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The South African u17 boys’ and girls’ teams showed glimpses of their potential on the opening day of the Dato Mirnawan Cup, in Malaysia, on Sunday.

The annual international tournament, hosted by the Malaysian Hockey Federation, runs through to Sunday, 9 November, in Kuala Lumpur.

It’s an u18 event, but the South African Schools Hockey Association (SASHOC) has sent national u17 sides to it over the past three seasons in an effort to build for the future.

The boys’ team opened their campaign against the Australian Crocs, while the girls took on Queensland.

BOYS’ RECAP

Beginning with a morale-boosting win was the goal for the SA u17 boys and they fulfilled that goal by beating the Crocs 2-0. After a fifth-place finish in 2024, it was an encouraging start for coach Justin Collins‘ charges.

It was all South Africa in the early going, with skipper Mohlodi Maseko opening the scoring in the first minute. Thandanani Zuma made it 2-0 eight minutes later.

From there, South Africa held on for the win despite having to weather several promising attacks from their opponents.

“I think the first half was really good from the boys,” captain Maseko told team manager Pius Nkosi after the game.

“We put them under pressure and created a lot of opportunities for ourselves. Towards the second half, we started playing around too much and made some mistakes.

“We didn’t create as many chances but, overall, I think it was a good shift from the boys to win the game 2-0.”

Maseko and his team will take on the Malaysia Tigers in their next game on Monday at 12:00 SAST.

GIRLS’ RECAP

It was not the best of starts for the girls’ team, who went down to a 1-3 defeat against Queensland.

The South African side was on the back foot early on and conceded three goals in the first half. However, after the halftime break, they showed character and fight to pull a goal back with Busiwe Mayekiso from Hudson Park High, opening the team’s goal-scoring account.

Despite the loss, co-captains Katherine Sickle and Ella Bowyer said they remained optimistic.

“I think the girls played well and dominated the game. We were just unlucky with the score, but we will keep pushing for the days to come,” Sickle told team manager Thando Ndlovu after the game. 

“The team really feels good, even though the score didn’t go our way. We feel uplifted and spirited, and we’re just going to continue working,” she added.

Bowyer was impressed with the hunger of the South African forwards to score, even though they had gone three goals down. 

“When we conceded goals, we were very composed and pushed really hard, especially the forwards in the press,” she said. “That’s when we got our goal, scored by Busi.

“We will use this as a learning experience and just come back tomorrow stronger and more positive than we were in this game.”

The South African girls tackle the Australia Crocs on Monday at 10:00 SAST.

Click HERE to see our full coverage of the Dato Mirnawan Cup.

TEAMS

Boys

Marley Musasa, Daniel Fisher (both Rondebosch Boys’ High and Western Province), Viwe Ndlovu, Andile Lembethe (both Maritzburg College and KZN Inland), Ruben Gouws, Logan Lackey (both Paul Roos Gimnasium and Boland), Cameron Cordeiro, Chavez Sanger, Mohlodi Maseko (all SACS and Western Province), Keegan de Jager (Kearsney College, KZN Coastal), Jacques van Dyk (Stellenberg High, Western Province), Liam Brooker (Pretoria Boys High, Northern Gauteng), Thandanani Zuma (Michaelhouse, KZN Inland), Matteo Stipcevich (St David’s Marist Inanda, Southern Gauteng), Neilyandro van Schalkwyk (Grey College, Southern Free State), Ryan Groenewald (Fairmont High, Western Province), Chad Julius (Wynberg Boys’ High, Western Province), Martin de Bruyn (Paarl Boys’ High, Boland).

Girls

Annika Kloppers (Die Hoërskool Menlopark, Northern Gauteng), Peyton Marais (Curro Durbanville, Western Province), Timari Jonker (Potchefstroom Gimnasium, North West), Jamie da Silva, Ella Bowyer (both St Mary’s DSG, Kloof, KZN Coastal), Zezethu Kunene (Maris Stella, KZN Coastal), Raffael Abrahams (Steyn City School, Southern Gauteng), Holly Hofmeyr (St Anne’s Diocesan College, KZN Inland), Xylia Choene (Oranje, Southern Free State), Claire Volschenk (Eunice, Southern Free State), Azania Petersen (St Andrew’s School For Girls, Southern Gauteng), Siphiwe Thwala (Middelburg High School, Mpumalanga), Busiwe Mayekiso (Hudson Park High, Border), Katherine Sickle (Rhenish Girls’ High, Boland), Emihle Wulana (Parel Vallei, Boland), Jemma Ferreira (St Dominic’s Catholic School for Girls, Eastern Gauteng), Anjun Kazie (Milnerton High, Western Province), Amogelang Motlatle (Curro Hazeldean, Northern Gauteng).

