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MAKHANDA. – Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal will face each other in the main match of this year’s edition of the Khaya Majola Week here.

Catch all the action live on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

These sides are two of the three unbeaten sides left after the fourth day. All the matches on the fourth day were affected by rain with only three matches delivering results.

The main match will be played at Graeme College’s Somerset Field. The school is celebrating its 150^th anniversary this year and this match will be the conclusion of a memorable year.

Both semi-finals didn’t deliver a result.

Gauteng’s match against the Titans was restricted to 26 overs per team. When the match was called off after rain interrupted play in the afternoon the Titans were on 19 without loss after only five deliveries.

The other semi-final between KwaZulu-Natal and KZN Inland was restricted to 36 overs per side. The latter was on 59/3 after 14 overs when play was called off.

KwaZulu-Natal’s Hayden Bishop (108*) helped his side earlier to reach 208/4 in their allotted overs.

The Free State and the hosts, Eastern Province, will be fighting for survival in the Platinum-section on the final day of the tournament.

Free State will face the only other unbeaten side, Mpumalanga, in their promotion/relegation clash, while Eastern Province will take on North West for a spot in next year’s Platinum-section.

North West’s Muhammad Bulbulia (84) and Marneau Dreyer (82) shared an opening partnership of 165 runs to help their side to 1985/5 in their allotted 35 overs.

Northern Cape’s Simon Liversage (59) was, without a doubt, with Malan Lubbe, their side’s stalwarts in Makhanda. North West, however, won the clash by 56 runs according to the Duckworth/Lewis-method.

It was one of only three matches where a result was produced.

Easterns were in a devastating mood against Kei. Their opening batsmen, Aldré Huyzer (164) and Sabelo Mabanga (142) shared a partnership of 311 runs to get their side to a massive 412/2 in 37 overs.

Huyzer’s innings is the third highest ever at the Khaya Majola Week. Only outdone by Free State’s Rilee Rossouw’s 182 versus Kei back in 2006, as well as Jaco Booysen of Easterns’ 179 against the Free State in 2002.

Huyzer only faced 105 deliveries and struck 14 fours and eight sixes in his innings. His opening partner, Mabanga, only needed 84 deliveries to amass his runs hitting 23 boundaries of which six were maximums.

Summarised Scorecards (Limited Overs):

Central Gauteng Lions 208/5 (Richard Seletswane 56, David Teeger 48, Luke Francis 48, Lhuan-dré Pretorius 30; Tristan Luus 3/45); Titans 19/0 (Steve Stolk 11*). No Result.

KwaZulu-Natal 208/4 (Hayden Bishop 108*, Romashan Pillay 38; Caleb Thomas 1/5); KwaZulu-Natal Inland 59/3 (Bryn Brokensha 18*; Ntando Soni 2/12). No Result.

Eastern Province 226/9 (Matthew Beamish 42, Russel Peterson 38, Matthew Poole 30*, Jean Upman 28, Esa Gangat 21; Juanrico Vorster 2/39); Boland 82/3 (Cormey van der Watt 43*, Riley Norton 21*; Matthew Beamish 2/29). No Result.

Western Province 201/7 (Kashief Joseph 72, Oliver Whitehead 29, Benjamin Whitehead 22; Connor Nel 3/37, Dakalo Leketa 2/19, Juan Viljoen 2/42); Free State 18/1 (André du Preez 10; Fayaad Davids 1/6). No Result.

Mpumalanga 184/9 (Luke Poisson 42, Davico Kruger 39, Jayden Meyer 31, Rovonne Singh 25: Jessie Lewis 3/31, Stefan May 2/33); Garden Route Badgers 177 (Zane Greyling 69, Stefan May 33; Davico Kruger 3/28, Dian Eicker 3/38). Mpumalanga won by seven runs (D/L-method).

North West 198/5 (Muhammed Bulbulia 84, Marneau Dreyer 82; Simon Liversage 3/12, Gift Seane 2/21); Northern Cape 124/8 (Simon Liversage 59, Junaid Jacobs 22; Kai Trumpleman 4/12, Tumelo Makume 2/33). North West won by 56 runs (D/L-method).

Border 185/8 (Tre Gilbert 59, Ryan Denston 31, Osiphesona Mbekwa 26; Michael Nel 2/21); Limpopo 89 (Jeandré Strydom 19; Hlumelo Ntlola 3/8, Adam Rogers 3/18, Ryan Debston 2/10, Chad Clark-Evans 2/11). Border won by 96 runs (D/L-method).

Easterns 412/2 (Aldré Huyzer 164, Sabelo Mabanga 142, Tristan van Schalkwyk 51*, Dewan Marais 35*, Extras 20; Melusi Mqabashe 1/71); Kei 39/4 (Aphiwe Magagamela 10; Ndaba Nhlakanipa 4/12). No Result.

South Africa’s u15 national boys’ football team completed the 3 Nations TDS Tournament on a high on Sunday with a 3-1 victory over the hosts in Rabat, Morocco. The event was a first experience of international competition for coach Vela Khumalo‘s squad.

