The results from around South Africa will be updated here as we receive the results from the various schools.
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With the knockout stages beckoning, the second day of the Jenny Orchard Invitational brought with it a necessity for teams with designs on the title to make a statement. The hosts and reigning champions, Maritzburg College, did that.
They built upon their strong performance on the opening day with improved showings against two Western Cape opponents.
Enjoying their time in the Alan Paton Memorial Hall, the Red, Black,and Whiteteam scored an outstanding 188 points across two matches on Friday, against Wynberg Boys’ High and Westerford.
Neither of the Cape Town schools was able to contend with College’s fierce fierce defensive pressure. They turned the ball over frequently and the home side made them pay with assured finishing. Wynberg was the first to fall, going down 34-84, but it was even worse for Westerford, with College powering their way to a substantial 104-21 victory.
In another entertaining Pool A match, Michaelhouse found their momentum and finished well after halftime to down Westerford 74-42. They, too, beat Wynberg Boys’ High, with a 54-31 win ensuring they move on to the quarterfinals. ‘House had fallen 39-45 to Maritzburg College on Thursday.
In Pool B, much like Maritzburg College, the Soweto Basketball Academy emerged as a formidable contender for the Jenny Orchard Invitational title by maintaining their winning streak, and they, too, did it in dominating style.
Rondebosch Boys’ High was the first to fall, outplayed 96-24. Then, Saheti School was blasted 109-25, which was the most lopsided result of the day. In a similar fashion to College, the Soweto Basketball Academy lived off of forcing turnovers high up the court with man-to-man pressure, which resulted in easy baskets.
Northwood School, playing with a second-string lineup while their first team attempts to successfully defend the St John’s Basketball Tournament title, was pummelled by the Soweto Basketball Academy on day one, but they came back to secure two wins on Friday. It was close, though.
Northwood edged out Saheti 56-54 and then won by three points against Rondebosch, claiming a 48-45 victory.
Kearsney College and Pinelands High School, from Pool C, have advanced to the knockout stages of the competition. Kearsney compiled a clean record during the group stage, with Friday bringing them a 54-point win over Kingswood College, 86-32. It’s been a tough time for Kingswood, who have yet to taste victory in the event.
Pinelands gave Kearsney a good game before going down 57-63. They rebounded with an important 67-40 victory over Clifton College to secure their place in the last eight. Clifton enjoyed a comfortable win over Kingswood College, running out 72-46 winners.
Pool D witnessed the progression of ESCA and Westville Boys’ High School to the quarterfinals. ESCA secured clear-cut victories in all three of their group matches, while Westville triumphed in two out of three games.
Notably, when they met on Friday, ESCA dominated, scoring a convincing 50-29 win. Later in the day, ESCA saw off Durban High School(DHS), again emphatically, winning 57-31.
Westville, who would have been disappointed with their showing against ESCA, beat South African College School (SACS) 58-51. DHS also beat the Capetonians, winning by 12 points, 50-38.
RESULTS
Pool A
Michaelhouse 74-42 Westerford
Maritzburg College 84-34 Wynberg Boys’ High
Michaelhouse 54-31 Wynberg Boys’ High
Maritzburg College 104-21 Westerford
Pool B
Soweto Basketball Academy 96-24 Rondebosch Boys’ High
Northwood School 56-54 Saheti School
Soweto Basketball Academy 109-25 Saheti School
Northwood School 48-45 Rondebosch Boys’ High
Pool C
Clifton College 72-46 Kingswood College
Kearsney College 63-57 Pinelands High School
Kearsney College 86-32 Kingswood College
Pinelands High School 67-40 Clifton College
Pool D
Durban High School 50-38 South African College School (SACS)
ESCA 50-29 Westville Boys’ High School
ESCA 57-31 Durban High School
Westville Boys’ High School 59-51 South African College School (SACS)
Saturday Fixtures
Playoff 9-16
Alan Paton 1
08:00: Westerford (A3) vs Kingswood College (C4)
09:30: Wynberg Boys’ High (A4) vs Clifton College (C3)
Alan Paton 2
08:00: Rondebosch Boys’ High (B3) vs SACS (D4)
09:30: Saheti School (B4) vs Durban High School (D3)
Quarterfinals
Alan Paton 1
11:00: Maritzburg College (A1) vs Pinelands High School (C2)
12:30: Kearsney College (C1) vs Michaelhouse (A2)
Alan Paton 2
11:00: Soweto Basketball Academy (B1) vs Westville Boys’ High School (D2)
12:30: ESCA (D1) vs Northwood School (B2)
The teams that had made a strong start to the Old Petrians’ Water Polo Tournament on Thursday continued to deliver authoritative performances on day two of the big event, which has brought together 28 teams from across South Africa.
