St. Andrew’s School and St Benedict’s College saw their two-day, two-innings match, on Vossie’s Field, in Bloemfontein curtailed by rain, but not before a number of the home team’s players had delivered outstanding performances.
All-rounder FG Botha has been incredible with the bat all season for Saints, and on Saturday he was at his brutal best, clubbing six fours and four sixes in a hasty knock of 80 runs from only 61 deliveries.
DeanKatzin, batting at seven, also made a telling impact, weighing in with 73 off 76, with seven fours and a six.
A handful of other batsmen also made it into the twenties and thirties, which helped St Andrew’s to a healthy 340 all out.
Shae Pollard picked up 3/72 for Bennies, Tlotliso Mhlanga claimed 3/84, and Matthew Elphick did his bit, taking 2/67.
With that trio headlining their attack, St Benedict’s put Saints under some pressure, but they were somewhat inconsistent, too, which allowed the home team to make hay lower down the batting order.
When it was St Benedict’s turn to bat, they quickly found themselves on the defensive, slipping to a wobbly 35/4 before rain killed the contest.
Hendrè Serfontein had the Bennies’ batsmen on the hop, knocking over 2/14 in 10 overs, which was half the number of overs that Saints bowled before the weather intervened.
The opening bowler impressed with his ability to keep it tight and challenge the batsmen while delivering a long spell. Botha, meanwhile, played with controlled aggression and played his shots to capture the spotlight with his batting.
SCORES
St. Andrew’s School 340/10 (FG Botha 80, Dean Katzin 73, Berno Coetzee 38*, Reuben van Aarde 38, Jonathon Hickley 31, WJ Lindhout 22, Erhard Barends 20; Shae Pollard 3/72, Tlotliso Mhlanga 3/84, Matthew Elphick 2/67); St. Benedict’s College 35/4 (Hendrè Serfontein 2/14).
Dominating almost all of their opposition, with a strong defence and moments of individual brilliance, Rondebosch Boys’ High claimed the Ian MelliarCup for a second successive year in Cape Town on Sunday.
‘Boschwas clinical throughout the tournament and completed an impressive run with a convincing 13-6 win over St John’s College in the final at Wynberg Boys’ High’s Top Pool.
The side, coached by the experienced Etienne le Roux, headed into the tournament as the favourites, having gone all the way in 2024, before continuing to stack wins in 2025.
Rondebosch, though, got off to a rocky start when they fell to a shock 4-5 loss to St David’s Marist Inanda on the opening day.
They quickly put that defeat behind them and, on day two, thumped Pretoria Boys High 7-2 before scoring 13 goals against Glenwood House.
They went on to net 15 unanswered goals against Maritzburg College to set up a playoff match against Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG).
Once again, it was one-way traffic, with Rondebosch breezing past PRG 13-3. In the quarterfinals, they took on Clifton College and came away with a 12-7 victory.
That was a vital victory over a dangerous side, with Clifton having already beaten SACS and St John’s. Later, they also beat St David’s. In the end, the ‘Bosch loss was the only defeat suffered by the Durban side.
By the quarterfinals, coach Le Roux’s side had hit their stride, and they looked well-nigh unstoppable. In the semi-finals, though, they were made to dig deep for a 9-7 win over SACS. St John’s, meanwhile, handed Wynberg a 10-5 loss to qualify for the final.
It was neck-and-neck in the early exchanges of the title game. However, ‘Bosch started to pull away in the latter parts of the contest to win going away.
“I am immensely proud of the team’s performance,”Le Roux told SuperSport Schools Plus after the title game.
“We had a really bad start to the tournament, with the team having their first loss ever. We had to dig deep to reset and get back to our game and win the tournament.
“The boys showed incredible maturity to be able to accept a loss, learn from it, and then perform, which was the key to our trophy [success].”
Le Roux said a productive off-season had allowed his team to prepare well for the challenges that awaited in the fourth term.
That off-season included, for some, a tour to Montenegro in July. After that, they took on daily sessions from August, with a key focus being on implementing a strong defensive system to help the players get used to the style of water polo Le Roux wants to employ.
“I would describe our style as a ‘suffocation’way to play,”the coach explained.
“We place a lot of focus on limiting mistakes on defence, which makes it incredibly hard for teams to score past us.
