DHS Opening bowler Taine Havermann destroyed Michaelhouse’s top order to set School on course for a big win. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Michaelhouse‘s batting woes again haunted the visitors on the Theobald Oval on Saturday, with Durban High School (DHS) requiring a little over 25 overs to bowl out ‘House for only 87.
Six players made five runs or less, and two more weighed in with seven, which, simply, wasn’t enough. Radhesh Jhilmeet, batting seventh in the order, top-scored for Michaelhouse, striking two fours and a six in his innings of 20 from 31 deliveries.
The only other players to make it into double figures were opener William Russon, with 13, and Victor North, batting sixth, who made 14. The highest partnership, though, belonged to Jhilmeet and Jean-Luc Rey, who added 28 for the seventh wicket.
Taine Havermann blitzed the Michaelhouse top order, removing Ben Heuer, Graydon Leslie, and Michael Blignaut, to capture 3/18 from six overs. His fellow speedster, Bayanda Majola, knocked over 2/12 in six. Then, Josh Morley got rid of the ‘House tail, snaring 3/6 in just 2.4 overs.
Facing a low total, Schoolopted to go on the attack. They were rewarded with a nine-wicket victory in less than 10 overs.
They lost Ethan Cooper for eight, bowled by Luke Mitchell, with 17 runs on the board, but that was the sole success enjoyed by the visiting team’s bowlers.
Ismaeel Omar and Josh van Biljon powered DHS to victory adding 74 runs in only seven overs, with Van Biljon, especially, playing an unusually aggressive knock. He blasted two sixes and nine fours in an unbeaten 56 from only 30 balls, while Omar continued his good run of form with 23 not out from 18 deliveries, with four fours.
Mitchell picked up 1/24 from three. Unfortunately, for Michaelhouse, apart from one over from Ben Heuer, which went for two runs, none of the other bowlers went for less than eight an over.
It was all over in a flash.
Hilton College vs St Charles College
Much like their great rivals, Hilton College has been searching for batting consistency in 2025. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t find it on Saturday when they hosted St Charles College on the Hart-Davis Oval. Perhaps because they recognised Hilton’s batting struggles, Saints opted to bowl first after winning the toss.
After losing James Ogilby early on, though, Hilton appeared to be on course for a decent total when Alex Pitman and Simon Steyn put on 29 for the second wicket, but the introduction of Ryan Clarke brought an end to Pitman’s innings when he trapped him LBW for 14 with the total on 43.
That triggered a collapse, with Hilton crashing from 41/1 to 45/5. Clarke got rid of Simon Steyn and Ben Hockly, while Caleb Sharp dismissed Jayden Roux.
There was some fight, though, from Stewart Falconer and Luke Wilson, who arrested the slide with a 22-run partnership. Then, Wilson and David Hill added 29 for the seventh wicket before Hill was bowled by Rowen Rajah for 19. Wilson followed six runs later, also out for 19, Hilton’s joint-highest scorer, leaving the hosts on 102/9.
Kaiyuran Naidoo grabbed the last three wickets to fall, also removing Benoit Rey and Sechaba Gude, both for ducks, to go along with Wilson’s dismissal, as Hilton fell for 112.
Naidoo finished with 3/12 from 5.4 overs, Clarke claimed 3/14, Caleb Sharp 2/22, and Rowen Rajah 2/41.
Defending a small total, Hilton picked up an early wicket, with Alex Pitman catching Thando Zama for four off the bowling of Sechaba Gude.
Keegan Veermaak and the captain, Rico Honiball, who opened the innings with Zama, advanced the total to 31 before Gude struck again, having Vermaark caught by Jayden Roux for nine.
Caleb Sharp and the skipper, Honiball, partnered for 32 runs before David Hill got rid of Sharp for 10, with Jayden Roux, again, pouching the catch. Five runs later, Saints were reduced to 68/4 when that same combination struck to send Ryan Clarke on his way.
When Connor Simpson was dismissed by Luke Campbell, with Roux recording a fourth catch, the visitors were in a slightly uncomfortable position, on 73/5, but Rico Honiball and Rowen Rajah proceeded to seize control of the contest.
They added an unbeaten 41 to see St Charles to victory after 24.5 overs. Honiball took 59 balls and struck a six and a four in an unbeaten 50, while Rajah upped the run rate with a quickfire 29 from 19, which included three fours and six.
Opening bowler, Sechaba Gude, claimed 2/23 in five overs, while David Hill picked up 2/33 in 5.5 with his leg spin. Luke Campbell‘s off-spin brought him 1/29 in seven.
Summarised scorecards
Michaelhouse 87/10 (Radhesh Jhilmeet 20, Ethan Jenkins 3/6, Taine Havermann 3/18, Bayanda Majola 2/12); Durban High School 91/1 (Josh van Biljon 56*, Ismaeel Omar 23*). DHS won by 9 wickets.
Hilton College 112/10 (Luke Wilson 19, David Hill 19, Kaiyuran Naidoo 3/12, Ryan Clarke 3/14, Caleb Sharp 2/22, Rowen Rajah 2/41); St Charles College 114/5 (Rico Honiball 50*, Rowen Rajah 29*, Sechaba Gude 2/23, David Hill 2/33). St Charles won by 5 wickets.
Thomas Collins scythed a classy unbeaten century to guide St Stithians College to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over St David’s Marist Inanda at St David’s on Saturday.
At St Benedict’s College, Aiden Pretorius bowled a brilliant spell at the death to secure a tight six-run win for Helpmekaar over Bennies.
Samrat Basu, the St David’s captain, won the toss and chose to have a bat. The hosts put together a decent effort, navigating their way to 230 all out in 48.5 overs. St Stithians, though, made short work of the run chase and raced to 231/3 in 36 overs to secure victory.
