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Johannesburg’s Roedean School booked themselves a spot in the quarterfinals of the Brian Baker Water Polo tournament after maintaining a 100 percent winning record on day two at Kingswood College in Makhanda.

The side, which started on a high the previous day by edging past Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) 14-10 at their home pool, were a cut above the rest on the second day of the tournament.

They scored a combined 59 goals and dismantled every opponent that stood in front of them. They first made light work of Rhenish, beating them 15-5 before, scoring 26 goals against Hudson Park, which was followed by an 18-6 win in the last match of the day against Gqeberha’s Pearson High School.

Kyle Kumm’s Kingswood College side was also on song, recording two victories, with a 10-2 victory against Crawford Lonehill followed by an 8-6 upset of Cape Town’s Reddam House Constantia in their second encounter of the day.

Seismic shockwaves reverberated when Herschel went up against last year’s winners, and the favourites, St Stithians College. The girls from Stellenbosch stood their ground and edged out Etienne Le Roux’s side 7-6.

Le Roux’s side showed why they claimed the title and exhibited their pedigree in their final two matches, accumulating 31 goals in thumping Collegiate and Stirling High respectively.

It was a tight day for Stirling High, who conceded a further 21 goals against Herschel, while Clarendon shocked St Dominic’s 7-6, and Pearson defeated DSG 7-6.

Results: Day 2

Pool 1

St Mary’s Waverley 9-5 Stirling High
Roedean Schools 15-5 Rhenish
Pearson High School 12-10 Hudson Park
St Mary’s Waverley 8-4 Collegiate
Herschel 7-6 St Stithians College
Kingswood College 10-2 Crawford Lonehill
Roedean School 26-4 Hudson Park High
Herschel 21-2 Stirling High School
St Stithians College 15-4 Collegiate
Rhenish 9-8 Hudson Park High School
Kingswood College 8-6 Reddam House Constantia
St Stithians College 16-2 Stirling High School
St Mary’s Waverley 4-20 Herschel
Pearson 6-18 Roedean School

Pool 2

Durban Girls’ College 20-3 Alex Road
Reddam House Constantia 14-1 Woodridge
St Anne’s Diocesan 14-5 Crawford Lonehill
Clarendon 7-6 St Dominic’s
Reddam House Bedfordview 24-4 Alex Road
Diocesan School for Girls 10-4 Rhenish
Reddam House Constantia 9-7 St Anne’s
Reddam House Bedfordview 5-4 Durban Girls’ College
St Dominic’s 24-1 Alex Road
St Anne’s Diocesan 15-4 Woodridge
Diocesan School for Girls 6-7 Pearson High
Clarendon 8-9 Durban Girls’ College
St Dominic’s 2-3 Reddam House Bedfordview
Crawford Lonehill 10-2 Woodridge 

Day 3, Saturday, 27 January @Kingswood College

The second day of the annual SAC Shield, hosted by St Andrew’s College in Makhanda, produced more exhilarating action in the pool, along with championship-defining performances ahead of the looming quarterfinals.

One of the in-form teams at the tournament, St John’s College, continued on their prolific run and, although tested, remained unbeaten on the day.

The side from Johannesburg got one over last year’s champions, Paul Roos, beating them 10-8 early in the morning in a tightly contested affair. Soon after that, they repeated that scoreline against Michaelhouse, which took them to five wins in five games after victories against the hosts, Rondebosch Boys’ High, and Westville, which came only after a penalty shootout, on day one.

As a result, St John’s finished atop Pool B and qualified for the quarterfinals alongside Rondebosch Boys’ High, Westville, and Paul Roos.

St Andrew’s and Michaelhouse will sit out this year’s title race.

Final four spots in Pool A, which has one more team that Pool B, are still up for grabs, with three fixtures still to be played on Saturday morning.

As things stand, Bishops top the Pool A table with 10 points, with SACS trailing them by two.

