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Zieg Roos bagged a five-wicket haul to bowl King Edward VII School (KES) to a 41-run win over HS Noordheuwel in their 50-over encounter on Saturday.

KES put aside their defeat to St David’s Marist Inanda in a Schools SA20 tie on Friday afternoon and mustered 159 all out through a team effort.

Vincent Jordaan‘s charges needed someone to bowl them to victory if they were to defend their low total and Roos was their man as he helped his side restrict Noordheuwel to only 118 in 38.4 overs.

Roos, who was introduced in the eighth over, bowled his 10-over allotment on the bounce and snagged a sensational six wickets for 14 runs.

His first over was a double-wicket maiden, which accounted for Wander Roolvink and Brandon Pieters. He followed that up with a wicket in his second over and, by then, Noordheuwel was more focused on survival than anything else.

They became so watchful of Roos’ deliveries that the KES bowler recorded a couple of wicket-maidens as he continued to wreak havoc on Nories.

JD Bezuidenhout was the only Noordheuwel batsman to properly prosper while Roos dominated. He remained unbeaten on a valiant 44 off 62 balls. Marius Penning and Corné Olivier were the only other batsmen to reach double figures on a day on which everyone struggled.

Roos was well-supported by Eric Southey, who expertly cleaned up the tail in an outstanding 4.4-over spell that earned him three wickets for a mere eight runs. Wade McQuinn did his bit, claiming 1/13 in four overs.

Earlier in the day, KES had lived up to the adage of the sum being greater than its parts when their middle order scraped together a string of double-figure individual scores that gave their bowlers something to defend.

Jordaan’s boys started poorly, losing four wickets for 18 runs in the first six overs of their innings. Troy Gordon scored a laboured but valuable 31 off 67 deliveries as he fought to hold the innings together. Abdullah Mohammed (15) and Khwezi Nyamathe (13) reached double figures but were out in the mid-teens.

However, an eighth-wicket stand between Wade McQuinn (30) and Matthews Burgess (29) lifted KES close to the 150-run mark. That total could have been a lot lighter, but Noordheuwel did not help themselves by contributing 28 extras, including 22 wides, which proved to be the fourth-highest contributor to the KES total.

Corné Botha was the pick of the bowlers for Noordheuwel, returning an outstanding three wickets for four runs in four overs. Gomo Sibi and Sage Pretorius bagged a brace each, but Sibi was responsible for 22 wides.

Summarised Scorecards

KES 159/10 (Troy Gordon 31, Wade McQuinn 30; Corne Botha 3/4, Sage Pretorius 2/12); Noordheuwel 118/10 (JD Bezuidenhout 44*, Marius Penning 20; Zieg Roos 6/14, Eric Southey 3/8).

KES won by 41 runs.

Jason Rowles and Armaan Manack struck classy centuries to lead St David’s Marist Inanda to a nine-wicket win over St John’s College in their 50-over encounter on La Valla Oval at St David’s on Saturday.

The hosts, who won the toss and elected to bat first, were bowled out for a decent-looking 282 in 46 overs. Jeff Levin’s boys, however, needed six overs less to chase down that big total, cruising to 287/1 in 40 overs.

Rowles showed his class as he creamed 14 fours and two sixes on his way to a brilliant 118 off 105 deliveries. The opener was at the crease for 27.3 overs and forged a 185-run opening stand with Armaan Manack.

The St John’s bowlers had no answers against the duo, and it took a moment of luck for them to break the openers’ partnership, with Rowles, after successfully negotiating a Lwazi Khuphe delivery, accidentally dislodging his bails.

Following the SA u19 Emerging star’s departure, Armaan Manack took control of the innings and put on an unbroken 102-run second-wicket partnership with his captain, Samrat Basu (38*).

It was during that partnership that Manack recorded his century, going on to finish with an unbeaten 114 off 101 balls. He put on a clinic, showing an ability to severely punish loose deliveries, as he carved 18 fours. It was also Manack’s second century of the week, following a knock of 167 off 108 balls against Northcliff.

