Luka Heinlein, kaptein van Merensky Landbou Akademie se eerste span, in aksie. FOTO: Ankia Botha.
Merensky Landbou Akademie het sy Finsbury-veldtog op ‘n hoë noot afgesluit met twee agtereenvolgende seges in twee dae om as die voorste eerste span in die E-afdeling te eindig.
Die skool van Tzaneen staan egter nie ‘n kans om na die D-afdeling op te skuif nie, aangesien die eerste en o. 15-spanne se gesamentlike puntestand tel. Dit is nietemin steeds ‘n veertjie in Merensky se hoed dat sy eerste span die reeks eerste, en boonop onoorwonne, afgesluit het.
Hoërskool Wesvalia het algeheel eerste in die E-afdeling geëindig en kom dus aanstaande week teen HTS Middelburg te staan om te bepaal wie volgende jaar in die sterker afdeling meeding.
Die Plasies moes ‘n wedstryd inhaal nadat hulle ‘n ronde gemis het weens deelname aan die Schools SA20 se streek-uitspele in Benoni vroeër die maand en het derhalwe Vrydag, 14 Februarie, weg teen Hoërskool Linden gespeel.
Rinaldo Bornman is witwarm met die wilgerlat vanjaar en het weer met ‘n indrukwekkende 64 nie uit nie gepronk om sy span tot ‘n ses-paaltjie oorwinning te lei. Kaptein, Luka Heinlein, het aanvanklik die Linden-kolwers gekasty met sy giftige swaaiboulwerk, met die nuwe bal, en vyf paaltjies vir net 18 lopies in nege beurte laat spat.
Die volgende dag, moes Merensky na Klerksdorp reis om Hoërskool Klerksdorp aan te durf. Hierdie slag was dit die beurt van die hotklou-draaier, Timothy Baker, om ‘n vyf-paaltjie vertoning op te dis en die Klerksdorpers te roer. Baker het slegs 7.5 beurte benodig om die vyf paaltjies vir net 14 lopies te neem.
Die jong Waldo Mouton (4/13) het hom bygestaan met vier paaltjies in sy toegelate 10 beurte om die tuisspan vir net 76 uit te boender. Die Plasie-kolwers het die lewe self nie maklik gevind nie, met Jordan van der Schyff wat die Klerksdorpers se hoop laat opvlam het met sy 4/24, maar die Plasies het uiteindelik die pyp gerook, met vier paaltjies staande.
Wesvalia se Eduard Dreyer het Linden laat les opsê met boulsyfers van 3/35 om die span van Johannesburg tot ‘n “Nelson” (111) te beperk. Daarna het hy oudergewoonte ook sy kolf laat praat met ‘n pragbeurt van 49 lopies, gevolg deur Janré Greyling (28) en Quewen Fourie (21), om die teiken in ‘n japtrap te bereik.
Hoërskool Secunda se afgeronde spanvertoning het aan hulle ‘n sege met 11 lopies oor Hoërskool DR EG Jansen besorg. Luan Swart (44) en CJ Bakker (25*) het die span van Secunda tot 154 gedryf, ondanks die venynige boulwerk van die Jansies se Jaco Engelbrecht (4/41).
Brenton Francis (27) en Liam Green (22) het moedig probeer om die Jansies oor die wenstreep te kry, maar ekonomiese boulwerk deur Nathan Erasmus (2/14) en Kie het ‘n stokkie daarvoor gesteek.
Beknopte telkaarte:
Saterdag:
Linden 111 (Ruben Cruickshank 36, Thomas Muller 22; Eduard Dreyer 3/35, Ethan Walker 2/6, Janre Greyling 2/20); Wesvalia 114/2 (Eduard Dreyer 49, Janre Greyling 28*, Quewen Fourie 21*; Wynand van Zyl 1/28). Wesvalia wen met agt paaltjies.
Hoërskool Klerksdorp 76 (Jordan van der Schyff 33*; Timothy Baker 5/14, Waldo Mouton 4/13); Merensky Landbou Akademie 78/6 (Schalk Rossouw 19*; Jordan van der Schyff 4/24). Merensky wen met vier paaltjies.
Hoërskool Secunda 154 (Luan Swart 44, CJ Bakker 25*, Ceejay Web 24; Jaco Engelbrecht 4/41); Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen 143 (Brenton Francis 27, Liam Green 22, Juan Ungerer 21; Nathan Erasmus 2/14, Jean Loock 2/18, Jayden Scholtz 2/27). Hoërskool Secunda wen met 11 lopies.
Vrydag:
Linden 143 (Thomas Muller 40, Ekstras 39; Luka Heinlein 5/18, Cashan Jacobz 2/13, Rinaldo Bornman 2/17); Merensky Landbou Akademie 145/4 (Rinaldo Bornman 64*, Ekstras 34, Logan Jansen van Rensburg 24; Thomas Muller 3/33). Merensky wen met ses paaltjies.
Morteza Manack spanked a brilliant unbeaten century in St David’s Marist Inanda’s 85-run (DLS) victory over Queens High School when the two sides crossed swords at St David’s on Saturday.
As happened with most matches played in the Gauteng Lions region, the game included several stoppages due to rain.
St David’s lost the toss and were sent in to bat first. No problem! The hosts raced to 285/2 in their 37-over innings.
Queens’ innings was truncated to only 27 overs, and they were chasing a stiff Duckworth-Lewis-Stern adjusted total of 263. Three more overs were later lost to the elements and Queens, eventually, raised 177/5 in 24 overs.
Manack was in a belligerent mood, bludgeoning seven fours and nine sixes in his unbeaten 106 from only 51 deliveries. St David’s had laid a firm foundation of 139/2 when he arrived at the crease. That total included a 104-run opening stand between Roberto Mariano and Armaan Manack.
Both openers registered half-centuries, with Mariano scoring a fluent 67 off 83 balls, while Armaan Manack raced to 54 off 52 deliveries. Manack was the first to depart in the 19th over. Six over later, Mariano was back in the dugout.
St David’s skipper Samrat Basu joined forces with Morteza Manack in the 25th over and they shared an unbroken 146-run third-wicket partnership. Basu’s contribution was 42 not out from 41 balls.
Dimpho Sefoli and Precili Molapisi gave the Queens’ run chase a good start, batting at a decent clip to put on 102 for the first wicket in 13.4 overs. After Molapisi’s departure, though, they lost momentum.
Their cause was further undermined by Hayden Campbell’s double strike in the 20th over, which accounted for Bafana Mthunzi and Katlego Sekopane. From there, the Queens’ challenge petered out.
Campbell was the pick of the bowlers for St David’s with two wickets for 19 runs in three overs. Jared Stern and Morteza Manack took some stick but finished with 1/43 from six overs and 1/38 from five, respectively.
Scorecards
St David’s Marist Inanda 285/2 (Morteza Manack 106*, Roberto Mariano 67, Bafana Mthunzi 2/43, Katlego Sekopane 0/33). Queens High School 177/5 (Dimpho Sefoli 69, Precili Molapi 38, Hayden Campbell 2/19, Morteza Manack 1/43). St David’s won by 85 runs (DLS).
Hoërskool Kempton Park kan in 2026 sake in die A-afdeling van die Finsbury-reeks uitspook, nadat hy Saterdag sy plek in die promosie-relegasie-wedstryd teen Hoërskool Nelspruit bespreek het.
