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The Central Gauteng u19A girls’ team made history at the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament when they defeated Western Province A 7-3 in the final in the Joan Harrison East Pool in East London on Wednesday.

Gauteng was made to work extremely hard for the win, but they showed grit and composure to pull it off, thanks to their performance in the final two chukkas of the match.

On their way to the title decider, coach Kelsey Thomson‘s charges suffered just one defeat in Pool A, going down to Province on day two.

They bounced back emphatically and, in the quarterfinals, dismantled Eastern Gauteng 13-2 before edging out Nelson Mandela Bay 5-4 in the semifinals.

Province, meanwhile, enjoyed a flawless run to the final. Under head coach Etienne Le Roux, the girls from the Western Cape were on a mission and they booked their place in the main match with a convincing 15-3 win over Western Province B.

The final was the third between the two rivals in the past 12 months. They met in the IPT final in Gqeberha last year and again in March, at the Currie Cup, which was also hosted in Buffalo City.

History, though, meant nothing with the 2024 IPT title on the line, and the teams produced a very competitive, tightly contested clash with almost nothing to separate them.

The first two chukkas produced four goals, with Province taking a 3-1 lead at the halfway point. Hannah Banks, Roxanne Uys, and Emily van Heerden netted for the Capetonians, while Mia Loizides struck for Gauteng.

The defending champions made the brighter start in the third chukka, and after putting Province under pressure, they scored through Emma Pelicot.

That goal sparked Gauteng into life, and they attacked with more vigour, which led to a Julia Joseph strike that levelled matters momentarily at 3-3.

Joseph was far from done and converted a penalty from five metres out to hand her side a 4-3 lead heading into the final chukka.

In the fourth quarter, Central Gauteng played smart and attractive water polo. Their defence was solid and they attacked decisively.

Anastasia Hambakis proved to be the difference, slotting two quick goals to put Gauteng 6-3 clear with five minutes to play.

They gave it a good crack, but Province couldn’t work their way back into the match. With time running out, Emily Carle sealed the deal for Gauteng, striking in the final minute to make the final margin of victory 7-3.

Reacting to an outstanding performance by her charges in the final, coach Thomson, relieved and satisfied, praised her team’s fighting spirit and never-say-die attitude.

“I’m just happy that the team did everything we went over for the final, bar a few things,” she told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“I think we worked so well as a team, and when you work as a team, everything comes together. We were patient, trusted each other, and played till the end, and that’s the spirit I wanted the girls to show.”

Thomson, who was also in charge of the side when they won the Currie Cup, said there were no moments of panic when they started slowly and trailed 1-3 at halftime.

“I just told the girls to stick to their basics and instincts and to turn up a gear,” she said.

“It was still a long game. Although we were 1-3 down, we were creating a lot, and I knew it would come. We just needed to be patient.”

Gauteng will bid farewell to just four players after the tournament. Only Mia Loizides, Amy Smith, Ruby Carlsen, and Francesca de Villiers are in matric. Meanwhile, in the Central Gauteng B-team, Cecilia Petersen and Humairaa Bodiat also played their final tournaments.

Thomson thanked them for their service and said she’s looking forward to working with the talent still at her disposal.

“The players leaving have had great careers for their province, and we’re going to miss them. They have served Gauteng so well, and I really believe they will go out there and become great human beings.

“The rest of the players are in grade 11, and the u16 group coming up is looking strong. We are looking forward to seeing how we integrate them into the team and continue to grow,” she ended.

Nelson Mandela Bay signed off on a high, edging out Western Province B 10-9 to take home the bronze medal.

KwaZulu-Natal took fifth place after beating Buffalo City A, while Central Gauteng B and Zimbabwe also claimed wins.

SCORES

Final – Central Gauteng A 7: Anastasia Hambakis (2), Julia Joseph (2), Mia Loizides, Emma Pelicot, Emily Carle. Western Province A 3: Hannah Banks, Roxanne Uys, Emily Van Heerden.

3rd/4th – Nelson Mandela Bay 10: Teagan Harty (2), Matipa Karimazondo (2), Amie Jenner (2), Mia Jenner, Elizabeth Horn, Anna Olivier, Lucy Rutherfoord. Western Province B 9: Kirsten Bottger (3), Kelly Cadiz (2), Bailey Donnachie (2), Sarah Palframan, Anna Lieberman.

5th/6th – KwaZulu-Natal 13: Kayla Andrews (4), Lara Mervis (4), Caitlin McMurray (2), Amber Lewis (2), Gemma Malherbe. Buffalo City A 9: Erin Batting (3), Roxy-Lee van Eek (3), Meka Loots, Megan Schwartz, Julianna Saffy.

7th/8th – Central Gauteng B 7: Amy Stubbs (2), Simphiwe Zulu (2), Humairaa Bodiat, Rachel Rostron, Aimee Hattingh. Eastern Gauteng 6: Maddison Griffin (3), Caitlin Scrimgeour (2), Vinah Mokgatle.

9th/10th – Zimbabwe 10: Tyla Love (3), Emily Taylor (3), Lily Bean (2), Tayleigh Taylor, Shannon Torr. Buffalo City B 5: Caroline Kretzmann (2), Courtney Linke, Slayde Herman, Chuma Magobongo.

When thinking about six in an over one tends to remember Herschelle Gibbs‘ six sixes in an over against The Netherlands at St Kitts in the West Indies during the 2007 World Cup.

Or Yuvraj Singh‘s six sixes in a row against England at Kingsmead in the first-ever T20 World Cup later that year.

However, what Easterns‘ Jaco Engelbrecht accomplished, with the ball, on the second day of the CSA u16 Boys Week has possibly never been achieved in South African cricket.

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

Bowling the second over against Kei, in Easterns’ second match, Engelbrecht was about to do something that he wouldn’t have anticipated in his wildest dreams.

The opening bowler landed his first ball right on the spot and, from there, the carnage took off. By the end of the over his bowling figures showed 6/0, having claimed six wickets with each ball and a double hat-trick.

Thereafter, there was no salvation for the Kei team, as Engelbrecht claimed another victim in his next over and looked on while the other bowlers chipped in with a wicket each to restrict Kei to a mere 58 all out. Engelbrecht tipped his cap to the spectators, boasting sensational figures of 7/3 in the five overs he delivered.

Ethan Kotze went on to top score with a well-played 24, which guided his side home comfortably in the 12th over, securing a memorable seven-wicket victory before lunch.

Free State‘s potent batting lineup was once again the deciding factor in their outing against Mpumalanga. A combined effort by the top order, led by Aiden Dott‘s 43, meant that the Free Staters reigned superior also by seven wickets. FG Botha continued his fine form at the week, adding another unbeaten 34 to his tally, while Divan Bezuidenhout did his bit with 29.

Tamim Alem (3/19) was the pick of the Free State bowlers, with solid support from Jano Venter who also picked up 3/42. Gavin Genis finally got his name in the wickets column, as Mpumalanga’s best bowler achieved a return of 2/38 in his allotted 10 overs. Mfundo Mthimunye (38) and Herman Potgieter (36) led the way with the willow, contributing more than half their side’s total.

Eastern Cape Linyathi fought bravely against Northern Cape, thanks to a lengthy innings from Awonke Mgini (65), but Carl Thole and Faizaan Kajee were just too good in the end. Thole stood out with a return of 5/18, while Kajee picked four of his own to help secure an important 42-run victory.

The Limpopo Impalas and North West provided the cliffhanger of the day, taking their confrontation right down to the wire in a low-scoring match. Potchefstroom Volkskool’s Olefa Padi bowled exceptionally well for his 5/24, restricting the side from Far North to a meagre 110 all out.