BOYS’ FIXTURES

Note*: Fixtures are in South African Standard Time.

3 November
12:00 – South Africa vs Malaysia Tigers

5 November
12:00 – South Africa vs Malaysia Speedy

6 November
10:00 – South Africa vs Queensland (Australia)

8 November
10:00 – South Africa vs Japan

GIRLS’ FIXTURES

3 November
10:00 – South Africa vs Australia Crocs

6 November
12:00 – South Africa vs Malaysia Tigers

8 November
10:00 – South Africa vs Japan

Hoërskool Dr Malan, known for producing the legendary international umpire, Marais Erasmus, and Renier van Rensburg, who was recognised by Guinness World Records as the youngest qualified male cricket umpire in the world, produced another noteworthy cricketing moment on their home turf, in Meyerton, on Saturday.

Dokkies beat Hoërskool Kempton Park by 39 runs to book a meeting with Hoërskool Garsfontein in the Fain Noordvaal Series final next Saturday.

A strong bowling display by the six Dokkies’ bowlers laid the foundation for a memorable victory over their highly regarded opponents. Displaying impressive discipline, the hosts’ bowlers gave up only nine extras in 45.2 overs.

Keagan Meyer led the Dr Malan charge with 2/28 from seven overs. He was also one of five batsmen to score in excess of 20 for the hosts, who cobbled together a total of 216/9 from their 50 overs, which proved to be enough. Damian du Plessis top-scored with a focused 37 off 67 balls.

Heinrich Jansen van Rensburg weighed in with 29, but he also played his part with the ball, picking up two wickets, which was a theme of the match from the bowlers. His return was 2/42.

Shaun Nash was exceptional for the visitors. He followed Wian Pieters’ strong 10-over spell, which brought the Kempies‘ bowler 2/36, with figures of 2/18 from six overs. Their solid performances kept the Dr Malan batsmen at bay.

Ethan Kotze, with 2/38, and Francois Marais, with 2/48, also made inroads into the hosts’ batting.

Despite a useful innings from Kempton Park’s mainstay with the willow, Sheldon Kruger, the visitors struggled to break the shackles imposed on them by the Dr Malan bowlers. Kruger made 46 before becoming Jansen van Rensburg’s first victim. Stian de Villiers became the second shortly after for one.

Dewald Erasmus, a consistent performer for Dokkies with both bat and ball, knocked over 2/29, which followed a three-wicket haul in Dr Malan’s convincing quarterfinal win over Merensky Landbou.

The visitors’ innings came to a disappointing end with consecutive run outs, orchestrated by AJ Els and Jansen van Rensburg, who was in the thick of the action throughout the fixture.

Unfortunately for the Kempies, they had only 177 runs on the scoreboard and that meant their season was over.

Summarised scorecard 

Dr Malan 216/9 (Damian du Plessis 37, Heinrich Jansen van Rensburg 29, Jacques Nel 25, Ruben Muller 24, Keagan Meyer 23, Extras 23; Shaun Nash 2/18, Wian Pieters 2/36, Ethan Kotze 2/38, Francois Marais 2/48); Hoërskool Kempton Park 177 (Sheldon Kruger 46, Wian Pieters 28, Stian van Breda 22*; Keagan Meyer 2/28, Dewald Erasmus 2/29, Heinrich Jansen van Rensburg 2/42). Dr Malan won by 39 runs. 

One of the strengths of Durban High School (DHS) in 2025 has been the consistency of their top order batsmen, Ismaeel Omar, Ethan Cooper, and Josh van Biljon. When Clifton College removed the trio for a combined 27 runs at the Riverside Sports Club on Saturday, they might have felt they would dismiss the visitors for a modest total, but Taine Havermann turned that idea on its head.

The all-rounder, batting sixth in the order, delivered a match-winning knock, striking eight fours and a six in an unbeaten 103 from 111 deliveries.

He and Dhilan Naraidu, who entered after the fall of the third wicket, partnered for 94 runs for the fifth wicket before Naraidu departed with the total on 165, having hit six fours in a 54-ball stay that produced 42 runs.

The remaining batsmen delivered little production, but they didn’t need to as Havermann went on the attack, helping School to add another 71 runs before their 50 overs were up.