Die Kempies se oorwinning met 39 lopies oor Hoërskool Hans Moore het verseker dat hulle bo aan die B-afdeling se puntelys eindig en dus eerskomende naweek teen die Nellies, wat laaste in die A-afdeling geëindig het, te staan kom vir ‘n plek in die top-afdeling van die reeks.
Soos die geval was met heelparty wedstryde in die kompetisie, is Saterdag se kragmeting in Kempton Park ook deur gure weer en nat toestande beïnvloed. Die tuisspan, wat eerste gekolf het, moes spook om uiteindelik by 175/8 uit te kom, toe die reën sy kolfbeurt in die 43ste beurt kortgeknip het. Hanré van Deventer was voor in die koor met 57 lopies, onder druk, om die grondslag vir sy span te lê.
Shaun Nash (22*) en Garth van Deventer (22) het ook broodnodige bydraes gelewer, wat belangriker is as wat die telkaart mag voorgee, terwyl Nathan King (2/26) en Zander Swart (2/40) die Moories se gevaarmanne was met die bal.
Die Kempies se goue trio in die bouldepartement het egter die momentum in die guns van die Kempies geswaai. Met die Moories se hersiende teiken van 215 in net 42 beurte, was die linkerhandse draaier, Wian Pieters, vir die soveelste keer vanjaar die span van Kempton se uitblinker.
Sy nege beurte het slegs 20 lopies gekos, terwyl hy ook drie paaltjies opgeraap het wat die druk vierkantig op die span van Benoni geplaas het. Die aanvangsboulers, Stian van Breda (2/27) en Kristian du Plessis (2/44), het die res van die skade aan die toporde aangerig.
Kenan Shaw het, na die ineenstorting van die toporde, sy kolfvernuf tentoongestel deur, onder kwaai druk, ‘n vermaaklike 79 lopies, wat agt grenshoue ingesluit het, te moker. Hy was ongelukkig die enigste Moorie-kolwer wat ‘n noemenswaardige bydrae kon maak.
Potchefstroom Gimnasium se Christivan Coetzer en Nico Jordaan het Hoërskool Centurion se boulers in Potch laat les opsê. Albei is uiteindelik vir 74 lopies terug pawiljoen toe, maar hul poging was genoeg om die Gimmies tot ‘n stewige totaal van 263/9 in die toegelate 50 beurte te help. Die veelsydige Ciaden Seleka (3/22) en Ruhann Steenkamp (2/19) het daarna met die bal die sege beklink.
Slegs die Woeries se Morné Prinsloo het gelyk of hy antwoorde gehad het op die Gimmie-boulers se vrae en sy 38 was die hoogste telling van die span van Centurion, wat vir net 152 lopies uitgeboender is.
Hoërskool Marais Viljoen kon slegs 10.3 beurte kolf voor sy wedstryd teen Hoërskool Montana afgelas is. Die twee spanne het dus elk twee liagpunte uit hul laaste kragmeting in vanjaar se reeks ontvang.
Beknopte telkaarte:
Hoërskool Kempton Park 178/5 (42.1) (Hanré van Deventer 57, Ekstras 28, Shaun Nash 22*, Garth van Deventer 22; Nathan King 2/26, Zander Swart 2/40); Hans Moore 175/9 (42) (Kenan Shaw 79, Ekstras 24, Zander Swart 22; Wian Pieters 3/20, Francois Marais 2/25, Stian van Breda 2/27, Kristian du Plessis 2/44). Hoërskool Kempton Park wen met 39 volgens die Duckworth-Lewis-Stern-metode.
Dit is hoe die laaste oomblike van Hoërskool Rustenburg se dramatiese sege oor Hoërskool Waterkloof op sy tuisveld, die André van der Walt-ovaal in Pretoria, vir jare onthou sal word.
Die besoekers het in ‘n verkorte wedstryd, waar die seile ‘n hele paar keer moes op en af, met die laaste bal van die wedstryd, met vyf paaltjies koning gekraai. Die oorwinning verseker voorts dat die Rusties in die A-afdeling van die Finsbury-reeks bly.
“Die aanvallende spel van ons aanvangskolwers het ons ‘n kans gegee om te wen, nadat die hersiende teiken, volgens die Duckworth-Lewis-Stern-metode, 201 in slegs 30 beurte was,” meen die Rusties-afrigter, Jan van Staden.
“Die feit dat die aanvangsvennootskap van 54 in net 6.5 beurte gekom het was ‘n hoogtepunt in ons kolfbeurt.”
In dié vennootskap het Henré Robinson die leiding geneem, met vyf grenshoue vir ‘n totaal van 42, terwyl Thian Labuschagne teen ‘n treftempo van 129 gekolf het vir sy 31, van slegs 24 aflewerings. Tristan van der Linde (21) het Robinson netjies bygestaan na Labuschagne terug pawiljoen toe is, en die twee het vasgebyt vir nóg ‘n vennootskap van meer as 50 lopies.
Die Klofies se kaptein, Jaydon Blom, het sy kapteinsbeurt van 55 nie uit nie goed opgevolg deur uiteindelik altwee dié venootskappe te verbreek en het sy dag met syfers van 2/16 afgesluit.
In die Rusties se boulbeurt, het Callie Fryer die aanslag gelei. Fryer se ses beurte het slegs 21 lopies gekos, terwyl hy drie Klofie-kolwers uitgehaal het om die grondslag vir ‘n geskiedkundige sege te lê.
Daar moet wel genoem word dat groot name soos kaptein, Riley Miller, wat vroeër die dag ‘n reuse 123 van slegs 40 balle gemoker het, en paaltjiewagter en voorslagkolwer, Rico van der Walt, afwesig was, aangesien hulle met die Klofies se ander senior span aan die Clifton T20-toernooi in KwaZulu-Natal deelgeneem het.
Dit neem egter niks weg van die Rusties se prestasie nie, aangesien hulle welverdiend met die verdedigende kampioen op sy tuisveld afgereken het.
Hoërskool Eldoraigne se wedstryd teen Hoërskool Nelspruit in Centurion is afgelas weens gure weer en volgens die Finsbury-reëls deel die spanne ligapunte in die geval van ‘n wedstryd wat nie voltooi word voor die minimum toegelate 10 beurte nie.
Dié uitslag, tesame met die Klofies se nederlaag, beteken dus dat die Eldos na nommer een op die puntelys skuif en op hul tuisveld vir die titel van die A-afdeling teen die Klofies sal meeding.
Die Hoërskool Menlopark het sy suksesvolle veldtog in vanjaar se reeks met ‘n oortuigende sege oor Potchefstroom Volkskool afgesluit. Die Parkies was tot laat in die groepwedstryde steeds ‘n sterk aanspraakmaker om in die eindstryd te speel, verál na hul uitstaande vertoning om die Klofies te troef.
Die talentvolle Jan-Willem Pienaar se wilgerlat was weer aan die brand en hy het uitstekend gekolf vir sy onoorwonne 52 lopies. Matt van der Westhuizen (30) en Monré Koekemoer (26) het hom, onder moeilike omstandighede, goed bygestaan om ‘n totaal van 175 te verseker.
Van der Westhuizen (2/17) en Koekemoer (2/20) het daarna ook gewoeker met die bal, terwyl Heinrich Claassen (2/14) die Volkies help knak en tot net 123 lopies, almal uit, beperk het.