Roedean kept their winning run going by collecting 26 goals from only two games, with one-sided wins over Alexander Road and Crawford College Lonehill. They won 14-1 against Alex and 12-1 against Crawford.
Clarendon High School for Girls enjoyed a good day and edged out another of the Eastern Cape teams, Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) 5-4. Later, Clarendon handed St Peter’s College a 7-2 loss.
It has been a tough two days for the hosts, who have won only one of their five games, and that required a shootout to get one over Rustenburg Girls’ High School. Still, it’s been even tougher for Alexander Road. They remain winless.
Their results on Friday included a 2-6 loss to Rustenburg. It wasn’t close against DSG, who netted 14 times without reply, with Alexandra Ovendale, Mia Jenner, and Lucy Rutherfoord all scoring hat-tricks. Carys Johnstone scored twice and further goals came from Angelique Myers, Lila De Romijn, and Abigail Holderness.
Pool B’s Rand Park High School has also been having a tough time. Reddam House Constantia outplayed them 19-0, with Jessica Bester scoring six times.
Wynberg Girls’ High School broke their win drought with an 8-1 defeat of Rand Park, but they were well beaten in their second game, losing 0-12 to Collegiate Girls’ High School.
In Pool C, Zimbabwe’s Chisipite, after scoring two wins on Thursday, won only one of their four matches on Friday. The visitors had a good morning, sneaking by St Mary’s Waverley 3-2, but St Stithians College hung a first defeat on them, winning 8-4.
Kingswood College also doubled up Chisipite, winning 6-3, and St Cyprian’s claimed a penalty shootout win after the sides had played to a 5-5 draw.
In Pool D, the defending champions,Herschel Girls High School, and Durban Girls’ College (DGC) racked up three wins each.
Herschel thumped Pearson High School 13-4 before cruising to a 21-0 victory over Reddam House Helderfontein. Reddam also fell 4-16 to DGC. St Dominic’s tested Herschel, but the Capetonians recorded a 6-3 win.
Apart from their win over Reddam House Helderfontein, DGC brushed aside Springfield Convent School 12-1. They also scored a hard-fought 4-1 win over Kingsmead College.
DAY 2 RESULTS
POOL A
Crawford Lonehill 2-5 Rustenburg
Roedean 14-1 Alex Road
DSG 4-5 Clarendon
Crawford Lonehill 3-9 DSG
Alex Road 2-6 Rustenburg
Clarendon 7-2 St Peter’s
Crawford Lonehill 1-12 Roedean
Rustenburg 4-12 Clarendon
Alex Road 0-14 DSG
Rustenburg (4) 6-6 (5) St Peter’s
POOL B
Reddam House Bedfordview 7-2 Collegiate
Reddam House Bedfordview 9-1 Wynberg
Reddam Constantia 19-0 Rand Park
St Anne’s 11-5 Hudson
Wynberg 8-1 Rand Park
St Anne’s 8-4 Collegiate
Reddam Constantia (0) 6-6 (1) Reddam Bedfordview
Hudson Park 9-7 Wynberg
Collegiate 12-0 Rand Park
Reddam House Constantia 9-4 St Anne’s
POOL C
Chisipite 3-6 Kingswood
St Stithians 9-3 Stirling
St Stithians 8-4 Chisipite
Pretoria Girls 3-13 St Mary’s Waverley
St Mary’s Waverley 2-3 Chisipite
Stirling 9-0 Pretoria Girls
St Cyprian’s (4) 6-6 (3) Kingswood
St Mary’s Waverley 6-2 Stirling
Pretoria Girls 1-10 Kingswood
Chisipite (0) 5-5(1) St Cyprian’s
POOL D
Kingsmead 1-4 DGC
Pearson 6-4 Kingsmead
Pearson 4-13 Herschel
Reddam House Helderfontein 0-8 St Dominic’s
DGC 16-4 Reddam House Helderfontein
Herschel 21-0 Reddam House Helderfontein
Herschel 6-3 St Dominic’s
Springfield 4-7 Pearson
St Dominic’s 3-1 Kingsmead
Springfield 1-12 DGC
A solid all-round team performance took Michaelhouse to a hard-fought win over St Andrew’s College. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Ethan Muir and Michael Blignaut spanked brilliant half-centuries to lead Michaelhouse to a seven-run win over St Andrew’s College in their Standard Bank Independent Schools Cricket Festival (ISCF) match at St Alban’s College on Friday.