SACS bounced back nicely on day two, playing with flair to score a combined 30 goals in their two matches against a winless Grey High and St Stithians College respectively. They take on Clifton College at 07:00 on Saturday in their last Pool A game.

Bishops will lock up first place if they defeat Grey High on day three.

The knock-out stages will resume right after those last Pool A encounters when the seventh-place team from Pool A tackles the team that is sixth in Pool B.

Results: Day Two

Pool A

St Stithians 8-6 Hilton College
Selborne College 13-8 Clifton College
SACS 17-7 Grey High
Bishops 9 (2)- 9(1) Selborne College
St Stithians 4-7 Clifton
Selborne 8-11 Hilton
Clifton 5-7 Bishops
SACS 13-9 St Stithians
Bishops 12-10 Hilton

Pool B

St John’s 10-8 Paul Roos
Rondebosch Boys 8-4 St Andrews
Westville 8-4 Michaelhouse
Rondebosch 11-8 Paul Roos
Westville 8-5 St Andrews
St John’s 10-8 Michaelhouse

Day 3 fixtures

Saturday, 27 January, @ St Andrew’s College

07:00– (34) Clifton vs SACS; 07:45 – (35) Grey High vs Bishops; 08:30 – (36) Selborne vs St Stithians; 09:15 – (37) 7th Pool A vs 6th Pool B (qualifier); 10:00 – (38) 1st Pool A vs 4th Pool B (quarterfinal 1); 10:50 – (39) 2nd Pool A vs 3rd Pool B (2nd quarterfinal); 11:40 – (40) 3rd Pool A vs 2nd Pool B (3rd quarterfinal); 12:30 – (41) 4th Pool A vs 1st Pool B (quarterfinal 4); 13:20 – (42) 5th Pool A vs Winner 37 (Plate semi-final); 14:10 – (43) 6th Pool A vs 5th Pool B (Plate semi-final); 15:00 – (44) Loser 38 vs Loser 40 (5th-8th); 15:50 – (45) Loser 30 vs Loser 41 (5th-8th); 16:40 – (46) Winner 38 vs Winner 40 (Semi-final 1); 17:30 – (47) Winner 39 vs Winner 41 (Semi-final 2).

The Victoria Lake Rowing Club hosts the 116^th edition of the RMB VLC National Sprints Regatta on 27 and 28 January at Germiston Lake.

Almost 1 000 boats will be in action at the two-day event, incorporating school-level rowers through Masters competitors, in their seventies and eighties, and the elite athletes who will represent South Africa at the Paris Olympics in July and August.

Competitors from all corners of the country will test their talent in a thrilling and vibrant spectacle.

The RMB National Squad, South Africa’s senior Olympic rowing team, will use the event as part of their Olympic preparations, with Christopher Baxter and John Smith (men’s pair) and Courtney Westley (women’s single scull) having already qualified for Paris.

On the weekend, however, they’ll be representing their clubs, which will serve as an inspiration for rowers of all ages. The public is also being encouraged to visit the RMB National Squad under their RMB Gazebo throughout the weekend.

Prominent participants included Katherine Williams and Holly Crews in the women’s double sculls, Paige Badenhorst, Courtney Westley, and University Games medallists, Chloe Cresswell and Nadia Gaspari.

An exciting duel is expected in the men’s pairs category between a number of teams, including John Smith and Henry Torr, Christopher Baxter and James Mitchell, and Adriaan Venter and Luc Daffarn.

Smith was, memorably, a member of the Oarsome Foursome who captured gold at the London Olympics in 2012 in the lightweight coxless fours event. Two years later, he and fellow Olympic gold medallist, James Thompson, won gold in the lightweight double sculls at the World Championships.

At the 2016 Olympics, in Rio, Lawrence Brittain and Shaun Keeling won Olympic silver in the men’s coxless pairs.

South African rowers have been consistent medal threats for quite some time, and since readmission to the Olympic Games in 1992, apart from the above successes, Donovan Cech and Ramon di Clemente also won bronze in the men’s coxless pair in Athens in 2000.