Collins, in his match-winning innings, nudged and worked the ball around for singles and twos and punished the bad balls when they were offered to him. St David’s presented eight such deliveries and he flayed three for four and lofted five over the ropes for sixes on his way to a brilliant unbeaten 101 off 107 balls.
His outstanding knock earned him the Player of the Match gong. Batting at three, he was the mainstay for Saintsand was part of three crucial partnerships for the visitors. He strode to the crease in the first over and had to face the fifth delivery of his side’s innings, which he consolidated with a 59-run second-wicket partnership with his captain, Liam Mudenda. The Saints’ skipper contributed a brisk 37 off 26 deliveries.
That partnership was succeeded by a 49-run stand between Collins and Bertie Michael. Like Mudenda, Michael played a brisk knock, contributing a fluent 28-ball 32.
The visitors’ best partnership was the fourth-wicket collaboration between Collins and Nicolas Bayly. They shared an unbroken 119-run stand to shepherd St Stithians to a convincing win. Bayly ended with an unbeaten 52 runs off 51 deliveries.
Earlier in the day, when St David’s batted, Collins had played his part with the ball. He struck a crucial blow when he claimed the prized wicket of Basu in the 22nd over. The host’s captain had held the St David’s innings together with a 65-ball 51 and had just teamed up with Kamogelo Phiri.
Following Basu’s exit, Phiri struggled to find someone with whom he could form a meaningful partnership. Instead, he was left to fight a lone battle until the end, with five of the six batsmen who came in after Basu dismissed for single-digit scores. Only Hayden Campbell, with whom he shared a 59-run fifth-wicket stand, scored more than 10, making 17 off 38 balls. At the end, Phiri was left stranded just short of a century, on 96 not out from 95 balls.
Jason Joiner was the pick of the bowlers for St Stithians with four wickets for 48 runs in 9.5 overs. Collins finished with two wickets for 35 runs from 10 overs, and Nqaba Matunda also bagged a brace while conceding 30 runs from seven overs.
In Bedfordview, Aiden Pretorius put on a clinic of death-bowling to help Helpmekaar snatch a narrow six-run win over St Benedict’s. His effort helped the visitors, who had scored 236 all out in 35.3 overs after being put in bat first, to restrict St Benedict’s to 230/9 in 50 overs in reply.
Kyle Swanepoel, the Helpmekaar captain, needed a breakthrough when he first introduced Pretorius into the attack in the 30th over.
St Benedict’s was cruising along with Marco Mendes and Alex Johnston at the crease. They were in the middle of a 94-run fifth-wicket partnership that threatened to take the game away from the visitors and they remained on track as Pretorius delivered a wicketless four-over spell that cost 18 runs.
When Pretorius returned for a second spell, St Benedict’s required only 28 runs from 30 balls for victory, with five wickets in hand. Pretorius, though, made an immediate impact, dismissing Matt Feiertag with the third delivery of the 46th over. Pretorius made it two wickets in two overs when he sent Chris Burnham’s stumps cartwheeling in the 48th over.
The coup de grâce was delivered when Pretorius, bowling the last over of the innings, captured his third wicket in three overs by clean bowling Marco Mendes for 99 off 158 balls. Pretorius led the Helpmekaar bowlers with a decisive return of three wickets for 31 runs in seven overs. He was ably supported by Hanno Steyn and Juandré Verwey, who each bagged a brace of wickets.
Earlier in the day, Anthony Stone struck seven fours and a single six on his way to a quickfire 30-ball 51, which helped launch Helpmekaar to 236 all in just 35.3 overs. His knock had shades of Anrich Liebenberg‘s brisk 49 off 36 deliveries, which had preceded his innings. Zander Neethling and Heinrich Minnaar produced useful contributions, too, scoring 31 and 38 runs, respectively.
Clayton Horlick was the most successful bowler for St Benedict’s with four wickets for 53 runs in 8.3 overs. Matthew Steel removed three Helpmekaar batsmen in three overs while conceding 20 runs.
Scorecards
St David’s Marist Inanda 230/10 (Kamogelo Phiri 96*, Samrat Basu 51, Jason Joiner 4/48, Thomas Collins 2/35). St Stithians College 231/3 (Thomas Collins 101*, Nicolas Bayly 52*, Kyle Butler 2/33, Morteza Manack 1/34). St Stithians won by seven wickets.
Helpmekaar Kollege 236/10 (Anthony Stone 51, Anrich Liebenberg 49, Clayton Horlick 4/53, Matthew Steel 3/20). St Benedict’s College 230/9 (Marco Mendes 99, Alex Johnston 47, Aiden Pretorius 3/31, Hanno Steyn 2/22). Helpmekaar won by six runs.
Hoërskool Menlopark successfully defended their title as champions of the Curro Podium Grand Finale during the third edition of the prestigious meeting at the Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday. The Parkies are the undisputed champions for a third year running after their boys (21,146 points) and girls (21,747 points) came out on top.
The Curro Podium Grand Finale has once again produced some scintillating performances with South Africa’s best junior talent showcasing their talents in the Jacaranda City.
Prestige College’s Tumi Ramokgopa set the track alight in the 100m-hurdles as well as the 400m-hurdles for Girls u19. Her winning time of 57.78 seconds in the longer hurdles was the highlight of the day as it was the fastest time run so far this year by a junior athlete (u20).
It also brought her team a full set of 1,000 points. Her time was a full second clear of the previous best of 2025, which was set by Jamaica’s Aaliyah Mullings (58.78).
