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Raeeq Daniels claimed four wickets to set the South Africa u19 Men‘s cricket team on their way to a series-levelling five-wicket win over England in the second Youth One-Day International at the Western Province Cricket Club in Cape Town on Sunday.

The medium-pacer produced three maidens and returned a stellar four for 25 from nine overs as the tourists were bundled out for only 161.

Nqobani Mokoena lent good support, capturing two for 33, after the junior Proteas opted to bowl first after winning the toss.

Then, in reply, Jason Rowles (33), Paul James (32), and Bandile Mbatha (30*) played key roles and guided the home side to victory with nearly 20 overs to spare.

It was an important win for coach Malibongwe Maketa’s side, especially after they lost the opening game by the same margin on Friday. The three-match series is now level at 1-1 with the final game set for Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch on Wednesday.

The hosts were much improved in game two, swarming all over England from the outset. Daniels was at the heart of the attack, removing Ben Mayes (7) in the fourth over and Aaryan Sawant (0) in the eighth, with Mokoena undoing Archie Vaughan (0) in between.

Further wickets by Ntando Soni (1/17) and Mbatha (1/15) left the visitors in even deeper trouble at 68 for five, before half-centuries by Ben Dawkins (59 off 92 balls, 3 fours, 1 six) and Joseph Moores (59 off 61 balls, 7 fours, 4 sixes) propped up the scorecard. They also shared a 41-run partnership.

The tourists’ tail offered little threat and England was eventually dismissed in 41.5 overs.

Opener Adnaan Lagadien (10) fell early in the South African run chase, but a 45-run partnership between Rowles and captain Beni Hansen (18) kept the hosts on track during the early part of their pursuit.

Daniel Bosman added 17 and another important partnership – this time 46 runs for the fifth wicket – between James and Mbatha helped the South Africans win to set up a series decider.

Summarised scorecard

England u19 161/10 (Ben Dawkins 59, Joseph Moores 59, Raaeq Daniels 4/25, Nqobani Mokoena 2/33); South Africa u19 164/5 (Jason Rowles 33, Paul James 32, Bandile Mbatha 30*, Farhan Ahmed 2/24). South Africa u19 won by 5 wickets.

SA u19 Men’s Youth ODI Squad against England u19

Beni Hansen (captain, Western Province), Daniel Bosman (Western Province), Raeeq Daniels (Western Province), Divan de Villiers (Titans), Carl Fryer (North West), Paul James (Western Province), Enathi Khitshini (Garden Route Badgers), Adnaan Lagadien (Western Province), Chad Mason (KZN Inland Tuskers), Bandile Mbatha (Dolphins), Nqobani Mokoena (Dolphins), Lethabo Phahlamohlaka (Titans), Semal Pillay (Dolphins), Jason Rowles (Lions), and Ntando Soni (Dolphins).

SA u19 Men’s Youth Test Squad against England u19

Beni Hansen (captain, Western Province), Daniel Bosman (Western Province), Muhammad Bulbulia (North West), Raeeq Daniels (Western Province), Divan de Villiers (Titans), Paul James (Western Province), Martin Khumalo (Eastern Storm), Adnaan Lagadien (Western Province), Chad Mason (KZN Inland Tuskers), Nqobani Mokoena (Dolphins), Lethabo Phahlamohlaka (Titans), Nathan Rossouw (North West), Jason Rowles (Lions), Jorich van Schalkwyk (Titans), and Sandiswa Yeni (Dolphins).

SA u19 Men’s Tour against England u19 

Youth ODI Series

Friday, 17 January

South Africa u19 lost to England u19 by 5 wickets – Western Province Cricket Club, Cape Town

Sunday, 19 January 

South Africa u19 beat England u19 by 5 wickets – Western Province Cricket Club, Cape Town

Wednesday, 22 January at 10:00

South Africa u19 vs England u19 – Paul Roos Gymnasium, Stellenbosch

Youth Test Series

27–30 January at 10:00 

South Africa u19 vs England u19 – Coetzenburg Oval, Stellenbosch

3-6 February at 10:00 

South Africa u19 vs England u19 – Western Province Cricket Club, Cape Town

The South Africa u19 Women’s cricket team began their ICC u19 Women’s T20 World Cup campaign with a 22-run victory (DLS Method) over New Zealand u19 Women in a rain-affected match at the newly constructed Borneo Cricket Ground, in Sarawak, Malaysia, on Saturday.

Following a delayed start due to wet conditions, the game was reduced to 11 overs a side.

