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Welkom Gimnasium made their trip from the Free State worthwhile by capturing the High School Series, proudly sponsored by Toyota, Volkskool Heidelberg Sevens u17 title on Saturday.

In the u15 event, Noordheuwel beat the hosts to claim the crown.

Renowned for their running rugby in the 15-man game, Welkom Gim made a smooth transition to the seven-man format and cruised through Pool A, with Zayo Rhinos coming closest to extending them in a 28-14 win for the Free Staters.

In the playoffs, however, Volkskool Heidelberg made Gim sweat for a 14-12 victory. After that wake-up call, the Welkom boys raised their game and toppled Transvalia 31-17 in the Cup semi-finals.

That secured them a place in the final against Noordheuwel, who finished as the runners-up in Pool B. Their passage wasn’t smooth, with Kempton Park comfortably winning their pool clash 37-12.

In the playoffs, Noordheuwel sneaked past Dinamika, winning 19-17. Meanwhile, there was heartbreak for Kempton Park. They played to a 12-12 draw with Helpmekaar, but the rules of the event stated that the team that scores the first try in a draw advances, and that was Helpies.

Helpmekaar then faced Noordheuwel in the semi-finals and, in another tight clash, Noordheuwel claimed a 17-12 win.

Their run was brought to a solid halt in the title decider where Welkom Gimnasium controlled the contest and ran out convincing 31-7 winners.

u15 Competition

Noordheuwel cruised to the title in the u15 competition and they were barely extended. They gave up 12 points in a 31-12 defeat of Hugenote in a Pool B clash, and 14 to Kempton Park in the playoffs, but that was in a 45-14 triumph.

Later, they destroyed the competition in the Cup semi-finals, smashing Helpmekaar 43-0, which they followed up with a 34-5 dismantling of Volkskool Heidelberg in the final.

From early on, it was clear that Noordheuwel was the team to beat, but none came close to pulling off an upset.

U17 RESULTS

Pool A

Hugenote 27-19 Zayo Rhinos
Welkom Gim 54-0 Leeuwenhof
Hugenote 34-0 Leeuwenhof
Welkom Gim 28-14 Zayo Rhinos
Zayo Rhinos 34-10 Leeuwenhof
Welkom Gim 33-5 Hugenote

Pool B

Noordheuwel 26-17 Die Anker
Kempton Park 38-5 Lebone II College
Noordheuwel 57-0 Lebone II College
Kempton Park 26-7 Die Anker
Noordheuwel 12-37 Kempton Park
Lebone II College 7-59 Die Anker

Pool C

Helpmekaar 29-15 Overvaal
Volkskool 2 0-26 Dinamika
Helpmekaar 24-26 Dinamika
Volkskool 2 29-12 Overvaal
Helpmekaar 45-0 Volkskool 2
Dinamika 54-0 Overvaal

Pool D

Volkskool Heidelberg 52-0 Birchleigh
Transvalia 38-5 Brandwag
Volkskool Heidelberg 35-5 Brandwag
Transvalia 48-17 Birchleigh
Volkskool Heidelberg 14-29 Transvalia
Brandwag 17-10 Birchleigh

Playoffs

Zayo Rhinos 36-17 Birchleigh
Leeuwenhof 0-55 Brandwag
Die Anker 40-7 Overvaal
Lebone II College withdrew vs Volkskool 2
Welkom Gim 14-12 Volkskool Heidelberg
Hugenote 70-24 Transvalia
Kempton Park 12-12 Helpmekaar (Helpmekaar wins for scoring 1st try)
Noordheuwel 19-17 Dinamika
Birchleigh 26-21 Leeuwenhof
Overvaal walkover Lebone II College

Plate semi-finals

Zayo Rhinos 12-28 Brandwag
Die Anker 43-5 Volkskool 2

Playoffs

Volkskool Heidelberg 5-24 Hugenote
Kempton Park 7-24 Dinamika

Cup semi-finals

Welkom Gim 31-17 Transvalia
Helpmekaar 12-17 Noordheuwel

Plate final

Die Anker 42-12 Brandwag

Cup final

Welkom Gim 31-7 Noordheuwel

UNDER-15 RESULTS

Pool A

Overvaal 5-27 Kempton Park
Helpmekaar 17-7 Kempton Park
Helpmekaar 26-10 Overvaal

Pool B

Transvalia 0-34 Noordheuwel
Hugenote 12-31 Noordheuwel
Hugenote 0-38 Transvalia

Pool C

Die Anker 19-12 Brandwag
Marais Viljoen 30-5 Brandwag
Marais Viljoen 24-33 Die Anker

Pool D

Volkskool Heidelberg 29-5 Birchleigh
Dinamika 38-5 Birchleigh
Volkskool Heidelberg 40-5 Dinamika

Cup quarterfinals

Helpmekaar 19-5 Transvalia
Noordheuwel 45-14 Kempton Park
Die Anker 43-7 Dinamika
Volkskool Heidelberg 27-19 Marais Viljoen

Bowl semi-finals

Overvaal 47-0 Hugenote
Brandwag 27-5 Birchleigh

Plate semi-finals

Transvalia 7-21 Kempton Park
Dinamika 0-20 Marais Viljoen

Cup semi-finals

Noordheuwel 43-0 Helpmekaar
Volkskool Heidelberg 17-12 Die Anker

Shield Final

Birchleigh 15-12 Hugenote

Bowl final

Overvaal 17-14 Brandwag

Plate final

Kempton Park 12-7 Marais Viljoen

3rd/4th Playoff

15:20 – Die Anker 42-7 Kempton Park

Cup Final

Noordheuwel 34-5 Volkskool Heidelberg

After top scoring for Clifton College in both of their innings in their first match of the Fasken Time Cricket Festival, against Jeppe, while batting in the lower order, Hayden Drieselman was moved up to open for the Durban school in their two-day match against the Lions Invitation XI, on St David’s Temba Bavuma Oval, on Saturday.

