21 September 2025
The table-topping Clifton College and Johannesburg Invitational XI qualified for the final of the St John’s Rams T20 on Sunday in Harare after semi-final wins over Falcon College and Wise Owl respectively.
In the end, victory and the title went to the Johannesburg Invitational XI – a team comprising players from King Edward VII, Jeppe, St John’s College, and Queens High School – by 39 runs over the Durban school.
Earlier in the day, Kearsney College had their challenge ended by Wise Owl in an Eliminator match. They were let down by a sub-standard batting performance, which brought them only 128/8. The Marondera school then cruised to a nine-wicket win.
Falcon, meanwhile, ousted the defending champion, St John’s College, claiming a tight two-wicket win with an over to spare.
In the semi-finals, Clifton received solid contributions from Tim Saulez (43), Lawson Dinsdale (38), Zach Williamson (37), and Hayden Drieselmann (30), which helped them to 172/8 against Falcon.
Then, Blake Johnson, the Durban side’s standout bowler in Zimbabwe, ripped through the Falcon batting line-up, snaring 5/26 in his four overs, while Shiraz Perumal took 2/10 in three, and Tim Saulez 2/29 in 3.5, as Falcon College was dismissed for 133 in 18.5 overs.
Neil Rosenfels fought a lone battle outstandingly well, smashing 66 off 36 balls, with nine fours and two sixes, but the Bulawayo boys came up 39 runs short.
The Johannesburg Invitational XI, meanwhile, ran roughshod over Wise Owl, blasting their way to a one-sided 117-run win.
Batting first, they tallied a challenging 198/3, led by 78 off 43 from opener Tiago Dias, who cracked 10 fours and four sixes. His opening partner, Joshua Hall, weighed in with 30, while Troy Gordon, in at three, helped the Johannesburg side to accelerate by smashing an unbeaten 43 off 21, with two fours and three sixes.
Wade McQuinn took only 10 balls to add an undefeated 24, and Lincoln Casais scored 16 off 11.
Facing a very demanding run chase, Wise Owl crumbled to 81 all out. Tadiwanashe Kurehwatira, with a modest 15, was their leading scorer.
Tapira Chikwava, with 3/11, and Lebone Ramedupe, with 2/11, led the Invitational XI’s bowling attack.
And so, onto the final, where the Johannesburg composite side chose to bat after winning the toss. After losing Dias early, the rest of their top order came through with telling contributions.
Troy Gordon, with 54 from 41, with seven fours and a six, set the standard, and Wade McQuinn, the captain, again delivered a decisive contribution, blasting 38 off 17, with three fours and three sixes. Bafana Mthunzi flew to 33 off 16, with four fours and two sixes, and Lincoln Casais chipped in with 27.
Elian van Jaarsveld did a good job with the ball, removing Gordon, McQuinn, and Casais, on his way to a return of 3/28 from three.
Throughout the tournament, Clifton had been well served by aggressively going after the opposition’s bowling when batting second. Unfortunately for coach Brandon Scullard‘s boys, that approach was undermined from the start of their run chase.
They made a miserable start, losing their first four wickets with only 12 runs on the board, within the first three overs. Casais was responsible for three of those dismissals. Clifton was also hurt by a run out of Cohen Naidoo, who had been one of their most effective batsmen in the tournament.
Zach Williamson and Lawson Dinsdale showed admirable fight, adding 78 runs for the fifth wicket in 9.5 overs before Dinsdale was caught by Keegan Hendey off Lebone Ramedupe. His contribution was a superb 47 off 28, with two fours and three sixes.
Williamson followed 15 runs later – which left Clifton on 105/6 – caught by Troy Gordon off Uthman Khan‘s bowling for 39 from 43 deliveries. With only 5.2 overs remaining, Clifton was staring down the barrel.
They fought to the end, finishing on 140/9, but their early hiccups were too much to overcome and the Johannesburg Invitational XI came away with a comfortable 39-run win.
Casais inflicted massive damage with 3/12 in two overs with the new ball, while Uthman Khan knocked over 2/21 in two.
Troy Gordon led all batsmen in the tournament, tallying 242 runs at an average of 60.50. Captain Tim Saulez, with 146 runs at 73.00, led the way for Clifton.