Beknopte telkaarte:
Waterkloof 200/5 (Ekstras 60, Jaydon Blom 55*, Vorster de Villiers 31; Wynand Gouws 22*; Callie Fryer 3/21); Hoërskool Rustenburg 138/5 (Hendré Robinson 42, Thian Labuschagne 31, Ekstras 30, Tristan van der Linde 21; Jaydon Blom 2/16). Hoërskool Rustenburg wen met vyf paaltjies, volgens die Duckworth-Lewis-Stern-metode.
Menlopark 175/8 (Jan-Willem Pienaar 52*, Matt van der Westhuizen 30, Monré Koekemoer 26; Handré de Beer 3/18); Potchefstroom Volkskool 123 (Ekstras 20, Schalk Pienaar 16; Heinrich Claassen 2/14, Matt van der Westhuizen 2/17, Monre Koekemoer 2/20). Menlopark wen met 52 lopies.
Eldoraigne 84/5 (Ryno Mulder 23; Juan Maritz 2/11); Hoërskool Nelspruit (Het nie gekolf nie). Wedstryd afgelas weens gure weer.
St John’s in a huddle after their victory over St Stithians. Photo: St John’s.
Aiden Barberrini struck an unbeaten 49 to help propel St John’s College to a 24-run (DLS) win at St Stithians College on Saturday afternoon in a match marred by stoppages due to lightning.
Almost 20 minutes away, Cade Bradley carved a brilliant half-century to set up Northcliff for a surprise 56-run home victory over Helpmekaar.
At Saints, the toss went St Stithians’ way and their captain, Liam Mudenda, asked the visitors to bat first. St John’s innings was a stop-start affair because of the interruptions for lightning. After 40.1 overs, they finished with 147/4.
The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern table was consulted and Saints were set an adjusted target of 188 runs in 40 overs. They were bowled out for 163 in 39.5.
It was in the 13th over of the St John’s innings that Barberrini arrived at the crease, after the dismissal of Joshua Hall. The visitors needed to stabilise their innings after losing two wickets for 12 runs in just under five overs. Barberrini, together with Nkosana Sibiya, delivered, with the duo adding 47 runs for the third wicket, the highest partnership of their innings, which left St John’s on the cusp of three figures.
Barberrini was also involved in the second-highest St John’s partnership of 31, which he shared with his captain, Alec Loveland.
Tom Collins and Akhil Challa prevented the visitors from achieving more significant partnerships. Challa claimed two wickets for 27 runs in 10 overs, while Collins sent down nine overs and nabbed two wickets for 28 runs.
The St Stithians’ run chase ran into troubled waters early on, when they lost two wickets in the powerplay. Tom Collins and Jason Joiner tried to rebuild the innings, combining for a 36-run third-wicket partnership. Saints, though, lost wickets at regular intervals and the Collins and Joiner partnership turned out to be their highest.
Nicholas Baily spent the longest time in the middle as he tried to hold together the St Stithians’ innings. He was, also, looking for someone to help him see the home side through to victory. He didn’t find anyone. During his time at the crease, he partnered with six batsmen without much reward as four of them fell for single-figure scores. Baily finished with a valiant 46 off 59 balls, but his effort was in vain.
Ethan Robinson, crucially, accounted for Ombesa Matsha and Liam Mudenda, the St Stithians’ openers, on his way to three wickets for 23 runs from 7.5 overs. Herman Basson contributed two wickets for 38 runs from six overs.
In the other match, Cade Bradley appeared to be in a different class as he cracked four fours and five sixes in his 67 from 56 deliveries. His aggressive knock led Northcliff to a total of 134 all out in 29.4 overs. Helpmekaar, then, in the face of an inspired Northcliff bowling attack, mustered only 78 all out in 17.1 overs.
After being asked to bat first, Northcliff struggled to settle at the crease. They found themselves in a dire position, on 30/4 after 6.3 overs, when Bradley walked out to bat. The middle-order batsman was trying to establish himself when Northcliff lost their fifth wicket in the powerplay.
However, Bradley was undaunted, batting through 21.4 overs for his half-century. Kyle Davies and Gareth Hunkin were the only other batsmen to reach double figures.
While Northcliff made a poor start to their innings, Helpmekaar’s was worse. They lost an incredible seven wickets in the powerplay and none of their top seven made it to 10. Kevin Oliver and Xander Jackson mounted a lower-order fightback with a 24-run ninth-wicket partnership. However, that was too little, too late.
Oliver Vermaak was the destroyer-in-chief, capturing four wickets for 16 runs in six overs. He experienced outstanding support from Declan Diesel, who knocked over three wickets for 26 runs in six overs.
Scorecards
St John’s College 147/4 (Aiden Barberrini 49*, Nkosana Sibiya 31, Akhil Challa 2/27, Tom Collins 2/28). St Stithians College 163/10 (Nicholas Baily 46, Jason Joiner 27, Ethan Robinson 3/23, Herman Basson 2/38). St John’s won by 24 runs (DLS).
Northcliff High School 134/10 (Cade Bradley 67, Gareth Hunkin 19, Anrich Liebenberg 3/11, Heinrich Minnaar 3/26). Helpmekaar Kollege 78/10 (Xander Jackson 20, Kevin Oliver 18, Oliver Vermaak 4/16, Declan 3/26) Northcliff won by 56 runs.
St David’s players and coaches launch themselves into the pool in celebration of winning the 2025 Vides Water Polo Tournament. Photo: TeamPhotoSA
The St David’s Marist Inanda 1st water polo side produced a well-rounded and clinical performance to defeat St Andrew’s College 9-5 in the final of the Vides Water Polo Tournament in East London on Saturday.
The tournament, hosted by Selborne College, began on Thursday, and after three days of jam-packed action, St David’s and St Andrew’s were, by far, the most deserving to contest the final. They impressed all weekend long.
In their journey to the title game, coach Dean Whyte‘s Inanda boys were dominant, scoring bucketloads of goals while playing with assurance at the opposite end of the pool.
The Johannesburg outfit shrugged off Michaelhouse 6-4 in the last eight and then thumped Clifton College 11-4 in the semi-finals.
St Andrew’s, led by coach Grant Mackenzie, had a similar run, also going unbeaten in the group stages.
They beat PRG in their quarterfinal before shocking the hosts, Selborne, 7-3 to book a spot in the title game.
Both unbeaten records were on the line, but it was St David’s who dominated the early exchanges of the final. The boys from Sandton made a quick start and led 5-3 at the halfway mark, courtesy of goals by David Campbell, Dylan Gander, Matthew Peacock, and a double by Cooper Haworth.
Luke Parker, Daniel Meihuizen, and Liam Nurse replied for St Andrew’s.
The third chukka was very competitive, but it produced very little in the way of goalscoring. Haworth completed his hat-trick before Josh Hinks struck for College, which left St David’s 6-4 to the good heading into the final chukka.
With the game on the line, coach Whyte’s charges controlled and managed the game well. St Andrew’s was able to muster only one goal, scored by Calum Emslie from the penalty spot.
St David’s was superb on defence, and goalkeeper, Dylan Wiggill, came through with some unorthodox but effective saves to keep his side in front.
They, also, added three more goals to close out the match. Haworth netted his fourth before Connor McJannet and Giorgio Ferreira struck, too.
Try as they might, St Andrew’s couldn’t claw their way back into the clash, and St David’s lifted the trophy.
“I’m very happy with how the boys conducted themselves. It’s amazing to see their work pay off,” coach Dean Whyte told SuperSport Schools Plus poolside after the match.