The battle, however, was far from over as the Impalas fought back valiantly. In typical Limpopo fashion, the bowlers all had their say, especially the off-spin of Logan Janse van Rensburg (2/28) and Stephan Swanepoel (2/25), while Tiaan Haasbroek was among the wickets again with his 2/20.

However, amid the chaos, Hoërskool Rustenburg’s Christian Coetzer kept his composure to play a little gem of 29, to help his side across the line with a solitary wicket left standing.

Summarised scorecards: 

Kei 58 (Siphumeze Nonwana 15; Jaco Engelbrecht 7/3); Easterns 60/3 (Ethan Kotze 24; Lukhanyo Nkomonyane 2/32). Easterns won by seven wickets.

Mpumalanga 144 (Mfundo Mthimunye 38, Herman Potgieter 36; Tamim Alem 3/19, Jano Venter 3/42); Free State 150/3 (Aiden Dodd 43, FG Botha 34*, Divan Bezuidenhout 29; Gavin Genis 2/38). Free State won by seven wickets.

Northern Cape 195/9 (Botshelo Diphaye 34, Kieran Adams 29, De Wet Fourie 26, Vaylon Lombaard 22, Carl Thole 22; Awonke Mgini 3/40, Yonelisa Mkhohliswa 2/31); Eastern Cape Linyathi 158 (Awonke Mgini 65, Josh Wilky 34, Yonelisa Mkhohliswa 21; Carl Thole 5/18, Faizaan Kajee 4/24). Northern Cape won by 42 runs.

Limpopo Impalas 110 (Talenta Ndhlovu 22, Tiaan Haasbroek 20; Olefa Padi 5/24, Bokang Ramatsa 2/11); North West 111/9 (Christivan Coetzer 29; Tiaan Haasbroek 2/20, Stephan Swanepoel 2/25, Logan Janse van Rensburg 2/28). North West won by one wicket.

The Central Gauteng girls’ u16 A team walked away the winners of the 2024 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament after a successful defence of their title against Western Province A in East London on Wednesday.

Province’s Holly Binneman got the scoreboard ticking five minutes into the game.

But Cadha Mosehla responded with a great finish for the Gauteng side to make it 1-1. It stayed that way for a couple of minutes before Jenna Blaauw struck twice for Central Gauteng to move her side into a 3-1 lead.

Soon though, their advantage had been reduced to a single goal. After a Gauteng attack was repelled, Charlotte Wiltshire quickly netted to make it 3-2. It was a tight clash as finals should be.

Mosehla, who was selected to represent South Africa at the World Aquatics Women’s u16 Water Polo Championships earlier in the year, then picked out Isabella Duffy with a smart pass and she made it count, putting coach Masibonge Namba’s team two goals clear again.

In the second half, Western Province, who trailed 2-6, pulled a goal back before Blaauw, again, netted for Central Gauteng. Their goalie, Kuhlesibonge Buthelezi, pulled off some big saves, which helped Central Gauteng take a 7-3 lead into the fourth chukka.

Western Province was far from done, however, and Charlotte Wiltshire rattled Buthelezi’s cage to drag her side back into the contest. Mosehla replied to make it 8-4 to Central Gauteng.

Then, Summer-Lee Wain won and scored a penalty, and Emma Stevens added another for Province with a minute to play. Central Gauteng, though, stood firm until the final whistle to run out 8-6 winners.

Coach Masibonge Namba declared herself ecstatic with the win. “It’s a sense of relief and excitement. It is beautiful to see our hard work pay off,” she said.

“I am very proud of the girls. I told them, we defend first and attack second. The plan was to take it game by game and it just happens that we were unbeaten game by game,” she told SuperSport Schools Plus.

In last year’s final, Central Gauteng also beat KZN 8-4. Namba admitted that she had felt challenged to follow up that success with another title.

“I felt a lot of pressure because I was not their previous coach, so I already felt like there is a standard to keep and I am so proud that I was able to maintain that standard,” she said.

It was the perfect farewell gift for the Central Gauteng girls, all of whom will be graduating to the u19 ranks next year. Namba believes her players will fit in well in the older age group.

“This was the last time they got to play together like this,” she shared. “Before, I told them not to make this a sad moment and let us make it a beautiful moment.

“It was a privilege to still be unbeaten and that was amazing, I think they will fit in so beautifully in the u19 programme. I believe they are ready for it,” she concluded.

In other matches, KwaZulu Natal A beat Buffalo City 7-3 to claim the bronze medals, while Nelson Mandela Bay finished fifth after sneaking past Zimbabwe in a shootout which went 3-1 in favour of the Eastern Cape side after the teams had shared 14 goals in regulation time.

Seventh went to Central Gauteng B, who got the better of Western Province B, also in a penalty shootout. The rivals played to a 6-6 draw before the inland team won 2-1 from the spot.

Ninth place went to KwaZulu Natal B after they comfortably beat Eastern Gauteng 13-3.

SCORES

Final – Central Gauteng A 8: Jenna Blaauw (3), Cadha Mosehla (3), Isabella Duffy (2). Western Province A 6: Charlotte Wiltshire (2), Holli Binneman (2), Emma Stevens (1). Summer-Lee Wain (1).

3rd/4th – KwaZulu Natal A 7: Kiera Sim (1), Gabriella Snyman (1), Bailey Bartlett (1), Hannah Savage (1), Inez Letschert (1), Lindelwa Mkhwanazi (1), Farrann Elliot (1). Buffalo City 3:  Jenna Botha (3), Megan Phillips (1).

5th/6th – Zimbabwe 8 (1):  Katie Gripper (5), Rayne Nichole (2), Cameron Bunnett (1). Nelson Mandela Bay 8 (3): Olivia Attwell (3), Jamie Brown (2), Casey Williamson (1), Megan Sheard (1), Alexandra Ovendale (1).

7th/8th – Western Province B 6: Olivia Nejthardt (2), Samantha Miller (1), Aimee Johnson (1), Genevieve Ward (1). Central Gauteng B 6: Katie Townley (3), Clea Ellens (2), Brynlee van den Berg (1).

9th/10th – Eastern Gauteng 3: Leyla Langner (1), Chiara Kriel (1), Camryn Thornton 91.  KwaZulu Natal B 13: Danya Thompson (3), Lara Rowe (3), Tayla Prato (2), Petz Mazery (2), Raquel Cairns (1), Kate Truter (1), Grace Holloway-Mulder (1).

Matthew Cross registered a hat-trick as Central Gauteng A edged out Western Province A in a closely contested final at the 2024 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in Buffalo City on Wednesday. The two sides delivered a humdinger in the Joan Harrison East Pool.

There was little to separate the teams, with Central Gauteng sneaking a penalty shootout win, 4-3 from the spot. Final score: Central Gauteng (4) 9-9 (3) Western Province.

Siya Guzana’s side enjoyed a great run at the showpiece event and remained unbeaten throughout. The Gauteng coach has consistently stated that he sees sport as an opportunity for his charges to share experiences and for experiences to come to them. Now, his team has achieved the highest experience possible at the IPT in their age group.

Guzana doesn’t dwell on the match too much when his side is not at practice or in the contest. His parting shot with them before retiring for bed on the eve of the final was to remind them about the importance of making use of the opportunities that come their way.

“I told them that we were lucky enough to get this opportunity. Now what was left was for us to make use of it,” he shared after his charges had clinched the gold medals.

Central Gauteng came out firing on all cylinders, but their opponents were in the same frame of mind. Coach Ross van Schoor’s side gave as good as they received.

Western Province applied early pressure, forcing Dylan Wiggill into a save of a five-meter penalty shot from Benjamin Bigara. The Cape side tested Gauteng’s defences, but it was Gauteng who drew first blood through Matthew Cross.