A short distance away, at Cornwall Hill College, Roberto Mariano starred with both bat and ball in StDavid’s Marist Inanda’s six-wicket victory over Woodridge College.
St Andrew’s won the toss and elected to bowl first. Michaelhouse, though, put their best foot forward and registered a competitive total of 142/3 on a slow and sticky pitch. Then, in the field, the KwaZulu-Natal side hit the right areas with the ball more often than St Andrew’s had and restricted the men from Makhanda to 135/9.
Muir played a captain’s knock, making a well-paced 54 off 44 balls, which included eight fours. The foundation he laid created the right conditions for Blignaut to play his shots as he recorded an outstanding unbeaten 50 off 29 deliveries. Like Muir, he struck eight fours in his half-century.
St Andrew’s drew first blood, though, when they dismissed Victor North in the first over. ‘Housedidn’t panic, however, and they recovered with a 68-run second-wicket partnership between Muir and Ben Heuer. Muir dominated the stand, scoring 51 of the 68 runs.
That partnership was followed by a brief 14-run stand between Muir and Blignaut, which ended in the 14th over. After Muir departed, Blignaut took charge, carting the St Andrew’s bowlers around the park.
Needing to bat at 7.15 runs per over to win, St Andrew’s made a hesitant start to their reply. They would have loved a big partnership at the top of their innings. Instead, all they managed were three partnerships that collapsed in the twenties.
Myles Sansom and William Beamish put on 22 for the first wicket. Then, Sansom and Oliver Johns added 29 runs for the second wicket. The third-wicket partnership between Sansom and Benjamin Coventry delivered 25 runs asSt Andrew’s struggled to build momentum.
Rendani Nonge was brilliant with the ball for Michaelhouse. He undermined College’s response by nabbing four wickets for 23 runs from four overs. Crucially, he was well supported by Radhesh Jhilmeet, who picked up two wickets for 25 runs in three overs.
At Cornwall Hill, Woodridge won the toss, elected to bat first, and hobbled to a disappointing 65 all out in 16 overs. St David’s made light work of the modest victory target. It took them only 11.2 overs to overhaul it.
Mariano, firstly, made his mark with the ball. Samrat Basu, the St David’s captain, brought him into the attack in the 10th over, when Woodridge was on 48/2 after Christopher Emslie and Jared Stern had picked up a wicket each. It didn’t take long for Mariano to make an impact.
He struck with the third delivery of his first over, dismissing Randy Syce, who had looked good for his 12 off 20 balls. Mariano’s next two victims were Cameron Ferrant and Keagan Collett, whom he dismissed in the 12th and 14th overs respectively.
He finished with three wickets for 10 runs from three overs, with 11 of his 18 deliveries producing dot balls. Ethan Greenstein, Morteza Manack, and Jared Stern also bowled well and claimed two wickets apiece.
Woodridge’s batsmen struggled to read the pitch and Oliver Puttergill‘s brisk 17 off seven deliveries was their best return.
When St David’s replied, Mariano gave his side a solid base by clipping a quick 36 off 28 balls to get the ball rolling for the Gauteng side. He partnered three batsmen, and those partnerships included a vital 25-run third-wicket partnership with Morteza Manack, which took St David’s to the brink of victory.
Mariano fell in the ninth over, with St David’s needing only 13 runs from 11 overs to win. Manack had no problem shepherding the Sandton side to 66/4 and the win.
Randy Syce and Ethan Moothoo were the only wicket-takers for Woodridge. Syce captured two for 13 runs in four overs and Moothoo snared two for four in two overs.
Both were good returns, but not nearly enough to prevent St David’s claiming victory.
