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There is no doubt that St Andrew’s School‘s FG Botha is a man for the big occasion.

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The latest evidence of that came on Saturday on Vossie’s Field, in Bloemfontein, after his exceptional all-round performance led Saints to a narrow four-run victory over Hoërskool Waterkloof in their annual derby.

With St Andrew’s batting first, Botha made the visitors from the Jacaranda City chase leather with a masterful innings.

He entered the fray at the fall of the first wicket and settled in quickly, taking only 108 deliveries to score an entertaining 101, which included 10 fours and a six.

Andrew Sobiech played his part, too. In an 82-run partnership with Botha, he contributed 39 runs. Then, towards the end of the St Andrew’s innings, Johan Liebenberg delivered a crucial boost, weighing in with a match-defining 30.

Liebenberg’s innings also steadied the Saint’s ship after the home side suffered a collapse in the middle order, which was brought on by Klofies’ captain, Riley Miller. He was the eighth bowler used by Waterkloof but, by far, their most successful, knocking over 5/43 from 10 overs.

When the visitors batted, wicketkeeper/batsman, Rico van der Walt, dazzled the crowd with a superb innings. He smashed eight fours and a six in a 98-ball stay, which brought him 107 runs before he fell victim to Saints’ opening bowler, Cullen Kakora (3/30).

Unfortunately for the visitors, FG Botha’s dream day continued. Bowling his full quota of 10 overs, he snared three wickets with his leg spin to put the skids under the Waterkloof response. Only AJ de Villiers (41) mustered another noteworthy contribution, but Klofies came up just short, losing their last wicket to the second ball of the final over.

At Grey College, the home side snagged a massive 132-run victory over the visiting Pretoria Boys High School (PBHS).

As he has done for most of the short 2025 season, Henru de Wet led the way for Grey with authority. He was his team’s mainstay with the bat, accumulating 90 runs, while Daniel Hattingh (69) and Juan Maree (43*) also took the game away from Boys High.

Maree (3/12) and Hattingh (2/32) later made key contributions with the ball, sharing five wickets for only 44 runs.

Pieter Steyn scored a classy 57 for PBHS, and Louis Kruyshaar made 33, but the touring side needed far more from the rest of their batsman and they didn’t get it.

Summarised scorecards

St Andrew’s School 252 (FG Botha 101, Andrew Sobiech 39, Johan Liebenberg 30, Extras 23; Riley Miller 5/43); Hoërskool Waterkloof 248/10 (Rico van der Walt 107, AJ de Villiers 41, Franco Schmidt 21; Cullen Kakora 3/30, FG Botha 3/48, Andrew Sobiech 2/52). St Andrew’s School won by four runs.

Grey College 297/5 (Henru de Wet 90, Daniel Hattingh 69, Juan Maree 43*, Divan Bezuidenhout 38, Jaco Prinsloo 31*; Jaydon Knott-Craig 2/35); Pretoria Boys High School 165/10 (Pieter Steyn 57, Louis Kruyshaar 33, Extras 24, Grant Spencer 21; Juan Maree 3/12, Daniel Hattingh 2/32). Grey College won by 132 runs.

Armaan Manack scored a brilliant half-century as St David’s Marist Inanda confirmed their place in the Gauteng Schools SA20 Regional final with an eight-wicket win over Hoërskool Noordheuwel at Wits University on Saturday morning.

St David’s batted first and scored 124/9. Noordheuwel, in reply, mustered 105/6 in 18.3 overs. The result was determined by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

Despite that outcome, the same sides will do battle in the final on Saturday afternoon.

Saturday morning’s clash was the second between the teams in the Schools SA20 competition. They faced one another in the Phase One final, with Noordheuwel winning that tie by four wickets.

When they meet for the regional title, a place in the third stage of the competition, the national final, will be on the line.

Armaan Manack played a gem of an innings to set St David’s up for victory in the morning. He was out in the middle for 10.3 overs and while there creamed eight fours on his way to 50 off 38 balls. He had entered the match after scoring an unbeaten century against Secunda last time out and picked up from where he had left off.

Manack, though, was the only St David’s batsman to get going. The rest struggled. Only two others made it into double figures, with Samrat Basu scoring 18 off 21 and Michael Smithyman contributing 13 from 11 balls.

