Xander Elkington, Grey High (Photo courtesy of Grey High)
Sulaymaan Gangat stepped up to lead the charge for Pearson on Saturday as his older brother, captain Esa Gangat, who suffered an injury, played less of a role than usual. Sulaymaan sent eight Grey High batsmen packing, but his heroics were not enough to break the hosts’ momentum at the crease.
A second century for Xander Elkington, early in the new year, and great bowling by Xander Nutt (3/15) and Nathan Howell (2/19), secured a second victory for Grey over Pearson, following a T20 win on Friday in which Marco Giaconni led the charge.
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Grey were dominant in Friday’s showdown, with Giaconni scoring 88 runs to power his side to 162/4 in their 20 overs before Tristan Grundling, with a return of 3/10, stymied the Pearson reply, which ended on 119/9.
Saturday’s match seemed to be heading the same way, with Giaconni (65) continuing to batter the Pearson bowling attack.
Then, Xander Elkington took centre stage, notching his second ton of 2024. As always, the exciting young talent worked hard for his milestone, scoring the majority of his runs by working the ball around and running hard between the wickets.
But the younger Gangat put up a valiant attempt to keep the visitors in the game. Once he had dismissed the two dangermen from Grey, he tore through the rest of the line-up in no time at all.
Cayden Wilson also played his part, taking the first and the last wicket of the innings, with Gangat gobbling up the rest.
Grey’s bowlers quickly eliminated any threat of a fightback when they took to the field. Nutt sent three Pearson batsmen back to the sheds, conceding only 15 runs, while Howell assisted well with his two-wicket haul.
Luke Hector did well to reach 51, but the remainder of the visitors’ batsmen came and went as they failed to mount a strong challenge. With their injured captain not being sent out to bat, Pearson’s innings ended when the ninth wicket went down.
Grey High’s stalwarts continued to show their class in their twin wins over the weekend, but Gangat demonstrated his incredible potential for Pearson. He appears poised to become a key player in their squad, just like his older brother.
Summarised Scorecards
Grey High 223 (Xander Elkington 100, Marco Giaconni 65; Sulaymaan Gangat 8/56, Cayden Wilson 2/86); Pearson 124 (Luke Hector 51; Xander Nutt 3/15, Nathan Howell 2/19). Grey High won by 99 runs.
Grey High 162/4 (Marco Giaconni 88, Dillon Garrod 32*; Reagan Meyer 1/22); Pearson 119/9 (Jude Septoo 21, Leander van Rooyen 20; Tristan Grundling 3/10). Grey High won by 43 runs. (T20)
Wynberg Boys’ High kicked off the new school year with a statement victory over Paarl Boys’ High on the Jacques Kallis Oval on Saturday.
Thanks to Paul James, the hosts needed only one innings to post a winning total with the Wynberg bowlers pinning down the Paarl batsmen and restricting them to low totals in both their visits to the middle during their time cricket encounter.
The home team’s bowlers worked efficiently as a group to keep the pressure on Boishaai throughout the match. Luke Kleinsmith (2/4), Ebrahim Fakir (2/12) and Michael Tarentaal (2/14) were at the forefront of the Wynberg attack as they dismissed Boishaai for a mere 63 in the visitors’ first innings.
Christiaan Wege and Aiden Batt did a great job of trying to keep Boishaai in the game. Between them, they dismissed nine Wynberg batsmen but, on a day that favoured the bowlers, it was Paul James’ mighty 92-run contribution that made the difference.
Thanks to his efforts, Wynberg more than doubled their opponents’ first innings total before Renaldo Windvogel finally brought it to an end.
Unfortunately for the team from Paarl, as had been the case in their first innings, they found the going tough the second time around. Xavier Garvs picked up a brace as Wynberg captured the five wickets they needed to bring the game to a close.
Earlier this year, at the Old Mutual Peninsula Festival, Wynberg showed glimpses of their potential, but their performance on Saturday underlined just how much of a factor they could be in 2024.
In a nail-biting affair in the northern suburbs, Stellenberg eked out a win away from home against Milnerton.
The hosts’ top-order crumbled to 10/4, with Lohann Pretorius spearheading the destruction, taking three wickets and bowling three maidens in his nine overs.
Stellenberg, however, also struggled at the crease, chasing only 96 runs for victory.
JJ Rothman‘s 18 runs were the most scored by a Stellenberg batsman, but everyone played a small part as they closed the gap, bit by bit.
In the end, it was left to their bowling kingpin Pretorius to deal the deal. He came in as the final Stellenberg batsman and faced 17 deliveries before scoring four runs to see his side to a thrilling win.