Scorecards
Michaelhouse 142/3 (Ethan Muir 54, Michael Blignaut 50*, Rhys Wilbin 2/19, Alastair de Kock 1/21). St Andrew’s College 135/9 (Myles Sansom 38, Sam Scheckler 23, Rendani Nonge 4/23, Rhadhesh Jhilmeet 2/25). Michaelhouse won by seven runs.
Woodridge College 65/10 (Oliver Puttergill 17, Randy Syce 12, Roberto Mariano 3/10, Ethan Greenstein 2/7). St David’s Marist Inanda 66/4 (Roberto Mariano 36, Morteza Manack 26, Ethan Moothoo 2/4, Randy Syce 2/13). St David’s won by six wickets.
The opening batsman led Bishops to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Clifton in a T20 clash on St Alban’s College’s TC Mitchell Oval.
He capitalised on a pitch that had benefitted from a full morning of sun and a breeze, which helped to dry it out. On the back of the Bishops’ bowlers restricting the Durban school to only 86 all out, he led the run pursuit, scoring exactly half of his side’s runs.
His 44 came at a run-a-ball and showcased his composure and maturity. James-Robb Quinlan supported him well, chipping in with an attractive 31 not out as Bishops won with four overs to spare.
In the bowling department, Michael Kruiskamp deserves a special mention for his contribution of 3/17, which laid the foundation for his side’s victory.
In the match between Hilton College and St Benedict’s College, Hilton captain Ben Hockly set Cornwall Hill College‘s Van der Byl Oval alight with a classy knock, which set his side on course for a convincing seven-wicket victory.
Although Bennies‘ Marco Mendes played a fine innings of 49, Hockly’s knock stole the spotlight. The opener paced his innings and the run chase exceptionally, which helped Hilton to victory after 17.4 overs.
The Titans Invitation Hub XI impressed on Cornwall Hill’s Land’s End Oval, where they thumped Uplands College by nine wickets.
Mohammad Borabat and Rehaan Patel ran through the side from Mpumalanga, sharing seven wickets between them for only 20 runs. Borabat’s contribution was an impactful 4/11 from four overs, while Patel chipped in with the equally impressive figures of 3/9, also from four.
Prestige College‘s Lesedi Mabena led the Invitation team’s reply and stamped his authority early with the bat, smashing an unbeaten 35 as they chased down the small victory target of 53 with ease.
Summarised scorecards
Clifton College 86/10 (Bryon Ward 27; Michael Kruiskamp 3/17, Julian Pilkington 2/12); Diocesan College 88/3 (Adnaan Lagadien 44, James-Robb Quinlan 31*; Regan Radley 1/10). Diocesan College won by seven wickets.
St Benedict’s College 118/6 (Marco Mendes 49, Cruz Pillay 21, Clayton Horlick 20*; Jayden Roux 2/17); Hilton College 119/3 (Ben Hockly 46, James Ogilby 27; Ross Pengelly 1/10). Hilton College won by seven wickets.
Uplands College 53/10 (Mfundo Mthimunye 15; Mohammed Borabat 4/11, Rehaan Patel 3/9); Titans Hub Invitational 56/1 (Lesedi Mabena 35*; Benjamin Kazandjis 1/25). Titans Hub Invitational XI won by nine wickets.
Pretoria Boys High School played host to the 2025 edition of the Tshwane Inter-High A-League Gala over the past week.
The event, which is usually hosted in the Hillcrest 50m pool, delivered some exceptional races, with Die Hoërskool Menlopark, Affies, Garsfontein, Midstream College, and Hoërskool Waterkloof among the competing schools.
The action kicked off with the 200m individual medley, and it was Waterkloof’s Emma Oosthuizen who shone in the u15 race with a time of 2:33.38.
Menlopark’s Jayden Ciampi took victory in the boys’ section in 2:23.86. He also won the 100m breaststroke in a hasty 1:10.57.
In the u16 section of the 200m IM, Hoërskool Zwartkop‘s Xandri Fourie was first in the girls’ race, recording a time of 2:26.59, while Zaine Niemand dominated the boys’ race, winning in an impressive time of 2:09.78.
The action, next, moved to the 200m freestyle.
Midstream College’s Kylie de Bruyn produced a fantastic time of 2:14.05 in the girls’ u15 event, finishing just ahead of Caitlin Crowther, from Affies Meisieskool.
