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There is something about certain teams that makes them almost unbeatable in big tournaments, the clutch gene.

In rugby, the Springboks carry that unbeatable aura in World Cups. In cricket, the Aussies exude the same aura in ICC events. It seems, in high school basketball, coach Kent VanderYacht‘s Northwood School occupies a similar space.

The Knights entered the St John’s College Basketball Tournament as the defending champions, thus making them a team that all others would target. However, when the dust had settled on Sunday afternoon, Northwood had gone back-to-back, beating the hosts, St John’s College, 53-42 in the title decider.

The Durban school led from the start of the final and imposed themselves on a nervous St John’s outfit. At the end of the first quarter, though, they held only a three-point lead.

Both defences stood strong in the second quarter, but Northwood ended it with an eight-point advantage, ahead 24-16 at the break.

With Siya Shabalala producing a clinical performance, pulling the strings, and dominating the game, the Knights were in front and looked unlikely to cede their lead.

In the third quarter, the Knights continued to pressure St John’s. All credit to the home team, though, they matched Northwood, with both sides adding nine points.

Coach VanderYacht’s team pressed hard for victory in the last quarter. St John’s, led by Bandile Nsele, Clemen Kock, and Sihle Ndlovu, fought to the end, adding 17 points, but Northwood one-upped them, improving their lot by 20 points to finish with a 53-42 victory and the title of champions of the St John’s College Basketball Tournament for a second year in succession.

Scoring

1st Quarter: St John’s College 12-15 Northwood School
2nd Quarter: St John’s College 16-24 Northwood School
3rd Quarter: St John’s College 25-33 Northwood School
4th Quarter: St John’s College 42-53 Northwood School

Earlier in the day, Jeppe, after going down to Northwood by 20 points in a group stage match, gave the Knights all they could handle, in the semi-finals but they eventually succumbed 40-45. St John’s handed Pretoria Boys High a 31-26 loss in the other semi-final.

The u15 final was contested by two KZN sides, with Maritzburg College pulling off a 15-point win over the defending champions, Hilton College.

FINAL RESULTS

u19: St John’s College 42-53 Northwood School
u15: Maritzburg College 57-42 Hilton College

Playoffs

23rd/24th – International School of South Africa 25-9 St Peter’s College
21st/22nd – St John’s College (Zim) 36-18 St Andrew’s College
19th/20th – Maritzburg College 19-9 Sacred Heart College
17th/18th – Falcon College (Zim) 22-23 S David’s Marist Inanda
15th/16th – American International School of Johannesburg 48-17 Alma Mater International School
13th/14th – St Charles College 28-43 St George’s College
11th/12th – Michael Mount 26-25 Parktown Boys’ High
9th/10th – King Edward VII 43-33 Hilton College
7th/8th – The King’s School Linbro 33-40 Park St Alban’s College
5th/6th – St Stithians College 24-25 St Benedict’s College
3rd/4th – Pretoria Boys High 31-26 Jeppe High School for Boys
1st/2nd – Northwood School 53-42 St John’s College

Final Standings

u15

1 Maritzburg College
2 Hilton College
3 The King’s School Linbro Park
4 King Edward VII School
5 St Stithians College
6 Kearsney College
7 St John’s College
8 Jeppe High School for Boys
9 St David’s Marist Inanda
10 Michael Mount Waldorf
11 St Benedict’s College
12 Mangaung Knights
13 Soweto Basketball Academy
14 Northwood School
15 Sacred Heart College
16 Pretoria Boys High
17 Saheti School
18 St Andrew’s College
19 St Alban’s College
20 St Charles College
21 Redhill School
22 St John’s College Invitational
23 Clifton College
24 St Peter’s College

u19

1 Northwood School
2 St John’s College
3 Pretoria Boys High
4 Jeppe High School for Boys
5 St Benedict’s College
6 St Stithians College
7 St Alban’s College
8 The King’s School Linbro Park
9 King Edward VII School
10 Hilton College
11 Michael Mount Waldorf
12 Parktown Boys’ High
13 St George’s College
14 St Charles College
15 American International School of Johannesburg
16 Alma Mater International School
17 St David’s Marist Inanda
18 Falcon College
19 Maritzburg College
20 Sacred Heart College
21 St John’s College (Harare)
22 St Andrew’s College
23 International School of South Africa
24 St Peter’s College

U19 Awards

Gold – Northwood School
Silver – St John’s College
Bronze – Pretoria Boys High School

U19 All-Star Team

Yanda Peter, St John’s College
Mitchell Igboegwe, Northwood School
Chris-Junior Okeke, Jeppe High School for Boys
Nehemiah Nii-Artee, Pretoria Boys High School
Ikechukwu Ejike, St Benedict’s College

U19 MVP

Sims Vacu, Northwood School

U15 Awards

Gold – Maritzburg College
Silver – Hilton College
Bronze – The King’s School, Linbro Park

U15 All-Star Team

Fynn Asamoah, Hilton College
Nkazimulo Dlamini, Maritzburg College
Langalethu Shabalala, King Edward VII School
Nathan Platt, The King’s High School, Linbro Park
Mbusi Keta, St Stithians College

U15 MVP

Tinyiko Maseko, Maritzburg College

Die Hoërskool Fichardtpark se jaarlikse sportdag sal vanjaar weer soos gewoonlik uit sy nate uit bars.