Ramokgopa won the hurdles’ sprint in 13.96 seconds, which was just slower than the world best of 13.72 seconds she ran earlier this year. Both of her performances also bettered the Curro Podium Grand Finale records.
Menlopark’s Taelyn Smith took the Curro Podium Grand Finale to new heights by clearing 2.15m in the high jump for Boys’ u17. Not only did he record a personal best, but he also emphatically bettered the meeting record of 2.00 metres, which had also stood beside his name.
Smith’s clearance of 2.11m earlier this year, during his school’s annual Menlopark Invitational, was the best in the world for the u17 age group. By adding another four centimetres to that mark, he has cemented his place on top of the world’s leading performances for 2025.
Lesibe Dikgala, of Curro Hazeldean, also produced some magic in the 110m hurdles, as well as in the 400m hurdles, for Boys’ u19. He was more impressive in the longer event, winning it in a new meeting record time of 50.54 seconds.
It also comfortably improved on his performance of 51.54 seconds during the Wildeklawer TUT Top 14, hosted by Curro Hazeldean earlier this year. His performance in the Wildeklawe TUT meeting had been the best in the world for the u19 age group in 2025, so Dikgala also managed to increase his lead in the world rankings.
He won the shorter hurdles in 14.70 seconds.
In the 100m and 200m sprints for Boys’ u17, the South African champion, Micah Africa, and Curro Hazeldean’s Mukona “Smiley” Manavhela engaged in a thrilling battle. Africa won the 100m sprint in a blistering 10.59 seconds, with Manavhela (10.69) crossing the finish line fractionally behind him.
Victory in the 200m went Manavhela’s way in a new meeting record time of 20.97 seconds. Africa picked up the bronze medal in 21.64 seconds, with Boland Landbou’s Jaeger Coetzee (21.40) crossing the finishing line just after Manavhela.
Following heavy rain on Thursday and Friday, Saturday’s match between Glenwood High School and Kearsney College was moved from Durban to the AH Smith Oval in Botha’s Hill and reduced to a 40-overs-a-side clash. Not many runs were scored.
The visitors were sent in, to bat, and found the going tough. If it was not for Krian Jugoo, they would have struggled to reach 50.
He stood out with 31 from 38 balls, hitting three fours, while extras’ contribution was the second-highest score for the Green Machineof 12. Olwami Zondi made 10, and the remainder of the batsmen stayed in single figures.
In just 25.4 overs, Glenwood was all out for only 83. The primary reason for that was Rivan Moodley, who captured 4/15 with his leg-spin. Nic Comrie claimed 2/10, while Michael Groom picked up 1/12. Matthew Gorrie returned 1/13 and also ran out Kressan Pillai.
Kearsney was chasing a modest score, but they didn’t come close to overhauling it as they were bundled out for only 47.
Kyle Bryan was sensational for Glenwood, knocking over 6/19 in eight overs, and Akhil Maharaj backed him up superbly, snapping up 3/14 in 5.2 overs. Krian Jugoo added 1/4 in three as Kearsney’s innings lasted just 19.2 overs.
Cole Young scored almost half the home side’s runs, making 22 from 23 balls, with two fours and a six. Asher Hollister struck the only other four for Kearsney in making seven, their second-highest score.
Northwood School vs Westville Boys’ High School
With Bowden’s unfit for play, the match between Northwood and Westville Boys’ High was moved to the Robin Smith Oval at Northwood, and a T20 was played. It was an opportunity for both teams to prepare for the Clifton T20 Tournament, which takes place next week from Friday, 14 February, to Sunday, 16 February, and will be broadcast live on DStv Channel 216.
The visitors chose to bowl after winning the coin flip, but David de Bruyn and Tuswa Phetha made them regret that decision. They tallied 59 runs from only 55 balls for the first wicket before Phetha was caught by Westville skipper Seth Simpson off the bowling of Sean McGough for 22.
Ross McGlashan didn’t last long, and he was soon followed by David de Bruyn and Morgan Jones as Northwood stumbled from 59/0 to 65/4 in the space of 2.1 overs, with Sean McGough and Tristan Delvin picking up two wickets each. De Bruyn’s contribution was a team-best 32 from 28 balls, with three fours and a six.
Knights‘ captain Kyle White and Alistair Duncan halted the slide, adding 17 before Duncan was out. Northwood had 3.5 overs remaining, and they were on 82/5. Enter Connor Leclezio.
He and White gave the home team a strong boost, cracking 25 off 23 balls, to see the Knights to 117/5. Leclezio played a vital knock, smashing three sixes in an unbeaten 24 from 11 deliveries, while White didn’t find the boundary once, but made a valuable 23 from 26.
Sean McGough was the pick of the Westville attack, returning the sparkling figures of 3/9 from four overs, while Tristan Delvin picked up a neat 2/13 from his four.
The visitors needed to bat at 5.9 overs to win, but they didn’t quite manage that, coming up eight runs short, on 109/8. Given the excellent start that Kyle McGough and Sean McGough gave them, they will feel disappointed that they didn’t win.
They powered the Griffin to 72 in the 11th over before Northwood finally tasted success when Connor Leclezio caught Sean McGough off Ben Cilliers for 50 from 41 balls, which had included four fours and a six.
Kyle McGough followed six balls later, for 21. Suddenly, Westville’s run rate fell off a cliff. Seth Simpson and Tristan Delvin mustered only 12 runs from 26 balls. Then, after Delvin departed on 91, the visiting team lost a further three wickets in the space of five balls, with the man of the match, Connor Leclezio, again forcing himself into the middle of the action by removing Bhaskar Sewlal and Dayalan Boyce after Misbah Nair had been run out.
Suddenly, Westville found themselves on the back foot, on 96/8 after 18 overs.