That proved to be a good decision. Once again, he led the way for Clifton, hitting nine fours in an innings of 71 from 85 balls as he guided the score to 104 before he was the sixth man out in the 29th over.

At the opposite end of the batting order, Shiraz Perumal did much as Drieselman had done against Jeppe, weighing in with an undefeated 54 from 81 deliveries, with seven fours and a six. He was responsible for shepherding Clifton to a decent 204 all out after they had slipped to 112/8 and, then, 160/9.

Muhammed Malek added 23 and Caleb Naicker finished with 16 not out, but six batsmen made five or less, which left Clifton with a first innings’ total of 204 all out.

Opening bowler Kurt Losch, from Steyn City, knocked over 3/30 in nine overs, while Helpmekaar‘s Anrich Liebenberg captured 3/32 from 17 economical overs.

The Invitation side’s batsmen were more consistent in their reply, which helped them to a slight first innings’ lead of 10 runs. Helpmekaar’s Kyle Swanepoel played patiently for the innings’ highest score of 69, which came from 115 balls and included nine fours.

Opener Bafana Mthunzi, from Queen’s High, lent strong support, making 40 from 82 balls at the top of the order. In total, eight of the 11 batsmen made it into double figures, and those bits and pieces helped the Invitation side slip past Clifton’s tally.

Shiraz Perumal picked up 3/66 from 19.5 overs with his spin, while opening bowler Tim Saulez returned 2/28 from eight, and Blake Johnson snapped up 2/47 in 15.

Batting a second time, Clifton stumbled out of the blocks, with none of their opening three batsmen bettering seven runs. Tim Saulez and Zach Williamson partially patched up the innings, but Cohen Naidoo lent it some proper substance with a knock of 51 from 87 balls, with nine fours.

The Lions Invitation team was on top, though, and they reduced Clifton to 103/7. That became 128/8, but the Durban boys once more pulled off a superb rearguard fightback.

Muhammed Malek made 48 from 68, with five fours, before he was run out by Kurt Losch. Shiraz Perumal, meanwhile, followed up his first innings fifty with 31 and Clifton stretched their second innings to 216 all out.

Losch led the attack with 2/28 from 10, while Reaal Harriram claimed 2/44 in eight, and Anrich Liebenberg bowled tidily to take 2/52 in 20.

Batting a second time, the Lions reached 148/6 before the match was called a draw. Bafana Mtunzi and Kyle Davies provided their innings with a solid platform, combining for 56 for the first wicket before Blake Johnson had Mtunzi caught for 29. Davies stuck around until the total had reached 118. Then, the Northwood learner was bowled by Gabriel Vermeulen for 46.

Shiraz Perumal then put the brakes on any thoughts the Lions had of a late charge to victory, snapping up three wickets for 26 runs in six overs.

Maritzburg College vs Noordheuwel

On Geir Oval, Maritzburg College and Noordheuwel also played to a draw.

College captain Chad Mason chose to bat after winning the toss and the Red, Black and White started well before a mid-innings collapse had them in big trouble. Late innings’ heroics from Kyle de Bruyn helped them to a decent total, however.

Llewelyn Sutherland continued his good form with the bat, making 64 from 91 balls, with 10 fours, while Mason was his usual dependable self, adding 35 from 62.

After losing their second wicket on 116, College crumbled to 132/9 before De Bruyn, with 45 from 58 balls, with seven fours, rescued the Pietermaritzburg school, with a 55-run last wicket partnership lifting them to 187 all out.

Ruan Strauss was the cause of the collapse, knocking over 5/24 in 11 overs, while Damian Hopkins picked up 2/28 in 9.5 overs.

Noordheuwel posted 227 all out in response to lead by 40 runs on the first innings. Corné Botha spearheaded their batting efforts, striking 10 fours and a six in his 73 from 96 deliveries. Opener Wander Roolvink made 37, which included four fours and two sixes, while his opening partner, Ethan Smith, scored 29. Strauss showed his all-round chops, grafting hard for 32.

It seemed that Noordheuwel would take a big first innings lead, but when Botha was the fifth man out, with the total on 200, their innings lost impetus and the last six wickets went down for the addition of only 27 runs.

The spin of Mason had plenty to do with that. In 18.3 nagging overs, he snared 6/42. New ball bowler Sam Hughes added two sticks, finishing with 2/23 from seven.

In College’s second innings, Mason continued his fine form, top scoring with 75 as the KZN boys tallied 243/8. Mason’s innings, which lasted 108 balls, included eight fours.

Up front, opener Daniel Nadasan played patiently for 52 from 132 deliveries, with six fours, while Reece Willson and Luka Puddu weighed in with 22 each.

Sutherland missed out, but, with scores of 66 and 132 against St John’s, plus his first innings’ 64, he was later named the Batsman of the Tournament.

Gerhard Roolvink, the seventh bowler employed by Noordheuwel, enjoyed the most success, picking up 4/58 from 13 overs, while Marius Penning removed two College batsmen for 57 runs from 17 overs.