Marius Penning was Noordheuwel’s most successful bowler, with three wickets for 20 runs. Corné Olivier and Tidi Moeketsane picked up two wickets each.

The Nories‘ batsmen found the run chase challenging. Dian Taljaard and Ethan Smith were the only two to reach double figures, and they came close to pulling off a successful pursuit. Together, they added 78 runs for the third wicket, which lifted Noordheuwel to the cusp of victory. Roberto Mariano pried the duo apart in the 16th over, however, when he removed Smith. Matters took a further turn for the worse for Noordheuwel when they lost Taljaard six balls later.

Just as there was little batting to talk about before Taljaard and Smith’s partnership, there was little worth mentioning after both departed.

Christopher Emslie was St David’s leading bowler with two wickets for 19 runs from three overs. Morteza Manack, Hayden Campbell, and Roberto Mariano finished with a wicket each.

In the other match, also played at Wits University, Hoërskool Secunda went in to bat first and tallied 131/9 in 20 overs. Hoërskool Middelburg‘s reply came up short when they were bowled out for 119 runs in 19 overs.

Secunda’s innings started smoothly, with Nathan Erasmus and Live Betela combining for a 33-run opening stand. That foundation proved invaluable as Secunda lost regular wickets, with four going down between the sixth and 14th overs, while they added 31 runs.

Umar Badat and Walt Vorster stabilised things with a 58-run fifth-wicket partnership that took Secunda just beyond the 120-run mark. Badat played well for 36 off 27 balls, while Vorster faced 13 deliveries for his 25 runs.

Hendré Nel, Eduan Strydom, and Wildré Cilliers took two wickets each for Middelburg.

Then, six wickets between Jean Loock and Luan Swart created chaos in the Middelburg response and Secunda went on to claim a first win in the regional finals. Loock and Swart delivered identical returns, with both claiming 3/18 from four overs.

Secunda’s defence of 131 began well when they captured three wickets in the powerplay. That set the tone for the remainder of the innings.

Middelburg had four players reach double figures, but none batted for long enough to pose a threat to Secunda’s total. JP de Jager top-scored with 23 off 33 and Hendré Nel scored a brisk 19 off 11 balls.

Christian Jansen (17) and Fredrik Boshoff (15*) shared an industrious final wicket partnership that kept the spectators interested. They put on 30 runs, their side’s highest partnership, but the rearguard fightback came up 12 runs short.

Scorecards

St David’s Marist Inanda 124/9 (Armaan Manack 50, Samrat Basu 18, Marius Penning 3/20, Corné Olivier 2/17). Hoërskool Noordheuwel 105/6 (Ethan Smith 46, Dian Taljaard 27, Christopher Emslie 2/19, Morteza Manack 1/21). St David’s won by eight runs.

Hoërskool Secunda 131/9 (Umar Badat 36, Walt Vorster 25, Hendré Nel 2/22, Eduan Strydom 2/16). Hoërskool Middelburg 119/10 (JP de Jager 27, Hendré Nel 19, Jean Loock 3/18, Luan Swart 3/18). Secunda won by 12 runs.

Hoërskool Garsfontein‘s Ysbere and Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool (Affies) remain the favourites to face off in the final of the Schools SA20 regional playoffs at Willowmoore Park in Benoni.

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Both sides head into their semi-finals with their records still unblemished after their third and final pool games on Saturday morning.

The Ysbere were made to work hard by a spirited St Benedict’s College team. After posting only 107/7, which owed much to an important 31 from Edward Smith and 21 from the bat of Clayton Horlick, Bennies knew they had to come out firing with the ball and they did just that.

Garsfontein lost three wickets in the powerplay and were somewhat wobbly on 44/3, but Xander Venter came to their rescue. He’d delivered a superb bowling performance, capturing 3/22 from four overs. Then, he let his bat do the talking.

In his 100th 1st XI match, and his 56th as captain, he played a knock of 21, which might not have looked like much in the scorebook. In reality, though, it was enough to steer his side to a four-wicket victory and a place in the final four.

The match between Affies and Merensky Landbou Akademie was cut short due to inclement weather, but the Pretoria powerhouse remained on track with another win.

Vihan Pretorius finally came good with the bat, taking only 37 deliveries to hit an unbeaten 55 runs, which included six fours and two sixes.