Despite D’Neill du Toit scoring 56 runs for DF Malan, the rest of his team struggled to find an answer for the Charlie Hofmeyr bowling attack. Keahan Alexander took four wickets for the team from Ceres, while Daniël Bakkes and Rossouw Matthee assisted with two wickets apiece.
Luan Giliomee smashed an unbeaten 64 as he and Phillip du Plessis drove Charlies over the line for a resounding victory.
Luca Jordaan (69) and Joshua Pretorius (55) both recorded half-centuries for Parel Vallei against the Paarl RPC. Christopher Hughes then ripped through the opposition’s batting lineup, capturing 5/16 to stop their run chase in its tracks.
Summarised Scorecards
Paarl Boys’ High first innings 63 (JJ van der Sandt 22; Luke Kleinsmith 2/4, Ebrahim Fakir 2/12, Michael Tarentaal 2/14); Wynberg Boys’ High first innings 171 (Paul James 92, Shadley Allie 21; Christiaan Wege 5/78, Aiden Batt 4/43): Paarl Boys’ High second innings 57/5 (Johan Wege 22; Xavier Garvs 2/1). Wynberg Boys’ High won by an innings and 51 runs.
Milnerton 95 (Amr Williams 31, Abdus Aziz 22; Lohann Pretorius 3/22, Jan Jak Alberts 3/23); Stellenberg 97/9 (JJ Rothman 18; Abdus Aziz 3/13, Amr Williams 2/21). Stellenberg won by one wicket.
DF Malan 144 (D’Neill du Toit 56, Extras 23, Reuben Braxton 21; Keahan Alexander 4/24, Daniël Bakkes 2/19, Rossouw Mathee 2/26); Charlie Hofmeyr 145/4 (Luan Giliomee 64*, Philip du Plessis 27*; Eddie Fick 2/26). Charlie Hofmeyr won by six wickets.
Parel Vallei 264/9 (Luca Jordaan 69, Joshua Pretorius 55, Extras 53, Sevi Barlow 35, Josua Smit 26; Tylor la Douce 3/50, Jevohndré Jacobs 2/37); Paarl RPC 96 (Tylor la Douce 24; Christopher Hughes 5/16, Sibulele Makaleni 2/20). Parel Vallei won by 168 runs.
The St Andrew’s College 1st XI was able to get the better of their rivals Kingswood College twice over the weekend. On Friday, they were victorious on Kingswood’s City Lords field in a hard-fought T20. On Saturday, they found their rhythm and handed the hosts a more convincing defeat in a declaration match.
William Beamish (83) and Murray Wilson (64) led the charge for Saints on Saturday as they posted a healthy 251/6 before Kingswood began their reply.
William is already stepping up to fill the batting role his older brother, Matthew Beamish, performed so effectively for the St Andrew’s first team before him.
Beamish and Wilson were boosted by a mighty innings from Alex Price, who cantered along to 54 runs off of 49 deliveries, before the declaration came.
Laurie Apps and Thomas Bussiahn then delivered a masterclass with the ball, slicing through the hosts’ batting line-up to capture nine wickets between them as Kingswood limped to a paltry 72 all out.
On Friday, Matt Loon (3/32) and Ikechukwu Ukekwe (2/17) enjoyed more success in stemming the flow of runs as St Andrew’s College mustered only 138/7 in their allotted 20 overs.
It was, then, Roman van Zyl who put the skids under the hosts. They need to bat at 6.85 runs per over to win but Van Zyl dismissed four batsmen and Oliver Johns lent valuable assistance, with 2/17, as Kingswood were stopped in their tracks, 31 runs shy of their victory target.
In another exciting match on Saturday, Ryan Denston starred as Queen’s College triumphed over Marlow. He first captured six wickets and then followed that up with an unbeaten innings of 79 to add an eye-catching chapter to his increasingly impressive record.
Summarised Scorecards
St Andrew’s College 251/6 (William Beamish 83, Murray Wilson 64, Alex Price 54*, Myles Sansom 22; Matthew Loon 2/53); Kingswood College 72 (Tapiwa Zander 25; Laurie Apps 5/20, Thomas Bussiahn 4/19). St Andrew’s College won by 178 runs. (Time Cricket)
St Andrew’s College 138/7 (Mitchell Coventry 38, Samuel Sheckter 27; Matt Loon 3/32, Ikechukwu Ukekwe 2/17); Kingswood College 107/8 (Alistair Knott 19; Roman van Zyl 4/26, Oliver Johns 2/7). St Andrew’s College won by 31 runs. (T20)
Marlow 119/10 (Ryan Denston 6/30); Queen’s College 120/4 (Ryan Denston 79*). Queen’s College won by six wickets.