Mila van der Linde won the u16 title, speeding to victory in a 2:09.41.
On the boys’ side, Troy Storm, from Pretoria Boys High School, swam 2:09.26 to claim the 200m honours ahead of Midstream College’s Trent van Reysen, who went on to win the 100m freestyle in 1:02.5.
It was, however, the boys’ u16 200m freestyle that delivered one of the best swims of the day. It came from Adrian van Wyk, who stopped the clock in a mind-boggling 1:51.86. That time would have been split seconds away from landing him a place in the final of the men’s 200m freestyle at the South African Short Course Nationals.
Smooth and controlled, the Midstream College swimmer made it look easy, finishing a full 10 seconds ahead of the field. Grant Lightening, from Boys High, took second in 2:01.25.
Adrian van Wyk and Xandri Fourie, the Tshwane Inter High A League Victor and Victrix Ludorum.
In the shorter freestyle distance, Emma Oosthuizen and Kato van Niekerk went head-to-head in the girls’ u15 100m. After a fantastic dice, Van Niekerk touched the wall first in 1:01.52, just 0.3s ahead of Oosthuizen.
Waterkloof’s Oosthuizen tasted victory in the 50m butterfly, however, while Van Niekerk went on to capture the 50m and 100m breaststroke titles.
While the individual races thrilled, the relays ratcheted up the excitement, with the schools contesting boys’ and girls’ 4x50m medley relays and 4x50m freestyle relays.
The final relay event, the 10 x 50m ladder relay, delivered a dominant victory from Midstream College, who won by almost a full length of the pool.
To finish off a fantastic afternoon of racing, the dash for cash saw nail-biting finishes.
In the boys’ race, Adrian van Wyk exhibited a phenomenal turn and underwater work, which launched him to a win over Christian Esterhuysen, who was left shaking his head in disbelief.
And on the girls’ side, Jana Vorster got the better of the field, coming from the outside lane to swoop in and claim the win.
Both Van Wyk and Vorster won themselves R500 vouchers for their speedy swims, courtesy of Safari Outdoor.
The Junior Victrix Ludorum was awarded to Kato van Niekerk, from Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool, while the Junior Boys’ Victor Ludorum went to Menlopark’s Jayden Ciampi.
Hoërskool Zwartkop’s Xandri Fourie lifted the Senior Victrix Ludorum title, and the Senior Victor Ludorum went to Midstream College’s Adrian van Wyk.
Tune in to “Swimming on 216″ this Sunday at 19:00 for more swimming news and action.
Die Hoërskool President Steyn se eerste rugbyspan sal graag vir ‘n tweede jaar in ‘n ry vir Wessel Maree van Odendaalsrus op sy jaarlikse Hester van der Walt Sportdag in Bainvlei om te dop. Die Steyners was verlede jaar met 13-0 baas, maar die besoekers het in 2023 in die hoofwedstryd met 17-0 die septer geswaai.
Die Steyners word deur die binnesenter, Juan Steffen, aangevoer. Die gasheer sal vanjaar nie in die hoofwedstryd van sy sportdag in aksie wees nie. Wat ‘n eerste is.
Die hoofmaal sal om 17:30 tussen Grey-kollege van Bloemfontein en die Hoërskool Trio van Kroonstad wees. Hierdie kragmeting het die afgelope paar jaar ‘n ideale losmaker vir die span van die Rosestad gewees.
Daar word vanjaar veral baie van die buitesenter, Ethan Adams, verwag. Adams het verlede jaar reeds die Suid-Afrikaanse o.18-span verteenwoordig en sal indien hy weer vir die Cravenweek-span gekies word die eerste speler seder Moekoa Bolofo wees om hierdie vir die Vrystaat te vermag.
Weens die reën in Bloemfontein behoort die Gonval Store-park se speeloppervlak nog baie nat te wees wanneer die spanne op die veld draf. Grey se ander staatmakers wat teen Trio in aksie sal wees is Xander Smit (flank), Siyabonga Kenny (vleuel) en Toriq Schambreel (losskakel).
Só gepraat van Bolofo – hy staan deesdae aan stuur van sake van Louis Botha se eerstespan. Sy span kom Saterdag teen Zastron te staan.
