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Wynberg Boys’ High vs St. Andrew’s College (one-innings, one-day, unlimited overs)

At their Jacques Kallis Oval, on Saturday, Wynberg Boys’ High won the toss and chose to bat first against St Andrew’s College. A composed batting effort took them to 208 all out, which they successfully defended to score a 29-run victory.

Moosa Gabriels was the most impressive Wynberg batsman, tallying 63 runs off 78 balls, which included five fours. Storme van Rooyen hit a solid 47 off 76, cracking six fours along the grass to the boundary.

After coming in at 166/7, Joshua Prince stuck around to contribute 32 off 34 and was the last man out.

William Beamish led the College bowling attack, grabbing 4/37 from 11.3 overs, while Rhys Wiblin collected 2/51 in 10 overs.

The Makhanda side made a strong start to their run chase. At the top of the order, Benjamin Scharges hit five fours in a patient 53 off 109 balls. In at four, Samuel Scheckter tallied 41 off 77, walloping five fours and a six.

Their efforts were, however, undercut by Damien Harris, who produced the astounding figures of 5/13 in 12 overs, which included seven maidens. Fawaaz Hendricks was the other Wynberg bowler to claim multiple wickets, recording 2/24 in eight overs.

In the end, St. Andrew’s College was bowled out for 179.

Rondebosch Boys’ High vs Queen’s College (two-innings, one-day, unlimited overs)

In a two-innings, one-day match at Rondebosch‘s Cricket A Oval, Queen’s College won the toss and chose to bat first against ‘Bosch. The hosts were excellent to win the match by an innings and 64 runs.

Queen’s was overwhelmed in their first innings, sent packing for only 48. James Kirsten bagged 3/15 in six overs, Hlumelo Mgweba knocked over 2/1 in three overs, and Schalk Fourie took 2/6 in four overs to set up the Rondebosch batsmen for a big first innings’ lead.

Opener Janko Webb played his part, scoring 61 runs off 52 balls, blasting seven fours and a six, while his fellow opener, Daniel Cooke, contributed 59 off 58 in a 104-run opening stand.

Daniel Bosman added an unbeaten 43 off 32, while Noah Heath was also unbeaten, making 32 off 43 in the hosts’ 232/3 declared.

Sipho Mjekula rattled the cage a bit, claiming 2/48 in eight overs, but it was mostly a tough time for the Queen’s bowlers.

Given a second chance at the crease, the Komani boys fared far better, with Aiden van Jaarsveld leading the way. He contributed a brilliant 79 off 107 balls, striking an impressive 10 fours and three sixes, while Ross Fitzhenry helped in the middle order, scoring 20 off 47.

Timothy Short bowled one and had two LBW decisions go his way to return 3/39 from 16 overs. Kirsten also collected multiple wickets, recording 2/12 in seven overs.

When the match came to its end, Queen’s College was on 120/5, with Rondebosch needing only five second innings wickets to secure victory in the  time cricket format.

SCORES

Wynberg Boys’ High 208/10 (Moosa Gabriels 63, Storme van Rooyen 47, Joshua Prince 32, Muhammad Ameen Schroeder 24; William Beamish 4/37, Rhys Wiblin 2/51); St. Andrew’s College 179/10 (Benjamin Scharges 53, Samuel Scheckter 41, Benjamin Coventry 38*; Damien Harris 5/13, Fawaaz Hendricks 2/24).

Wynberg Boys’ High won by 29-runs.

Queen’s College 48/10 (James Kirsten 3/15, Hlumelo Mgweba 2/1, Schalk Fourie 2/6); Rondebosch Boys’ High 232/3 decl. (Janko Webb 61, Daniel Cooke 59, Daniel Bosman 43*, Noah Heath 32*, Adeeb Levy 31; Sipho Mjekula 2/48); Queen’s College 120/5 (Aiden van Jaarsveld 79, Ross Fitzhenry 20; Timothy Short 3/39, James Kirsten 2/12).

Rondebosch won by an innings and 64 runs.

Selborne College and Graeme College made strong starts to their Cape Schools Cricket Festival campaigns on Saturday, with Selborne subjecting Union High to a 161-run thrashing, while Graeme College marched to a six-wicket win over Dale College on Rondebosch Boys High’s Meadow A field.

At Wynberg Boys’ High, in a declaration match, the toss went the way of Selborne captain Aaron Senekal, and he chose to bat first.

The skipper backed up his decision with a wonderful half-century as the East London side put 353/7 declared on the board in 55 overs. Then they bowled out Union out for 182.

Opener Matthew Hendry (84 off 82) gave Selborne a solid start with a well-paced half-century and held down the fort for 28.2 over before he was dismissed by Tristan Hulleman. With Hendry’s departure, Senekal made his way to the middle with Selborne was in the throes of a collapse, having lost three wickets for three runs in 11 balls as Hulleman wreaked havoc.

Senekal, who finished the match with an 80-ball 83, however, consolidated with a 131-run sixth-wicket partnership with Reece Wait (50). Both were dismissed by Hulleman, who took it upon himself to stop Selborne and captured 6/78 in 12 overs.

When Union High batted, Senekal put his all-round skills on display by claiming three wickets for 13 runs in three overs. He was the joint-highest wicket-taker with Michael Hess, who bagged 3/52 from 12 overs.

Yaseen Kazi top-scored for Union with a patient 39 from 74 balls, while Hulleman weighed in with 35 from 49 deliveries.