“As the game continues, theopposition tends to panic when they cannot score goals. Defence is an absolute key for us, and the boys executed it very well. We conceded very few goals, which then, also, built the base for our attack.”
Le Roux also lauded his team’s cohesion. “I think the entire team performed really well together, and as a team, we are always stronger,” he said.
“There were some excellent performances all round from all the players. I am glad that some of the boys – Ross Webber, Nathan Corlett, Ross Briers-Danks and Blake Galpin – were recognised for their playing by being selected for the team of the tournament.
“There were some individual awards – Best Defender, Blake Galpin, and MVP, Nathan Corlett. Another standout player for us was our goalkeeper, Daniel Smith, who is the backbone of our defence and game strategy.
“He had an incredible tournament and showed that he is one of the best goalkeepers in the u15 age group in South Africa.”
Rondebosch’s attention will next turn to Western Cape league games, with some of the players vying for inclusion in the first team for next month’s St Stithians College Stayers Tournament.
Click HERE to see all the results from the Ian Melliar Cup.
Final standings
Rondebosch Boys’ High
St John’s College
SACS
Wynberg Boys’ High
Clifton College
Hilton College
St David’s Marist Inanda
Bishops
Kearsney College
Selborne College
Paul Roos
Pretoria Boys High
Affies
Grey High School
Paarl Boys’ High
Buffalo City Invitational
Cape Town Invitational
Reddam House Constantia
Maritzburg College
Glenwood House
Former St Anne’s Diocesan College head coach Megan Sileno made a triumphant return to Hilton on the weekend, leading St Stithians College to the title at the St Anne’s Water Polo Tournament.
In a dramatic final, on Sunday, St Stithians edged out Roedean 7–6 in a penalty shootout after the sides were tied 4–4 at full time.
The final, like most of the day’s playoff games, was very tightly contested, with the defences dominating in an evenly matched battle.
St Stithians’ journey to the title was a gauntlet through some of the country’s top teams. In the quarterfinals, they dispatched Durban Girls’ College (DGC) 8-6, which was a significant win, considering that DGC had already won the KZN Top 10 and Mackenzie Cup tournaments.
They then met Herschel Girls School in an action-packed semi-final, which was also decided on penalties, with Saints holding their nerve to move into the final after a 7–6 (4–4) win.
On the other side of the draw, Roedean defeated St Anne’s 8–6 in their semi-final, to end the hosts’ unblemished run.
After winning the title, St Stithians had more reasons to celebrate, with Isabella Imbriolo being named the Defender of the Tournament, while Danielle Sassenberg, who named the MVP.
The bronze medal match was every bit as dramatic as the final, with the contest needing to go to penalties to be settled.
In regulation time, St Anne’s and Herschel finished level at 5-5, but the Capetonians then edged out the home side, triumphing 7-6.
St Anne’s head coach Cameron Wiid was thrilled with how the event unfolded. “The tournament was a massive success,” he enthused. “Having 16 of the best u19 ladies’ teams from across the country, all staying on the St Anne’s campus, created a unique atmosphere not often found elsewhere on the calendar.
“Five out of the six match officials have represented South Africa at the World Aquatics Championships, with two officiating at the Olympic Games. That level of experience elevated both the competition and the officiating to the highest standard.”
Wiid also expressed his excitement at the tight level of competition. “With all top medal matches and even the 5th/6th playoff going to penalties, it’s clear that the level of women’s water polo in South Africa is on the rise,” he said.
“I was proud of my team’s performance in finishing fourth after a narrow shootout loss to Herschel. I’m excited to see what this special group can achieve at the upcoming Stayers and Interprovincial tournaments later this year.”
In other games, after working hard the whole weekend, the defending champions, Reddam House Constantia, finished fifth, sneaking by Reddam House Bedfordview 7-6 on penalties after their playoff ended 5-all.
Reddam Bedfordview, nonetheless, put together a strong run, winning their first three games to go undefeated in their group. In the quarterfinals, though, Herschel controlled the contest to run out 9-2 winners.
Meanwhile, DGC beat Reddam House Umhlanga 5-3 to finish seventh, while St Mary’s Waverley claimed the Plate, beating St Dominic’s 5-3 in the final.