New Zealand won the toss and elected to field, but South Africa made the most of their time at the crease.

Openers Jemma Botha and Simoné Lourens laid a solid foundation with a 52-run partnership for the first wicket. Botha top-scored with 32 runs, while Lourens contributed 21.

The momentum was further boosted by Karabo Meso, who smashed a quickfire 25 off just 14 deliveries, which propelled South Africa to a competitive total of 91/7 after their 11 overs.

Then, a disciplined bowling performance by South Africa kept the victory target out of reach of the Kiwis.

Monalisa Legodi was the pick of the South African bowlers, delivering an exceptional spell to pick up 2/8, while Kayla Reyneke provided crucial support, claiming 2/15. New Zealand was restricted to 69/5, falling short by 22 runs.

Botha, named Player of the Match for her vital innings, reflected on the significance of the game and her preparation: “Switching to a shorter format after the rain delay required quick adaptation. I focused on staying mentally engaged and keeping the team’s goal at the forefront.

“It is a proud moment to contribute to the team’s success in the opening game of the World Cup and to be a part of history, playing and winning the first-ever match at this new venue,” she added.

South Africa u19 Women’s Squad: ICC u19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 (18 January – 2 February)

Kayla Reyneke (Captain, Western Province), Jemma Botha (Western Province), Fay Cowling (Lions), Jae-Leigh Filander (Western Province), Mona-Lisa Legodi (Titans), Simoné Lourens (Titans), Karabo Meso (Lions), Seshnie Naidu (Dolphins), Nthabiseng Nini (Dragons), Luyanda Nzuza (Free State), Diara Ramlakan (Lions), Diedré van Rensburg (North West Dragons), Mieke van Voorst (Eastern Storm), Ashleigh van Wyk (Eastern Storm), Chanel Venter (Titans).

SA u19 Women Fixtures

Saturday, 18 January: 08:30 SAST – 1st Match: New Zealand vs South Africa (Borneo Cricket Ground, Sarawak) – South Africa won by 22 runs.

Monday, 20 January: 08:30 SAST – 2nd Match: South Africa u19 vs Samoa (Borneo Cricket Ground, Sarawak)

Wednesday, 22 January: 08:30 SAST – 3rd Match: South Africa u19 vs Nigeria (Borneo Cricket Ground, Sarawak)

Saturday, 25 January – Wednesday, 29 January – Super Six Stage

Friday, 31 January: 04:30 SAST – 1st Semi-final (Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur)

Friday, 31 January: 08:30 SAST – 2nd Semi-final (Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur)

Sunday, 02 February: 08:30 SAST – Final (Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur)

Cayden Wilson put together an outstanding all-round performance to steer Pearson High School to victory in the Eastern Province and Border regional finals of the Schools SA20 tournament.

In the final, played at Buffalo Park in East London, Pearson beat Grey High School by 24 runs on Sunday morning.

Throughout Phase Two of the Schools SA20 tournament – the regional final, which brought together the best teams from the Eastern Province and Border regions – Pearson remained unbeaten.

Sunday’s win ushered them into the third phase of the competition, which will see them lock horns with the other regional winners for the title of national champion.

Wilson flayed five fours and four sixes on his way to a match-winning 69 off 46 balls and led his side to an unassailable 156/8. He then marshalled his bowling attack with aplomb as they dismissed Grey for 127 runs.

The Pearson skipper was named the player of the tournament at the 2023 u16 National Week and received an award for that at the Cricket South Africa Awards in September 2024. In December 2024, he was an outstanding performer for Eastern Province at the Khaya Majola Week and was included in the SA Colts team.

Wilson, after some good performances at the Makhanda Cricket Festival earlier this month, carried that strong form into the final against Pearson’s Gqeberha neighbours, Grey High School, and, after winning the toss, he elected to bat first.

That decision appeared to have backfired somewhat when Matthew Burton was out in the second over. He had, however, blasted a quickfire 17 off nine balls by not allowing Grey High’s opening bowlers to settle into a threatening line and length.

Pearson’s troubles were compounded when they lost Jude Septoo five balls later. Burton and Septoo were the only Pearson batsmen who had entered the match with runs under their belts. Their bowlers had been so effective in dismissing opposing teams for low totals that Burton and Septoo had needed only a handful of overs to chase down the required runs. The removal of the pair meant Pearson’s middle order faced their first test of the competition.