Jordan Matthews did an excellent job under heavy pressure, conceding only six runs off the penultimate over, which left Aidan Bauristhene with 16 runs to defend. He gave up seven but also removed Aarin Rasmussen to see the Knights to victory.
Leclezio picked up 2/23 in four overs, while off-spinner Ben Cilliers clamped down on Westville’s scoring, returning a miserly 1/11 from his four overs, which drained the momentum from Westville’s reply. Northwood also pulled off run outs of three batsmen in the top five in the Westville order, which made all the difference.
Maritzburg College vs Clifton College
On Goldstone’s, Maritzburg College and Clifton College settled for a tame draw.
It was slow going as the Red, Black, and Whitemustered 156 all out in 46.4 overs after being sent in, to bat. That total looked unlikely at one stage, with College wobbling on 64/6 after seeing four wickets go down while only five runs were added.
Not for the first time, the architect of another team’s downfall was the leg-spinner, Shiraz Perumal. He bowled superbly to claim 4/22 from his 10 overs.
Tian van Niekerk and Sphamandla Dzanibe, though, halted the parade of wickets by combining for a 66-run stand for the seventh wicket. Dzanibe followed Reece Willson, Karl Dedekind, and Luan van der Merwe as victims of Perumal, but not before he had played an invaluable knock, scoring 36 off 46 balls, with three fours and a six.
Van Niekerk held up his end and was there when College’s last wicket went down, unbeaten on 47 from 68, which had included three fours.
Apart from Perumal, Clifton captain and opening bowler, Tim Saulez, enjoyed success, capturing 2/26 in 7.4 overs, while left-arm spinner Blake Johnson took 2/41 in 10, and Caleb Naicker kept it tidy, bowling three maidens in his five-over haul of 1/9.
Clifton’s reply lasted only nine overs before the game was called off. Byron Ward enjoyed his short time at the crease, hitting two fours in an unbeaten 19.
Summarised scorecards
NorthwoodSchool 117/5 (David de Bruyn 32, Connor Leclezio 23, Tuswa Phetha 22, Sean McGough 3/9, Tristan Delvin 2/13); Westville Boys’ High 109/8 (Sean McGough 50, Kyle McGough 21, Connor Leclezio 2/23). Northwood won by 8 runs.
Glenwood High School 83/10 (Krian Jugoo 31, Rivan Moodley 4/15, Nic Comrie 2/10); Kearsney College 47/10 (Cole Young 22, Kyle Bryan 6/19, Akhil Maharaj 3/14). Glenwood won by 36 runs.
Maritzburg College 156/10 (Tian van Niekerk 47*, Sphamandla Dzanibe 36, Shiraz Perumal 4/22, Tim Saulez 2/26, Blake Johnson 2/41); Clifton College 26/1 (Byron Ward 19*). Match abandoned.
William Beamish produced a telling all-round performance to lead St Andrew’s College to an emphatic nine-wicket victory over Queen’s College in Makhanda on Saturday.
At Woodridge College, Sinawo Bukula bagged five wickets to help Kingswood College register a comprehensive 111-run win over the hosts.
Playing away from home, Queen’s won the toss, elected to bat first, and rued that decision almost immediately.
The visitors lost their first wicket in the fourth over and found themselves under pressure from that point on, stumbling to 95 all out in 29.4 overs. St Andrew’s wasted no time in overhauling that total, romping to 97/1 in just 12 overs.
Beamish led the way, clubbing an unbeaten 67 off 45 deliveries in an entertaining innings that featured six fours and three sixes. Through the first eight overs of his knock, the left-hander was watchful as Khazimla Simama and Mthoko Mbambo kept a lid on things for Queen’s with disciplined bowling.
In the ninth over, Beamish felt he had seen enough of Queen’s opening pair and went on on the offensive. He crunched two maximums off Mbambo to wrest control of the innings. That over turned out to be the most fruitful of the St Andrew’s reply as Beamish and Oliver Johns (18*) plundered 22 runs off it.
However, Beamish wasn’t done yet. He subjected Mangaliso Mbaligontsi to the same treatment in the next over, taking him for 21 runs to power St Andrew’s towards victory.
Earlier in the day, Beamish had taken the new ball for College and began proceedings with a maiden over. Alastair de Kock kept matters tight, too, and complemented Beamish by conceding only two runs in the second over.
The pair kept dialling up the pressure and it brought them a wicket, with both players being involved in the dismissal of Aiden van Jaarsveld, who was caught by Beamish off De Kock’s bowling. Three balls later, Beamish claimed the first of his two wickets when he got rid of Lihlume Luwaca.
Caleb Waller resisted, scoring a 39-ball 37, but he did not have enough support to lift Queen’s past the 100-run mark. His promising knock was cut short by Rhys Wiblin in the 23rd over.
Waller was one of four batsmen to fall to Wiblin, who was the most successful St Andrew’s bowler, claiming four wickets for 17 runs in 6.4 overs. Beamish, De Kock, and Thomas Bussaihn chipped in with two wickets each.
At Woodridge, Sinawo Bukula was in fine form as he bowled Kingswood to a dominant 111-run win. The visitors won the toss, elected to bat first, and grafted their way to 204 all out in 47.2 overs. In response, the home side stumbled and were bowled out for only 93 in 30.1 overs.
Bukula dominated proceedings. The paceman struck early for Kingswood with his second delivery of the day and also bagged the final wicket of the match.
Under attack from Bukula and Franco Klopper, Woodridge chewed up 36 balls as Keegan Collet (3) and Daniel Darlow (16) added 20 runs for the second wicket. That turned out to be the home team’s second-highest partnership. Their highest came late in the day when Mpumi Magwetshu (23) and Saliswa Masoka (17) tallied 49 runs for the ninth wicket.