Noordheuwel had reached 110/4 in their second innings, still 94 runs short of their victory target, when the match ended in a tame draw.

Ethan Smith made 31 before being run out by Brendon Senzere, who was also the most successful of the College bowlers, taking 2/40 in 8.4 overs. Mason didn’t add any more wickets, but his 0/27 in 10 overs kept Noordheuwel from attempting a late run at victory.

Ruan Strauss made another useful batting contribution of 25 runs.

Summarised scores

Clifton College first innings 204/10 (Hayden Drieselman 71, Shiraz Perumal 54*, Muhammed Malik 23, Kurth Losch 3/30, Anrich Liebenberg 3/32); Lions Invitation XI first innings 214/10 (Kyle Swanepoel 69, Bafana Mthunzi 40, Shiraz Perumal 3/66, Tim Saulez 2/28, Blake Johnson 2/47); Clifton College second innings 216/10 (Cohen Naidoo 51, Muhammed Malik 48, Shiraz Perumal 31, Kurt Losch 2/28, Reaal Hariram 2/44, Anrich Liebenberg 2/52); Lions Invitation XI 148/6 (Kyle Davies 46, Kyle Swanepoel 30, Bafana Mthunzi 29, Shiraz Perumal 3/26)

Match drawn

Maritzburg College first innings 187/10 (Llewelyn Sutherland 64, Kyle de Bruyn 45, Chad Mason 35, Ruan Strauss 5/24, Damian Hopkins 2/38); Noordheuwel first innings 227/10 (Corne Botha 73, Wander Roolvik 37, Ruan Strauss 32, Ethan Smith 29, Chad Mason 6/42, Sam Hughes 2/23); Maritzburg College second innings 243/8 (Chad Mason 75, Daniel Nadasan 52, Gerhard Roolvink 4/58, Marius Penning 2/57); Noordheuwel second innings 110/4 (Ethan Smith 31, Ruan Strauss 25, Brendon Senzere 2/40)

Match drawn

St Andrew’s School captain Dakalo Leketa ensured he would be named the Bowler of the St David’s Marist Inanda Fasken Time Cricket Festival with successive outstanding performances with the ball. With 23 wickets in just two matches, he was terrific for the Bloemfontein school.

The off-spinner captured 13/119 in Saints’ 63-run loss to St David’s in their first match. Then, in their second outing, he picked up 3/70 as St Andrew’s took a narrow 10-run lead over King Edward VII (KES) on the first innings. That preceded an incredible match-winning spell in the KES second innings. In only 8.4 overs, he knocked over 7/28 as KES was skittled for 120.

Leketa wasn’t alone in leading the Bloemfontein boys to a 10-wicket win over the Johannesburg side on Sunday. Naudé Botha, with 111 in the Saints’ first innings, and 51 in their second, also played a crucial role in their victory.

On Saturday KES elected to bat first on St Stithians’ Wayne Joubert Oval and made a tidy start, with Tiago Dias and Luke Clark putting on 59 for the first wicket before Dias fell to Naudé Botha for 24.

Clark went on to make 51 from 61, which included nine fours, before he became one of Leketa’s three victims. Troy Gordon, meanwhile, top scored with 65 from 67, sending three deliveries over the boundary and another four into it.

Nikhil Sukraj snared 3/41 for St Andrew’s, while Naudé Botha picked up 3/53 and Leketa finished with 3/70 as KES totalled 217 all out.

In reply, Saints posted 227 all out, but it could have been so much better. They were cruising along on 207 for 3 when Botha was run out. His 111 had come from only 105 balls and included 14 fours and two sixes. Reuben van Aarde weighed in with 37 and Leon Anthanasiou made 33, but the Bloemfontein school lost their last seven wickets for just 20 runs.

Zieg Roos was partially responsible for that, capturing 3/16 from six overs. Connor Kuijers took 3/62 from 11.3 and the remainder of the wickets were shared around.

Batting again, only 10 runs behind after it appeared that they would face a big first innings deficit, KES would have hoped for a more substantial second innings, and it began well, with Luke Clark and Eric Southey helping the total to 68 by partnering for 57 runs. Both became victims of Leketa, with Clark falling for 33 and Southey for 30. Then Leketa took over.

The KES batsmen had few answers for his wiles as he bagged an exceptional seven-wicket haul to finish with match figures of 10/98. FG Botha picked up two wickets with his leg spin and ended with the tidy figures of 2/27 in eight. In just less than 30 overs, KES was bowled out for only 120.

Needing only 111 for victory, Saint Andrew’s batted with controlled aggression. Naudé Botha was again to the fore, striking 51 from 53 balls, with seven fours. When he was the fifth man out in the innings, Saints were within a boundary of victory, and it soon arrived as they finished on 113/5 to secure a convincing win.

Reuben van Aarde, with 22 not out from 19, and Andrew Sobiech, with 20, helped Saints overhaul the victory target.

KES tried Zieg Roos as their opening bowler, but he couldn’t repeat his first innings’ heroics. Wade McQuinn, though, snapped up 3/7 in four and Connor Kuijers took 2/30, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the double dose of Leketa and Botha.

