After suffering a tight six-run defeat against Maritzburg College in their previous match, Glenwood High cantered to a 36-run win over the Tuskers Hub u19 XI on Tuesday/ Photo: Brad Morgan.
The Beaumont Eston Farmers Club hosted Glenwood High against the Tuskers Hub u19 XI on Tuesday evening, with the Durban school coming away with a 36-run win in their Eston One Insurance T20 Night League clash.
If there’s an area of Glenwood’s game that has been inconsistent in 2025, it has been their batting. Therefore, the Green Machinewould surely have been satisfied with posting 171/5 in their 20 overs.
Their effort was led by AkhielSinath. Opening the batting, he cracked 73 from 62 balls, sending 10 of them to the boundary.
He and KamogeloMoloto shared a stand of 55 runs for the third wicket in 7.4 overs, with Moloto striking four fours in his 29 from 25.
Sinath and Kreesan Pillai, then, advanced the total to 137 before Srinath fell in the 18th over, caught by Salmaan Essa off the bowling of Thubelihle Ndlovu.
In an effort to accelerate the late innings’ scoring, Pillai was out for a quickfire 20 from 11, with three fours, while Mishael Gunawardena provided the boost that Glenwood was after, smashing a six and two fours in his 10-ball 23, while helped the Green Machine to add 27 runs in the last two overs.
Thubelihle Ndlovu was the pick of the Tuskers’ bowlers, capturing 3/35 in four, while AphiweNzama did a tidy job up front, conceding only 18 runs from his four overs.
In reply, the Tuskers lost two early wickets, with Thubelihle Ndlovu out for two, caught by Kreesan Pillai off of Vincenzo Loutz, and Siphosethu Ngcobo also out for two, caught by Sebastien Oertel, once again off of Loutz. That left the Hub XI on 19/2 in the fifth over.
Opener Joshua Kaltwasser and Aidan Subbadu combined for a 41-run partnership before Subbadu was bowled by EsihleGasa for 18 from 22 balls.
OwamiMadlala and Joshua Kaltwasser, then, took the score to 99, but Madlala fell to the last ball of the fifteenth over, caught by Vincenzo Loutz off of AkhielSinath’s bowling for 12.
Kaltwasser and Simelolkuhle Gumede kept Glenwood’s attack at bay the rest of the way, but they were unable to threaten the Green Machine’s total and the Tuskers Hub u19 XI finished on 135/4.
Kaltwasser did a fine job, ending on 54 not out from 53 balls, three of which he sent to the boundary. Gumede was unbeaten on 17, and the pair added an unbroken 36.
Vincenzo Loutz picked up 2/15 as Glenwood gave eight players a bowl. EsihleGasa, who was the only one of them to bowl the maximum four overs, returned 1/21, and AkhielSinath picked up 1/7.
Led by coach Connor Whiting, the home team is among the favourites, but they will face some tough competition in Pool A from the Eastern Cape duo of Collegiate Girls’ High and DSG Makhanda, as well as Rhenish Girls’ High, from Stellenbosch.
DSG and Collegiate already have some match practice in the bag after participating in a pre-season spring festival at DSG last week.
There, DSG played three matches and defeated Woodridge College 8-2 before going down 3-7 to Glenwood House and 5-8 against Clarendon School for Girls.
Collegiate, meanwhile, beat Kingswood College 6-4 and Woodridge 7-2 but lost 3-5 against a DSG Invitational side. They were also well beaten by Clarendon, who powered their way to a 9-3 win.
Pool B is, arguably, the group of death and will be contested by Herschel Girls School, Glenwood House, Durban Girls’ College(DGC), and Clarendon.
They defeated St Anne’s 10-4 in the final and will head to Cape Town brimming with confidence and keen to add a second trophy to their haul. They won the Mackenzie Cup in 2023.
Clarendon, meanwhile, will be aiming high and will be eager to improve on last year’s top five finish. Under the guidance of coach Hannah Muller, the East London school will have medals on their mind.
In the pre-season, they lost only to Kingswood, going down 3-4, but they’ll have to play their socks off to secure a semifinal spot from a tough group.
Pool C is wide open and there for the taking. It features Wynberg Girls’ High, the Herschel Girls School Invitational side, Fish Hoek High, and an unpredictable Springfield Convent School outfit.
St Cyprian’s School, Rustenburg Girls’ High, Reddam House Invitational, and Somerset College, will clash in Pool D.
The action kicks off on Friday morning with an Eastern Cape derby between Collegiate and DSG Makhanda at 07:00.