Dit is die 24ste keer dat die Fichies dié spogdag aanbied. Vanjaar sal Standard Bank die titelborg wees.

Die sportdag word as een van die grootste indien nie dié grootste van sy soort in Suid-Afrika gereken. In totaal sal daar 65 rugbywedstryde hierdie Saterdag, 1 Maart 2025 op die sportdag plaasvind.

Fichardtpark se eersterugbyspan, die Leeus, sal in die hoofwedstryd van die dag teen die Hoërskool Diamantveld te staan kom. Die stryd beloof om ‘n interresante kragmeting te wees, met die Leeus wat hul tuisskare nie sal wil teleurstel nie, maar ook nie te veel van sy planne op die tafel sal wil plaas nie. Die twee spanne ontmoet mekaar later vanjaar weer tydens die Wesgrow-reeks.

In die vernaamste voorwedstryd kom Jim Fouché teen Duineveld van Upington te staan. JF het sy seisoen verlede week met ‘n nederlaag van 12-24 teen Welkom Gimnasium afgekop.

Die span van die Rosestad sal egter nie te ontevrede oor die uitslag wees nie. Die span se agttal het gewys dat hulle die pap dik kan aanmaak as hulle wil. Dit sal dus weer ‘n goeie toets vir hulle wees om teen die Velties arm te druk. Die span van Upington beskik gewoonlik oor gedugte ‘n agttal.

Die Hoërskool Sentraal kom ook weer voor ‘n groot toets te staan. Hy sal teen Marlow Landbou van Cradock sake uitspook. Die Tralies het verlede week met 0-36 teen Grey se tweede span, die Cherries, die knie gebuig, maar in die proses gewys dat vanjaar se groep nie een is wat sommer die stryd gewonne sal gee nie.

Die bepalings is: 

FICHARDTPARK A-VELD

16:10 – Fichardtpark vs Diamantveld
15:00 – Duineveld vs Jim Fouché
13:50 – Sentraal vs Marlow Landbou
12:40 – Louis Botha vs Hoërskool Upington
11:30 – Landboudal vs Welkom Gimnasium
10:20 – Noord-Kaap vs Aliwal-Noord
09:10 – Wilgerivier vs Kalahari
08:00 – Bultfontein vs Hopetown

FICHARDTPARK B-VELD 

16:00 – o.16 – Louis Botha vs Noord-Kaap
15:00 – o.16 – Voortrekker vs Landboudal
14:00 – o.19B – Diamantveld vs Welkom Gimnasium
13:00 – o.19B – Fichardtpark vs Duineveld
12:00 – o.19B – Sentraal vs Marlow Landbou
11:00 – o.19B – Wilgerivier vs Kalahari
10:00 – o.19B – Jim Fouché vs Hoërskool Upington
09:00 – o.16 – Diamantveld vs Welkom Gimnasium
08:00 – o.19B – Louis Botha vs Noord-Kaap

FICHARDTPARK C-VELD 

16:00 – o.15 – Diamantveld vs Welkom Gimnasium
15:00 – o.15 – Voortrekker vs Landboudal
14:00 – o.15 – Louis Botha vs Noord-Kaap
13:00 – o.15 – Jim Fouché vs Hoërskool Upington
12:00 – o.16 – Aliwal-Noord vs Kalahari
11:00 – o.16 – Sentraal vs Marlow Landbou
10:00 – o.16B – Voortrekker vs Hoërskool Kathu o.16A
09:00 – o.16 – Fichardtpark vs Duineveld
08:00 – o.16 – Jim Fouché vs Hoërskool Upington

FICHARDTPARK D-VELD 

16:00 – o.16D – Diamantveld vs Welkom Gimnasium
15:00 – o.14 – Sentraal vs Marlow Landbou
14:00 – o.14 – Louis Botha vs Noord-Kaap
13:00 – o.15 – Fichardtpark vs Duineveld
12:00 – o.15 – Sentraal vs Marlow Landbou
11:00 – o.14 – Fichardtpark vs Duineveld
10:00 – o.14 – Diamantveld vs Welkom Gimnasium
09:00 – o.14 – Jim Fouché vs Hoërskool Upington
08:00 – o.14 – Voortrekker vs Landboudal

In a battle of the Saints, Ombesa Matsha and Liam Mudenda rose to the occasion and spurred St Stithians College to a last-over victory over St Andrew’s School on Sunday, the final day of the 2025 Standard Bank Independent Schools Cricket Festival.

