The hosts, St. David’s Marist Inanda, are confident of a good performance and of bettering the fourth-place finish they achieved in the u18 competition in 2023.
They’re grouped in Pool B with Grey High, Parktown Boys’ High, and St John’s College. They face a tough challenge, but St David’s captain Oliver Maskell said his team is eager to take it on.
“The team is really motivated for this weekend,” Maskell said. “We’ve had our fair share of ups and downs so far this season, but we’ve prepared [well] and we’re excited to put on a show for Inanda to see.”
Pool C should produce tight games, but St Stithians, who finished third in the 2023 edition of the Inanda Hoops Challenge, will fancy their chances against Jeppe, Redhill, and Hilton College.
Perhaps the most interesting group in this year’s edition is Pool D. While some may deem it the least anticipated because it includes Sacred Heart, 11th in 2023, and St Peter’s College, 15th last year, those two teams have good strategies to offer.
However, Pretoria Boys High will bear watching. They’ll be confident after winning the Westville Stayers Basketball Tournament in September, where Nehemiah Nii-Aryee and Thomas Fagas were included in the All-Star team at the event’s conclusion. Kings Linbro Park completes the group and will feel one of the top two positions in the pool is within their reach.
After another solid weekend on the pitch, the defending champion, Highlands Park, remains at the top of the Gauteng Development League(GDL) u19 standings.
Heading into their weekend’s assignment, Highlands Park coach Sifiso Mnguni said there was heavy pressure on the Lions of the North, not only as the defending champions but also as the log leaders, with only four fixtures remaining in the season.
While they didn’t win on Saturday, they didn’t lose either, settling for an intense goalless draw with Jomo Cosmos after a back-and-forth contest.
Cosmos, playing for a spot in the top five, was unrelenting in attack, but they were met by the same intensity from Highlands Park, who are determined to go back-to-back as GDL champions.
Goalless on Saturday, the Lions of the North found their goal-scoring form on Sunday, thrashing Kathorus Hyper Academy 5-1 at home, a result which, almost certainly, confirmed their opponent’s relegation.
Just behind Highlands Park on the log, coach Surprise Moriri‘s Mamelodi Sundowns closed the gap after an entertaining 3-2 victory over fifth-placed TS Galaxy at Clapham High on Saturday.
Goals from Mathlogonolo Kotsokoane, Chuene Noabelo, and one from the division’s most decorated goal scorer, Kamva Moni, sealed the deal for the Pretoria-based team. While they are second in the standings, they have two games in hand.
Should Highlands Park fail to get maximum points in their last two fixtures of the season, the league title could go Sundowns’ way.
However, there is another contender. Kaizer Chiefs is still in the running for glory. They’re third on the log, level on points with ‘Downs, but having played a game more. They scored a narrow 1-0 win over Wits Junior at Naturena on Saturday.
RESULTS
Saturday
Remember Elite Sport Academy 1-3 Rosina Sedibane Modiba Sports School
Randburg AFC 2-1 School of Excellence
Panorama 4-3 Sevens Academy
NWU Vaal 0-0 SuperSport United
Mamelodi Sundowns 3-2 TS Galaxy
Kathorus Hyper Academy 2-5 Tuks
Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 Wits Junior
Jomo Cosmos 0-0 Highlands Park
East Rand Athletic Club 2-1 Joburg City
Sunday
Highlands Park 5-1 Kathorus Hyper Academy
Remember Elite Sport Academy 1-0 School of Excellence
The opening day features 40 matches, 20 in the boys’ section and 20 in the girls’ section. All in all, 144 games will be played, with the action concluding on Sunday, 27 October.
A team aiming to make history and build on an excellent 2024 is Cape Town’s Bishops Diocesan College.
The side, led by head coach Jabulani Sibiya, is in outstanding form and will head into the four-day tournament intent on adding to a very successful year in which they’ve captured three trophies, including a memorable and first-ever triumph at the SACS Water Polo Tournament last month.
“It’s a big one coming up. It’s a tournament we’ve never won before in the history of the competition,” Sibiya told SuperSport Schools Plusbefore the tournament. “We’re feeling confident about it. I think winning the SACS Water Polo tournament was a huge boost for us.
“I think just because of the season we’ve had this year – winning three tournaments, being in four finals, and medalling at each tournament – that allows us to be keen and excited.”
Sibiya’s side has prepared well before heading to St Stithians. A recent outing against their rivals, Rondebosch Boys’ High made it clear that tough obstacles lie ahead for Bishops.
“The preparation has been good, and the guys have been playing well. We beat Rondebosch Boys’ High 12-11 in a tight game,” Sibiya said. “We found ourselves leading by five goals, and Bosch managed to come back.
“We know the Cape teams will be strong in these national tournaments, but we believe in our preparation, and we’re staying humble.”
Bishops, in many of the tournaments they play, are known for dominating during the pool matches and setting themselves up early for the knockout stages. This time around, they’ll aim to follow that recipe in group B when they take on King Edward VII (KES), Michaelhouse, Pearson High, and a strong St John’s College team. They met St John’s in the final of the SACS tournament, beating them 5-2.
“For us, the approach is to track our footsteps as we get up in the tournament and treat each game with the respect it deserves,” Sibiya said.
“We don’t want to get distracted, and, honestly, we know we have to work hard to go all the way; it won’t be handed to us.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to close the season on a high. I’ve won this tournament as a player and would love to win it as a coach and for Bishops to make history,” he concluded.
Bishops will open their challenge with two matches on day one. In the morning, they face Michaelhouse at 09:30 before taking on Pearson later in the day, at 16:10.
Muhammed Bulbulia held his pose. The ball pierced the gap between the fielders at mid-off and cover and raced to the boundary. Five balls earlier, he had taken a single to bring up his ton.
