On Saturday, in Cape Town, South African College High School (SACS) won the toss and chose to bat first in a 50-over match against New Zealand outfit, Palmerston North.
In at four for SACS, Jordaan Berry took charge of the host’s batting effort, scoring an outstanding 113 runs off 97 balls, striking 11 fours and three maximums in his superb innings.
Tail ender, Vaughn van den Berg chipped in with a telling knock, adding 50 off 69 to extend the hosts’ total to 235 all out.
Captain Jordin Last-Harris bowled beautifully for the Kiwis, snapping up 5/16 in 40 deliveries to put the skids under the home side’s’ batsmen, while Max Hart delivered good support, claiming 3/34 in nine overs.
Despite fine contributions from Berry and Van den Bergh, it was tough to tell whether or not the SACS total of 235 was a good one. It turned out that it was.
Harris, after setting the tone for the visitors in the field, led from the front with the bat, contributing a steady 30 off 38, but his teammates struggled to get going until Alex Gordon led a revival lower down the order, smashing eight fours and a six in a 53-ball 55.
His valiant effort was, unfortunately for the visitors, nowhere near enough as his fellow tail enders were dismissed cheaply by the ruthless SACS bowling attack.
Ronan Meintjies tied down the Palmerston North batsmen, claiming 4/20 in 7.5 overs, while Ben Blackburn was less economical but almost as impactful, returning 3/41 from 5.1 overs.
In the end, the tourists were bowled out for 144, leaving SACS the comfortable winners by 91 runs.
SCORES
SACS 235/10 (Jordaan Berry 113, Vaughn van der Berg 50; Jordin Last Harris 5/16, Max Hart 3/34); Palmerston North 144/10 (Alex Gordon 55, Jordin Last Harris 30; Ronan Meintjies 4/20, Ben Blackburn 3/41).
Ben Scharges stood head and shoulders above all other batsmen in the rivalry clash between St Andrew’s and Kingswood. Photo: Supplied.
Ben Scharges carved an outstanding century to set up St Andrew’s College for an emphatic 143-run win over Kingswood College when they crossed swords at St Andrew’s on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Teun Kloppenburg and Jason Damons recorded unbeaten half-centuries to play decisive roles in victories for Grey High and Graeme College respectively.
In a 50-over clash against their Makhanda rivals, St Andrew’s won the toss, chose to bat first, and cantered to 314/6. Kingswood managed only 171 all out in 42 overs in reply.
Scharges, who arrived at the crease in the sixth over, produced a patient knock of 100 from 133 deliveries, which featured just seven fours. Batting third in the order, he anchored the innings and allowed his batting partners to express themselves at the other end.
Together with Sam Scheckter, he added 136 runs for the fourth wicket, with Scheckter scoring a fluent 64 from 73 balls. Myles Sansom, who replaced Scheckter, played his shots and raced to 51 from only 37 balls in 73-run fifth wicket stand with Kloppenburg.
Scheckter, then, showed off his all-round ability when St Andrew’s took to the field, wrecked the Kingswood innings by capturing 4/9 in only four overs.
Rhys Wiblin matched Scheckter’s haul with four wickets of his own as Kingswood was dismissed well short of the St Andrew’s total.
At Selborne College, in East London, Kloppenburg thumped an unbeaten half-century, leading the charge for Grey High, who secured a comfortable seven-wicket win.
He clubbed 12 fours and two sixes on his way to a 76-ball 91 as the visitors made light work of the 207-run target set for them by the hosts.
Selborne, who won the toss and elected to bat first, put up 206 in 48.3 overs, with Reece Wait‘s steady 45 from 66 deliveries their best batting effort. It was a vital contribution from the number seven batsman after the top six had struggled.
Teun Kloppenburg showed his all-round quality with bat and ball for Grey High. Photo: Supplied.
Grey High’s Drisden Pretorius was one of the reasons why they found the going tough. The left-arm spinner bamboozled the hosts and finished the match with four wickets for 35 runs from 10 overs.
Alejo Nota enjoyed a good outing, too, snapping up 2/18 from 7.3 overs. Kloppenburg, meanwhile, showed that he had more than one arrow in his quiver when he claimed Joshua Wilkie‘s wicket in the 29th over. His contribution was 1/14 in five overs.
Graeme College, who travelled to Woodridge, put on a dominant show to pick up a comfortable 47-run win over their hosts.
Jason Damons starred with the bat for Graeme, weighing in with an unbeaten 77 from 86 balls, which helped to catapult the visitors to 300/8 in 50 overs. Woodridge replied with 253/9.
Luphelo Mdyesha (33) and Enrique Strydom (20) made starts for the visitors but failed to kick on. Their steady start, though, helped to lay the platform from which Damons launched his fluent knock.
Woodridge took some damage late in the Graeme innings when Damons and Ajay Joggels (25*) shared an entertaining ninth-wicket partnership that added 86 runs from only 72 balls.