Wilson and Sulaymaan Gangat (19) combined for a 34-run third-wicket partnership at close to a run-a-ball and were together until the eighth over, when Markus Potgieter made the breakthrough for Grey. Gangat’s removal paved the way for Wilson and Luke Hector to add 87 runs for the fourth wicket from only 63 deliveries. While Wilson took charge, Hector anchored the partnership with a patient 25 off 31.

In the 18th over, Potgieter ended Wilson’s fine innings. It was his third wicket in the match, which made him Grey’s High’s most successful bowler. Iviwe Mazomba, Frederick Jansen, and Nathan Howell chipped in with a wicket each.

Spin bowler Matthew Burton opened the bowling for Pearson and set the tone with disciplined lines and lengths. He gave nothing away in his four-over spell, which he bowled out on the trot. He was, also, unlucky not to bag a wicket. However, Burton’s economy rate of 2.5 runs per over was the best achieved by any Pearson bowler and it heaped pressure on the Grey reply.

Kade Myburgh looked unstoppable with his deliveries that attacked the channel just outside the line of the off stump. He was the most successful bowler, capturing three wickets for 21 runs in four overs. Jadyan Ward, Sulaymaan Gangat, and Cayden Wilson also shone, bagging two wickets each.

Wilson could have finished with better figures had Frederick Jansen not come in and provided Grey High with a faint glimmer of hope by smashing an enterprising 28 off 12 balls. He launched three sixes in his brief but entertaining innings before Wilson had the last say by clean-bowling the Grey all-rounder.

Grey High’s second-highest run-scorer was Logan Goddard-Ford, who did for Jansen what Hector did for Wilson earlier in the day. He scored 16 off 15 balls while anchoring the innings. However, Goddard-Ford’s anchor role was not by choice. He simply could not hit the ball off the square.

Pearson demonstrated quality with both the bat and ball and they will be worthy opponents for whomever they go up against in the national final.

Summarised scorecard

Pearson 156/8 (Cayden Wilson 69, Luke Hector 25, Markus Potgieter 3/20, Nathan Howell 1/19). Grey High 127/10 (Frederick Jansen 28, Logan Goddard-Ford 16, Kade Myburgh 3/21, Jadyan Ward 2/13). Pearson won by 29 runs.

St John’s College began 2025 with a 35-run win over Jeppe High School for Boys in a league match played at St John’s on Saturday.

The match was pencilled in to be contested at Jeppe. However, rain left Jeppe’s pitches unsuitable for play and the contest was moved to Houghton.

The change of venue also resulted in a loss of overs, with the match being reduced to 35 overs a side.

St John’s won the toss, elected to bat first, and recorded a challenging total of 180/8.

Jeppe lost four overs to another shower, which left them to chase a revised target of 159 runs in 31 overs. They scored 123/8 and lost by 35 runs, calculated by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method.

Darshik Lutchman top-scored for St John’s with a well-played 57 off 81 balls, which featured four fours and earned the opener the Player of the Match award.

He also shared an outstanding 92-run opening partnership with James Yuill, who carried the torch after Lutchman’s dismissal. Yuill went on to notch the second St John’s half-century of the match, scoring 51 from 55.

He shared a 32-run second-wicket partnership with Nkosana Sibiya, too. But when Yuill departed in the 24th over, it was the beginning of a collapse, which cost St John’s four wickets in five overs while they added only 20 runs. Herman Basson was the only batsman who withstood the procession of wickets, scoring an unbeaten 22 off 20 balls.

Sipho Potsane kept Jeppe in the game with three wickets for 32 runs in five overs. Munib Ayob, who gave Jeppe hope with the dismissal of Lutchman, was one of four Jeppe bowlers to take a wicket each. Reza Ayob, Shreth Kumar, and Zizi Mkhize were the other three.

Ethan Robinson denied Jeppe as good a start as St John’s by accounting for both openers, Tiago Almeida (11) and Adam Franken (20), in the fourth and eighth overs respectively. The rest of the bowling attack did not deviate from the tone set by Robinson and took wickets at regular intervals.

Aiden Barberrini captured three wickets for 15 runs, Alec Loveland bagged a brace, and David Ireland rounded off the wicket-takers with a single wicket.

Keegan Caxiero top-scored for Jeppe with 24 runs from 30 deliveries in a valiant attempt at lower-order resistance that was, ultimately, in vain. Zizi Mkhize, also, produced a spirited rearguard action and was on 22 not out at the end.

Scorecards

St John’s College 180/8 (Darshik Lutchman 57, James Yuill 51, Sipho Potsane 3/32, Munib Ayob 1/17). Jeppe High School for Boys 123/8 (Keegan Caxiero 24, Zizi Mkhize 22*, Aiden Barberrini 3/15, Alec Loveland 2/20). St John’s won by 35 runs (DLS).