Opening batsmen Ethan Williams (24) and JP Botha (21) laid a solid foundation with a 45-run partnership, while Daniel Murray played his part with 22 runs towards the end of the innings, which helped Affies to a big total of 171/6 from their 20 overs.

The experience of Plasies‘ spin bowler, Timothy Baker, shone through. He did most of the damage for the Limpopo side, claiming two wickets for 37 runs. 

Merensky enjoyed a solid start to their run chase, with their openers, Bernard Wandrag (25) and Rinaldo Bornman (21), doing a good job at the top of the order. Timely wickets by Nico Loggerenberg (2/12) and SF Vermeulen (2/14), however, halted the flow of runs.

When the game was stopped, Merensky had reached 68/4, which left them 55 runs short of the Duckworth-Lewis and Stern par score they required.

A thumping eight-wicket victory over Phalaborwa Hub secured Hoërskool Kempton Park a semi-final place, too. The Kempies‘ pacemen, led by Stian van Breda (3/12), were exceptional. Only Rivoningo Chauke (24*) made it out of the teens as the Phalaborwa Hub limped to only 77/8 from their 20.

Wian Pieters (31*) and captain Marko Richter (28*) made light work of the chase. Pursuing a moderate total, they took their time, applied themselves, and saw their team to victory in the 15th over.

Summarised scorecards

St Benedict’s College 107/7 (Edward Smith 31, Clayton Horlick 21, Marco Mendes 20; Xander Venter 3/22) Garsfontein 108/6 (Xander Venter 21, Charl van Staden 20; Edward Smith 2/19, Mark Munava 2/19). Garsfontein won by four wickets.

Affies 171/6 (Vihan Pretorius 55*, Ethan Williams 24, Daniel Murray 22, JP Botha 21; Timothy Baker 2/37); Merensky 68/4 (Bernard Wandrag 25, Rinaldo Bornman 21; Nico Loggerenberg 2/12, SF Vermeulen 2/14). Affies win by 55 runs on DLS method

Phalaborwa Hub 77/8 (Rivoningo Chauke 24*; Stian van Breda 3/12); Hoerskool Kempton Park 82/2 (Wian Pieters 31*, Marko Richter 28*; Ripfumelo Mabunda 1/16). Hoerskool Kempton Park won by eight wickets.

Semi-Finals 

Affies vs St Benedict’s College – Willowmoore Park Oval
Garsfontein vs Hoerskool Kempton Park – Willowmoore Park B

Die Hoërskool Nelspruit se Zoë Cilliers asook Waterkloof se Lenique Vogel het vir die voorste vertonings tydens die jaarlikse Affie Wildeklawer Uitnodigings-byeenkoms in die LC de Villiers-stadion in Pretoria gesorg. Die byeenkoms word jaarliks deur die Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool van Pretoria en die Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool van Pretoria (AHMP) aangebied.

Cilliers het die 100m vir meisies o.17 in ‘n blitsige 12.11 sekondes gewen. Kort op haar hakke oor die eindstreep was Klofies se Chrystabel Davis (12.14). Nog ‘n Klofie Anke Bornman het self laat spaander en ‘n brons medalje in 12.47 sekondes verseker.

Cilliers het ook in die 200m koning gekraai toe sy dié nommer in 25 sekondes voltooi het.

Vogel het in die 100m en 200m vir meisies o.16 die septer geswaai. Sy het die 100m in 12.24 sekondes afgeblits om 900 punte op die APE-tabel te verdien. Haar vertoning in die 200m was nog meer indrukwekkend deurdat sy 925 punte vir haar wentyd van 24.89 sekondes verdien het.

Die Klofies se Fortune Cletus-Okolo het self ‘n goeie byeenkoms beleef. Sy was baas in die gewigstoot asook die diskus vir meisies o.17. Sy het die gewigstootbal op 14.05 meter met haar beste poging laat grondvat. Sy het die diskus 41.84 meter vêr geslinger om 921 punte te behaal.

Potchefstroom Gimnasium se Imke Bornman het met ‘n poging van 40.62 meter in die diskus vir meisies o.15 die beste vertoning volgens die puntestelsel behaal. Sy het 938 punte vir haar poging verdien. Die gewigstoot-nommer vir die ouderdomsgroep is deur Nelspruit se Mia du Preez met ‘n poging van 13.27m gewen.

Bornman (12.57m) moes hier met die silwermedalje tevrede wees.