Relive all the action on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)

The St Stithians’ openers set Rice Field at St John’s College alight with a match-winning 145-run partnership. That contribution laid a rock-solid foundation as they claimed an eight-wicket win over the Schools SA20 regional champions for the Free State, North West,  and Northern Cape.

Matsha was the star of the show. He smashed seven fours and five sixes in an unbeaten 87 runs, which he achieved at a scoring rate of 142.

Mudenda raced along, too, batting at an even faster pace. He amassed a strike rate of 160, taking only 43 deliveries to score 69 runs, of which seven were sixes and two were fours, before he was sent back to the pavilion by Erhard Barends (1/35).

Andrew Sobiech led the Bloemfontein boys’ challenge. Not only did he stand out with the bat, scoring 38 runs at the top of the order, but he also picked up 1/31, the best bowling figures by a St Andrew’s bowler on the day. His fellow opening batsman, Naudé Botha, also looked in good touch, facing 35 balls for his 40 runs.

While Matsha and Mudenda did a fine job with the bat, the St. Stithians bowlers played their part well, too. Zaakir Hanslo, with 3/26, was once again at the forefront of their efforts, which brought the Johannesburg school an impressive victory.

Michaelhouse‘s batting, at times fragile this season, delivered them a 26-run win over Harare’s St John’s College in their final outing. Captain Ethan Muir, who has found his form in recent weeks, led the way with a well-played 50, while Michael Blignaut weighed in with an unbeaten 46. Graydon Leslie, also, contributed 38, which helped the Balgowan boys to a strong 178/3 from their 20 overs.

‘House‘s Liam O’Dwyer (2/17) and Luke Mitchell (2/23), then, made their mark with the ball. They shared four wickets between them while conceding 40 runs from seven overs, with each dismissal coming at an opportune moment.

Facing a difficult run chase, Riley Ettlin and Luca Spagnuolo gave St John’s a glimmer of hope, batting well for 45 runs each. Still, the Zimbabweans came up well short of Michaelhouse’s challenging total, finishing on 152/7 after their 20 overs.

Hilton College dominated Woodridge College to sign off with an emphatic victory.

Luke Campbell (3/9) and Sechaba Gude (3/14) tore through the Woodridge top order with a combined six wickets for only 23 runs in eight overs. Leg-spinner David Hill (2/19), then, chipped in with two of his own as the Eastern Cape side was rolled for only 72 runs.

It was a modest total and Hilton captain Ben Hockly went after it aggressively. He faced just 34 balls for an unbeaten 45 and struck seven boundaries to lead his team to a 10-wicket win.

Summarised scorecards

St Andrew’s School 162/8 (Naudé Botha 40, Andrew Sobiech 38, Johan Liebenberg 23; Zaakir Hanslo 3/26, Thomas Collins 2/28); St Stithians College 166/2 (Ombesa Matsha 87*, Liam Mudenda 69; Andrew Sobiech 1/31). St Stithians College won by eight wickets.

Michaelhouse 178/3 (Ethan Muir 50, Michael Blignaut 46*, Graydon Lesile 38*; James Rawlings 2/31); St John’s College (Harare) 152/7 (Riley Ettlin 45, Luca Spagnuolo 45; Liam O’Dwyer 2/17, Luke Mitchell 2/23). Michaelhouse won by 26 runs.

Woodridge College 72/10 (Cameron Ferrant 16; Luke Campbell 3/9, Sechaba Gude 3/14, David Hill 2/19); Hilton College 73/0 (Ben Hockly 45*; Randy Syce 0/19). Hilton College won by 10 wickets.

The Selborne College first hockey side enjoyed a stellar season in 2024 under the guidance and leadership of head coach Kenneth John (KJ) Friend.

The boys from East London were dominant in the Border region, played some exceptional, free-flowing hockey, and seemingly scored goals for fun at times.

Their dominance was reflected in the Border u18A side selected for the SASHOC National Week with seven representatives in the squad, including captain, Tre’ Gilbert.

During their in-season derbies, Selborne suffered only two defeats, going down 1-3 against Grey High and 2-5 against Grey College.

They went undefeated at the Nomads Hockey Festival and at the KES Easter Hockey Festival.

Mostly, the men in black and white breezed past their opponents, leaving much to be desired about the quality of the teams surrounding them in the Border region.

In those regional games, they scored a whopping 17 goals against Dale College in two outings and beat Queen’s College 6-1 in their return fixture, having drawn 1-1 earlier in the season. They also recorded wins against Hudson Park and Stirling High School.

They were a complete team – solid defensively, penetrative when attacking, and adept at capitalising on circle entries and penalty corners.

Now, in 2025, they’re working to improve on their superb 2024 season.

“We’ve started preparing for the season, and I’m happy to say that it’s been a fantastic start,” Friend told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“The team is looking energised, and we’ve been focusing on getting everyone into top form. The progress so far has been really positive.

“I’m excited to see how things continue to shape up as we get closer to the season. Everyone’s working hard, and the atmosphere is full of motivation.”