DHS finished on 236/9, led by Havermann’s century, Naraidu’s 42, and 26 from Lazlo Jooste.

Left-arm spinner, Blake Johnson, took 2/50 from 10 overs, which included the key wicket of Josh van Biljon, while leg-spinner, Shiraz Perumal, continued to add wickets to his record-setting season by snaring 2/41 from 10.

Then, after losing an early wicket in their run pursuit, Clifton made solid progress. Byron Ward and Yusuf Ahmed added 33 for the second wicket before Ward fell LBW to Sandi Mazibuko for 19.

Ahmed and Tim Saulez advanced the total by a further 36 runs before Ahmed was caught off of Ethan Cooper’s bowling for a patient 26 from 60 balls, which included three fours.

Saulez sent five deliveries to the boundary in his 34 from only 31 balls, but he was the fourth man out with the total on 98 for the highest score of the innings.

Following his departure, Clifton lost Hayden Drieselmann and Lawson Dinsdale for the addition of only three runs, with all three batsmen falling victim to the express pace of Bayanda Majola.

Shiraz Perumal offered a little resistance, making 12, but Josh Morley got stuck into the tail, picking up three wickets cheaply, to finish with 3/10 from five, as Clifton slid to 131 all out.

Majola, who triggered the home side’s collapse, captured 4/22 from eight overs in his last match for the DHS 1st XI.

Kearsney College vs Westville Boys’ High

Kearsney College and Westville Boys’ High just failed in their attempt to beat afternoon rain and mist when the sides met on the AH Smith Oval, in Botha’s Hill, on Saturday. When the match was abandoned, Westville was only 13 runs shy of victory with four wickets in hand.

After winning the toss, Kearsney took to the crease first, but their batsmen delivered a patchy performance. They started well, though, with Jason de Gryse and Rivaan Moodley putting on 31 runs for the first wicket before Moodley and Asher Hollister added 43 for the second wicket.

Unfortunately for Kearsney, Hollister was run out for a run a ball 28, which featured four fours, and his exit was followed by Moodley losing his wicket on the same score after also scoring 28 but at a run every second ball.

Kearsney added only one more run before Aaron Blackburn fell, which meant the hosts had stumbled from 74/1 to 75/4.

Cole Young played well for his 33 from 46, hitting two fours and a six in the highest score of the home team’s innings, but only Daniel Miskey, with 16, also reached double figures as the hosts’ batting effort lost steam. After 38.2 overs, they were all out for 146.

Opening bowler, Dayalan Boyce, led the Westville attacking, snagging 3/25 from 7.1 overs, while left-arm spinner, Ewan du Toit, grabbed 2/30 from eight.

In reply, Westville lost Aaron Rasmussen in the third over, but Du Toit and Kyle McGough took the total to 30 before McGough was out for 17. His departure brought Seth Simpson to the wicket, and he and Ewan du Toit proceeded to bat their side into the pound seats.

They advanced the Westville total by 47 runs from 46 balls before a run out of Du Toit by Rivaan Moodley parted the pair. The left-hander had scored 30 from 46 balls, sending five of them to the boundary.

Simpson was out 10 runs shy of the century for the visitors’ top score of 35. It had taken him only 31 balls and included seven fours. Tristin Delvin exited on the same total, which left Westville on 90/5 in the 21st over.

Liam de Villiers and Misbah Nair quickly snatched back command of the contest for the Griffin, however, partnering for 36 runs from 30 balls. Their stand was ended when Michael Groom bowled De Villiers, but his contribution was a useful 23 from 20 deliveries, with two fours and a six.

Just over two overs later, though, the game was called off with Westville on 134/6. Nair was on 15 not out and Aiden Baudach had five.

Left-arm paceman, Litha Gonya, led the Kearsney attack, picking up 2/21 from seven overs.

Summarised scorecard

Durban High School 236/9 (Taine Havermann 103*, Dhilan Naraidu 42, Lazlo Jooste 26, Extras 22; Shiraz Perumal 2/41, Blake Johnson 2/50); Clifton College 131/10 (Tim Saulez 34, Yusuf Ahmed 26, Extras 23; Bayanda Majola 4/22, Josh Morley 3/10). DHS won by 105 runs.

Kearsney College 146/10 (Cole Young 33, Asher Hollister 28, Rivaan Moodley 28; Dayalan Boyce 3/25, Ewan du Toit 2/30); Westville Boys’ High 134/6 (Seth Simpson 35, Ewan du Toit 30, Liam de Villiers 23; Litha Gonya 2/21). Match abandoned.