Bukula ripped through Woodridge’s top order and stamped his authority against the middle-order batsmen. Then, he helped clean up the tail on his way to a decisive return of six wickets for 30 runs from 8.1 overs. He was well supported by Klopper and Patrick Mouton, who bagged a brace each.
Earlier in the day, Josh Loon had compiled an unbeaten and patient 70-ball 43 to shepherd the visitors to 204. His knock was built upon the foundation laid by Daniel Jakins (33) and Klopper (18), who put up 68 runs for the first wicket, which was, unfortunately for the hosts, assisted by an incredible 21 extras from their attack.
After that wicket, Kingswood struggled to establish substantial partnerships, but their batsmen did enough to keep the scoreboard ticking with individual contributions as only four of them failed to reach double figures.
Randy Syce was Woodridge’s most successful bowler, snapping up three wickets for 20 runs in 10 overs, while Jay Reece Madatt took three for 39 in his 10.
Scorecards
Queen’s College 95/10 (Caleb Waller 37, Rowen Miles 21, Rhys Wiblin 4/17, William Beamish 2/9). St Andrew’s College 97/1 (William Beamish 67*, Oliver Johns 18*, Khazimla Simama 1/19, Mangaliso Mbaligontsi 0/33). St Andrew’s College won by nine wickets.
Kingswood College 204/10 (Josh Loon 43*, Daniel Jakins 33, Randy Syce 3/20, Jay Reece Madatt 3/39). Woodridge College 93/10 (Mpumi Magwetshu 23, Saliswa Masoka 17, Sinawo Bukula 6/30, Franco Klopper 2/9). Kingswood College won by 111 runs.
Tristan Helmand delivered an inspired spell and picked up a five-wicket haul to help Noordheuwel eke out a dramatic three-run win over St John’s College in a 50-over clash at St John’s on Saturday.
Barely six kilometres away, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) recorded a hard-fought three-wicket win over Jeppe High School for Boys in another one-day match.
Jeppe, the hosts, chose to bat first and put up 162 all out in 47.5 overs. Affies batted for 10 fewer overs for their match-winning 168/7.
On Mitchell Field, St John’s captain, Alec Loveland, won the toss and asked the visitors to bat first. Noordheuwel didn’t make smooth progress, but they battled their way to 167 all out in 37.3 overs.
In reply, the home side started their run pursuit well but lost their way and were bowled out in 39.4 overs for 164.
St John’s appeared well positioned to chase down Noordheuwel’s moderate total, and they were ahead of the required rate for most of their innings. However, that all evaporated when Helmand tore through the hosts’ middle and lower order. In only 7.4 overs, he grabbed five wickets for 30 runs. In addition, he also pulled off the only run out of the match.
Sharing the new ball with JD Bezuidenhout, Helmand struck early, dismissing Joshua Hall in the second over, the fourth of the innings. He finished his first spell with 1/9 from three overs.
Nkosana Sibiya (40) and Aiden Barberrini (59), then, placed St John’s in the ascendancy with an 84-run second-wicket partnership that was brought to an end when Tidi Moeketsane sent Sibiya’s stumps cartwheeling in the 27th over. Moeketsane also accounted for Barberrini in the 31st over to yank the momentum into Noordheuwel’s favour.
Ethan Smit, the Nories‘ captain, brought Helmand back into the attack in the 32nd over and it took him just three balls to claim a second scalp. The pacer then sent St John’s reeling with a double strike in the 38th over, getting rid of Malan du Plessis and Herman Basson in the space of five deliveries.
Helmand rocked St John’s again in the 40th over when he removed David Ireland and Alan McFerren to complete his five-wicket haul and secure victory for the visitors.
Besides Barberrini, Sibiya, and Du Plessis (19), no other St John’s batsmen made it beyond single figures.
Earlier in the day, Dian Taljaard carved six fours and three sixes on his way to a vital, match-winning 75 off 66 deliveries in the Noordheuwel innings.
The number three batsman arrived at the crease in the seventh over, after Wander Roolvink’s dismissal, and kept things together until the 29th over. His stay included sharing a 68-run fourth-wicket partnership with Tidi Moeketsane (19).
Noordheuwel’s batsmen also found the going tough, with only Taljaard progressing beyond 20. Brandon Pieters (15), Marius Penning (14), and Corné Olivier (10) made it into the teens but failed to kick on.
At Jeppe, Munib Ayob became the first batsman to score a half-century on the school’s main field under its new name, the AH Childe Oval. The field, formerly known as Jeppe Oval, was officially unveiled by former headmaster Kevin Tait before the match between Jeppe and Affies.
Ayob scored a patient 64 off 114 balls and fought a lone battle to lift the home side to a respectable total. The opening batsman, however, experienced little meaningful support during his 41.4-over stay in the middle. His brother, Reza, offered some lower-order resistance, making 22 off 37. However, the siblings’ efforts were not enough to help Jeppe in their quest for a winning total.
Nico Loggenberg became the first bowler to claim an AH Childe Oval wicket when he dismissed Adam Franken. The paceman also accounted for Aiden Reyneke and Keegan Caxeiro, which prevented the home side from building up momentum. He returned a fine 3/24 from 10 overs and was Affies’ most successful bowler.
Needing 163 to win, the visitors stumbled in the first 10 overs of their reply, losing Iwan van der Lith and JP Botha. Christian Linde stabilised matters with the help of Vihan Pretorius, and together they shared a 50-run third-wicket partnership.
After their stand ended, Jeppe thought they had found a way back into the match when Sipho Potsane struck three balls later to dismiss Ruben Groenewald.