There might be some echoes of “Build the man a statue” in the corridors of St Andrew’s School when FG Botha returns to school on Monday.

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

Botha produced a scintillating man-of-the-match performance as Saints came out on top against their fellow Bloemfontein power, Grey College, in the final of the Schools SA20‘s second phase at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on Sunday, which brought together the top teams from the Free State, Northern Cape, and North West.

The all-rounder, batting at three went to the next level,with his batting, contributing the highest individual score of the weekend’s matches.

He needed only 51 deliveries to smash 74, with 40 of those coming from boundaries, made up of four sixes and four fours. Useful knocks from Reuben van Aarde (24), Naudé Botha (22), and Nikhil Sukraj (21*) further boosted the Saints innings as they tallied a healthy total of 182/4, which was also the highest team total of the event.

As if he hadn’t done enough with the bat, Botha went on to become the pick of his side’s bowlers, too. Sending down a full quota of four overs, he conceded only 23 runs, while snapping up two sticks. Grey College’s Pieter Smit played excellently. Reading the conditions well, he made a well-paced 57 runs from 47 balls.

His wicket, taken by Cullen Kakora (2/30) through a catch snaffled by Botha, was, however, the start of Grey College’s downfall. Lamla Mgedezi (22) and Henru de Wet (21), who couldn’t quite replicate his heroics of Friday’s and Saturday’s matches, tried valiantly but Saints’ tails were up and the rest of the bowlers chipped in with economical spells to restrict their neighbours to only 148/8.

It was a 34-run win for St Andrew’s and a second victory over Grey in a Schools SA20 final in  a few months.

Summarised scorecard

St Andrew’s School 182/4 (FG Botha 74, Reuben van Aarde 24, Naudé Botha 22, Nikhil Sukraj 21*; Edrich Hanekom 2/37); Grey College 148/8 (Pieter Smit 57, Lamla Mgedezi 22, Henru de Wet 21; FG Botha 2/23, Cullen Kakora 2/30). St Andrew’s School won by 34 runs.

Neither team came close to batting out their 50 overs when Kearsney College hosted Michaelhouse on the AH Smith Oval in Botha’s Hill on Saturday in hot and humid conditions.

‘House visited the middle first and put up 144 all out, with the middle to lower order stabilising their innings after the Michaelhouse top order went down cheaply in the face of Kearsney’s opening bowlers, Litha Gonya and Michael Broom. By the eighth over, with the top four out, Michaelhouse was in trouble on 33/4.

Hayden Hewlett came to the visitors’ rescue, however, with an aggressive knock of 32 from only 24 balls, with six fours. He and Michael Blignaut added 39 for the fifth wicket, with only nine of those runs belonging to Blignaut.

Radhesh Jhilmeet and Jean-Luc Rey boosted the Michaelhouse innings with a seventh-wicket partnership of 44, which lifted the ‘House total to 120 before Jhilmeet was trapped in front by Daniel Miskey for 16.

Rey went on to match Hewlett’s 32 as Michaelhouse tallied 144 all out in 32.2 overs.

Left-arm paceman Litha Gonya performed superbly for Kearsney, knocking over 6/37 in 8.2 overs

Kearsney’s reply began relatively smoothly, but they lost Jonty Wiggett in the fifth over, caught by Harry Vickery off Thandanani Zuma for 14. That left the home team on 19/1.

When Luke Mitchell accounted for Riven Moodley, Kearsney was on 27/2 and that soon became 27/3 as Zuma struck again. One run later, Luke Mitchell, who had dismissed Moodley, added Aaron Blackburn and Kearsney was in trouble on 28/4.

Asher Hollister and Cole Young stopped the slide momentarily, adding 18 from 26 balls, but Young’s departure triggered another collapse. From 46/4, Kearsney tumbled to 47/8. They weren’t done fighting, however.

Michael Groom and Matthew Gorie stonewalled the Michaelhouse attack, partnering for 56 runs for the ninth wicket. Luke Mitchell, at last, separated the pair, when he had Gorie caught by Ethan Muir for 14.

Gorie had helped Kearsney past the 100-run mark, but Litha Gonya and Michael Groom added only three more runs, taking Kearsney to 106 before their innings was ended by the outstanding Thandanani Zuma, who secured his five-for by trapping Gonya in front.

Zuma finished with a fantastic 5/23 from 9.4 overs, while his new ball partner, Luke Mitchell, captured 3/29 from 10. Jean-Luc Rey made an impact, too, knocking over 2/16 in seven.