“We’ve got a wonderful team, and a lot of boys have finals experience, particularly from a provincial level. It was nice to have them play into that game with eased pressure because it was a familiar environment for them.”
Whyte, who is known for his calm and composed demeanour, led St David’s to a fifth-place finish in last year’s event.
He said consistency inspired their title-winning effort in 2025. “The way the boys prepared, taking the pressure off their backs. You don’t win big games and tournaments at the event; it all starts at practice.
“We were consistent at practice, and the boys have been playing really well. Kudos to them.”
Photo: TeamPhoto SA
At the end of last season, St David’s suffered an exodus of key players. Whyte, though, has taken charge of a young and energetic group, mostly grade 11s, with only three matrics in the line-up.
That depth will stand them in good stead next year, but their immediate focus turns to the Reef Cup, where they will feel that have a shot at a second title in 2025.
Selborne College finished the event on a high, beating Clifton 8-3 to take the bronze medal.
Grey High edged out Michaelhouse 6-5 to finish in fifth place, while PRG occupied seventh and Woodridge completed the top 10.
Scorers in the final
St David’s Marist Inanda 9: Cooper Haworth (4), David Campbell, Dylan Gander, Connor McJannet, Giorgio Ferreira, Matthew Peacock. St Andrew’s College 5: Luke Parker, Daniel Meihuizen, Liam Nurse, Josh Hinks, Calum Emslie.
RESULTS
DAY 3
Selborne Collegians 11-5 Grey College
Grey High School 6-5 Paul Roos
Pearson High vs Paarl Boys High
Michaelhouse 6-5 St Alban’s College
Wynberg Boys’ High 6-5 Reddam House Constantia
Woodridge College 11-5 Stirling High
Paarl Boys’ High 8-5 Grey College
Pearson High 4-3 Selborne Collegians
Reddam House Constantia 12-3 Stirling High
Wynberg Boys’ High 13-4 Woodridge College
Paul Roos Gimnasium 7-5 St Alban’s College
Grey High 6-5 Michaelhouse
Selborne College 8-3 Clifton College
Semi-finals
St Andrew’s College 7-3 Selborne College
St David’s Marist Inanda 11-4 Clifton College
Final
St David’s Marist Inanda 9-5 St Andrew’s College
FINAL STANDINGS
St David’s Marist Inanda
St Andrew’s College
Selborne College
Clifton College
Grey High
Michaelhouse
Paul Roos
St Alban’s College
Wynberg Boys’ High
Woodridge College
Reddam House Constantia
Stirling High School
Pearson High School
Selborne Collegians
Paarl Boys’ High
Grey College
Waterkloof captain Riley Miller smashed an astonishing third century of the season in his side’s big win over Glenwood. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Rain allowed only three matches to be played in the Clifton T20 Tournament on Saturday, but, boy, were there fireworks!
Hoërskool Waterkloof vs Glenwood High School
Waterkloof, with captain Riley Miller leading the way, launched an astonishing attack on Glenwood‘s bowlers on the Crusaders 2 field, blasting 290/4 in only 18 overs.
That’s a jaw-dropping run rate of 16.04 per over.
Before Miller made it to the crease, though, Rico van der Walt and AJ de Villiers, laid into the Green Machine‘s bowlers, rocketing their way to a 99-run partnership for the first wicket. It ended when Van der Walt was caught by Prince Shezi off the bowling of Elgenio Oerson for 45 from only 18 balls, which included four fours and four sixes.
While Glenwood might have expected some respite after his departure, the arrival of Miller opened the floodgates.
Catch the action LIVE on DStv Channel 216 or follow it on SuperSport Schools
The Waterkloof skipper spent 40 balls at the crease. More than a third of those, 14, he dispatched for six. Another six deliveries went for four. Batting at over three runs a ball, he rocketed to a breath-taking 123 not out.
Juan Swart added a marvellous cameo. In just 11 balls, the grade 9 learner contributed 35 runs, smashing four sixes and two fours as he and Miller enjoyed a 109-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Glenwood’s bowling figures made for miserable reading. Mishaela Gunawardana was the pick of their bowlers, picking up 2/43. At 10.8 runs per over, he was comfortably the least expensive of the eight bowlers employed by the Durban side.
To their credit, Glenwood went hard at Waterkloof from the start of their innings, even though their chance of victory appeared all but impossible.
Kressan Pillai was excellent at the top of the order, cracking six fours and three sixes in making 49 from only 22 balls. Krian Jugoo, in at three, also went after the Waterkloof bowlers, belting three sixes and two fours in a quickfire 26 from just 10 deliveries. Together, they added 50 for the second wicket but, after Jugoo departed on 71, matters went south quickly.
The next 39 runs cost eight wickets. Then, a stubborn last-wicket stand of 25 took Glenwood to 135 all out.
Jean Cloete wrecked the local team’s response. He was a little expensive, but his 3.2 overs brought him a decisive 5/28. Johan Liebenberg, with 3/19 from four, played his part, too, and Waterkloof exited with a spectacular 155-run victory.
Clifton College vs Kearsney College
After a heart-breaking last-ball loss to Maritzburg College on Friday, Clifton was desperate to win against Kearsney on Saturday, but the Botha’s Hill boys claimed victory. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Clifton College and Kearsney College were able to play a full T20 on the Crusaders Main Oval, but the mid-afternoon game left the hosts rueing their narrow loss to Maritzburg College on Friday after Kearsney claimed a 26-run win.
Clifton skipper Tim Saulez made Kearsney bat first, but their top three came off. Captain Jason De Gryse and Rivan Moodley made 28 for the first wicket before De Gryse was caught by Byron Ward off the bowling of Regan Radley for 16.
Moodley and Aaron Blackburn, then, took the score to 63, which was when Moodley was dismissed by Shiraz Perumal for 29 from 22 balls, which featured four fours. After his departure, Kearsney haemorrhaged wickets.
Blackburn, though, kept going. He was the seventh man out after contributing 46 runs from 39 balls, with two sixes and a four.
There was one other useful contribution, with Nic Comrie weighing in with 24 not out from just 13 deliveries, which helped Kearsney complete their overs on 142/8.
Shiraz Perumal claimed 3/23 with his leg spin, and Blake Johnson took 2/28 with his orthodox left-arm spin.
Clifton needed to bat at 7.15 runs per over to win. Litha Gonya set the home team on its heels, though, when he bowled Byron Ward when there were just three runs on the board.
Clifton made some progress through Hayden Drieselmann and Tim Saulez, but run outs of Saulez and Shiraz Perumal, either side of the dismissal of Drieselmann, were hammer blows to the host’s chances.
Wickets followed at regular intervals and Clifton never quite threatened to win. Their innings finished on the first ball of the 20th over. They were all out for 116.
Zach Williamson made 28, Hayden Drieselmann 22, and Lawson Dinsdale 20, but Saulez, with 12, was the only other player to hit double figures.
Left-arm paceman Litha Gonya, who has been enjoying a fine season, was the spearhead of the Kearsney attack, capturing 3/23 from four overs, while Rivan Moodley bagged 2/19 with his leg-spin and left-arm wrist spinner Matthew Gorrie 2/33.
Michaelhouse vs Maritzburg College
In the day’s other game, Michaelhouse, who beat Kearsney on Friday, made it two wins on the trot with a 19-run victory over Maritzburg College in a match reduced to 14 overs a side.