RESULTS
Plate Semifinals
St Mary’s Waverley 3-2 Beaulieu
St Dominic’s (5) 3-3 (3) Kingsmead
Cup Semifinals
St Stithians (7) 4-4 (6) Herschel
Roedean 8-6 St Anne’s
Plate
7/8: St Mary’s DSG, Kloof 4-10 Maris Stella 5/6: Rhenish 4-3 St Cyprian’s 3/4: Beaulieu 0-2 Kingsmead 1/2: St Mary’s Waverley 5-3 St Dominic’s
Cup
7/8: DGC 5-3 Reddam Umhlanga 5/6: Reddam Bedfordview (5) 5-5 (7) Reddam Constantia 3/4: Herschel (7) 5-5 (6) St Anne’s 1/2: St Stithians (7) 4-4 (6) Roedean
Wynberg Boys’ High delivered an excellent team performance on Sunday, powering their way to a 95-run win over the touring New Zealand side, Palmerston North, in a 45-over match played on the Jacques Kallis Oval.
Batting first, the hosts patiently set about building a platform, with openers Matthew Saunders and Fawaaz Hendricks sharing a 68-run stand for the first wicket before Hendricks was dismissed for 21 from 38 balls, caught by Lucas Kempthorne off the bowling of captain Jordin Last-Harris.
Saunders settled in, however, and went on to top the Wynberg scoring, striking seven fours and a six in an impressive 81 off 115 deliveries.
Michail Tarentaal, who came after the second wicket went down, made a useful contribution of 36 off only 31 balls.
Kempthorne led the Palmerston North attack, capturing 4/46 in nine overs, while Max Hart picked up a couple of sticks, too, at a cost of 55 runs from nine overs.
The tourists’ bowlers let themselves down, however, with wayward lines, which resulted in 21 wides. In total, they conceded 38 extras, which helped Wynberg work their way to 238/9 after their 45 overs.
Unfortunately for the Kiwis, who needed to bat at 5.3 runs per over to win, their top order misfired, apart from Sean Rowe, who made 29 before losing his wicket to a run out.
Max Culleton offered some hard-hitting resistance. Coming in at seven, he smacked three fours and a six in a run-a-ball 34.
The biggest problem that Palmerston North faced, though, was Damien Harris, who ripped through the tourists’ lower order, claiming 4/15 in five overs.
While Harris mostly picked off the tail enders, Luke Kleinsmith and Jiyaad Abrahams accounted for two batsmen each in the top order.
In the end, the visitors came up well short of Wynberg’s total, bowled out for 143.
Thomas Taylor was a key performer for Hilton College in the school’s unbeaten run to the Clifton Water Polo Tournament title. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Hilton College lifted the Clifton Water Polo Tournament title on Sunday afternoon after a hard-fought 10-8 victory over St John’s College.
The victory marked a successful return to the Clifton Aquatic Centre for Hilton coach Paul Martin, who had previously headed up Clifton’s water polo programme for a decade.
In the title game, the Midlands’ school opened the scoring after three minutes when their talisman, Tristan Uys, let rip with a pinpoint missile from long range, into the left-hand corner. He, then, made it 2-0 with a five-metre penalty, confidently converted with a bounce shot into the right corner.
When St John’s faced Clifton College in the semi-finals, their heavy press eventually told after they went two goals down, but, against Hilton, they faced a team with some hugely experienced players, who dealt more convincingly with the pressure.
However, St John’s, as they did in the semi-finals, levelled at 2-2. With less than two minutes to play in the opening chukka, they outflanked Hilton on the left to open their account through Fu-Nam Chen. Then, just before the end of the six minutes, one of their dangermen, Christopher Chapman released a rocket to tie the contest.
Hilton, though, responded almost immediately, winning a penalty, which Uys converted to complete his hat-trick. Their swift replies were a feature of the final.
Then, with only seconds remaining in the quarter, St John’s earned a penalty, too, but goalkeeper Trent Chubb stoned the shot to ensure Hilton led after the first chukka.
Early in the second chukka, St John’s levelled, with Chapman scoring from a similar position to where he fired in their second. Once again, though, it was Tristan Uys who inspired a response from Hilton, winning a penalty and slotting it to put his team in front again.
