thursday.

Basson captured an exceptional 5/23 in his 10 overs, including three wickets in the 23rd over, and the West Indies were bowled out for 234 after opting to bat first.

Basson set the tone early, striking in the powerplay. He continued to apply pressure through the middle overs, dismantling key partnerships to keep South Africa firmly in the contest.

His spell was rivalled by the West Indies’ Shaquan Belle, who claimed 6/40.

Chasing 235 to win, South Africa struggled to build meaningful partnerships, despite a valiant effort from Jason Rowles, who top-scored with 46.

Lethabo Phahlamohlaka (26), Jorich van Schalwyk (20), Daniel Bosman (19), and Armaan Manack (17) were the only other batsmen to reach double figures as South Africa was bowled out for 179.

Basson, however, highlighted positives from Thursday’s encounter: “We did really well in the fielding innings to restrict them to 234,” he said. “It’s always a chaseable score. Unfortunately, this is cricket. Some days you’re the windshield, other days you’re the bug.

“There are a lot of positives we can take from today and look to improve on in the next couple of days,” he added. “We won’t dwell too much on today. It’s never nice losing, but we still have two games to go, so our focus immediately switches to the next one.

“The World Cup has been an amazing experience, and I want to take the confidence from this performance into the remaining matches to give the team the best possible chance.”

South Africa has qualified for the Super Six Stage and awaits Friday’s result between Australia and Sri Lanka to determine which team they will play first.

South Africa u19 Squad: ICC u19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026

Muhammad Bulbulia (Captain-KZN Inland), JJ Basson (Lions), Daniel Bosman (Western Province), Corne Botha (Lions), Paul James (Western Province), Enathi Khitshini (SWD), Michael Kruiskamp (Western Province), Adnaan Lagadien (Western Province), Bayanda Majola (Dolphins), Armaan Manack (Lions), Bandile Mbatha (Dolphins), Lethabo Phahlamohlaka (Titans), Jason Rowles (Lions), Ntandoyenkosi Soni (Eastern Province), Jorich van Schalkwyk (Titans).

SA u19 Men Fixtures:  ICC u19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 (15 January – 6 February)

Friday, 16 Jan: Afghanistan v South Africa, HP Oval, Windhoek – Afghanistan won by 28 runs.

Monday, 19 Jan: South Africa v Tanzania, HP Oval, Windhoek – South Africa won by 329 runs.

Thursday, 22 Jan: West Indies v South Africa, HP Oval, Windhoek – West Indies won by 55 runs

Super Sixes

(All matches start at 09:30)

Sunday, 25 Jan: South Africa vs A1 – Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek

Sunday, 29 Jan: South Africa vs A2 – Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo

Tuesday, 3 Feb: First semi-final, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo

Wednesday, 4 Feb: Second semi-final, Harare Sports Club, Harare

Friday, 06 February Final, Harare Sports Club, Harare

Issued by: Cricket South Africa – Corporate Communications

Outrageous goals, shock results, and top-quality water polo highlighted the start of the annual St Andrew’s College (SAC) Shield Water Polo Tournament, which got off to a gripping start in Makhanda on Thursday.

The prestigious event pits some of the country’s best water polo-playing schools – from the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal – against each other. It runs through until Sunday.

Catch all the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

In the past two years, the opening days of the tournament delivered bucketloads of goals and one-sided matches, but that wasn’t the case this time around. The matches were physical and competitive, and some of the big guns were given a taste of their own medicine.

The story of the day was undeniably the upset caused by St Andrew’s when they defeated last year’s runner-up, St John’s College, in Pool A.

The hosts had made a shaky start to their campaign, going down 1-0 to Westville Boys’ High on penalties following a 7-7 draw early on Thursday morning.

They were the underdogs against St John’s, who had impressed with a 9-5 win over Clifton College in their first match.

St Andrew’s College, however, put that loss behind them and demonstrated hunger and spirit. They were also boosted by the vociferous support of their home crowd.

Captain Jacques Du Toit led from the front, pulling off numerous saves in goal to keep St John’s at bay.

Experienced campaigners, including Tiago Williams and vice-captains Murray Copeland and Adam Ball, were impressive. The home side led for most of the match, but St John’s levelled matters at 6-6 through Luke Shipway with only a minute remaining.

For a second time on the day, St Andrew’s College headed to a penalty shootout to decide the winner of their game. The hosts converted twice and St John’s only once, giving St Andrew’s a morale-boosting victory.

Another defining result in Pool A was Bishops Diocesan College‘s 10-8 win over Rondebosch Boys’ High in a Bish/Bosch derby.

The Jabulani Sibiya-coached outfit went on to beat Westville 10-6 in their second outing before ending the day with a dominant 20-7 win against the hosts.

‘Bosch picked up a win in their second match, pipping Clifton 12-10. They’ll next face St Andrew’s College at 09:50 on Friday morning.

While Pool A delivered upsets, it was business as usual for South African College High School (SACS) in Pool B.

Coach Devon Card‘s side was pushed to its limits, but they emerged with two wins, outlasting St Stithians College 7-6 before beating their Western Cape rivals Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) 10-7.