Potch Gimmies se Xanté Harris het in die 800m vir meisies o.14 hakskene vir haar teenstanders in twee minute en 15.78 sekondes gewys. Sy is gewis ‘n atleet om in die toekoms dop te hou.

Affies Meisies se Kaylin Achurch (o.17) het met haar vertoning in die 400m-hekkies gesorg dat haar skool kon juig. Sy het dié nommer in een minuut en 2.76 sekondes gewen.

It was the two shot putters – Dewald Bezuidenhout (u16) and Dewald Roodt (u15) – of hosts, die Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool of Pretoria, which stole the limelight during the annual Affie Wildeklawer Invitational meeting held at the LC de Villiers Stadium in the Jacaranda City.

Affies co-host this prestigious event with the Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool of Pretoria (AHMP).

Bezuidenhout’s best attempt in the shot put for Boys u16 of 18.85 metres secured him a total of 986 points on the Athletics Performance Evaluation (APE) tables. He also won gold in the discus with a throw of 52.36 metres.

Roodt won the shot put for Boys u17 with an attempt of 17.56 metres which gave him 951 points on the APE-tables.

The hosts’ Emil Els is also in form as he won the 1,500m for Boys u16 in a respectable three minutes and 56.95 seconds. He was in a tight contest with his teammate Roal Jansen van Rensburg (4:02.75) in the event.

Els also won the 800m in one minute and 59.20 seconds. Jansen van Rensburg (2:01.32) had to settle for the bronze medal in this race as Grey College’s Jurgen Nortjé (1:59.69) pressed Els to the finish line.

De Villiers Lamprecht of Grey College won the 800m for Boys u17 in 1:55.21. He is the grandson of the first South African to run a dream mile (under four minutes) by the same name De Villiers Lamprecht. His grandfather clocked the first dream mile on 13 November 1964 in Stellenbosch barefoot.

It was a good day for the middle distance runners as Werner Gouws (Affies) will also feel more than happy with his performance of 3:56.48 in the 1500m for Boys u19. Curro Hazeldean’s Tiisetso Malungane (u15) also produced a worthy performance in the 1500m. He won the race in 4:08.21.

While we talking are about Curro Hazeldean, they will, without a doubt, be a force to be reckoned with in this year’s Pretoria B-Bond meeting. If they are promoted to the A-Bond there will be more than a couple of schools in the top section who will be losing a bit more sleep before next season.

Mukona Manavhela of Curro Hazeldean blitzed the 100m for Boys u17 in 10.71 seconds to bag gold. He also won the 200m sprint in a fast 21.36 seconds. Another sprinter from Curro Hazeldean, Inam Dlunge (u19), won his age group’s 100m in only 10.63 seconds. The school’s Lesibe Dikgale (u19) also produced the goods as he won the 400m sprint in 52.88 seconds.

Waterkloof’s Alexander Griesel put up a good performance in the 100m-hurdles for Boys u16 winning it in 13.64 seconds.

After a good start on Thursday, when they won their first two games, Northwood School claimed another three victories on Friday at the ITEC Grey College Water Polo Tournament.

Third in 2024, the Knights beat Paarl Boys’ High 17-6 and Glenwood House 18-3 on the opening day. On Friday, they withstood a strong challenge from Jeppe High for Boys to claim a 9-6 win.

Jeppe endured a tough Friday, suffering another hard-fought loss when they went down 7-10 to Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies).

The Pretoria school started the game with guns blazing and charged into a 3-0 lead only four minutes into the first chukka. Jeppe, though, retaliated and struck twice before the end of the quarter.

It was a fast-paced game, and the second chukka, again, produced five goals, with Affies also edging it 3-2 for a 6-4 halftime lead.

The scoring slowed down in the second half, but when the final whistle blew Affies enjoyed a three-goal lead.

Coach Lucky Letshabo‘s charges added a win to their record, however, when they outplayed Glenwood House 17-5.

Reddam House Constantia, unbeaten and the winner of three games on Thursday, added the scalp of Maritzburg College on Friday, with the Cape Town school claiming a convincing 10-3 victory. It was built upon a devastating start, which had Reddam five goals to the good after the first chukka.

The Red, Black, and White had no problem dealing with the Grey College II side, romping to a 23-3 win. Reddam House, meanwhile, also comfortably beat the Grey College 1st team to match Northwood’s record of five wins from five matches.