The home side’s innings was held together by Ethan Moothoo and Randy Syce, who threatened to bat Woodridge to victory with a big 153-run stand for the third wicket. Their partnership was, however, broken by brilliant interplay between Strydom and Qhama Ngoma, who combined to execute a run out that ended Moothoo’s stay just six runs shy of a century.
Syce held on until the 44th over. Unfortunately for him, he watched a procession of wickets falling at the other end. Still, he played his part with a well-played 81.
Luphelo Mdyesha was Graeme College’s standout bowler, claiming three wickets for 64 runs in 10 overs. Andrew Muir, who took the new ball with Erin Nelson, finished with two wickets for 30 runs in 10 overs.
Scorecards
St Andrew’s College 314/6 (Ben Scharges 100, Sam Schecter 64, Myles Sansom 51; Jack Collett 3/37, Sinawo Bakula 2/88). Kingswood 171/10 (Allister Knott 50, Josh Loon 30; Sam Schecter 4/9, Rhys Wiblin 4/31) St Andrew’s won by 143 runs.
Selborne College 206/10 (Reece Wait 45, Joshua Wilkie 34; Drisden Pretorius 4/35, Alejo Nota 2/18) Grey High 210/3 (Teun Kloppenburg 91*, Charl Postumus 38; Reece Wait 1/19, Aaron Senekal 1/25). Grey High won by seven wickets.
Graeme College 300/8 (Jordan Damons 77*, Luphelo Mdyesha 33; Ethan Moothoo 3/56, Mpumelelo Magwetshu 2/63) Woodridge 253/9 (Ethan Moothoo 94, Randy Syce 81; Luphelo Mdyesha 3/64, Andrew Muir 2/30) Graeme College won by 47 runs.
The St Anne’s Water Polo Tournament got off to an action-packed start on Friday, as top girls’ water polo schools from across Gauteng and the Western Cape joined KwaZulu-Natal’s finest in Hilton to do battle for the prestigious trophy.
St Anne’s Diocesan College, playing in front of their home crowd, wasted no time setting the tone. They opened their campaign with a dominant 16-1 victory over St Mary’s DSG, Kloof, and followed that up with a clinical 12-1 win against Kingsmead College.
Carrying that momentum into day two, the hosts overcame a spirited Herschel Girls School side 9-7 to finish the group stage in first place in Pool A.
That set them up with a quarterfinals’ clash against Reddam House Umhlanga. In another hard-fought match, they came away with an 8-5 victory, raising hopes that they might match or even better last year’s runner-up finish.
Second in Pool D, Herschel convincingly handled Reddam House Bedfordview, the winner of Pool B, in the quarterfinals, easing to a comfortable 9-2 victory.
Roedean School, third in 2024, made a strong statement on day one, beating Rhenish Girls’ High 10-3 before downing the KZN Top 10and Mackenzie Cupchampions, Durban Girls’ College (DGC) 5-2
They completed a clean run through a tough Pool B with a 9-2 triumph over St Dominic’s. Their reward was a tricky and tough tie against the defending champion, Reddam House Constantia. It took everything they had, but Roedean pulled off a slim victory, advancing after a penalty shootout, which they edged 3-2, following a 7-7 draw in regulation time.
Reddam House Constantia and St Mary’s Waverley had got the ball rolling on Friday with a thrilling contest, won 4-3 by Reddam. St Mary’s bounced back later on Friday with a tight 8-7 win over Maris Stella.
After their loss to Roedean, Reddam House Constantia responded with character in the playoff round, brushing aside Reddam Umhlanga 7-1.
Herschel Girls School delivered arguably the most emphatic performance of the tournament so far when they dismantled St Mary’s Kloof 20-0 in a ruthless attacking display in Pool D. They also beat Kingsmead 10-3 to end day one undefeated.
Reddam Bedfordview got off to a strong start, defeating Reddam Umhlanga 11-6 before cruising to a comfortable 10-3 win over St Cyprian’s.
St Stithians College also impressed, rolling to an 18-4 victory over Maris Stella. Then, in a key clash between title contenders, they recorded a composed 7-3 victory over Reddam Constantia.
Saints faced DGC in the quarterfinals, hardly a kind reward for their hard efforts, but the Johannesburg school rose to the challenge and booked their place in the semi-finals with an 8-6 win.
Beaulieu College endured a mixed opening day, scoring a tense 8-5 win over St Cyprian’s College before narrowly falling 6-5 to Reddam Umhlanga in the afternoon.
Durban Girls’ College had a rocky time in the group stage. They won their Pool B opener 9-4 against St Dominic’s, but came up short against Roedean second time out. StDom’s, meanwhile, bounced back with an assertive 12-3 victory over Rhenish.