At Rondebosch, Graeme College produced a solid team performance to record a six-wicket win over Dale College. Avuyile Ngqawana, the Dale College captain, elected to bat first at the toss, but his side struggled, progressing in fits and starts on their way to being bowled out for only 99.

Endinako Mnguni top-scored for Dale with 28 runs from 35 balls, while Somila Malapi was the only other batsman to reach the 20-run mark, contributing a patient 21 from 45 deliveries.

Andrew Muir, who took the new ball for Graeme College, knocked over 3/13 in six overs, while Ajay Jeggels and Luphelo Mdyesha took a brace each.

Graeme College replied with 161 all out, which owed much to a fighting 36 from Enrique Strydom and Mdyesha’s relatively brisk 33 from 38 deliveries.

Lihlumelo Ngcukana and Endinako Mnguni picked up three wickets each to ensure that Graeme didn’t build a mammoth lead.

The second time around, Dale produced an improved performance with the bat, declaring after scoring 94/5. Inga Mafanga led the way with a 49-ball 40, while Malapi chipped in with a patient 23 from 62 deliveries. That small 33-run lead, however, did not put the match beyond Graeme’s reach.

The boys from Makhanda won, but not without some setbacks. Only Mdyesha, with an unbeaten 17, reached double figures as the Odwa Xonxa-coached side fought their way to 35/4 to claim victory.

Ngcukana and Sibongisile Nzima did their best to stop Graeme College in their tracks with the ball, snapping up two wickets each.

SCORES

Selborne 353/7 (Matthew Hendry 84, Aaron Senekal 83; Tristan Hulleman 6/78, Leander Kraai 1/52). Union High 182/10 (Yaseen Kazi 39, Tristan Hulleman 35; Aaron Senekal 3/13, Michael Hess 3/52).

Selborne won by 161 runs.

Dale College 99/10 (Endinako Mnguni 28, Somila Malapi 21; Andrew Muir 3/31, Luphelo Mdyesha 2/10). Graeme College 161/10 (Enrique Strydom 36, Luphelo Mdyesha 33; Lihlumelo Ngcukana 3/17, Endinako Mnguni 3/31). Dale College 94/5 (Inga Mafanga 40, Somila Malapi 23; Lisekho Zinyane 3/12, Andrew Muir 1/13). Graeme College 35/4 (Luphelo Mdyesha 17*, Enrique Strydom 4; Sibongisile Nzima 2/16, Lihlumelo Ngcukana 2/18).

Graeme College won by six wickets.

There were some shock results and a bucketload of goals scored on Saturday, day one of the SACS Water Polo Tournament, in Cape Town.

The prestigious tournament features 20 of the best boys’ water polo-playing schools from across the country competing in a jam-packed schedule of 20-minute matches.

The event runs through until Monday. All of the matches are being held at the SACS Aquatic Centre and streamed LIVE on the SuperSport Schools App.

The Breakdown

Pool A

In a blistering start to the tournament, only four sides remain unbeaten after the opening day’s play.

In Pool A, Rondebosch Boys’ High picked up three wins and a 4-4 draw, which came against St John’s College in their opener.

After sharing the points in that outing, they upped the tempo and outplayed Grey High School 8-1 before shrugging off St Andrew’s College 5-3 and Northwood 5-2 later in the day.

That put ‘Bosch in pole position overnight, with Jeppe High School for Boys, Hilton College, and Wynberg Boys’ High completing the top four.

Jeppe also had an impressive run and picked up some eye-opening wins, which included shocking St Stithians College 6-4 in their opener before holding St John’s to a thrilling 4-4 draw.

The boys from Kensington went on a scoring spree against St Benedict’s College, putting 10 past their opponents, but suffered a loss to Hilton College.

Speaking of Hilton, the KwaZulu-Natal side was far from its usual best but they will be aiming to bounce back on day two.

Like Jeppe, they picked up two wins, a draw, and a loss, which they suffered at the hands of Wynberg Boys’ High.

The Paul Martin-coached side kicks off Pool A proceedings on day two with a crucial game against St John’s, who, they recently beat in the final of the Clifton Water Polo Tournament.

St Benedict’s will be hunting their first win while Grey High and Northwood will be aiming to move up the table.

Pool B

Pool B was always going to be interesting with several top guns eager to make a statement.

The hosts, SACS, produced a flawless start and won all four of their matches, beating Parktown Boys’ High 15-0, St Alban’s College 6-4, Pretoria Boys High (PBHS) 4-3, and Grey College 4-3.

They were joined on the “unbeaten train” by Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) and St David’s Marist Inanda.

PRG has found the going tough in recent tournaments, but they appeared to have turned a new leaf at the SACS Aquatic Centre.

Coach Vaughn Marlow’s boys picked up victories against PBHS, Parktown Boys, and Clifton College. Their biggest triumph on the day, however, was a 3-1 victory over the defending champions, Bishops Diocesan College.

St David’s ended the day in third place, with Bishops completing the top four.

Selborne College, St Alban’s and Clifton, are all tied on three points after four matches, while PBHS and Parktown will go in search of their first victories on day two.

The first three matches of Sunday will be Pool B fixtures, with PRG tackling St Alban’s before the hosts take on Selborne. St David’s will tackle PBHS in a Gauteng derby.

