{"id":63583,"date":"2025-01-31T13:13:51","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T11:13:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ssschoolsplus.co.za\/?p=63583"},"modified":"2025-01-31T13:13:51","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T11:13:51","slug":"westville-to-be-challenged-by-dhs-as-kzn-cricket-season-hots-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/?p=63583","title":{"rendered":"Westville to be challenged by DHS as KZN cricket season heats up"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"All-rounder
All-rounder Taine Havermann is a key player for Durban High School. Photo: Brad Morgan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Westville Boys’ High<\/strong> hosts Durban High School<\/strong> (DHS)<\/strong> on Bowden’s<\/strong> on Saturday in an intriguing limited-overs clash.<\/p>\n

The Griffin<\/em><\/strong> impressed in a victory against<\/a> Clifton <\/strong>last weekend, which they followed up with another strong performance in a 100-ball win over in-form Northwood<\/strong> on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

The Horseflies<\/em><\/strong>, meanwhile, suffered a surprise defeat at Kearsney<\/strong>, but they were on their game on Wednesday in a 100-ball victory at Clifton<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

There’s an interesting contrast between the teams’ bowling attacks. Westville’s strength, thus far, has been their spinners, with the left-armers, Ewan du Toit<\/strong> and Tristan Delvin<\/strong>, being especially effective.<\/p>\n

They do, though, also have SA Colts seamer, Dayalan Boyce<\/strong>, to test the DHS batsmen.<\/p>\n

School<\/em><\/strong>‘s attack is led by their fast bowlers, Bayanda Majola<\/strong> and Taine Havermann<\/strong>, who claimed nine of Kearsney’s 10 wickets last weekend.<\/p>\n

Majola, who turned out for the SA u19 Emerging<\/strong> side in 2024, is comfortably the fastest bowler in KZN and one of the quicker bowlers in the country, no doubt. Havermann possesses good gas, too, and he hits the deck hard.<\/p>\n

On the spin front, left-armer Dhilan Naraidu<\/strong> has an established track record of success.<\/p>\n

The bigger question for DHS lies with their batting, which came up short against Kearsney. It has been inconsistent thus far, but opener Ismaeel Omar<\/strong> scored some welcome runs in their midweek game. Josh van Biljon<\/strong> was among the runs again and it is only a matter of time before he goes big.<\/p>\n

Westville has enjoyed steadier returns for their top-order so far, and they have a good number of batsmen \u2013 Kyle McGough<\/strong>, Sean McGough<\/strong>, Seth Simpson<\/strong>, Tristan Delvin<\/strong>, and Bhaskar Sewlal<\/strong>, among others – capable of putting up significant scores. Like DHS, though, they, too, are seeking greater consistency.<\/p>\n

Northwood School vs Kearsney College<\/strong><\/p>\n

Northwood<\/strong>, who welcome Kearsney<\/strong> to the Robin Smith Oval<\/strong>, go into the game with the advantage of far greater experience than their opponents, but that didn’t stop Kearsney from upsetting DHS<\/strong> <\/a>in their last limited-overs outing.<\/p>\n

The Knights<\/em><\/strong>, though, are playing good cricket, especially in the longer formats of the game, where their controlled and steady focus stands them in good stead.<\/p>\n

Captain Kyle White<\/strong>, and fellow top-order batsmen Tuswa Phetha<\/strong>, Ross McGlashan<\/strong>, and David de Bruyn<\/strong> have all been among the runs, while left-arm spinner Jordan Matthews<\/strong> is putting together a superb season, well backed up by the off-spin of Ben Cilliers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Jamie Wimble<\/strong>, Northwood’s opening bowler, has been a valuable cog in their team, not only claiming wickets but scoring runs, usually quickly, too.<\/p>\n

In recent matches, Rivan Moodley<\/strong> has made a significant impact for Kearsney as a top-order batsman and leg-spin bowler. He’s provided a big boost for their batting, which has been patchy.<\/p>\n

\"Rivan
Rivan Moodley’s bat has come to life recently, with his a welcome boost to Kearsney’s batting order. Photo: Brad Morgan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On the bowling front, Kearsney’s opening bowlers, Litha Gonya<\/strong> and Michael Groom<\/strong>, have been impactful.<\/p>\n

Maritzburg College vs Michaelhouse<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michaelhouse<\/strong> travels to Pietermaritzburg to take on Maritzburg College. <\/strong>The hosts have been very good at home.<\/p>\n

College has strong depth in their bowling ranks and, with Goldstone’s<\/strong> offering a fair contest between bat and ball, the Red, Black, and White<\/em><\/strong> has flourished.<\/p>\n

Like most of KZN’s teams, they’re chasing more consistency with the bat. There have, thus far, been no centuries recorded in KZN this season at 1st XI level.<\/p>\n

Captain Daniel Nadasan<\/strong> is a grafter and, if he gets himself in, he gives College a cornerstone from which to build. Karl Dedekind<\/strong> has, meanwhile, been a reliable performer, except this past Saturday when he was the unfortunate victim of a first-baller.<\/p>\n

Sphamandla Dzanibe<\/strong> is another to watch. He plays some delightful strokes and is a strength in the middle to lower order, where he usually bats.<\/p>\n

Michaelhouse suffered a horrendous batting collapse last time out against St Charles<\/strong>. After Ethan Muir<\/strong> and Kian Blignaut<\/strong> gave them a solid 59 runs for the opening wicket, only Ben Heuer<\/strong> joined them in double figures as ‘House lost their last eight wickets for 32 runs.<\/p>\n