Graeme College 142 (Enrique Strydom 37, Extras 26, Jordan Damons 23*; Michael Lipskey 3/27, Luke Murray 2/5, Jude Meyer 2/13, Kamva Douws 2/20); Muir College 37 (Simnikiwe Soyaya 11; Ethan Bokbaard 3/8, Murray Tyson 2/2, Andrew Muir 2/10). Graeme College won by 105 runs.
Selborne College 183/9 (Waeden Plaatjies 67, Michael Hess 38 Thomas Marais 24; Kristian Warburton 3/65, Blake Nell 2/11, Chad Clark-Evans 2/54); Stirling 54 (Extras 16; Thomas Marais 3/4, Adam Rogers 3/7, Jacques van der Merwe 2/19). Selborne College won by 128 runs
The Affies’ openers showed off their batting prowess and made a statement to their future opponents, demonstrating that they won’t easily be easily beaten in 2024, in a big win over St Stithians College on Saturday.
The experienced Jorich van Schalkwyk, who earned SA Schools‘ colours at the end of last year, continued his good form of the last couple of months. With Affies chasing 182, he took the game to the Saints’ attack who, it must be said, were without their SA u19 fast bowling star, Kwena Maphaka, who has been in exceptional form in recent matches.
Van Schalkwyk top-scored with a wonderfully constructed 70 runs from 88 deliveries. His partner, the newbie, Henré Smith, matched him, also contributing 70.
Together, they laid a solid foundation for a successful run chase, sharing in a dominating 129-run partnership for the first wicket.
With only 63 more runs required to win, the pressure was off Vihan Pretorius, who made his way to the crease at number three. He did what was needed, compiling a mature 26, to see the Pretoria school to an emphatic victory.
Petrus Rautenbach was the pick of the Affies’ bowlers, snapping up three wickets for only 27 runs. Ruben Groenewald provided good support with his return of two wickets for 32 runs.
It was a difficult day at the office for the young Saints’ side. Emile Odendaal, though, met the challenge head-on for the Joburg school, top scoring with 45 runs.
Saints, though, ran into trouble from the outset and stumbled to 67 for 5. Cayden Sunker (37, 64b) and Rushil Bhula (29, 72b) then provided some respite for the Joburg side, which gave their innings more substance.
Their partnership of 48 runs, although not huge, allowed Saints to overcome their poor start and reach 181 for 9 in their 50 overs.
Summarised scorecard
St Stithians 181/9 (Emile Odendaal 45, Cayden Sunker 37, Rushil Bhula 29; Petrus Rautenbach 3/27, Ruben Groenewald 2/32); Affies 182/1 (Jorich van Schalkwyk 71, Henre Smith 70*, Vihan Pretorius 26*; Cayden Sunker 1/36). Affies won by nine wickets.
Rising star, Emile Witbooi, is now on the books of Cape Town City FC. The club announced he had signed with them on its social media sites on Saturday.
Witbooi is the son of former Cape Town City FC player, Bradley Ralani, who made 104 appearances for the same Blue and Gold Army between 2018 and 2022.
Witbooi, who has represented South Africa at age group level, joins Cape Town City FC from one of the country’s top talent factories, the School of Excellence, which competes in the Gauteng Development League.
Emile Witbooi. Photo: Cape Town City FC
“The club welcomes midfielder Emile Witbooi to Cape Town City FC”, read the announcement on social media. “A rising star joins the City family”.
In no time at all, the Internet was buzzing with news of the signing, with fans reacting favourably to the acquisition of the young star, who had attracted the attention of several other clubs, including Mamelodi Sundowns, who were keen on adding him to their ranks.
It wasn’t just the Brazilians who had an eye on Witbooi. In the past, top English Premier League sides, including Manchester United, had shown an interest in him.
Witbooi is expected to play a key role in Cape Town City’s academy, which means he will be run out for the club when it competes in the forthcoming Engen Cup. He is also expected to feature in the reserve team, which competes in the Multichoice Diski Challenge, the reserve league of the DStv Premiership.
Bishops Diocesan College continued their excellent early run of form in their 175th anniversary year with another dominant performance on Saturday, this time against Paarl Gimnasium.
Tiaan Louw (3/32) and Waldo Bassick (4/36) combined brilliantly to apply massive pressure on the Gimmie batsmen from early on. On 45/6, the visitors were in deep trouble.
Charles King stood firm, though, stubbornly negotiating 114 deliveries and etching out 51 runs, to help his team to a more respectable, though still precarious, total of 123 all out.
When Bishops took to the crease, however, De Waal Vivier went on a wicket-taking spree, leaving the hosts shellshocked on 15/3 in the early going.
Calum Daniels, however, steadied the ship with an innings of 44, but it was Thaafier Japhta who really let loose on the Gim bowlers. He smashed an unbeaten 69 runs to drive Bishops over the line and on to a six-wicket win.
