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Grey-kollege se eersterugbyspan het sy seisoen met ‘n sege van 38-10 oor Hoërskool Trio van Kroonstad tydens President Steyn se jaarlikse sportdag in Bainsvlei afgeskop.

Soos te wagte sal wees só vroeg in die seisoen het meeste van die spanne gesukkel om uit derde rat tydens die Hester van der Walt Sportdag te kom. Grey sal egter tevrede wees met hul eerste vertoning van 2025.

Die span van Bloemfontein is soos meeste spanne só vroeg in die seisoen nog nie op volsterkte nie. Grey het teen die omdraaislag reeds ‘n voorsprong van 33-10 geniet. Sy enigste drie in die tweede helfte is deur sy buitesenter, Ethan Adams, gedruk. Adams het twee van sy span se ses drieë afgerond.

Vir die bygelowiges onder die Grey-ondersteuners is daar goeie nuus. Dit was die vierde keer wat Grey en Trio mekaar op die rugbyveld ontmoet het. Al vier kragmetings was tydens die Steyners se sportdag. Tydens die twee spanne se eerste kragmeting in 2022 was Grey met 40-3 baas, dit was ook die eindtelling toe die twee spanne mekaar in 2024 ontmoet het.

Saterdag se telling van 38-10 het weer ooreengestem met 2023 se telling. Grey was onoorwonne in 2023, terwyl die span in 2022 en 2024 ‘n keer of wat aan die verloorkant was.

Grey se flank Steven Muller het ‘n uitstekende eerste wedstryd vir sy skool se eerstespan beleef. Hy het die veld vol gespeel en ook behoorlik in die vastelos ingeklim.

Die voorry bestaande uit JG Badenhorst (vaskopstut), AJ Hendriks (haker) en David Hayidakis (loskopstut) het ook stewige vertonings gelewer. Hendriks is die seun van die gewese Cheetah-haker Braam Hendricks. Hendricks sr. het ook vanuit die Hoërskool Sandveld in Wesselsbron die SA Skole-span in 1993 verteenwoordig.

Adams se sentermaat, Darius Erwee, het met sy skopskoen gewys dat hy vanjaar nog ‘n belangrike rol vir hul skoolspan kan vertolk.

Vir Trio het sy losskakel, Jayden Windvogel, ‘n hele paar goeie oomblikke beleef. Die linkervleuel, Jaylin Jones, is met ‘n drie beloon na hy ‘n hele paar keer gevaarlike lopies ingekry het.

Grey se tweedespan, die Cherries, het die Hoërskool Sentraal met 36-0 verslaan. Die Cherries het teen rustyd reeds ‘n gemaklike voorsprong van 24-0 geniet.

Die kragmeting was egter ‘n groot tree vorentoe vir Sentraal se rugbyprogram. Die Tralies het twee jaar gelede op die einste sportdag met 7-26 teen Grey se derdespan die knie gebuig.

Die verloorspan het deurgans hope durf ten toon gestel en nooit die stryd gewonne gegee nie. Sy poging op dié dag was gewis meer werd as wat die 0 op die telbord aangedui het. Sy flank Jandré Jardim verdien ‘n klop op die skouer, terwyl die losskakel, Hanco Nel, ook tevrede met sy vertoning kan voel.

Die Cherries was vinnig uit die blokke en Sentraal het gesukkel om aanvanklik aan die tempo gewoont te raak. Dit was veral die binnesenter, Ruan Roux, heelagter, Cowen Willemse, asook die regtervleuel, Johan Dormehl, wat deurgans met hul vaart daarin geslaag het om gate in Sentraal se verdediging te vind.

Puntemakers: 

Grey-kollege 38 (33) – Drieë: Ethan Adams (2), Steven Muller, Toriq Schambreel, JG Badenhorst, Benjamin van den Bergh. Doelskoppe: Darius Erwee (4). Hoërskool Trio 10 (10) – Drie: Jaylin Jones. Doelskop: Jayden Windvogel. Strafdoel: Windvogel.

Cherries 36 (24) – Drieë: Cowen Willemse, Johan Dormehl, Arno de Bruin, Bernard Wessels, Tayrian Matthys, Willem Bosch. Doelskoppe: Samson Lackay (3). Hoërskool Sentraal 0.

 

Patrick Mouton struck a brilliant half-century to lead Kingswood College to a 21-run win over St Alban’s College in their Independent Schools Cricket Festival (ISCF) 30-overs-a-side game at St Alban’s on Saturday afternoon.

Kingswood captain Alistair Knott called correctly at the toss and elected to bat first. They had peaks and valleys on their charge to 190 all out in 29.2 overs. In reply, St Alban’s mustered 169 all out from 28.1 overs.

Mouton hit four fours and three sixes on his way to a match-winning 67 off 41 deliveries. The middle-order batsmen arrived at the crease following the fall of the first wicket in what would become a three-wicket collapse.