Linde, though, joined forces with Daniel Murray for a 53-run fifth-wicket partnership that set Affies on course again. Both batsmen registered match-winning half-centuries, with Linde scoring a well-paced 58 off 92 and Murray stroking an unbeaten 52 off 60.
Fittingly, Murray scored the winning runs with a booming six, which earned Affies the honour of becoming the first team to record a victory on the AH Childe Oval.
Scorecards
Noordheuwel 167/10 (Dian Taljaard 75, Tidi Moeketsane 19, David Ireland 2/19, Malan du Plessis 2/28). St John’s 164/10 (Aiden Barberrini 59, Nkosana Sibiya 40, Tristan Helmand 5/30, Tidi Moeketsane 3/34). Noordheuwel won by three runs.
Jeppe 162/10 (Munib Ayob 64, Reza Ayob 22, Nico Loggenberg 3/24, JP Botha 3/27). Affies 168/7 (Christian Linde 58, Daniel Murray 52*, Sipho Potsane 2/36, Shreshth Kumar 2/38). Affies won by three wickets.
STADIO, JSE-listed higher education provider is proud to have sponsored the 2025 MTBS Flashes and Inter-school Athletics Competition, which took place on 8 February.
The event, held at DHL Stadium, is named after the four schools that compete each year: DF Malan High School, Tygerberg High School, Bellville High School, and Stellenberg High School.
It is the largest such event of its kind in the country and comprises two elements, the war-cry event (the Flashes), which consists of a medley of songs during which the learners of each school create a “human LCD screen” on the pavilion.
This is achieved by them opening and closing their school blazers at pre-determined moments, with each student effectively functioning as a pixel and allowing images and animations to be displayed. The second element is the athletics competition itself.
“MBTS Flashes is a highlight on school calendars, and even for members of the local community who are not directly involved with the schools,” said STADIO CEO Chris Vorster. “It’s little wonder, the atmosphere in the stadium is always electric, and every year spectators are wowed by the creativity and precision of the cheers on display.
“STADIO is honoured to be the main sponsor of the 2025 MTBS Flashes. It embodies the spirit of unity, competition, and youth empowerment, values that align closely with our commitment to shaping futures.”
Die stryd tussen die enigste twee onoorwonne spanne in die Finsbury-reeks se C-afdeling, Hoërskool Zwartkop en Hoërskool Monument, beloof om kookwater-krieket op te lewer.
Daar blyk geen keer aan die twee spanne te wees in dié afdeling vanjaar nie, maar Saterdag sal die einde van een van hulle se segetog beteken met die Monumentare wat die 50 km noord op die N14 aandurf om die Zwarries in hul agterplaas die stryd aan te sê.
Monnas se Ibrahim Haffejee, ‘n staatmaker met die bal sedert die begin van 2025, sal ‘n sleutelrol hê om te vervul indien die besoekers hoop om die Zwarries se appelkar om te gooi. Die ervare voorslagkolwer, Logan Weetman, hou ook groot gevaar in vir die tuisspan, met die vinnige tempo waarteen hy kolf en daar word moeilik van hom onstlae geraak as hy eers aan die gang kom.
Die Zwarries se toporde kan egter hoofbrekens vir die besoekers besorg, soos onder andere kaptein, Zandre van Staden, en voorslagkolwer, WJ Esterhuizen. Van Staden het reeds vanjaar, met ‘n reuse honderdtal van 148 nie uit nie, teen Lichtenburg, gewys wat in hom steek.
Hoërskool Lichtenburg verwelkom Midstream College in Lichtenburg. Midstream lek nog wonde na sy nederlaag teen die Zwarries verlede naweek en die ineenstorting wat die span van Centurion met die kolf beleef het sou in diepte die afgelope week bespreek gewees het.
In die bouldepartement het Midstream nog heel seisoen goed gevaar, met Dian de Villiers wat vyf paaltjies in die vorige wedstryd laat kantel het en op daardie vertoning sal wil voortbou om die Liggies te verdoof. Hy sal wel eers verby die kolf van die tuisspan se Douw Jacobs moet kom.
Hoërskool Pietersburg, wat vir die tweede agtereenvolgende week tuisveldvoordeel geniet, sal hoop dat die gure weer hierdie week wegbly. Hy het nie ‘n maklike taak op hande met Hoërskool Dinamika wat in Limpopo besoek aflê nie en die twee spanne, wat oor hope veelsydigheid beskik, behoort uitstekend op te weeg teen mekaar.
Die Pieties se blad is tradisioneel ten gunste van die kolwers, iets wat Dinamika se Jadin Schlebusch en Trent Shrives sal laat glimlag. Albei het hul ritme gevind in die span van Alberton se stryd teen Monument verlede naweek. Aan die kant van die Pieties kan daar weer vuurwerke verwag word as die veelsydige AJ Galloway, soos verlede naweek, die langsteel inlê.
Bepalings:
Week 4:
Zwartkop t. Monument
Hoërskool Lichtenburg t. Midstream College
Hoërskool Pietersburg t. Dinamika
Hans Moore is stewig op pad om ‘n plek in die promosie-relegasie-wedstryd, met die oog om op te skuif na die A-afdeling van die Finsbury-reeks, los te speel.
Soos die stand van sake huidiglik daar uitsien, behoort die Moories in dié uitspeelwedstryd teen Hoërskool Nelspruit te staan te kom. Die span van Benoni is tans voor in die B-afdeling met 10 ligapunte.
Dis onwaarskynlik dat iemand hom vanjaar kan verbysteek. Die Moories sal nietemin steeds hul storie moet ken hierdie naweek teen Hoërskool Centurion, in Centurion. Die Woeries sukkel ietwat om aan die gang te kom, maar beskik steeds oor die talent van kaptein, Morné Prinsloo, wat die Moories met bal en kolf kan opdraande gee.