RMB has a partnership with Rowing South Africa, which spans grassroots development, to schools, universities and the RMB National Squad.

Darryl Williams, Chairman of the Victoria Lake Rowing Club, looking forward to the Nationals, said: “We eagerly anticipate another successful RMB VLC National Sprints Regatta. The presence of our national rowers adds a special significance to the event, especially in an Olympic year.”

Head Coach of the RMB National Squad, Tiago Loureiro, said the Nationals is a fantastic opportunity for the entire rowing community to come together and compete in short course competition.

“This regatta makes racing more spectator-friendly while exposing junior, student, under-23 and Masters rowing to the RMB National Squad,” he explained. “I am looking forward to some exciting racing.”

Grant Dodds, the RMB National Squad Technical Performance Manager, thanked RMB for its long-standing support of the Sprint National Championships, saying: “We really value the support from RMB that makes this all possible. It’s a vital event for the ongoing development of the sport.

“Being over 1000m, the racing is always incredibly close. It is always a real highlight of the rowing calendar, and we encourage rowing enthusiasts, as well as first-time spectators, to come and enjoy Olympians in action.”

Takealot has announced a new partnership with SuperSport Schools, cementing its position as the leading online sports retailer in South Africa.

“This partnership signifies our commitment to playing a leading role in supporting the growth of school sports and rising stars. As a proudly South African business, we recognise the pivotal role that Sport plays in uniting our country. This partnership marks a significant step in reaching South African school athletes, fans, and communities,” said Frederik Zietsman, CEO of Takealot.

Takealot has seen strong growth in the Sports category over the past few years and now offers over 30,000 sport-related products from categories including Sports Equipment, Clothing, Footwear, Wearable Tech, Health, and more.

“SuperSport Schools are delighted to partner with a brand like Takealot this year. We are thrilled to find a brand as passionate as us about supporting the growth of sport in schools and who understands the enormous impact sport has on students’ self-esteem, social skills, and teamwork. We have always believed that World Cups are won 10 years before they are played, and we will continue our steely focus on showcasing the incredible talent in school sports this year. We look forward to seeing where this exciting new partnership takes us,” said Kelvin Watt, CEO of SuperSport Schools.

In 2023 SuperSport Schools boasted 672,483 registered app subscribers. Live views totaled 121 270 483 at the close of the year. The platforms showcased 41 different sporting codes, with 1000+ school festivals and events across the SuperSport Schools App as well as DStv Channel 216.

The SuperSport Schools platform provides exposure for over 14 500+ different teams, from all walks of life and gives families, communities, and alma maters access to watch the sport that they care about most, regardless of where they live in South Africa.

This top-tier partnership will see extensive Takealot branding across all SuperSport Schools channels as well as partnerships for selected festivals and events.

Hoërskool Dinamika pak die lang tog na die Laeveld aan wanneer hy Saterdag teen Afdeling-D se nuwelinge, Merensky Landbou Akademie, te staan kom.

Dit sal die Tzaneeners se eerste verskyning in vanjaar se toernooi wees. Hulle wedstryd teen Hoërskool Middelburg is weens gure weer en onspeelbare toestande afgelas.

Dinamika, daarenteen, kom vars van ‘n oortuigende sege oor HTS Middelburg. Die span van Alberton het die Middelburgers gemaklik met nege paaltjies verslaan.

Die Tzaneeners sal verál op hul hoede wees vir Dinamika se naatbouler, Sebastian Le Roux. Le Roux het reeds vyf paaltjies op sy Finsbury-kerfstok.

Hy sal egter nog gevaarliker wees in kondisies waar die blaaie so ‘n rapsie meer vir die boulers inhou.

Dean van Onselen, die span se kaptein, sal ook gretig wees om weer die kolf in die toporde op te neem. Dié voorslagkolwer is mooi op dreef na ‘n onoorwonne vyftigtal in ronde een.