It was a good day for Grey High School, who won one and lost one on Thursday. They went two for two, beating Maritzburg College and Grey College.

FRIDAY RESULTS

Pool A
Paarl Boys’ High 6-17 Northwood
Paarl Boys’ High 9-11 Glenwood House
Jeppe 7–10 Affies
Jeppe 6-9 Northwood
Glenwood House 5-17 Jeppe
Glenwood House 3–18 Northwood

Pool B
Grey College 3–17 Reddam House
Grey College 7-14 Grey High
Maritzburg College 6–14 Grey High
Maritzburg College 23-3 Grey College II
Reddam House 10–3 Maritzburg College

The Socca Dream Academy is a force in South African football, providing young players with opportunities to enhance their skills, make progress in their development, and, potentially, secure places at esteemed academies in Italy.

January has proven to be a bustling period for the academy, which maintains a presence in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. It was an especially exciting month for Allen Kanyane and Matthew Mbekeni, who both headed off to the Canaletto Elite Academy in Italy, where the most capped international goalkeeper of all time, the legendary Gianluigi Buffon, began his career.

It’s a reward for the duo’s commitment and perseverance at Socca Dream, where they developed their games from a young age.

“As they embark on this exciting journey, both Allen and Matthew are set to continue their development as athletes and individuals, representing the hard work and dedication that has characterised their time at the Socca Dream Academy,” Socca Dream said in a press statement.

They will be joined in Italy by Holy Family College learners, Bokang Modikeng, aged 15, and Junior Letawana, aged 19, who are with Socca Dream in Johannesburg. They depart on Sunday.

Earlier this week, SuperSport Schools Plus sat down for a chat with the Holy Family College boys.

Junior, originally from Bloemfontein – a city renowned for its rich historical significance in South African football and home to prominent players and clubs, such as Bloemfontein Celtic and Free State Stars – revealed that he first travelled to Johannesburg in pursuit of better opportunities upon learning that Socca Dream was conducting trials.

“My story: When they were hosting trials, I missed the first day because there was a miscommunication between coach Aris and my mum. They told me I could come on the second day and the third day, so I was a bit scared that I was not going to get chosen.”

Junior said he was in a panic because his mother had paid a lot of money to give him a chance to realise his football dream. He didn’t want to waste it, so he worked hard and turned to his faith for strength. “I had faith that if I didn’t get picked up there would be another opportunity,” he said.

Every footballer aspires to play internationally, he continued, while acknowledging that not many players have the chance to do so. Junior expressed his gratitude towards the Socca Dream family for helping young athletes, through their coaches, to grow and excel as footballers, while also helping them to develop as people.

Although his parents remain in Bloemfontein, he said he continues to receive extraordinary support from his family. His mother visits him in Johannesburg every three months.

Being away from home has contributed to his personal growth, Junior said, and it has made him realise that the life of a footballer demands considerable mental resilience. However, he emphasised the importance of not overlooking the support system provided by his family.

With his trip to Italy drawing near, he said he still finds it hard to believe he is going overseas. He intends to seize the opportunity to learn from others and develop in a new environment. “I consider myself a student of the game, so adapting will not be difficult for me, and I am immensely grateful to my coaches for their faith in us, and for helping us to become better players,” he concluded.

Bokang Modikeng who looks up to 20-year-old Relebohile Mofokeng, of Orlando Pirates, as a role model, said football is immensely important to him. Playing the game gives him great joy, he stated.

When he first joined Socca Dream, he struggled with his confidence and felt intimidated by his teammates, who appeared to be physically stronger. However, with the guidance of his coaches, Bokang began to truly enjoy the game.

Now, he said he cherishes it when his team faces pressure as he believes that challenging situations reveal a player’s true character. He acknowledged that, in football, outcomes are not always in one’s favour, no matter how hard one may try.

In December, Bokang turned out for the Socca Dream in the Iber Cup, in Johannesburg. He described that experience as a memory he will always treasure. During the tournament, Highlands Park, known for their strength, quick transitions, and cohesive defensive play, truly impressed him, he admitted.

At the Iber Cup, he also had opportunities to observe various international teams, including players from the French giants, Paris Saint Germain (PSG), which allowed him to learn and incorporate new strategies into his own game.