James Malan, the Western Province captain, equalised for his side early into the second half. That goal was the first of five goals on the bounce in the chukka as Van Schoor’s side romped to a 5-1 lead. Danilo Giuricich pulled one back to send the teams into halftime with Province  5-2 to the good.

“I reminded them of the journey they have been on this year – what they have been doing at practice, all the hours they have invested, all the sessions they turned up for, and the balancing of studies and sport. They worked hard to get to the final and this was the time for them to leave it all in the pool,” Guzana shared about his half-time talk.

His charges came out for the second half in unstoppable form and turned the tide by scoring three goals, which went unanswered, to level the scores at 5-5. However, Central Gauteng wasn’t on equal terms for long. Western Province fired two more past Wiggill to take the lead once more. However, Guzana’s boys pulled one goal back to trail just 6-7 heading into the final chukka.

Early in that last quarter, Central Gauteng exerted pressure on Western Province, and they were rewarded with a goal. Van Schoor’s team responded again, edging two goals clear, 9-7 ahead with less than a minute to play.

Craig Toet, who was a regular goal scorer for Central Gauteng through the tournament, scored only one goal in the final, but it was a crucial strike, which brought his team back to within a goal of Province. It also breathed new life into Gauteng’s challenge. They kept pressing and were rewarded with an equaliser five seconds from the end of regulation time.

Western Province took the first shot in the penalty shootout. For the first three sets of penalty-takers, all went according to plan as they slotted their opportunities. Matt Fenn, Province’s leading goal scorer, took the fourth penalty. He had scored the first one in the shootout, but this time Wiggill denied him with a great save.

Cooper Hayworth had an opportunity to win it for Central Gauteng and he grabbed it, firing the ball past Michael Mafunda to claim victory for his team.

“Our goal for this tournament was to help these boys grow. My primary focus is on building young adults and future leaders and Samaritans in society. This achievement, winning the trophy, gives them a platform from which to share this experience with someone else and help them see what is possible with hard work and dedication,” Guzana reflected.

His refusal to focus on results, but rather to work on the process allowed his side to play the best water polo they could. They played with joy and freedom and it brought them the title of champions of South Africa.

SCORES

Final: Western Province A 9 (3): Benjamin Bigara (2), James Malan (2), Matthew Fenn (1), James Pinnock (1), Timothy Young (1), Connor Mortlock (1), Alex Barrett (1). Central Gauteng A 9 (4): Matthew Cross (3), Cooper Haworth (2), Craig Toet (1), Aiden Khoury (1), Danillo Giuricich (1), David Latilla-Campbell (1).

3rd/4th: KwaZulu Natal 9: Thomas Francke (3), Thomas Aylward (3), Musawenkosi Mponda (1), Levi Thom (1), Garrick Phillips (1). Northerns A 5: James King (2), Ben Swarts (2), Ruan Engelbrecht (1).

5th/6th: Central Gauteng B 6: Matthew Peacock (2), Tegan Fisher (1), Ethan Kempen (1), Peter Zigiriadis (1), Travis Kempen (1). Nelson Mandela Bay 10: Dane Paterson (2), Carter Rosser (2), Johan Moolman (2), Stefan Polderman (1), Tiago Williams (1), Jade Paterson (1), Taye Colesky (1).

7th/8th: Western Province B 7: Rupert Robinson (4), Ross Prinsloo (2), Noah Viuff (1). Zimbabwe 6: Patrick Duff (2), Daniel Oxden-Willow (1), Blaise Scheepers (1), Liam Chicksen (1), Bongani Dube (1).

9th/10th: Eden Districts 5: Luca Whitehead (3), Jacob Hersch (1), Rorke Bubanj (1). Buffalo City 6: Daniel Woodin (3), Joshua Lentz (2), Nicholas du Toit (1).

11th/12th: Eastern Gauteng 10: Connor Cockcroft (3), Campbell Hustler (2), Matthew Craukamp (2), Remo Ferrari (1), Andrew Castley (1), Daniel Rheeder (1). Northerns B 1: Jean Engelbrecht.

As with the boys’ tournament, inclement weather throughout Gauteng stumped the third day of the CSA u16 Girls Week in Johannesburg, with most of the matches unable to conclude.

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

The day, nevertheless, produced some solid performances as the Dolphins, Garden Route Badgers, Eastern Cape Iinyathi and Easterns emerged victorious before the weather could play any part.

The Dolphins’ Sinothando Matamela delivered a little gem of 29 runs, helping her side reach what would turn out to be a winning score of 97 against the Central Gauteng Lions, who are still winless this year.

Nonhlanhla Mashaba was a shining light for the Lionesses, leading the way with the ball as she took three wickets for a mere 20 runs. Right on her heels, Zaheerah Ismail produced an equally impressive return of 3/29, while Kaylin Erasmus weighed in with 2/14.

Unfortunately, the Lions’ batting would let them down thereafter. Only Magdaleen Ernst (25) was able to make a noteworthy contribution, as the Dolphins’ Paige Clark did the bulk of the damage with 3/24. Sophie Read (2/15) and Ziyanda Xulu (2/21) shared a further four wickets between them, restricting the Lionesses to 87/9, seven runs short of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern “par” score.

Tishe Frans was once again at the forefront of a Garden Route Badgers victory, as her exceptional spell of 4/7 rocked the Mpumalanga batting order. Jeze Capher, the Badgers’ other top performer for the week thus far, backed up Frans with her return of 3/9, to help defend a meagre total of 52.

Samkelisiwe Mashaba was Mpumalanga’s mainstay with the ball as her 4/14 inflicted the bulk of the damage to the Badgers lineup. Sadly, the Mpumalanga batters could not quite replicate Mashaba’s performance with the ball, as they went down by 10 runs in a low-scoring thriller.

Azomile Silhere achieved a memorable five-for, helping Eastern Cape Iinyathi defend 53 against the Tuskers. Alitha Fotiyi provided brilliant support with an almost equally impressive bowling performance, only conceding a single run for her three wickets. The Tuskers bowlers also piled on the pressure, with Nothando Khumalo snapping up 3/3 and Carli Hughes chipping in with 2/7.

Rebecca McKelvey and Siphokuhle Masisela batted Easterns to victory, to hand the Titans their third consecutive loss. Both batters used the platform set by Kananelo Mokoena’s inspirational spell of 5/14 to tear the heart from the Titans’ bowling attack. McKelwey and Masisela both reached 25 not out, as Easterns raced towards a seven-wicket victory.

Miya Lalor led Western Province once more, performing well with both bat and ball in their encounter with a Free State side looking for redemption. With the bat, Lalor top-scored with a wonderful half-century, while she picked up 2/10 with the ball before the weather halted play. Rauel Beires (39) and Zaurah Titus (34) also impressed with willow, with the side from down south once again recording the highest total for the day.

Although WP batted extremely well, Lebohang Rakoeane, showcased her formidable skill with the ball, too, sending five Titans batters back to the shed for only 19 runs.

Roeline Louw set the ball rolling for Northern Cape, claiming four wickets for just 16 runs against Kei. Fifty-five extras, however, courtesy of the Northern Cape bowling lineup, gave Kei a bit of a boost, helping them to a total of 123.

It was disappointing that the clashes between Eastern Province and North West, and Boland and Limpopo, could not finish, as both promised exciting finishes. A solid start from North West’s Jessica Joshua (26*) helped her side to 40 without loss, as the teams left the field with her side chasing 156 set by their Eastern Cape counterparts.

Limpopo also did well in restricting Boland to only 120, which was particularly impressive after Taymin Muggels brought up a classy half-century. Minjake Venter did most of the damage for the Impalas, toppling 4/11, while Murisi Rhikotso picked up 3/31.