POOLS
Pool A: Reddam House Constantia, Collegiate Girls’ High, DSG Makhanda, Rhenish Girls’ High. Pool B: Herschel Girls School, Glenwood House, Durban Girls College, Clarendon High School for Girls. Pool C: Wynberg Girls’ High, Herschel Girls School Invitational, Fish Hoek High School, Springfield Convent School. Pool D: St Cyprian’s School, Rustenburg Girls’ High, Reddam House Invitational, Somerset College.
FIXTURES
Friday, 12 September
07:00 – Collegiate vs DSG Makhanda; 07:40 – Herschel vs Clarendon; 08:20 – Wynberg vs Springfield; 09:00 – St Cyprian’s vs Reddam Invitational; 09:40 – Reddam vs Rhenish; 10:20 – Glenwood House vs Durban Girls College; 11:00 – Herschel Invitational vs Fish Hoek; 11:40 – Rustenburg vs Reddam Invitational; 12:20 – DSG Makhanda vs Reddam; 13:00 – Herschel vs Durban Girls College; 13:40 – Fish Hoek vs Wynberg; 14:20 – Somerset College vs St Cyprian’s; 15:00 – Rhenish vs Collegiate; 15:40 – Clarendon vs Glenwood House; 16:20 – Springfield vs Herschel Invitational; 17:00 – Somerset College vs Rustenburg; 17:40 – Reddam vs Collegiate; 18:20 – Glenwood House vs Herschel; 19:00 – Wynberg vs Herschel Invitational; 19:40 – St Cyprian’s vs Rustenburg.
Saturday, 13 September
07:00 – Fish Hoek vs Springfield; 07:40 – Durban Girls College vs Clarendon; 08:20 – DSG Makhanda vs Rhenish; 09:00 – Reddam Invitational vs Somerset College.
Adrian Watson, the captain and opening batsman of Hoërskool Hans Moore, at his fluent best. Photo: Supplied.
Adrian Watson‘s tough cricket path turned into a smooth road just two weeks ago when he played a career-altering knock for Hoërskool Hans Moore in the Easterns Premier League.
Follow Watson’s progress through the 2025 Schools Cricket season on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)
Since he began playing cricket, his all-round talent had been evident. He was a tearaway fast bowler with the ability to bat anywhere in the order.
Paul Amorim, Hans Moore’s Director of Cricket and now the Deputy Head of Sport identified Watson’s potential and felt he would thrive in the Moories‘ strong cricket programme. But Watson’s hopes and dreams were struck a hammer blow before he was able to truly make his mark at the Benoni school.
Only two weeks before the u16 National Week, he was admitted to hospital with a kidney problem. That resulted in emergency surgery being performed and with that went Watson’s hopes of appearing on the inter-provincial stage.
“Missing out on an opportunity like that knocked me,” he admitted. “It has been a mental battle ever since.”
It wasn’t as if matters slowly became more manageable. In fact, only a couple of months later, he suffered another setback when he fractured his left foot while bowling during a tour to Kimberley. That put him out of action for another year.
Once again, he had to work hard on his rehabilitation, both mentally and physically. His path back to fitness involved plenty of hard work in the nets with his older brother, Tennant, a Hans Moore old boy, who represented the first team as a wicketkeeper/batsman.
It is said that bad luck strikes in threes and so, unfortunately, that proved to be the case for Watson when, just five matches into the 2025 season, he injured his back. That led to a disheartening number of visits to doctors, physiotherapists, and chiropractors. Without any positive results, that also spelt the end of a promising career as a fast bowler.
With his bowling hopes dashed, Watson gritted his teeth once more, reset, and focused on his batting. On Friday, 29 August, he put the fruits of his labour of love on display when he opened the Hans Moore innings against Hoërskool Dinamika, at Dinamika.
It was as if he was taking out the frustrations of the past three years on the home side. In only 129 deliveries, he obliterated the Dinamika attack, blasting eight sixes and a breathtaking 24 fours in a sensational knock of 196.
After Watson just missed out on a double-century, Amorim was full of praise for his contribution. “I would’ve loved for him to get to 200,” Amorim said, “but it wasn’t meant to be.
“The 196, however, will forever be special because of what he’s been able to achieve through all the hardships over the last couple of years.”
Adrian’s older brother, Tennant, shared how proud he was of his younger sibling. “It meant everything to me,” he said of the special innings.
“He was the one who worked the hardest in an environment where everything seemed to be against him. It was difficult to keep him positive when he felt nothing was going his way. Seeing his comeback, as his brother ánd coach, really meant the world to me.”
A week after his spectacular knock at Dinamika, Watson led Hans Moore against Hoërskool Marais Viljoen, one of the leading teams in the league, and he was again among the runs, contributing 70 from just 69 balls.
“I was able to keep going through my faith in the Lord, as well as through the support of Tennant and the rest of my team. My brother definitely played the biggest role, though,” he said.