Both Bokang and Junior are immensely enthusiastic and determined to make the most of their time in Italy. They’ve vowed to stay grounded and diligent in pursuit of their dreams.

St Stithians Girls’ College, Rhenish Girls’ High School, and Durban Girls’ College (DGC) breezed through the first day of the National Aquatics Festival unbeaten.

The 2025 edition of the showpiece is being hosted by Clarendon High School for Girls, in East London, and runs from Friday, 31 January, to Saturday, 1 February.

The hosts, Clarendon, got the event underway with a game against Our Lady of Fatima Dominican Convent School on Friday afternoon and did not disappoint their supporters as they romped to a 16-1 thrashing of their KwaZulu-Natal opposition.

After the big win, though, the Hannah Muller-coached side couldn’t maintain their momentum and lost their second match, against another team from Durban.

They went up against the defending champion, DGC, and pushed the KZN side to the limit. Eventually, though, DGC had the final say and triumphed 10-9 in a thrilling contest. That victory over Clarendon was the first of two wins DGC recorded on day one. They also swept aside their KZN neighbours, St Mary’s DSG Kloof, whom they defeated 13-3, to set their title defence on the front foot.

Rhenish did not enjoy a sterling Brian Baker Tournament earlier in the month. The Stellenbosch school finished outside the top five in Makhanda, but the competition appeared to have served them well on Friday. They made a strong strong start, registering convincing wins over St Mary’s Kloof and Our Lady of Fatima, by 10-2 and 14-0, respectively.

St Stithians lost the last time they met St Mary’s Waverley at the National Aquatics Festival. In Durban, in 2024, St Mary’s broke Saints‘ hearts by beating them 7-6 in the semi-finals. St Mary’s Waverley eventually finished second, while St Stithians had to settle for fourth position. On Friday, Saints handily dealt with their highveld neighbours, charging to a 9-2 victory.

They had earlier opened their account with a 5-2 win over Collegiate, of Gqeberha. The Johannesburg outfit then recorded their third win in as many matches by thumping the Clarendon 2nd side 14-1 in the last match of the day.

The action resumes on Saturday morning with two matches, one pitting Our Lady Fatima against DGC, and the other featuring Clarendon 2nds and St Mary’s Waverley. Both games start at 07:00

Results

Our Lady Fatima 1-16 Clarendon
St Stithians 5-2 Collegiate
Maris Stella 3-13 St Mary’s Waverley
Rhenish 10-2 St Mary’s DSG Kloof
Clarendon 2nd 10-2 Collegiate
Clarendon 1sts 9-10 DGC
St Stithians 9-2 St Marys Waverley
Rhenish 14-0 Our Lady of Fatima
DGC 13-3 St Mary’s DSG Kloof
St Stithians 14-1 Clarendon 2nd

Fixtures

Harrison Aquatic Centre

07:00 – Our Lady Fatima vs Durban Girls’ College; 07:40 – Clarendon vs St Mary’s DSG (Kloof); 08:20 – Rhenish vs Durban Girls’ College; 09:00 – St Mary’s DSG (Kloof) vs Our Lady of Fatima; 09:40 – Quarterfinal 1; 10:20 – Quarterfinal 2; 11:00 – 5th Pool A vs 5th Pool B.

Selbourne College

07:00 – Clarendon 2nds vs St Mary’s Waverley; 07:40 – St Stithians vs Maris Stella; 08:20 Collegiate vs St Mary’s Waverley; 09:00 – Clarendon 2nds vs Maris Stella; 11:00 – 4th Pool A vs 4th Pool B; 11:40 – Loser QF 1 vs Loser QF 2.

Play-offs

Harrison Aquatic Centre:

11:40 – Semifinal (1st Pool A vs Winner QF 1); 12:20 – Semifinal 2 (1st Pool B vs Winner QF 2); 13:00 – 3rd/4th Play-off; 13:40 – Final.

Armaan Manack and Kamogelo Phiri blasted unbeaten centuries to set St David’s Marist Inanda up for a massive 158-run win over Hoërskool Secunda in their Schools SA20 Gauteng Regional Finals match on Wits University’s B Field on Friday afternoon.

Hoërskool Noordheuwel and Hoërskool Middelburg crossed swords on the Wits University A Field and couldn’t be separated after 40 overs. Both sides were bowled out for 88 runs and the match was declared a tie.