The 18-year-old celebrated the century in an understated manner. This is his natural disposition, and his admiration of Hashim Amla reinforces it.
“Hashim Amla’s journey is a perfect source of inspiration for a teenage cricketer. His discipline, humility, and dedication to the game show that success in cricket isn’t just about talent, but also about hard work and consistency,” Bulbulia explained.
Like Amla, Bulbulia had expertly paced his innings. His strike rate ranged between 80 and 100 for most of his knock. The boundary took him to 105 off 116 deliveries. He was about to put the Zimbabwe Emerging u19 bowling attack to the sword.
Bulbulia scored 20 runs off the next 13 deliveries, and he was eventually dismissed for a 129-ball 135. His score made up 40.5% of his team’s total. Paul James was the second-highest scorer for South Africa Emerging u19 with 51 off 54 balls.
During the series, Bulbulia wore the number 94 shirt, and that was only because Lethabo Phahlamohlaka had beaten him to the number one shirt. When he has a choice, Bulbulia always takes the number his hero, Amla, wore on his back.
“He is a great role model. Off the field, his integrity, respect for others, and quiet leadership reflect the values of being a good person, showing that character is just as important as skill in achieving greatness,” Bulbulia shared.
A memory stands out for Bulbulia. It features him playing cricket with a tennis ball in the corridor at home with his older cousin. The bathroom doors on both ends were covered with pillows, which served the dual purpose of muffling the tennis ball sounds as well as replacing a set of stumps. Afternoons flew by as the pair contested a never-ending Test match.
A separate event stands out for his father, Ahmed. He can recite the words he heard, almost verbatim. He thought his young son was talented, but hearing those words from a third party, a man who had never set eyes on Bulbulia before, solidified his belief.
“This boy has the makings of a future South African international cricketer.” That was the assessment of one of the coaches of the West Indies team that toured South Africa in 2014.
The coach had watched the seven-year-old face a few throwdowns on the sidelines as the players prepared to take to the field. Ahmed, his father, was not surprised by the assessment. After all, the youngster was born with a bat in his hands, as he put it.
For Muhammed Bulbulia, cricket is a familial love passed down. His grandfather, Munaf, ran a community cricket club in the early 1980s. He loved the game so much that he invested thousands of hours and thousands of rands to ensure the club’s survival.
Munaf’s love spilled over to his sons. Two of them, Muhammed Senior, affectionately known as Kata, and Yusuf, were so good that people earmarked them for careers bigger than their father’s club. Kata was an outstanding seam-bowling allrounder, so talented that many saw him as a potential Proteas’ player. However, he chose a different path. Yusuf, the younger of the pair, was also incredibly talented and debuted for the North West Dragons at 15 years of age.
If the succeeding generation has to outdo their predecessors, then Muhammed Bulbulia is on track. Like his uncle, Yusuf, he signed his first contract with the Dragons as a teen and, unlike anyone before him, he has already earned a national call-up. All that is possible because the entire family is pouring into his cup.
His aunt bought him his first brand-new cricket bat when he was five. Munaf imparted his knowledge to the youngster as he developed, as did Kata and Yusuf. When he outgrew his grandfather’s and uncles’ instruction, Ahmed found him a private coach.
“Mo was eight when I started working with him. I immediately recognised his potential as a fast learner and a skilled player. His precise straight shot, excellent footwork, and ability to wait for the ball indicated his promising future, especially considering that horizontal shots are more common at that stage,” Jan van Staden recalled.
A year later, Van Staden was beaming with pride as he watched Bulbulia register a maiden half-century. What made it special was that it came against an u11 side.
“I remember the day. It was on 7 August 2015. I encouraged him to play against older players, and he fearlessly faced pace bowling, demonstrating strong skills in playing straight and leaving wide balls. It was clear to me from a young age that he had the potential to become an opening specialist,” Van Staden said.
Fields College is a small school in a small town, in a cricket sense. Fields’ programme does not compare to that of traditional powerhouses, like Grey High, Grey College, St Stithians, or Wynberg Boys’ High, while Rustenburg does not boast a large number of top clubs.
Ahmed, understanding the limitations of what his son’s surroundings could provide by way of competitive fixtures, decided to look beyond Rustenburg. Their first stop was Johannesburg, almost 128km away. Every weekend, Ahmed drove for a total of about four hours, to and fro, as he ferried his son to fulfill club fixtures for Marks Park Cricket Club.
In his u12 year, Muhammed Bulbulia smashed 546 runs at an average of 91, with a strike rate of 171.7, for the Shakti Tigers in the Lenasia Premier League. Three years later, he returned an average of 48.7, at a strike rate of 147.6, for the Caspian Tigers’ u15 side. Between 2021 and 2022, he racked up more than 1 500 runs for Marks Park in the Presidents A League.
“One of the key things we have always focused on in his training methods emphasises mental toughness. This has helped him to excel when batting under pressure,” Van Staden revealed.
During the 2023 Khaya Majola Week, Bulbulia, then 17, showcased that mental strength, scoring a century and a fifty on his way to becoming the fourth-highest run-scorer of the week. Those performances caught the eye of the selectors and they picked him to captain the SA Schools Colts team.
“He is one of the best cricket players I have worked with. He is a player that can score runs 360 degrees around the ground and can manipulate the field,” Andries de Beer, the Fields College first-team coach, shared.
Both De Beer and Van Staden agree: what makes Bulbulia the model student isn’t his talent, it’s his willingness to learn. It’s not hard to see why he is teachable.
“Success in cricket isn’t just about talent, but also about hard work and consistency,” Bulbulia said.
Luka Heinlein, captain of Merensky’s T20 side in action. Photo: Ankia Botha.