RESULTS
Pool A
Reddam Constantia 4-3 St Mary’s Waverley
St Stithians 18-4 Maris Stella
Maris Stella 7-8 St Mary’s Waverley
Reddam Constantia 3-7 St Stithians
St Stithians 6-2 St Mary’s Waverley
Reddam Constantia 12-3 Marist Stella
Pool B
Roedean 10-3 Rhenish
DGC 9-4 St Dominic’s
Rhenish 3-12 St Dominic’s
DGC 2-5 Roedean
Rhenish 2-9 DGC
Roedean 9-2 St Dominic’s
Pool C
St Cyprian’s 5-8 Beaulieu
Reddam Umhlanga 6-11 Reddam Bedfordview
Beaulieu 5-6 Reddam Umhlanga
Reddam Bedfordview 10-3 St Cyprian’s
St Cyprian’s 7-8 Reddam Umhlanga
Beaulieu 4-9 Reddam Bedfordview
Pool D
St Anne’s 16-1 St Mary’s Kloof
Herschel 10-3 Kingsmead
Kingsmead 1-12 St Anne’s
St Mary’s Kloof 0-20 Herschel
St Mary’s Kloof 1-0 Kingsmead
St Anne’s 9-7 Herschel
Plate Quarterfinals
St Mary’s Waverly 12-2 Rhenish
St Dominic’s 6-4 Marist Stella
Beaulieu 5-0 St Mary’s Kloof
Kingsmead 2-0 St Cyprian’s
Cup Quarterfinals
St Stithians 8-6 DGC
Roedean (7) 10-9 (7) Reddam Constantia
Reddam Bedfordview 2-9 Herschel
St Anne’s 8-5 Reddam Umhlanga
Plate Playoffs
Rhenish (3) 7-6 (3) St Mary’s Kloof
Maris Stella (3) 4-5 (3) Reddam Bedfordview
Hilton won comfortably against Kearsney College to secure their place in the title game, while St John’s was pushed all the way by a feisty, young Clifton side.
Matches between Hilton and Kearsney in recent times have been tight, back-and-forth affairs, but, on this occasion, Hilton caught Kearsney cold in the first chukka.
Coach Paul Martin‘s boys came out hot and powered their way into a 6-2 lead after the opening quarter. That was, to a large degree, the difference in the game.
Their dangerman, Tristan Uys, led the way, scoring three times, while Sebastian Laudenberg opened the scoring, and Andrew Schnell and Mitchel Garreau also got onto the scoresheet in a blistering start.
Credit to Kearsney, they slowed Hilton in the second chukka, but it was 8-3 at the break in Hilton’s favour.
The action in the second half replicated the second chukka, with goals drying up in comparison to the frenetic first quarter. In the end, though, Hilton recorded a convincing 12-6 win.
In the second semi-final, St John’s, in typical fashion, employed a suffocating press to put Clifton under early pressure. They hit the right upright, but Clifton headed up the pool and Kyle Human opened the scoring with a rocket from long range. He then made it 2-0 with a five-metre penalty.
St John’s, with smart ball movement, pulled one back through Simon Mussett after a superb assist from Christopher Chapman. Mussett then levelled with a powerful shot from directly in front of the Clifton goal box.
Before the chukka was out, St John’s hit the front for the first time, with Chapman beating Caleb Malumbete in the home team’s goal.
It was 3-2 at the end of the quarter and the Johannesburg side never again ceded the lead, although Clifton’s Jake Frederic took advantage of a man-up situation to fire home from close range to level the scores.
St John’s edged ahead towards the end of the quarter when a shot from Rupert Schonborn deflected off a defender and into the back of the net to make it 4-3 at halftime.
Early in the second half, the teams swopped goals, but St John’s then went two goals clear when Nicholas Searle beat Izah Roux, who had taken over in goal from Caleb Malumbete, from a five-metre penalty.
Before the end of the chukka, both sides had struck again. It was 7-5 to St John’s.
With six minutes remaining, the hosts had a couple of chances to reduce the deficit but didn’t capitalise. Then, when St John’s won a penalty, Searle had an opportunity to put his team three goals ahead, but Roux pulled off a spectacular stop.
Then, it was Clifton’s turn at the penalty spot after Jamie Nicolau the five-metre shot, and Nicolau himself fired home to make it 7-6 to St John’s.
When Clifton won a kick-out, coach Pierre le Roux immediately called a timeout to set up a move that could tie the game. The Durban side moved the ball well, but a redirected shot struck the St John’s crossbar.
The Joburg boys quickly headed up the pool and opened up Clifton, but a shot from close range was narrowly wide of the mark.
Then, with a minute left, St John’s forced a turnover. Clifton was caught out and conceded a penalty. This time, it was Christopher Chapman who took the shot, and he sneaked it under the outstretched right arm of Izah Roux.
Less than a minute remained, and St John’s saw it out to qualify for the final for a second year in succession, defeating Clifton 8-6.