Playing on Northwood‘s Robin Smith Oval, ‘House scored at exactly nine runs an over to rattle up 126/3.
As he had done in the win over Kearsney, Michaelhouse skipper Ethan Muir excelled at the top of the order. He and Victor North shared an opening stand of 77 runs before North was caught by Sphamandla Dzanibe off Nathan Pembridge for 29 from 25 balls.
Ben Heuer and Michael Blignaut went cheaply as ‘House desperately chased more runs, but Muir ended undefeated on 71 from 46 balls, which included five fours and three sixes.
College’s run pursuit started well, with both openers, Tian van Niekerk and Daniel Nadasan, batting at better than a run a ball. They tallied 63 for the first wicket before Van Niekerk was out for 39, which had included five fours.
A couple of sixes in a rapid 23 from Karl Dedekind wasn’t enough to lift Maritzburg College to a win over Michaelhouse. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Still, College managed to up their scoring rate as Karl Dedekind launched a couple of sixes in a 13-ball stay that brought him 23 runs. He was dismissed on 84 and two runs later Nadasan was caught by Michael Blignaut off Ben Heuer for 35.
After another two runs, Luka Puddu was removed, and Luca van der Merwe followed two after that, which left College on 90/5. They made it to 107/5, but never quite managed to challenge the Michaelhouse total.
Rendani Nonge had plenty to do with that. He knocked over 3/21 in three overs.
Playoffs
On Sunday, the action will begin with a juicy traditional rivalry, with Hilton College facing Michaelhouse in the first eliminator on the Crusaders Main Oval from 08:30.
The second eliminator, on Crusaders 2, will feature St Charles College and Kearsney. Saintsadvanced even though rain allowed them to play only one match on the first two days. They won that one convincingly, though, cruising to a seven-wicket win over Glenwood.
If only Waterkloof hadn’t had a match rained out. One feels they would be playing for a higher position, but they’ll have to settle for a showdown with Maritzburg College at Durban High School (DHS) at 09:00 for seventh place.
At the same time, Clifton will tackle St John’s College (Harare) at Northwood, where the bat of the powerful St John’s captain Connor Lovatt will be key. They’ll dispute ninth place.
Matters didn’t go Northwood’s way and the KZN Schools SA20 champswill face Glenwood on the Kingsmead Oval for eleventh place, also at 09:00.
Both DHS and Westville Boys’ High went two for two on Friday and won their matches comfortably. At 11:30, Westville will tackle the winner of the first eliminator in a semi-final on the Crusaders Main Oval, while DHS, the defending champion, will take on the winner of the second eliminator on Crusaders 2 in the other semi-final.
The final will be played on the Crusaders Main Oval at 14:30.
The weather forecast for Sunday in Durban is cloudy, with no rain, and temperatures in the upper twenties.
SUMMARISED SCORECARDS
18 overs
Hoërskool Waterkloof 290/4 (Riley Miller 123*, AJ de Villiers 60, Rico van der Walt 45, Juan Swart 35, Mishaela Gunawardana 2/43); Glenwood High School 135/10 (Kressan Pillai 49, Krian Jugoo 26, Jean Cloete 5/28, Johan Liebenberg 3/19). Waterkloof won by 155 runs.
T20
Kearsney College 142/8 (Aaron Blackburn 46, Rivan Moodley 29, Nic Comrie 24*, Shiraz Perumal 3/23, Blake Johnson 2/29); Clifton College 116/10 (Zach Williamson 28, Hayden Drieselmann 22, Lawson Dinsdale 20, Litha Gonya 3/23, Rivan Moodley 2/19, Matthew Gorrie 2/33). Kearsney College won by 26 runs.
14 overs
Michaelhouse 126/3 (Ethan Muir 71*, Victor North 29, Reece Willson 1/23); Maritzburg College 107/5 (Tian van Niekerk 39, Daniel Nadasan 35, Karl Dedekind 23, Rendani Nonge 3/21). Michaelhouse won by 19 runs.
SUNDAY FIXTURES
08:30 – Hilton College vs Michaelhouse, eliminator one, Crusaders Main Oval
08:30 – St Charles College vs Kearsney College, eliminator two, Crusaders 2
09:00 – Hoërskool Waterkloof vs Maritzburg College, DHS (7th place)
09:00 – Clifton College vs St John’s College (Harare), Northwood (9th place)
09:00 – Northwood School vs Glenwood High School, Kingsmead Oval (11th place)
11:30 – Westville Boys’ High vs winner eliminator one, semi-final, Crusaders Main Oval
11:30 – Durban High School vs winner eliminator two, semi-final, Crusaders 2
Prestige Football Development Academy, based in Roodepoort, has made waves by announcing the appointment of former Bafana Bafana midfielder Benedict Vilakazi as its new head coach.
Vilakazi, popularly known as “Tso” and “Little Napoleon“, brings extensive experience to the academy, which is currently competing in the Gauteng Development League‘s B stream.
He was born in Diepkloof, Soweto, and apart from the 31 caps he earned for the South African national team, Vilakazi played for, among others, top South African clubs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns. He is Orlando Pirates’ all-time leading goal scorer, with 58 goals to his name.
In a recent press statement, Prestige Football Development Academy said Vilakazi’s vision perfectly complements their commitment to the growth of young players. “We look forward to an exciting journey under him and we can’t wait to see the positive impact he will have on our players,” the statement read.
Speaking at the academy earlier this week, Vilakazi described his motivation as a coach: “I’m here at the Prestige Academy, where I think and I believe that I’m going to add value to the academy, and I am looking forward [to doing that] because one thing that is in me is that I want to build a player, possibly like me, because it’s been years of not seeing midfielders that create chances and score goals.
“So, that’s my mission. Personally, that is what I want to do. And with the academy itself, we’ve got a programme that we want to develop players that will play at the highest level.”
Prestige Football Development Academy has also partnered with German Bundesliga club FSV Mainz 05 in a relationship that is aimed at developing local talent and providing them with opportunities to compete at the highest level, both domestically and internationally.
“The agreement with Mainz is we’re going to have players from here at Prestige going overseas to play in Germany,” Vilakazi said.
His responsibilities as the head coach of the Prestige Football Development Academy involve establishing a framework, a philosophy, and a culture that will key the academy’s successes.
Vilakazi said that as a qualified coach, he possesses the expertise to nurture player development. His role at the Prestige Football Development Academy, he said, is to ensure a promising future for the young talent within the academy.
The u16 Stithians College Basketball Tournament tipped off on Friday, welcoming players from all across South Africa, and from neighbouring Eswatini and Botswana.
Boys’ competition
In the boys’ competition, some teams made a significant impact on day one, including Hilton College, St Alban’s College, King Edward VII School (KES), Michaelhouse, St Benedict’s College, St David’s Marist Inanda, and Kearsney College.
In Pool A, St David’s Marist Inanda went three for three to finish the day with a full haul of six points. Their group includes a formidable line-up, with, among others, St Benedict’s College, Kearsney College, and the defending champions, Westville Boys’ High School.
St David’s started their campaign with a 34-25 win against Parktown Boys’ High School and then laid down a marker by outplaying Westville Boys’ High 39-19. They ran into tough opposition from Kearsney College and scraped a 35-34 win in their third outing.
After day one in Pool A, St Benedict’s College and Kearsney are in second and third positions respectively, each with five points.