Earlier in the day, Armaan’s twin brother, Morteza Manack, starred with the ball, bagging four wickets for 42 runs in 10 overs. Morteza, fresh off a double-hundred in the 50-over format, removed three of the top six batsmen in the St John’s batting order, getting rid of Nkosana Sibiya, Malan du Plessis, and Darshik Lutchman.

Sibiya scored one of the two half-centuries for St John’s, contributing 51 runs off 57 deliveries. The other half-ton came from Connor van der Walt. The opener hit a 64-ball 60 to give his side a solid start. However, neither fifty was enough to withstand the St David’s onslaught.

Ethan Greenstein, Kyle Butler, Hayden Campbell, and Jared Stern perfectly supported Morteza’s bowling. Both Greenstein and Butler picked up a pair of wickets, while Campbell and Stern took one wicket each.

Summarised Scorecards

St John’s 282/10 (Connor van der Walt 60, Nkosana Sibiya 51; Morteza Manack 4/42, Kyle Butler 2/25); St David’s 287/1 (Jason Rowles 118, Armaan Manack 114*; Lwazi Khuphe 1/28).

St David’s won by nine wickets.

Clifton College enjoyed a strong showing at the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Week and the momentum they built up there has continued in the KZN season. Fresh off a six-wicket win over Glenwood, coach Brandon Scullard‘s charges handed Northwood a 107-run defeat on Saturday at the Riverside Sports Club.

The toss went Clifton’s way and they chose to bat first in the limited-overs clash. Although they lost a wicket in the early going, they kicked on, with a number of batsmen playing themselves in and adding bits and pieces to the total while opening batsman Byron Ward played the anchor role.

He accumulated, by far, the highest score of the match, and his innings of 75 runs off 106 deliveries proved to be a difference-maker. He also showed a flair for punishing loose bowling, which was reflected in the boundaries he struck, two fours and five sixes, and the Riverside Sports Club field is not a small ground.

Lawson Dinsdale, batting ninth in the order, made a valuable 23 not out, while Tim Saulez weighed in with 21. Clifton’s innings, though, lasted only 43.3 overs. They were all out for 204.

David de Bruyn, who was brought on late, as the seventh bowler used by the Knights, enjoyed the most success, capturing 4/49 in 10 overs. Kyle White bowled with penetration and economy, picking up 2/24 in 10, while Mason Storm also did a good job, claiming 2/21 in six.

Northwood’s chances of overhauling Clifton’s 204 were struck a serious blow early in their innings, when they were reduced to 15/3, with all-rounder Tim Saulez claiming two of the three wickets.

Opener David de Bruyn and Dolphins’ u18 batsman Mfana Shange advanced the total to 38, but Shange was, then, caught off the bowling of Blake Johnson for seven.

Sixteen runs later, the visitors suffered a big blow when De Bruyn fell, caught off the left-arm spin of Clifton captain Shahzaad Perumal for 23 from 44 balls, which included three fours. His knock would turn out to be the highest score of the Northwood innings.

Kyle White and Ross McGlashan resisted for a while, but when White was LBW to Johnson with the total on 70, that dismissal was a precursor to a mini-collapse, with Nqobani Mokoena and Mason Storm exiting in quick succession as the Knights slumped to 79/8, well out contention.

Ben Cilliers and McGlashan stubbornly stood firm, taking the score to 97 before they were both dismissed on that total. Cilliers was the first to depart, LBW to Shahzaad Perumal for 13, and McGlashan followed, the last man out, for the innings’ second-highest score of 20, a victim of Shiraz Perumal.

Clifton had recorded an emphatic 107-run victory. With Northwood making less than a hundred, the Clifton bowling attack boasted some handsome figures.

Shiraz Perumal snared 3/23 in 9.3 overs, while Shahzaad Perumal tied Northwood in knots, knocking over 2/11 in seven. Tim Saulez, with the new ball, did an excellent job, capturing 2/12 in six, while Blake Johnson took 2/29 in six, and Callum Watson, the only other bowler used by Clifton, took 1/22.

Coach Brandon Scullard declared himself very happy with the way that his charges are playing at present. Their results are proof of good complementary cricket, with the team functioning well as a unit, and, with only two members of the squad in matric, they’ll be a team to watch in 2025.