The four winners of their pools – Clifton, Kearsney, St John’s, and Hilton College – stated their cases as being the four best teams at the Clifton Water Polo Tournament by producing dominant and decisive victories in the quarterfinals.
In the first quarterfinal, Hilton faced some pressure from Reddam House Constantia, but every time the Capetonians threatened to make a game of it, Hilton quickly struck, with Tristan Uys and Mitchel Garreau leading their outstanding offence. In the end, they won 13-7.
Kearsney took on SelborneCollege in the second quarterfinal and lifted their game to completely defuse the East Londoners’ challenge. It was late in the second chukka when Selborne scored their first goal. By then, though, Kearsney led 6-1. They went on to an emphatic 13-4 victory.
Up against Michaelhouse in the last eight, St John’s showed off their pedigree by handling a tricky opponent with aplomb to come away with a 12-8 win.
Then, in the last of the quarters, it was Clifton, the side with the best defensive record thus far in the tournament, up against the defending champions, SACS. The Cape Town school had gone down to Hilton and Michaelhouse in Pool D play, but they looked good in a 12-6 win over Paul Roos Gimnasium, which secured them their spot in the last eight.
The young Clifton side had SACS’s measure, however, and were once again strong on defence. They were also good on attack and scored a convincing 11-6 win.
RESULTS
Quarterfinals
Hilton 13-7 Reddam House Constantia
St John’s 12-8 Michaelhouse
Kearsney 13-4 Selborne
Clifton 11-6 SACS
Playoffs
Westville 8-6 Paul Roos
DHS 12-11 Affies
Maritzburg College 13-11 KES
Northwood 22-1 Grey College
Plate semi-finals
SACS 14-11 Michaelhouse
Selborne 8-6 Reddam
Cup semi-finals
Hilton 12-6 Kearsney
St John’s 8-6 Clifton
FIXTURES
Sunday, 28 September
Game 45 – 07:00 – 15/16 – Grey College vs KES
Game 46 – 07:50 – 13/14 – Northwood vs Maritzburg College
Game 47 – 08:40 – 11/12 – Paul Roos vs Affies
Game 48 – 09:30 – 9/10 – Westville vs DHS
Game 49 – 10:20 – 7/8 – Reddam vs Michaelhouse
Game 50 – 11:10 – 5/6 – Selborne vs SACS
Game 51 – 12:00 – 3/4 – Clifton vs Kearsney
Game 52 – 13:00 – 1/2 – Hilton vs St John’s
Karabo Ntsieng was the joint top scorer for Glenwood, making 51, which was matched by Bandile Mbatha. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Superb performances from Northwood captain Kyle White and Kyle Mills helped the Knightsto a narrow eight-run win over gallant Glenwood on Dixon’s Field on Saturday.
White won the toss and elected to bat first in the 45 overs a side match. Glenwood, though, struck an early blow, with Ross McGlashan losing his wicket in the second over.
David de Bruyn and Thomas Oosthuizen set about repairing the innings and added 53 runs for the second wicket. That, however, took them a painstaking 116 balls.
After De Bruyn was caught by Kenzo Mchunu off the bowling of Kreesan Pillai, White came to the wicket, with his team in desperate need of a boost to their run rate. He provided it.
White and Oosthuizen tacked on an additional 23 runs from 32 balls before Oosthuizen was run out by a combination of Jonah Clarke and Olwami Zondi for 33.
Jamie Wimble, the next man in, didn’t last long, but Luc Boyall, his replacement, joined forces with White to add a crucial 75 from only 63 balls. Boyall, then, perished, caught and bowled by Pillai, for 26 at the start of the 45th over.
White followed, off the second last ball of the innings, but he had done an outstanding job, scoring 81 from just 73 balls, which included seven fours. That boundary matched the output of the rest of the Knights’ batsmen.
Northwood’s innings ended on 188/6, which left Glenwood to bat at 4.2 runs per over to win.
Kreesan Pillai was the pick of the Green Machine‘s bowlers, snaring 3/22 from six overs while opening bowler, Jonah Chaita, kept Northwood’s batsmen under pressure with his return of 1/11 from four.
The home side, in reply, made a steady start, with Olwami Zondi and Karabo Ntsieng putting on 26 from 38 balls for the first wicket. Zondi’s dismissal slowed the scoring as Ntsieng and Kreesan Pillai, then, added 17 from 51.
When Pillai was caught by Ross McGlashan off Keegan Reeves for eight, Glenwood was on 43/2 in the 15th over.
In just less than 20 overs, Ntsieng and Bandile Mbatha brought their team back into the game by adding 83 runs. Jordan Matthews broke their stand when he had Mbatha caught by Josh Mills for 51 from 60 balls, four of which Mbatha had struck for four and another for six.
Glenwood soon lost two more wickets, with Krian Jugoo out for nine before Ntsieng’s patient knock was ended in the 40th over, which left the hosts on 144/5. Ntsieng’s contribution was 51 from 100 balls, with nary a boundary in his tally.