Hoërskool Middelurg verwelkom Uplands College, van Mpumalanga. Die twee spanne het uitgemis op speelkans in ronde een. Dit verhoog die opwinding, met albei skole wat die kans op waardevolle ranglyspunte sal wil aangryp.

Die Middies se voorslagkolwer, Reuben Brandmuller, sal graag sy vaardighede in die toporde wil tentoonstel. Sy kollega, Ivan Deale, sal ook die kans om die Uplands kolwers te kasty wil aangryp.

HTS Middelburg reis na Heidelberg, waar Hoër Volkskool op hulle wag. Die Middelburgers lek nog hul wonde na ‘n teleurstellende nederlaag in Alberton verlede naweek, waarvoor hulle sal wil vergoed. Die kaptein, Toy Engelbrecht was die enigste speler wat gelyk het of hy goed op dreef was en sal van voor wil lei. Sy draaiboulwerk sal ook taamlike druk op die middelste beurt plaas.

Aan Volkies se kant sal Matthew Wentsel die leiding neem. Die aanvangskolwer sal ‘n positiewe begin vir sy span wil help verseker, terwyl Dave Pelzer, die Volkies se draaibouler, nes Wentsel ‘n belangrike wapen in sy span se arsenaal behoort te wees.

 

Die 17-jarige Mia Janse van Rensburg het geskiedenis gemaak toe sy Woensdag by Hoërskool Garsfontein se Interhuisbyeenkoms (Bere-interhuis) die o.19 hoogspringrekord verbeter het. Sy is daarmee nou die eerste leerder by Garsies wat ál die ouderdomsrekords, van o.14 (1.51m), o.15 (1.57m), o.16 (1.70m) o.17 (1.69m) tot o.19 (1.70m), op een slag hou.

Mia se suksesvolle 2023-seisoen, toe sy sewe keer 1.70m gespring het, het in Februarie ‘n terugslag in die gesig gestaar weens ‘n geskeurde ligament wat sy opgedoen het toe sy ‘n bottel probeer mis trap het by die Gauteng-kampioenskap, slegs drie weke voor die Suid-Afrikaanse-kampioenskap.

Ten spyte daarvan dat sy die verdediging van haar o.17 kampioenskap-titel misgeloop het, het sy ten volle herstel om spronge van 1.70m by vanjaar se eerste twee byeenkomste te behaal.

Mia, wat sedert 2018 deur Eddie Grieb afgerig word, het Eddie se aandag getrek met haar styl en potensiaal gedurende haar o.12 jaar by die Atletiek Gauteng-Noord (AGN) se liga-byeenkomste.

Haar deurbraak het in haar o.15 jaar gekom toe sy die AGN-span na die SA’s in 2021 gehaal het. Teen die einde van daardie jaar het sy haar persoonlike beste tot 1.73m verbeter, wat die weg gebaan het vir verdere prestasies.

Tydens die Pretoria A-Bond Interhoër van 2022 het Mia haar persoonlike beste tot 1.76m verhoog en die Interhoër-rekord (o.16) met ses sentimeter verbeter. Dié rekord het vroeër aan Affies se Anje Nel behoort. Nel het die rekord in 2020 opgestel.

In 2022 het Mia die o.17-kampioen by die ASA Junior SA’s geword terwyl sy nog o.16 was. Sy het die sesde plek by die Senior SA’s verseker en ‘n plek in die senior SA-span verwerf. Mia het haar sukses voortgesit met ‘n sewende plek by die Afrika-kampioenskappe in Mauritius.

Eddie, ‘n voormalige hoogspringer, het na afrigting oorgeskakel na sy seun se betrokkenheid by hoogspring in 2012. Sy tydelike afrigtersrol by Garsfontein het permanent geword, wat daartoe gelei het dat hy ‘n gekwalifiseerde hoëvlak-afrigter geword het.