Summarised scorecards: 

Dolphins 97 (Extras 33, Sinothando Matamela 29; Nonhlanhla Danisa 3/20, Zaheerah Ismail 3/29, Kaylin Erasmus 2/14); Central Gauteng Lions 87/9 (Extras 26, Magdaleen Ernst 25; Paige Clark 3/24, Sophie Read 2/15, Ziyanda Xulu 2/21). Dolphins won by seven runs (DLS method).

Garden Route Badgers 52 (Extras 24, Jeze Campher 14; Samkelisiwe Mashaba 4/14, Mbali Mothoane 2/4, Omphile Mandi 2/25); Mpumalanga 42 (Extras 18, Dineo Mlimo 8; Tishe Frans 4/7, Jeze Campher 3/9). Garden Route Badgers won by 10 runs.

Eastern Cape Iinyathi 53 (Extras 29, Njabulo Mandita 11; Nothando Khumalo 3/3, Carli Hughes 2/7, Luthando Ngcobo 2/15); Tuskers 39 (Extras 20; Azomile Silhere 5/12, Alitha Fotiyi 3/1). Eastern Cape Iinyathi won by 14 runs.

Titans 57 (Extras 15, Mohau Phasha 12*; Kananelo Mokoena 5/14); Easterns 58/3 (Rebecca McKelvey 25*, Siphokuhle Masisela 25*; Abigail Ellis 2/10). Easterns won by seven wickets.

Western Province 190 (Miya Lalor 52, Sofia Rauel Beires 39, Zaurah Titus 34; Lebohang Rakoeane 5/19, Simone Mouton 2/23, Boitomelo Mahlaba 2/27); Free State 23/2 (Kekeletso Mohapi 10*; Miya Lalor 2/10). Match abandoned due to lightning.

Kei 123 (Extras 55, Sikho Khetho 23, Sisonke Rutsha 21; Roeline Louw 4/16, Brianna Arthur 2/8, Kaeleboga Ndebele 2/25); Northern Cape 76/3 (Kezaih Adams 20; Kwanele Kratshi 2/19). Match abandoned due to lightning.

Eastern Province 156 (Extras 43, Bianca Graham 25; Reabetswe Dithipe 4/17, Gogontle Padi 3/12); North West 40/0 (Jessica Joshua 26*). Match abandoned due to lightning.

Boland 120 (Taymin Muggels 50; Minjake Venter 4/11, Murisi Rihotso 3/31, Palesa Mathebula 2/6); Limpopo Impalas 48/3 (Tshepiso Dineo Motshwi 24*; Janel Steenkamp 2/8). Match abandoned due to lightning.

In March, in East London, the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) u19 boys’ team beat Western Province, on their way to a runner-up finish behind Central Gauteng in the Currie Cup South African Junior Water Polo Championships.

On Monday, at the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament, in East London again, Western Province avenged that loss, defeating KZN 10-7. On Tuesday, the same teams met in the semi-finals of the event. In an electric contest, KZN reversed their loss of a day earlier, coming back from 5-6 down at halftime to score a spectacular 14-11 victory over the defending champions, which thoroughly entertained the large crowd.

When they had met a day earlier, Western Province had rocketed out of the blocks and into a 5-0 lead in the first chukka, and they started well again, quickly taking a 2-0 lead. This time, though, KZN pulled it back to 2-2 before a scoring spurt from Province opened a three-goal lead at 5-2.

Coach Rob Ambler‘s KZN side is made of stern stuff, however, and they began to turn the tide in the latter stages of the chukka, pulling to within a goal.

Then, after halftime, they turned up the heat on Province and turned a 5-6 deficit into a 9-6 advantage heading into the last chukka.

When KZN added another goal, they appeared to be on course for the final. But Western Province is a battle-hardened outfit, too, and they staged a fightback, putting the ball in the hands of star forward, Nick Fall, who fired in a couple of goals with his accurate and powerful left arm.

With time winding down, coach Jabz Sibiya‘s boys had clawed their way back into the contest, trailing only 11-12. His opposite number, Rob Ambler, called a timeout and made it crystal clear to his players that they were to close Fall down as soon as he received the ball. That instruction worked. KZN was able to stop Western Province from scoring again and reversed the momentum once more.

They struck twice more to secure a heart-stopping and satisfying victory, Ambler, who had tried to play it cool during the game, although his mask had slipped once or twice in moments of celebration, this time let out a roar of delight and made a double fist pump.

Commenting after the game on his charges’ superb third chukka, he said he didn’t change anything at halftime. “The guys got out [of the pool] and they said ‘We’re not out of this, we’re in it. We’ve gotta go!’ We were on a high. In that second chukka, we came back in a big way.”

“These boys are incredible,” he smiled. “It’s not me. It’s them. I give the tools and they use them. That’s it!”

Casting an eye towards the final, where they will face Central Gauteng A, although that wasn’t yet known after his team’s epic victory, Ambler shook his head when asked if it would be a challenge to get them up for the game again. “No! These guys are professionals,” he said, gesturing to his players going through their warm-down, already putting their big win behind them.

“They work hard. They train hard together. They’re a team above all else.”

Tristan Uys, as he has done throughout the tournament, was a handful in front of goal, and he struck five times for KZN, while James Pohl sent four into the back of the Western Province net, and Luca Sandri added a brace.

The fact of the matter, though, was that KwaZulu-Natal’s victory was a team win. They worked exceptionally hard for one another, and that proved enough.

Arkin Marais led the Province goal scorers, scoring a hat-trick, while Fall was joined on two goals by Ross Stewart.

In 2023, Ambler guided the KwaZulu-Natal u16 team to the Inter-Provincial title. That was followed by a role as coach of the South African u18 team which contested the World Aquatics Men’s u18 Water Polo Championships in July in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Now, he has an opportunity to lead the KZN boys to the u18 title.

Standing in their way is Central Gauteng, the team that beat them 8-6 in the Currie Cup final after KZN had beaten Central Gauteng 12-8 in a pool stage clash.

It truly is that close between KZN, Central Gauteng, and Western Province. Betting on the outcomes of clashes between those sides would be foolhardy, and predicting the outcome of Wednesday’s final is a coin flip.

Earlier in the tournament, KZN edged out Central Gauteng, fighting back from a 0-3 deficit to win 10-9. That slow start almost cost them the game, and a slow start cost them the game in their pool loss to Western Province, so one of the keys to victory for Ambler’s boys will be to make a solid start.

Coach Jon-Marc De Carvalho‘s Central Gauteng boys had an easier semi-final assignment, taking on the spirited locals, Buffalo City. It was tight in the early going, with Central Gauteng edging ahead 3-2, but they slowly but surely increased the gap, going on to an 11-3 victory.

Jack Wilkins led the Gauteng goal scorers, netting three, while Ross Rovelli, Marc Smith, and Alexander Kelbrick recorded doubles.

Gauteng poses a different threat to the one KZN faced from Western Province. They’re a more physical unit, which works hard to pressure the player on the ball. The contest will be decided by how well KZN deals with that pressure, and by Gauteng’s ability to force turnovers and turn those into goals.

Earlier on Tuesday, in the quarterfinals, Buffalo City scored a 9-6 win over Central Gauteng B, KwaZulu-Natal A outplayed Nelson Mandela Bay 16-4, and Western Province A swamped KwaZulu-Natal B 18-4. Central Gauteng A comfortably dealt with Western Province B, running out 15-5 winners.

 The Aussie Crocs, from Brisbane, met a Pool B Invitation side, made up of players from Central Gauteng B, Western Province B, KwaZulu-Natal B, Northerns, Zimbabwe, and Eastern Gauteng, and posted a comfortable 12-6 victory.