Kyle Bryan and Mishael Gunawardana shared a quickfire stand of 25 from 17 balls for the sixth wicket, which lifted the Glenwood the total to 169, just 20 runs shy of victory. Northwood skipper Kyle White made a breakthrough, though, when he had Bryan caught by Josh Mills for eight.
Three runs later, Glenwood lost their seventh wicket, with Kamo Moloto falling for one. Mishael Gunawardena followed two balls later, yet another Josh Mills’ victim, out for 21 off 15, which included three fours. The very next ball, Glenwood was struck a massive blow when Kenzo Mchunu was run out for a single.
After losing four wickets for only four runs in the space of 2.4 overs, Glenwood was staring down the barrel on 174/9, with seven balls remaining and 15 runs needed for victory.
They made it to 180 before Jonah Chaita became the last man to lose his wicket, caught by Kyle Mills, off Kyle White’s bowling for one.
Apart from White, Mills was pivotal to Northwood’s success. He led their bowling attack, capturing 4/39 from nine overs. He, also, claimed two catches and was involved in the run out of Kenzo Mchunu. White’s bowling contribution was 2/11 from three overs.
SCORES
Northwood 188/6 (Kyle White 81, Thomas Oosthuizen 33, Luc Boyall 26, David de Bruyn 24; Kreesan Pillai 3/22); Glenwood 180/10 (Bandile Mbatha 51, Karabo Ntsieng 51, Mishael Gunawardana 21; Kyle Mills 4/39, Kyle White 2/11).
Selborne College’s SA Schools’ sharpshooter, Liam Hansen, played a key role in winning the East London school a place in the quarterfinals of the Clifton Water Polo Tournament. Photo: Brad Morgan.
After a busy 16-game schedule on Thursday, the Clifton Water Polo Tournament‘s hectic pace eased up on Friday with eight games being played. The first four had places in the quarterfinals on the line.
Four sides had already secured their quarterfinals spots by finishing in first place in their groups, which meant they had a day off. Clifton College topped pool A, Kearsney College won through from Pool B, St John’s led the way in Pool C, and Hilton College finished in first place in Pool D.
After those four progressed with clean records of three wins from three matches, Thursday’s contests for places in the quarterfinals pitted second-placed teams against third-placed teams from other groups.
The action began with Selborne College, second in Pool A, up against Westville Boys’ High, who had finished third in Pool C.
In beautiful Durban sunshine, at the Clifton Aquatic Centre, the East London school, winners against Reddam House Constantia and Maritzburg College previously, but losers against Clifton, broke clear of Westville in the second chukka but then fell behind before staging a stirring fightback to claim victory.
It was 1-1 after the opening chukka, but Selborne edged 5-4 ahead at halftime. Westville, though, snatched the lead in the third chukka, going up 7-5 with one quarter to go. Under pressure, Selborne responded superbly.
Liam Hansen pulled the Eastern Cape side to within a goal with a five-metre penalty before Daniel Woodin levelled the scores with a fantastic snap-shot from wide on the left.
With time running down, the danger man, Hansen, fired in a rocket to give Selborne an 8-7 lead, and they held onto it until the end.
Next up was SACS, the defending champion, who finished third in Pool D, against a familiar Western Cape foe, Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG), the runner-up in Pool C. Beaten twice in their group, by Hilton and Michaelhouse, SACS knew that one more slip would mean their title defence was done.
They rose to the occasion and seized the initiative from the first chukka. Attacking with precision and defending well, they raced into a 5-1 lead. From there, it was an uphill slog for Paul Roos.
At halftime, it was 7-2 in favour of SACS. PRG fought back in the third chukka to make it 11-6 with a quarter to go. The contest, though, concluded in a 13-8 win for SACS, a result that will have boosted their confidence after a disappointing Thursday that brought successive defeats.
Then, it was the turn of Reddam House Constantia, the third placed team from Pool A, to take on Affies, who had sneaked into second in Pool C on goal difference over Westville and Durban High School (DHS).
There was nothing to separate the sides. Affies led 8-6 at halftime, but Reddam battled their way back to make it 13-13 at the end of the fourth chukka. That sent the game to a penalty shootout.
After two shots, it was 1-1, but Adrian van Niekerk had the third Affies’ shot, which landed in the back of the net, disallowed for a double movement. Blake Brown, Reddam’s talisman, then fired home to secure a place for his side in the quarterfinals.
Northwood had finished third in Pool B after losing two games by a single goal, and they endured more heartbreak in their clash against Pool D runner-up, Michaelhouse.
That game, too, went to a penalty shootout after it had finished 7-7. KZN Schools’ goalie, Elliot Springate, saved Northwood’s first shot and celebrated it by wagging his finger, Dikembe Mutumbo-style, saying it was a no-go zone.
Michaelhouse, then, went two-up in the shootout before Preston Bees-Atkinson got one past Springate. Another successful Michaelhouse penalty, though, secured victory for the Balgowan boys.