A strong side from Merensky Landbou Akademie made a rollicking start to their challenge for the honours in the Limpopo regional leg of the Schools SA20 on 16 October.
Facing one of their Super 8 League rivals, the Phalaborwa Hub, the team from Tzaneen came away with a convincing 53-run victory to send out a strong message to other sides intent on lifting the title.
It was a victory set up by the Merensky bowlers.
Batting first at home, though, they mustered only 103 all out. There were few scores of note, but a captain’s knock of 32 by the talented all-rounder Luka Heinlein and 25 from opening batsman Bernard Wandrag helped the Plasies reach triple figures. However, they appeared to be in a spot of bother.
Lesley Zimba did the bulk of the damage for the Phalaborwa Hub, capturing 3/19 in his four overs. Tholane Mgomane (2/13) and Aki Molapo (2/21) also made life difficult for Merensky, but the host’s bowlers, then, turned the contest on its head with some good bowling of their own.
The off-spinner, Rinaldo Bornman, and medium-pacer, Xander Schoeman, struck early and hard to blunt the visitor’s hopes. Within the first five overs, they reduced the Phalaborwa Hub to a wobbly 11/4.
The visitors were unable to recover from that devastating early setback and lost wickets at regular intervals. They lasted until the final ball of the penultimate over but were bowled out for a disappointing 50.
A day later, on 17 October, Merensky Landbou’s batting came to light when they tackled a very young side from Stanford Lake College. The top three in their order all recorded half-centuries, with Rinaldo “Borries” Bornman making an impact with the willow this time by top-scoring with 75 from only 38 balls, which included 13 fours and one six.
He was able to attack after a solid foundation had been laid by the openers, Bernard Wandrag and James Durant. Wandrag continued his good form from the previous day, charging to 63 from 41 balls, while Durant batted well for his 52 runs from 37 deliveries.
Stanford’s Nakedi Makweya did a good job spearheading the young attack. He was, unfortunately for Stanford Lake, his side’s only successful bowler, snapping up two wickets in his four-over spell.
The Plasie bowlers, again, wasted no time stamping their authority on proceedings. This time around it was the variations between leg- and off-spin from Cashan Jacobsz that did the trick. He conceded only three runs an over while picking up three wickets in his four overs.
Bornman backed up his batting performance with another noteworthy outing with the ball. He, too, conceded only 12 runs from his four overs and claimed two wickets.
Captain Luka Heinlein also starred with a return of 2/6 from three oversm as Stanford Lake was brushed aside, all out for only 41, still 189 runs short of the required victory target.
Summarized scorecards
Merensky Landbou 103/10 (Luka Heinlein 32, Bernard Wandrag 25; Lesley Zimba 3/19, Tholane Mgomane 2/13, Aki Molapo 2/21); Phalaborwa Hub 50/10 (Lesley Zimba 14; Rinaldo Bornman 2/6, Xander Schoeman 2/18). Merensky won by 53 runs.
Merensky Landbou 229/3 (Rinaldo Bornman 75, Bernard Wandrag 63, James Durant 52; Nakedi Makweya 2/45); Stanford Lake College 41/10 (Matthew Schruven 13; Cashan Jacobsz 3/12, Luka Heinlein 2/6, Rinaldo Bornman 2/12). Merensky won by 188 runs.
A showdown of consequence will happen on the opening day when Kearsney College and Hilton College, who met in the final of the KZN Top 10, do battle in their Pool C opener.
St Stithians College plays host to the 30th edition of one of South Africa’s biggest water polo tournaments, the Saints Invitational, from Thursday, 24 October, to Sunday, 27 October.
The four-day tournament will welcome 40 schools from across South Africa and Zimbabwe, with over 500 players in action in 144 top-class water polo games in front of hundreds of supporters.
The event is evenly divided into 20 boys’ and 20 girls’ sides, and each competition features four pools of five teams.
The girls’ 2023 champions, Herschel Girls School, are in Pool D and are pitted against Zimbabwe’s Chisipite Senior School, Kingswood College, Crawford Lonehill, and the hosts, St Stithians Girls’ College.
Last year’s runner-up, Roedean School is in Pool A, where they will face Diocesan School for Girls (DSG Makhanda), Rand Park High, St Mary’s Waverley, and Kingsmead College, who will be their first obstacle on Thursday morning.
The recent winner of the Roedean Prestige Cup, Reddam House Bedfordview, is in Pool C, along with Beaulieu College, Clarendon High School for Girls, Pearson High, and St Anne’s Diocesan College, who showed they are a team to be reckoned with at their home tournament at the end of September.
Pool D should be very interesting. It includes last year’s bronze medallists, Reddam House Constantia, the winner of two tournaments in late 2024, including the MacKenzie Cup and the St Anne’s Water Polo Tournament. They’re opposed by Collegiate Girls’ High School, Durban Girls’ College (DGC), St Dominic’s, and St Peter’s College.
In Pool A of the boys’ competition, Rondebosch Boys’ High appears to be the team to beat. They’ll face a stiff challenge from Affies, while Woodridge Stayers‘ winners, St Andrew’s College, will carry confidence into the event. Durban High School (DHS) and Grey High complete the lineup.
Two of the hottest teams in the country, St John’s College and Bishops are in Pool B. Bishops won the SACS Water Polo Tournament, but finished only third in their pool there, while St John’s topped Pool A. Bishops, however, beat them in the final. King Edward VII (KES), Pearson High, and Michaelhouse will be hard-pressed to challenge those two sides.
Pool C features the 2023 Saints Invitational champions, South African College High School (SACS), who claimed the honours in the Clifton Water Polo Tournament at the end of last month. They’re going to be challenged, however. Hilton College and Kearsney College met in the final of the KZN Top 10 recently and they’re playing well.