Selborne bade farewell to several key players at the end of the season. They included Gilbert and other important contributors, among them Waeden Plaatjes, Daniel Sirgel, and Jaques van der Merwe.

The new year, however, will provide Friend and his coaching staff with a chance to introduce young talent from the ranks into the first team squad.

“I’m really excited about the new players coming in,” Friend said. “Saying goodbye to some of our matric players is always bittersweet, but it also opens up opportunities for the younger talent to step up.

“We’ve got a strong pipeline in place in the younger age groups, and the transition to the first team is designed to be as smooth and positive as possible.

“With the solid foundation we’ve built, I have full confidence that these new caps will hit the ground running and bring fresh energy and perspectives to the squad.

“It’s going to be an exciting season, with some great new talent stepping up.”

In 2025, Selborne is aiming for the top, not just in the Eastern Cape, but nationally.

At the Hibbert Shield last year, the boys who believe in Palma Virtuti (Reward is to the Brave), finished in seventh place. They’ll return to the tournament, which will feature many of the country’s top teams, with a different mindset this time around.

“While doing well in the Eastern Cape for the past two seasons has been an incredible achievement, we’re now setting our sights on competing consistently against the best teams across the country,” Friend explained.

“We’re focused on pushing ourselves to that next level and testing ourselves in new environments.

“It’s about continuing to raise our standards, learning from every challenge, and showing that we can compete with the top teams, no matter where they’re from. This season, we’re ready to take on those challenges and make our mark.”

The East London powerhouse will play its first competitive matches at the Tony Godding Festival from 21-23 March.

Before that, they’ll be in pre-season mode when they compete at the Border School’s Day—a tournament that is designed to prepare them for the season.

Selborne will then kick off their local league season against Pearson High on 11 April at home.

Friend outlined what can be expected from his team this year.

“You can expect a team that’s hungry, focused, and determined to push boundaries. We’ve got a solid mix of experienced players and fresh talent, so you’ll see a dynamic and exciting style of play.

“As for the type of hockey, we want to play an aggressive, high-tempo game, with quick transitions based on the back of strong teamwork.

“We’re going to be looking to control the pace, take calculated risks, and make sure we’re always staying ahead of the opposition, while always being mindful of our opponents.

“I’’s about playing with intensity, creativity, and a never-give-up attitude.

“Fans can expect some exciting hockey this year,” he ended.

In a thrilling conclusion to the Jenny Orchard Invitational Basketball Tournament, Westville Boys’ High School came from behind to snatch a 65-63 victory from Maritzburg College in Sunday’s final in Pietermaritzburg.

College, the defending champions, started strongly and enjoyed the upper hand in the early going.

Captain Nkhanyiso Ngcobo effectively orchestrated the play as the Red, Black, and White exerted pressure on Westville’s defence, and by the end of the opening quarter, College led 22-12.

In the second quarter, the momentum shifted as Westville clawed their way back into the contest. Whatever had been discussed in the team talk after the first quarter appeared to have made a difference.

For a brief moment, the Griffin went ahead for the first time in the final, at 34-33. At halftime, though, it was all square at 36-36.

The stirring fightback had instilled confidence in the visitors, though, and a hard-fought win earlier in the season in the Alan Paton Memorial Hall assured coach Byron Tucker‘s charges that they had it in them to win.

When it truly mattered, with College leading 61-56, Westville found a way to pull off an incredible win. They levelled at 61-61, and that became 63-63 with only seconds remaining in the contest.

The hosts had a free throw to win it, but it bounced off the backboard and missed the basket. Instead, Westville went down the other end of the court and John Adenumi sank successive free throws to claim the title. They had finished only 11th in 2024.

ESCA claimed third place, defeating Michaelhouse 64-57 in the battle for the bronze. The Soweto Basketball Academy finished fifth after a terrific back-and-forth clash with Kearsney College, triumphing 74-71.

In the battle for the seventh and eighth positions, Pinelands High School defeated Northwood‘s second-stringers by 11 points, which made them the best of the Cape schools, while Durban High School (DHS) returned to form by defeating Clifton College 73-45 to finish ninth.

In a meeting of Cape Town Schools for 11th place, Westerford scored a tight six-point victory over South African College High School (SACS).

The All-Star Team, which was named after the event, included Westville Boys’ High’s John Adenumi, the tournament MVP, who was joined by his team-mate, Lesekho Asikhulume in the line-up. Maritzburg College captain Nkhanyiso Ngcobo also cracked the nod, along with his team-mate, Amogelang Nhlakala, and ESCA’s Simuthandile Radebe.