“He spent countless hours with me in the nets, as well as keeping me grounded and humble.
“I owe him a lot,” Watson concluded with a bright smile of appreciation.
There’s some time to go in the 2025 season and a Fain Noordvaal title for Hans Moore to defend. That makes it very likely that we’ll be hearing the name of the Moories‘ captain, Adrian Watson, much more before the season is done.
Pearson High School’s High-Performance Centre will help them to upskill their cricketers. Photo: Pearson on Facebook.
Pearson High School staked its claim to being one of the leading cricketing schools in South Africa in 2025 when both their girls’ and boys’ teams qualified for Phase 2 of Schools SA20 in January.
The Gqeberha school is focused on building on those foundations in its bid to be a national powerhouse. An important and massive step in that quest was taken in August with the completion of a state-of-the-art High-Performance Centre.
The facility has six specialised cricket turfs catering for various batting and bowling conditions and it features PitchVision equipment, which will allow for detailed analysis and statistics on each player’s batting and bowling technique.
The technology allows coaches and players access to, among others, bowling speeds, pitch maps, impact points, and degrees of turn and variation in bowling styles.
Building a state-of-the-art centre was, however, only one half of Pearson’s strategy to boost their cricket programme. The other part was the appointment of Rudi Second as the Head of Cricket and first team coach.
Second hung up his bat and gloves last year after a solid professional playing career spanning 13 years, during which he was capped 140 times at first-class level, during which he scored 9 021 runs at an average of 43.4. A renowned wicketkeeper, he also pulled off 416 catches behind the stumps and executed 15 stumpings.
Second represented the Free State Knights, captained the Dafabet Warriors, and a regular in the South Africa A team. He was also selected for the South African Test and spent six seasons in England playing county cricket.
“I’ve come in to try to continue what they’re doing, and luckily enough, they have set up a big indoor centre, which has increased our contact time with the players, allowing us to work on the days when it’s raining, and a little bit later into the evenings and the winter. So that’s been a great addition, and it’s really helped us to upskill the players,” Second told SuperSport Schools Plus.
He said his primary focus will be on utilising what he’s learned as a professional cricketer to help Pearson to establish a competitive edge over their opposition.
“Just add one or two things that I’ve learned over my career, and just to unlock it in the players, because I believe all the players have it in their makeup, and it’s a good coach who unlocks that,” he explained.
The coach praised the hard work put in by Charl van der Merwe, his predecessor, and said that it had laid the foundation for his work.
“We have a goal of being one of the strongest cricketing schools in the country. Our first team showed that last season by getting to the Schools SA20 final round. So, there’s a very strong place for cricketers at the school, and that’s something that I want to continue,” he elaborated.
Second said that one of the things that attracted him to Pearson was that its cricketing programme is not just earmarked for the boys. The school is also intent on becoming the top girls’ cricketing school in the nation.
“We’ve got a strong girls’ programme, as well, and it shows with the number of good girls’ cricketers coming through,” he said.
However, Second remains cognisant of the fact that Pearson is an educational institution, not a cricket academy. Therefore, his goal isn’t limited to helping the school produce outstanding cricketers, but he also aims to help it turn out good, well-rounded people.
“It’s an education establishment at the end of the day, and there’s a lot of focus on integrity and being empathetic to the kids. We can use sport to grow really good individuals, and that is what we want to do,” he said.
Second pointed out that part of that focus includes him encouraging the players under his guidance to not only excel at cricket but also in academics and in other sports available at the school.
“It’s a really great all-round school,” he enthused, “and it shows in the quality of the people that are coming out of it.”
Maritzburg College halted Michaelhouse‘s strong run in the Eston One Insurance T20 Night League at the Beaumont Eston Farmers Club on Monday evening, holding on for a tight six-run win, which was the difference between the extras conceded by both sides.
Batting first, College put up 149/7, and while that was a step up from the 115/8 they produced in an 11-run win over Glenwood, it was still a somewhat stop/start effort.
Dom du Toit led the Red, Black, and Whitebatting effort, cracking three fours in a hasty 42 from 32 balls, while Karl Dedekind weighed in with 38 from 31, which included five fours. The next best, though, was just 19 from Kyle de Bruyn.
Opening bowler Thandanani Zuma did a good job, snapping up 2/23 in his four overs, while his new ball partner, Rex Wardlaw, struck twice, too, although he was a touch on the expensive side of things, going for 38 runs.
Ben Heuer went wicketless, but his return of 0/17 in four was tidy and put the College batsmen under pressure. Liam O’Dwyer‘s 1/9 in two was also useful.
Michaelhouse lost Cody Sander and Riley Muir early in their run chase to the bowling of Sam Hughes, but Graydon Leslie and Ben Heuer set them on track with a stand of 43 for the third wicket before Leslie was caught by Deolyn Naidoo off of Luke Venter for 41 from 33 deliveries, which had featured four fours and a six.