Despite the excellence of those Michaelhouse bowlers, they were unable to get the better of Michael Groom. He finished with an unbeaten 39 from 68 balls, which included two sixes and four fours.

St Charles College vs Clifton College

In Pietermaritzburg, Caleb Naicker produced an outstanding all-round performance to steer Clifton College to a four-wicket victory over St Charles College, which celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025.

Clifton captain Tim Saulez, in an interesting decision, chose to bowl first after winning the toss and, for the most part, his bowlers ensured that his decision was a good one.

With Naicker leading the way, Clifton quickly took charge. He removed the top three in the Saints’ batting order – Thandolwethu Zama, Covhan Baatjies, and Andre Bosman – before St Charles had moved into double figures. Captain Rico Honiball and Caleb Sharp, then, stopped the rot.

They put together a 73-run partnership for the fourth wicket before Honiball was caught and bowled by Blake Johnson after scoring 44 from 60 balls, with four fours.

Ryan Clarke‘s stay was brief, but Caleb Sharp continued to keep Clifton’s attack at bay. Eventually, though, after advancing the total to 117, he was the sixth man out, bowled by Caleb Naicker for 50 from 87 deliveries, which included four fours.

Following his departure, the Saints’ innings immediately lost its impetus. Rowen Rajah also departed on 117 and three runs later Connor Simpson was out. Keegan Vermaak offered some resistance, with 11, while batting tenth in the order, but St Charles was all out for 137 after 43 overs.

Caleb Naicker returned a sparkling 4/30 from eight overs, while Muhammed Malek wrecked the Saints’ lower order, snapping up 3/15 in four. Shiraz Perumal bowled tidily to snare 2/25 in 10, and Blake Johnson also turned the screws on the home team to pick up 1/20 in 10.

Clifton’s response suffered an early blow when the speedy Rowen Rajah trapped Muhammed Malek in front, and Hayden Drieselmann followed for 13, bowled by Rajah, as the Durban side slipped to 19/2.

Naicker and the skipper, Tim Saulez, advanced the Clifton total to 43. Then, Dylan Leppan caught Saulez off the bowling of Connor Simpson for 14.

With Naicker holding down one end, Clifton moved on to 75 before Zach Williamson was out for 10. Cristiano Borrageiro contributed 14, while Naicker continued to defy the Saints’ attack. By the time Borrageiro departed, Clifton had moved on to 107/5.

Lawson Dinsdale, the wicketkeeper, chipped in with nine. All the while, though, Naicker continued to graft hard for his runs. Together with Dinsdale, he added 24 runs for the sixth wicket before Dinsdale was lost with only seven more runs required. Naicker and Shiraz Perumal, then, saw Clifton to victory.

Naicker finished with a crucial 48 not out from 134 balls, which included only a single four. In stifling conditions, his contributions to Clifton’s victory were massive.

Rowen Rajah led the Saints’ attack with 2/25 from 9.5 overs, while Keegan Vermaak bowled well, too, claiming 2/28 from 10. Caleb Sharp was miserly, returning 1/16 from his 10 overs.

Summarised scorecards

Michaelhouse 144/10 (Hayden Hewlett 32, Jean-Luc Rey 32, Litha Gonya 6/37); Kearsney College 106/10 (Michael Groom 39*, Thandanani Zuma 5/23, Luke Mitchell 3/29, Jean-Luc Rey 2/16). Michaelhouse won by 38 runs.

St Charles College 137/10 (Caleb Sharp 50, Rico Honiball 44, Caleb Naicker 4/30, Muhammed Malek 3/15, Shiraz Perumal 2/25); Clifton College 137/6 (Caleb Naicker 48*, Rowen Rajah 2/25, Keegan Vermaak 2/28). Clifton College won by four wickets.

There were 50 goals scored between Kearsney, Hilton, and Clifton College on the first weekend of schools’ water polo action in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday.

Kearsney beat Michaelhouse 11-8 in home waters, while Hilton thumped Glenwood High 15-1, and Clifton breezed to a 24-2 win over St Charles College.

It was a display of dominance from the three teams, who enter the new season aiming to build on the foundations laid in 2024.

Kearsney, led by coach Nicholas Rodda, was impressive last season, while Hilton and Clifton have welcomed new coaches, with Paul Martin moving from Clifton to Hilton, and Pierre Le Roux returning from New Zealand to take charge of Clifton.