Louis Botha sal die kragmeting nog sonder twee van sy staatmaker slotte, Ahlumile Mhlahlo en Mohale Masiteng, moet aanpak. Mhlahlo, wat verlede jaar op die Grant Khomo-week in aksie was, het sy enkel gebreek, terwyl Masiteng onlangs ‘n knie-operasie ondergaan het. Laasgenoemde was ook verlede jaar vir die Vrystaat op die Grant Khomo-week in aksie.
Die vernaamste voorwedstryd van die dag tussen Jim Fouché en Welkom Gimnasium behoort ook ‘n titaniese stryd te wees.
Die spanne is:
Grey-kollege vs Hoërskool Trio om 17:30 op Gonval Store-park:
Grey-kollege:15 Benjamin van den Berg, 14 Wian van der Bergh, 13 Ethan Adams, 12 Darius Erwee, 11 Siyabonga Kenny, 10 ToriqSchambreel, 9 Sherwin Buys, 8 Adem Nieuwoudt, 7 Xander Smit, 6 Steven Muller, 5 Prestan Bennett, 4 Alexi Tyropolis, 3 JG Badenhorst, 2 AJ Hendriks, 1 David Hayidakis.
St Andrew’s School and Kingswood College opened their Standard Bank Independent Schools Cricket Festival(ISCF) accounts with comfortable victories over St John’s College and St George’s College (Harare) respectively on Friday in Pretoria.
St Andrew’s and St John’s locked horns at Cornwall Hill College, while Kingswood and St George’s crossed swords at St Alban’s.
St George’s College won the toss and elected to bowl first. Kingswood responded by putting 119/6 on the board. The Makhanda school then restricted St George’s to only 71/7 in 20 overs to register an emphatic 48-run victory.
Kingswood did not enjoy a great start. They lost two early wickets as their batsmen struggled to adapt to the slow pitch. At the end of the powerplay, they were on 29/2 and were in need of two batsmen who could stick around long enough to stitch together a double-digit partnership.
Alistair Knott and Ross Thompson duly added 30 runs for the third wicket. Their stand helped the Eastern Province side develop a rhythm, which they carried through to the end of their innings. Their next two partnerships added a combined 15 runs from 15 balls, but that did not negatively affect their progress.
Coach Andrew Birch‘s charges recovered with a 23-run sixth-wicket stand between Josh Loon and James Hobson, which was succeeded by an unbroken 32-run seventh-wicket partnership between Hobson and Matthew Spring.
David Louden and Jack Collett took the new ball for Kingswood and did well to bag two wickets in the powerplay to force St George’s onto the back foot. The Zimbabwean outfit batted at a slow rate and was on 21/2 after the first six overs of their reply.
The opening spells of Louden and Collet set the tone for the innings and St George’s was unable to generate enough momentum to challenge Kingswood’s total.
With Kingswood’s bowlers enjoying regular success, St George’s couldn’t put meaningful partnerships together. Their best was a 24-run seventh-wicket stand between Akash Singh and Blessing Muzanago.
Singh was the top-scorer for St George’s with 38 off 48 balls. The rest of the batting lineup perished for single-digit scores.
Louden was brilliant with the new ball for Kingswood, grabbing two wickets for 10 runs in four overs, while Daniel Jakins bagged two for 16 from his four.
About 25 minutes away, the toss went the way of St Andrew’s and Reuben van Aarde, their captain, elected to bowl first. That was a good decision. Gauteng had been subjected to rain for the past week, and that made the pitches sticky and slow.
The Saints’ bowlers made good use of the conditions to reduce St John’s to 49/5, which inhibited the Johannesburg side’s run scoring. Captain Alec Loveland led a bit of fight-back but he and his team struggled to gain a foothold in the match, and they were limited to 103/6 from their 20 overs.
St Andrews took 17.4 overs to reply with 106/5 and claim victory.
Cullen Kakora and Heindré Serfontein shared the new ball for St Andrew’s, and they kept the St John’s batsmen quiet in the powerplay, limiting them to 25/2 after the first six overs.
Alec Loveland, the top-scorer for St John’s, arrived at the crease after Malan du Plessis’ dismissal in the fifth over. He adapted well to the conditions, allowed the ball to come onto his bat, and looked in control while scoring a brisk 42 off 32 balls that featured three fours and a single six.