RESULTS

Day 1

Pool A

Rondebosch 4-4 St John’s College
Hilton 5-1 Grey High
St Andrew’s College 5-1 St Benedict’s
Wynberg 3-4 Northwood
St John’s College 4-4 Jeppe
Rondebosch 8-1 Grey High
Wynberg 6-3 St Benedict’s
St Andrew’s College 3-3 Northwood
Hilton 6-6 St Stithians
St John’s College 5-4 Grey High
St Andrew’s College 3-5 Rondebosch
St Stithians 5-3 Northwood
Hilton 4-5 Wynberg
Jeppe 10-2 St Benedict’s
St Andrew’s College 5-4 St John’s
St Stithians 4-4 Wynberg
St Benedict’s 3-6 Grey High
Rondebosch 5-2 Northwood

Pool B

Jeppe 6-4 St Stithians
Bishops 12-3 Grey College
Clifton 4-4 Selborne College
SACS 15-0 Parktown
St David’s Marist 4-4 St Alban’s
Pretoria Boys High 1-3 Paul Roos
Bishops 5-1 Selborne College
St David’s 10-0 Grey College
SACS 6-4 St Alban’s
Parktown 0-13 Paul Roos
Clifton 4-2 Pretoria Boys High
Grey College 5-4 St Alban’s
Bishops 1-3 Paul Roos
SACS 4-3 Pretoria Boys
St David’s Marist 6-1 Clifton
Selborne 12-1 Parktown
Clifton 0-2 Paul Roos
Hilton 6-4 Jeppe
SACS 4-3 Grey College
St David’s Marist 3-1 Selborne
St Alban’s 8-2 Parktown
Bishops 9-3 Pretoria Boys High

Fixtures

Day 2 – Sunday, 5 October

07:10 – St Alban’s vs Paul Roos
07:30 – SACS vs Selborne College
07:50 – St David’s Marist vs Pretoria Boys High
08:10 – Hilton vs St John’s College
08:30 – St Stithians vs Rondebosch
08:50 – St Benedict’s vs Northwood
09:10 – St Andrew’s College vs Wynberg
09:30 – Grey College vs Parktown
09:50 – Jeppe vs Grey High
10:10 – Hilton vs Rondebosch
10:30 – Bishops vs Clifton
10:50 – Selborne College vs St Alban’s
11:10 – St Andrew’s College vs St Stithians
11:30 – Jeppe vs Northwood
11:50 – Grey College vs Paul Roos
12:10 – SACS vs Clifton
12:30 – St John’s vs St Benedict’s
12:50 – Wynberg vs Grey High
13:10 – St Davids vs Bishops
13:30 – Pretoria Boys vs Parktown
13:50 – Hilton vs St Andrew’s College
14:10 – St John’s College vs Northwood
14:30 – Selborne College vs Paul Roos
14:50 – Rondebosch vs St Benedict’s
15:10 – Wynberg vs Jeppe
15:30 – SACS vs St David’s Marist
15:50 – Clifton vs St Alban’s
16:10 – Pretoria Boys vs Grey College
16:30 – St Andrew’s College vs Grey High
16:50 – Hilton vs Northwood
17:10 – Bishops vs Parktown
17:30 – St Stithians vs St Benedict’s
17:50 – SACS vs Paul Roos
18:10 – Rondebosch vs Jeppe
18:30 – Clifton vs Grey College
18:50 – Pretoria Boys vs Selborne College
19:10 – Bishops vs St Alban’s
19:30 – Wynberg vs St John’s College
19:50 – St Stithians vs Grey High
20:10 – St David’s vs Parktown

Day 3 – Monday, 6 October 

06:50 – Hilton vs St Benedict’s
07:10 – Grey High vs Northwood
07:30 – Selborne College vs Grey College
07:50 – Pretoria Boys vs St Alban’s
08:10 – St Andrew’s College vs Jeppe
08:30 – St Stithians vs St John’s College
08:50 – St David’s Marist vs Paul Roos
09:10 – Clifton vs Parktown
09:30 – Rondebosch vs Wynberg
09:50 – SACS vs Bishops
10:40 – 3rd Pool A vs 2nd Pool B (Quarterfinal 1)
11:00 – 2nd Pool A vs 3rd Pool B (Quarterfinal 2)
11:20 – 1st Pool A vs 4th Pool B (Quarterfinal 3)
11:40 – 4th Pool A vs 1st Pool B (Quarterfinal 4)
12:30 – Semifinal 1
13:00 – Semifinal 2
14:00 – Bronze medal playoff
14:00 – Final

St. Andrew’s School vs SACS (unlimited overs, one-day, one-innings)

In their opening fixture of the Cape Schools Festival, the sole Free State outfit, St Andrew’s School, defeated their hosts, SACS, by 30 runs, in a one-innings, one-day, unlimited overs fixture.

The visitors won the toss on the De Villiers Oval and chose to bat. Having armoured up to face the first delivery, Naudé Botha struck three fours and a six at the top of the order, making 22 from 22, but Ronan Meintjies had the visitors on the hop.

The opening bowler had Saints wobbling on 14/3 in the fourth over and went on to capture five of the first seven wickets to fall as the Bloemfontein boys clawed their way to 79/7.

Grové du Preez, in at seven, slowed the SACS’ assault, scoring a sturdy 39 off 89 to get the runs flowing at the back end of the innings. Schalk van Rensburg, batting ninth, played a crucial knock, making unbeaten 36 off 63, which included six fours and a six, helping St Andrew’s School to 162 all out.

Meintjies sparkled for SACS, capturing 5/29 in 12 overs, while Benjamin Blackburn also caused the visitors problems, securing 2/35 in 13 overs.

After his century against Palmerston North last Saturday, Jordan Berry continued the good work, contributing a solid 35 off 45 to the SACS’ run chase.