SCORES 

Buffalo City 9: Liam Hansen (4), Kairon Roux (2), Thomas Caswell (1), Daniel Breetzke (1), Connor Maree (1). Central Gauteng B 6: Calder Millington (1), Mukhetwa Maemu (1), Logan du Preez (1), Simon Mussett (1), Erik Arwidi (1).

KwaZulu-Natal A 16: Luca Sandri (3), Tristan Uys (3), Brogan Jones (3), Mitchel Garreua (1), Ethan Lyne (1), James Pohl (1), Max Scully (1), Matthew Lortan (1), Lian Terblanche (1), Thomas Taylor (1). Nelson Mandela Bay 4: Calum Emslie (3), Zandré Botha (1).

Western Province A 18: Luke Burger (3), Mac Lecuona (3), Matthew de Villiers (2), Bradley Warneke (2), Arkin Marais (2), Jandro Rojo-Roos (1), Ross Stewart (1), Adam October (1), Zack Cicero (1), Thomas Truter (1), Connor Melling-Williams (1). KwaZulu-Natal B 4: Robert Smith (2), Ryan Spooner (1), Ruan Basson (1).  

 Central Gauteng A 15: Marc Smith (3), Mark Hudson (3), Karabo Mamaregane (2), Ross Rovelli (2), Greg Pryce (2), Nicholas Searle (1), Jack Wilkins (1), Harry Wilkins (1). Western Province B 5: Struan Valentine (1), Blake Brown (1), William Robinson (1), Milo Letschert (1), Jayden Bosman (1).

Zimbabwe 8: Sibusiso Sibanda (3), Chika Mgbemena (2), Nathan Horner (1), Dylan van Hoof (1), Ruan Nel (1). Eastern Gauteng 6: David Emslie (4), Nathan Whelan (1), Njabulo Zulu (1).

Aussie Crocs 12: James Martin (4), Jack Plowman (3), Benjamin Spall (2), Cameron Medley (1), Angus Cope (1), Harry Colley (1). Pool B Invitation 6: William Robinson (2), Simon Mussett (2), Chris Chapman (1), Milo Letschert (1).

Nelson Mandela Bay 16: Calum Emslie (5), Spencer Arshade (4), Oliver Martin (3), Zandré Botha (2), Coel Trollip (1), Adam Nurse (1). KwaZulu-Natal B 12: Kyron de Kock (3), Ruan Basson (3), Drew Hollingsworth (2), Buyani Dlamini (2), Nicholas Naude (1), Matthew Botha (1).

Central Gauteng B 11: Travis Donnelly (3), Ethan Horn (3), Chris Chapman (2), Francois Hartslief (1), Mukhetwa Maemu (1), Simon Mussett (1). Western Province B 8: Milo Letschert (2), William Robinson (2), Matt Forbes (1), Struan Valentine (1), Blake Brown (1), Migael Terblanche (1).

Northerns 11: Kamva Kenqu (3), Ulric Curlewis (2), Marthinus Wessels (2), Criston Richter (1), Thabiso Mbembele (1), Luke Egan (1), Zander van Niekerk (1). Eastern Gauteng 4: Luc Starkey (2), Reece Coetzer (1), David Emslie (1).

KwaZulu-Natal A 14: Tristan Uys (5), James Pohl (4), Luca Sandri (2), Thomas Taylor (1), Adrian Truter (1), Mitchel Garreau (1). Western Province A 11: Arkin Marais (3), Ross Stewart (2), Nicholas Fall (2), Jandro Rojo-Roos (1), Zack Cicero (1), Bradley Warneke (1), Adam October (1).

Buffalo City 3: Liam Hansen (1), Thomas Caswell (1), Dominic Stegmann (1). Central Gauteng A 11: Jack Wilkins (3), Ross Rovelli (2), Marc Smith (2), Alexander Kelbrick (2), Mark Hudson (1), Harry Wilkins (1).

Northerns 8: Criston Richter (2), Marthinus Wessels (2), Aidan Butler (2), Luke Egan (1), Ulric Curlewis (1). Zimbabwe 9: Ruan Nel (4), Sibusiso Sibanda (2), Garrick Duff (1), Tian Muller (1), Nathan Horner (1).

Playoff Fixtures, Wednesday, 11 December

08:00 – KwaZulu-Natal B vs Western Province B, 7th/8th, Joan Harrison West Pool
08:50 – Northerns vs Zimbabwe, 9th/10th, Clarendon High
09:05 – Nelson Mandela Bay vs Central Gauteng B, 5th/6th, Joan Harrison West Pool
10:10 – Western Province A vs Buffalo City, 3rd/4th, Joan Harrison West Pool
13:15 – KwaZulu-Natal A vs Central Gauteng A, Final, Joan Harrison East Pool

Following a successful run in the group stages, Western Province A and the 2023 champions, Central Gauteng A, have booked a date in the final of the girls’ u16 section of the 2024 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament.

Central Gauteng A lived up to expectations. The reigning champions scored four comfortable victories on their way to reaching the title game.

In their opener, they thumped Eastern Gauteng 25-0, and they followed that up by cruising to a 17-5 victory over KwaZulu-Natal B. Next, they beat Nelson Mandela Bay 10-4. Then, they completed their group assignments by rolling to a 14-2 win over Western Province B.

On Tuesday, in the quarterfinals, they brushed aside Zimbabwe, winning 13-2. Cadha Mosehla led the way, scoring three times for Gauteng.

Matters were a whole lot tougher in the semifinals, where Masibonge Namba‘s side survived a scare from a gritty KwaZulu-Natal A side. Both sides had to dig deep, but Central Gauteng, eventually, escaped with an 8-7 win. In 2023, they beat KZN in the final, winning 8-4.

Meanwhile, Western Province A who finished in third place last year, downed KwaZulu-Natal A 9-5 in a Pool B clash, and handily dealt with Zimbabwe, winning 11-3 to to reach the quarterfinals.

The Western Cape girls were nothing short of amazing in the last eight, where they subjected KwaZulu-Natal B to a  25-7 hammering. That put them into the semi-finals where they outplayed Buffalo City 18-7.

KwaZulu-Natal A will take on the hosts for the bronze medal on Wednesday after scoring a 15-8 win over Western Province B. Zimbabwe and Nelson Mandela Bay will do battle for fifth place.

There’ll be a rivalry showdown for seventh place between Western Province B and Central Gauteng B, while ninth place will be decided between Eastern Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal B.

SCORES

Zimbabwe 2: Rebecca Winsor (1), Natasha Chaniwa. Central Gauteng 13: Cadha Mosehla (3), Jenna Blaauw (2), Gabriella Morell (2), Annna Springer (2), Annabelle Morton (1), Rylee Rogers (1), Danielle Sassenberg (1), Isabella Duffy (1).

Western Province B 8: Samantha Miller (2), Lauren Helm (2), Sophie Maurel (1), Skyla Hvidsten (1), Aimee Johnson (1), Olivia Nejthardt (1). KwaZulu-Natal A 15: Erin Mayoss (3), Hanna Savage (3), Isabella Stephenson (2), Kate Sardi (1), Kiera Browning (1), Kiera Sim (1), Bailey Bartlett (1), Gabriella Synman (1), Inex Letschert (1), Farrann Elliot (1).

KwaZulu-Natal B 7: Danya Thompsom (4), Riley Coetzee (3). Western Province A 25: Holly Stydom (6), Jemma Pearse (5), Tess Anderson (4) Charlotte Wiltshire (4), Olivia Figaji (2), Holly Binneman (2), Jade Jarvis (1) Summer-Lee Wain (1).

Buffalo City 11: Kara Batting (5), Jenna Botha (2), Quinn Carr (2), Janey-Heather Wood (1), Megan Phillips (1).  Nelson Mandela Bay 8: Olivia Attwell (4), Lucy Nagel (2), Jamie Brown (1), Alexandra Ovendale (1).