Mia wil graag vir die Wêreld Junior-kampioenskap in Lima, Peru kwalifiseer deur ‘n sprong van 1.80m voor April te behaal. Haar onwrikbare vasberadenheid en intense fokus en wilskrag, selfs tydens vakansies, weerspieël haar toewyding.

Mia beplan om argitektuur by Tukkies te studeer terwyl sy hoogspring nastreef, en hoop om vir die Olimpiese Spele in 2028 te kwalifiseer.

There were 187 goals scored on the opening day of the Brian Baker Water Polo Tournament, hosted by Kingswood College, in Makhanda on Thursday.

In the opening two matches of the day, the hosts scored 18 goals against Woodridge, while Clarendon Girls thumped Alex Road 24-2.

There were also wins for Reddam House Constantia, who bossed and bullied Crawford Lonehill to secure a 22-5 win.

The day also produced an impressive victory for Stellenbosch’s powerhouse Rhenish Girls High School as they edged Gqeberha’s Pearson High School 10-7.

Collegiate breezed past Stirling High, while the defending champions, St Stithians College, got their campaign off to the best possible start, defeating their Johannesburg rivals, St Mary’s Waverley 13-2.

Playing at home, Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) recorded one victory out of their two matches over Hudson Park before coming down to Roedean School 14-10 to cap off a high-scoring day.

A clash between Stirling High School and St Mary’s Waverley launches day two’s action at the Kingswood College pool, while Durban Girls’ College goes up against Alex Road at DSG. Both encounters start at 07:00.

Results: Day 1

Pool 1

Kingswood College 18-2 Woodridge
Clarendon 24-2 Alex Road
Durban Girls’ College 8-7 St Dominic’s
Reddam House Constantia 22-5 Crawford Lonehill
St Anne’s 9-8 Kingswood College
Reddam House Bedfordview 10-9 Clarendon Girls

Pool 2

Diocesan School for Girls 13-2 Hudson Park
Collegiate 9-2 Stirling High School
St Stithians College 13-2 St Mary’s Waverley
Pearson 7-10 Rhenish
Diocesan School for Girls 10-14 Roedean School
Herschel 18-4 Collegiate

Day 2, Friday, 26 January, @ Kingswood College

Pool 1

07:00- Stirling High School vs St Mary’s Waverley; 08:00 – Roedean School vs Rhenish; 09:00 – Hudson Park vs Pearson High School; 10:00 – Collegiate vs St Mary’s Waverley; 11:00 – Herschel vs St Stithians College; 12:00 – Kingswood College vs Crawford; 13:00 – Roedean School vs Hudson Park; 14:00 -Stirling High School vs Herschel; 15:00 – St Stithians vs Collegiate; 16:00 – Hudson Park vs Rhenish; 17:00 – Kingswood College vs Reddam House Constantia; 18:00 – St Stithians College vs Stirling High School; 19:00 – St Mary’s Waverley vs Herschel; 20:00 – Pearson High School vs Roedean School.

@DSG

Pool 2 

07:00 – Durban Girls’ College vs Alex Road; 08:00 – Reddam House Constantia vs Woodridge College; 09:00 – St Anne’s vs Crawford; 10:00 – Clarendon vs St Dominic’s 11:00 – Reddam House Bedfordview vs Alex Road; 12:00 – Rhenish vs Diocesan School for Girls; 13:00 – Reddam House Constantia vs St Anne’s; 14:00 – Durban Girls’ College vs Reddam House Bedfordview; 15:00 – St Dominic’s vs Alex Road; 16:00 – St Anne’s vs Woodridge; 17:00 – Diocesan School for Girls vs Pearson High School; 18:00 – Clarendon vs Durban Girls’ College; 19:00 – St Dominic’s vs Reddam House Bedfordview; 20:00 – Crawford vs Woodridge.

Stellenberg snatched a nail-biting victory over Boland Landbou in an epic, low-scoring showdown in the northern suburbs on Thursday.