The front runners in Pool B are KES and Michaelhouse. Both have six points after three wins each, with KES on top of the table on points’ difference.
They overran St Peter’s College 47-19 and cruised to a 38-17 victory over Maru-a-Pula, from Botswana. St Charles College made KES battle hard, but the Johannesburg school pulled off a 36-30 win in the end.
Michaelhouse took down St Charles, winning 30-23. They beat St Peter’s 32-21, and held off St Stithians u16A, winning 38-32.
Saints, though, are hot on ‘House’s heels, having earned five points.
St Alban’s College tops Pool C after day one, but their record was not unblemished. They’re on five points, but so, too, is St John’s College. They’ll be wary of Maritzburg College, though.
The KZN side played only twice on Friday but charged to a 65-13 defeat of Eswatini’s Usutu Forest International and edged out St John’s 43-41.
Usutu Forest and Pretoria Boys High prop up the table with two points apiece.
Hilton College is in a commanding position in Pool D after racking up three victories from three starts. They decisively defeated the St Stithians College u15A team 31-19. St George’s College, of Zimbabwe, pushed them hard, but Hilton won 35-28, and they completed their day’s schedule by beating St Andrew’s College by the same score.
On day one of the girls’ competition, the hosts, St Stithians, emerged as one the leading contenders.
Playing in Pool B, Saints is up against the International School of South Africa (ISSA), Kingswood College, and Redhill School. After two wins – by 16-6 over Redhill and 28-13 over ISSA – the home team tops the standings.
ISSA and Kingswood picked up a win and a loss each. Kingswood narrowly defeated Redhill 10-8 but went down 14-26 to ISSA. Redhill finished the day winless.
Pool A is intriguing after both St Peter’s College and the Saheti School A Team picked up two wins apiece. They meet at 10:00 on Saturday morning.
St Peter’s College scored a comfortable 31-7 win over Trinity House Glenvista in their first match and then outlasted Michael Mount Waldorf 29-20. Saheti’s victories against the same opponents were tighter. They beat Trinity House 23-14 and narrowly overcame Michael Mount 25-22.
In Pool C, Rand Tutorial College ended Friday with a sparkling clean record. They decisively defeated St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria) 38-8 and St Dunstan’s College 43-18.
St Mary’s occupies second place in the pool after a 15-9 win over Marist Brothers Linmeyer.
St Mary’s Waverley is top of pool D after a couple of convincing victories on Friday. They overpowered The King’s School Linbro Park 34-4 in their opener and then kept their opposition to single figures again, dominating the Saheti School B Team 21-5.
Diocesan School for Girls (Makhanda) played only once and triumphed 37-13 over St Mary’s DSG.
Boys’ results
Pool A
St David’s 34-25 Parktown Boys
Kearsney College 41-27 Falcon College
St Benedict’s College 39-17 Westville Boys’ High
Kearsney College 34-35 St David’s
Westville Boys’ High 25-16 Falcon College
St Benedict’s College 36-28 Parktown Boys
St David’s 28-25 St Benedict’s College
Parktown Boys 51-25 Falcon College
Kearsney College 37-34 Westville Boys’ High
St David’s 35-34 Kearsney College
Pool B
St Stithians College 37-11 Maru-a-Pula
Michaelhouse 30-23 St Charles College
KES 47-19 St Peter’s College
KES 38-17 Maru-a-Pula
Michaelhouse 32-21 St Peter’s College
St Stithians College 44-19 St Charles College
KES 36-30 St Charles College
Maru-a-Pula 28-16 St Peter’s College
Michaelhouse 38-32 St Stithians College
Pool C
St John’s College 39-27 St Alban’s College
Maritzburg College 65-13 Usutu Forest
St John’s College 39-34 Pretoria Boys
St Alban’s College 39-14 Usutu Forest
St Alban’s College 32-22 Pretoria Boys
Maritzburg College 43-41 St John’s College
Pool D
Michael Mount 24-17 St George’s College
St Andrew’s College 36-28 Jeppe Boys
Hilton College 31-19 St Stithians College u15A
Jeppe Boys 57-35 Michael Mount
Hilton College 35-28 St George’s College
Hilton College 35-28 St Andrew’s College
Michael Mount 27-15 St Stithians u15A
St George’s College 37-25 Jeppe Boys
Girls’ results
Pool A
Saheti A 25-22 Michael Mount
St Peter’s College 31-7 Trinity House
St Peter’s College 29-20 Michael Mount
Saheti A 23-14 Trinity House
Pool B
ISSA 26-14 Kingswood College
St Stithians College 16-6 Redhill
Kingswood College 10-8 Redhill
St Stithians College 28-13 ISSA
Pool C
Rand Tutorial 37-8 St Mary’s DSG
St Mary’s DSG 15-9 Marist Brothers
Rand Tutorial 43-18 St Dustin’s College
St Dustin’s College 21-16 Marist Brothers
Pool D
St Mary’s Waverley 34-4 The King’s Linbro
DSG (Makhanda) 37-13 St Mary’s DSG
St Mary’s Waverley 21-5 Saheti B
Durban High School’s fielders rejoice after grabbing an early wicket against Hoërskool Waterkloof. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Day one of the Clifton T20 Tournament delivered an overdose of excitement, with the defending champions, Durban High School(DHS), and Westville Boys’ High making their cases as the teams to beat, while Clifton College and Maritzburg College produced a final ball thriller.
On top of that, KZN, at last, saw a century scored at first-team level. It hadn’t happened in 2025 until Friday. Then, it happened twice, and almost three times.
Durban High School vs Glenwood
DHS began their day at home, on the Theobald Oval, with an outing against Glenwood High School. The Green Machine, after winning the toss, chose to field first, and they did a solid job, keeping School to 136/6.
Josh van Biljon led the way for the hosts, hitting a six and four fours in his 39 from 33 balls, while Taine Havermann chipped in with 24, and Bayanda Majola got after the Glenwood bowlers late, launching a six and hitting two fours in a quickfire 21 from 10 deliveries.
Glenwood’s leading spinners enjoyed success, with Akhil Maharaj knocking over 3/16 in four overs, while captain Kyle Bryan picked up 2/18 from his four.
DHS had batted at 6.8 runs per over. While challenging, they had not posted an insurmountable tally, but good bowling and fielding ensured Glenwood didn’t come close to challenging for victory. They were bowled out for 101 in 18.4 overs.
Up front, Kressan Pillai played a good knock, making 30 from 33 before he was run out, which was a big blow to Glenwood’s hopes of victory. Kyle Bryan made 21 and Kamo Moloto 16, but every other batsman finished in single figures.
Bhavesh Naicker sent three batsmen packing, snapping up 3/16 in 2.4 overs, while Dhilan Naraidu claimed 2/9 in three with his left-arm spin.
In the end, DHS won by 35 runs.
Durban High School vs Hoërskool Waterkloof
In the afternoon, they took on Hoërskool Waterkloof in an eagerly anticipated clash. The wicket had played nicely all day long, not offering much to the bowlers, so it was an interesting decision taken by Waterkloof captain Riley Miller to bowl first.
Success was not immediately forthcoming, but Klofies, then, got rid of the openers, Ethan Cooper and Ismaeel Omar, within one run of one another, with Cooper out for an attacking 25 from 15, with three fours and a six.
Josh van Biljon, in at three, and Taine Havermann, batting fourth in the order, stopped Waterkloof from grabbing the momentum with a 36-run partnership, which ended when Havermann was caught by Rico van der Walt off Johan Liebenberg for 25 from 21 balls, which had included five fours.