As luck would have it, they’re drawn to face one another in their opening matches. Hilton showed they’re a top side at the SACS Water Polo Tournament, while Kearsney is an emerging power and they won the Northwood Stayers tournament on the past weekend. They have a young but very experienced lineup. Jeppe High School for Boys and Pretoria Boys High will have their hands full against the other three teams.
The hosts, St Stithians, who performed well at the SACS Water Polo Tournament, where they made the semifinals, will be confident of handling the challenges posed by their Pool D opposition. St David’s Marist Inanda, a local rival, could be their toughest opponent. They’ll also take on St Alban’s College, Reddam House Constantia, and Grey College.
It’s hard to name a favourite, but SACS will be aiming to capture the title for a fourth year in succession.
St Andrew’s College faces Gqeberha’s Grey High School in the opening game of the boys’ tournament, with title contenders, St John’s College, doing battle with their neighbours, King Edward VII (KES), in the following game.
Jeppe will hope to catch SACS cold in the day’s third clash.
The action concludes on Sunday.
SAINTS INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
GIRLS
POOL A: Diocesan School For Girls (DSG) (Makhanda); Kingsmead College (Johannesburg); Rand Park High (Johannesburg); Roedean School (Johannesburg); St Mary’s School (Waverley) (Johannesburg) POOL B: Collegiate Girls’ High School (Gqeberha); Durban Girls’ College (Durban); Reddam House Constantia (Girls) (Cape Town); St Dominic’s Catholic School For Girls (Boksburg); St Peter’s College (Johannesburg) POOL C: Beaulieu College (Johannesburg); Clarendon High School for Girls (East London); Pearson High (Gqeberha); Reddam House Bedfordview (Johannesburg); St Anne’s Diocesan College (Hilton) POOL D: Chisipite Senior School (Zimbabwe); Crawford Lonehill (Johannesburg); Herschel Girls School (Cape Town); Kingswood College (Makhanda); St Stithians Girls’ College (Johannesburg)
FIXTURES
Thursday, 24 October
07:50 (1) – Roedean vs Kingsmead (Olympic South); 07:50 (2) – Reddam Constantia vs DGC (Main Polo Pool); 08:40 (3) – Clarendon vs Beaulieu (Olympic North); 08:40 (4) – Herschel vs Crawford Lonehill (Olympic South); 10:20 (5) – DSG Makhanda vs St Mary’s Waverley (Main Polo Pool); 10:20 (6) – St Dominic’s vs Collegiate (Olympic South); 10:20 (7) – Reddam Bedfordview vs St Anne’s (Olympic North); 11:10 – St Stithians vs Kingswood (Main Polo Pool); 12:00 (9) – Kingsmead vs Rand Park (Olympic North); 12:50 (10) – DGC vs St Peter’s (Main Polo Pool); 12:50 (11) – Beaulieu vs Pearson (Olympic South); 12:50 (12) – Crawford Lonehill vs Chisipite (Olympic North); 14:30 (13) – Roedean vs St Mary’s Waverley (Olympic South); 14:30 (14) – Reddam Constantia vs Collegiate (Olympic North); 15:20 (15) – Clarendon vs St Anne’s (Main Polo Pool); 15:20 (16) – Herschel vs Kingswood (Olympic South); :(17) – DSG Makhanda vs Rand Park (Olympic North); 17:00 (18)- St Dominic’s vs St Peter’s (Olympic South); 17h00 (19) – Reddam Bedfordview vs Pearson (Main Polo Pool); 17:50 (20) – St Stithians vs Chisipite (Main Polo Pool)
Friday, 25 October
07:50 (21)– St Mary’s Waverley vs Rand Park (Olympic South); 07:50 (22) – Collegiate vs St Peter’s (Main Polo Pool); 08:40 (23) – St Anne’s vs Pearson (Olympic North); 08:40 (24) – Kingswood vs Chisipite (Olympic South); 10:20 (25) – DSG Makhanda vs Kingsmead (Main Polo Pool); 10:20 (26) – St Dominic’s vs DGC (Olympic South); 10:20 (27) – Reddam Bedfordview vs Beaulieu (Olympic North); 11:10 (28) – St Stithians vs Crawford Lonehill (Main Polo Pool); 12:00 (29) – Roedean vs Rand Park (Main Polo Pool); 12:50 (30) – Reddam Constantia vs St Peter’s (Main Polo Pool); 12:50 (31) – Clarendon vs Pearson (Olympic South); 12h50 (32) – Herschel vs Chisipite (Olympic North); 14:30 (33) St Mary’s Waverley vs Kingsmead (Olympic South); 14:30 (34) – Collegiate vs DGC (Olympic North); 15:20 (35) – St Anne’s vs Beaulieu (Olympic North); 15:20 (36) – Kingswood vs Crawford Lonehill ( Olympic South); 17:00 (37) – Roedean vs DSG Makhanda (Olympic North); 17:00 (38) – Reddam Constantia vs St Dominic’s (Olympic South); 17:00 (39) – Clarendon vs Reddam Bedfordview (Main Polo Pool);
Saturday, 26 October