After dismissing Boland Landbou for only 72 runs, the visitors launched a brilliant counteroffensive that tested the depth of the Stellenberg lineup.

Both outfits’ batsmen struggled with the pink ball, but the home team’s tailenders kept their cool just enough to scrape to victory by a single wicket with only nine balls left to play.

Boland won the toss and elected to bat first. In the early going, Gerrad Kamalie and JJ Rothman kept the visiting opening batsmen quiet, before sending them both back to the sheds, and after that the Boland lineup crumbled.

Jan Jak Alberts led the charge for the hosts, removing three Boland batsmen for only nine runs. Kamalie also scalped three, while Rothman and Michael Amoedo claimed two apiece and conceded only 17 runs between the two of them.

Boland never found any rhythm at the crease and that left them with a modest total of 72 to defend, a seemingly impossible task.

However, Gunther Schmidt and Lyle Lewis gave the farmers a flying start by snaring the Stellenberg openers early.

Kyle van Santen‘s brisk 26 off of 18 deliveries, though, put Boland under immense pressure. His crucial contribution got Stellenberg to within 32 runs, with eight wickets standing and plenty of balls from which to score those runs.

Lewis, then, sparked a valiant fightback, removing Van Santen, which caused the hosts to stumble.

After another Lewis wicket, Marius du Plessis took over the attack and sent three more batsmen packing. He also delivered two vital maiden overs towards the end of the game, which reduced the Stellenberg buffer and increased the pressure on the run chase.

As Stellenberg found themselves under the pump, Yiva Dwaleni (3*), Lohann Pretorius (2*) and Jan Jak Alberts (4) exhibited great maturity to remain calm even when their team found themselves in need of eight runs, with only two wickets left.

They were patient and resilient in the face of a relentless Boland onslaught, chipping away bit by bit, until finally, they secured victory in the penultimate over of the game.

There was another tension-filled affair in Somerset West on the Taberer Oval, where Reddam House Constantia scraped a two-run win over Somerset College in their T20 clash.

Batting first, Leo Del Cuore, with 42, led the Reddam batting effort, which produced a total of 146/5.

For most of the match, Somerset, in pursuit, lagged behind the required run-rate, but Tyrone Rieth (47) and Jonno Firth (36) got the hosts back on track.

It was a mad dash to the line in the final overs, as the hosts kept their run rate up, even though Reddam were claiming wickets.

The final over began with Somerset 10 runs adrift and with four wickets in hand. The first delivery was struck for three runs. That was, however, followed by a wicket.

Five runs from the following three deliveries and a wicket from the final ball left Somerset College tantalisingly close as the contest came to an electric end.

Paul Roos Gimnasium looked to Liam Basson to guide them to victory in a thrilling T20 battle against Parel Vallei in Stellenbosch.

Neil Barnard struck early for the Stellenbosch outfit, but Sevi Barlow (32) and Joshua Pretorius (21) provided a positive start to the innings for Parel Vallei.

Barlow smashed five boundaries, including a six, before Liam Basson palmed a catch to send the PV opener back to the sheds.

Barlow’s wicket was the first of three for Dian Winkel, who led the hosts’ attack, while conceding only 11 runs.

Defending 130/7, Christopher Hughes had early success for the visitors, but Basson’s brisk undefeated 69 secured victory for Paul Roos in the 19th over.

Cornel Swart did well to absorb the initial pressure after the first two wickets fell, with his stubborn resistance adding 39 runs to the Paul Roos cause.

In a local derby, the opening pair of Charlie Hofmeyr 2nd XI batted through 17 overs in their victory over the 1st XI of their neighbours, Ceres Secondary.

Ryan Lee Hendricks smashed 111 at a strike rate of nearly 200, with his combative knock featuring 11 fours and seven maximums, which helped his side set their rivals a tough chase.

Jandré Wessels added to Ceres Secondary’s woes, scoring 50 runs while anchoring the partnership.