Summarised scores

KES first innings 217/10 (Troy Gordon 65, Luke Clark 51, Tiago Dias 24, Nikhil Sukraj 3/41, Naude Botha 3/53, Dakalo Leketa 3/70); St Andrew’s School first innings 227/10 (Naude Botha 111, Reuben van Aarde 37, Leon Athanasiou 33, Zieg Roos 3/16, Connor Kuijers 3/62); KES second innings 120/10 (Luke Clark 33, Eric Southey 30, Dakalo Leketa 7/28, FG Botha 2/27); St Andrew’s School 113/5 (FG Botha 51, Reuben van Aarde 22*, Andrew Sobiech 20, Wade McQuinn 3/7, Connor Kuijers 2/30)

St Andrew’s won by 10 wickets

The St John’s 1st XI fought valiantly and walked away from their two-day match against Waterkloof with a draw in their Fasken Time Cricket Festival fixture played on the Mitchell Oval at St John’s on Sunday afternoon.

Marcus Bakker (85) top-scored for Waterkloof in their first innings as they chalked up 272/10. In reply, Nkosana Sibiya scored a fine 61 off 95 to help St John’s reach 183/10. Waterkloof, then, piled on 255/5 in their second knock, thanks to a fluent unbeaten 114 off 143 from Johan Feuth.

The Pretoria boys needed 10 wickets for victory, while St John’s needed an improbable 344 in their second innings to win. Given that substantial victory target, the home side’s approach was that they should stay alive until the end of play rather than risk it all on an improbable run chase.

The St John’s batsmen did deep and despite none of them registering a milestone in their second innings they achieved their objective. Kago Masote (45) and Malan du Plessis (39) were St John’s top scorers as they finished on 177/8.

Marcus Bakker rescued Waterkloof from a dicey situation in their first innings. When he arrived in the middle, Waterkloof was on 52/1 and three overs later, they were down to 73/4. They needed level heads to soak up the pressure and rebuild after a middle-order collapse. Fortunately for the Klofies, they had Bakker and Alexander Volschenk. The Namibian U19 captain registered a half-ton of his own, striking two sixes and three fours on his way to 57 off 67 deliveries.

Waterkloof’s batting lineup picked up from where they left off when they subjected the Lions Invitation XI to a six-wicket defeat in their first match. In that encounter, coach Cobus Pienaar deployed a top six that featured Darius Maritz, Anru Nel, Stefan Stoltz, Rico van der Walt, Riley Miller, and Johan Feuth.

Against St John’s, Pienaar retained Miller only as he wheeled out Waterkloof’s most experienced top six, which included the talents of Wian Ruthven (42), Divan Behrens (13), Bakker, Beukes van den Berg (0), and Volschenk. Rico van der Walt, who came in at seven, scored a valuable 44.

Alec Loveland was the most successful bowler for St John’s. The medium pacer toiled tirelessly, sending down 20 overs, almost twice as many overs as Cole Francis’s 11, which was the second-most. Loveland’s industry was rewarded as he bagged four wickets for 92 runs. However, it was Malan du Plessis who had the best strike rate. He claimed 3/27 in 10 overs.

The last thing St John’s wanted was to lose three wickets for 48 runs in the first 15 overs of their reply, but that is what they did. Matters went from bad to worse as they went on to lose three more wickets before they had chalked up 100 runs on the scoreboard.

The lone bright spark in their innings was Nkosana Sibiya, who arrived at the crease when St John’s was 48/3. During his stay, he shared the crease with four different partners, on his way to a well-played 61 off 95. When he was out after grafting hard for his half-century, St John’s was on 159/7.

Jayden Blom led the Waterkloof bowling attack with three wickets for 29 runs in 11 overs, while Ruthven and Ruan Ferrara grabbed a brace each. Ruthven conceded 33 runs in 10 overs, while Ferrara gave up one run less in nine.

The innings of the contest came on the second day of action when Johan Feuth played an outstanding knock. Around him, no other Waterkloof batsmen reached 40 runs. His century lifted ‘Kloof to an insurmountable total. They had to set their sights on capturing 10 wickets to record victory.

That mission appeared to be on course when Jaco Van Der Watt struck in the first over. Then, Rico van der Walt provided another breakthrough in the fourth over. However, determined resistance from Kago Masote (45), Malan du Plessis (39),  and Cole Francis (26) helped the hosts to drag out the encounter and secured them a draw.

Van der Watt finished the innings with three wickets for 27 runs, while Van der Walt and GJ de Swart picked up two wickets each.

Summarised Scorecards

Waterkloof first innings: 272/10 (Wian Ruthven 42, Marcus Bakker 85, Alexander Volschenk 57, Rico Van Der Walt 44; Kago Masote 2/20, Malan Du Plessis 3/27, Alec Loveland 4/92); St John’s first innings: 183/10 (Nkosana B Sibiya 61, Cole Francis 34; Jayden Blom 3/29, Wian Ruthven 2/33, Ruan Ferrara 2/32); Waterkloof second innings: 255/5 (Johan Feuth 114, Marcus Bakker 37; Alec Loveland 2/40, Cole Francis 1/28); St John’s second innings: 177/8 (Kago Masote 45, Malan Du Plessis 39; Jaco Van Der Watt 3/27, Rico Van Der Walt 2/40, GJ De Swart 2/35)

Match drawn

It is unbelievable that a prodigious talent like Hoërskool Centurion’s Charl Prinsloo only made a breakthrough last year, playing in his first provincial cricket tournament, the U17 Regional Week, at the age of 17.

It is a testimony to the burgeoning cricket talent in and around Pretoria.

“I’ve made it to the final round of the Titans trials every year since I started trying out at U11,” Prinsloo said.

‘Last year was my first taste of provincial cricket, though, when I made the U17 side.”

This year, Prinsloo has made a massive push for the Titans’ Khaya Majola Week side.