St John’s was a man up just before the end of the chukka, but Hilton stood firm, with goalkeeper Chubb stopping a shot from the left to end the danger.
Early in the second half, Andrew Schnell, a standout lock for the Hilton 1st XV, extended his side’s advantage to two goals by confidently lobbing the goalkeeper. Soon after that, Hilton’s lead was up to 6-3 when Bradley van Loggerenberg struck from close range.
St John’s needed to score next, and they did, with Nicholas Searle converting a penalty. The Johannesburg school, then, counterattacked with a three-on-two opportunity, but they were stymied by the goalkeeper, who pulled off a superb stop with his left hand.
Hilton quickly moved the ball up the pool and it was the excellent Tristan Uys who made St John’s pay, slotting his fifth goal with a spectacular helicopter shot to make it 7-4.
Uys, though, blotted his copybook when he picked up a red card shortly after that. St John’s, maybe, had been handed an opportunity to get back into the game, and Simon Mussett released an accurate shot into the far corner to get his team to within two.
St John’s could have pulled to within a goal when Nicholas Searle took a penalty, but his shot hit the inside of the right post and stayed out.
Hilton, after regaining possession, quickly got the ball down the pool to Mitchel Garreau. Through on the ‘keeper in a one-on-one, he was fouled. Garreau took on the responsibility of the penalty shot, beating the ‘keeper to the netminder’s right to make it 8-5 after three chukkas.
When Chapman was kicked out early in the fourth chukka, Hilton coach, Paul Martin, immediately called a timeout and summoned his team to plot a decisive goal-scoring move. St John’s, though, turned over possession and moved the ball forward quickly, resulting in them winning a penalty.
Simon Mussett took advantage of the chance and buried the ball in the back of the net to make it 8-6 to Hilton. Almost immediately, though, Hilton won a penalty shot at the other end of the Clifton Aquatic Centre pool and Mitchel Garreau increased the Hilton advantage to three goals once more.
No question about it, St John’s needed to score next. Good ball movement created space for Nicholas Searle, and he finished from close range with just less than two minutes remaining.
Once again, though, Hilton quickly answered, with Garreau beating the ‘keeper at the right-hand post to make it 10-7.
Luke Shipway replied for St John’s in no time at all, firing across the goalie and into the far corner to ensure there would be a tense finish.
The Johannesburg boys attacked and put Hilton under pressure, but Garrick Phillips pulled off a critical turnover to end the danger. Again, St John’s attacked, but Thomas Taylor blocked a shot on goal to keep coach Jon-Marc de Carvalho‘s boys at bay.
The final minute brought a number of turnovers by both defences before time expired, leaving Hilton College the winners by 10 goals to eight.
Their ability to quickly respond to their oppositions’ goals was their superpower throughout the event, and their offence had a sharper edge than they any other side’s attack.
Third place went to Clifton College, who got their noses in front against Kearsney College early and they stayed just out of reach of their KZN rivals, who kept threatening to overhaul them, to claim a 9-7 win.
It was an encouraging showing from a team without a single grade 12 player in the lineup and, with enviable depth in the junior ranks, the Durban school is poised to be a serious contender in the coming seasons in big tournaments everywhere.
For Kearsney, an experienced side, it was, perhaps, a bit of a disappointing tournament, only because a team of their quality would have had their sights set on the title.
SACS, who had been somewhat inconsistent throughout the event, had Selborne‘s number in the fifth-place playoff, cruising to a 9-3 win.
Michaelhouse ended seventh after an 11-7 win over Reddam House Constantia.
Meanwhile, Durban High School (DHS), who had finished fourth in the very tough Pool C, showed that their group stage opponents had got off lightly by ending ninth with an emphatic 9-4 win over Westville Boys’ High, who had finished above them in their group where they edged out DHS 9-8.
Affies, who had ended second in Pool B, ultimately finished 11th after a comfortable 12-5 victory over Paul Roos.
Northwood placed 13th following a 14-6 defeat of Maritzburg College, and King Edward VII (KES) picked up their first win in their last outing, romping to a 17-3 win over Grey College.