07:50 (40) – St Stithians vs Herschel (Main Polo Pool); 07:50 (41) – A2 vs B3 (Olympic North); 07:50 (42) – B2 vs A3 (Olympic South); 08:40 (43) – C2 vs D3 (Olympic North); 08:40 (44) – D2 vs C3 (Main Polo Pool) 10:20 (45) – A5 vs B4 (Main Polo Pool); 10:20 (46) – A4 vs B5 (Olympic North); 10:20 (47) – C5 vs D4 (Olympic South); 11:10 (48) – C4 vs D5 (Olympic South);
Quarterfinals
12:00 (49) – A1 vs Winner Game 43 (87) (Olympic South); 12:50 (50) – Winner Game 44 (88) vs B1 (Olympic North); 12:50 (51) – Winner Game 41 (85) vs C1 (Olympic South); 12:50 (52) – D1 vs Winner Game 42 (86)
Bottom Qualifier
13:40 (53) – Loser 45 (93) vs Loser 47 (95) (Main Polo Pool); 14:30 (54) – Loser 46 (94) vs Loser 48 (96) (Olympic South); 15:20 (55) – Loser 43 (87) vs Loser 41 (85) (Olympic South); 15:20 (56) – Loser 44 (88) vs Loser 42 (86) (Main Polo Pool)
POOL A: Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) (Pretoria); Durban High School (DHS) (KZN); Grey High (Gqeberha); Rondebosch Boys’ High (Cape Town); St Andrew’s College (Makhanda) POOL B: Bishops Diocesan College (Cape Town); King Edward VII School (Johannesburg); Michaelhouse (KZN); Pearson High (Gqeberha); St John’s College (Johannesburg) POOL C: Hilton College (KZN); Jeppe High School for Boys (Johannesburg); Kearsney College (KZN); Pretoria Boys High (Pretoria); South African College High School (SACS) (Cape Town) POOL D: Grey College (Bloemfontein); Reddam House Constantia (Cape Town); St Alban’s College (Pretoria); St David’s Marist Inanda (Johannesburg); St Stithians Boys’ College (Johannesburg)
FIXTURES
Thursday, 24 October
07:00 (1) – St Andrew’s vs Grey High (Olympic North); 07:00 (2) – St John’s vs KES (Olympic South); 07:00 (3) – SACS vs Jeppe (Main Polo Pool); 07:50 (4) – St David’s vs St Alban’s (Olympic North); 08:40 (5) – Rondebosch vs Affies (Main Polo Pool); 09:30 (6) – Bishops vs Michaelhouse (Olympic North) 09:30 (7) – Kearsney vs Hilton (Olympic South); 09:30 (8) – St Stithians vs Grey College (Main Polo Pool); 11:10 (9) – Grey High vs DHS (Olympic South); 11:10 (10)– KES vs Pearson (Olympic North); 12:00 (11) – Jeppe vs Pretoria Boys (Main Polo Pool); 12:00 (12) – St Alban’s vs Reddam Constantia (Olympic South); 13:40 (13) – St Andrew’s vs Affies (Main Polo Pool); 13:40 (14) – St John’s vs Michaelhouse (Olympic South); 13:40 (15) – SACS vs Hilton (Olympic North); 14:30 (16) – St David’s vs Grey College (Main Polo Pool); 15:20 (17) – Rondebosch vs DHS (Olympic North); 16:10 (18) – Bishops vs Pearson (Olympic North); 16:10 (19) – Kearsney vs Pretoria Boys (Olympic South); 16:10 (20) – St Stithians vs Reddam Constantia (Main Polo Pool)
Friday, 25 October
07:00 (21) – Affies vs DHS (Olympic North) 07:00 (22) – Michaelhouse vs Pearson (Olympic South) 07:00 (23) –Hilton vs Pretoria Boys (Main Polo Pool); 07:50 (24) – Grey College vs Reddam Constantia (Olympic North); 08:40 (25) – Rondebosch vs Grey High (Main Polo Pool); 09:30 (26) – Bishops vs KES (Olympic North) 09:30 (27) – Kearsney vs Jeppe (Olympic South); 09:30 (28) – St Stithians vs St Alban’s (Main Polo Pool); 11:10 (29) – St Andrew’s vs DHS (Olympic South); 11:10 (30) – St John’s vs Pearson (Olympic North); 12:00 (31) – SACS vs Pretoria Boys (Olympic North); 12:00 (32) – St David’s vs Reddam Constantia (Olympic South); 13:40 (33) – Affies vs Grey High (Main Polo Pool); 13:40 (34) – Michaelhouse vs KES (Olympic South); 13:40 (35) – Hilton vs Jeppe (Olympic North) 14:30 (36) – Grey College vs St Alban’s (Main Polo Pool); 15:20 (37) –St Andrew’s vs Rondebosch (Main Polo Pool); 16:10 (38) – St John’s vs Bishops (Olympic North); 16:10 (39) – SACS vs Kearsney (Olympic South); 16:10 (40) – St Stithians vs St David’s (Main Polo Pool)
Saturday, 26 October
07:00 (41) – A2 vs B3 (Main Polo Pool); 07:00 (42) – B2 vs A3 (Olympic North); 07:00 (43) – C2 vs D3 (Olympic South); 07:50 (44) – D2 vs C3 (Main Polo Pool); 08:40 (45) – A5 vs B4 (Olympic South); 09:30 (46) – A4 vs B5 (Main Polo Pool) 09:30 (47) – C5 vs D4 (Olympic North); 09:30 (48) – C4 vs D5 (Olympic South)
Quarterfinals
11:10 (49) – A1 vs Winner 43 (83) (Olympic North); 11:10 (50) – Winner 44 (84) vs B1 (Main Polo Pool); 12:00 (51) – Winner 41 (81) vs C1 (Olympic North); 12:00 (52) – D1 vs Winner 42 (82) (Main Polo Pool)
Bottom Qualifier
13:40 (53) – Loser 45 (89) vs Loser 47 (91) (Olympic South); 13:40 (54) – Loser 46 (90) vs Loser 48 (92) (Olympic North); 14:30 (55) – Loser 43 (83) vs Loser 41 (81) (Olympic North); 14:30 (56) – Loser 44 (84) vs Loser 42 (82) (Main Polo Pool)
Marais Viljoen captain, Aldré Huyzers at the crease. Photo: Hoërskool Marais Viljoen.