Kearsney won the Northwood Stayers tournament at the end of 2023 and then built on that platform in 2024 by winning the Reef Cup, before going on to land the KZN Top 10 and St Stithians Invitational Water Polo titles. They picked up where they left off against Michaelhouse.

Head Boy Luca Sandri, who featured for KZN at the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial tournament, was the enforcer and scored four times.

He was joined on the scoring sheet by SA Schools’ star James “Chippa” Pohl, Thomas Aylward, and Thomas Francke, who all netted braces. Levi Thom also scored to help the Botha’s Hill boys to victory.

Kearsney had only a one-hour session during the week to prepare for the clash. Given that limitation, Rodda was impressed by his side’s performance.

“The lack of preparation was not ideal, but the boys coming back relatively fit was good,” he said.

“We were hoping for a solid win while bleeding some new youngsters into the team and giving them an opportunity to play at 1st team level.

“We are looking for more competition within the squad to push players ahead of our first time in a long time back at the KES Water Polo Tournament.”

Kearsney faces Durban High School (DHS), Northwood, Glenwood, and Maritzburg College in the coming weeks, but they won’t be attending the prestigious SAC Shield in Makhanda. Their focus will, instead, be on their trip to Johannesburg for the KES tournament in March.

In other matches around the province, DHS, led by SA Schools’ defender, Kirk Wilson,  scored an impressive 9-3 win at Northwood. while Westville Boys’ High outplayed Maritzburg College, winning 15-8.

The KZN sides will resume action next weekend without Westville, Clifton, and Hilton, who will all be in the Eastern Cape for the SAC Shield.

RESULTS

Kearsney College 11-8 Michaelhouse
Hilton College 15-1 Glenwood High School
Maritzburg College 15-8 Westville Boys’ High
Durban High School 9-3 Northwood
Clifton College 24-2 St Charles College

Surely disappointed about missing out on the KZN Schools SA20 final on Friday, Maritzburg College put that behind them to hand Westville Boys’ High a three-wicket defeat on Goldstone’s, in Pietermaritzburg, on Saturday.

The Griffin had enjoyed an excellent pre-season, beating Hans Moore, Paarl Boys’ High, and Noordheuwel, and finished with a dominating draw against Helpmekaar in their four matches at the Paarl Boys’ High Cricket Festival.

College had, also, started strongly, winning both of their games at the iHlobo Festival at Kearsney and their first two matches of the Schools SA20 final. Unfortunately for the Red, Black, and White, they misfired against Hilton College on Friday morning, and that cost them a place in the title decider. On Saturday, though, they returned with typical College gusto and mettle.

Westville won the toss and chose to bat first, but their top order produced inconsistent contributions. Each of the top five made some sort of start, but opening batsman Bhaskar Sewlal‘s 18 was their best score.

Karl Dedekind did most of the damage, accounting for three of those five batsmen. He was, however, far from done and would go on to record a decisive and superb return of 6/48 from 9.4 overs.

Tristan Delvin, though, wasn’t one of Dedekind’s victims. In fact, no one was able to dismiss him. He stood strong, striking two fours in an unbeaten 52 from 74 balls. Unfortunately for the Griffin, though, Sewlal’s 18 was their next-best batting effort. After 39.4 overs, they were all out for 136.

No Maritzburg College bowlers besides Karl Dedekind took more than one wicket, but the figures of those who picked up one told a story. Reece Willson went at only 2.2 an over and returned 1/13 from six. Daniel Nadasan finished with 1/14 from five, conceding only 2.8 per over, and Dom du Toit snared 1/9 from five, giving up only 1.8 runs per over.

Nadasan, then, gave the home side’s reply exactly what it needed with a telling innings up front. The opener took charge, making 47 from 74 balls, with six fours, before he was caught by Kyle McGough off the bowling of Tristan Delvin. His dismissal left College on 63/2. It was, though, the middle wicket in a bit of a hiccup in the host’s response, which saw them stumble from 61 without loss to 64/3.

When College lost two wickets on 104, they were seven down, but Sphamandla Dzanibe (20*) and Dom du Toit (19*), then, saw them home, sharing an unbroken stand of 33 runs to take their side to victory with four overs to spare.

Ewan du Toit caused the Maritzburg College batsmen all kinds of problems and nabbed 4/16 from 10 overs. Delvin followed up his batting heroics with a solid 2/30 from 10. But the day belonged to the hosts.

Summarised scorecard

Westville Boys’ High 136/10 (Tristan Delvin 52, Karl Dedekind 6/48); Maritzburg College 137/7 (Daniel Nadasan 47, Sphamandla Dzanibe 20*, Ewan du Toit 4/16, Tristan Delvin 2/30). Maritzburg College won by three wickets.