Loveland, though, struggled to find partners with whom to construct a substantial stand. Only one of the St John’s partnerships was worth more than 20 runs. That came when he and Aiden Barberrini (17*) combined for 35 runs for the sixth wicket. That didn’t take them far enough, however.
Serfontein was the pick of the bowlers for St Andrew’s with two wickets for 19 runs from his four overs. Johan Liebenberg and FG Botha also bagged a wicket each as they helped the Bloemfontein side take control. Cullen Kakora, with 1/11 in four overs, did a fine job for Saints.
St Andrew’s made a bright start to their chase with a 38-run opening stand between Naudé Botha and Andrew Sobiech, with Botha striking a run-a-ball 19 and Sobiech cracking a hasty 24 off 15. They were going at a brisk rate in the context of the match and the platform they laid neutralised the effects of a double strike by St John’s in the seventh over.
FG Botha (23) and Grové du Preez (25*) repaired the damage with a 30-run partnership that lifted St Andrew’s close to the finishing line.
Malan du Plessis almost single-handedly bowled St John’s back into the contest. However, he didn’t have enough runs to defend. Still, his return of three wickets for 12 runs from four overs was exceptional.
Scorecards
Kingswood College 119/6 (James Hobson 26*, Alistair Knott 20, Benjamin Muzanago 3/24, Tyrelle Zuze 2/14). St George’s College 71/7 (Akash Singh 38, Michael Mukori 9, David Louden 2/10, Daniel Jakins 2/16) Kingswood won by 48 runs.
St John’s College 103/6 (Alec Loveland 42, Aiden Barberrini 17, Heindré Serfontein 2/19, FG Botha 1/19). St Andrew’s School 106/5 (Grové du Preez 25, Andrew Sobiech 24, Malan du Plessis 3/12, Ethan Robinson1/23). St Andrew’s won by five wickets.
Kearsney College produced a solid team performance to secure a victory in their first outing of the 2025 Standard Bank Independent Schools Cricket Festival in Pretoria.
After rain prevented play on Thursday, the Kearsney side was eager to get out in the middle and take on the tournament hosts, St Alban’s College‘s, on the TC Mitchell Oval, on Friday.
Instead of 50-overs-a-side games, T20s were played, because of the damage done by the rain. The TC Mitchell wicket was slow and sticky, but it didn’t appear to bother Asher Hollister, who batted superbly for a memorable half-century.
The grade nine batsman came in at six, with his side in a bit of trouble on 73/5, after St Alban’s Luke Ward (3/16) and Liam Basch (2/21) enjoyed success up front. He proceeded to make the crease his own. Batting at just over a run-a-ball, he faced 53 deliveries, smashed two sixes and two fours, and made his way to a crucial 54 not out.
Cole Young lent a valuable helping hand, making 27, as the visitors fought back to tally a testing 145/7 from their 20 overs.
When the St Alban’s innings kicked off, Basch looked to be in quite a mood with the bat in hand. Following his fine showing with the ball, he played some scintillating shots, including a wonderful six over cover, before he was sent packing by left-arm Chinaman bowler, Matthew Gorrie, for 28.
After Basch departed, Kearsney, led by their spinners, gained the upper hand as they put the squeeze on the hosts’ batting lineup. They weren’t able to dismiss St Alban’s but they bowled economically to see their side to a 16-run victory.
Opening bowler, Jason De Gryse, however, also deserves a lot of credit. The Kearsney skipper was his side’s most successful bowler, snapping up two wickets for only 14 runs from his four overs.
Helpmekaar Kollege, led by their opening batsmen, captain Kyle Swanepoel and Zander Neethling, obliterated the visitors from across the border, St John’s College.
After restricting the school from Harare to only 104/7, Swanepoel and Neethling smashed the ball to all parts of Cornwall Hill College’s Land’s End Oval.
The captain needed only 37 deliveries to reach his 50, which included seven fours, while his partner smashed six fours and a six in an unbeaten 47 as they shared a 94-run partnership, which took their team to a comfortable nine-wicket victory.
In a low-scoring match, played on the Van der Byl Oval, Cayden Sunker and Zakir Hanslo claimed three wickets each to lead St Stithians College to a 19-run win over the hosts, Cornwall Hill College.