RESULTS

1st/2nd: Westville Boys’ High School 65-63 Maritzburg College
3rd/4th: ESCA 64-57 Michaelhouse
5th/6th: Soweto Basketball Academy 74-71 Kearsney College
7th/8th: Pinelands High School 62-51 Northwood School
9th/10th: Durban High School 73-45 Clifton College
11th/12th: Westerford 63-57 SACS

Final

A Division Final Rankings

1. Westville Boys’ High School
2. Maritzburg College
3. ESCA
4. Michaelhouse
5. Soweto Basketball Academy
6. Kearsney College
7. Pinelands High School
8. Northwood School
9. Durban High School
10. Clifton College
11. Westerford
12. South African College High School (SACS)
13. Wynberg Boys’ High
14. Rondebosch Boys’ High
15. Kingswood College
16. Saheti School

Roedean School was crowned the champion of the 20th edition of the Old Petrians’ Water Polo Tournament after beating St Stithians College in the final on Sunday afternoon at St Peter’s College, in Johannesburg

Roedean completed the tournament with an unbeaten record after a 6-4 win over Stithians. That loss was Saints‘ only defeat all tournament long.

Commenting after watching her charges claim the prestigious title, Roedean coach Siyabonga Guzana said: “The tournament, overall, was fantastic. It was well organised. Thanks to all the organisers and people in the background.

“On my team’s performance, I am proud of the girls who stepped up, in the sense of working together.

“The biggest thing that we spoke about as a team is that we wanted to stick together, be accountable and united. That has always been the biggest motto for us.”

Guzana’s side started the tournament with a narrow 6-5 win over Diocesan School for Girls, Makhanda (DSG). They followed that with an 11-3 defeat of the hosts, St Peter’s College, and a 9-2 win over Clarendon High School for Girls, and went on to top their pool.

On Sunday morning, in the semi-finals, they were stretched by Durban Girls’ College but came away with an 11-9 victory. Saints, meanwhile, reached the title game with a 2-1 win over Reddam House Constantia in a tight defensive battle.

Reflecting on her team’s title-winning success, Guzana said: “Win or lose, we are always about building character. Secondly, it is about how we have grown as a team, and that has been another one of our biggest focuses.

“We have specific values and morals, and no player is above the values of the team. That’s what helped the results.

“I was not about coming to the tournament saying we are the favorites to win, or we should win this tournament. No, it was a conversation about wanting to grow as a team and what it was going to take for us to grow. That’s the hard question we were asking each other.”

Besides winning the title, Roedean’s Gabriella Morell was also voted the Best Attacker of the Tournament and named in the Old Petrians’ Team of the Tournament. She was joined in the line-up by her teammates Kuhlesibonge Buthelezi and Emma Pelicot.

Only one goal separated the sides in the battle for third, with Reddam House Constantia recording a 5-4 win over Durban Girls’ College. Fifth place went to DSG Makhanda after a penalty shootout against Reddam House Bedfordview.

The weather intervened to prevent some playoff matches from taking place.

DAY 4 RESULTS

25^th – 28^th PLAYOFFS

Springfield 5-4 Rand Park
Pretoria High School for Girls 5-2 Alexander Road

17^th – 20^th PLAYOFFS
Kingsmead 4-8 Chisipite
Hudson Park 10-3 Crawford College Lonehill

5^th– 8^th PLAYOFFS
St Anne’s 2-5 Reddam House Bedfordview
Clarendon 2-4 DSG

PLATE SEMIFINAL
Pearson 3-4 Kingswood College
St Cyprian’s 4-9 Herschel

SHIELD SEMIFINAL
Wynberg Girls’ High (2) 4-4 (1) Reddam House Helderfontein

BOWL SEMIFINAL
Rustenburg 4-3 Collegiate
St Mary’s Waverley (2) 2-2 (1) St Dominic’s

CUP SEMIFINAL
Roedean 11-9 DGC
Reddam House Constantia 1-2 St Stithians

PLATE FINAL
Kingwood 6-14 Herschel

SHIELD FINAL
St Peter’s 9-3 Wynberg Girls’ High

BOWL FINAL
Rustenburg 4-6 St Mary’s Waverley

PLAYOFFS

27th/28th: Rand Park High 4-5 Alexander Road
23rd/24th: Stirling 7-1 Reddam House Helderfontein
19th/20th: Kingsmead 2-0 Crawford College Lonehill
17th/18th: Chisipite 8-6 Hudson Park
5th/6th: Reddam House Bedfordview (1) 5-5 (2) DSG
3rd/4th: DGC 4-5 Reddam House Constantia
1st/2nd: Roedean 6-4 St Stithians

The Junior Springboks made a winning start to their two-match series against the Georgian Under-20s with a hard-fought 38-29 victory on Sunday afternoon in the Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi, after leading by 26-17 at halftime.

The SA U20s scored six tries and four conversions, while Georgia U20 managed to reply with five tries, while only two were converted.

Junior Bok coach Kevin Foote said afterwards his charges did well to pull though in the end, learning good lessons on the way.

“It was a fantastic hit out for us, considering that we played in conditions that we’re not used to,” said Foote from a cold Tbilisi.

“We started really well and then the penalty count started going against us, something we will have to look at from a disciplinary perspective.”