Outscoring some of the most prolific batsmen in the region, the Centurion top-order batsman boasts a total of 1161 runs in his 21 matches, at a very impressive average of 68.29.

These stats include four centuries, including a wonderful 137 against Titans League favourites, Hoërskool Waterkloof, in their backyard and a whopping eight half-centuries, making him the sole standout for the side from Centurion. He still has a couple of opportunities to contribute even more, with the upcoming North/South Tournament, a tournament he thoroughly enjoys.

In addition to his impressive batting stats, Prinsloo’s right-arm seam has claimed 27 wickets, conceding only 614 runs, at an economy rate of 4.5 in the 134.1 overs he’s bowled this year, stating a claim that he is much more than just a batsman and part-time bowler.

“I started playing cricket at the age of four and have loved every second of it since,” the batsman said, emphasising his love for the game.

Prinsloo, however, is not only a keen cricketer. Like his childhood role model, AB de Villiers, he also played rugby, donning the No. 10 jersey for the Woeries’ First XV, and also shone on the tennis court and athletics track in years gone by.

To add to his sporting successes, Prinsloo has kept his nose tucked in the books, earning the accolade of being in the top 15 academic achievers every year during his five-year high school career. He has also been roped in as a brand ambassador for IXU, a brand that has sponsored some of South Africa’s top cricketers, including ex-Protea captain, Faf du Plessis, and wicketkeeper/batsman, Heinrich Klaasen.

“I’ve had many influential people throughout my cricketing journey, of which coach, Shawn Bongers, has probably had the biggest influence,” Prinsloo said.

The batsman also extends his gratitude to previous and current Directors of Cricket at Hoërskool Centurion, Messrs Johan Cloete and Juanré van Wyk, alongside coach, Stephan Ernst, for playing significant roles in his development.

Prinsloo undoubtedly made his mark in Woeries’ cricketing history throughout his five-year tenure.

“I’ve made so many memories over the last five years, it’s hard to single out only one.

“Some of my favourites must be when I made my debut in Grade 8 and taking a wicket, scoring a match-winning 83 as opening batsman against Hoërskool Marais Viljoen in Grade 9, scoring 205 in a T20 against Sutherland High School, which also became the highest score for a Centurion batsman, and, most recently, contributing 137 against League leaders, Hoërskool Waterkloof.”

Prinsloo’s goal is a clear one. He wants to continue piling up the runs, take wickets, and play professional cricket, something that he is most definitely talented enough to accomplish.

Remember the name Charl Prinsloo.

Marcus Bakker registered an even-tempered half-ton on Geir Oval at St David’s Marist Inanda on Saturday as he inspired the Waterkloof 1st XI to a first-innings total of 272/10, which ensured a 93-run lead after day one of their Fasken Time Cricket Festival match against St John’s.

At stumps, coach Cobus Pienaar’s side had restricted St John’s to 179/9 in reply.

Bakker creamed 10 fours on his way to a brilliant 80 off 120 in a knock that not only rescued Waterkloof from a sticky wicket but also set his side on the path to victory. When he arrived at the middle, Waterkloof needed level heads that could soak up the pressure and rebuild after a middle-order collapse. Fortunately for the Klofies, they had Bakker and Alexander Volschenk.

Volschenk, the Namibian u19 captain, cracked a half-century of his own. He struck two sixes and three fours on his way to 57 off 67 deliveries.

Waterkloof’s batting lineup picked up from where they left off when they subjected the Lions Invitation XI to a six-wicket defeat in their first outing of the festival. In that encounter, Pienaar deployed a top six that featured Darius Maritz, Anru Nel, Stefan Stoltz, Rico van der Walt, Riley Miller, and Johan Feuth.

Against St John’s, Pienaar only retained Miller as he wheeled out Waterkloof’s most experienced top six, featuring the talents of Wian Ruthven, Divan Behrens, Bakker, Beukes van den Berg, and Volschenk.

Ruthven, who began the year with a masterful ton in a 2024 Titans League match, which spurred Waterkloof to a victory over Centurion, missed out on another milestone when he was dismissed by Cole Francis for a well-made 42 off 37 balls. At the time of his dismissal, Ruthven had laid a decent foundation for the Klofies. However, St John’s dragged themselves back into the contest by engineering a Waterkloof collapse between the 16th and 19th overs, as the Pretoria school lost three wickets while adding only three runs.

Waterkloof wrestled back control of the innings when Bakker and Volschenk joined forces to construct a 133-run fifth-wicket partnership over the next 24.2 overs. Rico van der Walt also batted well with the lower order for his 44 off 37.

Alec Loveland was the most successful bowler for St John’s. The medium pacer toiled tirelessly, sending down 20 overs, almost twice as many overs as Cole Francis, who bowled the second-most overs, with 11. Loveland was rewarded for his work. He bagged four wickets for 92 runs. However, it was Malan du Plessis who had the best strike rate, capturing three wickets for 27 runs in 10 overs.

Chasing 272, the last thing St John’s wanted was to lose three wickets for 48 runs in the first 15 overs, but that’s what happened. Matters went from bad to worse as they lost another three wickets before they had chalked up 100 runs on the scoreboard.

The only bright spark in their innings was Nkosana Sibiya, who arrived at the crease when St John’s was 48/3. Batting with four different partners, he crafted a well-played 61 off 95. His industrious knock left St John’s on 159/7 at the time of his dismissal.

Jayden Blom led the Waterkloof bowling attack with three wickets for 29 runs in 11 overs, while Ruthven and Ruan Ferrara grabbed a brace of wickets each. Ruthven conceded 33 runs in 10 overs, while Ferrara conceded one run less in nine.