Heuer and Hayden Hewlett then combined for 38 runs for the fourth wicket before Heuer departed, bowled by College captain Daniel Nadasan for 32 from 26. He’d struck three fours and a six. That left ‘House on 97/4 after 13.2 overs, still well in the fight.
Maritzburg College, though, did well to keep Michaelhouse under pressure, and that brought them two run outs – of Rex Wardlaw, for 17 from 17, and of Preston Greene, for three from two – which undermined ‘House’s run chase.
In the end, they came up six runs short of the College total, on 143/6, with Hewlett unbeaten on 35 from 33.
Opening bowler Sam Hughes finished with 2/34 from four. Daniel Nadasan picked up 1/10 in two, and Luke Venter 1/27 from four, but Reece Willson’s 0/17 in four proved to be a vital contribution, too.
On Wednesday evening, Michaelhouse will be back in action, facing the high-flying Durban High School, who have been the dominant team in the Eston One Insurance T20 Night League thus far.
SCORES
Maritzburg College 149/7 (Dom du Toit 42, Karl Dedekind 38, Kyle de Bruyn 19; Thandanani Zuma 2/23, Rex Wardlaw 2/38); Michaelhouse 143/6 (Graydon Leslie 41, Hayden Hewlett 35*, Ben Heuer 32; Sam Hughes 2/34, Daniel Nadasan 1/10).
Another week of captivating football unfolded throughout South Africa, with Jeppe High School for Boys, Grey College and Northwood School maintaining their impressive performances.
KZN: Mancosa Cowie Cup
Alexandra High School, who weren’t at their best during MancosaKZNHSFA Second-Term League, is one of the sides that has picked up their performances and executed a turnaround in the third term.
During the week, Alex pulled off a 2-1 win over Port Shepstone High to advance to the semifinals of the Mancosa Cowie Cup.
Carter High School, who lost out to their local rival Maritzburg College in the KZNHSFA Inland A-League final, defeated Greytown 4-2 in a penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw in regulation time of their quarterfinals’ clash.
Meanwhile, Northwood’s astonishing renaissance continued with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Westville Boys’ High in a derby fixture, while they advanced in the Cowie Cup after a 2-0 win over Queensburgh High.
Maritzburg College’s second team secured a 2-0 win on Saturday against Northwood, while the College 1st XI made it to the final of the Jody Momplé Cup. Photo: Maritzburg College on Facebook.
The winner will take on Northwood in the semi-finals, while it’s Alexandra versus Carter in an all-Pietermaritzburg clash in the other semi.
Selborne College wins East London High Schools Football League
Selborne College’s resilience and determination were rewarded in the B Block BWFLA High Schools League, also known as the East London High Schools Football League, which started in mid-March and concluded on 1 September.
They topped the table with 47 points, comfortably clear of the defending champion, Stutterheim High, who ended their campaign in second place, with 39 points.
In the league’s last match, Hudson Park High signed off with a 2-1 win over George Randell High 2-1.
Selborne College was crowned the winner of the East London High Schools Football League champion. Photo: Selborne College on Facebook.
Free State: Grey College lifts the Regional League
In the Magnificent Wednesday Football League, the semi-finals were contested on Monday, with Grey College surviving a tricky assignment by beating Navalsig High 2-0 to reach the final.
They took on Grassland Secondary School, 3-0 winners over Hodisa Technical Secondary School in the semifinals, for the title and it was Grey who captured the silverware after a 3-1 win.
The Bloemfontein school is also preparing for the draw of the annual Nedbank Grey College Soccer Tournament, which will be hosted at Grey on Wednesday, 10 September. The prestigious tournament takes place in October.
In 2024, St Stithians College successfully defended the title, defeating Robinvale High 2-1 in the final.
In Gauteng, King Edward VII School (KES) pulled off a 1-0 victory over Parktown Boys’ High on Wednesday. The following day, Jeppe High School for Boys continued their strong season with a 4-1 victory over Fourways High School.
Jeppe’s been on a good run, building on an already strong 2024 campaign, which earned them an invitation to the 2025 Absa Wildeklawer Soccer Tournament where they went up against some of the finest teams in the country, with Virginia High School claiming the title.
Earlier this year, in an exclusive interview with SuperSport Schools Plus, Kevin McCarthy, the Head of Football at Jeppe, discussed the school’s growing football programme and the success it has brought.
Jeppe’s excellence is visible across all age groups, which was recently underlined at the St Andrew’s College Football Cup, in Makhanda, where Jeppe’s u15 team secured the junior title, while the u19 crown went to Bishops Diocesan College.