The victory was a positive response from the squad, which had gone down 2-4 to Cote d’Ivoire in their first outing on 12 December.

“This has been a great experience for the players and the newly formed technical team,” Head Coach Vela Khumalo told the South African Football Association (SAFA) afterwards.

“We are happy to have accomplished our goal this week, which was to get the players to understand our methodology as a nation.”

It was also a useful exercise for the entire coaching staff, Khumalo said, explaining that the event showed the staff what is working and where work needs to be done.

“We wanted to establish our playing forms, control matches, and impose a possession-based approach characteristic of our South African football DNA,” Khumalo concluded.

SAFA Technical Director Walter Steenbok thanked Morocco and Cote d’Ivoire for the opportunity they had created for the South African squad. He also lauded the FIFA Talent Development Scheme.

“We are grateful to have been part of this journey in 2023 with FIFA,” Steenbok said. “Our journey with the Talent Development Scheme began early this year, where we built a new u15 team through this funding.”

Twenty-one players made the trip to North Africa from a pool of identified players that numbers almost 50.

The goal is to develop an u17 team to compete against the best in the world at the 2025 FIFA u17 World Cup. The host nation has not yet been announced.

Africa has produced a number of FIFA u17 World Cup winners, including Nigeria (1985), Ghana (1991), Nigeria (1993), Ghana (1995), Nigeria (2007), Nigeria (2013), and Nigeria (2015) while African runners-up have included Nigeria (1987), Ghana (1993), Ghana (1997), Nigeria (2001), Nigeria (2009), and Mali (2015).

Nigeria is, in fact, the most successful team in the history of the FIFA u17 World Cup, with five titles and three runners-up finishes. Brazil is in second, with four titles and two runners-up, while Ghana, the two-time champions, are in third place, and also twice finished as runners-up.

With a third place in 1987, Cote d’Ivoire has the best finish of the three nations who participated in the tournament in Morocco.

Interestingly, Africa is also the most successful continental zone in the history of the FIFA u17 World Cup, with the 1993 and 2015 finals being all-African affairs.

MAKHANDA. – Last year’s unofficial champions of the Khaya Majola Week, Western Province, is out of the race to claim the first official title in years.

The Titans defeated Western Province by 16 runs in a closely contested match on the third day of the tournament. Not even a century by Benni Hansen (114*) could save their day and tournament.

Hansen has had a superb week thus far and without a doubt would’ve made the SA Schools selectors take notice.

The Titans’ pace merchants, Hernus Marais (4/18) and Tristan Luus (2/41) caused Western Province’s batsmen some problems.

The Titans will face the early favourites to be crowned champions, the Central Gauteng Lions, in the semi-final on the fourth day. KwaZulu-Natal and KZN Inland will battle it out in the other semi-final for a spot in the final.

Western Province will face Free State in their next match. The loser will play in a promotion/relegation match on the final day of the tournament.

The Free State and the hosts, Eastern Province, will be searching for their first victory in Makhanda.

The Central Gauteng Lions had to work hard to defeat KZN Inland by 29 runs to top their pool. Ross Boast (2/30) showed his class and had the Lions with their backs against the wall at 35/3 after his first spell.

Luke Francis (73) and Henricus Meyer (41) had to bat their team out of trouble.

North West’s Ludwich Schuld (117*) also made sure with his second century of the week that the selectors didn’t forget about him. He steered his side to a victory of four wickets over Border.

This victory means that North West is in the running to gain promotion. Border’s duo of brothers, Jacques (70) and Ben van der Merwe (59) contributed half-centuries in the defeat.

South African u19 allrounder Riley Norton (84*) was the star for Boland as they beat Free State by 74 runs. This performance has kept Norton’s hopes to do the double – SA Schools cricket and rugby, alive.

Johan Wege (52) and Josh Jordaan (52) also weighed in with half-centuries for Boland.

KwaZulu-Natal topped their pool after a convincing 131-run victory over Eastern Province. Ross Coetzee (66*) and Hayden Bishop (50) led the batting effort, while Ntando Soni (3/11) continued his excellent performances with the ball in hand.

Summarised Scorecards (Limited Overs):

Central Gauteng Lions 196/8 (Luke Francis 73, Henricus Meyer 41, Tjaart Mentz 34; Cameron Strudwick 2/24, Ross Boast 2/30); KwaZulu-Natal Inland 167 (Natanzi Denega 30, Ross Boast 29, Nathan Beaumont 27; Fayaaz Vawda 4/31, Esosa Aihevba 2/25, Tjaart Mentz 2/30). Central Gauteng Lions won by 29 runs.

KwaZulu-Natal 226/7 (Ross Coetzee 66*, Hayden Bishop 50, Bandile Mbatha 47, Evan Fouché 25, Extras 20; Jean Upman 3/21); Eastern Province 95 (Matthew Poole 36; Ntando Soni 3/11, Ross Coetzee 2/15). KwaZulu-Natal won by 131 runs.