Opener Luke Whitehead also aided their effort with 21 off 47, but the hosts lost four wickets for 19 runs in the middle order and lost momentum, ultimately being dismissed for 132.

Andrew Sobiech led the St Andrew’s attack with a stunning 4/44 from 15 overs, while FG Botha, who, unusually, missed out with the bat, snapped up 2/31 from his eight overs of leg spin.

Nikhil Sukraj brought a swift end to the contest, claiming two victims for no runs off just two deliveries.

SCORES

St. Andrew’s School 162/10 (Grové du Preez 39, Schalk van Rensburg 36*, Nikhil Sukraj 24, Naudé Botha 22; Ronan Meintjies 5/29, Benjamin Blackburn 2/35); SACS 132/10 (Jordan Berry 35, Luke Whitehead 21; Andrew Sobiech 4/44, Nikhil Sukraj 2/0, FG Botha 2/31).

St. Andrew’s School won by 30 runs.

St Charles College‘s Ryan Clarke and Northwood‘s David de Bruyn were among the top tun scorers on the first day of the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Week, and both batted their sides to solid victories.

Clarke’s 78 runs, only 74 deliveries, laid the foundation for his side to topple Paul Roos Gimnasium by 24 runs in Pietermaritzburg.

Playing at home, Saints were put in to bat first by a Paul Roos Gimnasium side that welcomed back its matrics after a stayers’ lineup toured Pretoria just a week ago.

Neil Barnard (2/41) got the Bolanders off to a good start by picking up a wicket in the third over. He also nabbed the final wicket in the 48th over.

The home side lost wickets at regular intervals until Clarke and Caleb Sharp (56) got together in the middle. Sharp rebuilt patiently, facing 91 deliveries for his 56-run contribution. When he was eventually dismissed by Luca Plekker, he and Clarke had shared a match-defining 103-run stand for the sixth wicket.

Plekker ended off a tidy nine-over spell as the pick of the Paul Roos bowlers, returning an economical 3/24. Morné Pauw (2/35) also made a noteworthy contribution. Still, St Charles posted 249 all out.

The visitors knew that would be a tough total to chase down, especially because heavy rains on Friday had made the batting conditions difficult. Connor Vogt also made it tough on them. In only five overs, he captured 3/16, while Keegan Vermaak made his mark with a return of 2/41.

Plekker fought hard, delivering a stubborn knock of 42 runs, which was his side’s highest individual score. Jason Raal (34) and Liam Basson (33) also fought valiantly but the Capetonians didn’t have quite enough batting firepower, and they came up 24 runs shy of the St Charles’ total, all out for 225.

The CSA Hub Invitational XI, like last year, started their campaign on a victorious note, beating Cornwall Hill College by a nail-biting three wickets.

Enathi Kitshini produced a man-of-the-match performance, firstly doing significant damage with the ball and then making an unbeaten batting contribution to get his side across the line.

His 4/24 in 10 overs undermined Cornwall Hill’s batting effort, with only the Pretoria side’s captain, Abubaker Rasool, making a noteworthy contribution. He knuckled down to score 67 runs from 106 balls. If not for him occupying the crease, Cornwall wouldn’t have scratched their way to the 150 all out they posted.

Frontline bowler, Rourke de Lange (3/31) did his best to defend a small target, but Tshepang Laka‘s unbeaten 40, Matthew Florence‘s 38, and 24 not out from Kitshini were, in the end, enough to lift the Hub XI to victory in the 33rd over.

At Michaelhouse, David de Bruyn, of Northwood, looked like he was batting on a different surface to the rest of the players in the clash between the Durban school and Hoërskool Waterkloof.

With Thursday’s rains impacting the playing surface, their match was reduced to a T20. That suited De Bruyn perfectly. In just 66 deliveries, he smashed eight fours and five sixes and was out for 95, just five runs short of what would’ve been a well-deserved century. Thomas Oosthuizen (40) provided strong support as the Knights‘ totalled a challenging 184/4.

The Klofies struggled to match the heroics of De Bruyn and were undone by left-arm spinner Jordan Matthews, who laid waste to their run chase. He snared 4/27 from his four overs as Waterkloof, after an encouraging start, slid to 142 all out in the 18th over.

Summarised scorecards

St Charles College 249 (Ryan Clarke 78, Caleb Sharp 56, Extras 25, Connor Simpson 20*; Luca Plekker 3/24, Morné Pauw 2/35, Neil Barnard 2/41); Paul Roos Gimnasium 225 (Luca Plekker 42, Jason Raal 34, Liam Basson 33, Extras 20; Connor Vogt 3/16, Keegan Vermaak 2/41). St Charles College won by 24 runs. 

Cornwall Hill College 150 (Abubaker Rasool 67; Enathi Kitshini 4/24, Unathi Magoloza 2/21, Taywin Cole Adams 2/24); CSA Hub Invitational XI 151/7 (Tshepang Laka 40*, Matthew Florence 38, Enathi Kitshini 24*; Rourke de Lange 3/31, Ethan Feris-Philander 2/15). CSA Hub Invitational XI won by three wickets. 

Northwood 184/4 (David de Bruyn 95, Thomas Oosthuizen 40; Darius Maritz 1/15); Waterkloof 142 (Rico van der Walt 31, Ricardo Crous 24, AJ de Villiers 20; Jordan Matthews 4/27, Ryan van Zyl 2/12, Thabiso Mtambo 2/35). Northwood won by 42 runs. 

Ryan Young, Troy Gordon, and Thomas Collins were in outstanding form for Jeppe, King Edward VII (KES), and St Stithians respectively on Saturday, the first day of the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week.