There are many good reasons why Hoërskool Waterkloof is the defending champion of the Fain Noordvaal competition.
Relive all the action on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)
The Klofies showed that they will be hard to stop in their title defence after comprehensively beating Hoërskool Wesvalia by eight wickets in Pretoria on Saturday.
The Klofie victory was set up by a disciplined and ruthless display by their bowlers, led by captain Marcus Bakker, once again. He bowled with great control and sublime variations to snare three wickets while conceding only 30 runs from his 10 overs.
It was, however, the opening bowler Ruan Ferreira, who kickstarted the onslaught, picking up his two wickets within the first six overs of Wesvalia’s innings. Jaydon Blom enjoyed his day out, too, sending down seven overs and claiming 2/28 from a solid spell that contained 30 dot balls.
Marneau Dreyer kept a level head amid the chaos around him. The experienced Wesvalia top-order batsman made a classy 37 runs. Quewen Fourie (29) and Dundré Hales (27) each produced valuable contributions to get the Wessies past the 150-run mark, which made it appear as if they might have something to bowl at. Unfortunately for the side from Klerksdorp, Wian Ruthven was in one of his destructive moods. The Waterkloof opener wasted no time setting his side on course for a comfortable victory.
In just 62 balls, he blasted eight sixes and seven fours before falling only one run short of what would’ve been a well-deserved century. His opening partner, Divan Behrens did what he does best, knocking the ball around and rotating the strike, to make 48 runs in the pair’s match-winning 149-run partnership.
The Wessies might have felt after the game that they should’ve brought Regardt van Deventer on to bowl a little bit sooner as he was the one who removed both Ruthven and Behrens. He boasted excellent figures of 2/6, but his success came too late for Wesvalia and the home side cruised to victory in the 21st over.
Hoërskool Marais Viljoen‘s Jordan Baijnath and Aldré Huyzers appear determined to lead their school to the final again this year. The pair batted extremely well in the Alberton school’s 48-run victory over Hoërskool Rustenburg in Rustenburg. Baijnath led the way, expertly pacing his innings while smashing six fours and two sixes in his 87 runs.
Huyzers followed suit, cracking 10 boundaries in his innings of 81 from 100 deliveries. Nathan Coleske’s quickfire 28 gave Marais Viljoen a further boost, which helped lift them to a very respectable 271/9 from their 50 overs.
It was no surprise that the talented youngster, Callie Fryer, led the Rusties with the ball. He did most of his damage up front, claiming three wickets in seven overs, including the prized scalp of Baijnath. Marnus de Wit (2/62) and Zandré Diederiks (2/31) provided good support by each claiming two scalps.
The home side made Marias Viljoen work hard for their wickets in the opening 10 overs, but it was again Baijnath who caused problems for Rustenburg. He followed up his fine innings with a penetrative bowling performance, snapping up 3/38.
Abdullah Tadwala was even more impressive, spinning a web around the home side to snare 3/26 in 10, while AJ van Niekerk (2/5) and Tiaan Kühn (2/48), each contributed two wickets.
Rusties’ Tristan van der Linde was the shining light for the hosts with the willow. Occupying the crease and grafting hard, he earned himself a well-deserved 58. Wessel Oosthuizen supported him well, with 35 coming from his blade, but the visitors were just too good, with the last Rustenburg wicket falling with the score on 222.
Hoërskool Kempton Park might be a dark horse to make the final. The side from the East Rand fired some serious warning shots in a rampaging 10-wicket win over Heidelberg Volkskool. Warren Pretorius (5/20) and Marko van Voort (3/22) shared eight wickets between them as Volkies were held to only 113 all out.
Floors Mynhardt, then, wasted no time setting up a successful run chase, blasting a blistering 72 from only 35 deliveries, which included nine fours and four sixes. Wian Pieters played his part, finishing with an unbeaten 25, to guide the Kempies to a one-sided victory.
Summarised scorecards
Wesvalia 159/10 (Marneau Dreyer 37, Quewen Fourie 29, Dundré Hales 27; Marcus Bakker 3/30, Ruan Feirreira 2/23, Jaydon Blom 2/28); Waterkloof 162/2 (Wian Ruthven 99, Divan Behrens 48; Regartd van Deventer 2/6). Waterkloof won by eight wickets.
Marais Viljoen 271/9 (Jordan Baijnath 87, Aldré Huyzers 81, Nathan Coleske 28, Tiaan Kühn 21; Callie Fryer 3/41, Zandré Diedericks 2/31, Marnus de Wit 2/62); Hoërskool Rustenburg 222/10 (Tristan van der Linde 58, Wessel Oosthuizen 35, Callie Fryer 22, Christivan Coetzer 21, Tiaan Labuschagne 20; Abdullah Tadwala 3/26, Jordan Baijnath 3/38, AJ van Niekerk 2/5, Tiaan Kühn 2/48). Marais Viljoen won by 48 runs.
Heidelberg Volkskool 113 (Marco Botha 24, Matthew Wentzel 21; Warren Pretorius 5/20, Marko van Voort 3/22); Hoërskool Kempton Park 114/0 (Floors Mynhardt 72*, Wian Pieters 25*). Hoërskool Kempton Park won by 10 wickets.
For a third time in the 2024 cricket season, it was Hoërskool Middelburg and Genis who came out on top against Hoërskool Nelspruit, this time in the playoff round of the Fain Noordvaal competition on Saturday in Middelburg.
Although he failed with the bat, scoring, only seven runs, the all-rounder terrorised Nelspruit with his right-arm off-spin bowling.