Summarised Scorecards:

Waterkloof first innings: 272/10 (Wian Ruthven 42, Marcus Bakker 85, Alexander Volschenk 57, Rico Van Der Walt 44; Kago Masote 2/20, Malan Du Plessis 3/27, Alec Loveland 4/92); St John’s first innings: 179/9 (Nkosana B Sibiya 61, Cole Francis 34; Jayden Blom 3/29, Wian Ruthven 2/33, Ruan Ferrara 2/32)

Jason Rowles and Armaan Manack decimated the Bishops Diocesan College bowling attack as they led the St David’s 1st XI to an imperious nine-wicket victory in their Fasken Time Cricket Festival match on the La Valla Oval at St David’s Marist Inanda on Sunday.

Bishops batted first on day one and put up a total of 258. Their bowlers did well enough to restrict St Davids to 210/6 in their reply. The Capetonians, then, added 232/7 in their second innings to establish a 280-run lead.

Rowles and Manack made the required score for victory, 281 runs, look like child’s play as they put together a sensational 274-run second innings’ opening stand. St David’s finished the match with a flourish, a four, which took them to 283/1.

Rowles and Manack’s partnership was the highest opening stand of the tournament. Rowles’ knock was also a perfect celebration of his selection for the SA Emerging U19 side that will tour Zimbabwe from 15 to 30 September. He smashed 18 fours and a single six on his way to an imperious 154 from 158 deliveries. His partner, Manack, scored an unbeaten 120 off 132, which featured 10 fours and a single six.

Alex Vintcent took a consolation wicket for Bishops when he dismissed Rowles in the 48th over. However, it was too little too late. By then, the hosts needed only seven runs to win.

On day one, Rowles showcased his all-round abilities, bagging the wickets of top order batsmen Harry Morgan (47) and Litha Mbiko (8), to help restrict Bishops to 258/9. The Capetonians’ innings was built around Waco Bassick’s 62 off 122 deliveries. Besides Bassick and Morgan, Thaafier Japhta (40) was the only other Bishops’ batsman to reach 40.

Rowles was the second-most successful bowler of the innings behind Samrat Basu, who took three wickets for 69 runs in 19 overs. Ethan Greenstein, Morteza Manack, and Christopher Emslie chipped in with a wicket each.

Rowles and Manack provided a glimpse of their abilities as a duo with a 113-run opening partnership in the host’s reply. Both registered half-centuries. Rowles cantered along for a run-a-ball 68, while Manack tallied 60 from 86 deliveries.

After they were dismissed, the St David’s innings collapsed in a giant heap. Only Basu (39) lent solid support but everyone else failed to get going.

Japhta carried on from where he had left off in the Bishops’ first innings by recording a half-century in their second dig, while Bassick showed off his consistency with the bat as he chalked an unbeaten 39.

Rowles led the home side’s bowling attack, claiming three wickets for 54 runs in 21 overs, and the consistent Morteza Manack bagged a brace for 53 runs, while Hayden Campbell and Jared Stern took a wicket each.

The St David’s performance in their first innings seemed to drive home the point that Rowles and Manack had to do more than score half-tons if they wanted their side to win. They dominated from the start, with both going on to record centuries, to ensure that victory was achieved in style.

Summarised Scorecards

Bishops first innings 258/9 (Harry Morgan 47, Waco Bassick 62, Thaafier Japhta 40; Samrat Basu 3/69, Jason Rowles 2/12, Ethan Greenstein 1/10); St David’s first innings 210/6 (Jason Rowles 68, Armaan Manack 60, Samrat Basu 39; Michael Kruiskamp 2/47, Luke De Klerk 1/26, Benjamin Koenig 1/11); Bishops second innings 21/0 (Thaafier Japhta 50, Waco Bassick 39; Jason Rowles 3/54, Mortaza Manack 2/53); St David’s second innings: 283/1 (Jason Rowles 154, Armaan Manack 120; Alex Vintcent 1/13)

St David’s won by nine wickets

Cayden Sunker put in a brilliant all-round performance to help the St Stithians 1st XI register a dominant innings-and-115-run victory over Hoërskool Nelspruit in their Fasken Time Cricket match that finished on Sunday on the Jamieson 1 Cricket Oval at Saints.

With the bat, Sunker tore down Nelspruit’s bowling attack on his way to an unbeaten 99, which ensured that St Stithians needed to bat only once in the game. Then, he bagged three wickets for 26 runs across both of Nelspruit’s innings.

The Johannesburg side scored a mammoth 372/7 in their first innings and then captured 20 wickets, restricting Nelspruit to 63/10 in their first knock and then 194/10 in their second.

Sunker stroked 12 fours and two sixes on his way to 99 not out from 112 balls as he helped St Stithians romp to a commanding first-innings lead of over 300 runs in reply to Nelspruit’s low score. The number seven batsman is a dependable bowler for Saints, often taking vital wickets. However, on day one of their tie against Nelspruit, he let his bat make a case for his all-round abilities.

His outstanding 106-run sixth-wicket partnership with Aiden van der Westhuizen took the game beyond Nelspruit’s reach. Van der Westhuizen was in scintillating form, clubbing four fours and nine sixes, on his way to 88 off 65. When he arrived at the crease, Saints held a slender lead of 43 runs over Nelspruit.