The remainder of the DHS batsmen didn’t offer much. Lazlo Jooste made a run-a-ball 14, but no one else reached double figures. That didn’t matter. Josh van Biljon took charge and dominated the Waterkloof attack. In just 54 balls, he lashed an unbeaten 103, bashing seven sixes and eight fours to propel the Horseflies to a very challenging 197/6.
It was a tough outing for the Pretoria school’s bowlers. Although he was a trifle expensive, Stefan Stoltz claimed 2/27 in three to finish as the only bowler with more than one wicket.
Josh van Biljon struck a match-winning 103* to lift DHS to a hard-fought but convincing win over Hoërskool Waterkloof. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Waterkloof faced a huge challenge, but, credit to them, they played positively from the outset, and the first five batsmen in the order batted at or better than a run rate of 100. For a long time, they met the required run rate, but the task proved to be too much for their brave effort to sustain.
The skipper, Riley Miller, appeared to have plenty of time to play his shots – the sign of a good player – and he top scored with 47, striking two sixes and four fours in a 30-ball stay. He dominated a useful partnership with Franco Schmidt, which brought 44 runs for the third wicket.
Schmidt was out with the total on 84 and Miller and Juan Swart joined him on the side of the field before Waterkloof reached 100. Coach Cobus Pienaar‘s charges lost momentum and they soon found themselves in serious trouble on 113/7.
Richard Crous stood tall, though, smashing a defiant 30 not out from 18 balls, and he helped advance the total to 153/8 by the time Klofies ran out of overs. DHS, again, had scored a decisive win, taking victory by 44 runs.
Bhavesh Naicker, who shone with the ball against Glenwood, nabbed 2/20 from three to continue his good start to the tournament, while Bonga Maphanga took 2/18.
Westville Boys’ High vs St John’s College (Harare)
Westville played the opening game of the day against St John’s College (Harare) and cruised to a convincing eight-wicket win.
Captain Seth Simpson set them up for victory with an outstanding spell of leg-spin bowling, capturing 4/14 in four overs. He received good support from Dayalan Boyce, who returned 2/8 from two.
Westville captain Seth Simpson clean bowled James Rawlings on his way to a four-wicket haul against St John’s College (Harare). Photo: Brad Morgan.
St John’s skipper, Connor Lovatt, played a typically aggressive innings, smashing seven fours in his 15-ball 32, while Riley Ettlin contributed 29, but no one else exited single figures as the Rams were bowled out for 91.
Westville wasted little time chasing down that modest total, charging their way to 92/2 off only eight overs.
Simpson, once again, set the example, hitting two fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 35 from 20 balls, while Misbah Nair didn’t hang around either, finishing on 25 not out from 16.
Westville Boys’ High vs Hilton College
Later in the day, Simpson continued his dream start to the Clifton T20, bashing an undefeated 102 from only 64 balls, with eight fours and six sixes, to help the Griffin to a big 190/7 against Hilton College.
Support came from Sean McGough, with 28 from 18, and Misbah Nair, with 27 from 17, but the Westville innings was all about Simpson. His partnership with McGough produced 72 runs, and his stand with Nair was worth 48.
Obakeng Motsepa was the best of the Hilton bowlers, taking 2/29 from four.
To challenge Westville’s large total, Hilton needed at least one of their batsmen to go big. Six of their players reached double figures, with David Hill cracking 34 not out from only 16 balls, James Ogilby making 28 from 37, and Simon Steyn 24 from 19, but more was needed.
Hilton was limited to 136/6 in reply, leaving Westville the handsome winners by 54 runs.
Kyle McGough, Sean McGough, and Dayalan Boyce grabbed two sticks each. Seth Simpson, after his superb century, didn’t bowl.
Northwood School vs Hilton College
While Hilton was well beaten by Westville, they had scored a very welcome win over Northwood earlier in the day. After losing three on the trot to the Knightsthis season, they reversed their fortunes against the Durban school by scoring a 17-run win.
Playing on the Robin Smith Oval, which usually offers something to the bowlers, too, Hilton’s batsmen dug deep to post 146/6, a decent score on Northwood’s main field. Their captain, Ben Hockly, set a fine example, top-scoring with 56 from only 38 balls, dispatching three of those to the boundary and three over the boundary.
David Hill was undefeated, as he was later in the day, contributing a vital 30 not out from 16 balls, while Robert Burman played a key knock, too, making 21 from 12.
Thabiso Mtambo took 2/18 in three for the Knights, who are missing their opening bowler and dangerous hard-hitting batsman, Jamie Wimble, who has a broken finger.
Hilton new ball bowler, Sechaba Gude, struck a big blow for the visitors by dismissing David de Bruyn for a duck. Northwood consolidated, however, through Ross McGlashan and Tuswa Phetha, with McGlashan going on to the home side’s top score of 40. It came from 33 deliveries and included three sixes. Not a single four.
Phetha made 21 and captain Kyle White 19, but Northwood’s challenge slowly slipped away. Gude was the architect of their demise. He knocked over 5/18 in his four overs, which destroyed the Knight’s middle and lower order. They were kept to 129/9 in their reply.
Northwood School vs St John’s College (Harare)
Northwood, the KZN Schools SA20 champions, again found themselves on the wrong end of the result when they hosted St John’s College (Harare) on Friday afternoon. The Knights posted a decent 151/4, but a destructive innings by the Rams’ captain, Connor Lovatt, propelled the Zimbabweans to a seven-wicket win.
Kyle White made 38 from 29 balls, Alistair Duncan 33 not out from 29, and Tuswa Phetha 29 from 27, but those innings paled when compared with Lovatt’s devastating knock. He bludgeoned eight sixes and three fours in a 45-ball stay, which finished with him on 91 not out when victory was secured.
Riley Ettlin played his part, too, making 39 before being run out. It was all about Lovatt, though. He and Khulekani Nduku shared an unbroken 57-run partnership for the fourth wicket to see the Harare school to victory. Nduku’s contribution was five runs.
While many of the Northwood bowlers came in for stick, Jordan Matthews excelled. The left-arm spinner snapped up 1/14 in four overs. Hayden Saunders led the way for St John’s, claiming 2/19 in four.
Clifton College vs Maritzburg College
In the match of the day, Maritzburg College scored two off the final ball to snatch a five-wicket win from Clifton College.
The hosts batted first and put together a solid 168/5. It was a good total and certainly enough to defend, but Clifton felt they could have done better, and, in the end, they needed to have done a tad better.
Captain Tim Saulez continued his fine season with the bat, top scoring with an enterprising 71 from 39 balls, eight of which went for four, and three for six.
Opener Byron Ward played his part with 39 from 33 and he added 52 for the second wicket with his skipper. Then, Zach Williamson and Saulez put on 50 for the third wicket. Williamson’s contribution was only 12, but he ensured Saulez saw most of the bowling, and that paid off.
Clifton opening batsman Byron Ward pulls off a successful reverse sweep against Maritzburg College. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Sphamandla Dzanibe picked up 2/20 for College, but it wasn’t a particularly fun day for their bowlers.
The Red, Black, and Whitemade a stuttering start to their run chase, losing their captain Daniel Nadasan for two to Blake Johnson, and Karl Dedekind for six, to Tim Saulez.