The winners of the u15 division in the 2025 St Andrew’s College Football Cup, Jeppe High School for Boys. Photo: St Andrew’s College on Facebook.
Following the tournament at St David’s, McCarthy said that, overall, Jeppe delivered a decent showing. “We came 14th last year, so it’s decent progress, even though I believe we could have won it,” he reckoned
In another midweek fixture, in Mpumalanga, Uplands College and Beaulieu College settled for a 2-2 draw.
On Saturday, Jeppe concluded a flawless week with a 2-0 victory over Pretoria Boys High. Beaulieu College, though, had to settle for a second 2-2 draw, this time against Penryn College.
In an intense clash, St David’s Marist Inanda and KES shared a goalless draw.
St John’s College, who had last played a match in August, returned to the field for a friendly at St Alban’s College. That, too, ended in a draw, 1-1.
In KZN, most of the weekend’s attention was on the Jody Momplé Cup, which Michaelhouse won for a second year in succession. However, Durban High School (DHS), who recently claimed the Raw Cup by defeating Maritzburg College 3-2, returned to the field against Clifton College. School found Clifton’s goalkeeper in fine form, but they battled their way to a 2-0 win.
With many of the 1st XIs in action at Hilton College in the Jody Momplé Cup, the Westville Boys’ High 2nd team scored a 2-0 win over St Charles College, while Maritzburg College’s 2nds won 2-0 against Northwood.
In Makhanda, in the Eastern Cape, St Andrew’s College hosted Mary Waters High School and lost 0-2.
RESULTS
Mancosa KZNHSFA Cowie Cup: Quarterfinals
Alexandra High 2-1 Port Shepstone
Carter High (4) 0-0 (2) Greytown
Northwood 2-0 Queensburgh High
Free State
Magnificent Wednesday Football League Knockout: Semifinals
Monday, 1 September
Grey College 2-0 Navalsig High
Grassland Secondary School 3-0 Hodisa Technical Secondary
Final
Friday, 5 September
Grey College 3-1 Hodisa Technical Secondary
East London High Schools Football League
Wednesday, 3 September
Hudson Park 2-1 George Randell High
Gauteng
Wednesday, 3 September
KES 1-0 Parktown Boys’ High
Thursday, 4 September
Jeppe 4-1 Fourways High School
Mpumalanga
Friday, 5 September
Uplands College 2-2 Beaulieu College
Gauteng
Saturday, 6 September
Jeppe 2-0 Pretoria Boys High
Penryn College 2-2 Beaulieu College
St David’s 0-0 KES
St John’s College 1-1 St Alban’s College
KwaZulu-Natal
Saturday, 6 September
Durban High School 2-0 Clifton College
2nd Teams
Westville Boys’ High 2-0 St Charles College
Maritzburg College 2-0 Northwood
The boys’ team from SAHETI School won the first-ever u14 Saheti Junior Slam. Photo: Yarneigh Studios/SAHETI School.
Young talent lit up the court at SAHETI School‘s Junior Slam u14 Basketball Tournament on the weekend, with the action streaming live on SuperSport Schools.
The SAHETI boys’ A-Team reached new heights when, buoyed by their enthusiastic supporters, they triumphed over St John’s College in the final, claiming a convincing 35-25 win.
In the bronze playoff, Michael Mount Waldorf School overran Redhill School 35-5.
In the girls’ competition, the title match was fiercely contested and extremely close. A three-point shot could have altered the outcome, but Michael Mount came away with the gold, edging out Redhill School 24-21.
St Mary’s Waverley outperformed the hosts, Saheti, in the playoff for bronze, scoring a decisive 21-8 win.
Kerdrick Haggard, the Head of High School Sport at SAHETI, said he was satisfied with the tournaments results and said the event was the first of many to follow.
“It’s been great to see both boys and girls doing well,” he said, adding that SAHETI is already looking at ways in which to expand the event in 2026.
Michael Mount Waldorf School secured a victory over Redhill School in the final, winning by a margin of 3 points, which was enough to claim the u14 SAHETI Junior Girls’ Slam title.
At courtside, while watching crossovers, fast breaks, and alley-oops, SuperSport Schools Plus spoke with Haggard, SAHETI’s Head of High School Sport, as well as Christina Mogale, the Senior Sports Development Officer, and Zama Sosibo, the High SchoolBasketball MIC.
Since its introduction in 2013, basketball has become a popular sport at the school. There were four teams initially, Mogale said, including junior boys’ and girls’ teams, but their popularity led to the creation of senior teams.
Considering the host’s contribution on the court to the weekend’s action, Sosibo said she was pleased with the team’s conduct and efforts.
“I’m very satisfied, to see the difference from yesterday [Friday] to today [Saturday], since the majority of the kids are here for the first time, or they are playing in a tournament for the first time,” Sosibo said.