SACS vs Bishops Diocesan College (45-over)

In a southern suburbs’ showdown, Bishops won the toss and decided to bat first on SACS‘s De Villiers Oval on Saturday.

The visiting batsmen got stuck into the home side’s bowling and powered their way beyond 300 runs in their 45 overs, which set them up for a large 178-run victory.

Opener Adnaan Lagadien got Bishops off to a fiery start, thumping 10 fours and a six in his 91 runs off 105 balls.

In at three, James Robb-Quinlan smashed six fours and four maximums in his 57 off 46.

Despite some wobbles in the middle overs, Michael Kruiskamp, with 38, and Raa’id Arendse, with 36, kept the visitors’ innings chugging along at a healthy rate until they had completed their 45 overs with 312/7 on the scoreboard.

Saeed Conrad was the pick of the SACS’ bowlers, returning an excellent 3/36 from six overs, while Abhay Kalan picked up 2/69 in nine overs.

When SACS took to the crease, opener Luke Whitehead got after the Bishops’ bowlers, cracking two fours and two sixes in a quickfire 21 off 21. The visitors, though, made regular inroads into the home side’s batting effort.

Whitehead finished as the top scorer for SACS, while Ronan Meintjies, batting ninth in the order, chipped in with 20.

Alex Vintcent undermined the Newlands outfit’s efforts, though, sending four batsmen packing for 22 runs from his nine overs.

Michael Kruiskamp and Luke de Klerk aided with two wickets each as the SACS’ innings lasted only 35 overs and ended with the home team all out for 134.

Milnerton High vs DF Akademie (50-over)

Playing at home, Milnerton High won the toss opted to bat first against DF Akademie, formerly known as Hoërskool DF Malan.

Millies produced a middling total but were dismissed before their overs were up and the visitors from Bellville chased down the 151 runs they needed for victory with five wickets to spare.

Milnerton’s batsmen struggled against Wynand Breytenbach, who returned 4/41 in 9.2 overs, while Keegan Deyzel‘s 2/17, Henru Koekemoer‘s 2/18, and Lian Harrison‘s 2/19 all helped to disrupt the hosts’ scoring.

Opener Daniel Bloemetjie anchored the home side’s innings, punching three fours in a patient 48 runs off 115 balls, as Millies mustered 150 all out after 41.2 overs.

When DF Akademie batted, they found Michael Bloemetjie to be a handful. He tied them down with a tidy 10 overs, which brought him 3/28.

However, Justin van Rensburg, batting third in the order, stroked an undefeated 71 off 121 balls, which included eight fours and a six, to lead his side to victory.

After 42.1 overs, DF Akademie posted a match-winning 153/5.

Summarised Scorecards

Bishops Diocesan College 312/7 (Adnaan Lagadien 91, James Robb-Quinlan 57, Michael Kruiskamp 36, Raa’id Arendse 36, Extras 33, Luke de Klerk 22, Alex Vintcent 22; Saeed Conrad 3/36, Abhay Kalan 2/69); SACS 134/10 (Luke Whitehead 21, Ronan Meintjies 20, Alex Vintcent 4/22, Michael Kruiskamp 2/21, Luke de Klerk 2/42). Bishops won by 178 runs.

Milnerton High 150/10 (Daniel Bloemetjie 48, Extras 34; Wynand Breytenbach 4/41, Keegan Deyzel 2/17, Henru Koekemoer 2/18, Lian Harrison 2/19); DF Akademie 153/5 (Justin van Rensburg 71, Keegan Deyzel 29*, Extras 23; Michael Bloemetjie 3/28). DF Akademie won by five wickets.

The venue was Paul Roos Gimnasium, in Stellenbosch, but the finalists in the Boland region’s Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two final on Saturday were the traditional rivals, Paarl Boys’ High and Paarl Gimnasium.

When the toss went their way, Boishaai chose to field and were excellent with the ball, limiting Gimmies to just 112/7.

They followed up with an aggressive batting performance and powered their way to a one-sided 10-wicket victory.

Opener Wian Munnik delivered a solid 26 runs off 40 balls for Gimmies, but support from his fellow top and middle order batsmen was sparse.

Towards the end of the innings, Waldus de Jager bludgeoned four fours in an undefeated 29 off 27, but Gim was restricted to only 5.6 runs per over.