St Charles College vs Glenwood High School

In Pietermaritzburg, rain began falling in the afternoon, which brought an early end to the clash between St Charles College and Glenwood High, with the contest interestingly poised.

Batting first, the Green Machine posted 182/8 in their 50 overs, led by Bandile Mbatha‘s unbeaten 42 off 60, 32 from Krian Jugoo, and 31 from Nathan Moodley.

Saints’ skipper Marcell Wellmann snared 3/38 with his left-arm spin, while Tristan Montile claimed 2/10 in five overs.

When the St Charles’ innings was brought to a premature end, they had reached 107/4 after 24.4 overs.

Cian Fortmann and Connor Riley shared an opening stand of 51 before Fortmann was caught by Ntando Soni off the accurate off-spinner Kyle Bryan for 34 from 41, with five fours. Riley, the third man out, made 25.

Bryan sent down nine overs and picked up 2/33, while Sibonelo Phewa did a fine job, capturing 1/18 in seven.

Summarised scorecards

Clifton College 204/10 (Byron Ward 75, Lawson Dinsdale 23*, Tim Saulez 21, David de Bruyn 4/49, Mason Storm 2/21, Kyle White 2/24); Northwood School 97/10 (David de Bruyn 23, Ross McGlashan 20, Shiraz Perumal 3/23, Shahzaad Perumal 2/11, Tim Saulez 2/12, Blake Johnson 2/29). Clifton won 107 runs.

Glenwood High School 182/8 (Bandile Mbatha 42*, Krian Jugoo 32, Nathan Moodley 31, Marcell Wellmann 3/38, Tristan Montile 2/10); St Charles College 107/4 (Cian Fortmann 34, Connor Riley 25, Rico Honiball 21*, Kyle Bryan 2/33). Match abandoned.

The Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool of Pretoria secured their third victory over Grey College in only nine days as the team from the Jacaranda City concludes the first part of the 2024/25 season with a tour of Bloemfontein.

The young left-handed seam bowler Zian Labuschagne spearheaded Affies’ attack on the Johan Volsteedt Oval by picking up five wickets at the cost of only 30 runs. Affies won the limited-overs match by 134 runs.

Affies batted first and was restricted to 253 runs in the 48th over with Daniel Murray (64) recording a half-century. Vihan Pretorius (48), Christiaan Linden (34), JP Botha (26), Ruben Groenewald (26) and Xavier de Wet (21) all also chipped in with the bat.

Grey College was bowled out for only 119 runs with Daniel Hattingh (62) the only batsman that managed to keep the Affie bowling attack at bay. Affies’ two other victories over Grey College came during the annual Westvaal North/South T20.

St Alban’s College of Pretoria is also visiting the City of Roses. They lost their first encounter on Vossies Field against St Andrew’s School by seven runs.

Saints batted first on their home turf and reached 252 runs with Reuben van Aarde (38), Leon Athanasiuo (36), Naudé Botha (34), Jonathan Hickley (21), Hendré Serfontein (20) and a certain batsman named Extras (42) making valuable contributions.

Mduduzi Mahlangu (2/32), Christian Visagie (2/43) and Liam Basch (2/46) all grabbed two wickets each.

Visagie rounded off an all-round performance by also scoring 60 runs in the chase. He received some good support from Wayne Kruger (35), Kyle Block (33) and Basch (31). FG Botha (3/50) was the pick of the Saints bowling attack.

Summarised Scorecards:

Affies 253 (Daniel Murray 64, Vihan Pretorius 48, Christiaan Linden 34, JP Botha 26, Ruben Groenewald 26, Xavier de Wet 21; Otto Krause 3/40, Daniel Hattingh 2/32); Grey-kollege 119 (Daniel Hattingh 62; Zian Labuschagne 5/30, SF Vermeulen 2/15). Affies won by 134 runs.