St Stithians ended the day on a positive note with a one-goal win over Selborne. Their next task will be a meeting with Paul Roos early on Friday. Hilton, meanwhile, was stunned by Grey High in their final match of the day, sending the KZN boys back to the drawing board.

For Grey High, last in 2025, it was an encouraging opening day – two wins from two matches.

Friday’s matches will start earlier than previously scheduled because of a two-hour delay on Thursday, which was caused by late finishes and penalty shootouts.

Day 1 Results

Pool A

Westville (1) 7-7 (0) St Andrew’s
St John’s College 9-5 Clifton College
Bishops 10-8 Rondebosch
Bishops 10-6 Westville
Rondebosch 12-10 Clifton
St Andrew’s (2) 6-6 (1) St John’s College
Bishops 20-7 St Andrew’s

Pool B 

Paul Roos 7-8 Grey High
Selborne 8-10 Hilton College
SACS 7-6 St Stithians
SACS 10-7 Paul Roos
St Stithians 7-6 Selborne
Hilton 7-10 Grey High

FIXTURES

Day 2 – Friday, 23 January

Pool A

09:00 – St John’s vs Westville; 09:50 – St Andrew’s vs Rondebosch; 10:40 – Clifton vs Bishops; 14:00 – Rondebosch vs Westville; 14:50 – St John’s vs Bishops; 15:40 – St Andrew’s vs Clifton.

Pool B

06:30 – St Stithians vs Paul Roos; 07:20 – Hilton vs SACS; 08:10 – Grey High vs Selborne; 11:30 – Hilton vs Paul Roos; 12:20 – Grey vs St Stithians; 13:10 – Selborne vs SACS; 16:30 – Paul Roos vs Selborne; 17:20 – SACS vs Grey High.

Day 3 – Saturday, 24 January

Pool A

07:00 – Westville vs Clifton; 07:50 – Rondebosch vs St John’s.

Pool B

08:40 – St Stithians vs Hilton College.

The toss favoured Hoërskool Jim Fouché (JF) on Wednesday night when they took on the visiting Hoërskool Diamantveld in a T20 in Bloemfontein.

JF chose to bat first and received their biggest contributions from batsmen four and five, Cobus Wilken and Ruan Klein, who weighed in 37 runs each.

Wilken smacked two sixes in his 34-ball innings, while Klein struck four fours from the 28 deliveries he faced.

Arno Mostert excelled for the Kimberley school. He gave up a miserly 10 runs from his four overs and claimed two wickets. Francois Holtzhausen also removed two batsmen, but his four overs were dearer, costing 30 runs.

After their 20 overs, the Bloemfontein locals had tallied 135/7.

In the chase, the Kimberley outfit found themselves in a spot of bother early on, at 16/2 after 3.3 overs. Cobus Fourie, who made his way to the crease after the fall of the first wicket, dug his side out of a trench, scoring 28 off 33 deliveries.

When Arno Mostert headed to the middle, the score was 57/3 after 11.4 overs. By then, Diamantveld needed to bat at almost 10 runs per over. Mostert was up for the challenge. He pummelled four sixes and a four in his side’s top score of 47 from only 28 deliveries.

His fighting knock, however, proved to be too little too late. Frustratingly for the visitors, they came up only five runs short of the home team’s total, finishing on 130/6.

All five of the JF bowlers claimed a wicket while also sending down their full quota of four overs each. Benco Olivier also chipped in with a run out.

Thanks to a good effort in the field, Jim Fouché did just enough to record a hard-fought victory.

Summarised Scorecards

Hoërskool Jim Fouché 135/7 (Ruan Klein 37, Cobus Wilken 37, Joben Vorster 23; Arno Mostert 2/10, Francois Holtzhausen 2/30) Hoërskool Diamantveld 130/6 (Arno Mostert 47, Cobus Fourie 28). Jim Fouché won by five runs. 

Die atletiekseisoen skop in alle erns hierdie Vrydag in die Jakarandastad af met die jaarlikse Dreyer Campbell-byeenkoms asook die Abrie van Staden Prestige-byeekoms wat onderskeidelik deur die Hoërskool Waterkloof en Hoërskool Garsfontein aangebied word.

Vanjaar sal die 19de keer wees dat Klofies hul byeenkoms aanbied. Die byeenkoms dra sedert 2019 die naam van Dreyer Campbell wat die skool se atletiekdirekteur was.

Campbell het diep spore in atletiekkringe met veral sy spiesgooi-afrigting getrap. Hy is in 2018 oorlede waarna die byeenkoms na hom vernoem is. Hy het in sy loopbaan as afrigter 15 nasionale en twee wêreldkampioene afgerig.

Campbell was ook lid van die Hoërskool Garsfontein se personeel toe die skool in 1988 ontstaan het. Hy het hier ook met sy atletiekkundigheid diep spore getrap.

Vanjaar sal Eldoraigne, Monument, Hoërskool Randburg en die Hoërskool Rustenburg saam met die gasheer op dié uitnodigingsbyeenkoms in aksie wees.