Kingswood’s innings began with Daniel Jakins and Franco Klopper putting on 16 runs in 24 balls for the first wicket. Then, Jakins and Knott added only three runs for the second wicket. The scoring rate increased when Jakins and Ross Thompson made 33 off 28 deliveries for the third wicket.

When Mouton arrived at the crease, Kingswood was on 59/3. Just 11 balls later, they were in deep trouble on 55/6. With Mouton leading the way, though, they worked their way out of it. He joined hands with Josh Loon and resurrected his team’s innings with a 64-ball 94-run sixth-wicket partnership, which powered the Eastern Cape side to a challenging total.

Mduduzi Mahlangu was the pick of the bowlers for St Alban’s, returning an excellent four wickets for 20 runs from his six overs. His effort to tie down Kingswood was ably supported by Liam Basch and Luke Ward, who bagged a brace of wickets each.

Unlike Kingswood, St Alban’s strung together double-digit partnerships at the top of their innings. However, the boys from Makhanda kept them in check by striking just when it appeared those partnerships might become costly. Nonetheless, the home side made solid progress, with the first three wickets producing a combined 58 runs from 62 balls.

Things looked better for St Alban’s when Jesse Eckhard joined Basch in the middle. They stitched together a 56-run partnership in 49 balls during which Basch scored 40 of his 71 runs.

St Alban’s needed a couple more telling contributions to see them through to victory, but they never materialised. Basch and Eckhard’s stand proved to be the highlight of the hosts’ innings, which petered out after it was broken.

Franco Klopper led the Kingswood attack with two wickets for 13 runs from 3.1 overs. Josh Loon and Sinawo Bakula also removed two batsmen each to help their team to victory.

A decision by St John’s College (Harare) captain Connor Lovatt to send Kearsney College in to bat didn’t work out. The KZN side posted a useful 236 all out and then bowled out St John’s for only 130 to score a big 106-run win.

Cole Young was the mainstay of the Kearsney innings, smashing six fours and three sixes in his innings of 62 from only 52 balls. Up front, the openers, Rivaan Moodley and Jason De Gryse, shared a 64-run stand in just over 10 overs. Moodley made 36 from 48 and De Gryse, Kearsney’s captain, weighed in with a run-a-ball 35, which featured three sixes and three fours.

Hayden Saunders returned 2/24 for St John’s, while James Rawlings did a tidy job, snaring 2/29 from 10.

The Rams lost Brendan Kalunga early in their reply, but then made decent progress, with their skipper, Connor Lovatt, batting with typically brutal and efficient aggression. He bashed 50 from only 23 balls, sending four deliveries for six and another five for four, while Luca Spagnuolo weighed in with 20.

St John’s appeared to be in reasonable shape on 117/5 in the 25th over, but their challenge fell apart as leg-spinner Rivaan Moodley tore through their batting lineup. He snagged 5/25 in 8.2 overs as the Zimbabwean side slipped to 130 all out, losing their last five wickets for only 13 runs.

Scorecards

Kingswood College 190/10 (Patrick Mouton 67, Josh Loon 38, M Mahlangu 4/20, L Ward 2/30). St Alban’s College 169/10 (Liam Basch 71, K Block 21, Franco Klopper 2/13, Josh Loon 2/22). Kingswood College won by 21 runs.

Kearsney College 236/10 (Cole Young 62, Rivaan Moodley 36, Jason De Gryse 35, Daniel Miskey 24, Hayden Saunders 2/24, James Rawlings 2/29); St John’s College, Harare 130/10 (Connor Lovatt 50, Luca Spagnuolo 20, Rivaan Moodley 5/25, Litha Gonya 2/34). Kearsney College won by 106 runs.

The Old Petrians’ Water Polo Tournament, after two days of all-out action, headed into the playoffs at the Wahoo Aquatic Centre and St Peter’s Girls Prep Pool in Johannesburg on Saturday.

When the water had settled, Roedean School and St Stithians College remained unbeaten after the four pools had completed their assignments. They’re favoured to reach the final, but nothing is certain.

Coach Siyabonga Guzana‘s Roedean side topped Pool A with a maximum haul of 18 points, which means they went six for six without having to win any of their matches by a penalty shootout.

Meanwhile, St Stithians, the three-time champions and runner-up in 2024, compiled a perfect record in Pool C  and also bagged 18 points.

On Sunday morning, they take on Reddam House Constantia in the semi-finals, while Roedean will battle it out against Durban Girls’ College (DGC) for a place in the final.

Saints will be chasing a second title of the season under coach Megan Sileno after capturing the National Aquatics title at the start of the month. Their opponent in the title decider in East London was DGC, so a repeat of that final is, potentially, on the cards. Roedean, of course, will do everything in their power to prevent that from happening.

In the last of the pool matches, Crawford Lonehill saw off the Eastern Cape’s Alexander Road 5-2 in a Pool A clash, while Roedean cruised to a 12-2 win over Rustenburg Girls’ High School.