Reese Peterson was clinical with the ball, capturing 3/23 in four overs, while Aden Batt, who made the Boland team for the Khaya Majola Week, showed why he cracked the provincial nod with a return of 2/18 from four overs.

Openers AB Jacobs and Neil Louw, then, made light work of the modest victory target, sharing an unbroken partnership of 117 for the first wicket.

Jacobs was ruthless, hammering six fours and nine sixes in a rapid 89 from just 41 balls. With Jacobs firing, Louw held down his end, finishing with a more measured 24 not out off of 20 deliveries.

When Boishaai sealed a dominant victory, they had used up just over half the balls available to them in their run chase, charging over the line with 59 balls to spare.

Summarised Scorecard

Paarl Gimnasium 112/7 (Waldus de Jager 29*, Wian Munnik 26; Reese Peterson 3/23, Aden Batt 2/18); Paarl Boys’ High 117/0 (AB Jacobs 89*, Neil Louw 24*). Boishaai won by 10 wickets.

Matthew Tinley spun his way to a four-wicket haul to help Grey High record a nail-biting eight-run win over Graeme College on the Pollock Oval, in Gqeberha, on Saturday.

Teun Kloppenberg, the Grey High captain, made a good call to bat first when the toss went his way. The pitch played slow, which made batting difficult and forced the players to graft hard for their runs, but the hosts fought their way to 197 in 45.4 overs.

Tinley, then, tore through Graeme’s middle order to help the hosts bowl out the visitors for 189 in 47.4 overs.

Grey High wore pink caps for the match as part of an initiative raise money for breast cancer awareness. It was one of two parts of a by the Grey Union, which also includes an awareness walk.

“In 2013, the 1st XI wore pink caps to raise awareness of breast cancer. The newly elected prefect body decided to create a breast cancer awareness week,” James Upton, a member of the Grey Union, told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“All money raised from the sale of the ribbons and caps, and the walk is going to be donated to an organisation to help cancer patients.” 

The Grey High team received their caps from Fred Swarbrook, a former coach at the school, who was part of the group that started the initiative in 2013.

James Upton, with 28, and Cullen Marais, with 33, laid a solid platform for Grey with a 54-run opening stand. Unfortunately for the other batsmen, they were unable to match that partnership, but Grey was fortunate that their captain stayed in the middle long enough to push them to a winning total.

Kloppenberg made his way to the crease after the fall of the second wicket, which left Grey on 63/2. He proceeded to top-score with a patient 42 from 66 deliveries and stuck around for 20.3 overs.

Some might have expected that the match would hinge on the batting exploits of Connor Parry, for Grey, and Corbin Tidbury, for Graeme. Instead, the spinners, Matthew Tinley and Ajay Jeggels stole the spotlight.

Jeggels delivered a superb spell, knocking back 4/16 in 4.4 overs to help keep Grey High below 200. He received strong support from Lisekho Zinyane, who clamped down on the home side with a neat return of 2/28 from 10 overs, while Jordan Damons claimed 2/24 in four overs.

Tinley, though, was the difference between the sides. The leg-spinner struck at a crucial moment when he dismissed Luphelo Mdyesha in the 42nd over, with Graeme on 160 and requiring 38 runs in 48 balls. Mdyesha had been large and in charge, playing as if he was batting on a different surface to the other batsmen as he worked his way to 60 from 81 balls.

Jeggels tried to keep the Graeme College chase alive and showed off his all-round ability with an unbeaten 42 off 50 balls, but he ran out of partners.

Kitts McConnachie was the only other Graeme College batsmen to reach double figures, contributing a useful 53-ball 37.

Tinley spun a web around the visitors from Makhanda, snaring 4/22 from 10 overs, while Logan Groch did well, too, picking up 3/41 in 7.4 overs. Kloppenberg, Alejo Nota, and Nathan Howell took a wicket each.

Summarised Scorecard

Grey High 197/10 (Teun Kloppenberg 42, Cullen Marais 33, James Upton 28; Ajay Jeggels 4/16, Lisekho Zinyane 2/28, Jordan Damons 2/24). Graeme College 189/10 (Luphelo Mdyesha 60, Ajay Jeggels 42*, Kitts McConnachie 37; Matthew Tinley 4/22, Logan Groch 3/41). Grey High won by eight runs.

Nkosana Sibiya played a proper captain’s knock to shepherd St John’s College to a comfortable seven-wicket win over St David’s Marist Inanda at St David’s on Saturday.

The victory was a perfect way for the visitors to wrap up the year, since it was the last St John’s match of 2025.