Tian van Niekerk and Luka Puddu arrested the slide, batting their team back into the match with a partnership of 62 for the third wicket.
When a team suffers a last-ball defeat, inevitably some will wonder where they might have conceded a run or not scored a run, which might have changed the result. An untidy three or four overs during Van Niekerk’s and Puddu’s partnership was, maybe, where Clifton let the game slip.
Van Niekerk was joined by Sphamandla Dzanibe after Puddu’s departure and Dzanibe showed off his all-round game by sharing a 58-run stand with the opener before he was caught by Gabriel Vermeulen off left-arm spinner Blake Johnson for 38. Van Niekerk followed a run later, run out by Johnson, and College wobbled at 135/5.
Deolyn Naidoo and Reece Willson didn’t blink, however, and they combined for 34 runs to see their side to a heart-stopping win. Naidoo finished with 12 off 10 and Willson with 17 off 15.
Johnson picked up 2/33 from four for Clifton, while Saulez performed well, claiming 1/22 from his four overs.
Glenwood High School vs St Charles College
St Charles College, meanwhile, pretty much ensured that Glenwood, a semi-finalist in 2024, would miss out on the quarterfinals by racing to a seven-wicket win on the Kingsmead Oval, which was Glenwood’s second loss.
Glenwood’s batting has been somewhat inconsistent this season and it didn’t bring them enough runs when they batted first against Saints. They mustered 121/9 on the moderately sized field, with two players making it into the thirties, but only one other moving beyond doubles figures.
Glenwood lost two wickets to run outs and, unfortunately for them, that included Krian Jugoo, who fell for 32.
Connor Simpson bagged 2/13 in three. Ryan Clarke returned 2/16 in two, and Kaiyuran Naidoo took 2/17 in three.
St Charles needed only 13.5 overs to secure victory. Their captain Rico Honiball made sure his side would win. He delivered a brutal and efficient innings, spending only 16 balls at the crease, with exactly half of them going for boundaries, four for four and four for six. His effort was worth 45 runs.
Connor Simpson added the needed support, chipping in with 35 from 32 balls while striking one four and three sixes.
Incredibly, Saints finished their innings with 10 sixes and only eight fours.
Kearsney College vs Michaelhouse
In the day’s other match, played at Crusaders, Michaelhouse made a good start by scoring a 31-run win over Kearsney College.
Batting first, ‘House tallied a challenging 169/8, with their captain, Ethan Muir leading from the front. The skippers showing how to do it was a theme of the day. He blasted 55 from 26 balls, with eight fours and three sixes. But his wasn’t a solo effort.
Some unorthodox stroke-making helped Michaelhouse post 169/8 against Kearsney. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Nicholas Baker also got stuck into the Kearsney attack, smiting four sixes and three fours in his 34-ball 51, while Graydon Leslie took only 25 deliveries for his 33.
Left-arm wrist spinner Matthew Gorrie shone for Kearsney, snaring 3/26 from four, while left-arm quick, Litha Gonya, claimed 2/35. Leg-spinner Rivan Moodley was tidy, returning 1/20 while conceding five runs an over. Michaelhouse batted at 8.52 overall.
Kearsney lost their captain Jason De Gryse early, but Rivan Moodley and Aaron Blackburn took the fight to the boys from Balgowan, scoring at a rapid clip. Moodley made 26 from 14, clubbing three sixes and two fours before he was caught by Ben Heuer off Cameron Jones.
Blackburn went on to top score with 48 from 23, with eight boundaries, equally divided between fours and sixes, while Jonty Wiggett made 25 from 20. Together they put on 37 for the fifth wicket before Wiggett went out. Blackburn followed seven runs later. At 112/6, Kearsney had lost momentum, and Nic Comrie followed after only two more runs were added.
Michael Groom resisted, hitting three fours in his 18, but Graydon Leslie, who was brought into the Michaelhouse attack as the eighth bowler, grabbed his opportunity, capturing 3/17 from 3.2 overs to help his team to a convincing win, with Kearsney being bowled out for 138.
SUMMARISED SCORECARDS
Durban High School 136/6 (Josh van Biljon 39, Taine Havermann 24, Bayanda Majola 21*, Akhil Maharaj 3/16, Kyle Bryan 2/18); Glenwood High School 101/10 (Kressan Pillai 30, Kyle Bryan 21, Bhavesh Naicker 3.16, Dhilan Naraidu 2/9). DHS won by 35 runs.
Durban High School 197/6 (Josh van Biljon 103*, Taine Havermann 25, Ethan Cooper 25, Stefan Stoltz 2/27); Hoërskool Waterkloof 153/8 (Riley Miller 47, Richard Crous 30*, Bonga Maphanga 2/18, Bhavesh Naicker 2/20). DHS won by 44 runs.
Clifton College 168/5 (Tim Saulez 71, Byron Ward 39, Sphamandla Dzanibe 2/30); Maritzburg College 169/5 (Tian van Niekerk 45, Sphamandla Dzanibe 38, Luka Puddu 33, Blake Johnson 2/33). Maritzburg College won by 5 wickets.
St John’s College Harare 90/10 (Connor Lovatt 32, Riley Ettlin 28, Seth Simpson 4/14, Dayalan Boyce 2/8); Westville Boys’ High 91/2 (Seth Simpson 35*, Misbah Nair 24*). Westville Boys’ High won by 8 wickets.
Westville Boys’ High 190/7 (Seth Simpson 102*, Sean McGough 28, Misbah Nair 27, Obakeng Motsepa 2/30, Benoit Rey 2/31, Sechaba Gude 2/38); Hilton College 136/6 (David Hill 34*, James Ogilby 28, Simon Steyn 24, Kyle McGough 2/21, Dayalan Boyce 2/21, Sean McGough 2/22). Westville Boys’ High won by 54 runs.
Northwood School 151/4 (Kyle White 38, Alistair Duncan 33*, Tuswa Phetha 29, Hayden Saunders 2/19, Khulekani Nduku 2/40); St John’s College Harare 153/3 (Connor Lovatt 91*, Riley Ettlin 39, Jordan Matthews 1/14). St John’s won by 7 wickets.
Glenwood High School 121/9 (Elgenio Oerson 35*, Krian Jugoo 32, Connor Simpson 2/13, Ryan Clarke 2/16, Kaiyuran Naidoo 2/17); St Charles College 122/3 (Rico Honiball 45, Connor Simpson 35*, Akhil Maharaj 1/19). St Charles won by 7 wickets.
Michaelhouse 169/8 (Ethan Muir 55, Nicholas Baker 51, Graydon Leslie 33, Matthew Gomrie 3/26, Litha Gonya 2/35); Kearsney College 138/10 (Aaron Blackburn 48, Rivan Moodley 26, Jonty Wiggett 25, Graydon Leslie 3/17, Ben Heuer 2/17, Radhesh Jhilmeet 2/29). Michaelhouse won by 31 runs.
FIXTURES
Saturday, 15 February
08:30 – Clifton vs Michaelhouse, Crusaders Main Oval
09:00 – Waterkloof vs St Charles, DHS
09:00 – St John’s vs Hilton, Northwood
09:00 – Maritzburg College vs Kearsney, Kingsmead Oval
11:30 – Northwood vs Westville, Crusaders Main Oval
14:00 – DHS vs St Charles, DHS
14:00 – Maritzburg College vs Michaelhouse, Northwood
14:00 – Waterkloof vs Glenwood, Crusaders 2