Sending down a full quota of 10 overs, Genis ripped the heart from the Nellies’ top order, snapping up four wickets in no time at all before adding another a while later to walk away with match-winning figures of 5/43.
Eduan Strydom was also impressive in the seven overs he bowled, claiming three scalps for 39 runs, while opening bowler Hendré Nel did further damage, with his 2/11 helping to restrict the side from Mbombela to a disappointing 118 all out.
The fight from Nelspruit was by no means over. John Duncan, the top run-scorer in the Nellies’ innings, took it upon himself to try to single-handedly spur his team to victory. He made a significant impact with the ball, exerting severe pressure on the Middies, by capturing four wickets.
The experienced duo of Shaun Taljaard and Herman Potgieter saved the day for the home side, however. Taljaard counter-punched, fighting fire with fire, to smash an unbeaten 43 from only 24 balls, while Potgieter anchored the innings with a mature 37 to see Hoërskool Middelburg across the line in the 28th over, with five wickets to spare.
The clash between Hans Moore and Hoërskool Garsfontein‘s Ysbere was, as expected, a nail-biter.
After posting only 124, which owed a lot to stalwart Xavier Coetzee‘s 43, after great bowling performances from Sebastian Bouwer (3/29) and Stefan van Staden (3/29), the Moories knew they were in a bit of trouble with a strong Garsies’ batting lineup heading their way.
Reuben van Zyl got the visitors from Pretoria up and running and well on their way to victory with a well-played 51, but Kenan Shaw, Henré Everleigh, and Kyle Wratten threw a spanner in Garsfontein’s charge to victory.
Shaw spearheaded the Hans Moore attack by snapping up four vital wickets for 21 runs, while Everleigh returned 3/32 and Wratten 3/34 as Garsfontein’s challenge dissipated. Their innings, which had started so well, thanks to Van Zyl, fell apart and they were bowled out for only 104, still 21 runs shy of the victory target.
Merensky Landbou Akademie rolled Hoërskool Bastion for only 51 in an impressive bowling performance led by off-spinner Rinaldo Borman‘s 4/27 after setting the hosts a challenging total. The visitors from Limpopo also showed character with the bat, as Logan Janse van Rensburg stepped up to the plate by contributing a timely half-century to boost the Plasies’ total to 217.
Kyle Crous bowled with good pace to assist Borman by snapping up 3/6, while Luka Heinlein was among the wickets again, snaring 3/16.
Hoërskool Dr Malan impressed by pushing Die Hoërskool Menlopark all the way, but the Parkies eventually came out on top by three wickets.
Their win owed plenty to a wonderful innings of 76 from Matt van der Westhuizen, which laid the platform for their victory. Van der Westhuizen stood out with the ball, too, snapping up 3/40 to complement the Menlopark spearhead, Wihan Spanneberg, who led the way with 3/36.
Dokkies’ Qihan Swanepoel impressed with a composed innings of 52 not out and, with the help of 43 from Kegan Meyer, helped the the side from Meyerton to a competitive total of 223/9.
Meyer enjoyed a strong all-round outing, returning his side’s best bowling figures of 3/31, but that wasn’t quite enough for them to pull off an upset.
Summarised scorecards
Hoërskool Nelspruit 118/10 (John Duncan 21; Gavin Genis 5/43, Eduan Strydom 3/39, Hendré Nel 2/11); Hoërskool Middelburg 121/5 (Shaun Taljaard 43*, Herman Potgieter 37*; John Duncan 4/48). Hoërskool Middelburg won by five wickets.
Hans Moore 124/10 (Xavier Coetzee 43, Adrian Watson 21; Sebastian Bouwer 3/29, Stefan van Staden 3/29, Jared Carr 2/2); Garsfontein 104/10 (Reuben van Zyl 51; Kenan Shaw 4/21, Henré Everleigh 3/32, Kyle Wratten 3/34). Hans Moore won by 20 runs.
Merensky 217/10 (Logan Janse van Rensburg 55, Xander Schoeman 32, Luka Heinlein 27; Rudie Harmse 4/38, Lethabo 2/39, André Schoeman 2/39); Bastion 51/10 (Bennie 12; Rinaldo Borman 4/27, Kyle Crous 3/6, Luka Heinlein 3/17). Merensky won by 166 runs.
Dr Malan 223/9 (Q Swanepoel 52*, Kegan Meyer 43, Charles Collen 33, Quinten van Staden 28, Dewald Erasmus 28; Wihan Spanneberg 3/36, Matt van der Westhuizen 3/40); Menlopark 227/7 (Matt van der Westhuizen 76, Dian van Zyl 43, Morné Koekemoer 43, James Bronkhorst 31; Kegan Meyer 3/31, Heinrich Janse van Rensburg 2/50). Menlopark won by three wickets.
Hoërskool Kempton Park was crowned the Easterns’ champion of the Schools SA20 after beating St Benedict’s College. Photo: Hoërskool Kempton Park.
Hoërskool Kempton Park‘s batsmen dominated for the umpteenth time to lead their team to the Schools SA20 Easterns’ regional title.
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On Friday, the Kempie batters showed their steel once again as they steered the side from the East Rand to a 29-run victory over St Benedict’s College at the home of Eastern’s Cricket, Willowmoore Park.
Bennies’ opening bowler, Russel Jones (2/23) struck early, removing Ethan Kotze in the third over, but the cool, calm, and collected head of the experienced Wian Pieters kept St Benedict’s at bay.
Pieters combined with the in-form Sheldon Kruger to steady the ship before he was sent back to the pavilion for a well-played 41 from 34 deliveries.
Kruger, on the other hand, kept going, even though he lost his captain, Marko Richter, soon after.