Saulez was also second on the bowling leaderboard, picking up 10 wickets at 12.7. That was three wickets behind Blake Johnson, who dismissed 13 batsmen at just 8.23 to sit atop the standings.
While Kearsney’s performances didn’t measure up to the authority of Clifton’s performances, they lost only once and Michael Groom was one of the event’s standout bowlers. He captured nine wickets at an average of 5.11 while going for a miserly 3.29 runs per over.
Peterhouse finished seventh after a seven-wicket win over Hellenic Academy, with Luke Marillier‘s 57 off 48 and 46 off 28 from Tyler Chapman leading their charge to victory.
CBC Bulawayo ended ninth, chasing down St George College‘s 153/5 in only 15 overs to win by four wickets.
Abhiraj Singh struck 87 from 52 for St George’s, but Joshua Armstrong smashed six sixes and three fours from only 16 balls to score 51, and Kelebokile Moyo added 32 off 21, to lead CBC’s successful reply.
Churchill won by 27 runs against Prince Edward to avoid the wooden spoon.
SCORES
Final
Johannesburg Invitational XI 179/6 (Troy Gordon 54, Wade McQuinn 38, Bafana Mthunzi 33, Lincoln Casais 27; Eliah van Jaarsveld 3/28); Clifton College 140/9 (Lawson Dinsdale 47, Zach Williamson 39; Lincoln Casais 3/12, Uthman Khan 2/21).
Johannesburg Invitational XI won by 39 runs.
Semi-finals
Clifton College 172/8 (Tim Saulez 43, Lawson Dinsdale 38, Zach Williamson 37, Hayden Drieselmann 30; Reed Merick 2/18, Zach Gover 2/42); Falcon College 133/10 (Neil Rosenfels 66; Blake Johnson 5/26, Shiraz Perumal 2/10, Tim Saulez 2/29).
Clifton College won by 39 runs.
Johannesburg Invitational XI 198/3 (Tiago Dias 74, Troy Gordon 43, Joshua Hall 30, Wade McQuinn 24*); Wise Owl 81/10 (Tapiwa Chikwava 3/11, Lebone Ramedupe 2/11).
Johannesburg Invitational XI won by 117 runs.
Eliminators
St John’s College 144/8 (Hayden Croxford 38, Connor Lovatt 24, Khulekani Nduku 21; Darren Ncube 2/15, Dmitry Fatch 2/31, Liam Nel 2/40); Falcon College 146/8 (Liam Nel 35, Brandon Ndiweni 27, Alastair Carle 24; Tawana Nyandoro 2/23; Khulekani Nduku 2/27, Hayden Saunders 2/30).
Falcon College won by two wickets.
Kearsney College 128/8 (Michael Groom 30*; Panashe Mazai 3/32, Tatenda Chimugoro 2/14, Simbarashe Mudzengere 2/29); Wise Owl 130/1 (Panashe Gwatiringa 57, Anesuishe Taru 52*).
Wise Owl won by nine wickets.
Seventh place playoff
Hellenic Academy 163/8 (Michael Blignaut 51, Dhruv Patel 21, Kirby Madaramete 20; Nicholas Orphanides 2/14); Peterhouse 164/3 (Luke Marillier 57*, Tyler Chapman 46, Cameron Rae 28*, Victor Watama 23).
Peterhouse won by seven wickets.
Ninth place playoff
St George’s College 153/5 (Abhira Singh 87; Tawana Ratisai 2/14, Rowyn Konson 2/24); CBC Bulawayo 154/6 (Joshua Armstrong 51*, Kelebokile Moyo 32, Ryan Winterboer 24; Tysawn Zuze 2/13, Ethan Zhou 2/33).
CBC Bulawayo won by four wickets.
Eleventh place playoff
Churchill 128/7 (Cole Mukoko 30*, Wessly Maramwidze 30, Zvikomborero Masango 29; Donell Madango 4/25); Prince Edward 101/10 (Takunda Garwe 49; Blessing Mangove 3/7, Wessly Maramwidze 2/22).
Churchill won by 27 runs.
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