RESULTS
15/16: KES 17-3 Grey College
13/14: Northwood 14-6 Maritzburg College
11/12: Affies 12-5 Paul Roos Gimnasium
9/10: Durban High School 9-4 Westville Boys’ High
7/8: Michaelhouse 11-7 Reddam House Constantia
5/6: SACS 9-3 Selborne College
3/4: Clifton College 9-7 Kearsney College
1/2: Hilton College 10-8 St John’s College
Having won the toss, the home side, Hoërskool Durbanville, chose to bat first in their 50-over fixture against Hoërskool Swartland, on Saturday.
The conditions appeared to favour the bowlers, but that didn’t stop Jean van Coller from scoring a half-century.
He stuck around to set a sound platform for the Durbies‘ innings, scoring 56 runs off 103 balls, with four fours. That stubborn effort helped Durbanville to total 190 all out.
Euan Claasen led Swartland’s bowling attack with figures of 2/27, while Iaan Snyders claimed 2/29. A decent bowling performance was, however, marred by some needless extras, with Swartland conceding 28, of which 21 were from wides.
When they visited the crease, the Swartland batting lineup struggled to get going, which was underlined by the fact that Sean Kotze, batting at number seven, top-scored for the visitors with an unbeaten 14 off 21 balls.
The Durbies’ bowlers produced a sound team performance, with Jan-Oscar van Tonder, Erich Vermeulen, Liam Kirsten, and Ruan van As all collecting two wickets each, while also conceding less than 15 runs.
Swartland’s run chase, as a consequence, ended well short of the 191 they required for victory. They were all out for only 90.
Stellenberg High School vs Parel Vallei High School
Stellenberg High welcomed Parel Vallei High to Cape Town’s northern suburbs on Saturday for a 50-over showdown. The match didn’t start smoothly for the hosts, who stumbled out of the gate and were reduced to 51/5.
JJ Rothman, though, gave Stellies what they so desperately needed – an innings of consequence. Waiting for the loose ball, he tallied 55 runs off 78 deliveries before becoming the last wicket to go down with the total on 131.
Parel Vallei’s Dirk van Zyl was excellent with the ball, securing 4/24 from his 10 overs, while Liam Liebenberg enjoyed success, too, picking up 3/30 in six overs.
After producing a strong showing in the field, the visitors from Somerset West, unfortunately for them, were unable to match that effectiveness with the bat. Only two of their batsmen made it beyond 20.
Migael Badenhorst top scored, chipping in with 27 off 35, while Ben Traut scored 21 off 38 as they partnered to add 45 for the second wicket.
When the two were dismissed with only a single run being scored between their exits, Stellenberg smelt blood in the water.
Rothman, again, led their challenge, knocking over 3/17 in six overs, while JJ Alberts snapped up 3/22 in three overs. Aiden Pienaar wasn’t far behind them, collecting 2/30 from 10 tight overs as Parel Vallei was bowled out for 105.
SCORES
Hoërskool Durbanville 190/10 (Jean van Coller 56, Extras 28; Euan Claasen 2/27, Iaan Snyders 2/29); Hoërskool Swartland 90/10 (Jan-Oscar van Tonder 2/10, Erich Vermeulen 2/12, Liam Kirsten 2/12, Ruan van As 2/14).
Durbanville won by 100 runs.
Stellenberg High 131/10 (JJ Rothman 55, Aiden Pienaar 24, Extras 23; Dirk van Zyl 4/24, Liam Liebenberg 3/30, Damian Faure 2/43); Parel Vallei 105/10 (Migael Badenhorst 27, Ben Traut 21; JJ Rothman 3/17, JJ Alberts 3/22, Aiden Pienaar 2/30).
Christiaan Oosthuizen’s five-wicket haul helped restrict Trinity Grammar to a low total. Photo: Hoërskool Bellville on Facebook.
At home, on Saturday, Hoërskool Bellville won the toss in their 50-over match against Trinity Grammar, a private school for boys from Melbourne, Australia. They chose to have the Aussies bat first.
Coming in down the middle order, Akein Madarasinghe was the top scorer for Trinity Grammar, patiently compiling 36 from 60 balls, which included seven fours.
Bellville opening bowler Christiaan Oosthuizen led from the front with the shiny new ball, capturing 5/25 in 6.5 overs.
Four of his five wickets came from knocking over the stumps – a bowler’s favourite method of demolition.