Schools, generally, do not host u14 tournaments, as they typically start at u16 level. That results in children often struggling with tournament regulations and tiring quickly. “Having u14s, we wanted to bridge that gap to make sure that when kids get to the u16 and u19 tournaments, they are well prepared. They know how it feels to play in a tournament, so that it’s not new to them,” Sosibo explained.
The school’s basketball scene continues to pick up momentum, and both Mogale and Sosibo said they are looking forward to a competitive season.
“We want to keep that momentum. We want to make sure that the standard is kept at a high level, and we want to compete with big schools,” Mogale told SuperSport Schools Plus.
“We are a co-educational school, so we are seen competing with mostly boys’ schools with the boys’ basketball, and we want to make sure that we keep that standard, and we are always there to compete, and that we’re not just seen as a co-educational school, but we’re seen as a competitive school.”
Runners-up of the u14 SAHETI Junior Slam. Photo: Yarneigh Studios/Saheti School.
Mogale said one of SAHETI’s advantages is that basketball is introduced to the children from grade one. They grow up with the game throughout primary school and high school.
Mogale stated that, for players like Makhuba, such experiences are both valuable and advantageous for the individual and the institution.
“From my side, I think it helps our development a lot because our girls get to understand that it’s not a small community, but they can actually get the opportunity to be on those big stages,” Sosibo said.
Makhuba has also been selected for the Basketball National League All Stars on Sunday, 14 September, where she will join, among others, Liamisha Aboo, from Redhill, who recently attended the Basketball Without Borders Camp in Rwanda. Sosibo said it brought her joy to see those girls competing at a high level.
Anthea Boutselis, who was part of the u16 South African girls’ National Team that played in Italy in 2023, is one of the players who has proudly showcased SAHETI’s basketball skills in recent years, noted Sosibo.
RESULTS
Boys’ Final
Saheti A Team 35-25 St John’s College
Bronze Playoff
Michael Mount 36-5 Redhill
Position 5 and 6 Playoff
Saheti B Team 29-16 St Peter’s College
Girls’ Final
Michael Mount 24-21 Redhill
Bronze Playoff
St Mary’s Waverley 21-8 Saheti
Position 5 and 6 Playoff
St Peter’s College 28-18 King’s School Linbro
Girls’ All-Star Team
Hlumouhle Buthelezi – St Mary’s Waverley
Marina Savvides – Saheti School
T Cele – Michael Mount
S Milic – Redhill School
MVP – A Fall – Michael Mount
Boys’ All-Star Team
K Phiri – St John’s College
J Masewamana – Saheti School
Akani Tiva – Michael Mount
Tinotenda Pswarayi – Redhill School
MVP – A Messina – Saheti School
Michaelhouse was crowned the champion of the Jody Momplé Cup for a second year in succession after a nail-biting penalty shootout against Maritzburg College in the final. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Winning the Jody Momplé Cup is a tough ask. One slip in the knockout event and you’re out of the running.
Winning it two years in succession and coming out on top in penalty shootouts in both the semi-finals and final is not luck. That’s mettle, and Michaelhouse demonstrated plenty of it in repeating as champions.
The competition, played over two days at Hilton College, brought together 24 schools from across the Pietermaritzburg and KZN Midlands region.
They clashed in eight groups of three after which the participants continued in the Cup, Plate, and Bowl competition on the second day.
Only wins would do if a team was to lay claim to the prestigious Cup.
From day one, ‘House was on their game, breezing past Weston Agricultural College (3-0) and Grace College (4-0)in their pool matches. On Sunday, though, they faced a serious challenge in the quarterfinals from Carter High, who had finished as the runner-up in the Jody Momplé Cup in 2023.
In a tight contest, Michaelhouse triumphed 1-0. Then, the margins of victory became even slimmer in their subsequent games.
In the semi-finals, against St Charles College, ‘House fell 0-1 behind in the second half and needed a late goal to force a penalty shootout. Luke Mitchell, who was in goal when they won the title in a shootout in 2024, made the difference again, with the boys in red and white getting by Saints4-2 from the spot.
Then, in the final, against Maritzburg College, Michaelhouse was subjected to a thorough examination by the Red, Black, and White, whose quick passing game worked well on the lush surface of Zungu Field. ‘House stuck with their more direct approach and worked to attack down the flanks, where they enjoyed some success.
There were moments of concern for both defences, but it was goalless at the end of regulation time and that meant the title would be decided from the spot.
Goalkeeper Luke Mitchell shone in a shootout for a second year in succession to help Michaelhouse successfully retain the Jody Momplé Cup. Photo: Brad Morgan.