SACS’ captain Reza Salie led from the front, tallying an undefeated 102 runs, which played a big role in lifting his team to a solid 249 all out, batting first against Hoërskool Bellville.
Litha Kraai then increased the visitors from the north’s woes by making light work of the Bellville top order, grabbing four wickets for a mere 15 runs.
With Ulrich Roth (2/15) and Ben Blackburn (2/20) both picking up a brace, the Bellville batting line-up crumbled to 75 all out.
André Bernhardt‘s unbeaten 38 was the highlight for the visitors, but the SACS’ stalwarts proved too skilful for the team from Bellville.
Meanwhile, Somerset College hosted Pinelands in a two-day clash.
Eden Scott (72), Chad Ayford (68) and Jonno Firth (50*) were at the forefront of the hosts’ charge as they posted 238/9 and 110/5 in their time at the middle.
The challengers were unable to match Somerset’s run rate, with the home team’s bowlers frustrating them throughout, which led to the hosts securing a mighty 160-run victory on the Taberer Oval.
Summarised Scorecards
Paarl Gimnasium 123 (Charles King 51, De Waal Vivier 20; Waco Bassick 4/41, Tiaan Louw 3/30); Diocesan College 127/4 (Thaafier Japhta 69*, Calum Daniels 44; De Waal Vivier 3/42). Diocesan College won by six wickets.
SACS 249 (Reza Salie 102*, Kieran Bowers 40, Ulrich Roth 31, Rowan Taplin 27; André Bernhardt 3/47, Christiaan Ooshuizen 2/14, Jean le Roux 2/17); Hoërskool Bellville 75 (André Bernhardt 38*; Litha Kraai 4/15, Ulrich Roth 2/15, Ben Blackburn 2/20). SACS won by 174 runs.
Somerset College first innings 238/9 (Eden Scott 72, Chad Ayford 68, Luke Rimmer 33*; Daniel Berry 3/56, Imraan Razzak 2/35, Ethan Whitaker 2/81); Pinelands first innings 159 (Liam Patterson 46, Fayzaan Parker 30, Ziyaad Allie 24; Callum Hughes 2/19, Troy Varie 2/21, Tyler Crafford 2/23); Somerset College second innings 191/5 (Jonno Firth 50*, Chad Ayford 39, Eden Scott 28, Callum Hughes 23, Luke Rimmer 22; Adam Cupido 1/14); Pinelands second innings 110/5 (Herman Bosman 29, Thaqieb Fakier 26, Fayzaan Parker 26; Daniel Kaplan 2/6, Luke Rimmer 2/14). Somerset College won by 160 runs.
Clifton College’s 2024 water polo captain, Ollie Ditz.
There were wins for Kearsney College, Durban High School (DHS), Westville Boys’ High, Hilton College, and Clifton College in the year’s first weekend of water polo action in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday.
Kearsney and DHS were the big winners, scoring over 20 goals each, and in the process thumping Glenwood High and St Charles College respectively.
The weekend’s action began at Kearsney where the hosts were brutal against a promising Glenwood side, and that showed when they rushed into a 5-0 lead in no time at all in the first chukka, with their first goal coming before 20 seconds had been played.
Blake Kruger and Thomas Aylward were both sublime in front of goal and came out firing in the second quarter to double their team’s tally to 10, while Glenwood was kept in the match courtesy of a hattrick by Matthew Botha, and a solitary goal by Blake Gardener.
Heading into the third chukka, the home side led 10-4, but they quickly changed the complexion of the match.
Nick Rodda’s side hammered home a mammoth 10 goals, while conceding only one, to take a 20-6 lead into the final quarter.
They kept that momentum going in the last chukka, closing down most of Glenwood’s attacking opportunities while clinically slotting their chances.
In an effort to keep Glenwood at bay, the hosts rotated their goalkeepers and introduced Elihle Hadebe, who represented KZN u19B last year, for the final two chukkas, and he conceded only three goals, while their attack, led by Aylward, Kruger, and Luca Sandri, kept finding a way through the Glenwood defence, leading Kearsney to a very comfortable 29-7 win.
Try as they might in the final two quarters, Glenwood was overpowered and outplayed.
There were five hat-trick scorers in the Kearsney team: James Pohl, Thomas Francke, Thomas Aylward, Luca Sandri, and Blake Kruger.
Around The Province
In Pietermaritzburg, Durban High School overran St Charles, who are taking a step up in competition before the unveiling of a state-of-the-art indoor aquatic centre in the near future, which will surely lead to a huge uptick in their fortunes. On Saturday, though, DHS raced to an emphatic 20-1 triumph.