The other Bellville opening bowler, Kian Joubert, claimed 2/6 in six overs, to keep the Trinity Grammar batsmen in check. Both of his victims were trapped in front, out LBW.
Not having to chase a big total, Bellville’s run pursuit was relatively conservative. They took 23.3 overs to overhaul Trinity Grammar’s modest total, scoring at 4.68 runs per over.
Top order batsman StiaanMaritz led the way, scoring an unbeaten 50 off 60, which featured six fours and two sixes, while opener Johan Bergh chipped in with a solid 43 off 47, smashing five fours and a maximum in his useful innings.
Tom Tillyard collected 2/40 in his seven overs for Trinity Grammar, but without many runs to defend, the rest of the attack found themselves stymied by Bellville’s batting.
SCORES
Trinity Grammar School 108/10 (Akein Madarasinghe 36; Christiaan Oosthuizen 5/25, Kian Joubert 2/6); Hoërskool Bellville 110/3 (Stiaan Maritz 50*, Johan Bergh 43; Tom Tillyard 2/40).
Three centuries and two half-centuries saw Hoërskool Pietersburg highlight the Limpopo Super League on Saturday with a mammoth 534 in just 50 overs.
Read and relive all the Limpopo Super League action right here on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)
Skipper Dian Gouws led the way at the top of the order with 110 runs coming from just 78 deliveries. His innings included 12 fours and seven sixes.
Stephan Swanepoel (50) and Celliers van der Merwe continued the destructive nature of the innings. Van der Merwe, especially, upped the ante with his 88 runs off only 35 balls, striking at a rate of 251,4.
The 500-moment, however, was courtesy of middle-order batters, AJ Galloway and Willem Viljoen. The pair became the second and third batsmen to reach a century each. Galloway smashed 11 fours and seven sixes for an unbeaten 103, while Viljoen bashed 13 fours and four sixes to accumulate 104 unbeaten runs.
To rub further salt into the Nkowankowa wounds, Viljoen went on to cause carnage with the ball, too. In six overs, he only conceded eight runs while snapping up four wickets to go with his earlier century. Apart from Kingsley Maake, who made 86 runs, there wasn’t any other resistance from the visitors, who managed a meagre 118 before the last wicket fell, handing the Pieties a massive 416-run victory.
Merensky Landbou Akademie‘s opening batsman, Logan Janse van Rensburg, and bowler Ian Meyer were equally impressive. The Plasies bagged an important bonus-point victory of 246 runs over Hoërskool Louis Trichardt.
Janse van Rensburg patiently scored an unbeaten 194 runs off 128 deliveries, while Rinaldo Bornman chipped in with a well-played 70 to help the Plasies to 321/7 in the allotted 50 overs. Meyer then answered the call with his second fiver in as many games, conceding only 22 runs in the five overs he bowled. This restricted the Triegies to only 75 runs.
Mohodi Hub surprised Hoërskool Ben Vorster, narrowly beating them by three wickets. Mahlodi Sekuba (4/20) and Ofentswe Mudzwungu (4/51) were exceptional with the ball, restricting the Black Caps to only 184. Masilo Moremi laid the batting foundation with 40 at the top of the order, while Randy Mosefowa‘s unbeaten 40 runs got the side from outside Polokwane over the line.
Hoërskool Piet Potgieter maintained their unbeaten streak, dismissing Phalaborwa Hub for 78 after a difficult batting performance. Piet Pot only managed 178 runs, with Rayaan Malji top-scoring with 38. He was among the wickets too, snapping up 3/15, while Frederik Botes was the most impressive with three, too, but conceding only four runs.
Summarised scorecards
Hoërskool Pietersburg 534/5 (Dian Gouws 110, Willem Viljoen 104*, AJ Galloway 103*, Celliers van der Merwe 88, Stephan Swanepoel 50, Extras 40, Jan-Hendrik Boneschans 35; Ndzalama Mabunda 2/71); Nkowankowa Hub 118 (Kinsgley Maake 86, Extras 26; Willem Viljoen 4/8, Stephan Swanepoel 2/25, Celliers van der Merwe 2/26, Hardus Schoeman 2/31). Hoërskool Pietersburg won by 416 runs.