In the morning, St David’s flexed their batting prowess with a comfortable seven-wicket win over Middelburg. However, in that encounter, no batsman recorded an individual milestone, and they lost three wickets on their way to 121 runs. In their afternoon match, the Jeff Levin-coached side was warmed up and raring to go at full throttle.

After winning the toss, St David’s decided to bat first. They wanted to pick up from where they left off in their win over Hoërskool Middelburg. Mission accomplished! They made the Secunda fielders chase leather as they piled up 229/1 in their 20 overs. That big total was a mountain too high for Secunda, who tumbled to 71 all out in 13.4 overs in reply.

Armaan Manack and Kamogelo Phiri joined hands in the second over of the St David’s innings after Morteza Manack suffered an early dismissal. The duo paid no attention to the loss of that wicket. Instead, they went on the offensive and rocketed their way to an unbroken 214-run second-wicket partnership off only 111 balls.

Manack tonked 15 fours and four sixes for his unbeaten 110 off 55 balls, while Phiri cracked 14 fours and two sixes in his 106 not out, which came off 63 deliveries. With those fine efforts, the St David’s pair became the first centurions of the Schools SA20 regional finals.

Under severe attack, Jean Loock and Nijan Swart were the only Secunda bowlers who went at a rate of less than 10 runs an over. The rest of the bowlers saw their economy rates rise to double figures. Damian de Beer was the sole wicket-taker with a single wicket for 26 runs from two overs.

Christopher Emslie, then, saw to it that Secunda did not make a good start to their daunting run chase. He shared the new ball with Morteza Manack and struck twice in his second over, within the space of three balls, to remove Secunda’s openers. Alonzo Blankenberg and Nathan Erasmus. They were the first two of Emslie’s victims. He went on to claim 5/15 in four overs.

Emslie and Jared Stern acted like relay runners; one picked up from where the other left off. Stern was the fourth bowler St David’s employed, and he ripped through Secunda’s middle and lower order. He bagged his first wicket in the 10th over and he didn’t stop until Secunda was all out, capturing four wickets for 14 runs in 3.4 overs.

While spectators were treated to a boundary festival by St David’s on the B Field, those following the action on the A Field were served a low-scoring thriller. After 40 overs of intense action, Noordheuwel and Middelburg found themselves deadlocked and the match ended in a heart-stopping tie. Noordheuwel was bowled out for 88 in 19.3 overs, while Middelburg was bowled out for 88 in 20 overs.

Noordheuwel went in to bat first and struggled to get off the blocks. They lost three wickets in the powerplay, thanks to Gavin Genis and Hendré Nel. In his return of three wickets for 11 runs from four overs, Genis accounted for Wander Roolvink, Corné Botha, and Ethan Smith.

Herman Potgieter struck Noordheuwel’s innings a hard body blow with the dismissal of Corné Olivier in the 15th over after the Nories‘ batsman had tallied a patient 33 off 46 deliveries. Potgieter excelled in his two overs, snapping up three wickets for only four runs.

Noordheuwel responded to Middelburg’s brilliance with the ball with some inspired bowling of their own. JD Bezuidenhout and Dian Taljaard got stuck in early and saw to it that Middelburg was three wickets down by the end of the powerplay.

Noordheuwel kept exerting pressure, which ensured that Middelburg’s batsmen struggled to settle in. However, Gavin Genis (17) and Eduan Strydom (39) gave the Mpumalanga side hope with a 43-run fifth-wicket partnership that appeared to have set Middelburg up for a comfortable victory. When Genis was dismissed, they needed 10 runs from 2.1 overs with five wickets in hand.

Things went south in dramatic fashion, though, when Strydom was dismissed four balls later. He was one of two wickets snared by Corné Olivier in the 19th over. Olivier’s namesake, Corné Botha, then bowled an outstanding final over. It yielded three wickets for Noordheuwel and left Middelburg stranded on 88, just a single run shy of victory.

Botha finished with three wickets for six runs in one over, while Olivier and Bezuidenhout picked up two wickets each.

Scorecards

St David’s Marist Inanda 229/1 (Armaan Manack 110, Kamogelo Phiri 106, Damian de Beer 1/26, Jean Loock 0/30). Hoërskool Secunda 71/10 (Umar Badat 22, Jayden Scholtz 14, Christopher Emslie 5/15, Jared Stern 4/14). St David’s won by 158 runs.