The visitors dominated crucial aspects of the contest and kept growing the goal-scoring gap as the chukkas went by.
Marnu Koekemoer, Adrian Truter, Kirk Wilson, Ruan Basson, and Ryan Spooner all enjoyed stellar games as the Horseflies side got their season off to a winning start.
Dylan Cronje‘s men will take a solid boost of confidence with them as they prepare to battle an in-form Kearsney team next week.
Westville will also be satisfied with the way they started the new year, scoring a 12-6 win over Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg. Rhys Hall scored half of his team’s goals, while a double by Jared Byleveldt and solitary goals by Calvin Stanley, Calvin Deyzel, Drew Hollingsworth, and Max Scully secured the win.
Hilton College got the better of Northwood, thumping the boys from the north of Durban by 10 goals in a 16-6 win.
Paul Martin’s Clifton College hosted Michaelhouse in Durban in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Clifton Aquatic Centre.
Michaelhouse shocked the hosts with an early score, but Clifton, playing with assurance, netted five of their own without reply. From there, it was almost a case of one-for-one as the match ended 11-5 in favour of Clifton.
They’ve given up a lot of experience from their outstanding 2023 side, but Clifton still returns KZN u19A players, Ollie Ditz and Ross Strauss, and Ethan Lyne, the 2024 Head Boy, who represented KZN u19B. Goalkeeper Strauss, in particular, pulled off some remarkable saves in the early going of their win.
Results
Kearsney 29-7 Glenwood
Durban High School 23-1 St Charles
Hilton 16-6 Northwood
Westville 12-6 Maritzburg College
Clifton 11-5 Michaelhouse
Scorers
Kearsney (29): James Pohl (3), Thomas Francke (3), Thomas Aylward (6), Levi Thom (2), Luca Sandri (5), Ryan Sim, Robert Smith (2), Oliver Ludwig, Blake Kruger (6). Glenwood (7): Matthew Botha (3), Blake Gardener (2), Kyron De Kok (2).
Westville (12): Jared Byleveldt (2), Rhys Hall (6), Calvin Stanley, Calvin Deyzel, Drew Hollingsworth, Max Scully. Maritzburg College (5): Mumford (3), Jansen, Robinson, Goddard.
DHS (23): Adrian Truter (4), Kirk Wilson (2), Ruan Basson (5), Jack Bowen, Blake Davidson, Riccardo Girrodo (3), Chris Dennysen, Zion Smith, Marnu Koekemoer (5), Ryan Spooner (2). St Charles (1): Connor Segar.
Michaelhouse(5): Reece Rezac, Bryn Retzlaff, Keegan Elliot, Oliver Guy, Nicholas Smithers. Clifton (11): (Scorers not provided).
Hilton (16): Meyer Malherbe (3), Tristan Uys (2), Garrick Phillips (2), Mitchell Wilson (2), Andrew Schnell (2), Mich Garreau (2), Thomas Taylor (2), Retief Malherbe. Northwood (6): (Scorers not provided).
Fresh off of an unbeaten run at the HJS Cricket Festival before schools officially opened for 2024, the St John’s College 1st XI continued their excellent form with a convincing 32-run victory over their neighbours and rivals, King Edward VII(KES), in a T20 played at KES on Friday.
On Saturday, forced to play without three bowlers and one batsman – due to two injuries, one case of Covid-19, and another of illness – the boys from the Houghton school staged a dramatic fightback to force a tie in a 50-over match against Helpmekaar Kollege.
At KES, the home team won the toss and made a brave call by choosing to send St John’s in to bat. That decision didn’t work out.
Nkosana Sibiya and Thomas Ievers put on 51 runs for the first wicket before Ievers was caught and bowled by Michael Holmes for 18 after 7.2 overs. That brought the visitors’ captain, Joe Macrobert (feature photo), to the wicket and he immediately set about the KES bowling.
Sibiya was run out for 33 from 37 balls, with four fours, with the total on 68, and KES soon enjoyed another quick boost when Cole Francis was dismissed for a single two runs later. But that was where the wicket-taking stopped for KES as Macrobert and the new man in, Alec Loveland, combined for an unbroken stand of 87.
Macrobert launched three sixes and one four in a telling knock of 53 from only 35 deliveries, while Loveland weighed in with 44 from 32, with five fours, as St John’s posted a challenging 157/3.
KES made a stuttering reply and found themselves two wickets down at the start of the fourth over, including, unfortunately for them, Troy Gordon, their number three, run out for a single.
The hosts were on the back foot and, when Zeig Roos also departed for a low score, KES slipped to 29/3. Michael Holmes contributed a useful 22, but he fell with the total on 60.