Dis egter die veelsydigheid van die besoekers wat hulle só gevaarlik maak, met enige van die toporde-kolwers wat die verloop van ‘n wedstryd in ‘n oogwink kan swaai. Die Centurion-kolwers sal daarna uitsien om die kolfvriendelike blaaie tuis te benut ten einde hul greep op die afdeling te verstewig.
Potchefstroom Gimnasium sal versigtig wees vir die gevaar wat Saterdag uit die Noorde van Pretoria arriveer. Die Gimmies verwelkom Hoërskool Montana in die bekende studentedorp, met die Monties wat verlede naweek teen Hans Moore gewys het hoe gevaarlik hulle kan wees.
Alhoewel Montana met drie paaltjies vasgeval het, het hy die topspan in die afdeling laat sweet vir ‘n sege. Gimmies lek self nog wonde na hulle met 11 lopies teen Marais Viljoen die spit afgebyt het. Hulle sal hierdie week op tuisveldvoordeel en voorslagbouler, Thloni Tabatha, staatmaak om die wa deur die drif te probeer trek.
Tradisionele aartsvyande, Hoërskool Kempton Park en Marais Viljoen, sê mekaar in Kempton Park die stryd aan. Die Kempies is ook ‘n aanspraakmaker op ‘n plek in die promosie-relegasie-stryd, vernaam omdat hulle nog ‘n wedstryd in hand het as gevolg van hul deelname aan die Schools SA20 se streek-uitspele in Benoni verlede naweek.
Dit sal interessant wees om te sien hoe die MV-kolwers, veral aanvangskolwer, Tiaan Hall, en kaptein, Jaden Govender, teen die spoed van die Kempies se aanvangsboulers, Kristian du Plessis en Stian van Breda, te werk gaan. ‘n Sege vir die Kempies sal die Moories onder taamlike druk plaas met slegs een week se aksie wat oorbly.
Bepalings:
Week 4:
Hoërskool Centurion t. Hans Moore
Potchefstroom Gimnasium t. Montana
Hoërskool Kempton Park t. Marais Viljoen
Karabo Ntsieng, with 70, was a key performer for Glenwood in their win over St Charles in Pietermaritzburg. Photo: Brad Morgan.
A sneakily good KZN derby fixture is scheduled for Dixon’s Field on Saturday, where Glenwood will welcome Kearsney College for a limited-overs match.
TheGreen Machine, on their home ground, presents a difficult proposition. Their attack is, mostly, spin-focussed, and coupled with their intense fielding, it makes them a challenging team against which to score big totals.
Kearsney, meanwhile, heads into the contest after back-to-back limited overs wins over Durban High School (DHS) and Northwood. The boys from Botha’s Hill have been the surprise of the season thus far. They’re very young, but they’ve shown they’re up for any challenges.
Batting on Dixon’s, though, will present them with one of the highest pressure challenges they will face. Still, in those previous wins over DHS and Northwood, Kearsney received important batting contributions from five different batsmen – Asher Hollister, Rivan Moodley, Keegan de Jager, Cole Young, and Nic Comrie – which should stand them in good stead against Glenwood. They’re not reliant on one or two sources.
Left-arm paceman Litha Gonya has been an excellent spearhead for Kearsney’s bowling attack, and against Northwood, he received superb support from a trio of spinners – Nic Comrie, Matthew Gorrie, and Rivan Moodley – who shut down the Knights‘ middle order.
Last weekend, Glenwood played well in a win at St Charles. Their intense fielding brought them two crucial runs out, and they followed up on that with a disciplined batting response, led by opener Karabo Ntsieng and Krian Jugoo. More questions surround their batting than their bowling, but another dollop of what they dished up in Pietermaritzburg would serve them well.
All-rounder Kyle Bryan, a very challenging prospect with his off-spin on Dixon’s, could be a key player in the clash. Akhil Maharaj, too, has been among the wickets.
Durban High School vs Michaelhouse
DHS visits Michaelhouse off the back of a loss at the in-form Westville Boys’ High. They’ll feel there were aspects of their game that let them down, which, if they improve those, would raise their level.
They, for instance, lost five wickets on Bowden’s, but three of those were to run outs. Without those kinds of setbacks, Schoolhas batsmen, including Ismaeel Omar and Josh van Biljon, who have shown an ability to bat long, and with that time at the crease, they score big. They’ll be especially excited by Omar’s strong recent form after he made an uncharacteristically slow start to the season.
On the bowling front, they’re blessed with a couple of strike bowlers in Bayanda Majola and Taine Havermann. They’re capable of taking wickets no matter the conditions. Left-arm spinner, Dhilan Naraidu, is also an attacking bowler and a regular wicket-taker.
Michaelhouse’s batting has been inconsistent, with way too many single-figure contributions thus far. They’re not short of players who have performed well at first-team level in the past, though, including Ethan Muir, Graydon Leslie, Kian Blignaut, Michael Blignaut, and Ben Heuer, but they need to find their collective form.
‘House’s bowling has been good. Their openers, Thandanani Zuma and Luke Mitchell, have done a good job. Jean-Luc Rey, too, has enjoyed some success, and they’ll look to players like Harry Vickery and Radhesh Jhilmeet to also make an impact.
Both teams could do with a win and an injection of confidence on the Roy Gathorne Oval.
Hilton College vs St Charles College
Another side that could do with a change in fortune is Hilton College. They host St Charles College on Saturday. Hilton has some hugely talented players in their ranks, but coach David Griffith’s men have been inconsistent this season.