Zimbabwe 23: Katie Gripper (4),  Asante Ali (4), Rebbeca Winsor (3), Taya Gray (3), Rayne Nichole (2), Tori Dawe (2), Amelie Mtongwiza (1), Peyton Wishart (1), Ava Isselbacher (1), Cameron Bunnett (1),  Natasha Chaniwa (1). Eastern Gauteng 4: Emma Davies (2), Bontle Semma (1), Sophie Martell (1).

KwaZulu-Natal B 5: Riley Coetzee (3), Lwanda Mabandla (1), Megan Whitfield (1). Central Gauteng B 7: Bryblee Van De Berg (5), Clea Ellenes (1), Emely Townley (1).

Central Gauteng A 8:  Gabrielle Morrell (2), Cadha Mosehla (2), Jenna Blaauw (2),Danielle Sassenberg (1), Isabella Duffy (1).  KwaZulu-Natal  A 7: Hannah Savage (4),  Farranann Elliot (2), Isabella Stephenson (1).

Western Province 18: Holly Strydom (6),  Jemma Pearse (4),  Jade Jarvis (2), Nina Wides (1), Abigail Weatherall (1). Buffalo City 7: Kara Batting (7), Jenna Botha (2).

Western Province B: 5: Oliva Nejthardt (1), Sammantha Miller (1), Cara Brink (1), Lauren Helm (1). Zimbabwe 9: Katie Gripper (3), Natasha Chaniwa (2), Taya Gray (2), Ava Isselbacher (2).

Nelson Mandela Bay 14: Olvia Attwell (5), Alexandra Ovendale (5), Megan Sheard (4). Central Gauteng B 3: Clea Ellens (1), Brynlee Van De Berg (1), Emily Townley (1).

Playoff Fixtures, Wednesday, 11 December

07:00: Eastern Gauteng vs KwaZulu-Natal B, 9th/10th, Selborne Primary
09:00: KwaZulu-Natal A v Buffalo City, 3rd/4th, Selborne Primary
09:30: Central Gauteng A vs Western Province A, Final, Joan Harrison East Pool
11:00: Zimbabwe vs Nelson Mandela Bay, 5th/6th, Selborne Primary
12:00: Western Province B vs Central Gauteng B, 7th/8th, Joan Harrison West Pool

An exciting day of cricket at the CSA U16 Boys Week in Pretoria was curtailed by some unpleasant weather and lightning during the latter stages of the opening day.

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

Free State‘s batting innings provided a major talking point as they amassed a breathtaking 416/6 in their allotted 50 overs against Kei.

Amongst the pile of runs, a trio of top-order batsmen stood just a tad taller than the rest, with Divan Bezuidenhout standing the tallest.

The Free State opener anchored the innings expertly, yet still batted at a brisk pace. He needed only 125 deliveries to complete an unbeaten 132, smashing 12 fours and one six. Bezuidenhout’s knock certainly set the innings up nicely for those to follow.

FG Botha and Daniel Hattingh took advantage of the rock-solid foundation, as they, too, brought up memorable centuries. Botha scored just three less than Bezuidenhout, but from 87 balls, and had Kei chasing leather with his 15 boundaries, which included 12 fours and three sixes.

Hattingh rubbed further salt into the worn-out Kei bowlers’ wounds, putting together a showcase of power-hitting and skill. The talented all-rounder used only 53 deliveries to score his 118 runs, 70 of which consisted of boundaries and included seven fours and seven sixes.

Hendre Serfontein and Dumisani Johnson then went on to claim two wickets each, as Kei found themselves in trouble at 74/7 when bad weather halted play. A dominant all-round performance meant that Free State claimed a 284-run victory as decided by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

The Titans also sealed an important victory over Boland, successfully chasing down a revised target to claim a six-wicket victory before play could be suspended for a second time. Affies’ Vihan Pretorius led the way with the willow, chipping in with a top score of 43 runs.

Pretorius, nevertheless, owes a thank you to the bowlers, especially Armin Snyman (3/25) and Layton Pullen (3/28), who kept Boland to a below-par total, which in turn helped their cause when it came to the DLS calculation.

The match between the Tuskers and the Garden Route Badgers was the only match to finish without any disruption. It was, however, one the Badgers would dearly like to shrug off before the second day’s play, as their batting let them down. Although there were some dicey shots by the side from the South Western Districts, it takes nothing away from the special performance from Tuskers’ leg-spinner, Liam O-Dweyer.

Bowling just under seven overs, O-Dweyer snapped up six wickets in a matter of minutes, while conceding only five runs, to bowl at less than a run to the over. That performance enabled his batsmen, led by Obakeng Motsepa (36), to chase down with relative ease the 86 runs required for a comfortable seven-wicket victory.

North West downed Northern Cape, cruising to a 39-run victory, also via the DLS method and thanks to a hat-trick of half-centuries by their top-order batsmen. The contributions by Lukas Kotza (69), Andre Dreyer (67) and Alebineng Scott (51) enabled them to reach a competitive total of 254/6 in the allotted 50 overs.

Easterns also enjoyed a successful first day, courtesy of the efforts of all-rounder Stephan Vermaak and top-order batsman Ethan Cotze. Cotze’s contribution of 56 runs set the tone, while Vermaak shone with the ball, collecting three of the four Northern Cape wickets before play was called. His three scalps proved vital as it eventually meant that his side would reign superior by 56 runs.

Eastern Province handed the Central Gauteng Lions their first defeat of the week, claiming a seven-run victory via the DLS method. Connor Parry (41*) and Markus Potgieter (21*) both deserve a pat on the back, as their 82-run partnership, following a wonderful bowling display from teammate, Rhys Wiblin (3/35), saw them across the line.

The matches between Western Province and the Dolphins, and the Limpopo Impalas and Eastern Cape Iinyathi, were abandoned due to the inclement weather.

Western Province, however, found themselves in a commanding position after some proper batting by Michael Kruiskamp, who top-scored with 78 runs, and Muhammad Ameen Schroeder‘s entertaining 66. The lanky figure of Michail Tarentaal followed that up with a good return of 3/7.

Taine Havemann was the shining light with the ball for the Dolphins, as he kept the WP batsmen on their toes to eventually walk away with figures of 4/46.

Limpopo would’ve felt somewhat hard done by, as they, too, were in a favourable position to claim a first victory at this year’s week. All-rounder Stephan Swanepoel shrugged off his disappointment with the bat with an impressive return of 4/15  with the ball and would be wondering what could’ve been if play had continued.

Summarised scorecards

Free State 416/6 (Divan Bezuidenhout 132*, FG Botha 129, Daniel Hattingh 118; Sanele Mphathelwa 2/39); Kei 74/7 (Sinakekele Sele 26*; Hendre Serfontein 2/14, Dumisani Johnson 2/19). Free State won by 284 (DLS method).

Boland 189/9 (Francois Prins 56, Buhle Mfunelwa 51; Armin Snyman 3/25, Layton Pullen 3/28); Titans 134/4 (Vihan Pretorius 43, Timothy Gordon 30, Khumo Kgagodi 23*; Aden Batt 3/32). The Titans won by six wickets (DLS method)

Garden Route Badgers 85 (Daniel du Plessis 51; Liam O’Dwyer 6/5); Tuskers 87/5 (Obakeng Motsepa 36*, Ben Wilson 25; Lastio Williams 1/19). Tuskers won by seven wickets.

North West 254/6 (Lukas Kotze 69, Andre Dreyer 67, Olebogeng Scott 51, Sihle Duhme 23; Hanru Rademeyer 2/17, Carl Thole 2/38); Northern Cape 80/4 (Faizaan Kajee 26; Olefa Padi 1/17). North West won by 39 runs (DLS method).