In Pool B, Reddam House Constantia scored a convincing 11-4 victory over Hudson Park High School, while St Anne’s Diocesan College kept Rand Park High School winless with a comfortable 18-3 victory. Collegiate Girls’ High School beat Wynberg Girls’ High 7-1, with Aimee Pienaar, Brigid Guest, Lara Heny, Angelica Loyson, Amy Botha, and Kate Brennan all making it onto the score sheet.

St Stithians wrapped up their domination of Pool C with a 5-1 win over St Mary’s Waverley, and St Cyprian’s eased to a 12-1 defeat of Pretoria High School for Girls.

Herschel completed their Pool D matches with a convincing 12-1 win over fellow Capetonians, Springfield Convent School, while Pearson blanked Reddam House Helderfontein 8-0, and DGC took down St Dominic’s by a 7-3 margin.

In a massive upset in the playoff, Makhanda’s Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) outplayed the defending champions, Herschel, with coach Wade Marshall‘s side recording an emphatic 8-0 victory.

DSG subsequently fell to St Stithians in the quarterfinals, going down 4-6. Roedean, meanwhile, had to go the route of a penalty shootout for the first time after their showdown with Reddam House Bedfordview ended 6-6.

In a KZN quarterfinals clash, DGC got by St Anne’s 8-6, and Reddam House Constantia sneaked by Clarendon on penalties after they had shared a 6-6 draw.

DAY 3 RESULTS

POOL A
Rustenburg 2-12 Roedean
Crawford Lonehill 5-2 Alex Road

POOL B
Reddam House Constantia 11-4 Hudson Park
St Anne’s 18-3 Rand Park
Wynberg 1-7 Collegiate

POOL C
St Stithians 5-1 St Mary’s Waverley
St Cyprian’s 12-1 Pretoria Girls

POOL D
Herschel 12-1 Springfield
Pearson 8-0 Reddam House Helderfontein
DGC 7-3 St Dominic’s

PLAYOFFS

Clarendon 8-2 Pearson – Playoff
St Anne’s 8-3 St Cyprian’s – Playoff
Kingswood 2-8 Reddam House Bedfordview – Playoff
Herschel 0-8 DSG – Playoff

BOWL QUARTERFINAL

Rustenburg 2-1 Kingsmead – Bowl QF
Hudson Park 3-8 St Mary’s Waverley – Bowl QF
Chisipite 5-8 Collegiate – Bowl QF
St Dominic’s 4-2 Crawford – Bowl QF

SHIELD QUARTER

St Peter’s 3-0 Springfield – Shield QF
Wynberg 8-1 Pretoria Girls – Shield QF
Stirling 8-3 Rand Park – Shield QF
Reddam House Helderfontein 5-3 Alex Road – Shield QF

CUP QUARTERFINAL

DSG 4-6 St Stithians
Reddam House Bedfordview (1) 6-6 (2) Roedean
St Anne’s 6-8 DGC
Clarendon (3) 7-7(4) Reddam House Constantia

Zander Neethling followed up his unbeaten 47 on the second day of the Standard Bank Independent Schools Cricket Festival with a crucial 53 on Saturday to take his tally for the event to 100 runs, and to steer Helpmekaar to victory over Clifton College on Cornwall Hill College‘s Parke de Terrace Oval.

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

Neethling and his opening partner, Kyle Swanepoel, gave their side an excellent start to their run chase, putting on 85 for the first wicket, with Swanepoel contributing 38 runs. With Helpies needing 178 to win, that set them on course for a second victory after they easily defeated St John’s College (Harare) on Friday.

Although on the losing side, Clifton showed massive improvement after their loss to Diocesan College the previous day. Middle-order batsman Zach Williamson batted exceptionally well, especially after Clifton lost their first three wickets for only four runs, with the top three in the order all going out for ducks. Williamson, though, looked extremely comfortable at the crease.

He struck only four fours but ran well between the wickets to score an unbeaten 81. Byron Ward chipped in with 36, and Lawson Dinsdale contributed 25 as Clifton tallied 177/8.

Leg-spinner Sheraz Perumal led the way with the ball for the Durban school. He bowled tight lines and lengths to keep the Helpmekaar batsman guessing. His reward was a return of 4/25 from 10 overs, but Neethling and Swanepoel received good support from Heinrich Minnaar (32*) and Juandre Verwey (24*), which took Helpies to a four-wicket win with almost six overs in hand.

St Andrew’s College, and especially Myles Sansom, produced the goods as they downed Hilton College by 17 runs on St John’s College’s Rice Field. Sansom scored the Independent Schools Cricket Festival‘s first century, smashing seven fours and four sixes in an unbeaten innings of 102 runs.

The talented opener, Rhys Wiblin, lent his support with a classy 38, which helped lift St Andrew’s to 205/5.

Hilton’s Ben Erasmus stood out with the bat for his side, contributing a fighting knock of 58. Jayden Roux (38) and Luke Wilson (31) fought valiantly alongside him, but a solid bowling performance from the Makhanda side’s Oliver Johns (3/14) and Alastair de Kock (3/42) saw to it that Hilton was bowled out for 188.