College went ahead from the first kick, but Michaelhouse pulled one back and then, when Mitchell saved another, they were champions again, with the goalie charging ecstatically towards his team-mates, who rushed the field to celebrate their outstanding achievement with him.
Afterwards, Mitchell was deservedly named the Player of the Final. Speaking with SuperSport Schools Plus, he admitted he had visions of the shootout in the 2024 final going through his mind.
“I just tried to stay as calm as I possibly could,” he said, “and I took it one penalty at a time. I did the best I could for the team.
“There were thoughts of last year, but I stayed in the moment.
“All of the [shootout] experiences I’ve had so far have helped me to get to where I am now. Last year helped me in today’s game.”
Michaelhouse’s success, though, was very much a team effort. Their hard work in closing down defenders and making them feel uncomfortable on the ball paid off. Unfortunately for Maritzburg College, it came at their expense in the final.
The 2025 season has been one of mixed fortunes for College but, playing on the thick grass of the football-only surface of Zungu Field, they blossomed and delivered a fine performance. However, Michaelhouse’s tenacity and BMT won the day.
College had accounted for the Primo Big 10 champion, Hilton College, in the semi-finals, also from the penalty spot. Both teams created opportunities to win it in regulation time with the best of them falling to College after a shot on goal from sharpshooter MazithiQasha was parried by the goalkeeper.
It fell kindly for College, but the follow-up shot from a fellow forward was thumped into the crossbar. Sometimes a feathered touch is more effective than a powerful blast.
St Charles reached the semi-finals after a 1-0 win over ML Sultan Secondary in the quarterfinals. Photo: Brad Morgan.
In the other semi-final, St Charles played some fine football and, after a goalless first half took the lead with a header from Ethan Apollos at the back post off of a corner.
Saints, though, then appeared to focus on keeping Michaelhouse out, happy to clear the ball down the field in the hope of preserving their lead. That gave ‘House enough possession to create a goal of their own.
At the conclusion of event, Qasha and Hilton’s Tadi Hove were the joint winners of the Bryce Moon Top Scorer Trophy, which was donated by the former College boy and Bafana Bafana representative.
There was joy for first-timers, Nomaswazi High, who captured the Bowl, edging out Riverwood College in the title game. Nomaswazi’s heartwarming success also underlined the value of the Jody Momplé Cup in spreading the game.
For a second year in succession, Haythorne Secondary lifted the Plate. They showed tremendous grit and determination to overcome a 0-2 deficit and finish 2-2 against Linpark, which forced a penalty shootout. Then, they took it from the spot, winning 5-4.
RESULTS
BOWL
Bowl Quarterfinals
Newton School 1-0 Wartburg Kirchdorf School Etham College (2) 1-1 (4) Nomaswazi High Riverwood College 3-0 Grace College Treverton College 3-2 St Nicholas Diocesan School
Bowl Semi-finals
Newton School (4) 2-2 (5) Nomaswazi High
Riverwood College 3-0 Treverton College
Bowl Final
Nomaswazi High 2-1 Riverwood College
PLATE
Plate Quarterfinals
Greytown High 2-3 Linpark High Haythorne Secondary 1-0 Howick High Umvuzo Secondary 3-1 Weston Agricultural College Edendale Technical High 0-2 Ixopo Secondary
Hilton College (8) 1-1 (7) Alexandra High Maritzburg Christian School 0-4 Maritzburg College Carter High 0-1 Michaelhouse St Charles College 1-0 ML Sultan Secondary
Cup Semi-finals
Hilton College (4) 0-0 (5) Maritzburg College Michaelhouse (4) 1-1 (2) St Charles College
In die Beker-afdeling sal daar slegs nege spanne, in stede van 10, meeding. Hoërskool Transvalia en Hoërskool Nelspruit is albei gerelegeer na die Plaat-afdeling, waar hulle in moeilike geselskap weer sake sal moet uitspook vir ‘n plek op die grootste verhoog.
Die grootste verandering behels egter die samestelling van die Bowl-afdeling.
Dié afdeling sal vanaf volgende jaar in twee groepe, die Oostelike en die Westelike been, verdeel word. Elke been sal uit ses spanne bestaan wat mekaar die stryd aansê. Die top-twee spanne van elke been sal mekaar, oorkruis, in die halfeindronde pak, waarna ‘n algehele wenner in die eindstryd gekroon sal word.
Dit bied ook die geleentheid aan drie nuwelinge, vanuit Afdeling 2, om hul strukture op ‘n hoër vlak te toets. Hoërskool Brandwag van Benoni is, saam met Hoërskool Die Anker en Hoërskool Hugenote van Springs, die nuwe gesigte in die Oostelike been. Die Anker en Hugenote is albei aan die einde van vanjaar se seisoen na die Bowl gerelegeer.