Titans 230/9 (Lethabo Phahlamohlaka 52, Lukas van Rensburg 43, Mohammad Aslam 32, Hernus Marais 24, Modise Maloka 21, Marcus Bakker 21; Alexander Combrink 4/42, Raeeq Daniels 2/49); Western Province 214 (Benjamin Hansen 114*, Ethan Kotze 43, Paul James 28; Hernus Marais 4/18, Tristan Luus 2/41). Titans won by 16 runs.

Boland 246/6 (Riley Norton 84*, Johan Wege 52, Josh Jordaan 52; Kamohelo Mokoena 1/6); Free State 172 (Connor Nel 50, Juan Viljoen 45, Samakelo Lepetho 26; Juanrico Vorster 4/28). Boland won by 74 runs.

Border 214 (Jacques van der Merwe 70, Ben van der Merwe 59; Zavier van Rensburg 3/45; Berno de Klerk 2/37, Kalego Moloto 2/41); North West 217/6 (Ludwich Schuld 117*, Caiden Seleka 42, Extras 25; Lithemba Noyomi 3/62, Hlumelo Ntlola 2/35). North West won by four wickets.

Garden Route Badgers 273/6 (Zane Greyling 66, Elro Spies 61, Thurston Murphy 48, Extras 36, Devino Koen 21*; Tshegofatso Nthare 2/48, Parth Patel 2/54); Easterns 225 (Sabelo Mabanga 65, Tristan van Schalkwyk 57, Aldré Huyzers 43, Dean Hackner 23; Stefan May 4/48, Jessie Lewis 2/23, Charl-Francois Marais 2/54). Garden Route Badgers won by 48 runs.

Limpopo 89 (Victor Sehata 27, Michael Nel 21*; Malan Lubbe 3/14, Luan de la Rey 3/26, Tumiso Seetelo 2/11); Northern Cape 95/1 (Simon Liversage 41, Gift Seane 21*; Nsuku Mathye 1/26). Northern Cape won by nine wickets.

Kei 66 (Esam Mpafa 25*; Dian Eicker 4/16, Luke Poisson 3/19, Curtleigh Koetzee 2/9); Mpumalanga 67/1 (Rovonne Singh 31*; Qika Nika 1/4). Mpumalanga won by nine wickets.

It is fitting that Graeme College’s 150th celebrations will conclude with the annual Khaya Majola Week that is being hosted in Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) from 16 to 20 December.

Cricket has been an integral part of extra-curricular activities at the school since its establishment back in 1873. The school was founded as Grahamstown Undenominational Public School until it was renamed Victoria High School for Boys in 1910.

During the process of registering the school’s crest in 1938 at the College of Heraldry, the school needed a new crest as it had been using the Grahamstown Municipality’s crest since its inception.

It was then decided that the time was right for the school to be renamed Graeme College.

Back to cricket – the school has only produced one Protea in Jon-Jon Smuts but it has been producing first-class cricketers for many years. First-class players who went to Graeme include Lorrie Wilmot (Eastern Province and Border), Peter Emslie (Border), Wayne Wiblin (Border), and Kelly Smuts (Warriors).

Currently, the school’s cricket program under the leadership of Greg von Molendorff plays a pivotal role in Cricket South Africa’s pipeline as they are a Focus School with CSA Blue Chip Status. This status was awarded back in 2019 and it underlines the important role the school plays in the development of cricketers.

Schools are measured against the Schools Quality Index (SQI); schools that achieve 90 percent on the SQI assessment are awarded the official CSA Blue Chip Status for that year. An annual assessment is done of all schools to monitor their progress against the Index and schools will be incentivised in various ways to encourage them to improve their score on the SQI.

Von Mollendorff has coached the First XI at Graene since 2016 replacing the legendary Graemian Ian Suttie (1982-2016). Former Griqualand West cricketer Titch Searle coached the First XI from 1950 until 1972. He made a major contribution to building the legacy of Graeme College’s cricketing program.

The highest recorded innings by a player at the school belongs to Lorrie Wilmot who scored a double-century (204*) against Victoria Park in 1959. Jon-Jon Smuts has scored the most centuries for the First XI with 14, between 2004 and 2006.

The best bowling figures belong to a certain D Kearney during the 1926 season when he grabbed all of St Aiden’s College’s wickets at the cost of 118 runs. The Victoria High School for Boys surprisingly still lost the match.

Makhanda has become known to be a haven for feral donkeys. The president of the Eastern Province Cricket Union, Leon Coetzee, even welcomed the boys and coaches during the opening function of the Khaya Majola Week with the words “Welcome to Makhanda, the home of potholes and donkeys,”. There is even a restaurant in town called The Pothole & Donkey.

Legend has it that some of the donkeys carry the genes of a mule named Moscow – that was responsible for pulling the pitch mower at Graeme. Moscow was an important member of the school’s cricket staff in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Unlike today’s mowers and rollers used on the school’s modern facilities, the famous mule was also known to fertilize the pitch while mowing.

Graeme College’s motto is Virtute et Opera which means “through courage and hard work”. The school has truly embraced and lived its motto during the first 150 years of the school’s existence.