FG Botha‘s bat can’t be kept quiet. The St Andrew’s School star added another 70 runs to his prolific season’s tally as the Bloemfontein boys bested St Benedict’s College by five wickets on Cornwall’s Land’s End Oval.

Botha appeared to be in a hurry and smashed seven sixes and four fours in an all-out assault that lasted only 29 balls. Jonathan Hickley assisted with a run-a-ball 41 not out as Saints took only 24 overs to chase down the victory target of 174 set by Bennies. 

Playing a 30-over match to accommodate two matches on St Alban’s College’s TC Mitchell Oval, Bishops‘ Alex Vincent (56) and Cameron Macbeth (52) both scored half-centuries in the Cape Town school’s 95-run thumping of the Titans Invitational Hub XI.

Waco Bassick made the ball do his bidding and snapped up 4/21 to back up his team’s good batting, while Daniel Perold, with 3/27, also enjoyed success as the Titans Hub XI was bundled out for just 119.

Summarised scorecards

Clifton College 177/8 (Zach Williamson 77*, Byron Ward 35, Lawson Dinsdale 25, Extras 20; Heinrich Minnaar 2/18); Helpmekaar Kollege 178/6 (Zander Neethling 53, Kyle Swanepoel 38, Heinrich Minnaar 32, Juandré Verwey 24, Zuan Joubert 21; Sheraz Perumal 4/25). Helpmekaar won by four wickets.

St Andrew’s College 205/5 (Myles Sansom 102*, Rhys Wiblin 38, Benjamin Coventry 20; Ryan Jellis 1/18); Hilton College 188 (Ben Erasmus 58, Jayden Roux 38, Luke Wilson 31; Oliver Johns 3/14, Alastair de Kock 3/42, Rhys Wiblin 2/35). St Andrew’s College won by 17 runs.

St Benedict’s College 174 (Alex Johnston 38, Clayton Horlick 29, Extras 25, Matthew Feirtag 22; Cullen Kakora 3/19, Heindré Serfontein 2/30); St Andrew’s School 176/5 (FG Botha 70, Jonathan Hickley 41*; ED Smith 2/19, Mark Munava 2/24). St Andrew’s School won by five wickets.

Diocesan College 214/9 (Alex Vincent 56, Cameron Macbeth 52, Adnaan Lagadien 37, Kyle Strik 28; Mohammad Borabat 2/36); Titans Invitational Hub XI 119/10 (Keamogetswe Semenya 27, Gift Motlhasedi 25*; Waco Bassik 4/21, Daniel Perold 3/27). Diocesan College won by 95 runs.

The stage is set for Championship Sunday at the Jenny Orchard Invitational Tournament, being played at Maritzburg College, after a dramatic third day of action.

Saturday’s showdowns included some shocking results, including the elimination of the previously unbeaten Soweto Basketball Academy from title contention.

Quarterfinals 

They had been untroubled in sweeping through Pool B with ease, but they ran into a motivated Westville Boys’ High team in the quarterfinals and the KZN side recorded an impressive 82-68 win.

Westville had finished in second place in Pool D, while the Soweto Basketball Academy had topped Pool B, crushing Rondebosch Boys’ High by 72 points, Saheti School by 84, and Northwood by 54. But they were outmaneuvered by their rivals in the quarterfinals.

The reigning champions, Maritzburg College, advanced to the semi-finals with remarkable ease following a decisive win over Pinelands High School. The Capetonians gave it their all but were unable to cope with College’s high-pressure game, which led to a convincing 89-49 victory and a place in the semi-finals for The Red, Black, and White.

Michaelhouse also moved on to the semis with an emphatic 53-37 defeat of Kearsney College, who had topped their pool with a clean record of three wins from three matches. They were joined in the final four by ESCA, who took down Northwood by a 64-25 margin. It was an easy win, but Northwood’s frontline side is defending the St John’s Basketball Tournament title.

Semifinals

Maritzburg College faced Michaelhouse for a third time this season in the Alan Paton Memorial Hall, with a place in the final of the Jenny Orchard Invitational on the line. They had previously cruised to a 93-57 win and then beat ‘House 45-39 in their first outing of the event.

Once more, College came out on top. This time there were 10 points in it, with the home side scoring a 54-44 victory.

They’ll face Westville in the gold medal match after the Griffin took down ESCA 65-54 in their semi-final. That win marked a big turnaround from an earlier meeting between the sides in Pool D, which ESCA had won by 21 points, 50-29.