Easterns 223/8 (Ethan Kotze 56, Sohil Jagnath 35*, Aiden Shaw 32, Melusi Mgidi 32; Eduan Strydom 3/27, Herman Potgieter 2/26, Umair Cheema 2/32); Mpumalanga 53/4 (Extras 20, Herman Potgieter 10; Stephan Vermaak 3/7). Easterns won by 56 runs (DLS method).

Central Gauteng Lions 195 (Ombesa Matsha 58, Bafana Mthunzi 40; Rhys Wiblin 3/35, Sulaymaan Gangat 2/44); Eastern Province 91/3 (Connor Parry 41*, Markus Potgieter 21*; Kyle Butler 1/6). Eastern Province won by seven runs (DLS method).

Western Province 235/9 (Michael Kruiskamp 78, Muhammad Ameen Schroeder 66, Taine Havemann 4/46, Litha Gonya 2/24, Kyle McGough 2/46); Dolphins 58/6 (Kressan Pillai 31*; Michail Tarentaal 3/7). Match abandoned due to lightning.

Limpopo Impalas 239 (Tiaan Haasbroek 42, Talenta Ndlovu 39, JP Botha 39, Jaco van der Westhuyzen 33, Ruben Pohl 23; Avethanda Manyongo 2/36, Ambese Linda 2/39, Matt Hendry 2/42); Eastern Cape Iinyathi 118/5 (Josh Wilky 57, Ambese Linda 31; Stephan Swanepoel 4/15). Match abandoned due to lightning.

Western Province A and Central Gauteng A will face off in what promises to be a humdinger of a final of the boys’ u16 section of the 2024 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in East London.

The sides will lock horns in the Joan Harrison East Pool at 12:05 on Wednesday.

Western Province was the first side to book their place in the final with a tense come-from-behind 8–7 victory over KwaZulu Natal.

Ross van Schoor’s side looked dead in the water when they trailed 2-5 at halftime. “Our boys showed a lot of tenacity, grit, and determination to come back from that position,” Van Schoor said proudly after the contest.

Western Province headed into the tournament seeking redemption after they finished as the runner-up o KZN last year in Gqeberha. They were determined to improve on that result. Well led by James Malan, Province didn’t panic when they fell behind. They heeded Van Schoor’s reminders to focus on the process.

“We are not focusing on the results. When you focus on the scoreboard, you run the risk of making bad decisions while trying to chase the score,” he explained. “However, if you focus on the process and keep doing the right things, the results will take care of themselves.” the coach had said the day before the tournament started.

By focussing on the process, the Western Province side was able to turn the momentum and shift the pressure from themselves onto KZN. Deep into the final chukka, they edged into a slim one-goal lead, through Timothy Young, and they desperately held on to it until the end to keep their record clean.

Young, Benjamin Bigara, and Matthew Fenn scored a brace each, while James Pinnock and Malan contributed a goal each.

Levi Thom was outstanding for KZN, notching a hat-trick, while Thomas Aylward recorded a double, and Oliver Ludwig and Thomas Francke scored a goal each. Jason Sileno’s side will take on Northerns A for third place on Wednesday. When they met earlier in the tournament, KZN triumphed 13-8.

Central Gauteng A punched their ticket to the final in style. Siya Guzana’s side romped to a 13-2 victory over Northerns A to keep their unbeaten record intact.

It was a second win for Central Gauteng over their neighbours. In their first meeting, they scored an 8-2 victory. There was no complacency in their ranks for their semifinal clash, though, and Guzana’s side scored a more comfortable win the second time around.

“A lot of work has gone into building this team. We haven’t been simply looking at ability, but also character,” Guzana had shared before the showpiece kicked off.

He and the Gauteng coaching staff focused on creating a team with a positive and vibrant culture. They were fortunate that the same players who did well at the Currie Cup earlier in the year fitted the mold. “We have a team of players who go into the pool to play for each other,” Guzana said.

They had each other’s back in the semifinals. Matthew Cross led the scoring with four goals, while Connor McJannet and Ryan Morley registered a brace each, with Danillo Guiricich, Dylan Gander, Cooper Haworth, and David Latilla-Campbell adding one each.

SCORES

Buffalo City 7: Daniel Woodin (5), Reid deConing (1), Michael Russell (1). Eden Districts 5: Rorke Bubanj (2), Connor Keys (1), Jacob Hersch (1), Luca Whitehead (1).

Western Province A 12: Benjamin Bigara (3), Matthew Fenn (2), Alex Barrett (2), Harry Oldham (2), Connor Mortlock (1), Aiden Turrell (1), James Malan (1). Western Province B 3: Noah Coleman (3).

Nelson Mandela Bay 4: Carter Rosser (2), Dane Paterson (1), Stefan Polderman (1). Northerns A 7: Ettiene van der Merwe (4), Ruan Engelbrecht (3).

Central Gauteng B 4: Ethan Kemp (2), Tegan Fisher (1), Gui-Nam Chen (1). KwaZulu Natal 9: Thomas Francke (2), Levi Thom (2), Thomas Aylward (2), Oliver Guy (1), Musawenkosi Mponda (1), Oliver Ludwig (1).

Zimbabwe 2: Tapfuma Taundi (1), Blaise Scheepers (1). Central Gauteng A 11: David Campbell (2), Matthew Cross (2), Aiden Khoury (2), Luke Shipway (1), Roan Wessels (1), Danillo Guiricich (1), Connor McJannet, Ryan Morley (1).

Buffalo City 12: Joshua Lentz (3), Michael Russell (2), Daniel van Biljon (2), Rael Govind, Daniel Woodin (1), Reid deConing (1), Jadan Grobler (1), Nicholas du Toit (1). Eastern Gauteng 5: Connor Cockcroft (2), Luke Laporte (1), Daelan Brijmohun (1), Matthew Craukamp (1).

Eden Districts 18: Jake Wood (5), Luca Whitehead (4), Rorke Babanj (3), Connor Keys (2), Matthew Tindall (1), Adrian Geldenhuys (1), Jacob Hersch (1), Matthew Eickhaus (1). Northerns B 1: Hawk Lamont (1).

Western Province B 8: Ross Prinsloo (3), Rupert Robinson (2), Umr Firfirey (1), Noah Coleman (1), Noah Viuff (1). Central Gauteng B 9: Matthew Peacock (2), Tegan Fisher (1), Ethan Kempen (1), Morgan Thomson (1), Adam Stoutjesdyk (1), Brayden Macfie (1), Daniel Pronk (1), Travis Kempen (1).

Nelson Mandela Bay 11: Adam Ball (4), Dane Paterson (2), Stefan Polderman (1), Samuel Barnes (1), Carter Rosser (1), Taye Colesky (1), Christian Chandler (1). Zimbabwe 7: Patrick Duff (3), Blaise Scheepers (2), Tapfuma Taundi (1), Bongani Dube (1).

Western Province A 8: Matthew Fenn (2), Benjamin Bigara (2), Timothy Young (2), James Pinnock (1), James Malan (1). KZN 7: Levi Thom (3), Thomas Aylward (2), Oliver Ludwig (1), Thomas Francke (1).

Northerns A 3: Ettiene van der Merwe (2), Ruan Engelbrecht (1). Central Gauteng A 12: Matthew Cross (4), Connor McJannet (2), Ryan Morley (2), Danillo Guiricich (1), Dylan Gander (1), Cooper Haworth (1), David Latilla-Campbell (1).

Buffalo City 14: Michael Russell (5), Campbell Dickinson (3), Daniel Woodin (2), Abakhe Ngamlana (1), Daniel van Biljon (1), Ried deConing (1), Joshua Lentz (1). Northerns B 3: Hawk Lamont (1), Raghard Bosman (1), Liam Russell (1).

