21 January 2025
Over the course of three days, from 16-18 January – two of them in Pietermaritzburg and the other in Durban – the Northwood School 1st XI served notice that they are going to scrap for the title of KwaZulu-Natal’s best in 2025.
Those first two days, at the provincial finals of the Schools SA20 competition, brought The Knights the title of champions of KwaZulu-Natal. They played some outstanding cricket and were deserved winners.
Then, back in Durban, at the Crusaders Club, Northwood scored an impressive win over Durban High School (DHS) in a limited-overs clash, taking an eight-wicket victory with 11.3 overs in hand.
The Knights are not going to blow any side away with an approach of pace bowling and big hitting. They’re not that kind of line-up. But they’re disciplined and they have some mettle to their game. If a side is going to beat Northwood, they will have had to truly earn it.
In the fourth term last year, matters were not as rosy, as many of Northwood’s players appeared to lose form as the same time and they suffered some big defeats. However, it said a lot about those players that they were able to turn things around in the Schools SA20 competition. They won the Dolphins‘ qualifier and, along with Glenwood, advanced to the recent regional final, which also featured the Tuskers‘ representatives, Hilton College and Maritzburg College.
An early season tour to Bloemfontein for the Grey College Cricket Festival was also excellent preparation for the forthcoming season for a side loaded with players who turned out for the 1st XI in 2024. They performed strongly.
They beat St Andrew’s School, who won the Free State Schools SA20 title before landing the North West, Northern Cape, and Free State Schools SA20 title on the weekend, in a T20 game. Saints will be at the national finals with Northwood in March. Northwood also won a T20 against Selborne College, who made the Eastern Cape and Border Schools SA20 finals.
Even in a loss to Potchefstroom Gimnasium in a two-day game in Bloemfontein, both captain Kyle White (135) and Tuswa Phetha (102) scored first-innings centuries.
In Pietermaritzburg, they showed they’re a gritty unit, and they needed to be mentally strong in their opener against Hilton College on Thursday morning on the Pietermaritzburg Oval. That contest came down to the final over, but the Knights, chasing, won with three balls to spare and five wickets remaining.
They suffered a setback on Thursday afternoon, going down to Maritzburg College by 12 runs on Goldstone’s. It was a low-scoring affair on a pitch that batsmen found challenging throughout the Schools SA20 finals.
That left White and company with a must-win match against Glenwood on Friday morning. They rose to the occasion, chasing down 110 for victory in only 14.4 overs, led by Ross McGlashan‘s 42 from 37.
College, meanwhile, stumbled heavily against Hilton College, who charged to victory and grabbed two bonus points to secure a place in the final. That left the Red, Black, and White on the outside looking in. It also meant a rematch of Thursday’s opener for the title.
In a very good game of cricket, Northwood executed their gameplan well to again edge out Hilton with three balls to spare. This time, they won by seven wickets, though.
The victory also spoke volumes about the character of the Knights after Hilton, batting first, got off to a flying start. When Ben Hockly was out in the seventh over, Hilton already had 57 runs on the board. Northwood, though, pulled it back and reversed their opposition’s speedy scoring.
Then, each of the Northwood batsmen took time to settle in and put runs on the board. Of the four who spent good time at the crease (there were no failures), McGlashan top scored with 40 from 31, while David de Bruyn, Tuswa Phetha, and Kyle White all got into the twenties. It was impressive stuff.
There was little time to celebrate that success, though, with a serious challenge awaiting the Knights at the Crusaders Club on Saturday, where they faced Durban High School (DHS).
Yes, Northwood was far better prepared because DHS had lost their four pre-season iHlobo Festival to rain while White and company had enjoyed three games in Bloemfontein and four in Pietermaritzburg, but they still produced a solid all-round performance in taxing hot and humid conditions to comfortably ease to victory over the Horseflies.
Joshua van Biljon and Taine Haverman tested the Knights’ bowling, but once Havermann was caught off the bowling of Ben Cilliers, which ended a 70-run partnership for the third wicket, Northwood quickly took charge, reducing School to 123/7, but a stubborn showing by the DHS tailenders took them to a decent enough 177/10 after 49.4 overs.
Again, Northwood’s maturity was to the fore in their reply. Taine Havemann and Dhilan Naraidu tied up David de Bruyn and Tuswa Phetha at the start, but the opening pair knuckled down and eventually break free.
They put on 55 for the first wicket, and Phetha, who finished with 49, then, teamed with Ross McGlashan, who made an unbeaten 80, to add 65 for the second wicket. McGlashan and captain Kyle White (19*) ushed Northwood to victory with 10.3 overs to spare.
It was very much a team win. The team component of cricket is often underrated, but Northwood demonstrated the power of a unified approach.
After winning the KZN Schools SA20 title, a day earlier, Kyle White stated: “We’re looking to make a big statement this year.”
That message is coming through loud and clear.
KZN SCHOOLS SA20 Finals
Thursday, 16 January, AM
Glenwood 87/8 (Mishael Gunawardene 25*, Reece Willson 3/9); Maritzburg College 88/5 (Luan van der Merwe 29*, Karl Dedekind 23, Mishael Gunawardena 2/12). Maritzburg College won by 5 wickets.
Hilton College 117/7 (Simon Steyn 27, Robert Burman 25, Jayden Roux 22*, Obakeng Motsepa 22*, Jordan Matthews 3/23); Northwood 118/5 (David de Bruyn 45, Alistair Duncan 20*, Luke Campbell 1/18). Northwood won by 5 wickets.
Thursday, 16 January, PM
Maritzburg College 105/6 (Sphamandla Dzanibe 29, Daniel Nadasan 27, Jordan Matthews 2/12); Northwood School 93/10 (Jamie Wimble 23, Samuel Hughes 3/11, Nathan Pembridge 3/17). Maritzburg College won by 12 runs.
Hilton College 133/9 (Alex Pitman 58, Robert Burman 21, Kamogelo Moloto 4/16); Glenwood High School 106/9 (Krian Jugoo 44, Luke Campbell 3/21, David Hill 3/17). Hilton College won by 27 runs.
Friday, 17 January, AM
Glenwood 109/7 (Karabo Ntsieng 23, Kamogelo Moloto 23, Kenzo Mchunu 21, Jamie Wimble 3/15); Northwood 110/4 (Ross McGlashan 42, Jamie Wimble 31*, Kyle White 21, Akhil Maharaj 3/21). Northwood won by six wickets.
Hilton College 131/6 (Alex Pitman 58, Ben Hockly 21, Jordan Matthews 2/21, Kyle White 2/26); Northwood 132/3 (Ross McGlashan 40, David de Bruyn 29, Kyle White 28, Tuswa Phetha 23*, Simon Steyn 2/21). Northwood won by seven wickets.
Friday, 17 January, PM, Final
Hilton College 131/6 (Alex Pitman 58, Ben Hockly 21, Jordan Matthews 2/21, Kyle White 2/26); Northwood 132/3 (Ross McGlashan 40, David de Bruyn 29, Kyle Whit 28, Tuswa Phetha 23*, Simon Steyn 2/21). Northwood won by 7 wickets.
Saturday, 18 January
Durban High School 177/10 (Taine Haverman 42, Joshua van Biljon 42, Bayanda Majola 26, Jamie Wimble 3/37, Ben Cilliers 2/28, Jordan Matthews 2/34); Northwood 181/2 (Ross McGlashan 80*, Tuswa Phetha 49, David de Bruyn 21). Northwood won by eight wickets.
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