Additional Sources: 

*Graeme College: an illustrated history through 15 decades by Peter Breetzke & Erne van Hille
*Graeme College’s official website

With a win in the Nkanhlamakwa Festive Games final in Sebokeng on Sunday, Diepkloof Ladies FC captured their third title of a wildly successful season. In a Soweto derby, they played to a goalless draw against Mito Ladies FC before taking the honours after a 4-2 penalty shootout win.

In October, Diepkloof Ladies became the inaugural winners of the Linda Mntambo Foundation Soccer Tournament, which was played in the township of Mzimhlophe, located in Orlando, Soweto.

Then, in November, they lifted the Clinix Stix Morewa Soccer Challenge title, defeating the University of Johannesburg in the final.

After his side’s latest title-clinching success, club founder Peter Mafa said his team still has more to play for as they set their sights on a fourth title at the forthcoming 20th Walter Sisulu Discovery Soccer Tournament.

Mafa, who began by coaching young girls at Ipolokeng Primary, said he could not be prouder of his team’s achievements.

He said he saw that ladies’ football has potential and a bright future in South Africa, which led him to founding Diepkloof Ladies FC in 2011. Since then, the club has enjoyed a tremendous run of success. There is nothing that gives him more joy than investing his time to help the young ladies stay off of the streets and do what they love, which is to play football, Mafa said.

“Working with young kids has always been in my heart and that’s one of the reasons that pushed me to be part of women’s soccer”, he explained.

“Working together, we ensure by all means that we bring the community together. Having that kind of support from the parents and the whole community plays a significant role in the growth and development of our young girls.”

Mafa said that success does not happen overnight. With his team, everything starts at training sessions where they work on their weaknesses to prepare themselves to compete each and every day.

MAKHANDA. – A historic moment on a historic cricket field.

Easterns’ legbreak bowler Parth Patel recorded the best-ever bowling figures at the annual Khaya Majola Week when he took Northern Cape‘s batting line-up apart on the Salem Cricket Ground just outside Makhanda.

Patel grabbed seven wickets for only 15 runs in his ten overs. This included a hat-trick as he removed Luan de la Rey (1), Kaiden van Wyk (0), and Oratile Jubeni (0) from the crease in successive deliveries.

The Salem Cricket Ground claims to be the oldest ground and club in South Africa which still calls its original ground its home. The first match on this ground was played in 1844.

The previous record for the best bowling figures at the week belonged to Daryn du Pavillon (KwaZulu-Natal Inland) who set the record back in 2012 against North West (7/18) in Potchefstroom.

Three batsmen Ivan Lockem (KZN Inland), Blake Simpson (KwaZulu-Natal), and Tre Gilbert (Border) also recorded centuries on the second day of the tournament.

Simpson produced an all-round performance as he helped KZN to a 22-run victory over Western Province. He scored 103 runs to help his side reach 207 runs before also being the pick of his side’s bowling attack with bowling figures of 2/17.

Lockem (100) partnered with Murray Baker (78) to help KZN Inland to reach 262/7 in their allotted 50 overs against Boland. The team from the Winelands suffered their second defeat as only Josh Jordaan (45) and Riley Norton (33*) managed to provide some resistance with the bat in hand.

Border‘s captain Gilbert (107) faced a mere 83 deliveries in his innings hitting 19 boundaries as his side smashed Kei by 252 runs. He received valuable support from Wayden Plaatjies (76*), who scored an unbeaten half-century.

Border’s Amahle Masiko (5/18) also picked up a five-wicket haul to help restrict Kei to 72 runs.

The Central Gauteng Lions made another statement on the second day as they put the Free State to shame by ten wickets. The South African u19 fast bowler Esosa Aihevba (6/26) asked many questions the Free Staters cooldn’t answer.

Tshepo Stafa (47*) and Thebe Gazide (23*) got Gauteng over the line with their opening partnership in the 11^th over.

The Titans broke Eastern Province‘s hearts as they defeated them by seven wickets. The hosts are still looking to bag their first victory at this year’s tournament.

Steve Stolk (69) was in devastating form as he faced only 40 deliveries. Jorich van Schalkwyk (53*) also weighed in with an unbeaten half-century.

North West had no answer to the poison or rather Luke Poisson that Mpumalanga had in their arsenal. Poisson removed four batsmen for only 29 runs before getting his side across the line with an unbeaten 65 runs.

Enathi Kitshini of the Garden Route Badgers also produced an all-round performance to help his side to a 122-run victory over Limpopo. He top-scored with 86 runs as Zane Greyling (81) and Zander Nel (58) also scored half-centuries.

Kitshini then also grabbed four wickets at the cost of 37 runs to give his side reason to celebrate.

Summarised Scorecards (Limited Overs):

Eastern Province 226/7 (Harry van Heerden 50, Jean Upman 41*, Matthew Poole 36, Matthew Beamish 33; Lungile Mabuza 2/43); Titans 227/3 (Steve Stolk 69, Jorich van Schalkwyk 53*, Dumisane Motshwene 51, Lukas van Rensburg 33) Titans won by seven wickets.