Eastern Gauteng 3: Connor Cockcroft (1), Campbell Hustler (1), Daniel Rheeder (1). Eden Districts 5: Rorke Bubanj (2), Joshua Arbuzova (1), Matthew Eickhaus (1), Jacob Hersch (1).

The script couldn’t have been written any better for the South Africa Schools Water Polo Inter-Provincial Tournament u19 girls’ final.

On Wednesday, in East London, Central Gauteng A and Western Province A booked their places in the final, which will be played in the Joan Harrison East Swimming Pool. The highly anticipated clash between the rivals will be a repeat of last year’s final, which Gauteng won 12-10 in Gqeberha.

On their way to the title decider, the Province A side defeated their counterparts Western Province B 15-3 in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Gauteng edged out Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) 5-4.

It was the second meeting between Gauteng and NMB after the team had done battle in a Pool A match on day three. In that clash, Gauteng ran out 10-5 winners, but they were made to work even harder for their victory in the semifinal as NMB targeted an upset.

It was an extraordinary game of water polo filled with drama, individual brilliance, and defining moments. A tightly contested first half concluded with the teams heading into the break level at 3-3.

Gauteng’s goals were scored by Amy Smith, Mia Loizides, and Julia Joseph, while Teagan Harty struck twice for NMB before an out-of-this-world acrobatic backhand shot by Matipa Karimazondo evened the scores at the halfway point.

Harty completed her hat-trick in the third chukka before NMB went into a defensive mode, leading 4-3 ahead of the final chukka.

Big Match Temperament describes Gauteng’s fightback in the fourth chukka. Coach Kelsey Thomson’s charges attacked hard while remaining resolute at the back, with goalkeeper Lucy Davis coming to their rescue several times.

Their attacking efforts were rewarded when Julia Joseph netted her second to pull Central Gauteng even at 4-4.

In the final minute, both sets of supporters were out of their seats as a dramatic finish unfolded.

NMB head coach Grant McKenzie called a timeout to dish out some instructions to his players in what appeared to be the final play of the match. His players, though, were unable to capitalise on their opportunity and Gauteng quickly turned over the ball.

In possession, Ruby Carlson pinned her ears back and sprinted up the length of the pool to force a one-on-one with goalkeeper Kimberly Kabiri. Only 10 seconds remained when she slid the ball into the net to seal an electrifying win for Gauteng.

Reacting after the match, head coach Kelsey Thomson told SuperSport Schools Plus: “I think Nelson Mandela Bay did really well to change their game plan from yesterday.

Turning to her players, she said: “Our girls were just so good. They showed endurance and just kept chipping away.”

Wednesday’s finalists will meet for a second time at the tournament. In a Pool A clash, earlier in the event, Western Province scored a 7-4 win over Central Gauteng.

Thomson believes her charges will have to bring their A-game if they are to retain the title.

“We knew all the games, from the quarters to the final, would be very tough,” she said. “I think we’ve got good BMT, and the team will need to bring it. Four of the girls are playing in their last ever IPT, so I want them to just play for each other and have fun.”

The second semifinal was dominated by coach Etienne Le Roux‘s Western Province A side, who had the measure of the Province B team, charging to a 15-3 victory.

Hannah Banks continued her fine form, scoring four goals, while Roxanne Uys bagged a hat-trick.

The emphatic win means Province A heads into the final unbeaten in the tournament.

“I’m very proud of the girls. I think we’ve worked really hard,” Le Roux said after his side cruised to a place in the final.

“The best advice to give them is that when they play in a final of this magnitude, they must enjoy it because not many get that opportunity.”

Wednesday’s final will be Le Roux’s first in Western Province colours after he joined them earlier this year. He insists his players will stick to the methods that have carried them throughout the tournament.

“We’ve prepared for the final,” he said. “We have had conversations about the tactical work we’re going to be doing. The important thing is not to change anything now, but for us to focus on what we worked on and implement as much as possible.

“We will focus on ourselves and not the opposition,” he ended.

SCORES

Western Province B 8: Kirsten Bottger (3), Tatum Malherbe (1), Bailey Donnachie (1), Jemma Stearns (1), Sarah Palframan (1), Anna Lieberman (1). KwaZulu-Natal 5: Lara Mervis (2), Inge Southey (2), Kayla Andrews.

Nelson Mandela Bay 11: Amie Jenner (3), Teagan Harty (2), Mia Jenner (2), Anna Olivier (1), Matipa Karimazondo (1), Jasmine Witthuhn (1), Lucy Rutherfoord (1). Buffalo City 8: Tori Voke (4), Meka Loots (3), Jessica Schaefer (1).

Central Gauteng A 13: Mia Loizides (4), Emma Pelicot (2), Anastasia Hambakis (2), Emily Carle (1), Amy Smith (1), Julia Joseph (1), Tori Tanner-Ellis (1), Francesca De Villiers (1). Eastern Gauteng 2: Maddison Griffin (2).

Western Province A 20: Hannah Banks (4), Bella Murray (4), Alexa De Villiers (4), Emma Catto (2), Nicole Bantom (1), Emily van Heerden (1), Roxanne Uys (1), Amy van Breda (1), Julia Luckoff (1), Isabella Tooley (1). Central Gauteng B 7: Aimee Hattingh (3), Kiara Cronje (2), Mia Duffy (1), Amy Stubbs (1).

Buffalo City B 10: Caroline Kretzmann (3), Shenlyn Grotjohn (2), Emma Booyens (2), Bella Graham (1), Slayde Herman (1), Courtney Linke (1). Northerns 3: Jorja Ross (3).

Buffalo City A 11: Meka Loots (3), Tori Voke (2), Roxy-Lee van Eek (2), Jessica Schaefer (2), Jasmine Koch (1), Erin Batting (1). Eastern Gauteng 6: Caitlin Scrimgeour (4), Megan Venter (2).

KwaZulu-Natal 13: Inge Southey (4), Gemma Malherbe (3), Caitlin McMurray (2), Lara Mervis (2), Kayla Andrews (2). Central Gauteng B 6: Aimee Hattingh (2), Taylor Billett (1), Simphiwe Zulu (1), Mia Duffy (1), Rachel Rostron (1).

Zimbabwe 24: Tayleigh Taylor (6), Emily Taylor (3), Ryley Jardine (3), Danike Swan (3), Shannon Torr (2), Lucy Wood (2), Chloe Ralphs (2), Lily Bean (1), Tyla Love (1), Olivia Accorsi (1). Northerns 4: Jorja Ross (2), Sinoah Pretorius (1), Hannah Burrow (1).

Central Gauteng A 5: Julia Joseph (2), Amy Smith (1), Mia Loizides (1), Ruby Carlson (1). Nelson Mandela Bay 4: Teagan Harty (3), Matipa Karimazondo (1).

Western Province A 15: Hannah Banks (4), Roxanne Uys (3), Alexa De Villiers (2), Sofia Walker (2), Emily van Heerden (1), Sophie Vickers (1), Isabella Tooley (1), Julia Luckoff (1). Western Province B 3: Carla Lampe (1), Sarah Palframan (1), Gabriela Stuart-Reckling (1).

Day 5 Fixtures

07:55 – Zimbabwe vs Buffalo City B (9th/10th playoff @Selborne Primary)
09:55 –Nelson Mandela Bay vs Western Province B (3rd/4th playoff @Selborne Primary)
10:40 – Western Province A vs Central Gauteng A – Final (Joan Harrison East Swimming Pool)
11:55 – Buffalo City A vs KwaZulu-Natal (5th/6th playoff @Selborne Primary)
12:55 – Eastern Gauteng vs Central Gauteng B (7th/8th playoff @Joan Harrison West Swimming Pool)