In another match featuring a Gauteng side, St David’s Marist Inanda unleashed the full might of their collective effort to make light work of Westville Boys’ High.

Young smoked a brilliant century to set the stage for Jeppe’s emphatic 162-run win over Hudson Park at Collegians.

The Jeppe captain lost the toss, but not much more went wrong for him after that. His side was asked to bat first, and he led the way with an imperious 127 from 123 balls to steer Jeppe to 296/7, before marshalling his bowling attack well as they dismissed Hudson Park for 134 in 40 overs.

When Young walked out to the crease, Jeppe was on 68/2, thanks to a brisk knock from Tiago Almeida (58 from 47 balls) that made up for Zizi Mkhize and Munib Ayob’s cheap dismissals. The skipper immediately took control of the innings and didn’t let go until the 47th over. His 102-run fourth-wicket stand with Aiden Reyneke (43) was the foundational beam of Jeppe’s big total.

In reply, Hudson Park made a good start, with a 57-run opening partnership between Iminathi Sam and Alulutho Mapukata. Then, though, the wheels came off, with five wickets falling for 35 runs in 10.5 overs, and the East London school didn’t recover. The rest of the batting lineup added only 42 runs in the next 20 overs.

At Richmond, Troy Gordon stood head and shoulders above his teammates, scoring an unbeaten 90 to shepherd KES to a three-wicket triumph over Kearsney College.

Zieg Roos, the KES captain, assessed conditions and determined that chasing would be better, so he asked Kearsney to bat first. The KwaZulu-Natal side struggled to get going and lost three wickets in the powerplay. However, Cole Young stepped up and kept an end intact with a well-played 83 from 122 balls, but he received little support, with no other Kearsney batsmen making it out of the teens.

When KES batted, Gordon found himself in a similar predicament to Young. The biggest difference was the contribution of Roos (27), with whom he shared a 77-run fourth-wicket stand, which helped to significantly reduce the gap between the sides.

KES needed only 55 runs to win, with six wickets in hand, when the captain was dismissed, and Gordon took it upon himself to see his team home.

At Eston, Thomas Collins stepped up and recorded a watchful half-century to guide St Stithians to a three-wicket win over Durban High School (DHS).

The Gauteng side’s Tahseen Hanslo won the toss and elected to bowl, and his bowlers made good use of conditions to dismiss DHS for 163 in 37.4 overs. Akhil Challa delivered an almost unplayable 3.4-over spell that earned him a four-wicket haul as DHS was restricted to a gettable total.

The Horseflies‘ top three, as usual, made runs. Ismaeel Omar led the way with 42, Josh van Biljon chipped in with 41, and Ethan Cooper contributed 20 but, apart from 24 from captain Bayanda Majola, there was not much more to speak about.

Unfortunately, for the St Stithians’ bowling hero, Challa, he was unable to perform heroics with the bat; he fell on the first delivery he faced and was replaced by Collins. The number three batsman made sure that Saints didn’t lose wickets at both ends, compiling a steady, unbeaten 69 from 96 deliveries while the rest of the Johannesburg side’s lineup batted around him as they tallied 165/7 in 36 overs.

In Pietermaritzburg, St David’s Marist Inanda showed the might of their bowling attack as they cantered to a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Westville at Varsity 1. The Jason Rowles-captained team won the toss, elected to bowl first, and dismantled Westville for only 93 runs in 31.2 overs.

Kyle McGough resisted with a hard-earned 20 from 52 deliveries, while Westville’s next-best effort came from Seth Simpson with a relatively brisk 25-ball 16, while the St David’s bowling attack was the third-highest contributor to the Westville score with 13 extras. However, they made up for that by restricting their opposition to less than 100 runs in 31.2 overs.

The St David’s batsmen then needed only 13.3 overs to chase down the victory target. Sohail Seonath led the scoring with an unbeaten 43-ball 40, while Rowles was the next-best batter with a quick 36 from 29.

Scorecards

Jeppe 296/7 (Ryan Young 127, Tiago Almeida 58; Somila Mkokeli 3/61, Lukhanyo Hlathuka 2/63). Hudson Park 134/10 (Iminathi Sam 43, Alulutho Mapukata 24; Shreth Kumar 3/22, Reza Ayob 2/18). Jeppe won by 162 runs.

Kearsney 168/10 (Cole Young 83, Jonty Wiggett 18; Luke Clark 3/23, Lebone Ramedupe 3/37). KES 171/7 (Troy Gordon 90*, Zieg Roos 27; Rivaan Moodley 3/40, James Bishop 1/15). KES won by three wickets.

DHS 163/10 (Ismaeel Omar 42, Josh van Biljon 41; Akhil Challa 4/13, Zaakir Hanslo 3/46). St Stithians 165/7 (Thomas Collins 69*, Matthew Anderson 30; Taine Havemann 2/15, Joshua Moeley 2/51). St Stithians won by three wickets.

Westville 93/10 (Kyle McGough 20, Seth Simpson 16; Kyle Butler 3/14, Christopher Emslie 2/25). St David’s 95/2 (Sohail Seonath 40*, Jason Rowles 36; Tristan Delvin 1/8, Dayalan Boyce 1/29). St David’s won by eight wickets.

Paarl Gimnasium vs St. John’s College (Johannesburg) (50-over)

St. John’s College defeated the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week newcomers Paarl Gimnasium by four wickets to win their first match on Saturday. 

After winning the toss in Howick, St John’s chose to field first in the 50 over fixture and they made that call count.