Merensky Landbou Akademie 321/7 (Logan Janse van Rensburg 104*, Rinaldo Bornman 70, Extras 45, Luka Heinlein 33; Francois Nel 3/62); Hoërskool Louis Trichardt 75 (Extras 25; Ian Meyer 5/22, Luka Heinlein 2/11). Merensky Landbou Akademie won by 246 runs.
Ben Vorster 184 (Extras 48, Dumisani Manyama 41*, Sontag Ramarsoma 27, Stiaan du Randt 26; Mahlodi Sekuba 4/20, Ofentswe Mudzwungu 4/51); Mohodi Hub 188/7 (Masilo Morema 40, Randy Mosefowa 40*, Junior Maruapula 31, Thato Masasane 27*; Rivoningo Chauke 3/35, Talent Ndlovu 2/35). Mohodi Hub won by three wickets.
Hoërskool Piet Potgieter 178 (Rayaan Malji 38, Extras 32, Hamza Vahora 25; Lesley Zimba 4/44, Mandla Mashaba 3/16); Phalaborwa Hub 78 (Extras 21; Frederik Botes 3/4, Rayaan Malji 3/15, Ruben Oosthuizen 2/37). Hoërskool Piet Potgieter won by 100 runs.
One needed a moment to catch your breath following another explicit round of batting over the last scheduled weekend of the Titans Platinum League.
Read and relive all the Titans Platinum League action right here on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)
Hoërskool Waterkloof‘s Wian du Plessis and Keagan van Wyk of Cornwall Hill College led the charge, scoring the two centuries on the day. To add to their respective tons, another seven half-centuries were achieved across the four matches that took place on Saturday, 27 September.
Du Plessis, with his Nelson (111) against Die Hoërskool Menlopark, played a leading role as the Klofies won comfortably by 122 runs at Menlopark. The opening batsman wasted no time, scoring at a healthy pace throughout his innings.
When he was finally dismissed by Tiaan Serfontein (4/66), who emerged as the Parkies’ best bowler, Du Plessis had only used 112 deliveries for his contribution. His innings included 11 fours and two sixes, only 56 runs of his total, which illustrates how effective his running between the wickets was.
Captain Riley Miller provided the supporting role, notching yet another half-century using 58 balls for his 57. Darius Maritz contributed a valuable cameo of 36 not out towards the end to take Waterkloof to a total of 317/9 in the allotted 50 overs. Morné Koekemoer (51) and Matt van der Westhuizen (41) were the only batsmen from the Parkies making noteworthy contributions.
After Maritz, following his heroics with the bat, had put in the hard yards upfront (2/27), Jaydon Blom did the clean-up work with the ball. His 3/16 in six overs delivered the knockout blow as the Parkies were dismissed for only 194.
At the Hofmeyr Oval, the home of Pretoria Boys High School, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool kept their unbeaten record alive. Vihan Pretorius had a big say in the seven-wicket victory. Firstly, he was the main contributor with the ball snapping up 3/34 to ensure that only Justin Basdeo (60) could make any sort of an inroad with the bat.
Pretorius was supported by JP Botha (2/14) and Schalk Coetzee (2/20), bowling Boys High out for a mere 152. Pretorius then led the way with the bat, too, scoring an unbeaten 61 in the chase. The inform Christian Linde was also among the runs again, contributing 36 towards the winning cause.
Reuben van Zyl of Hoërskool Garsfontein again exhibited his batting prowess, this time against Hoërskool Eldoraigne. Van Zyl is making a strong push to be included in this year’s Titans Khaya Majola side, boasting three centuries alongside the 91 runs he made on Saturday.
His opening partner, Wikus du Preez, also put the Eldos to the sword with 68. The pair combined for a massive 164-run partnership for the first wicket, laying the foundation for the 309-run total before the last wicket fell. Rowan McLaren (3/39), Matthew Sampson (3/44) and Ryno Mulder (3/45) delivered a valiant bowling effort for Eldos.
The batters, however, couldn’t replicate the bowling quality, with only Marinus Langerman (33) and Jean du Randt (31) making it past the 30 mark. The Eldos were eventually dismissed for 194 in the 41st over. Jared Carr did the bulk of the damage, boasting a return of 4/22 in 4.5 overs.