At the other end, though, Cameron Smith was doing a sterling job. He brought up his fifty, but was out shortly after that for 51, caught by Thomas Ievers off the bowling of Oliver Tait, having struck three fours and two sixes.
Smith’s departure led to a mini-collapse, which proved to be decisive, as Tait removed two more batsmen in the same over, without the addition of a run, to leave KES reeling on 100 for 7 after 16 overs.
When Reece Small became Alec Loveland’s second victim, having scored 27 from 18 balls, KES were eight down with only two wickets standing and three overs remaining.
One run later, they were 113/9 after Cole Francis bowled Fayaaz Vawda. A defiant last wicket partnership carried KES to 125, but they were all out with three balls left.
St John’s had won by 33 runs and recorded their 13th victory in a row since the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Week in 2023.
Oliver Tait had hastened St John’s push for victory, capturing a crucial 3/24 in five overs, while Cole Francis knocked over 2/15 in 3.3, and Alec Loveland claimed 2/28 in four.
There was some consolation for KES as they claimed an eight-wicket win in the 2nd XI match, a nine-wicket victory in the u16A game and won by six wickets at u15A level.
On Saturday, on Mitchell Field, at St John’s, the home side won the toss and chose to bat first against Helpmekaar Kollege. They didn’t make a good start, losing both openers with only 21 runs on the board. Captain Joe Macrobert stood firm, though.
He and Alec Loveland put on 27 for the third wicket before Loveland was out for 14 with the total on 48. That brought Jacob Smith to the middle. He had proved many times before that he is at his best when the going gets tough. Once more, he rose to the occasion.
He and Macrobert put together a stand of 71 before the skipper was out for 45, which had come off of 53 balls.
Smith didn’t enjoy any other solid partnerships, but he stood firm and when the 50 overs were up, and St John’s had totalled 229 for 9, he was still in the middle, unbeaten on an outstanding 101, which he scored from 127 deliveries, with eight fours.
Henricus Meyer picked up 2/37 in 10 for Helpmekaar, while Xander Jackson captured 2/39 in eight, and Dihan Janse van Rensburg 2/35 in seven. Juan Minnaar bowled tidily and economically, but went unrewarded, finishing with 0/31 from his 10.
In response, Helpmekaar were quickly two down with 20 runs on the board, but that brought their captain Henricus Meyer to the crease and he and opener, Kyle Swanepoel, changed the momentum of the game. Together, they partnered for 118 runs for the third wicket in 27.5 overs.
Meyer was then caught by Loveland off the bowling of Tait for 58 from 83 balls, with three fours. His departure brought Juan Minnaar to the crease, and that didn’t make it any easier for the St John’s attack.
Swanepoel, meanwhile, advanced his score to 87 before he was finally dismissed, bowled by Loveland. Astonishingly, his 124-ball stay had produced only one four. But it had left Helpmekaar in a strong position, on 171/4 in the 41st over.
St John’s, though, were not done. Helpmekaar were finding it hard to accelerate the scoring rate and the home side picked up a fifth wicket in the 46th over, when Anthony Stone was sent packing for nine.
As the victory target came into view, the balls were diminishing rapidly. Still, when the sixth wicket went down, with Kevin Oliver out for five, 10 balls remained, and 10 runs were required to win. That same over, though, Juan Minnaar was bowled by Alec Loveland for 42 from 47 balls, which had included two fours and two sixes. Nine to win, seven deliveries left.
When Cole Francis took the ball for the last over, Helpmekaar needed eight for victory. They managed seven as Francis and his fielders did a fine job, conceding a two, three singles and two byes. After 50 overs, Helpmekaar had reached 229/7. The match had ended in a thrilling tie.
Interestingly, in case you were wondering, there were seven extras in the home team’s total and 14 in Helpmekaar’s innings. St John’s bowled seven no balls, Helpmekaar none.
Alec Loveland did a brilliant job for with the ball for the hosts, claiming 4/46 in his 10 overs, including the big wickets of Swanepoel and Minnaar.
Despite being undermanned, St John’s remain undefeated in 14 outings, but it had been oh so close. Had it not been for their fighting spirit, they would have tasted defeat. The fact of the matter is, however, they didn’t, and they can continue to try to tack on more wins to their outstanding record.
Summarised scores
St John’s College157/3 (Joe Macrobert 53*, Alec Loveland 44*, Nkosana Sibiya 33); KES125/10 (Cam Smith 51, Reece Small 27, Michael Holmes 22, Oliver Tait 3/24, Cole Francis 2/15, Alec Loveland 2/28) St John’s College won by 32 runs.
St John’s College 229/9 (Jacob Smith 101*, Joe Macrobert 45, Dihan Janse van Rensburg 2/35, Henricus Meyer 2/37, Xander Jackson 2/29); Helpmekaar Kollege 229/7 (Kyle Swanepoel 87, Henricus Meyer 58, Juan Minnaar 42, Alec Loveland 4/46) Match tied.