That lead was in large part thanks to a 74-run opening stand between Rushil Bhulla (46) and Liam Mudenda (41). Ombesa Matsha (39) and Tendai Kadyamadare (23*) made decent lower-order contributions as they lifted Saints to an intimidating total.

St Stithians’ outstanding batting performance came on the back of a brilliant bowling display that saw their attack skittle Nelspruit’s batsmen for a meagre 63 runs. None of their bowlers came close to conceding more than four runs an over. Their most expensive bowler just happened to be their most successful. Kadyamadare bagged three wickets for 13 runs in four overs.

Akhil Challa took 2/8 in three overs, while Sunker, Bhulla, Oliver Wilson, Tajendra Naidu, and Thomas Collins claimed a single wicket each.

Vaughn van Zyl (22) and Janco Breyl (29) were the only Nelspruit batsmen to reach double figures in the Mpumalanga’s side first innings. Nelspruit performed better in their second innings, tallying 194. That total was built on the back of belligerent half-centuries from Nathan Duncan (63) and Waldemar Graham (50).

The pair’s performances needed to be supported by further innings of substance from the rest of the batting lineup, which did not happen. Van Zyl was the third-highest contributor to Nelspruit’s cause and no one else reached 15 runs.

As they did in Nelspruit’s first innings, the St Stithians’ bowlers performed as a unit to demolish their opposition. Challa, Wilson, and Sunker claimed two wickets each, while Hanslo, Collins, and Bayly also removed a batsman each.

Summarised scorecards

Nelspruit first innings: 63/10 (Vaughn Van Zyl 22, Janco Breyl 29 ; Tendai Kadyamadare 3/13, Akhil Challa 2/8, Tajendra Naidu 1/3, Thomas Collins 1/0); St Stithians first innings: 372/7 (Cayden Sunker 99, Aiden Van Der Westhuizen 88, Rushil Bhulla 46, Liam Mudenda 41; Gherdu Van Eeden 2/52, Duan Smal 2/93, Rico Nel 2/52); Nelspruit second innings: 194/10 (Nathan Duncan 63, Waldemar Graham 50; Cayden Sunker 2/18, Oliver Wilson 2/27, Akhil Challa 2/25)

St Stithians won by an innings and 115 runs

St Charles College, well beaten by St Stithians in their Fasken Time Cricket Festival opener, responded in stunning style, powering their way to victory by an innings and 55 runs over Jeppe on Le Rosey Oval at St David’s Marist Inanda on Saturday.

Jeppe had piled on the runs in a draw with Clifton College in their first outing, tallying 323/5 and 293/6, but they failed to reach triple figures in either innings against the Pietermaritzburg School.

Not much went Jeppe’s way and even winning the toss backfired after they elected to bat first. They lost Munib Ayob, a centurion against Clifton, for a duck, but Adam Franken and Ryan Young then advanced the score to 46. There were few signs of the collapse that was to come.

Saints’ skipper Marcell Wellmann engineered the breakthrough, bowling Franken for 16. Young went on to compile 27 from 42 deliveries before he was trapped in front by Wellmann’s left-arm spin. That left Jeppe on 61/4. From there, it became a procession of batsmen entering and exiting the field of play.

Wellmann and Kaiyuran Naidoo did the damage, picking up seven wickets between them, and a run out further undermined Jeppe’s batting effort, which was brought to an end with the Kensington school on 79/7.

Wellmann finished with a tidy 3/16 from nine overs, while Naidoo removed four batsmen for 21 runs from 8.2 overs.

When St Charles batted, it appeared as if they were playing on a different pitch. Opening batsman, Cian Fortmann, especially, laid waste to the Jeppe attack, smashing six sixes and seven fours on his way to 68 from only 41 deliveries. When he was dismissed, the first man out, Saints had already reached triple figures.

Fortmann’s departure precipitated a small collapse as St Charles slipped from 103 without loss to 115/4. That included Fortmann’s opening partner, Connor Riley, who was out for 30.

Once again, though, the captain rose to the occasion. Batting at four, Wellmann adopted an aggressive approach, smashing four sixes and five fours, in an innings of 54 from 52 balls, before he was bowled by Shreshth Kumar. The leg-spinner picked up a five-for, taking five in an innings for a third time in succession, but he was expensive, going for 112 runs from 17 overs.

Munib Ayob took the last two St Charles’ wickets at a cost of only nine runs, while Sipho Potsane claimed 2/42 from 11 overs, but Saints had tallied 221, which gave them a huge first innings advantage of 142 runs.

Unfortunately for Jeppe, their hopes of recovery were blown up at the very start of their second innings as Rowen Rajah, recently named in the SA Emerging u19 squad, destroyed their top order, removing the top four, which left Jeppe on 23/4 after his destructive burst.

The next three batsmen in the order made it into double figures, but only one bettered 20, with Keegan Caxeiro making it, but only just. He top scored with 21. Rajah, though, added a fifth wicket, bowling Ethan Elliot for 19, and Jeppe’s batting crumbled.

Brendon Sunguro hurried St Charles to victory, snaring 2/0 in 1.3 overs as Jeppe was bowled out for 87 in their second innings after 27.3 overs.

The Player of the Match went to Saints’ captain Marcel Wellmann for his all-round performance, which proved decisive as the Pietermaritzburg boys scored a stunning victory.