St Andrew’s School 252 (Extras 42, Reuben van Aarde 38, Leon Athanasiuo 36, Naudé Botha 34, Jonathan Hickley 21, Hendré Serfontein 20; Mduduzi Mahlangu 2/32, Christian Visagie 2/43, Liam Basch 2/46); St Alban’s College 245 (Christian Visagie 60, Wayne Kruger 35, Kyle Block 33, Liam Basch 31, James Godwin 29, Josh Melville 22, Liam Detert 21*; FG Botha 3/50, Nikhil Sukraj 2/48). St Andrew’s School won by seven runs.

Johan Zeedyk scored a brilliant unbeaten half-century as Monument registered a six-wicket win over Queens High School in a Schools SA20 Lions’ regional quarterfinal played at Queens on Friday afternoon.

Queens, who won the toss and elected to bat first, chalked up a solid total of 167/5 in their 20 overs. It took Monument 19.2 overs to reach 168/4 and claim victory.

Zeedyk struck eight fours and two sixes on his way to an unbeaten 83 off 48 balls to shepherd his side to a comfortable win. He, also, shared a match-winning 106-run opening wicket partnership with Antonie van Niekerk to put his side on course. Unlike Zeedyk, who cruised along at a brisk run rate of 172.9, Van Niekerk scored at a relatively pedestrian 104, tallying 49 runs from 47 balls.

The opening partnership collapsed in the 13th over with the dismissal of Van Niekerk and Monument lost their way over the next two overs as a mini-collapse unfolded. Including Van Niekerk’s wicket, Monument lost four wickets for nine runs in 12 deliveries. However, all was not lost because Zeedyk was still at the crease and all he needed was someone who would stick around with him.

That someone turned out to be Ebrahim Haffejee. Zeedyk and Haffejee, who finished with an unbeaten 24 from 15 balls, shared an unbroken 43-run fifth-wicket partnership that saw Monument past the finishing line.

Earlier in the day, Fuzail Faroon and Katlego Sekopane played well to launch their side to a competitive score. Faroon scored a 37-ball 54, cracking five fours and a single six. He was part of a 49-run third-wicket partnership with Dimpho Sefoli, although Sefoli was a trifle slow, scoring 23 off 31 balls.

Sekopane, on the other hand, smashed a 28-ball 56 to provide his side with the boost it needed to post a score that the Queens’ bowlers had a better shot at defending. He was part of Queens’ highest partnership, a 65-run fourth-wicket stand with Nkateko Maluleka. However, Sekopane and Faroon’s contributions were not enough to provide their side with a winning aggregate.

Byron Viljoen, Tshepo Mlambo, Rieghadt Prinsloo, and Ebrahim Haffejee all bagged a wicket each as Monument kept Queens to a total they could successfully chase down.

Summarised Scorecards

Queens 167/5 (Katlego Sekopane 56, Fuzail Faroon 54; Byron Viljoen 1/21, Tshepo Mlambo 1/21); Monument 168/4 (Johan Zeedyk 83*, Antonie van Niekerk 49; Lehlogonolo Mahlokoane 2/22, Nkateko Maluleka 1/22).

Monument won by six wickets.

Ethan Smith bludgeoned an imperious 179 to power Noordheuwel to an emphatic 232-run win over South Hub in their Schools SA20 Lions’ regional quarterfinal, played at Noordheuwel’s Main Oval on Friday afternoon.

Smith’s massive ton lifted the home side, who had won the toss and elected to bat first, to a huge total of 288/2 in 20 overs. South Hub’s reply stuttered along until they were bowled out for 56 in 11.4 overs.

Smith’s boundary tally was higher than the combined score of South Hub’s top two run-scorers. Uwais Shaikh and Numaan Shaikh chalked up 26 runs between them, while Smith creamed 13 fours and a mind-boggling 18 sixes, for a total of 31 boundaries in his innings. He faced only 66 deliveries for his 179 runs, striking at an astronomical run rate of 271.2.

Tidimalo Moeketsane, who shared a 209-run opening partnership with Smith, had the best seat in the stadium to witness the show his partner was putting on. He went at a run-a-ball for most of his innings, on his way to a 39-ball 48, but was happy to hand the strike to his big-hitting counterpart.