Northwood, fresh off of winning the KZN Schools SA20 title, picked up a big win on Saturday at the Crusaders Club in the north of Durban, defeating Durban High School (DHS) by eight wickets with 11.3 overs in hand in a limited-overs match.

The visitors, DHS, batted first but were immediately rocked when Jamie Wimble got rid of Ismaeel Omar, usually a solid performer for the Horse Flies, in the first over.

Then, Luke Allen, Wimble’s new ball partner, accounted for the other opener, Akthar Basha, for 16, which reduced DHS to 25/2.

That, however, brought Taine Haverman and Josh van Biljon together – two players who will be at the forefront of the DHS challenge in 2025 – and they showed why. They put on 70 for the third wicket from 112 balls, but Havemann was, then, caught by Ross McGlashan off the off-spinner, Ben Cilliers, for 42 from 75 balls, having struck three fours.

Unfortunately, for DHS, Van Biljon was run out, also for 42, leaving School on 113/4. His innings had taken 69 balls and included four fours.

With the departure of that duo, Northwood was able to quickly make further inroads, and DHS stumbled from 113/3 to 123/7, with the left-arm spinner, Jordan Matthews, picking up two of those wickets, while Cilliers added Ethan Cooper to his list of victims.

Dhilan Naraidu and Bayanda Majola, both left-handed batsmen, added 21 for the eighth wicket before Naraidu fell for 10, caught by David de Bruyn off the seamer, Jamie Wimble.

Majola and Raul Chetty kept Northwood at bay, putting on 26 for the ninth wicket. Their stand was ended by Wimble when Ross McGlashan bagged a catch to stop Majola’s resistance. He had struck 26 from 39 balls, with two fours.

Connor Leclezio brought the innings to an end soon after that, bowling Chetty for 12, as DHS tallied 177 all out from 49.4 overs.

Jamie Wimble led the Northwood attack, bagging 3/37. Ben Cilliers snared 2/28, and Jordan Matthews picked up 2/34, all from 10 overs each.

In reply, Northwood began their run chase cautiously, with paceman Taine Haverman and left-arm spinner Dhilan Naraidu keeping David de Bruyn and Tuswa Phetha quiet. Eventually, though, the opening pair broke the shackles. Together, they added 55 for the first wicket before De Bruyn was caught by Lazlo Jooste off the bowling of Ethan Cooper for 21.

Ross McGlashan, who had played a top knock in Northwood’s win over Hilton College in the Schools SA20 final, followed up with a match-winning innings against DHS. He and Phetha seized control of the contest by scoring 65 from 68 balls for the second wicket.

Phetha’s watchful innings ended when he was caught by Ethan Cooper off Nairadu for 49. He had spent 80 balls out in the middle and hit three fours. His dismissal brought captain Kyle White out to the middle, with the Knights needing 58 runs for victory. They got them without losing another wicket.

McGlashan played a fine knock, eventually finishing unbeaten on 80 from just 85 balls, eight of which he dispatched to the boundary. White, meanwhile, gave him a dependable partner and accumulated 19 not out from 29 deliveries.

With 63 balls to spare and eight wickets in hand, it was yet another impressive victory for the Knights. Express fast bowler Bayanda Majola might have helped the DHS cause, but he was unable to bowl and Northwood delivered an outstanding mature performance.

Their showing, maybe, highlighted the difference in the preparation of the sides. The Knights had not only played four matches in the Schools SA20 KZN finals over the previous two days, but they had also played three matches at the Grey College Festival in Bloemfontein before the start of the first term. DHS, unfortunately, had four pre-season games in the iHlobo Festival rained out.

Glenwood High vs Hilton College

In Durban’s south, Hilton College, the winners by 27 runs over Glenwood in a Schools SA20 match on Friday, found themselves on the wrong end of a one-sided loss on Saturday when they tackled the Green Machine.

Hilton captain Ben Hockly won the toss and opted to bat first on Dixon’s. That decision blew up in his face as Glenwood’s bowlers rolled the visitors for only 42 in 19.3 overs. Hilton had rocked Maritzburg College in the Schools SA20 on Friday, bowling the Red, Black, and White out for only 55, but they discovered what it felt like to be on the receiving end the very next day.

They lost Hockly early, with the total on two, but Hilton pressed on, reaching 16 before a second wicket went down. Suddenly, it became a procession of batsmen entering and departing the field of play.