Summarised scores

Jeppe High School for Boys first innings 79/7 (Ryan Young 27, Kaiyuran Naidoo 4/21, Marcell Wellmann 3/16); St Charles College first innings 221/10 (Cian Fortmann 68, Marcell Wellmann 54, Connor Riley 30, Shreshth Kumar 5/112, Munib Ayob 2/9, Sipho Potsane 2/42); Jeppe High School for Boys second innings 87/10 (Keegan Caxiero 21, Rowen Rajah 5/17, Brendon Sunguro 2/0)

St Charles College won by an innings and 55 runs

Cayden Sunker tore down the Nelspruit 1st XI bowling attack on his way to an unbeaten 99 that ensured that St Stithians 1st XI carried a 290-run lead into day two of their Fasken Time Cricket Festival match. The Johannesburg side was ruthless with both bat and ball as they dominated the action on Saturday.

Elsewhere, Waco Bassick’s evenly paced half-century helped Bishops 1st XI establish a healthy lead at the end of day one of their contest against St Davids Marist 1st XI. The Cape Town side carries a 69-run lead into day two.

Sunker’s 99 off 112 balls as he helped St Stithians romp to a first innings total of 372/7 in reply to Nelspruit’s first innings score of 63/10. The number seven batter is often a dependable bowler for Saints, always taking vital wickets. However, on day one of their tie against Nelspruit, he let his bat make a case for his all-round abilities.

Sunker shared an outstanding 106-run sixth-wicket partnership with Aiden van der Westhuizen that took the game beyond Nelspruit’s reach. Van der Westhuizen was in scintillating form as he clubbed four fours and nine sixes on his way to 88 off 65. When he arrived at the crease, Saints had a slender lead of 43 over Nelspruit.

The lead was in large part thanks to the 74-run opening stand between Rushil Bhulla (46) and Liam Mudenda (41). Nicholas Bayly (5) and Tahseen Hanslo (10), who came in the wake of Bhulla and Mudenda’s dismissals failed to get going.

Ombesa Matsha (39) and Tendai Kadyamadare (23*) made decent lower-order contributions.

St Stithians’ outstanding batting performance came on the back of a brilliant bowling display that saw their attack bundle Nelspruit’s batters for a mere 63 runs. None of their bowlers conceded at an economy over four runs an over. Their most expensive bowler just happened to be their most successful. Kadyamadare bagged three wickets for 13 runs in four overs.

Akhil Challa took two wickets for eight runs in three overs, while Sunker, Bhulla, Oliver Wilson, Tajendra Naidu and Thomas Collins claimed a single wicket each.

Vaughn van Zyl (22) and Janco Breyl (29) were the only Nelspruit batters to reach double figures.

Just before the close of day, Nelspruit walked out to begin their second innings. And before they could get into gear, Sunker struck to leave them on 19/1. Nathan Duncan (9) and Jayden Meyer (10) were at the crease.

In the other match, Bishops found themselves in trouble in the fifth over, when they lost the wicket of Camron Mcbeth. The opener was still trying to get his eye in when he was sent packing by Christopher Emslie. His erstwhile partner, Harry Morgan steadied the ship with a well-played 47 off 34.

The star of Bishops’ innings was Bassick, with whom Morgan shared a 42-run second-wicket partnership. Bassick scored a patient 62 off 122 to set his side on course to a first innings total of 289/9.

Mogamat Raa’ld Arendse (23) and Alex Vintcent (26) had starts, while Thaafier Japhta scored an unbeaten 40 off 54.

Samrat Basu led the St Davids bowling attack with three wickets for 69 runs in 19 overs and Jason Rowles pitched in with two wickets for 12 runs in six overs.

When speaking to Supersport Schools Plus, the South Africa Emerging U19 side coach Malibongwe Maketa mentioned that the selectors were placing an emphasis on players with serviceable secondary skills. Rowles’ secondary skill is his bowling. He is a batter by trade, and he showed up with the bat during the St Davids innings. He scored a run-a-ball 68 during his 113-run opening stand with Armaan Manack.

Basu came in and constructed a 47-run second-wicket partnership with Manack before the wheels came off for St Davids, who stumbled their way to 210 for six.

Michael Kruiskamp led the Bishops bowling attack with two wickets for 47 runs in nine overs. Bassick, Luke de Klerk, Benjamin Koenig and Julian Pilkington took a wicket each.

At the close of day one, Bishops was on 21/0. They had Morgan (19*) and Mcbeth (0) at the crease.

Summarised scorecards:

St Stithians vs Nelspruit

Nelspruit first innings: 63/10 (Vaughn Van Zyl 22, Janco Breyl 29 ; Tendai Kadyamadare 3/13, Akhil Challa 2/8, Tajendra Naidu 1/3, Thomas Collins 1/0)

St Stithians first innings: 372/7 (Cayden Sunker 99, Aiden Van Der Westhuizen 88, Rushil Bhulla 46, Liam Mudenda 41; Gherdu Van Eeden 2/52, Duan Smal 2/93, Rico Nel 2/52)

Nelspruit second innings: 19/1 (Nathan Duncan 9*, Jayden Meyer 10*; Cayden Sunker 1/6)

Bishops vs St Davids

Bishops first innings: 258/9 (Harry Morgan 47, Waco Bassick 62, Thaafier Japhta 40; Samrat Basu 3/69, Jason Rowles 2/12, Ethan Greenstein 1/10).

St Davids first innings: 210/6 (Jason Rowles 68, Armaan Manack 60, Samrat Basu 39; Michael Kruiskamp 2/47, Luke De Klerk 1/26, Benjamin Koenig 1/11)

Bishops second innings: 21/0 (Harry Morgan 19, Cameron Mcbeth 0; Kyle Butler 0/16, Christopher Emslie 0/5)