As is sometimes the case, when teams are blessed with outstanding batsmen – and Hilton has those in their openers, Ben Hockly and Alex Pitman – if they don’t fire, the remainder of the batsmen struggle to get going. Robert Burman and Jayden Roux are more than capable, but they would benefit from spending good time out in the middle.
On the bowling front, Hilton possesses pleasing variety, mostly from their spinners. Sechaba Gude and Jayden Roux lead the attack, while Benoit Rey, Luke Campbell, David Hill, and Simon Steyn present different challenges with their spin.
St Charles has played some good cricket recently. Thus, it was something of a surprise when they were beaten at home by Glenwood last time out.
Opener batsman, Thando Zama, has been among the runs, while captain Rico Honiball and Caleb Sharp, have been two of the more consistent run-scorers.
Saints has a well-balanced bowling attack, led by Rowen Rajah, who generates good pace. AJ Bosman, who is blessed with good height, has made his mark in recent weeks, and Kairuyan Naidoo is a proven performer with his off-spin.
Really – and this could apply to any of the KZN sides, considering we’re still waiting for the first century of the season on the province’s pitches – much will depend on the top order of both teams.
Maritzburg College vs Clifton College
Maritzburg College has enjoyed a strong season thus far, especially on Goldstone’s, and that’s where they meet Clifton College on Saturday.
College skipper Daniel Nadasan is usually not a fast run scorer, but he very capably holds up an end, keeps the scoreboard ticking, and accumulates runs. He appears to be rounding into form, and that allows other batsmen to feed off him. He’ll be a key wicket for Clifton. Karl Dedekind, also, has played some good innings, and he can knock it around at a good rate.
The success of the Red, Black, and White has, mostly, been built around their bowlers. They’ve enjoyed decisive spells from many different sources, and that makes them dangerous. Samuel Hughes, Reece Willson, Sphamandla Dzanibe, Nathan Pembridge, Dom du Toit, and Daniel Nadasan have all played prominent roles in College’s victories.
Maritzburg College’s Sphamandla Dzanibe is all smiles after capturing a wicket against Kearsney College in the iHlobo Festival. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Clifton has been on a bit of a roller-coaster ride. They’re a veteran team, having lost only two players at the end of the year, and they came into 2025 on a hot streak, having performed very well at the end of 2024. They’ve not quite clicked yet, however.
It’s an early season pattern that Clifton’s Director of Cricket, Brandon Scullard, has had to deal with over the past two or three seasons.
Make no mistake, they’re very capable, and they have received good contributions from various players this season, but it has been a little hit-and-miss.
Captain Tim Saulez has set a good example with bat and ball, and his batting, especially, has been vital to Clifton’s challenge. Byron Ward, Zach Williamson, Hayden Drieselmann, Caleb Naicker, Cristiano Borrageiro, and Muhammed Malek have made occasional contributions, but they will be aiming for more regular runs.
Saulez also spearheads the Clifton attack, and he has a useful partner in the tall Regan Radley, who uses his height nicely. Caleb Naicker‘s done a neat job, but the biggest threat is posed by Shiraz Perumal. The leg-spinner turns it and can also generate drift through the air. Blake Johnson, an orthodox left-arm spinner, presents another tidy and effective spin option.
Both College and Clifton have the pieces in place to deliver good performances. College would be the more confident outfit heading into the contest, but Clifton has greater experience and will know what it takes to win under tough circumstances.
Westville Boys’ High vs Northwood School
Westville Boys’ High is on a roll. They’ve lost once all season and have been quickly and quietly racking up victories. They host Northwood on Saturday, having recently beaten the Knights at home in a W100 match. Limited overs, though, is a very different challenge.
Northwood has played some superb cricket this season. They’ve also had moments when they’ve appeared fragile, and that has been mostly in the batting department. Last weekend, Kearsney dismantled them, and the Knights will need to be at their best against Westville’s nagging attack to avoid another sub-standard batting performance.
Much has depended on their top four – David de Bruyn, Ross McGlashan, Tuswa Phetha, and Kyle White – and they have, for the most part, delivered. White, their skipper, is a key player. His team feeds off his performance and his energy. He was hugely impressive in guiding Northwood to a last-ball W100 win over Cliftonon Tuesday.
If Westville can get stuck into the visitors’ top order quickly, the Knights could be in trouble. However, Morgan Jones, last week, and Jamie Wimble, on a number of occasions, have shown up well with the bat.
Dayalan Boyce, an SA Colts selection at the end of 2024, will lead the home side’s attack. Lwandile Bulose, Heath Stott, and Kyle McGough offer seam support, but it’s the left-arm spin duo of Tristan Delvin and Ewan du Toit who present the greatest danger to Northwood. Both have performed well this season, clamping down on run-scoring and picking up wickets.
Like their opposition, Westville leans on their top order for runs. They have good quality in Sean McGough, Kyle McGough, captain Seth Simpson, Tristan Delvin, and Bhaskar Sewlal. Last time out, the McGoughs and Seth Simpson propelled the Griffinto an impressive win over DHS.
They’ll be up against an attack that has fared well in 2025. New ball bowler, Jamie Wimble, keeps it tight and is usually good for two or three sticks, and he has a solid opening partner in Luke Allen.
However, Northwood’s success has, mostly, come from its spinners, led by Jordan Matthews. He’s economical and his nagging accuracy leads to wicket-taking deliveries. Off-spinner Ben Cilliers, especially, has proven himself to be a good foil to Matthews’ bowling. Kyle White, too, adds another useful arm to the Knights’ attack.
FIXTURES
Glenwood vs Kearsney
DHS vs Michaelhouse
Hilton vs St Charles
Maritzburg College vs Clifton
Westville vs Northwood