RESULTS

Playoff 9-16

Westerford  (A3) 52-30 Kingswood College (C4)
Clifton College (C3) 54-46 Wynberg Boys’ High (A4)
SACS (B3) 48-32 Rondebosch Boys’ High (D4)
Durban High School (B4) 77-39 Saheti School (D3)

Quarterfinals 

Maritzburg College (A1) 89-49 Pinelands High School (C2)
Michaelhouse (A2) 53-37 Kearsney College (C1)
Westville Boys’ High School (D2) 82-68 Soweto Basketball Academy (B1)
ESCA (D1) 64-25 Northwood School

Playoff 13-16

L25 vs L27: Wynberg Boys’ High 76-36 Kingswood College
L26 vs L28: Rondebosch Boys’ High 55-45 Saheti School

Playoff 9-12

W25 vs W27: Clifton College 52-48 Westerford
W26 vs W28: Durban High School 68-45 SACS

Playoff 5-8

L29 vs L31: Kearsney College 70-53 Pinelands High
L30 vs L32: Soweto Basketball Academy 76-44 Northwood School

Semifinals 

Maritzburg College 52-44 Michaelhouse
Westville Boys’ High School 65-54 ESCA

Sunday Fixtures 

Playoff 11-12

08:00: Alan Paton 2, Westerford (L35) vs SACS (L36)

Playoff 9-10

08:00: Alan Paton 1: Clifton College (W35) vs Durban High School (W36)

Playoff 7-8

09:30: Alan Paton 2, Pinelands High (L38) vs Northwood School (L40)

Playoff 5-6

09:30: Alan Paton 1, Kearsney College (W38) vs Soweto Basketball Academy (W40)

Playoff 3-4

11:00: Alan Paton 2: Michaelhouse (L37) vs ESCA (L39)

Final 

12:30: Alan Paton 1, Maritzburg College (W37) vs Westville Boys’ High School (W39)

The stakes were raised in Johannesburg on Saturday, the third day of the 20th edition of the St John’s College Basketball Tournament, with places in the semi-finals up for grabs.

The eight quarterfinalists had been confirmed at the end of Friday’s action, with the defending champions, Northwood School, being joined in the last eight by St John’s College, St Benedict’s College, The King’s School Linbro Park, Jeppe High School for Boys, Pretoria Boys High School, St Alban’s College, and St Stithians College.

In a key clash on Saturday, the hosts faced a stiff challenge from a strong St Benedict’s College side, which had finished third in the American International School of Johannesburg Basketball Tournament, won by St John’s.

At the AISJ event, St John’s beat Bennies 46-36 in the semi-finals, but the  Bedfordview boys returned the favour a week later, winning 48-41.

Northwood, the emphatic winners of the St John’s Basketball Tournament title in 2024, took on St Alban’s College, while, in an all-Johannesburg match-up, The King’s School Linbro Park faced Jeppe High School for Boys. Finally, Pretoria Boys High went head-to-head with St Stithians College.

Despite playing with the pressure of home expectations, St John’s College booked their place in the semi-finals with a thrilling 49-44 victory over  St Benedict’s on court one. It was an entertaining encounter filled with twists and turns, and it gave the home supporters what they wanted.

The reward for St John’s is a showdown with Pretoria Boys High. They claimed a semi-final spot with a 22-18 win over St Stithians in their quarterfinal clash.

On the other side of the draw, Northwood delivered an ominous performance, shutting down St Alban’s College in a resounding 48-18 victory. The Knights hit their straps in the latter stages of last year’s tournament and obliterated their opposition. Might a repeat of that memorable showing be on the cards?

They’ll tackle Jeppe in the semi-finals after Jeppe scored a solid 32-21 win over The King’s School Linbro Park. Northwood and Jeppe tangled earlier in the tournament in a Group D game, with the Knights scoring a comfortable 65-45 win.

SEMI-FINAL FIXTURES

Sunday, 23 February

08:00 – St John’s College vs Pretoria Boys High
08:00 – Northwood School vs Jeppe

Top 16 Results

St Benedict’s 60-27 Alma Mater
St John’s 43-20 American International School of Johannesburg
Northwood 50-32 St George’s
St Alban’s 41-28 Parktown Boys’ High
Hilton College 34-35 The King’s School Linbro Park
King Edward VII 25-26 Jeppe
St Charles 24-42 Pretoria Boys’ High
St Stithians 32-23 Michael Mount

Top 16 Losers

King Edward VII 43-33 Hilton College
Michael Mount Waldorf 26-25 Parktown Boys’ High
St Charles 38-43 St George’s
American International School of Johannesburg 48-17 Alma Mater

Quarterfinals

St John’s College 49-44 St Benedict’s College
Northwood School 48-18 St Alban’s College
The King’s School Linbro 21-32 Jeppe High School for Boys
Pretoria Boys High School 22-18 St Stithians College

u19 Consolation 1

St John’s (Harare) 40-23 International School of South Africa

u19 Consolation 2

St Peter’s College 23-27 St Andrew’s College

u19 Consolation 3

Falcon College 30-22 Maritzburg College

u19 Consolation 4

Sacred Heart 23-50 St David’s Marist Inanda

u19 – 23rd/24th

International School of South Africa 25-9 St Peter’s College

u19 – 19th/20th

Maritzburg College 19-9 Sacred Heart

Michaelhouse produced a solid team performance to register their second win in as many games at the Standard Bank Independent Schools Cricket Festival (ISCF) on Saturday.