After a delayed start, the contest was reduced from 50 overs to 45 overs a side.

When he called the coin flip correctly, Sibiya inserted the hosts to bat first. His bowlers responded well to his decision, bundling out St David’s for 214/10 in 44.2 overs.

The left-hander, then, took control of the run chase and motored to an unbeaten 110 to lead St John’s to 218/3 and victory in 41 overs. His innings, which lasted 112 balls, featured 12 fours and two sixes.

Hayden Campbell top-scored for St David’s with a handy 60 runs from only 64 deliveries, but his effort wasn’t enough to lift St David’s to a winning total. The damage had been done earlier. Only two of the St David’s top five reached double figures but, unlike the Blues, none of them went beyond the 50-run mark.

Roberto Mariano did well, contributing 44 from 39 balls at the top of the order, but he lacked substantial support. Michael Smithyman got his eye in, scoring a steady 24 from 30 but failed to kick on.

The lower order struggled to make an impact and were made to work hard for their runs by the St John’s bowlers. Eventually, the home side inched past the 200-run mark.

The visitors also gave away fewer extras than their hosts, with St David’s conceding 19 and St John’s surrendering 11.

Ethan Robinson went for a few, but picked up three wickets, claiming 3/58 in nine overs, while his new ball partner, David Ireland, was more economical, claiming 2/34.

Aadhavan Kallan and Herman Basson bagged a brace of wickets apiece, too, with Kallan returning 2/19 runs in 4.2 overs, while Basson’s two wickets cost him 43 runs from seven overs.

The St John’s victory was set up by a solid 135-run opening partnership between Sibiya and Darshik Lutchman, which not only brought them runs but also took the shine off the new ball. It lasted until the 24th over, which was when Lutchman was dismissed by Miles Pegg. He had struck 11 fours in his 61 from 81 balls.

The visitors must have experienced a flutter in their stomachs when Pegg struck again two balls later, sending Michael Stubbs packing for a two-ball duck.

Herman Basson stopped Pegg’s assault, however, with a watchful approach. The all-rounder didn’t need to go on the offensive because the Blues were ahead of the required rate, and Sibiya continued to accumulate runs. Basson kept his captain company until the 38th over. By the time he departed for 27, St John’s required just 16 runs from 6.3 overs to win.

Pegg stood out for St David’s, nabbing 2/51 from his nine overs, while Chris Emslie was the only other wicket-taker, returning a tidy 1/35 from nine.

Summarised Scorecard

St David’s 214/10 (Hayden Campbell 60, Roberto Mariano 44, Michael Smithyman 24, Ethan Robinson 3/58, David Ireland 2/34, Aadhavan Kallan 2/19). St John’s 218/3 (Nkosana Sibiya 110*, Darshik Lutchman 61, Herman Basson 27; Miles Pegg 2/51, Chris Emslie 1/35). St John’s won by seven wickets.

Rondebosch Boys’ High vs Wynberg Boys’ High (50-over)

After the coin flip went their way at home, Rondebosch Boys’ High selected to bat first against Wynberg Boys’ High on Saturday.

A solid batting effort and a good showing in the field, led by bowlers, Raa’id Davids and Timothy Short, carried ‘Bosch to a 37-run victory.

Number three batsman, Daniel Bosman, was the first player to produce a steady flow of runs for the home side, knocking a steady 31 off 33 balls, which included seven fours.

Their biggest contribution, however, came from Timothy Short, batting ninth in the order, who lit up the hosts’ innings by striking five fours and a six in his unbeaten 49 off 41, while Schalk Fourie, with 35, and Adeeb Levy, with 25, made further telling contributions as Rondebosch totalled 225/9.

Ihsan Khan provided a recurring threat throughout the home team’s innings, claiming 3/41 in 10 overs, while Michail Tarentaal had Rondebosch on the back foot early on in their innings. He removed both openers and returned a sparkling 2/22 from eight overs.

Opener Matthew Saunders provided Wynberg’s reply with a sound foundation, blasting two fours and two sixes in an impressive 84 off 118 deliveries.

Storme van Rooyen weighed in with 28 and Michail Tarentaal contributed 30, but none of the other visiting batsmen stayed in for long.

Wynberg was well poised to challenge Rondebosch when they reached 163/5, but they suffered a collapse, losing their last five wickets for only 25 runs as they slid to 188 all out.

Raa’id Davids and Timothy Short did most of the damage, with Davids capturing 4/25 in 6.5 overs, while Short knocked over 4/39 in nine.