In die Westelike been, is Hoërskool Centurion en ‘n gevaarlike Midstream College die nuwelinge in ‘n uiters mededingende groep. Die kampioen van vanjaar se reeks, Potchefstroom Volkskool, asook die naaswenner, Potchefstroom Gimnasium, is ook albei hier in aksie.
Hoërskool Middelburg het na ‘n uitstekende seisoen deur ál sy spanne, promosie na die Beker-afdeling verwerf. Hier sal hy saam met dié afdeling se eerstespan-kampioen van die laaste drie jaar, en die alghele kampioenvanjaar, Hoërskool Garsfontein, asook 2025 se naaswenners, Helpmekaar Kollege, en ses van die Noordvaal se ander groot honde moet blaf.
Buiten, Transvalia en die Rhinos van Nelspruit, verwelkom die Plaat-afdeling ook vir Hoërskool Montana terug. Die Monties het slegs een jaar in die laer Skild-afdeling spandeer, voordat hulle weer promosie na die tweede moeilikste afdeling verwerf het.
Hoërskool Marais Viljoen is vir die tweede agtereenvolgende jaar gerelegeer en skuif saam met Ligbron Akademie af na die Skild-afdeling. Hoërskool Eldoraigne is die ander nuweling in dié afdeling, nadat hy as algehele kampioen van die Bowl-afdeling gekroon is. Dit sal die eerste keer, sedert 2021, tydens die destydse Virsekerbeker, wees dat die Eldos in die Skild-afdeling meeding.
The combination of Wihan Fourie‘s anticks with the ball and Pieter Viljoen‘s heroics with the bat saw Hoërskool Hoogenhout shock Hoërskool Nelspruit in their Mpumalanga Premier clash on Saturday.
Fourie was the first to announce himself with a five-for, while conceding only 35 runs in the 10 overs he bowled, and he played the leading role in restricting the Nellies to only 206 all out.
The hosts’ Waldemar Graham nevertheless indicated that the conditions were suited for batting too, scoring a well-played 61 runs, while Jan Malan supported with 44 runs coming from his willow.
It would, however, be Hoogenhout captain and opening batsman, Pieter Viljoen, who ultimately stole the show. Viljoen clearly saw no virtue in hanging around and went straight on the attack, a decision that paid off remarkably well. He needed only 75 deliveries to smash 14 sixes and 13 fours in powering his way to 157 not out.
This meant that 136, or 86% of his runs, came from boundaries, as he set Nelspruit alight in an eventful run chase which lasted only 22.5 overs. It also included a 205-run partnership with Johan Viljoen (30), which sealed a nine-wicket victory for their side.
Travelling to Secunda, Gavin Genis and Hoërskool Middelburg picked up where they left off at the end of last season. Genis, now in Grade 11, delivered an unbeaten 85-run blitzkrieg as the defending champions of Mpumalanga, and runners-up in the Fain Noordvaal competition, secured a five-wicket win.
Although he was the leading run scorer on the day, Eduan Strydom‘s all-round performance probably outshone the innings of Genis. Strydom firstly took the lead with the ball, playing the main part in restricting Hoërskool Secunda to only 220 before the last wicket fell.
Strydom then backed up his 4/21 with 35 runs coming off his bat, combining with his Genis for a match-winning partnership of 105 runs. A run-a-ball 31 from Lohan Botha at the top of the order, also played a crucial part in the chase, laying the platform for the two batsmen lower down to do what they do best.
Although not their best day at the office, there were signs of some early form for the Secunda batters. Nijan Swart looked positive for his 33, using only 17 balls, while Jayden Scholtz emerged as the leading run scorer on the day with 38.
Summarised Scorecards:
Hoërskool Nelspruit 206 (Waldemar Graham 61, Jan Malan 44; Wihan Fourie 5/35, Zeeshan Ebrahim 2/40, Wyatt Johnson 2/51); Hoërskool Hoogenhout 207/1 (Pieter Viljoen 157*, Johan Viljoen 30; Jan Malan 1/47). Hoërskool Hoogenhout won by nine wickets.
Hoërskool Secunda 220 (Jayden Scholtz 38, Nijan Swart 33, CJ Webb 29*, Andries Coetzer 23, Umar Badat 23, Walt Woster 20; Eduan Strydom 4/21, Herman Potgieter 3/25); Hoërskool Middelburg 222/5 (Gavin Genis 85*, Eduan Strydom 35, Lohan Botha 31, Herman Potgieter 29; Lohan Swart 3/60). Hoërskool Middelburg won by five wickets.
Water polo silverware will be on the line this weekend when the Mackenzie Cup takes place in Cape Town from Friday.
Maritzburg College halted Michaelhouse‘s strong run in the 