Playing on Mitchell Field, in Johannesburg, ‘House scored a hard-fought 10-run victory over St John’s College in a low-scoring clash.

At St Alban’s College, St George’s bounced back from a 48-run defeat at the hands of Kingswood on Friday to record an emphatic seven-wicket victory over Woodridge, also in a 50-over game.

At St John’s, the home team won the toss and elected to field first. Their bowlers did a commendable job, bowling Michaelhouse out for 117 in 46.2 overs. However, their batsmen struggled and St John’s was dismissed for 107 in 42.2 overs.

Michaelhouse had a shaky start to their innings, losing two early wickets, which left them on 13/2 after five overs. Graydon Leslie and Kian Blignaut tried to pull off a repair job, but they added only 17 runs for the third wicket.

Leslie, then, shared a 32-run fourth-wicket stand with Michael Blignaut, which proved to be their best partnership and the boost that their innings needed.

Leslie stuck around for 42 balls and struck two fours in his 26, which was his team’s best individual effort with the bat. Only four others – Kian and Michael Blignaut, Victor North, and Radhesh Jhilmeet – reached double figures but failed to kick on.

Captain Alec Loveland led with the ball for St John’s, grabbing three wickets for 25 runs in 10 overs, while Herman Basson, Ethan Robinson, and Malan du Plessis picked up two apiece.

Unfortunately for St John’s, their top order failed to fire, with three of the top seven being dismissed without scoring, and another making only two.

Opener Nkosana Sibiya scored a good 21 off 25, while Joshua Hall showed commendable commitment, facing 84 balls for his 20. Together, they scored 31 runs for the second wicket.

Hall and Aiden Barberrini put on 32 for the fifth wicket, but only those two stands were more than single-figure affairs.

Ethan Robinson, batting ninth in the order, played a belligerent knock, scoring a run-a-ball 20 that gave the home side hope. However, that hope perished when he was the ninth man to be dismissed in the 41st over.

Radhesh Jhilmeet was the pick of the bowlers for Michaelhouse with two wickets for nine runs in 4.1 overs. Jean-Luc Rey and Luke Mitchell also bagged a brace each at higher economy rates.

At St Alban’s, the toss went Woodridge’s way and they opted to bat first. They didn’t start well and that was merely the prelude to the innings in its entirety.

In just 19.2 overs, they were skittled for 80. St George’s didn’t make a meal of things and they completed the run chase in 17 overs, finishing on 82/3 to clinch victory.

Woodridge’s innings was a trainwreck from the outset. They lost Ethan Moothoo in the first over before scoring a few runs at a slow pace thereafter. However, Jay-Reece Madatt was the only Woodridge batsman to build up any sort of momentum. He contributed a decent 37 off 46 deliveries, but his was a lone, effective batting effort.

Sonwabise Gotyana was the only other Woodridge batsman to reach double figures, contributing 11 after a 23-ball stay.

Benjamin Muzanago was the pick of the bowlers for St George’s, capturing three wickets for 17 runs in four overs. Tichaona Mharadze conceded three runs from wides but picked up two wickets with his only other deliveries.

Woodridge thought they were in the contest when Ethan Moothoo dismissed Michael Mukori for a two-ball duck in the first over of the St George’s innings. However, Jayden Petersen performed the anchor role well, scoring a patient 27 off 35 deliveries, which gave the school from Harare a solid platform for their run chase.

He was also part of two decent partnerships. The first was a 22-run second-wicket stand with Munesu Chitongo, and the second, with Tyshawn Zuze, for the third wicket, was worth 33 runs.

After Petersen’s departure, Zuze and Abhiraj Singh saw St George’s to a comfortable win with an unbroken 27-run fourth-wicket partnership.

Ethan Moothoo and Daniel Darlow were the only wicket-takers for Woodridge. Moothoo snagged two wickets for 12 runs and Darlow claimed one for 15 runs in two overs.

Scorecards

Michaelhouse 117/10 (Gradon Leslie 26, Radhesh Jhilmeet 16, Alec Loveland 3/25, Herman Basson 2/5). St John’s College 107/9 (Aiden Barberrini 30, Nkosana Sibiya 21, Radhesh Jhilmeet 2/9, Herman Basson 2/5). Michaelhouse won by 10 runs.

Woodridge College 80/10 (Jay Reece Madatt 37, Sonwabiso Gotyana 11, Benjamin Muzanago 3/17, Tichaona Mharadze 2/3). St George’s College 82/3 (Jayden Petersen 27, Tyshawn Zuze 26*, Ethan Moothoo 2/12, Daniel Darlow 1/15). St George’s won by seven wickets.

Die Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool van Pretoria se middelafstand-atleet Emil Els het twee byeenkomsrekords tydens die jaarlikse Wildeklawer Pretoria A-Bond-byeenkoms in die Pilditch-stadion in Pretoria in die slag laat bly.

Die atleet van Affies is as die Senior Victor Lodorum vir sy vertonings tydens die byeenkoms aangewys.