Hoërskool Noordheuwel 88/10 (Corné Olivier 33, Ethan Smith 20, Hermann Potgieter 3/4, Gavin Genis 3/11). Hoërskool Middelburg 88/10 (Eduan Strydom 39, Gavin Genis 17, Corné Botha 3/6, Corné Olivier 2/12). Match tied.

It doesn’t get closer than Friday afternoon’s Schools SA20 showdown between Hoërskool Kempton Park and Merensky Landbou Akademie.

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

The pitches at Willowmoore Park pitch did not play easy on day one of the finals for the Northern Gauteng, Limpopo, and Easterns regions and the clash of the Kempies and the Plasies was further evidence of that.

Batting first, Kempton Park’s batsmen, as they had done in their morning match, a loss to Affies, struggled to get going.

The fact that the side from Tzaneen bowled 16 overs of tight spin also might have had something to do with that. Off-spinner Musa Nkuna led the way for Merensky snapping up three wickets for just seven runs from his four overs.

The experienced left-arm spinner Timothy Baker (2/8) and Cashan Jacobsz (2/31) performed well, too, and claimed four wickets between them in only six overs. Their efforts help limit Kempton Park to just 90/9 from their 20 overs. Captain Marko Richter batted nicely for his 21, but it wasn’t enough to see his side to triple figures.

Richter and co needed to bowl well, and they needed someone to step up if they were to have a chance of toppling Merensky. Strike bowler, Kristian du Plessis, did just that. He snapped up 2/12 in four overs to place the Tzaneen school’s run chase under heavy pressure. The rest of the Kempies’ bowlers played their part by sticking to tight lines and nagging lengths.

The Merensky skipper, Luka Heinlein, played a captain’s knock and, despite the stakes and the immense pressure, he tied the game off the last ball of the innings, finishing with 34 runs to his name.

Unfortunately for the side from Tzaneen, their super-over, in which they faced Wian Pieters, went awry. With a wicket and a run-out off consecutive balls, the Plasies were left with only two runs to defend. That cost them the game and handed Kempton Park their first win.

After victories in the morning, Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool (Affies) and Hoërskool Garsfontein made it two from two in the afternoon to finish the day as the only unbeaten sides in the competition.

The Ysbere smashed Phalaborwa Hub by a whopping eight wickets. Reuben van Zyl led the charge with a masterful and unbeaten 58 runs from only 42 balls. His onslaught included five fours and three sixes.

Xander Venter looked good for his unbeaten 24 runs as he and Van Zyl combined nicely for an 80-run partnership, which saw them canter to the 96 they needed for victory in the 12th over.

Meanwhile, JP Botha and Ruben Groenewald led a batting fightback, which lifted Affies to an emphatic 76-run victory over St Benedict’s College.

After Bennies’ Matthew Elphick picked up two wickets in just two balls, the side from Pretoria was in a spot of bother on 25/3. However, both Botha and Groenewald hit the ball sweetly in a match-winning partnership of 111 runs. Botha top scored with a superb 69, while Groenwald contributed an entertaining 62.

Clayton Horlick, most certainly a talent for the future, played some classy shots in his innings of 44 for St Benedict’s, but the school from Bedfordview needed further impactful knocks to challenge Affies. They came up well short and were bowled out for a disappointing 99.

Summarised scorecards 

Hoërskool Kempton Park 90/9 (Marko Richter 21; Musa Nkuna 3/7, Timothy Baker 2/8, Cashan Jacobsz 2/31); Merensky Landbou Akademie 90/10 (Luka Heinlein 34; Kristian du Plessis 2/12). Hoërskool Kempton Park won in the Super-Over.

Phalaborwa Hub 95/9 (Talenta Ndlovu 22; Zizwe Khumalo 2/13, Jared Carr 2/18); Hoërskool Garsfontein 96/2 (Reuben van Zyl 58*, Xander Venter 24*; Lesley Zimba 2/20). Garsfontein won by eight wickets.

Affies 175/6 (JP Botha 69, Ruben Groenewald 62; Matthew Elphick 2/21, Edward Smith 2/26); St Benedict’s College 99 (Clayton Horlick 44; JP Botha 3/20, SF Vermeulen 2/26). Affies won by 76 runs.