Simon Steyn was the only one to reach doubles figures, and he barely made it, scoring 11. Remarkably, the last four batsmen in the order were dismissed for ducks.

Up front, Riley Foxcraft knocked over 2/11 in five overs for Glenwood, while Mishael Gunawardana claimed the prize wicket of the in-form Alex Pitman. It was the spinners, though, who laid waste to Hilton’s batting. Kyle Bryan snared 4/10 in 5.3 overs and Akhil Maharaj snatched 3/6 in five as Hilton folded.

Chasing only 43 for victory, Glenwood lost Karabo Ntsieng before there was a run on the board, but even an average partnership would be enough for the Green Machine to make a serious dent in their run chase and they received 28 runs from Rehaan Jhungbathur and Krian Jugoo before Jhungbathur was caught by Robert Burman off the bowling of Simon Steyn for 17.

Jugoo maintained his end, going on to finish with 17 not out, as Glenwood scored a dominant seven-wicket win with 36.3 overs in hand.

Steyn picked up 2/13 in 2.3 overs, and Sechaba Gude claimed 1/8 in four, but Hilton’s bowlers had little to defend and Glenwood romped to victory.

Summarised scorecards

Durban High School 177/10 (Taine Haverman 42, Joshua van Biljon 42, Bayanda Majola 26, Jamie Wimble 3/37, Ben Cilliers 2/28, Jordan Matthews 2/34); Northwood 181/2 (Ross McGlashan 80*, Tuswa Phetha 49, David de Bruyn 21). Northwood won by eight wickets.

Hilton College 42/10 (Simon Steyn 11, Kyle Bryan 4/10, Akhil Maharaj 3/6, Riley Foxcraft 2/11); Glenwood 43/3 (Krian Jugoo 17*, Rehaan Jgungbathur 17, Simon Steyn 2/13). Glenwood won by 7 wickets.

A rematch of the Free State region’s final is set to light up Potchefstroom on Sunday morning.

This time they meet for the title in the Phase Two playoff round of the Schools SA20 competition with a place in the national final on the line.

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

The two Bloemfontein powerhouses, St Andrew’s School and Grey College, won their respective semi-finals with ease, setting up a rematch of the Free State final, which Saints won, on the JB Marks Oval.

St Andrew’s reversed an earlier loss to Potchefstroom Gimnasium, winning comfortably by 41 runs on the back of a fine batting performance by Andrew Sobiech. The opening batsman, who has been a prominent figure for his side right through the weekend, stepped up his game a further level, contributing a well-constructed 68 runs from 61 balls, with three fours and a six, to help his side reach the title decider.

Leon Athanasiou provided the needed support with an important 35 runs, which lifted St Andrew’s beyond 140  – a total that has proved hard to chase in Potchefstroom – and on to 148/4 from their 20 overs.

When Gimmies visited the crease, FG Botha continued the Bloemfontein side’s dominance, spinning a web around the local batsmen to snare 3/15 from his four overs. Athanasiou was in the thick of things again, claiming 2/5, and Cullen Kakora took 2/19, as Potch Gimnasium mustered only 107 all out in reply.

Grey College‘s Henru de Wet, it seems, can’t be kept quiet. He was, once again, the main contributor in his side’s seven-wicket victory over the Northern Cape’s Kalahari. De Wet was devastating with the ball on this occasion and dismantled the Kalahari batting lineup. In only three overs, he captured five wickets for two runs.

Unfortunately for Kalahari, only Strauss van Heerden (16) and Liam Laing (11) made it into double figures, which left the Northern Cape side well short, dismissed for 57.

Grey College needed only one of their batsmen to settle at the crease and Edrich Hanekom (20) did the job. His innings put Grey in a position to chase down the Kalahari’s total in 8.2 overs.

As the only unbeaten in Potchefstroom, Grey College will head into the final favoured to reverse their previous defeat to St Andrew’s.

Summarised scorecards

St Andrew’s School 148/4 (Andrew Sobiech 68, Leon Athanasiou 35; Jahndre Coetzee 1/25); Potchefstroom Gimnasium 107/10 (Lukas Kotze 38, Ulrich Botha 26; FG Botha 3/15, Leon Athanasiou 2/5, Cullen Kakora 2/19). St Andrew’s School won by 41 runs.

Kalahari 57/10 (Strauss van Heerden 16; Henru de Wet 5/2, Edrich Hanekom 2/11); Grey College 58/3 (Edrich Hanekom 20; Carl Thole 1/17). Grey College won by seven wickets.