Somerset College vs Hermanus High (50-over)

In Somerset West, Somerset College won the toss on their Taberer Oval and opted to bat first against Hermanus High.

Four batsmen made it into the twenties, but none made it beyond, and that cost the home side, with Hermanus chasing down the victory target with four wickets to spare.

Callum Hughes struck four fours in making 31 off 54 balls, while his opening partner, Owethu Moyi, chipped in with a conservative 21 off 48 as the pair put up 52 for the first wicket.

After the departure of the openers, the Somerset College innings lost momentum as the Hermanus bowlers enjoyed regular successes. David de Klerk mustered a useful 23 down the middle order, while Micqal Mentoor tallied an undefeated 20 at the tail end of their innings, but, after 40.4 overs, the home side was bowled out for 146.

Attie du Toit was on the money for the Hermanus attack, snapping up 4/25 in 7.4 overs. Zack Faure, meanwhile, tied down the Somerset College batsmen, snaring 3/24 from 10 overs.

When Hermanus batted, Lukas Calitz, with 65 off 56, which included seven fours and two sixes, made a match-winning difference. While none of the hosts’ batsmen pushed on after establishing themselves at the crease, Calitz did, and he did it quickly, too.

Daniel Kaplin picked up 2/45 from eight overs, taking the last two wickets to fall in the visitors’ innings, but Hermanus reached 147/6 after 42.2 overs to win the match with 46 deliveries to spare.

Summarised Scorecards

Rondebosch Boys’ High 225/9 (Timothy Short 49*, Schalk Fourie 35, Daniel Bosman 31, Extras 26, Adeeb Levy 25; Ihsan Khan 3/41, Michail Tarentaal 2/22); Wynberg Boys’ High 188/10 (Matthew Saunders 84, Michail Tarentaal 30, Storme van Rooyen 28; Raa’id Davids 4/25, Timothy Short 4/39). Rondebosch won by 37 runs.

Somerset College 146/10 (Callum Hughes 31, Extras 28, David de Klerk 23, Owethu Moyi 21, Micqal Mentoor 20*; Attie du Toit 4/25, Zack Faure 3/24, Josias Lourens 2/34); Hermanus High 147/6 (Lukas Calitz 65; Daniel Kaplin 2/45). Hermanus won by four wickets.

Northwood inflicted a 10-run defeat on Michaelhouse in a low-scoring match on the Robin Smith Oval in Durban on Saturday.

Michaelhouse, who were hugely impressive during the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week, winning all four of their matches, have seen their fortunes nose-dive in recent weeks and they were, once again, on the wrong end of the result, albeit that it was a narrow loss.

‘House won the toss and opted to field first in the 40 overs a side contest, and that decision paid early dividends as Northwood laboured to 20/4 after 11 overs.

Ben Heuer was the architect of their miserable start, snapping up three of the first four wickets to go down – removing David de Bruyn for four, Ross McGlashan for a duck, and Josh Mills for one. Rendani Nonge accounted for the hard-hitting Jamie Wimble, sending him packing without scoring.

Northwood finally found some traction when Luc Boyall joined Thomas Oosthuizen, who had stood firm since the first wicket went down. Together, they added 64 runs for the fifth wicket before Oosthuizen was bowled by Liam O’Dwyer for 52, the highest score of the match. He spent 70 balls at the crease and struck four fours.

Boyall exited nine runs later for 26, Heuer’s fourth victim, which left Northwood on 93/6 in the 30th over.

The remaining batsmen added another 31 runs, with the best of them, Hamza Amla, making 11, as Northwood was bowled out one ball before completing their 40 overs for 124.

Heuer was superb for Michaelhouse, knocking over 4/11 in eight overs, while Radhesh Jhilmeet, who prevented the Knights‘ tail from wagging, snagged 3/22 in 4.5.

Rendani Nonge gave little away, claiming a tidy 1/20 from his eight overs, and Liam O’Dwyer kept the pressure on the home team’s batsmen with his return of 1/19 from seven.

Like Northwood, Michaelhouse also lost their first four wickets cheaply. They fared slightly better than the hosts, making it to 32/4 in the ninth over of their reply, with Ryan van Zyl getting rid of the top four batsmen in the order – Rex Wardlaw for a duck, Ethan Muir for 13, Graydon Leslie for seven, and Hayden Hewlett for three.