Die byeenkoms begin om 13:30.

Die Garsies se byeenkoms is ook na ‘n voormalige hoof van atletiek, Abrie van Staden, genoem. Van Staden is in 1998 skielik na ‘n oefensessie oorlede.

Die Abrie van Staden Prestige-byeenkoms is die eerste keer in 1999 aangebied en word vanjaar vir die 27ste keer gehou. Dié byeenkoms is vanjaar weer ‘n volwaardige Prestige-byeenkoms deur dat dit weer op ‘n tartanbaan sal plaasvind. Die byeenkoms is van 2022 tot en met verlede jaar op Bere-park aangebied.

Hierdie Vrydag se byeenkoms sal vanjaar op die Tuks-stadion aangebied word. Die Garsies spog ook met ‘n nuwe atletiekdirekteur in Tobie Holtzhausen, wat ook ‘n bekende in spiesgooikringe is.

Die skole wat vanjaar aan die byeenkoms deur Garsies sal deelneem is, Hans Strijdom van Mookgophong, Northcliff, Wesvalia, Curro Hazeldean en Tuks Sportskool. Die naellopers van Curro Hazeldean sal waarskynlik vir ‘n hele paar hoogtepunte op vanjaar se byeenkoms sorg.

Die byeenkoms begin om 12:00.

Volg die aksie regstreeks op SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

A formidable challenge awaits the representatives of Limpopo and Easterns as they attempt to topple Pretoria heavyweights Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) and Hoërskool Garsfontein in the Titans Regional Playoffs of the Switch Schools SA20.

Follow all the Switch Schools SA20 action live on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) 

As was the case in the inaugural edition of the nationwide competition, the action will be hosted in Benoni, with the home of the Eastern Storm, Willowmoore Park, providing the stage for Sunday’s final.

The tournament gets underway on Friday, with the first ball scheduled for 09:30.

Affies and Garsies will fly the Titans’ flag, while Limpopo’s traditional powerhouses, Hoërskool Ben Vorster and Merensky Landbou Akademie, will represent the northern province. For Easterns, Hoërskool Hans Moore and Hoërskool Marais Viljoen will shoulder the hopes of the home crowd.

During the provincial phase, Affies dethroned Garsies, scoring a 43-run victory in the final. Both Limpopo and Easterns also produced new champions, with Ben Vorster emerging victorious in Limpopo, while Moories won the Easterns leg.

Day one will be headlined by a mouth-watering clash between Hans Moore and the defending regional champions, Garsfontein, on Friday morning. The sides met in the Wildeklawer Diamantveld T20 final at the end of 2025. Garsfontein won, albeit with their 2025 team.

Hans Moore has produced some excellent cricket over the past few seasons. They boast a strong and balanced squad, with several players now in their third year of First XI cricket. Experienced campaigners Aiden and Kenan Shaw and Stephan Vermaak will anchor the line-up, while the in-form all-rounder Xavier van Biljon adds further heft to the Benoni side’s title ambitions.

For the Ysbere, seasoned middle-order batsman Wikus du Preez will be pivotal, along with Charl van Staden, particularly with the prospect of a rematch against Affies and a place in the national playoffs at stake. Nathan Ferreira‘s controlled pace will spearhead Garsies’ bowling attack.

Affies, arguably the most balanced side in the competition, kicks off their campaign against the Limpopo champions, the Black Caps of Hoërskool Ben Vorster. It should be a compelling contest between seasoned campaigners and the exciting young talent from Tzaneen.

Affies’ recent unbeaten run at the Peninsula Week in the Western Cape underlines the threat they pose. All-rounders Vihan Pretorius and Zian Labuschagne headline an experienced line-up, with Armin Snyman and left-arm off-spinner Nico Loggenberg providing further quality. In addition, AJ Morkel, the son of former Proteas’ all-rounder Albie Morkel, arrives in scintillating form following the tour to the Cape.

The Plasies of Tzaneen face a daunting first day. They open against Marais Viljoen in the morning. In the afternoon, they tackle Hans Moore on Moories’ home ground.

Marais Viljoen’s afternoon assignment is a challenging outing against Affies at Willowmoore Park at 14:00.

Pools 

Pool A – Affies, Ben Vorster, Marais Viljoen.
Pool B – Garsfontein, Merensky Landbou, Hans Moore.

Fixtures

Friday – 23 January – Session One – 09:30 

Affies vs Ben Vorster – Willowmoore Park
Hans Moore vs Garsfontein – Hans Moore
Marais Viljoen vs Merensky – Actonville Cricket Club

Friday – 23 January – Session Two – 14:00

Marais Viljoen vs Affies – Willowmoore Park
Merensky vs Hans Moore – Hans Moore
Ben Vorster vs Garsfontein – Actonville Cricket Club

Saturday – 24 January – Session One – 09:30

Garsfontein vs Merensky – Willowmoore Park
Ben Vorster vs Marais Viljoen – Hans Moore
Affies vs Hans Moore – Actonville Cricket Club