Els het die 800m vir seuns o.16 in ‘n skitterende tyd van een minuut 51.96 sekondes kaf gedraf. Dit was 973 punte op die APE-stelsel werd. Hy het daarmee dié rekord van Prestige College se Dais Malebana  (1:56.07) wat hy in 2015 opgestel het, in die slag laat bly.

Els hou nou drie van die byeenkomsrekords in dié nommer. Die rekords vir o.14 (2:03.04) en o.15 (1:54.76) staan ook agter sy naam.

Sy spanmaat Roal Jansen van Vuuren was kort op sy hakke in ‘n tyd van 1:54.08 oor die eindstreep. Dit was ook vinniger as Malebane se rekord.

Die twee Affies het in die 1500m ook albei weer vinniger as die byeenkomsrekord van Marcel Brits (Montana, 4:03.72) klaargemaak. Els het goud gevat in amper ses sekondes vinniger as Brits se rekord in drie minute en 57.89 sekondes.

Van Rensburg het vir Els tot die einde gedruk en is na 3:59.93 oor die eindstreep.

Els het ook in die 3000m koning gekraai toe hy die nommer in 8:41.66 voltooi het. Hy het dus ‘n maksimum van 48 punte tot sy span se totaal van die dag bygedra.

Zwartkop se JP Delport (o.17) het sy beste vertoning van die dag in die 1500m opgedis toe hy dié nommer met ‘n tyd van 4:01.12 gewen het. In die 800m het hy goud in ‘n tyd van 1:59.67 verdien.

In die 3000m vir seuns o.19 was Affies se Regard Hattingh (8:35.70) en Zwartkop se Rico Coetzer (8:38.29) in ‘n hewige stryd gewikkel. Albei vertonings was meer as 920 punte op die APE-stelsel werd.

Affies se Dandré Brink (o.16) het die rekord in die 400m naelloop tot  47.81 sekondes verbeter. Die rekord het vanaf 2018 agter die naam van die Suid-Afrikaanse Olimpiese atleet Matt Nortjé (48.98) van Garsfontein gestaan. Menlopark se Llewellyn van Heerden (47.99) het ‘n silwermedalje losgenael in ‘n tyd ook vinniger as Nortjé se vorige rekord.

Brink het ook in die 400m-hekkies in ‘n tyd van 53.91 sekondes die septer geswaai.

Die o.17 rekord in die 400m het ook in die slag gebly met Zack Reddy (Midstream College, 47.82) en Francois Boshoff (Affies, 47.83) wat kort op mekaar se hakke oor die eindstreep genael het.

Waterkloof se Alexander Griesel het ook vir heelwat opwinding in die 110m-hekkies vir seuns o.16 gesorg. Sy wentyd van 13.27 sekondes het vir hom 997 punte op die puntetabel besorg.

Xander Schoeman van Garsfontein het die 100m vir seuns o.19 in 10.50 sekondes afgeblits om die byeenkoms as die vinnigste seun in die Jakarandastad af te sluit. Hy het ook goud in die 200m in ‘n tyd van 21.60 sekondes ingepalm.

Schoeman het ook natuurlik die Garsies se aflosspan gehelp om die 4x100m wedloop in 42.01 sekondes te wen. Hy het die span huis toe geneem, terwyl sy ander spanmaats Nicholas Michael, Junaide Stuart en Junade Pasensie die aanvoorwerk gedoen het.

FINALE SPAN-UITSLAE

1. Menlopark 2,637; 2. Zwartkop 2,282; 3. Waterkloof 2,180; 4. Midstream College 1,915; 5. Montana 1,869; 6. Garsfontein 1,794; 7. Eldoraigne 1,434.

SEUNS 

1. Affies 1,406; 2. Menlopark 1,223; 3. Zwartkop 1,138; 4. Garsfontein 1,030; 5. Waterkloof 1,010; 6. Midstream College 960; 7. Montana 912; 8. Eldoraigne 690.

DOGTERS 

1. Menlopark 1,414; 2. Affies 1,278; 3. Waterkloof 1,170; 4. Zwartkop 1,144; 5. Montana 957; 6. Midstream College 955; 7. Garsfontein 764; 8. Eldoraigne 744.

In die hoogspring vir seuns o.17 tydens die Wildeklawer Pretoria A-Bond was daar soos verwag ‘n hewige tweestryd tussen Taelyn Smith (Menlopark) en Willie van Wyk (Garsfontein). Dié byeenkoms het in die Pilditch-stadion in Pretoria plaasgevind.

Smith het die tweestryd met ‘n sprong van 2.05 meter gewen. Van Wyk het op twee meter oor die lat geseil voordat hy uitgeval het. Smith se wenhoogte is boonop ‘n nuwe byeenkomsrekord.

Die rekord het voorheen agter die naam van Zizwe Khumalo (Garsfontein, 2.00m) gestaan. Khumalo het dié rekord verlede jaar opgestel. Hy het vanjaar weer goud verower toe hy die hoogspring vir seuns o.19 met ‘n sprong van 2.06m gewen het.