They need to do better than that, and they have batsmen who have done well in the past, including Graydon Leslie<\/strong>, Michael Blignaut<\/strong>, and Hayden Hewlett<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Their bowling has been a strength, with Thandanani Zuma<\/strong> and Luke Mitchell<\/strong>, the openers, leading the way.<\/p>\n

The College attack will challenge ‘House in many ways. Nathan Pembridge<\/strong> has been among the wickets lately, while Samuel Hughes<\/strong> and Reece Willson<\/strong> form an effective new-ball relationship.<\/p>\n

With support from left-arm seamer Sphmandla Dzanibe and spinners, Dom du Toit<\/strong> and the skipper, Daniel Nadasan, College is spoilt for choice.<\/p>\n

St Charles College vs Glenwood High<\/strong><\/p>\n

Glenwood<\/strong>, beaten at College<\/strong><\/a> last weekend, returns to Pietermaritzburg to face St Charles College<\/strong>, who have been boosted by their win over Michaelhouse<\/strong><\/a>, which they followed with a 100-ball win against the Red, Black, and White<\/strong> <\/em>on Thursday.<\/p>\n

With all-rounder Bandile Mbatha<\/strong> back in their ranks after he excelled for SA u19<\/strong> against England u19<\/strong> in an ODI series, Glenwood will feel far more optimistic about their chances. Mbatha’s return is a massive plus.<\/p>\n

While the Green Machine<\/strong><\/em> has done well in the field, their batting has been less impressive. Krian Jugoo<\/strong> and Kressan Pillai<\/strong>, who scored 39 runs in a win at St Charles at the start of 2024, need to deliver more, and that begins with the openers providing them with a good platform.<\/p>\n

Rehaan Jhungbathur<\/strong> was very good for Glenwood last weekend at College, scoring 46, but he received little support. Karabo Ntsieng<\/strong> missed out, but he has previously shown an ability to knuckle down and hold up his end.<\/p>\n

Saints<\/em><\/strong>‘ seamer Ryan Clarke<\/strong> produced one of the performances of the season thus far at Michaelhouse, knocking over 6\/24, including a hat-trick, to lead the visitors to victory.<\/p>\n

SA u19 Emerging’s Rowen Rajah<\/strong> also brings the heat for the home team with his pace, while Kairuyan Naidoo<\/strong> has been another consistent performer for St Charles for a while now.<\/p>\n

The home side’s batsmen will look to give their top-order to give them something to defend. Thando Zama<\/strong> made a crucial fifty at ‘House last time out, and captain Rico Honiball<\/strong> was among the runs in a 100-ball win over College<\/strong><\/a>, but there’s been a little too much miss and not enough hit from Saints, and they’ll be focussed on building an innings.<\/p>\n

Hilton College vs Clifton College<\/strong><\/p>\n

Clifton College<\/strong>, off the back of a couple of tough losses, against Westville<\/strong> and DHS<\/strong>, heads up to Hilton College<\/strong> for a showdown with another team that could also do with a victory or two.<\/p>\n

Hilton’s kryptonite has been Northwood, who grabbed three wins in just over a week from coach David Griffith<\/strong>‘s charges.<\/p>\n

It’s going to sound like a stuck record, but batting consistency has been in short supply for Hilton. They are talented, no doubt, but the pitches they’ve played on have required a longer time for the batsmen to play themselves in, and Hilton has missed out too often because of that.<\/p>\n

Much depends on their openers, Ben Hockly<\/strong> and Alex Pitman<\/strong>. They’re a dangerous duo and capable of destroying any attack.<\/p>\n

\"Clifton's
Clifton’s bowling depth has resulted in three different players picking up five wickets in an innings in 2025 already. Photo: Brad Morgan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clifton’s attack features the exciting leg-spinner Shiraz Perumal<\/strong>, who is coming off a five-for against DHS last weekend. He’s part of a varied unit, which challenges batsmen in many different ways. Off-spinner Blake Johnson<\/strong> has been in good form, as has Caleb Naicker<\/strong>. Both have picked up five-fors early in the season.<\/p>\n

Captain Tim Saulez<\/strong> is a useful seamer, but one wonders how much the responsibility he has taken on with the bat \u2013 Saulez has been very good thus far in 2025 \u2013 might impact his bowling. Being an effective all-rounder is always a balancing act. Often, when one discipline goes up, the other goes down.<\/p>\n

Too often this season, Clifton has had one batsman do well in each match, but they’ll be looking for more than that. Good partnerships, after all, deliver good totals, and those are needed.<\/p>\n

Sechaba Gude<\/strong> will spearhead Hilton’s attack, but it’s mostly spinners that Clifton will have to deal with, and Hilton has some good ones, including Benoit Rey<\/strong>, Luke Campbell<\/strong>, David Hill<\/strong>, and Simon Steyn<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

FIXTURES<\/strong><\/p>\n

Westville Boys’ High vs Durban High School
\nNorthwood School vs Kearsney College
\nMaritzburg College vs Michaelhouse
\nSt Charles College vs Glenwood
\nHilton College vs Clifton College<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Westville Boys’ High hosts Durban High School (DHS) on Bowden’s on Saturday in an intriguing limited-overs clash. The Griffin impressed in a victory against Clifton last weekend, which they followed up with another strong performance in a 100-ball win over in-form Northwood on Wednesday. The Horseflies, meanwhile, suffered a surprise defeat at Kearsney, but they […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":63600,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63583","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63583","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=63583"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63583\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/63600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=63583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=63583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=63583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}