Saints had only 88 runs to defend, but Sunker set them on course for victory by capturing 3/7 in a remarkable four-over spell. Hanslo was every bit as impressive, snaring three for 13 from 3.5 overs.
To rub further salt into the home side’s wounds, Tajandra Naidu (2/8) and Akhil Challa (2/12) also got in on the action by sharing four wickets cheaply as Cornwall folded for only 69 after a noteworthy bowling performance by the men from Johannesburg.
Summarised scorecards
Kearsney College 145/7 (Asher Hollister 54*, Cole Young 27; Luke Ward 3/16, Liam Basch 2/21); St Alban’s College 129/7 (Liam Basch 28, Ethan Nel 27, Mdudzi Mahlangu 26; Jason de Gryse 2/14). Kearsney College won by 16 runs.
St John’s College (Harare) 104/7 (Connor Lovatt 27, Riley Ettlin 20; Juandre Verwey 1/8); Helpmekaar Kollege 105/1 (Kyle Swanepoel 50, Zander Neethling 47*; Connor Lovatt 1/20). Helpmekaar Kollege won by nine wickets.
St Stithians College 88/7 (Matthew Anderson 24; Mohali Pitsi 2/15, Obakeng Mokonyane 2/15); Cornwall Hill College 69/10 (Rourke de Lange 23; Cayden Sunker 3/7, Zakir Hanslo 3/13, Tajandra Naidu 2/8, Akhil Challa 2/12). St Stithians College won by 19 runs.
The fourth edition of the Jenny Orchard Invitation Tournament kicked off on Thursday at Maritzburg College, with some standout performances from, among others, the hosts and defending champions, Maritzburg College, the Soweto Basketball Academy, and Pinelands High School.
Maritzburg College made a flying start against Michaelhouse, but, credit to ‘House, they fought back strongly in the second half of the contest to make it close, with the Red, Black, and White eventually winning 45-39.
In Pool A’s other game, it was a Cape Town clash between Westerford and Wynberg Boys’ High, with Westerford holding on for a 47-45 win.
Last year’s runners-up, Northwood School, were resoundingly beaten by the Soweto Basketball Academy, who rolled to a 92-38 win in Pool B. The Knights, though, have their 1st team in action at the St John’s College Basketball Tournament, where they are the defending champions. Nonetheless, it was an impressive performance from the Soweto Basketball Academy, who finished fifth in last year’s Jenny Orchard Invitation Tournament.
Rondebosch Boys’ High scored a narrow 54-52 victory over Saheti School in Pool B’s other game.
The current frontrunner in Pool D, ESCA, delivered a commanding performance against South African College High School (SACS) in the opening match, scoring a decisive victory of 70-40. It was a strong showing, but more will be revealed about ESCA when they face Westville Boys’ High in their second outing.
Westville shone against Durban High School (DHS), powering their way to a 61-36 win over a more than useful outfit. Earlier in the season, Westville won against Maritzburg College at College, and that suggests they’ll be in the mix for the title at the end of the tournament.
In Pool C, Kearsney College held off a strong challenge from Clifton College, winning by only six points, while Pinelands cruised to a 36-point win over Kingswood College.
RESULTS
A Division
Pool A
Maritzburg College 45-39 Michaelhouse
Westerford 47-45 Wynberg Boys’ High
Pool B
Soweto Basketball Academy 92-38 Northwood School
Rondebosch Boys’ High 54-52 Saheti School
Pool C
Kearsney College 56-50 Clifton College
Pinelands High School 78-42 Kingswood College
Pool D
Westville Boys’ High School 61-36 Durban High School
ESCA 70-40 South African College High School (SACS)
With the knockout stages beckoning, the second day of the Jenny Orchard Invitational brought with it a necessity for teams with designs on the title to make a statement. The hosts and reigning champions, Maritzburg College, did that.
The teams that had made a strong start to the Old Petrians’ Water Polo Tournament on Thursday continued to deliver authoritative performances on day two of the big event, which has brought together 28 teams from across South Africa.
Pretoria Boys High School played host to the 2025 edition of the Tshwane Inter-High A-League Gala over the past week.
The fourth edition of the Jenny Orchard Invitation Tournament kicked off on Thursday at Maritzburg College, with some standout performances from, among others, the hosts and defending champions, Maritzburg College, the Soweto Basketball Academy, and Pinelands High School.