Smith het vanjaar al op 2.15m oor die lat geseil.

Daar is ook ‘n nuwe hoogspringer wat tot die voorgrond tydens die byeenkoms getree het. Zwartkop se Thor Myburgh (o.14) het dié nommer in sy ouderdomsgroep met ‘n uitstekende sprong van 1.84m gewen. Hy het hiermee ook Smith se vorige byeenkomsrekord van 1.83m uit die rekordboeke gevee.

Menlopark se Jaco van Dyk (o.15) het in die worpe sy stempel afgedruk. Hy het die byeenkoms as die Junior Victor Lodorum met 1,984 punte afgesluit.

Van Dyk het in die gewigstoot met ‘n beste poging van 19.64m losgetrek. Hy het hiermee op die vorige rekord van Jordan Meyer (Affies) verbeter. Meyer het in 2022 die rekord na 19.33m gerek. Affies se Dewald Roodt het deurgans in Van Dyk se nek geblaas, maar moes op die ou einde met ‘n silwermedalje ondanks ‘n skitterende poging van 19.31m tevrede wees.

Van Dyk het ook in die diskus ‘n nuwe rekord opgestel met ‘n gooi van 62.06m wat aan hom 984 punte op die APE-stelsel besorg het.

Die Parkies se Joshua Gerber het ook ‘n goeie byeenkoms beleef. Hy het in die diskus vir seuns o.16 ‘n beste poging van 60.71m. Dit het die byeenkomsrekord wat in 2022 deur Waterkloof se Wesley Badenhorst (56.47m) in 2022 opgestel is, met meer as vier meter verbeter. Boonop was dit ‘n volle 1,000 punte op die APE-stelsel werd.

Affies se Dewald Bezuidenhout was tweede met self ‘n indrukwekkende poging van 52.54m. Dit was egter in die gewigstoot waar Bezuidenhout tot sy reg gekom het. Hy het die nommer met ‘n beste afstand van 18.62m gewen. Dit is 976 punte op die puntestelsel werd.

Montana se Tiaan Stevens het sy hoërskoolloopbaan met twee goue medaljes in die gewigstoot (16.52m) en diskus (53.69m) vir seuns o.19 afgesluit.

With one productive opposed training session already under their belts, the Junior Springboks are set to switch to game mode. They face their Georgia u20 counterparts in Tbilisi on Sunday afternoon, at 16:00.

The teams have agreed to allow rolling substitutions for their first meeting, which means the entire 30-man squad could get onto the field.

Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote has named Thando Biyela (No 8), a former SA u18 representative, to lead the team on Sunday.

Foote said the Junior Boks will be eager to gauge their progress and skills against a Georgian side known for its physicality. Cold weather conditions are expected and that, too, could be a challenge for the tourists, who experienced freezing temperatures when they kicked off their tour on Wednesday afternoon with a live training session against the Lelo Saracens rugby club.

“We are looking forward to the challenge and to implement our game plan against a very physical opponent,” Foote said in a press statement.

“Our set piece, physicality, and kicking game are, of course, key elements of the South African way and DNA, so it would be nice to see how the boys adapt to the cold weather and implement the game plan.

“The cold conditions are quite an adjustment, but the group has taken it in their stride. We understand the prediction for Sunday could be as low as minus-six degrees, which would pose an interesting challenge considering we came from warm summer conditions in Stellenbosch.

“We cannot control the weather, but [we can determine our] our actions and attitude, and I think we are all doing a good job around that. Therefore, it will be important for us to be smart against the opposition, as they are accustomed to the local conditions.”

Foote said it is not just on the field of play that the tour offers value. He said he views the group’s off-field relationships as being just as important: “It’s not only about connecting on the field, which is very important, and we are constantly working on that.

“However, we are putting a lot of effort into getting to know each other off the field of play, stressing the importance of what the SA Rugby badge means for all of us and the people back home.

“We had a couple of team-building exercises, which are designed to strengthen togetherness, and it’s something we are constantly working on. It is great seeing the guys coming together as a group and experiencing the different environment and culture.”

The final match of the tour is scheduled for 15:00 on Friday, 28 February.

Junior Springbok team to face Georgia

15 Gilermo Mentoe
14 Cheswill Jooste
13 Dominic Malgas
12 Pieter van der Merwe
11 Chijindu Okonta
10 Matthew Coetzee
9 Zeke January
8 Thando Biyela (captain)
7 Yabo Ndzamela
6 Divan Fuller
5 Morne Venter
4 Henrich Theron
3 Tebogo Nkosi
2 HB Odendaal
1 Oliver Reid

Replacements

16 Sipo Mnebelele
17 Simphiwe Ngobese
18 Jean Erasmus
19 Riley Norton
20 Stephanus Linde
21 Batho Hlekani
22 Ceano Everson
23 JT Kapank
24 Ranon Fouche
25 Juandré Schoeman
26 Kuhle Mthimkhulu
27 Xola Nyali
28 Haashim Pead
29 Scott Nel
30 Siya Ndlozi