Captain Juan James and Dewan Marais shared a crucial 131-run partnership for South Africa, but it was Kwena Maphaka‘s masterful 5/38 that earned the hosts a winning start to the 2024 ICC u19 Cricket World Cup on Friday.
West Indies’ captain, Stephan Pascal, backed his bowlers after winning the toss and decided to send the hosts out to bat first. It seemed to be going according to plan when he took an early catch to send Steve Stolk back to the sheds.
Lhuan-dré Pretorius, however, took charge for the South Africans, racing to 40 runs off of 34 deliveries, to help his side to a respectable 60/1 after 10 overs.
However, in the 11th over, the West Indies’ spin attack broke through, and it wasn’t long before Nathan Sealy (3/34), from Barbados, had turned the tide by dismissing Pretorius with an excellent delivery.
Sealy and Tarrique Edwards then combined well, continuing to exert pressure on the SA batsmen and reducing their run-rate to a crawl as they conceded only 20 runs in the following eight overs.
David Teeger played a solid and mature innings under immense pressure. Without the captain’s armband, Teeger still led from the front, mustering 44 runs and weathering 98 deliveries, in a period when his team appeared to stumble.
Sealy was in on the action again in the 34th over, though. First, the West Indies’ lively wicketkeeper, Jewel Andrew, stumped Teeger after Sealy beat his defences. Then, in the same over, an athletic dive and catch by big Adrian Weir secured a third wicket for the spinner.
The islanders appeared to be on top, but James and Marais then unleashed their attack, posting a 50-run partnership in 52 deliveries, before doubling their runs in the next 32 balls.
The newly appointed captain was run out tantalisingly close to a half-century in the final over, missing it by only three runs. Marais, meanwhile, led the South African charge, scoring 65 runs from only 38 balls, with four fours and fours sixes.
Kwena Maphaka contributed some industrious running at the very end of the innings to add on an additional couple of runs. The talented youngster from St Stithian’s College brought that same energy to the fore when he opened the bowling for his side, defending 285.
The left-arm seamer got South Africa off to a flying start, scalping three of the West Indies’ top-order by the end of his second over.
Riley Norton, who began his bowling spell after the first delivery of the fourth over because of an injury to Martin Khumalo, combined superbly with Maphaka to heap the pressure on the visitors. Norton picked up a brace and the islanders were in troubled waters at 73/5 after the first 10 overs.
South Africa’s own innings had proved, however, that there were runs to be scored by the middle and lower order, and wicketkeeper Andrew stepped up and took charge. The Antigua and Barbuda national unleashed a barrage on the SA attack, scoring the first century of the tournament in just 71 deliveries, to thrust the pressure back onto the hosts.
He charged his way to 130, smashing 17 boundaries, which included three sixes, on a day when the maximums were few and far between.
By the time Oliver Whitehead secured a sixth wicket for South Africa by running out Sealy, the West Indies were in control on 190/6 with more than 20 overs to play.
It was only when Maphaka and Norton were reintroduced to the attack that South Africa turned the tide. Maphaka bowled Nathan Edward and Norton followed suit with the very next delivery to finally bring an end to Andrew’s massive innings.
Ntando Zuma, who had come on as a replacement for SA skipper James, who had exited with an injury, took the catch that sent the dangerman packing. It was the third time he had been involved in a dismissal in the innings.
With James and Khumalo going down in the first match, and Esosa Aihevba being forced to withdraw days before the tournament, South Africa face some injury concerns ahead of their forthcoming fixtures.
It was left to Maphaka to cut short the visitors’ attempt at victory by removing Isai Thorne to end the Windies’ innings. Maphaka’s stunning and decisive performance highlighted his progression since he first burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old at the previous u19 World Cup, hosted by the West Indies in 2022.
South Africa has won the competition on only one occasion, in 2014 in Dubai, when captain Aiden Markram led by example and was named the Player of the Tournament. There, Kagiso Rabada put his potential on show, returning the exceptional figures of 6/25 in a semi-final win over Australia.
Thanks to the bowling brilliance shown by Maphaka, and the courageous batting of Marais and co, the class of 2024 have got themselves off to a flying start in their attempt to emulate that South African success achieved a decade ago.
The West Indies showed grit and played some good cricket, and they will be aiming to bounce back immediately when they face Scotland on 24 January. South Africa next face England a day before that, on 23 January.
In the only other match on the opening day, Ireland stormed to a seven-wicket victory over the USA, despite losing their first two wickets early on.