KwaZulu-Natal 207 (Blake Simpson 103, Ross Coetzee 28; Raeeq Daniels 4/41, Mbuleko Dube 3/35); Western Province 185 (Benni Hansen 42, Raeeq Daniels 32, Sibulele Sibunzana 31, Extras 20; Blake Simpson 2/17, Sandiswa Yeni 2/23, Nqobani Mokoena 2/36, Ross Coetzee 2/44). KwaZulu-Natal won by 22 runs.

Free State 70 (Khanyisile Nondwangu 36; Esosa Aihevba 6/26, Sipho Potsane 2/2, Cole Francis 2/20); Central Gauteng Lions 73/0 (Tshepo Stafa 47*, Thebe Gazibe 23*). Gauteng Lions won by ten wickets.

KwaZulu-Natal Inland 262/7 (Ivan Lockem 100, Murray Baker 78, Bryn Brokensha 22*, Extras 20; Callum Appollis 2/27); Boland 137 (Josh Jordaan 45, Riley Norton 33*; Caleb Thomas 2/12, Ross Boast 2/18). KwaZulu-Natal Inland won by 125 runs.

Easterns 213 (Dewan Marais 88, Sheldon van Wyk 54; Simon Liversage 2/2, Oratile Jubeni 2/60); Northern Cape 119 (Extras 29, Malan Lubbe 26, Simon Liversage 21; Parth Patel 7/15). Easterns won by 94 runs.

North West 165 (Ludwich Schuld 50, Thuto Matjoi 44, Extras 34; Luke Poisson 4/29, Davico Kruger 2/26, Dian Eicker 2/34); Mpumalanga 166/6 (Luke Poisson 65*, Ruben Bodemer 22; Berno de Klerk 2/25). Mpumalanga won by four wickets.

Border 324/5 (Tre Gilbert 107, Wayden Plaatjies 76*, Chulumanco Macozomu 44, Extras 35, Bevaneo Mayham 33; Mamve Mditswa 2/68); Kei 72 (Qiqa Nika 24*, Extras 20; Amahle Masiko 5/18, Chad Evans 2/11, Ryan Denston 2/14). Border won by 252 runs.

Garden Route Badgers 321/5 (Enathi Kitshini 86, Zane Greyling 81, Zander Nel 58, Extras 49, Devino Koert 24*; Nsuku Mathye 2/39, Masilo Moremi 2/42); Limpopo 199 (Ruben Vosloo 77, Maan Mistry 38, Extras 20; Enathi Kitshini 4/37, Josh Karelse 2/25, Corné Kennedy 2/50). Garden Route Badgers won by 122 runs.

 

Paul Roos Gimnasium have returned from an 11-day rugby tour of Ireland, with a clean record against their international opposition in preparation for the 2024 season.

While adding the likes of Munster to the list of names to have fallen to Paul Roos is a remarkable achievement in itself, the winning scorelines were a bonus and not the main objective of the tour.

“The boys chose ‘Growth’ and ‘Unity’ as our two objectives for the tour, and I think that is a fitting way to describe the tour,” said coach Corné Uys after they returned on Friday.

Upon their arrival in Ireland, they wasted no time before getting onto the field the very next day against Terenure College in their first match. Their hosts were up for the challenge and welcomed the travelling Maroon Machine to Ireland by putting up a massive fight in that opening fixture.

In a back-and-forth clash, Paul Roos scored a sensational winner in the dying moments to claim a hard-fought 29-24 victory.

That early run out did the Stellenbosch boys good, though, and they appeared to become more and more dominant as their tour progressed.

After their matches, the players also spent some time with their opponents to fully experience the rugby traditions in Ireland.

“It was an amazing opportunity for the boys to broaden their horizons and experience a completely different culture,” coach Uys said. They also had the chance to explore Ireland off of the pitch, spending time at the Dublin City Centre and the Galway Market during their visit, and going to see the Burren National Park, the Cliffs of Moher and Blarney Castle.

Of course, they also made the most of the rich rugby history in Ireland, with a guided tour of Munster’s Thomond Stadium, while also enjoying two European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) matches that coincided with their stay. The first was a clash between Connacht and Bordeaux, followed a day later by Munster against Bayonne.

Paul Roos’ two teams then took on teams from the north in their second games, tackling Wallace and Methody High respectively. By this time, the tourists had adjusted and found their rhythm as they trounced Wallace 27-3, while the 2nd XV downed Methody 12-5.

The third time out, the Stellenbosch boys took on the freshman team of the University College Cork and came away with a 17-point win.

Then, in their concluding match against Munster, Paul Roos started slowly, but an early score by the home side served as a wake-up call, which prompted the South Africans to seize control of the contest and assert their dominance over the Irish powerhouse.

The 2nd XV, too, were comfortable winners over the Munster 2nd XV.

“In general, though the circumstances were challenging, the people were all unbelievably friendly and welcoming. They love their rugby” said coach Uys.

“It is still early, and this is a very small sample size, but in challenging conditions (like the ones faced in Ireland) it is always important to have your basics in order. So, it was good to see how the players approached those areas and began getting the fundamentals in place.”