Paarl Gim got off to a disastrous start, with Derrick Groenewald, coming in at five, making his way out to the middle with the total on 8/3.

After opener, Dirk Hugo, departed for 11, with the total on 28, Groenewald and De Waal Vivier combined for a 53-run partnership to slow the St John’s onslaught, but the damage had already been done.

Vivier went on to top score with 33, while Groenewald made 27. Lower down the order, a number of scores in the teens helped Gim to 145 all out.

St John’s opening bowler, David Ireland, with 4/25 in nine overs, put the Paarl side in a tough position early on in their innings, and first change bowler, Tapiwa Chikwava, amped up the pressure by claiming 3/29 in 10 overs. Ethan Robinson, the other new ball bowler, snapped up 2/18 in 7.2 overs.

The St John’s run chase was built around Michael Stubbs. Batting at three, he made 54 from 75 balls, which included four fours and two sixes.

Josh Hall came in at six and and delivered an unbeaten 25, while captain Alec Loveland made 21, to steer the Johannesburg school to a four-wicket win after 34 overs.

Paarl Boys’ High vs Clifton College (50-over)

Clifton College has been on a good run recently and they continued their strong form with a four-wicket victory over Paarl Boys’ High at Lynwood. After captain Tim Saulez won the toss, he invited Boishaai to visit the crease first.

They found the going tough, with AB Jacobs, in the middle order, top scoring with 22 runs off 21 balls, which included two fours and a maximum. Opener Christo Muller weighed in with a measured 20 off 47.

Regan Radley, meanwhile, destroyed the Paarl Boys’ High top order, with the tall seamer knocking over 3/16 in five overs, while Clifton’s frontline spinners picked up five wickets. Shiraz Perumal snared 3/33 in 9.3 overs and Blake Johnson bagged a tidy 2/17 in 10 overs.

Having bowled out Boishaai for 122, Clifton made a confident start to their run chase.

Hayden Drieselmann led the final portion of the chase, securing an unbeaten 35 off 41, cracking four fours and a maximum, but Clifton’s openers, Cohen Naidoo and Yusuf Ahmed, set up the win with a 54-run opening stand, scoring 22 and 21 respectively.

Boishaai did themselves no favours by conceding 21 extras in the 29.3 overs they bowled. Reece Peterson returned a solid 2/28 in six overs. Clifton, though, controlled the contest, winning with 123 deliveries to spare.

SCORES

Paarl Gimnasium 149/10 (Derrick Groenewald 35, De Waal Vivier 28; David Ireland 3/26, Tapiwa Chikwava 3/29, Ethan Robinson 2/18); St. John’s College 150/6 (Michael Stubbs 57, Josh Hall 26*).

St. John’s won by four wickets.

Paarl Boys’ High 122/10 (AB Jacobs 22, Christo Muller 20; Regan Radley 3/16, Shiraz Perumal 3/33, Blake Johnson 2/17); Clifton College 127/6 (Hayden Drieselmann 35*, Cohen Naidoo 22, Yusuf Ahmed 21, Extras 21; Reece Peterson 2/28).

Clifton won by four wickets.

Wet conditions at the start of what is expected to be a thrilling 2025 Oppenheimer Michaelmas Week saw the encounters on day one live up to expectations.

The most exhilarating was a low-scoring thriller between Hilton College and Grey College from Bloemfontein, at the home of Hilton Cricket, the Hart-Davis Oval. Having won the toss, the hosts elected to field first, hoping to use the conditions and make early inroads.

They did so, too, with Christian Kind the first to depart after he had top-scored for the visitors from Bloemfontein. Kind accumulated 37 runs before his innings of 31 balls came to an end in the ninth over. From thereon, the going was slow and tough.

Hilton’s Obakeng Motsepa led the way with the ball, snapping up 3/20 in the five overs he bowled. From the other end, Luke Campbell (2/32) and Jayden Roux (2/35) provided the necessary support to restrict Grey College to a meagre 147 all out.

The drama and good bowling, however, weren’t over yet. Otto Krause proved to be an absolute nightmare to face on the day, dispatching Hilton’s Ben Hockly for five in only the third over. Krause picked up another two wickets to eventually tip his cap with figures of 3/46.

Fellow opening bowler, Sicelo Matayi, was even more impressive, completing his allotted 10 overs with 3/38 as Grey’s pick of the bowlers, while Bergh Vorster managed 2/19.

As a result, only Jayden Roux (28) and Luke Campbell (27) made it past the 25-run mark for Hilton, and the home side were eventually bowled out for just 145, losing by an agonising two runs.

Maritzburg College got one back for the KZN locals as they thumped Pretoria Boys High by 128 runs. Karl Dedekind showed wonderful prowess and knowledge of his home conditions, scoring a match-defining 74 runs. Kyle de Bruyn wasn’t far behind with an equally impressive 57, as part of a 101-run opening stand with Daniel Nadasan (28). This enabled College to notch an impressive total of 277.

Boys High stalwart, Justin Basdeo, was again a standout for the side from the Jacaranda City. His 3/47 was the highlight of his performance, followed by 22 with the bat, his side’s second-highest score on the day. Ethan Nel was the best Boys High batter, falling just two runs short of a well-deserved half-century.

Nadasan continued to be a pebble in the shoe of the visitors, backing up his batting with 3/6. Samuel Huges (2/26) and Nathan Pembridge (2/26) combined to deliver the final blow as Boys High could only reach 149.