Although there were some lapses in concentration which led to the penalties and opening the door for Georgia to persist with the scoreboard pressure, Foote said he saw enough to be encouraged.

“We came here with objectives in mind, and that was to be really good in our set piece, and think our lineouts are starting to take shape; our mauls are looking good and our scrums as well,” said Foote.

“However, a big work-on for us is our maul defence and making sure we get our roles right – and that goes through every aspect, making sure we don’t get those big spikes, where we are really good, and then falling off our detail.

“The second thing to work on is to carry clean and make sure we are nice and clinical with our clean outs. Those are two things that really stood out for us.”

Foote was also pleased with his team’s defensive effort: “I thought our defence was good, the guys did well in general defensive play and I think we understood our game management when we had ball in hand, understanding when to kick and when not to kick.

“I am pleased and respectful of the effort in conditions that are foreign to us, against an opponent who are used to the conditions and being able to adapt its plan to make it difficult for us, especially when we got the yellow card in the second half.”

Playing in very cold conditions but in bright sunshine, the Junior Boks made a positive start and scored three tries – two of which were converted – inside the first 16 minutes for a 19-0 lead. Gilermo Mentoe (fullback), Chijindu Okonta (left wing), and Dominic Malgas (centre) each scored a try while Matthew Coetzee (flyhalf) added the extras.

However, lapses in concentration from the visitors and a determined fightback from the hosts, saw the Georgians claw their way back to 19-17 – with three tries by their forwards – with one minute to go in the opening stanza.

Junior Bok loose forward Divan Fuller, a member of last year’s SA U20 team, then managed to cross over for their fourth try on the stroke of halftime to enable his side to grab back the initiative and take a nine-point halftime lead.

A yellow card to Jaundré Schoeman in the 56^th minute did not help matters for the visitors as Georgia made the better start to the second half. They grew in confidence and had the Junior Boks in retreat, scoring two further tries and conversion to take a 33-29 lead with a quarter of an hour to go.

However, the Junior Boks’ replacements made a telling impact as they wrestled back the momentum to also score two tries and a conversion – by Cheswill Jooste and Xola Nyali – to secure a hard-fought but deserved win.

The two teams will meet on Friday in the second and last meeting of the series.

 

Scorers:

 Georgia U20 29 (17) – Tries: Shota Kheladze, Saba Laghedze (2), Beka Neparidze, Nugzar Kevkhisvili. Conversions: David Tsiklauri, Giorgi Sesiashvili.

Junior Springboks 38 (29) – Tries: Gilermo Mento, Chijindu Okonta, Dominic Malgas, Divan Fuller, Cheswill Jooste, Xola Nyali. Conversions: Matthew Coetzee (3), JT Kapank.

 

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

Zach Williamson smashed a fine half-century to help Clifton School clinch a 40-run win over St Benedict’s College in their Standard Bank Independent Schools Cricket Festival (ISCF) T20 clash at Cornwall Hill College on Sunday afternoon.

The toss went Clifton’s way, and the KwaZulu-Natal side elected to bat first. They dominated the St Benedict’s bowlers, batting at almost 10 runs an over, on their way to 194/5. St Benedict’s struggled to produce substantial partnerships in their run chase and were limited to 154/7 in their 20 overs.

Clifton’s innings was already more than halfway through when Williamson arrived at the crease in the 11th over, following the dismissal of captain Tim Saulez. In just 31 balls, he creamed three fours and two sixes on his way to a hard-hitting 56.

Together with Hayden Drieselman, Williamson added 91 runs for the fourth wicket. It took them only 54 balls and proved to be a turning point in the match. Drieselman remained at the crease until the final delivery of the innings, scoring 43 runs from 36 balls.

It was thanks to wicketkeeper/batsman Lawson Dinsdale and Tim Saulez that Williamson and Drieselmann were able to go after the Bennies‘ bowlers. They put on 47 off only 25 balls for the second wicket. Then, Saulez and Drieselman added 33 for the third.

Facing a massive victory target, St Benedict’s showed good intent early on in their run chase. Clayton Horlick and Matt Feiertag made a rollicking start, making 31 from 22 balls for the first wicket. Horlick and Ed Smith kept the momentum going in a short partnership that lasted only eight balls but delivered 17 runs.

It was always going to be a tall order to meet the required run rate, however, and St Benedict’s, except for a brief period between 10th and 13th overs, found themselves off the pace. Horlick and Alex Johnston made it interesting by adding 62 runs from 35 balls, but Bennies’ challenge fell away after Horlick was dismissed for a well-played 77 from 40 deliveries, which had included eight fours and two sixes.

St Benedict’s needed someone to take over from Horlick, but Shiraz Perumal struck twice in the 15th over and the Bedfordview boys were unable to recover.

Perumal was Clifton’s most successful bowler, snapping up three wickets for 30 runs from four overs, while Blake Johnson kept the St Benedict’s batsmen at bay, knocking over two for 20 from his four overs.