Those results set up the quarterfinals as follows: Hilton versus Reddam House Constantia, St John’s versus Michaelhouse, Kearsney versus Selborne, and Clifton versus SACS.
That’s a tasty lineup, but it’s the last of the quarterfinals, between Clifton and SACS, that really catches the eye. It feels appropriate that the hosts, so impressive in the group stage, will have to oust the defending champs if they want to continue to challenge for the title.
The four losers of the morning’s matches were in action later in the day, taking on each of the fourth-place finishers from the group stage games.
Westville Boys’ High kept King Edward VII (KES) winless, claiming a hard-fought 13-11 win. Paul Roos Gimnasium rebounded from their loss to SACS with an 11-6 defeat of Maritzburg College, while Affies cruised to a comfortable 15-3 win over Grey College.
In the day’s last game, DHS, clearly the best of the fourth placed teams, became the only number four side to win, downing Northwood 8-5.
Saturday’s schedule has 12 games, with 10 running in succession before a break so that everyone can watch The Rugby Championship clash between South Africa andArgentina, which is being played in Durban, on five big screen TVs at the Clifton Aquatic Centre – hey, this is the home of the Springboks, after all – before the day’s action concludes with the Cup semi-finals.
FIXTURES
Saturday, 27 September
Game 33 – 07:00 – QF1 – Hilton vs Reddam House Constantia
Game 34 – 08:00 – QF2 – St John’s vs Michaelhouse
Game 35 – 09:00 – QF3 – Kearsney vs Selborne
Game 36 – 10:00 – QF4 – Clifton vs SACS
Game 37 – 11:00 – Westville vs Paarl Roos
Game 38 – 12:00 – Affies vs DHS
Game 39 – 13:00 – KES vs Maritzburg College
Game 40 – 14:00 – Grey College vs Northwood
Game 41 – 15:00 – Plate SF 1 – Loser 33 vs Loser 35
Game 42 – 16:00 – Plate SF 2 – Loser 34 vs Loser 36
South Africa vs Argentina – Viewing on five big screen TVs
Game 43 – 19:30 – SF 1 – Winner 33 vs Winner 35
Game 44 – 20:30 – SF 2 – Winner 34 vs Winner 36
Sunday, 28 September
Game 45 – 07:00 – 15/16 – Loser 40 vs Loser 39
Game 46 – 07:50 – 13/14 – Winner 40 vs Winner 39
Game 47 – 08:40 – 11/12 – Loser 37 vs Loser 38
Game 48 – 09:30 – 9/10 – Winner 37 vs Winner 38
Game 49 – 10:20 – 7/8 – Loser 41 vs Loser 42
Game 50 – 11:10 – 5/6 – Winner 41 vs Winner 42
Game 51 – 12:00 – 3/4 – Loser 44 vs Loser 43
Game 52 – 13:00 – 1/2 – Winner 44 vs Winner 43
There’s an old anecdote about a bowling selector and a batting selector for the South African Schools side. Each one told the other that they had found the next big talent in bowling and batting respectively.
Bowling selector: “So what’s the name of this opening batsman that you’re praising?”
Batting selector: “Jacques Kallis.”
Bowling selector: “What? But that’s the name of the opening bowler I was telling you about!”
One incredibly illustrious cricket career later, Kallis retired from the Proteas as one of the greatest cricketers of all time, regarded by many as the best all-rounder the world has yet seen.
Thus, it’s no wonder that Wynberg Boys’ High has named their new Indoor Cricket Centre after the old boy of the class of ’93. It opened on Tuesday, 23 September.
Previously, in 2009, Wynberg renamed its main cricket oval, the Jacques Kallis Oval.
Kallis is widely considered a class act, and he has certainly shown his class via his patronage of the school and other educational institutions.
When Kallis was awarded a benefit year by Western Province, in 2005, he donated all the money raised to a scholarship in his name.
As a result of that magnanimous gesture, numerous young talents who could not afford to attend top schools around the country were given the opportunity to attain a high level of education and cricketing development.
Proteas’ wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne, who matriculated from Wynberg Boys’ High in 2015, is one of many who have benefitted from the scholarship.
The Wynberg Boys’ High 1st XI will show off their stuff at the Cape Schools Cricket Festival from Saturday, 4 October, to Tuesday, 7 October.
Matches will be played at Wynberg, Bishops, Rondebosch, and SACS, with Wynberg Boys’ High, Grey High, Rondebosch Boys’ High, Queen’s College, Bishops, St Andrew’s College, Union High, Selborne College, SACS, St Andrew’s School, Graeme College, and Dale College in action.
Leadership members of the UAFC. From left to right: Ruben Renken (Public Relations and Media), Dr Estienne Cronjé (Club President and Founder/Owner), Mr Kagan Assam (Director of Football and Club Operations), and Michael van Huyssteen (Head of Technical and Lead UAPS Liaison for the Mentoring Programme). Photo: Supplied.