Summarised Scorecards

Boland Landbou 72 (Stefan Conradie 15; Jan Jak Alberts 3/9, Gerrad Kamalie 3/14, Michael Amoedo 2/5, JJ Rothman 2/12); Stellenberg 73/9 (Kyle van Santen 26; Marius du Plessis 3/7, Lyle Lewis 3/21). Stellenberg won by one wicket.

Reddam House Constantia 146/5 (Leo Del Cuore 42, Mitchell Welch 24, Ethan Leroy 21; Troy Varie 2/15); Somerset College 144/8 (Tyrone Rieth 47, Jonno Firth 36, Chad Ayford 27; Hayden Blanckensee 3/19, Joe Gitlin 2/27). Reddam House Constantia won by two runs.

Parel Vallei 130/7 (Sevi Barlow 32, Joshua Pretorius 21; Dian Winkel 3/11); Paul Roos Gimnasium 134/3 (Liam Basson 69*, Cornel Swart 39*; Christopher Hughes, 2/20). Paul Roos Gimnasium won by seven wickets.

Charlie Hofmeyr II 200/2 (Ryan Lee Hendricks 111, Jandré Wessels 50, Extras 25; Xavier Baron 2/35); Ceres Secondary 127 (Marlin 37, Xavier Baron 28, Ezrin Cedras 21; Gawie de Wet 2/6). Charlie Hofmeyr II won by 73 runs.

Superb water polo, filled with non-stop action and a slew of upsets, highlighted the SAC Shield as it got off to a fiery start at St Andrew’s College in Makhanda on Thursday.

The annual tournament welcomed 13 schools from across the country to battle it out for top honours in a gruelling and demanding three-day slugfest between a selection of many of South Africa’s elite teams.

The hosts had a disappointing opening to their day, losing against St John’s and Paul Roos respectively. But they got into the winning column with a win over Michaelhouse in the evening at DSG.

The big winners on the day were, undoubtedly, Bishops Diocesan College, who for the second time this week defeated South African College High School (SACS) 11-10. The win came in the wake of Jabulani Sibiya’s side recording a stunning come-from-behind 11-5 triumph against the same opponents at the SACS Night Series on Tuesday.

That momentous victory added to Bishop’s 10-8 triumph against St Stithians earlier in the day and puts the side in a commanding position entering day two of the event.

There were also provincial derbies in play, which included Clifton College edging Hilton College 8-6 to claim KwaZulu-Natal bragging rights. Meanwhile, Selborne College shocked Grey High in an Eastern Cape clash to shake up matters in Pool A ahead of a busy day two.

One team that will need to improve on Friday is Stellenbosch’s Paul Roos Gymnasium, the defending champions.

Despite winning all three of their matches, they were, at times, lucky and had to come from behind twice to force penalty shootouts against St Andrew’s and Michaelhouse respectively.

The second day’s action kicks off with a mouthwatering clash between St John’s College and Paul Roos at 07:00. The home side face Rondebosch Boys High at 09:15, while Selborne College will look to make it two wins on the trot when they take on Hilton College at 13:45.

Results: Day One

Pool A

Bishops 10-8 St Stithians College
SACS 10-8 St Andrew’s
St Stithians College 11-7 Grey High
SACS 10-5 Selborne College
Bishops 11-10 SACS
Selborne College 6-3 Grey High
Clifton 8-6 Hilton College
SACS 13-6 Hilton College
Clifton 11-4 Grey High
Hilton College 13-3 Grey High

Pool B

Paul Roos 10-5 Westville Boys High
Rondebosch Boys High 10-7 Michaelhouse
St John’s College 10-8 St Andrew’s College
Paul Roos 7(9)-7(8) St Andrew’s College
St John’s College 8-6 Rondebosch Boys High
Paul Roos 6(12)-6(11) Michaelhouse
St John’s College 7(10)–7(9) Westville Boys High
St Andrew’s College 11-8 Michaelhouse
Rondebosch Boys High 12-8 Westville Boys High