St John’s College vs Helpmekaar Kollege

At St John’s College, in Johannesburg, a rivalry that has produced some fantastic clashes in recent times was reprised, with Helpmekaar Kollege taking on St John’s. They delivered another nail-biting game.

Kyle Swanepoel, the Helpmekaar captain, won the coin flip and opted to bat first. Momentum shifted back and forth, with Helpies finishing on 213/9 after their 50 overs.

St John’s mounted a spirited run chase and came within touching distance of victory but were bowled out for 209 in 49.5 overs, thanks to some brilliant bowling by the visitors when the game was on the line.

Anrich Liebenberg played a key knock for Helpmekaar, scoring an important 39 off 61 deliveries and sharing in a 36-run second-wicket partnership with Zander Neethling, who matched him as the visitors’ highest scorer, with 39 runs, too. Aiden Pretorius, in at four, contributed a handy 32 off 67 deliveries.

Malan du Plessis was the pick of the bowlers for St John’s, claiming four wickets for 35 runs in 10 overs, while Nkosana Sibiya and Alec Loveland picked up a stick each.

St John’s made decent progress in their run pursuit and appeared to have matters under control. Midway through the home side’s 50 overs, Liebenberg was introduced into their Helpmekaar attack, but he went for 11 runs from two overs. Skipper Kyle Swanepoel turned to Liebenberg once again in the 42nd over.

This time, he enjoyed immediate success, dismissing Connor van der Walt with the first delivery of his new spell. Then, in his next over, the 44th, he captured two wickets in four balls, getting rid of Ethan Robinson and Alec Loveland.

At the start of the final over, St John’s required seven runs to win, with Herman Basson and Aiden Barberrini at the crease. Liebenberg rose to the occasion to see his side to a heart-in-mouth four-run win. He firstly executed a run-out to account for Basson and, then, three balls later, sent Barberrini packing.

Liebenberg finished with four wickets for 27 runs from 6.5 overs to go with his crucial batting contribution of 39, while Juandré van Wyk, also, bowled well, knocking over two wickets for 20 runs in six overs.

The home team’s captain Alec Loveland put up a strong fight for St John’s, with a patient 57 from 81 deliveries. Three other batsmen – Connor van der Walt, Nkosana Sibiya, and Herman Basson made it into the twenties.

Scorecards

Clifton College 194/5 (Zach Williamson 56, Hayden Campbell 43, Ed Smith 2/32, Clayton Horlick 1/9). St Benedict’s College 154/7 (Clayton Horlick 77, Alex Johnson 18, Shiraz Perumal 3/30, Blake Johnson 2/20). Clifton won by 40 runs.

Helpmekaar 213/9 (Zander Neethling 39, Anrich Liebenberg 39, Malan du Plessis 4/35, Nkosana Sibiya 1/13). St John’s 209/10 (Alec Loveland 57, Connor van der Walt 26, Anrich Liebenberg 4/27, Juandré van Wyk 2/20). Helpmekaar won by four runs.

Daniel Jakins scored a superb 47 and Franco Klopper recorded a four-wicket haul as Kingswood College beat Kearsney College by 17 runs in a Standard Bank Independent Schools Cricket Festival (ISCF) T20 match at St Alban’s College on Sunday morning.

At Cornwall Hill College, Bishops delivered a good all-round team performance to score a four-wicket victory over St Andrew’s College in another T20 tie.

Kingswood won the toss, elected to bat first, and put together a total of 108 in 19.5 overs. Franco Klopper, then, led the charge for Kingswood with the ball, as coach Andrew Birch’s charges bowled Kearsney out for only 91 in 18.2 overs.

Jakins and Chris Zimmerman got Kingswood’s innings underway with a 38-run opening stand, which proved to be their best partnership. Their second-highest came from the ninth-wicket pair of Jakins and James Meyer, who added a vital 23 runs.

The opening pair were also the only Kingswood batsmen to make it into double figures. Jakins held his side’s innings together with his 49-ball 47, which kept him at the crease until the 19th over when he was caught and bowled by James Bishop. Zimmerman’s contribution was an invaluable 23 from 19 deliveries.

Rivaan Moodley and Daniel Miskey bowled well for Kearsney. Moodley, who captured 5/25 in a win over St John’s College (Harare) on Saturday, snared four wickets for 15 runs in four overs and Miskey bagged three wickets for 27 runs from 3.5 overs.

David Louden and Jack Collett, Kingswood’s new ball opening pair, saw to it that Kearsney’s batsmen did not establish themselves early in their run chase. They took a combined four wickets in the powerplay, which left the Botha’s Hill boys’ innings on unsure footing at 27/4 after six overs.

Franco Klopper, the sixth bowler employed by Kingswood, carried on the good work done by the new ball bowlers as he ripped through Kearsney’s middle order. In just 3.2 overs, he nabbed 4/15.