At only 13 years of age, Urban Academy Private School (UAPS) is among the youngest and fastest-growing educational institutions in the Eastern Cape.
Already, the school excels in academics and sports and boasts an outstanding arts’ programme. Now, Urban Academy has announced that it is forming a football club.
Since its founding, the Gqeberha school has quickly established itself as a leading competitor on the football field, and their results in 2025 were outstanding.
The school enjoyed one of its better seasons while competing against top-tier competition from around the country.
They demonstrated their pedigree at the Kearsney Soccer Tournament during the mid-year holiday, progressing through the tournament without conceding a single goal. In the end, they were pipped in the final by the Kloof High National Tournamentwinners, Pinetown Boys’ High, who claimed the title 3-1 from the penalty spot after regulation time had finished goalless.
The dedication of Urban Academy to football is evident, as the school also organises its own annual Super Soccer National Tournament, which brings together some of the best football-playing schools, both public and private, from the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal.
Now, the school is set to take another big step forward following the announcement that, beginning in 2026, it will establish its own football club, known as the Urban Academy Football Club (UAFC).
The UAFC has received provisional approval from the Port Elizabeth Football Association (PEFA) to participate at club level. The initiative provides Urban Academy students and alumni with an opportunity to engage with a well-organised football club affiliated with the school.
Avuzwa Mbembe, who graduated last year from Urban Academy, continues to bring pride to his school by playing for the Chippa United DStv Diski Challenge Team. Photo: Urban Academy on Facebook.
How UAFC Works
Junior Club (u7 – u17)
All participants from u7 to u17 are required to be registered at Urban Academy to be a part of the club.
High Performance Team (u17+)
Students in grade 11 must remain enrolled at Urban Academy to be eligible for membership. Students in grade 12 may join the club even if they are from a different school.
After players have graduated from any school, the high-performance teams become accessible to the general public.
Alumni Pathway
One of the more interesting elements of the recent establishment of the club’s school is its dedication to developing a pathway for its alumni.
Even after graduating from Urban Academy, former students will have the opportunity to return and engage with the football club, thus fostering a more promising future with increased visibility to scouts on a larger scale. That will happen not only through their tours but also at the official club level.
The UAFC will cater to both male and female athletes and also enhances the existing robust ladies’ football programme.
Advantages for Families and Academics
The UAFC will remove the necessity for distinct, late-night club practices. Echoing the relationship between the Absa Wildeklawer champions, Virginia High School and the Virginia Sports Academy, the school team will function as the club team, which will enable players to train during school hours.
The arrangement will also provide them with additional time for homework, household responsibilities, and family life, all while sustaining high levels of performance in sports.
Student-First Development and Player Pathway
The aim of the UAFC is to provide young players with a clear and organised pathway from grassroots to high-performance football, all while maintaining a strong foundation in academic excellence.
From the u7 to u13 age groups, the grassroots focus will be on essential skills, values, and sportsmanship within the educational setting. Then, from u14 to u17, the development phase will include competitive league matches, academic oversight, life-skills workshops, and opportunities to connect with talent scouts.
Qhamani Gubevu, an alumnus of Urban Academy, now plays for Chippa United in the DStv Diski Challenge, the Betway Premiership’s reserve league. Photo: Urban Academy on Facebook.
High-Performance begins at the u17 level, with specialised training, sophisticated tactical programmes, and chances to participate in provincial, national, and international competitions, aimed at securing professional contracts, scholarships, and bursaries.
The UAFC will also provide an Academic Mentoring Programme for all players to ensure they stay aligned with their academic pursuits while pursuing their football aspirations.
Although it is a relatively young institution, Urban Academy has already established a track record of nurturing talented football players who have gone on to excel at a higher level, including for Betway Premiership club, Chippa United, which is also located in the Eastern Cape, in East London.
Former Urban Academy players Musa Festile, Qhamani Gubevu, Oyisa Ngeni, and Avuzwa Mbembe all represent the Chippa United DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) Team.
Additionally, Minathi Sishuba and Okuhle Khemese, also alumni of Urban Academy, now compete in the ABC Motsepe League for Old Grey Football Club.
With the establishment of the school’s own club, it is hoped that the UAFC will accelerate the production of quality players and further help to grow Urban Academy’s status as one of the country’s top football-playing schools.
FG Botha, Dean Katzin, Grové du Preez, Reuben van Aarde, and Schalk van Rensburg all played big roles in St Andrew’s record-breaking Schools SA20 win over HTS Louis Botha. Photo: St. Andrew’s School on Instagram.
St. Andrew’s School delivered the most dominant performance in the history of the Schools SA20 on Heritage Day, overwhelming HTS Louis Botha by an astonishing 413 runs on Vossie’s Field, in Bloemfontein.