 Day 2 Fixtures

Friday, 26 January, @ St Andrew’s College

07:00 – (19) St John’s vs Paul Roos; 07:45 – (20) Hilton vs St Stithians; 08:30 – (21) Selborne vs Clifton; 09:15 – (22) St Andrew’s vs Rondebosch; 10:00 – (23) Grey High vs SACS; 10:45 – (24) Bishops vs Selborne; 11:30– (25) St Stithians vs Clifton; 12:15 – (26) Westville vs Michaelhouse; 13:00 – (27) Rondebosch vs Paul Roos; 13:45 – (28) Selborne vs Hilton; 14:30 – (29) Clifton vs Bishops; 15:15 – (30) SACS vs St Stithians; 16:00 – (31) Westville vs St Andrew’s; 16:45 – (32) Michaelhouse vs St John’s; 17:30 – (33) Bishops vs Hilton

Marais Viljoen sal hierdie naweek behoorlik getoets word wanneer hulle na Pretoria reis om met Hoërskool Zwartkop kragte te meet. Na afloop van die eerste ronde in die C-Afdeling van die Finsbury-reeks, spog albei die spanne met oortuigende seges.

Marais Viljoen het Hoërskool Pietersburg gemaklik met 149 lopies afgestof. Die span van Alberton se indrukwekkende wegbreekbouler, Declan Botes, sal weer op sy beste wil wees. Botes het reeds een “five-for” op sy Finsbury-kerfstok.

Die aanvangskolwer, Jaden Govender, se paaltjie sal ook een wees wat die Zwarrie-boulers vroeg sal wil oes. Dit behoort ‘n interessante stryd tussen hom en die Zwarries se aanvangsbouler, Rowan Mclaren, af te gee.

Mclaren was, saam met Wynand Frylinck, grotendeels vir die Hoërskool Ben Vorster se ondergang verantwoordelik in ronde een .

Met die kolf sal Nicholas Conradie die gevaarman wees en hy sal mik om die Marais Viljoen-boulers deurgaans besig te hou.

Midstream College reis na Pietersburg waar die Hoërskool Pietersburg op hulle wag. Die Pietes se aanvangsbouler, Hanno Coetzee, sal uitsien om van die toestande op tuisbodem uit te buit, terwyl sy kollega en aanvangskolwer, Philip Weterman, op sy goeie begin in die reeks sal wil verbeter.

Midstream College is egter nie te versmaai nie. Hulle voorslagkolwer, Janco van Heerden, behoort heelwat vetroue uit sy goeie eerste vertoning te neem. Saam met Van Heerden sal Maarten Nortje ook ‘n kritiese rol in die Pretorianers se middelorde speel.

Xander Senekal en Johnathan Wiseman se openingsvennootskap met die bal sal die Pieties se toporde behoorlik toets.

Hoërskool Lichtenburg pak die lang tog Tzaneen toe aan om met die Black Caps van Ben Vorster swaarde te kruis.

Die Vossies lek nog wonde na ‘n behoorlike loesing van 195 lopies teen die Zwarries in ronde een. Die tuisveldvoordel behoort egter nuwe wind in hul seile te blaas. Tzaneen is alombekend as ‘n moeilike plek om heen te toer.

Die Liggies sal dus op alle silinders wil vuur om ‘n tweede nederlaag in soveel weke te vermy. Hul aanvangsbouler, Ona Senekwane, sal ‘n vername rol hê om te speel. Met die kolf in die hand sal Lethabo Memani op sy goeie beurt teen ‘n sterk Midstream boulaanval wil verbeter.

Vir die Vossies kan die draaier, Anton Lourens, ‘n groot impak hê, indien hulle hoop om ‘n eerste oorwinning te behaal. Die paaltjiewagter en voorslagkolwer, Ruben Pohl, sal poog om die Vossie-beurt te anker en sodoende nog ‘n ineenstorting deur die middelorde te verhoed.