Smith, who batted into the 18th over, then shared a 36-run second-wicket stand with Corné Botha, who was even more destructive than his erstwhile partner. The number three batsman was particularly severe on Sahil Khalia, whom he smashed for 28 runs in the 19th over, to register the highest-scoring over in the contest. In just 14 balls, Botha exploded for an unbeaten 52 runs.

Despite conceding 28 runs in a single over, Khalia was not the least economical bowler of the contest. The bowler who suffered the most at the hands of Noordheuwel’s batsmen was Tankiso Motele, who had an economy rate of 18.5 after two overs. Drashy Patel and Uwais Shaikh each claimed a Noordheuwel wicket, but they went for bucketloads of runs.

JJ Basson, then, saw to it that South Hub did not get going in their innings. The left-arm SA u19 Emerging pacer had the South Hub batsmen so shell-shocked that they scored only five runs off of his four-over spell. Fortunately for the visitors, Basson also added 13 runs to their total through the wides he bowled. Had he not struggled with his line, the visitors would have been dismissed for less.

Despite the wides, Basson also bagged a five-wicket haul as he led the destruction of the South Hub batting, finishing with five for 18. His new ball partner, JD Bezuidenhout, took two wickets for 15 runs in 2.4 overs. Sage Pretorius also bagged a brace, two for seven in two overs, while Botha took a single wicket for five runs.

Noordheuwel’s bowlers were the biggest contributors to South Hub’s total, with 21 extras. Their main contributors with the bat were Uwais Shaikh and Numaan Shaikh, who scored 16 and 10 runs respectively. They were the only South Hub batsmen to reach double figures.

Summarised Scorecards

Noordheuwel 288/2 (Ethan Smith 179, Corne Botha 52*; Uwais Shaikh 1/29, Drashy Patel 1/64); South Hub 56/10 (Uwais Shaikh 16, Numaan Shaikh 10; JJ Basson 5/18, Sage Pretorius 2/7).

Noordheuwel won by 232 runs.

Tom Rew smashed an unbeaten half-century to lead St Stithians College to a nine-wicket victory over St John’s College in their Schools SA20 Lions’ region quarterfinal tie on Wits University’s A field on Friday afternoon.

St John’s won the toss and elected to bat first. They found it tough sledding, clawing their way to 129/9 in their 20 overs. Lazarus Mokoena’s Saints’ outfit made light work of the victory target, racing to 130/1 in just 15 overs.

Rew stroked eight fours and bashed four sixes on his way to an unbeaten 81 off only 42 deliveries.

The number three batsman arrived at the crease in the second over, following the dismissal of Liam Mudenda, who had scored a watchful 10 runs from nine balls. That was a better start than St John’s made. They lost their first wicket in the first over of the match. However, it was hardly the start St Stithians wanted.

They knew that what they needed to win was what St John’s had lacked in their innings, a good partnership. Rew and Ombesa Matsha delivered it.

Rew got off the mark with a boundary and didn’t look back from there. The teenager took a particular liking to St John’s captain Alec Loveland, whom he took for 16 runs in the 12th over. St Stithians had kept up with the required run rate through the first 11 overs of their innings, and they had the advantage of wickets in hand. That fruitful 12th over proved to be a turning point in the tie and it went a long way towards sealing the victory for Mokoena’s charges.

Matsha was happy to pick up singles and give the strike to his in-form partner as he played the role of the foil to Rew’s fluent knock. The opener struck only two boundaries in his unbeaten 34 off 39 balls.

Earlier in the day, Zaakir Hanslo ran through the St John’s batting lineup, snaring four wickets for 16 runs in four overs. His first wicket was the dismissal of Nkosana Sibiya (29) in the ninth over. The opener had shared a 60-run second-wicket partnership with James Yuill (26). After Sibiya’s removal, the St John’s innings went downhill.

None of their next five batsmen reached double figures as the innings fell apart. Aiden Barberrini, with an unbeaten 26 from 18 balls, batting ninth in the order, helped St John’s muster 129. The only other St John’s batsman to make it into double figures was Lwazi Khuphe and he barely made it, contributing 10.

Hanslo was well-supported with the ball by Tom Collins, who took two wickets for 12 runs in two overs. The other wicket-takers were Cayden Sunker, Tendai Kadyamadare, and Tahseen Hanslo, who all bagged a wicket each.