Then, much like Northwood, ‘House stopped the rot with a solid fifth-wicket partnership. Ben Heuer and Cody Sander stood firm for 14.4 overs and advanced the total by 55 runs before Sander was caught and bowled by Max Nicholson for a stubborn 20 from 54 deliveries.

Heuer, Michaelhouse’s bowling hero, was also their best batsman, but when he fell for 47, scored at just less than a run a ball, with seven fours and a six, the end came quickly.

He was out to the first ball of the 30th over, which left Michaelhouse on 110/7, still 15 runs short of victory. Ten balls later, it was all over, with the visitors dismissed for 114 in the 31st over.

Ryan van Zyl added the wicket of Radhesh Jhilmeet to the four he had taken earlier to finish with an outstanding 5/28 from eight overs, while Max Nicholson ended with 2/26 from five, removing Michaelhouse’s two highest scorers, Ben Heuer and Cody Sander.

Josh Mills didn’t take a wicket, but he played an influential part in the visitors’ downfall, conceding only seven runs from his six overs to heavily ratchet up the pressure on the visitors.

Summarised scorecard

Northwood 124/10 (Thomas Oosthuizen 52, Luc Boyall 26; Ben Heuer 4/11, Radhesh Jhilmeet 3/22); Michaelhouse 114/10 (Ben Heuer 47, Cody Sander 20; Ryan van Zyl 5/28, Max Nicholson 2/26). Northwood won by 10 runs.

Hoërskool Garsfontein executed a spectacular run chase, speeding to a five-wicket win over Potchefstroom Gimnasium on Saturday with 64 balls to spare after the visitors had posted a sterling 305 all out.

The Ysbere‘s home ground victory secured them a place in the Fain Noordvaal title game next Saturday.

It sets them up for a shot at claiming the title for the first since 2018 when they defeated Hoërskool Waterkloof in the final.

They’ll be up against Hoërskool Dr Malan, of Meyerton, who won by 39 runs against Hoërskool Kempton Park in the other semi-final.

Gimmies would’ve certainly been the happier of the sides when the change of innings arrived, having made 305 all out, with their last wicket going down off the second-last ball of the innings.

Ulrich Botha, who opened the batting with Christivan Coetzer, was the main protagonist in the visitors’ batting story. He laid the platform for the visitors’ big total by scoring a century. Coetzer, though, was the aggressor in a 70-run first-wicket partnership, smashing six fours and three sixes in his 53, which came from only 34 deliveries.

Henré Cronje, who was a star performer in Potch Gim’s emphatic 107-run win over Hoërskool Middelburg in the quarterfinals, also shared in a big partnership with Botha.

Cronje contributed 52 runs to their 96-run partnership for the fourth wicket, while Botha played the role that fits him like a glove, anchoring Gim’s innings. His superb 109 came from a patient 129 deliveries, and it was the glue that held the Gimmies’ innings together.

The visitors appeared to be on course for an even larger total than 305, but Jared Carr prevented matters from getting out of hand with a memorable spell of bowling.

Although expensive – his 9.5 overs cost him 90 runs – he removed seven batsmen and led the way as the visitors lost their last six wickets for the addition of only 52 runs. In the context of a high-scoring contest, it was a massively important contribution.

Needing to bat at better than a run a ball for their full 50 overs, getting off to a good start was vital for Garsies, and Reuben van Zyl made sure they did. He launched a blitzkrieg on the Potch Gimnasium bowlers, clubbing 70 runs from just 36 balls, striking 13 of them for four and another two for six.

Even after his departure, the Ysbere never looked like losing. Charl van Staden, with 63, delivered the second half-century of the home side’s innings, while Wikus du Preez played his part, weighing in with 44.

Riaan Boshoff, with 41 not out, also produced a decisive innings. He and his captain, Xander Venter, who was unbeaten on 55, partnered for an unbroken partnership of 96 runs to see Garsfontein over the line.

Despite the home team’s hard-hitting charge to victory, Damian Kruger impressed with the ball, capturing 4/39, and sparked a bit of a flutter in the hearts of Garsfontein supporters when they lost three wickets for just 12 runs.

Summarised scorecard 

Potchefstroom Gimmnasium 305 (Ulrich Botha 109, Christivan Coetzer 53, Henré Cronje 52, Caiden Seleka 28; Jared Carr 7/90); Garsfontein 306/5 (Reuben van Zyl 70, Charl van Staden 63, Xander Venter 55*, Wikus du Preez 44, Riaan Boshoff 41*; Damian Kruger 4/39). Garsfontein won by five wickets.