Michaelhouse saw off Pretoria powerhouse Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool by 51 runs in a shortened fixture. Rex Wardlaw led the charge with an invaluable 48 runs, as both sides had only 25 overs to bat. This was followed by cameos from Ethan Muir (22) and Ben Heuer (22), who took them to 128/6 in the allotted 25 overs. The Michaelhouse bowlers, realising that it might be a small score to defend, stepped up to the plate. Heuer got in on the action again with 2/11, followed by Rendani Nonge (2/12).

Affies had no answers to the numerous questions asked, slumping to a disappointing 77 all out.

Summarised scorecards

Grey College 147 (Cristian Kind 37, River Scott 20; Obakeng Motsepa 3/20, Luke Campbell 2/32, Jayden Roux 2/35); Hilton College 145 (Jayden Roux 28, Luke Campbell 27, David Hill 23; Otto Krause 3/46, Sicelo Matayi, Bergh Vorster 2/19). Grey College won by two runs

Maritzburg College 277 (Karl Dedekind 74, Kyle de Bruyn 57, Extras 31, Sphamandla Dzanibe 29, Daniel Nadasan 28; Justin Basdeo 3/47, Jaydon Knott-Craig 3/53); Pretoria Boys High 149 (Ethan Nel 48, Justin Basdeo 22, Dylan Kruger 21; Daniel Nadasan 3/6, Samuel Hughes 2/26, Nathan Pembridge 2/41). Maritzburg College won by 128 runs. 

Michaelhouse 128/6 (25) (Rex Wardlaw 48, Ethan Muir 22, Ben Heuer 22; Petrus Rautenbach 2/28); Affies 77 (JP Botha 25; Ben Heuer 2/11, Rendani Nonge 2/12, Liam O’Dwyer 2/22). Michaelhouse won by 51 runs. 

The most impressive teams from day one of the National Co-Ed Water Polo Tournament, Reddam House Bedfordview, in the girls’ division, and Pearson High, in the boys’ competition – continued to make their presence felt on Friday, at Pearson, in Gqeberha.

In Pool A of the girls’ competition, Reddam House Bedfordview added two more wins to the two they scored on Thursday.

They were given a tough workout in their first assignment on Friday by Beaulieu College but claimed a 4-2 win, with Alisha Beswick scoring three and Caitlin Scrimgeour netting Reddam’s other. Jaime Napier and Jessica Muller replied for Beaulieu. In their second match, Reddam rolled to an 11-1 win over Woodridge College.

Beaulieu, who beat Merrifield College and Woodridge on day one, bounced back from their loss with a big 15-4 win over Steyn City School. Woodridge, meanwhile, beat Merrifield 9-4.

Merrifield and Steyn City tied at 10-10, but Merrifield won 3-1 on penalties.

In Pool B, four goals from Jorja Linke and further strikes from with Nicola Schwartz and Jordan van Eek helped Stirling maintain their lead at the top of the standings after a 6-3 win over Thomas More College. Westerford High outplayed Alexander Road 11-2.

Pearson clinched a hard-fought 4-2 win over St Peter’s College in Pool C. With St Peter’s having won both of their day one games, and Pearson having gone one and one, it was a crucial victory. Hudson Park enjoyed a smooth 12-2 win over Curro Hillcrest.

Glenwood House enjoyed a good day in Pool D, where they battled their way to two hard-fought wins. After defeating NMMU/VC Invitational 5-2, they played to a 3-3 draw with Crawford Lonehill but won the penalty shootout 2-0.

Kingswood College suffered a narrow 5-6 loss to the Invitational team but overran Rand Park High 16-1. Crawford Lonehill also beat Rand Park, winning 11-2.

In cross-pool fixtures, Beaulieu overcame Westerford 7-3, while Thomas More edged out Woodridge 4-3 in a thrilling encounter. Hudson Park impressed in a 7-3 win over Crawford Lonehill, and Pearson escaped with a dramatic 5-4 victory over Glenwood House.

In the boys’ competition, Pearson extended their perfect start in Pool A, recording two solid wins – 5-1 over Curro Hillcrest and 7-2 over Kingswood College. The Invitational side downed Rand Park 9-3 but lost to Kingswood after a penalty shootout.

Reddam House Bedfordview edged out Stirling High 4-3 in a tense Pool B clash, while Steyn City maintained their winning form with a 4-1 triumph over Thomas More College, with Brett Litten (x2), Zack Thomas, and Cobus Lombard netting for Steyn City, while Jack Morgan replied for Thomas More.

In Pool C, Woodridge College continued their fine form, posting a dominant 12-4 win over Westerford. Meanwhile, Reddam House Helderfontein picked up their first victory of the tournament with a narrow 7-6 defeat of Merrifield College.

St Peter’s College enjoyed a fantastic day in Pool D, defeating Hudson Park 10-6 and Alex Road 13-1. Glenwood House also picked up back-to-back wins, beating the Co-Ed Invitational team 9-5 and Hudson Park 9-4.

Then, in cross-pool clashes, Stirling dominated Curro Hillcrest 13-1, Steyn City downed Kingswood 8-3, and Hudson Park edged out Merrifield 3-1 after penalties. St Peter’s closed the day strongly with a 6-4 win over Westerford.