Kearsney kept finding themselves stuck in a rebuilding loop and it wasn’t until Asher Hollister and Jonty Wiggett joined forces that they enjoyed any sort of substantial partnership, with the duo combining to add 29 runs for the sixth wicket. That, unfortunately for Kearsney, was as good as it got. Daniel Miskey and Michael Groom, with 22 for the ninth wicket, were next best.

Jakins followed up on his decisive innings with a solid spell of bowling, claiming one for 20 from four overs, removing Miskey, Kearsney’s third-highest individual run scorer, for 19.

At Cornwall Hill, Bishops won the toss and elected to field first. The Cape Town school was outstanding in the field, executing three brilliant run-outs as they restricted St Andrew’s College to a gettable 147/6 from their 20 overs.

With three of their top four batsmen making significant scores at better than a run a ball, Bishops secured the win with 11 balls to spare, finishing on 150/6.

Adnaan Lagadien put his experience on full display as he slammed a 21-ball 40 at the top of the order. The South Africa u19 batsman’s aggressive effort provided Bishops with a solid foundation from which to build. He also shared in two impactful partnerships: a 35-run opening stand with Samuel Stavely-Alexander, and a 27-run second-wicket stand with his captain, James Robb-Quinlan.

Robb-Quinlan picked up from where Lagadien left off and partnered Waco Bassick in a 48-run third-wicket partnership from 40 balls. Like Lagadien, Robb-Quinlan was dismissed for 40. He faced 34 balls and struck one four and three sixes. Bassick contributed 28 runs from 24 balls.

Earlier in the day, Oliver Johns had clubbed 44 runs from 27 deliveries to help St Andrew’s post 147/6. He arrived at the crease in the second half of the Makhanda side’s innings, following Sam Scheckter’s dismissal in the 12th over, and gave College’s batting effort a big boost, smashing four fours and three sixes.

Luke de Klerk was on fire for Bishops during that period and caused a collapse. It began when he sent Myles Sansom‘s bails flying. Then, he clean-bowled Scheckter, too, before running out Ben Scharges. De Klerk finished with two wickets for 15 runs from four overs.

Johns helped St Andrew’s recover with a 67-run fifth-wicket partnership with Benjamin Coventry. However, a lack of substantial stands on either side of that effort left St Andrew’s vulnerable to a good run chase, and Bishops produced one.

Scorecards

Kingswood 108/10 (Daniel Jakins 47, Chris Zimmerman 23, Rivaan Moodley 4/15, Daniel Miskey 3/27). Kearsney 91/10 (Asher Hollister 23, Jonty Wiggett 22, Franco Klopper 4/15, Jack Collett 2/13). Kingswood won by 17 runs.

St Andrew’s College 147/6 (Oliver Johns 47, Myles Sansom 30, Luke de Klerk 2/15, Michael Kruiskamp 1/35). Bishops 150/6 (Adnaan Lagadien 40, James Robb-Quinlan 40, Ababalwa Zingela 2/27, Sam Scheckter 2/37). Bishops won by four wickets.

Banyana Banyana kicked off their Confederation of African Football (CAF) Women’s Africa Cup of Nations preparations by securing a 1-0 friendly international victory over Lesotho at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), Soweto Campus, on Saturday.

The Banyana Banyana squad had a somewhat unfamiliar look to it, with coach Desiree Ellis selecting a youthful lineup of rising stars to provide them with the experience of wearing the national jersey.

Players who had previously represented South Africa at u15, u17, and u20 levels in the Cosafa Championship last year were called up, including JVW FC goalkeeper Casey Gordon, Nobahle Mdelwa (University of Johannesburg), Katlego Malebana (Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies FC), Khwezi Khoza (Durban Ladies FC), Katleho Mohame (JVW FC), and Mmabatho Mogale (University of the Western Cape).

Banyana Banyana experienced a challenging start and struggled to string passes together during the first half of the match. At the break, the teams were deadlocked at 0-0, with neither capitalising on the chances they created.

In the second half, though, Banyana Banyana raised their performance and played with greater intensity, which produced more scoring opportunities.

Coach Ellis turned to her bench, which included introducing Khwezi Khoza, one of South Africa’s youngest and most promising talents, who plays for Durban Ladies FC in the Hollywoodbets Super League.

She quickly made her mark by earning a penalty for South Africa after being fouled in the penalty area. Nobahle Mdelwa stepped forward to take the spot kick and successfully converted to give South Africa a 1-0 lead.

Lesotho kept challenging the home team, but their attempts to equalise went unrewarded and Banyana Banyana claimed a 1-0 victory.

After the game, Ellis expressed her satisfaction with the game’s outcome, noting, however, that significant work remains to be done and improvements made.

“We wanted them to play and move the ball around,” she said. “At times, we didn’t. Especially in the first half, our movement of the ball wasn’t great, but there were some good moments.”

Banyana Banyana will face Lesotho again on Tuesday at the same venue, on the UJ Soweto Campus, at 18:00.