This, however, brought the feisty left-hander, Stian de Villiers, to the crease. Kruger’s positivity rubbed off on De Villiers and they combined well for a crucial 87-run partnership.
Kruger, eventually, became Jones’s second victim in the penultimate over after top-scoring with a vital 78 runs, which came from only 49 balls and included six sixes and three fours. De Villiers, with a valuable 47 not out, saw the side from Kempton Park through to a healthy 194/4 from their 20 overs, which gave Kempton Park’s bowlers a strong total to defend.
Bennies, unfortunately for them, didn’t get off to a good start. They lost Cayden Thompson to the second ball of their innings when he chipped it straight back to Wian Pieters (2/20). Matt Feiertag launched a counter-attack with his innings of 43, while captain Clayton Horlick (40) and Marco Mendes (31) lent a helping hand.
Alex Johnston delivered the top score for St Benedict’s, an unbeaten 44 runs from just 31 deliveries, to give Bedfordview boys a glimmer of hope, but the Kempies, led by Pieters and Ethan Kotze (1/17), restricted St Benedict’s to 165/5 despite a valiant run chase.
Summarised scorecard
Hoërskool Kempton Park 194/4 (Sheldon Kruger 78, Stian de Villiers 47*, Wian Pieters 41; Matthew Elphick 2/17, Russel Jones 2/23); St Benedict’s College 165/5 (Alex Johnston 44*, Matt Feiertag 43, Claton Horlick 40, Marco Mendes 31; Wian Pieters 2/20).
Durban High School (DHS) faced Westville Boys’ High on Saturday, with the Griffincoming off an outstanding showing at the Westvaal North/South T20 Tournament in Pretoria, but that counted for little as Schoolhanded Westville a crushing 79-run defeat in a limited overs’ contest.
Semal Pillay and crew have been in good form, tough in the field, and disciplined with the bat, and they used that recipe to inflict a surprisingly resounding defeat on Westville.
Batting first after winning the toss, DHS posted 200/4 in their 50 overs. That wasn’t a huge score, but, on the big Theobald Oval, which also offers something to the bowlers, that set the visitors a decent challenge.
Ethan Cooper departed early, falling LBW to Dayalan Boyce at the start of the fifth over, but Ismaeel Omar and Semal Pillay, then, grafted hard to lay the foundation for the Horseflies‘ innings, putting on 67 in 16.5 overs. Their partnership ended when Omar was caught in the deep off the bowling of Tristin Delvin for 43 from 69 deliveries, which included seven fours.
Josh van Biljon and Pillay steadied the innings once more, adding 55 for the third wicket before Van Biljon was caught and bowled by the left-arm spinner, Roxton Payne, for 29.
The skipper was eventually dismissed with only an over remaining in the DHS innings. Pillay had scored a superb 87 from 137 balls, with four fours, and it took a run out to get rid of him.
DHS 1st XI coach Fabian Lazarus presented captain Semal Pillay with a special shirt to celebrate his 50th match for the DHS 1st XI. Photo: DHS on Facebook.
At the end, Lazlo Jooste was unbeaten on 23 and Taine Havemann had seven.
Dayalan Boyce led the Westville bowlers, with 1/19 from six, while Tristin Delvin kept the DHS batsmen tied down, snaring 1/29 in 10.
In reply, Westville started smoothly enough, with Nicandro Kistna and Max Robertson sharing an opening stand of 26 before Kistna, the captain, was caught by his counterpart, Semal Pillay, off the bowling of Dhilan Naraidu for 18.
Robertson followed him back to the pavilion in the 13th over, bowled by Taine Havemann for an unusually subdued 13 from 28 deliveries. Westville was on 54/2, but that became 58/4 only seven balls later.
Naraidu accounted for Seth Simpson for 22 from 32, with two fours, while Taine Havemann had the dangerous Kaeden McAllister caught by Pillay off the first ball he faced.
From there, Westville’s innings crumbled, despite a stubborn effort from Kyle McGough. Sean McGough fell for five, a victim of Jared Havemann, who tore through the visitors’ batting with his leg spin.
Roxton Payne followed for 10, and when Tristin Delvin was out for a single in the 30th over, Westville was in serious trouble on 101/7. One over later, that had become 102/8, with Jared Havemann sending Sekou Shangase packing for a duck.
Kyle McGough and Dayalan Boyce added 18 for the ninth wicket before McGough was caught by Bayanda Majola off Jared Havemann for Westville’s highest score of 41. It had come from 61 balls and included four fours and a six.
Seven balls later, it was all over, with Boyce out for five, a fourth victim of Jared Havemann.
He led the DHS attack with a superb return of 4/22 from 8.1 overs, while his brother, Taine, also wreaked havoc, capturing 2/14 from six. Dhilan Naraidu contributed 2/30 from seven, while there was a wicket each for Semal Pillay and Bhavesh Naicker.
It was the latest in an impressive run of 10 victories on the trot for DHS, who will return many of their top performers in 2025.
The annual St David’s Marist Inanda Hoops Classic Challenge tips off on Thursday, with the action running through to Sunday.
The highly anticipated 30th edition of the annual 
Muhammed Bulbulia held his pose. The ball pierced the gap between the fielders at mid-off and cover and raced to the boundary. Five balls earlier, he had taken a single to bring up his ton.
Fields College is a small school in a small town, in a cricket sense. Fields’ programme does not compare to that of traditional powerhouses, like Grey High, Grey College, St Stithians, or Wynberg Boys’ High, while Rustenburg does not boast a large number of top clubs.
Durban High School (DHS) faced Westville Boys’ High on Saturday, with the Griffin coming off an outstanding showing at the Westvaal North/South T20 Tournament in Pretoria, but that counted for little as School handed Westville a crushing 79-run defeat in a limited overs’ contest.