Van Wyk top-scored in Cornwall Hill’s massive 190-run victory over Prestige College at Hammanskraal, scoring 118 of just 96 balls. Opening the batting, he struck 12 fours and three sixes and, alongside Zander Davel‘s 72, laid the foundation for their side to reach 303/7.
Neoentle Makwela followed that up with a match-winning bowling performance. In the 8.3 overs he fired off, he snapped up four wickets, costing only 30 runs, while Rourke de Lange shrugged off his disappointment with the bat to take three wickets for just 17 runs as Prestige were bundled out for a Nelson.
Summarised scorecards
Waterkloof 317/9 (Wian du Plessis 111, Riley Miller 57, Darius Maritz 36, Rico van der Walt 24, Johan Feuth 22; Tiaan Serfontein 4/66, Jan-Willem Pienaar 2/50); Menlopark 195 (Morné Koekemoer 51, Matt van der Westhuizen 41, James Bronkhorst 22; Jaydon Blom 3/16, Darius Maritz 2/27). Waterkloof won by 122 runs.
Pretoria Boys High School 152 (Justin Basdeo 60, Timothy Gordon 28, Joseph van Dijk 26; Vihan Pretorius 3/34, JP Botha 2/14, Schalk Coetzee 2/20); Affies 153/3 (Vihan Pretorius 61*, Christian Linde 36, Extras 28, JP Botha 21; Justin Basteo 1/16). Affies won by seven wickets.
Garsfontein 309 (Reuben van Zyl 91, Wikus du Preez 68, Xander Venter 48, Riaan Boshoff 43; Rowan McLaren 3/39, Matthew Sampson 3/44, Ryno Mulder 3/45); Eldoraigne 194 (Marinus Langerman 33, Jean du Randt 31, Rowan McLaren 27, Ruan Steyn 26, Extras 21). Garsfontein won by 115 runs.
Cornwall Hill College 303/7 (Keagan van Wyk 118, Zander Davel 72, Ab Rasool 26, Aden Maredi 25, Layton Pullen 24; Nongani Sithole 3/50, Gift Motlhasedi 2/75); Prestige College 111 (Keamogetswe Semenya 38, Ophile Maredi 22, Lesedi Mabena 21; Neoentle Makwela 4/30, Rourke de Lange 3/17). Cornwall Hill College won by 190 runs.
Michael Tarentaal, who was recently part of the Cricket South Africa U17 National Camp in Pretoria, helped Wynberg Boys’ High to a comfortable win over Paarl Gimnasium. Photo: Wynberg Boys’ High on Facebook.
Playing at home, Wynberg won the toss and sent the visitors out to bat first on the Jacques Kallis Oval.
Working well together, the southern suburbs’ side’s bowling attack performed strongly as a cohesive unit.
Ihsan Khan led the way, collecting 4/43 from nine overs. The other six wickets were shared between Damien Harris, Michail Tarentaal and Luke Kleinsmith, who all claimed two each.
Derrick Groenewald struck a quickfire 28 off 15 balls in the Gimmies‘ middle order but was dismissed before his innings snowballed into something more substantial and damaging.
After a wobbly start, Wynberg steadily chased down the visitors’ total, advancing at 4.55 runs per over to secure victory in the 33rd over.
The home side lost two early wickets, but that brought Qaeed Shaik to the wicket and he dominated their response, scoring an unbeaten 86 off 88 balls, which included six fours and two sixes, to shepherd Wynberg to an impressive victory.
Shaik enjoyed solid support from Storme van Rooyen, who contributed 29 runs to a 91-run third wicket partnership.
SCORES
Paarl Gimnasium 144/10(Derrick Groenenwald 28, Dirk Hugo 23, De Waal Vivier 20, Extras 21; Ihsan Khan 4/43, Damien Harris 2/17, Michail Tarentaal 2/18, Luke Kleinsmith 2/57). Wynberg Boys’ High 147/3 (Qaeed Shaik 86*, Storme van Rooyen 29; Louis Koen 2/26)
Wynberg Boys’ High delivered an excellent team performance on Sunday, powering their way to a 95-run win over the touring New Zealand side, Palmerston North, in a 45-over match played on the Jacques Kallis Oval.