With some of their leading first-team players, like SA Schools’ loose-forward Riley Norton, not available for the tour, it was by no means a complete look at next year’s squad. It was, nonetheless, a very positive sign for the proud school from Stellenbosch, who will take the momentum of their successful tour into the forthcoming season, with a number of wins under their belt already.

RESULTS

Paul Roos 29, Terenure College 24 – Link to game
Paul Roos 27, Wallace High 3
Paul Roos 27, University College Cork Freshmen 10 – Link to game
Paul Roos 31, Munster 19 – Link to game

Paul Roos II 12, Methody High 5
Paul Roos II 34, Munster II 7

Paul Roos Gimnasium touring group: Jordan Africa, Sam Badenhorst, Adeeb Boraine, Hugo Coetzee, Joshua Dampies, Marquin de Klerk, Robert Doubell, Henry du Plessis, Malan Erasmus, Reece Heaton, Brent Heyens, Zac Hickman, Kaleb Holmes, Charl Holwill, Gert Kemp, Matthew Kleyn, Conrad Koegelenberg, Christian Kolbe, Luan Krige, Reuben Kruger, Derek Kuhn, Pierre Labuschagne, Divan Lambrecht, Jacques Loubser, Christiano Luizinho, Luchwayito Baliswana, Christiaan Moolman, Reinhardt Nel, Michael Potgieter, Altus Rabé, Oliver Reid, Truspe Schoeman, Ian Smith, Jordan Steenkamp, Jesse Stegehuis, Keenan Stoffels, Alec Toll, Dylan van Wyk, Dawid van Niekerk, Luke van Schoor, Gerrit van Vuuren, Luke Wilmot.

The 2023 World Schools Festival trophy will return to New Zealand for a second year in succession after Westlake Boys emulated Hamilton’s performance at the previous event.

They beat St Michael’s from Ireland 28-21 in Sunday’s final, after almost not progressing beyond the first round when they drew against Hartpury College from England. The tournament rules stipulated, though, that in the case of a draw the team that scored first would be declared the winner, and so they moved on.

Westlake beat Dr EG Jansen in the semis (25-16), while St Michael’s got the better of Oakdale (17-12) to reach the final at the Pattanna Sports Resort in Thailand.

The first try of the main event came after 11 minutes when the Kiwi flanker, Travis Findlay, handed off a defender and stormed over to give Westlake the lead.

In the first 30 minutes, St Michael’s was starved of opportunities, but they finally broke through in the second half, with Myles Berman dotting down.

When Berman got his second, with 20 minutes left to play, there was a marked shift in the momentum, but Westlake retook the lead through an exhilarating score by Jarlon Lesatele.

The two New Zealand Schools’ players in the Westlake side, captain James Cameron (centre) and Isaac Murray-Macgregor (fullback), both featured prominently for their team throughout the match.

With 10 minutes to play, the St Michael’s hooker, Duinn Maguire, made it a seven-point game, but a couple of missed opportunities meant that the Irish were unable to close the gap.

After deliberations between the teams and organisers, it was decided to shuffle the final day’s fixtures, to allow teams to play against international opponents, rather than EG Jansen and Oakdale playing for third, while Eton and Hartpury battled it out for fifth.

When Hartpury and EG Jansen met at the Kearsney Easter Festival earlier in the year, they shared a 28-28 draw, so this presented the sides with a golden opportunity to play a decider.

The rematch lived up to the expectations set by their first encounter.

After the dynamic Craven Week hooker, Danré Pike, showed off his sharp handling skills to send his winger Cameron van Wyk over for the opening try, the English responded immediately through Harry Tovey, who muscled over to open Hartpury’s account.

The Harpury forwards then drove big Ellis Allen over the line just before halftime to take a 12-5 lead into the break.

Early on in the second half, however, the Boksburg boys took back the control of the contest through two quickfire tries from Matthew Bergman (flyhalf) and their SA u19 Sevens star Jeandré Jacobs (centre).

Zade-Leigh Rippenaar, who also represented the Falcons at the Craven Week at eighth man, was industrious at the breakdown and made life difficult for Hartpury but the rest of the match was an arm wrestle.

With much of the play taking place inside EG Jansen’s half in the final 10 minutes, the Boksburgers had to defend their three-point advantage for dear life as wave upon wave of Hartpury attacks smashed against the EG Jansen defensive line.

After the regulation time had elapsed, the English team declined a penalty opportunity in front of the posts, not content to settle for another draw. It took every ounce of energy left in the EG Jansen boys to defend three more lineouts before they finally bundled a driving maul into touch to bring an end to the match and secure an epic victory in their final outing.

In the second last game of the day, it took less than three minutes for Sine Mdlankomo (hooker) to burst over the line for Oakdale as they took on the renowned Eton College. He made it a brace 10 minutes later when Eton lost the ball under pressure on their throw-in.

Two more tries in quick succession before halftime by their captain Kurt Coetzee and Ruhan Swart seemed to knock the wind out of the Eton boys, but they did well to regroup and get on the board just before the break.