Summarised Scorecard

St John’s 129/9 (Nkosana Sibiya 29,  Aiden Barberrini 26*; Zaakir Hanslo 4/16, Tom Collins 2/12); St Stithians 130/1 (Tom Rew 81*, Ombesa Matsha 34; Herman Basson 1/21).

St Stithians won by nine wickets.

Jared Stern was sensational with the ball, setting up St David’s Marist Inanda for a seven-wicket win over King Edward VII School (KES), in their Schools SA20 regional quarterfinal tie at Wits University’s B field on Friday afternoon.

Stern bagged a miserly four wickets for nine runs in four overs to help his side restrict KES to 142/9 in their 20 overs. St David’s replied with 144/4 in 19 overs.

Stern’s outstanding four-over spell crippled KES. Samarat Basu, the St David’s captain, threw the ball to Stern in the seventh over and the medium pacer immediately impacted the match.

Like Kyle Butler, who was introduced in the fifth over and took a wicket, Stern delivered the wicket of Troy Gordon with his first ball. In that first over, he conceded only one run.

The pressure he exerted in that over helped Rowles bag a wicket in the next one. Stern followed that with another tidy over, which, although wicketless, cost only a single again. His third over delivered a dagger to the hopes of KES as he dismissed Reece Small and the dangerous Wade McQuinn with back-to-back deliveries. He closed off his sensational spell with a wicket for two runs in his fourth over.

Eric Southey was the only bright spark in the KES innings. Batting at number eight, he top-scored with an unbeaten 36 off 28 deliveries to drag KES to 142.

St David’s stumbled early on in their chase, losing Jason Rowles in the fourth over of their innings. However, all was not lost as Armaan Manack (42) consolidated with a 54-run second-wicket partnership with Kamogelo Phiri. The pair was, however, dismissed within 10 deliveries of one other.

The burden to see St David’s to victory fell on the shoulders of Armaan’s twin brother, Morteza Manack, who played a measured innings to shepherd his team across the finishing line. He, also, shared an unbroken 52-run fifth-wicket partnership with Hayden Campbell, which secured a semi-final spot for St David’s. At the end of the innings, Manack was unbeaten on 34 off 29 balls, while Campbell was not out on 22 off 16.

Christian Sabela was the pick of the KES bowlers for KES, claiming two wickets for 27 runs in four overs. Connor Kuijers picked up one wicket and went for 34 runs from his four overs.

Summarised Scorecards

KES 142/9 (Eric Southey 36*, Troy Gordon 15; Jared Stern 4/9, Morteza Manack 2/22); St David’s 144/4 (Armaan Manack 42, Morteza Manack 34*; Christian Sabela 2/27, Connor Kuijers 1/34).

St David’s won by seven wickets.

Mpumalanga’s two best school cricket sides, Hoërskool Middelburg and Hoërskool Nelspruit, meet in the playoff round of the Fain Noordvaal competition on Saturday, with a quarterfinals place on the line.

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

The Nellies travel to Middelburg to face the Middies for a third time this year, having twice come out on the wrong end of the result in their previous matches.

Presented with another chance to topple the Mpumalanga champions, Nelspruit will have one specific goal in mind and that’s claiming the prized wicket of Middies’ Gavin Genis.

The all-rounder has been a thorn in the side of Middies’ opposition throughout their unbeaten league campaign, but the Nellies, especially, have endured his wrath.

On the two occasions the sides met earlier in the season, Genis shifted into a higher gear, smashing 72 from 52 balls in the first encounter, and then used only 107 balls to score 128 runs in their second meeting. He tallied an impressive 448 runs in six league games, at an average of 89.6, while scoring two centuries and three fifties.

Saturday’s showdown will be another good test of the all-round abilities of Nellies’ Jayden Meyer. The experienced top-order batsman has been pivotal for the side from Mbombela throughout the year, anchoring the innings at three and bowling at first change. Nathan and John Duncan will also have important roles to play if Nelspruit is to defeat Middelburg.