Oliver Riley (3/21) was chosen as the man of the match for his part in dismissing the Americans for only 105. His teammate, Ryan Hunter, scored an unbeaten 50 runs to drive his side over the line.
It was a harsh reintroduction to the tournament for the USA, who are participating in it for the first time since 2010.
Summarised Scorecards
South Africa u19 285/9 (Dewan Marais 65, Juan James 47, David Teeger 44, Lhuan-dré Pretorius 40, Extras 37, Oliver Whitehead 26; Nathan Sealy 3/34, Deshawn James 2/38, Nathan Edward 2/63); West Indies u19 254/10 (Jewel Andrew 130, Nathan Sealy 33, Jordan Johnson 21; Kwena Maphaka 5/38, Riley Norton 3/66). South Africa u19 won by 31 runs.
United States of America u19 105 (Khush Bhalala 22*; Oliver Riley 3/21, Reuben Wilson 3/23, John McNally 2/17); Ireland u19 109/3 (Ryan Hunter 50*, Philippus le Roux 23*, Kian Hilton 23; Arya Garg 2/31). Ireland u19 won by seven wickets.
Marais Viljoen se Declan Botes gaan ‘n groot sleutel tot die Alberton-span se sukses wees. Die wegbreekbouler is on baie se opinies en van die bestes in sy veld onder die jong talent in Suid Afrika.
Saam met Botes sal sy kaptein, Aldre Huyzers, ook deurslaggewend wees. Die voorslagkolwer was reeds verlede jaar ‘n senior speler in die groep en sal dit waardevolle ervaring bydra tot sy span se aanslag op die titel.
Die veelsydige Cayden Ramage maak ook sy terugkeer om die Marais Viljoen-span nog verder te versterk.
Die trio saam met die jongeling, Tiaan Kuhn, sal beoog om die sukses van 2023 voort te sit na die span van Alberton as kampioen van die D-afdeling gekroon is.
Midstream College het ‘n opwindende toernooi wat voorle. Die span van die Jakaranda-stad het slegs vier spelers van verlede jaar behou. Sy kaptein en voorslagkolwer, Jeanre Lourens, sal ‘n belangrike rol speel.
Saam met Lourens sal die veelsydige Janco van Heerden sy plek as aanvangskolwer ineem. Van Heerden sal ook die verantwoordelikheid neem om die nuwe bal te neem.
Juan Holtzhauzen bevind homself tans op die krukkelys, maar sal die Midstream-span uitsien na sy terugkeer met die hoop dat sy wegbreekers die knoop kan deurhak.
Zwarkop blyk na ‘n goed gebalanseerde span. Die span van Pretoria beskik oor ‘n gevaarlike boulaanval. Die jongeling, Rowan Mclaren sal die tweede opeenvolgende jaar die nuwe bal die span neem. Mclaren was verlede slegs in Graad 9 wat beteken dat dat daar nog baie van hom in die toekoms voorle.
Saam met Mclaren sal Joshua Dubery die boulskof van die ander oopmaak. Sy kaptein, Estian van Zyl, se kolfvernuf sal vroeg in die beurt getoets word. Die aanvangskolwer beskik oor hope ervaring en sal beoog om sy span van voor te lei.
Lichtenburg beskik self oor ‘n sterk boulaanval. Die Liggies se Douw Jacobs, sal behoorlik van voor lei. Die veelsydige speler sal die kolfbeurt open waarna hy die verantwoordelikheid as aanvangsbouler sal opneem. Die talenvolle Ona Senokwane sal die gevaarman van die ander kant af wees.
Luan Snyman sal ‘n belangrike rol he om in die middelorde te vertolk. Hy word gesien as die gom wat die Liggies se kolflys bymekaar hou.
Nelis Janse van Rensburg, Wiaan Cook, Juwan Vosser en Luan Snyman is die vier oorblywende spelers wat die kern van die Liggies span voltooi.
Hoerskool Pietersburg se veelsydige Nicholaas Oerlemans sal die een wees waarvoor teenstanders sal uitkyk, terwyl Ben Vorster, heel moontlik ‘n moeilike jaar het wat voorle met ‘n groot groep jongelinge wat vir die eerste keer op eerstespan vlak in aksie sal wees.
The Affies’ openers showed off their batting prowess and made a statement to their future opponents, demonstrating that they won’t easily be easily beaten in 2024, in a big win over St Stithians College on Saturday.
Bishops Diocesan College continued their excellent early run of form in their 175th anniversary year with another dominant performance on Saturday, this time against Paarl Gimnasium.
Marais Viljoen se Declan Botes gaan ‘n groot sleutel tot die Alberton-span se sukses wees. Die wegbreekbouler is on baie se opinies en van die bestes in sy veld onder die jong talent in Suid Afrika.