Hunter Deane-Johns, the big loosehead prop from the London Irish Academy, dropped his shoulder and carried the ball right up to the Oakdale try line before Erik Estienne was able to burrow over.

The boys from Riversdal worked the ball around effectively in the second half, but a brilliant bit of athleticism by Isaak Manuel saw him sprint the length of the field to reduce the deficit further.

Oakdale’s only try in the second stanza came via winger Lee-Winn Pretorius, who left the Eton defenders grasping at air as he crossed the whitewash to seal the deal for his side.

In the Open Tournament final on Saturday, the South African Southern Legion team maintained their unblemished record with a 15-7 victory over the Rugby Travel Academy squad.

Dehan Neethling (fullback), from Stellenberg, was a standout player for the invitational squad, crossing for tries in every game his side played during the competition. They thumped the Dubai Tigers by 50-3 and the Odyssey Knights by 55-14 on their way to the final before seeing off their fellow South Africans to claim the title.

Other standouts for the Open champions were Durbanville’s Lian Jordaan (centre) and Happy Makate (flank).

SCORERS

Cup

St Michael’s 21 (0) – Tries: Myles Berman (2), Duinn Maguire. Conversions: Joe Quigley (3). Westlake Boys 28 (14) – Tries: Travis Findlay, Brooklyn Pohio, James Cameron, Jarlon Lesatele. Conversions: Isaac Murray-Macgregor (2), Tyler Pulini

Oakdale 33 (26) – Tries: Sine Mdlankomo (2), Ruan Swart, Kurt Coetzee, Lee-Winn Pretorius. Conversions: Kurt Coetzee (4) Eton College 14 (7) – Tries: Erik Estienne, Izaak Manuel. Conversions: Benji Bushnell (2)

EG Jansen 15 (5) – Tries: Cameron van Wyk, Matthew Bergman, Jeandré Jacobs. Hartpury 12 (12) – Tries: Harry Tovey, Ellis Allen. Conversions: Steff Jac Jones.

Cardiff & Vale 21 (21) – Tries: Kian Williams (2), Fin Hart. Conversions: Tom Hughes (3) Rugby Travel Academy 12 (0) – Tries: Raynard van Loggenberg (2). Conversions: Jayden de Leeuw

Open

Southern Legion 15 (12) – Tries: Desmond Milner, Dehan Neethling. Conversion: Armand Griessel. Penalty: Griessel.  RTA Barbarians 7 (7) – Try: Pieter Moller. Conversion: Jaedon de Leeuw.

I sometimes wonder about the wisdom of getting some ex-player or current coach as a guest speaker to address a hall full of teenage players at events like the opening ceremony of the u19 Khaya Majola cricket week.

They generally don’t know who he is, and what they want is to go out and play, not listen to some old guy rattle on.

So, when they rolled out Andrew Birrell in Makhanda on Friday night, jaded, sceptical old me rolled my eyes a little bit. Thirty minutes later, I was applauding enthusiastically along with everyone else.

The man is a natural storyteller, and he told the customary Eastern Cape narrative about two old farmers at the Pig ‘n Whistle in Bathurst – which is best not repeated – but his real impact was when he told the boys that the next four years are the most important of their lives, in cricket and away from it, and then explained why.

They were spellbound.

For those who don’t know who Adi Birrell is, he was born and raised in Makhanda. He played for Eastern Province at school and first-class level, before turning to coaching. He coached at the Titans and Warriors before coaching Ireland at the 2007 ICC World Cup. In 2013 he was appointed assistant coach of the South African national team and he has been head coach of Hampshire in County cricket since 2018. He also coaches Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 tournament.

When he played at the, then, Nuffield Week, his dream was to play for South Africa, but he didn’t, and looking back he is glad that he wasn’t good enough, he told the boys. It was the reason why now, at age 63, he is still actively involved in cricket at a high level.

“My dream was to be a top professional cricketer, and when that didn’t happen I turned to coaching. I was successful because I believed in that dream, but also because I did the hard work that was needed,” he said.

Birrell’s father, Harry, taught at St Andrew’s College in Makhanda for many years and it was from his teachings that Adrian draws four of the biggest obstacles that get in the way of making it in the game. The first, he told the boys, is failure to do the hard work. He distinguished between natural talent, which comes easy, but doesn’t guarantee success, and real talent, which is about driving yourself to be better, and doing it while no one is watching.

The second obstacle is drugs and alcohol. Birrell himself does not drink, and he believes that having clear eyes and a sharp mind every day of his life has given him an edge.

Then there’s peer pressure. “Your friends will try to distract you and it’s difficult to say no to them, but it’s a sacrifice you have to make, Birrel said. “You won’t make it if you don’t.”

The biggest obstacle, however, is arrogance and ego. Natural talent means the game comes easy to some, but that doesn’t guarantee success. Those who aren’t arrogant and who work harder than anyone else, despite having the talent, will turn out to be the superstars, he said.