Saints also scored the highest total yet in the competition, tallying 431/2. That works out at 21.55 runs per over, or 3.6 runs a ball.
After St Andrew’s lost their first wicket on 45 at the end of the third over, when Nikhil Sukraj was bowled Boikanyo Shale for 19, FG Botha replaced him and set about the HTS bowling.
What happened next was borderline apocalyptic. He scored a freakish 119 runs off 40 balls before retiring. He had struck 11 fours and 10 sixes while batting at a strike rate of 297.5.
Dean Katzin helped Botha to put on a 105 runs off only 35 balls for the second wicket – a strike rate of 300. Katzin, the SA national junior squash champion in the u17 age group, smashed 82 off 31, including 13 fours and a six, going at a strike rate 264.5.
After Katzin was bowled by Caleb September, Grové du Preez took over and became the second Saints’ batsman to go on a triple digit rampage. He walloped 103 runs off 34 balls, clubbing 12 fours and five sixes, while attaining a strike rate of 302.5.
Between them, Du Preez and Botha added 148 runs off 42 balls for the third wicket, batting at a strike rate of 352.38.
Like Botha, Du Preez retired after scoring a century. Reuben van Aarde, then, took over in the middle and struck six fours and three sixes in an unbeaten 54 off 24 balls.
Facing an almost impossible task, HTS Louis Botha’s batsmen folded in double-quick time, all out in 5.3 overs, with eight batsmen out for ducks, six of which were first ball dismissals.
Schalk van Rensburg obliterated the Louis Botha batting lineup, snaring 6/2 in three overs. The other four wickets went the way of Erhard Barends, who knocked over 4/10 in 2.3 overs.
Their total was boosted by eight extras, but HTS Louis Botha was all out for only 18.
Sometimes national competitions throw up unfortunate mismatches. That happened on Heritage Day.
HTS Louis Botha, though, was not the first side to concede 400 runs to St Andrew’s in a T20 match. In the Coca-Cola T20, the forerunner of the Schools SA20, on their way to winning the national title in 2018, with a side that included Proteas’ paceman Gerald Coetzee and Knights’ wicketkeeper batsman Garnett Tarr, St Andrew’s posted 400/2 against Sand du Plessis.
That innings included 65 boundaries, 35 of which were sixes, with Calvin Flanegan smashing 22 sixes and 13 fours in scoring an unbeaten 207 from 61 balls, after which he retired.
Saints, then, bowled out Sanniesfor 29 to win by 371 runs.
SCORES
St. Andrew’s School 431/2 (FG Botha 119 – retired, Grove Du Preez 103 – retired, Dean Katzin 82, Reuben van Aarde 54*; Extras 48); HTS Louis Botha 18/10 (Schalk van Rensburg 6/2, Erhard Barends 4/10).
Stellenberg High School comfortably dealt with the challenge of New Zealand’s Palmerston North Boys’ HighSchool in a T20 clash at Stellenberg on Thursday, cruising to a nine-wicket win, with 27 balls to spare.
Palmerston North won the toss and chose to bat, but they made stuttering progress after enjoying a solid start.
Their opening batsmen, Charlie Ferguson and HunterTopliff, were the highest scorers for the Kiwis, contributing 20 and 26 respectively. After their departure, the visitors’ innings lost momentum.
Bowling four overs each, MichaelAmoedo, with 3/22, and LiamFourie, with 2/28, kept the visitors on the backfoot.
In the end, Palmerston North was restricted to a moderate 107/8.
In reply, the Jade Brigade found themselves under early pressure when opener, Aiden Pienaar, lost his wicket with only 10 runs on the board, caught by Riley Murphy off the bowling of Max Hart.
However, Roux Wasserman and Wilhelm Smet kept cool heads and settled in, putting on an unbroken 91-run partnership to steer the home side to an emphatic win.
Wasserman finished with 57 runs off 47 balls, which included four fours and two sixes, the only maximums of the match.
Smet let his partner play the role of fire, while he played the role of ice, scoring 26 off 37. His innings featured one four and plenty of patience.
SCORES
Stellenberg High School 110/1 (Roux Wasserman 57*, Wilhelm Smet 26*); Palmerston North 107/8 (Hunter Topliff 26, Charlie Ferguson 20; Michael Amoedo 3/22, Liam Fourie 2/28).
On Saturday, in Cape Town, South African College High School (SACS) won the toss and chose to bat first in a 50-over match against New Zealand outfit, Palmerston North.
The St Anne’s Water Polo Tournament got off to an action-packed start on Friday, as top girls’ water polo schools from across Gauteng and the Western Cape joined KwaZulu-Natal’s finest in Hilton to do battle for the prestigious trophy.
Stellenberg High School comfortably dealt with the challenge of New Zealand’s Palmerston North Boys’ High School in a T20 clash at Stellenberg on Thursday, cruising to a nine-wicket win, with 27 balls to spare.