RESULTS

GIRLS

Pool A

Beaulieu 2-4 Reddam Bedfordview
Woodridge 1-11 Reddam Bedfordview
Merrifield (10) 3-1 (10) Steyn City
Beaulieu 15-4 Steyn City
Merrifield 4-9 Woodridge

Pool B
Stirling 6-3 Thomas More
Alex Road 2-11 Westerford

Pool C
Hudson Park 12-2 Curro Hillcrest
Pearson 4-2 St Peter’s

Pool D
Glenwood 5-2 NMMU/VC Invitational
Crawford Lonehill 11-2 Rand Park
Kingswood 5-6 NMMU/VC Invitational
Rand Park 1-16 Kingswood
Glenwood (3) 2-0 (3) Crawford Lonehill

Cross Pool Playoffs
Beaulieu 7-3 Westerford
Thomas More 4-3 Woodridge
Hudson Park 7-3 Crawford Lonehill
Glenwood 4-5 Pearson

BOYS

Pool A
Pearson 5-1 Curro Hillcrest
Rand Park 3-9 Invitational
Pearson 7-2 Kingswood
Curro Hillcrest 9-5 Rand Park
Kingswood (4) 5-5 (1) Invitational

Pool B
Thomas More 1-4 Steyn City
Stirling 3-4 Reddam Bedfordview

Pool C
Reddam Helderfontein 7-6 Merrifield
Westerford 4-12 Woodridge

Pool D
St Peter’s 10-6 Hudson Park
Glenwood 9-5 Co-ed Invitational
Alex Road 1-13 St Peter’s
Glenwood 9-4 Hudson Park
Alex Road 2-10 Co-ed Invitational

Cross Pools
Curro Hillcrest 1-13 Stirling
Steyn City 8-3 Kingswood
Merrifield (1) 5-5 (3) Hudson Park
St Peter’s 6-4 Westerford

Die groot nuus uit Pretoria is dat Hoërskool Waterkloof ‘n nuwe era van rugby onder ‘n bekende gesig in die Klofie-gemeenskap gaan afskop.

Slegs ‘n paar dae nadat die nuweling in 2026 se SDC Noordvaal Cup Beker-afdeling, Hoërskool Middelburg, sy nuwe rugbydirekteur aangestel het, het nog ‘n groot hond in dié einste afdeling ‘n nuwe rugbybaas.

Cobus van Dyk sal vanaf 2026 leiding as baasbrein van die Blou Tornado se rugbystrukture neem.

Dit is welbekend dat Klofies se rugby vanjaar effens woema gekort het. Die skolereus uit die ooste van Pretoria moes enduit om oorlewing baklei, en dit is iets wat hulle in 2026 wil vermy.

Van Dyk is reeds vir die afgelope sewe jaar as sporthoof en eerstespan-afrigter by die Klofies betrokke, maar sien uit daarna om sy passie verder uit te leef.

“Die landskap van ‘n rugbydirekteur op skolevlak het die laaste klompie jaar aansienlik verander” het Van Dyk aan SuperSport Schools Plus gesê.

“Dit gaan nie slegs meer oor reëlings tref nie, maar myns insiens daaroor om ‘n gemeenskap bymekaar te bring, en hoop te skep vir ‘n gemeenskap. My taak gaan wees om ‘n sterk Klofie-gemeenskap bymekaar te bring deur Waterkloof-rugby, en om die nodige rolspelers hiervoor bymekaar te bring. Dit is hoe ons die pad vorentoe sien.”

Van Dyk het in 2013 sy eerste aansoek by SA Rugby ingedien om by die SA Skolespan se afrigtingskorps betrokke te raak. Dit is nie aanvaar nie, maar het hom op sy weg geplaas en hy het dieselfde jaar by die Pumas se Cravenweekspan begin afrig.

Daarna het hy vir 11 jaar ‘n rol vervul by SA Rugby, waarvan sewe as skrumafrigter van die SA Skole- en SA o.18-span – sedert die totstandkoming van die jaarlikse Internasionale o.18-reeks. Benewens daardie ervaring, is Van Dyk ook reeds vir vyf jaar betrokke by die Universiteit van Pretoria se eerste rugbyspan.

“Ek het natuurlik baie dankbaarheid in my hart. Eerstens gee ek al die lof en eer aan my Hemelse Vader, wat sedert die teleurstelling in 2013 ‘n yslike pad saam met my gestap het. Dan is daar natuurlik my vrou, Carika, en my twee kinders, waarsonder ek nie tot hier sou kon gevorder het nie.

“Ek is ‘n produk van ‘n groot groep mense wat my ondersteun en in my loopbaan belê het. Die groep by SA Rugby, Meneer Herman Masemla, Louis Koen, Nico Serfontein en ‘n ellelange lys van ander, waarby ek ongelooflik baie kon leer, het my beslis voorberei vir dié nuwe rol as rugbydirekteur.”

Van Dyk sal in 2026 steeds as die eerste span se hoofarigter aanbly. Sy afrigtingspan sal binnekort bespreek en uiteengesit word.

Die kans is boonop goed dat hy met sy verantwoordelikhede by onderskeidelik die Universiteit van Pretoria, die SA Skole en SA o.18 spanne sal voortgaan. Niks is egter nog op papier vasgemaak nie.

“Hou Kloof dop in 2026; ons werk hard agter die skerms en is besig met ‘n paar opwindende dinge wat beslis dividende sal betaal in die nuwe rugbyseisoen,” het Van Dyk opgewonde bygevoeg.

Die Klofies het reeds sy voorbereiding vir die 2026 seisoen afgeskop. ‘n Vier-week-lange gimnasiumprogram is sopas afgehandel en sal deur veldsessies, wat op 13 Oktober begin, gevolg word. Van Dyk glo dat dit alles ‘n stap in die regte rigting is om die Klofies se rugby weer ‘n krag in die Noordvaal Cup se Beker-afdeling te maak.