His advice to the boys was to bear these things in mind for the next four years. “The next years will determine where you go, in cricket and in life: he said. “My dream was to play for South Africa, but I wasn’t good enough. I followed my father’s advice and it paid off, however. I’ve made a living out of cricket and I’ve loved every day of it.”

With that, he wished the players well for the week, and they left. If they weren’t inspired by him, they should have been – even jaded old me was!

KwaZulu-Natal asserted their dominance by beating the Titans for a second time in the unofficial title decider at the 2023 CSA u16 Boys Week on the Garden Route.

Watch all the action again on SuperSport Schools – Register now – Link to the tournament

The Titans had made the final thanks to some spectacular bowling against Gauteng on the penultimate day, but they did not enjoy the same success against the KZN batsmen.

Tim Saulez, with 54, top scored as the KwaZulu-Natal boys posted a formidable 191. He was supported by solid contributions from Tuswa Pheta (35), Jayden Roux (28) and Kenzo Mchunu (25), as KZN produced their best performance when it mattered, beating the Titans more comfortably the second time around.

Westville Boys’ High left-arm spinner Roxton Payne tore through the Titans’ line-up, snaring five wickets for only 16 runs. His spectacular performance in the final pushed Payne’s wicket haul for the event to an impressive 14. In KZN’s previous match against the Titans, which they won by 56 runs, he bagged three sticks.

The hometown Garden Route Badgers did their supporters proud by earning promotion to the Platinum division next year.

Their final match against Free State was a thrilling battle that went down to the wire.

Joof Enslin rose to the occasion with a vital innings of 39 for the home side. Meanwhile, Otto Krause, who was a standout for the Free State team all week, matched the Badgers’ top scorer, but Liviwe Bawulie delivered a bowling masterclass to capture four crucial wickets early on.

Trent Huisamen was in on the action again as well, removing three Free State batsmen to help his side secure a nerve-wracking seven-run victory.

Huisamen’s 7/18 against North West will go down as the bowling performance of the tournament, while his teammate Enslin’s innings of 78 against Limpopo on the opening day was the highest score of the week.

Apart from Huisamen, nine other bowlers achieved five-wicket hauls. Cruz Pillay‘s figures of 5/11 against Northern Cape stand out, as does the 5/13 Diamantveld‘s Arno Mostert claimed against Mpumalanga.

Next, with only the Coca-Cola Khaya Majola u19 Cricket Week, among South Africa’s national youth weeks, still on the go, the attention will swing to the u19 World Cup which comes to South Africa in January next year.

SUMMARISED SCORECARDS (Day five)

KwaZulu-Natal 191 (Tim Saulez 54, Tuswa Pheta 35, Jayden Roux 28, Kenzo Mchunu 25; Eckard Struwig 3/27); Titans 105 (Xander Venter 14; Roxton Payne 5/16). KwaZulu-Natal won by 76 runs.

Western Province 221/7 (Noah Heath 57, Unathi Magoloza 50*, Daniel Cooke 50, Jadwyn Cona 3/39); Eastern Province 145 (Luke Hector 44, Cayden Wilson 43, Extras 23; Hlumelo Mgweba 4/21, Unathi Magoloza 2/19, Luke Kleinsmith 2/29). Western Province won by 76 runs.

Garden Route Badgers 145 (Joof Enslin 39, Keano Coerecius 26, Extras 26; Otto Krause 2/10, FG Botha 2/23, Onalenna Molale 2/33); Free State 138 (Otto Krause 39, Extras 23; Liviwe Bawulie 4/16, Trent Huisamen 3/26). Garden Route Badgers won by seven runs.

Boland 160/7 (Marco Cato 30*, Gideon du Toit 25, Extras 24, Luca Plekker 23; Wian Pieters 3/27, Abdullah Tadwalla 2/34); Easterns 77 (Clayton Horlick 20, Extras 20; Owethu Moyi 3/10, Luca Plekker 3/22). Boland won by 83 runs.

Mpumalanga 92/9 (Pieter Viljoen 43; Arno Mostert 5/13, Ikanyeng Mothloko 2/23); Northern Cape 61/8 (Joze Beukes 13*; Katlego Baloyi 3/15, Eduan Strydom 2/11). Match abandoned – No result.

Gauteng vs KwaZulu-Natal Inland – Match abandoned.

Border vs North West – Match abandoned.

Limpopo vs Kei – Match abandoned.

FIVE WICKET HAULS

7/11 – Trent Huisamen (Garden Route Badgers vs North West)
5/11 – Cruz Pillay (Easterns vs Northern Cape)
5/13 – Arno Mostert (Northern Cape vs Mpumalanga)
5/16 – Roxton Payne (KZN vs Titans)
5/20 – Abdullah Tadwalla (Easterns vs Northern Cape)
5/20 – Njabulo Maseko (Limpopo vs Garden Route Badgers)
5/22 – Kyle White (KZN vs KZN Inland)
5/23 – Asemahle Madikazi (Kei vs North West)
5/32 – Teddy Khoza (Limpopo vs Easterns)
5/36 – Nicholas Baker (KZN vs Free State)