The clash between Benoni’s Hoërskool Hans Moore and Hoërskool Garsfontein‘s Ysbere could be a thriller.

Possessing an immensely powerful batting lineup, led by captain Warren Minnaar and Xavier Coetzee, Hans Moore will be quietly confident that they are more than capable of beating the side from Pretoria. They will, however, have to get past Garsfontein’s Khaya Majola quick bowler, Nayleo Sanna, and the dangerous Eckardt Struwig.

Struwig, especially, has been impressive with the ball. He was exceptional against Prestige College, claiming an impressive five-wicket haul, which included a hat-trick.

Hoërskool Menlopark will head into their clash on Saturday confident of advancing. They’re playing at home and their captain Steve Stolk was at his destructive best during the recent Westvaal North/South T20 Tournament, where he scored a boatload of runs, including two mammoth centuries.

The visitors, Hoërskool Dr Malan, should offer a good challenge. Their strength lies in their batting, with Luka Pretorius and opening batsman Kegan Meyer the pace-setters in that department. They shone in a recent one-wicket loss to Heidelberg Volkskool in the Ekurhuleni League final and will be the batsmen targeted by Menlopark’s bowlers.

Hoërskool Bastion will have to deal with Limpopo’s leading wicket-taker, Timothy Baker when they welcome Merensky Landbou Akademie from behind the Citrus Curtain. Baker’s snared 18 scalps in seven games with his left-arm off-spin, which has included a five-wicket haul.

As the cricket season in the Noordvaal heads towards its business end, it’s time for the best of the best from their respective regions to battle it out for the Noordvaal honours.

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

The defending champions, Hoërskool Waterkloof, will be wary of the threat posed by Hoërskool Wesvalia. They host the side from Klerksdorp in the playoff round before the quarter-finals of the Fain Noordvaal Competition next week.

Wesvalia finished second in the North West after some impressive performances, which included a narrow victory over Potchefstroom Volkskool, who’ve led the way on the province’s cricket fields over the last couple of years.

The Dreyer brothers, Marneau and Eduard, have had much to do with Wesvalia’s successes. Eduard, the younger brother and still in Grade 11, has set the standard with the bat, scoring 756 runs in 19 matches, including two centuries and four half-centuries, at an average of 54, while Marneau, hard on his heels, has tallied 721 runs in 20 matches at an average of 45. Luan Vermeulen has added valuable support, scoring over 600 runs thus far.

The Dreyers have also led the way in the bowling department for the Wessies, snapping up a combined total of 56 wickets between them. On Saturday, they’ll be up against a formidable batting lineup, which includes Titans’ Khaya Majola representatives, Marcus Bakker and Wian Ruthven, and Waterkloof’s leading run-scorer, Divan Behrens.

All three have scored more than 1 000 runs in 2024, and they have shown that they are extremely dangerous, especially at home. Bakker has also captured more than 50 wickets with his nagging left-arm off-breaks. They’re a handy weapon in the Klofies’ arsenal.

In another clash that promises to keep spectators on the edge of their seats, Hoërskool Rustenburg hosts Hoërskool Marais Viljoen.

It’s hard to believe that the Rusties’ Callie Fryer is still only 16 years of age. The all-rounder has produced exceptional performances throughout the season, and has, more often than not, been at the forefront of his team’s victories.

Marais Viljoen possesses dangerous weapons of their own. They will look to their experienced captain, Jaden Govender, who was part of the side that finished second in the Noordvaal in 2023, to lead their challenge, while opening batsman Abdullah Tadwala should enjoy the batting-friendly wicket in Rustenburg.

Heidelberg Volkskool captain, Matthew Wentzel, will have a major role to play with the bat when Volkies welcome the dangerous Hoërskool Kempton Park. The Kempies have proved themselves to be a versatile side, and they will be full of confidence after qualifying for the Easterns’ Schools SA20 final.

Prestige College travels further north to tackle the Limpopo League champions, Hoërskool Pietersburg. The pitch is traditionally kind to batsmen, which will surely excite Lesedi Mabena and Thabang Kutumela, who shared an unbroken stand of almost 400 runs in a recent Schools SA20 match.