5 October 2025
(Feature photo, courtesy Justin Waldman Sports Photography: KES opening batsman Tiago Dias, on his way to 51 against St Charles College)
One of the best matches of day two of the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week the day took place at the MP Oval, in Woodlands, where St Stithians came back from the dead to snatch a one-wicket win over Clifton College.
The Durban boys batted first after winning the toss and posted 147 all out. They made a poor start, slipping to 22/4 but showed good character to work their way back into the match.
Lawson Dinsdale led the fightback, hitting six fours in his 34 from 57 balls, while Hayden Drieselmann contributed a useful 22.
Nqaba Mathunda caused much of the early damage and returned later to wrap up the Clifton innings. The Saints‘ opening bowler finished with a superb 5/31, which would have been even more outstanding if he hadn’t also sent down nine wides. Zaakir Hanslo bowled well, too, returning 2/31 from his 10 overs.
In reply, Saints lost the dangerous Liam Mudenda early in their run chase, bowled by Tim Saulez for only two. Ombesa Matsha followed for 17 soon afterwards.
Thomas Collins, the top scorer for St Stithians in a win over DHS on Saturday, settled in to play the anchor role and added 49 runs for the third wicket with Tahseen Hanslo. Following Hanslo’s dismissal, for 22, caught by Byron Ward off Blake Johnson, Saints collapsed, going from 72/2 to 96/8, with Shiraz Perumal making a mess of their reply.
Collins stood firm, but he needed someone to partner him and, eventually, he found that player in Tendai Kadyamare. They advanced the total to 143, but Collins, with victory in sight, was caught by wicketkeeper Lawson Dinsdale off Perumal for 46. He was the leg spinner’s fifth victim.
Down but not out, Saints at last passed the Clifton total in the 33rd over of their reply, with Kadyamare the hero after scoring an unbeaten 33 off 43 deliveries, with four fours.
Shiraz Perumal snared 5/32 from his 10 overs, while Blake Johnson snapped up 2/25 in nine. It was a loss for Clifton, but they emerged from a tough test with their credibility enhanced.
Scores
Clifton College 147/10 (Lawson Dinsdale 34, Hayden Drieselmann 22; Nqaba Mathunda 5/31, Zaakir Hanslo 2/31); St Stithians College 151/9 (Thomas Collins 46, Tendai Kadyamare 33*, Tahseen Hanslo 22; Shiraz Perumal 5/32, Blake Johnson 2/25). St Stithians won by one wicket.
Durban High School vs St David’s Marist Inanda
In a fascinating battle, Durban High School (DHS) bounced back from a loss to St Stithians on Saturday to overhaul a challenging St David’s Marist Inanda total and score a two-wicket victory at Collegians.
St David’s totalled 270/9 in their 50 overs, but, crucially, captain Jason Rowles was run out for 68 when he was well set. Kamogelo Phiri top scored with 82 from 81 balls, with nine fours, while Roberto Mariano weighed in with 34 before he, too, was run out.
Chasing runs late in their innings, St David’s lost a number of batsmen cheaply.
Ethan Cooper claimed 2/48 for School, which was matched by the two runs out. The remaining five wickets to fall were shared between five bowlers. Captain Bayanda Majola made a solid contribution, taking 1/37 in 10.
For once, DHS lost Ismaeel Omar cheaply. But his fellow opener Ethan Cooper and Josh van Biljon added 33 for the second wicket before Cooper departed for 20. That brought Taine Havermann to the crease, and he and Van Biljon proceeded to dominate the St David’s attack.
They put on 126 for the third wicket before Van Biljon was trapped LBW by Morteza Manack for 82. He had faced 85 balls and struck 12 fours. Havermann stuck around a whole lot longer. He was out in the 47th over, LBW to Rowles for 79 from 97, which had included six fours and a six. By then, DHS had reached 239 for 6. They needed somebody to do something special to get them over the line, and their skipper, Bayanda Majola, did.
He slammed two fours and a six in a quickfire 27 from only 18 balls to drag School to within sight of victory but was out six runs shy of the target in the middle of the 49th over.
Dhilan Naraidu followed two balls later for four, but Suleman Jadwat and Tristan Quale kept their cool to see DHS to victory off the last ball of the match as 26 extras made a telling difference, along with the two run out the Horseflies effected when they were fielding.
Jared Stern claimed 3/43 from 8.4 overs, while Morteza Manack kept it neat, picking up 2/34 from 10. Christopher Emslie took 2/39 from 9.2, but DHS got after fast bowler, Kyle Butler, taking him for 70 runs from his 10 overs.
Scores
St David’s Marist Inanda 270/9 (Kamogelo Phiri 82, Jason Rowles 68, Roberto Mariano 34; Ethan Cooper 2/34); Durban High School 271/8 (Josh van Biljon 82, Taine Havermann 79, Bayanda Majola 27, Ethan Cooper 20; Jared Stern 3/43, Morteza Manack 2/34, Christopher Emslie 2/39). Durban High School won by two wickets.
Westville Boys’ High vs Grey College
Westville Boys’ High, badly beaten by St David’s Marist Inanda on Saturday, rebounded in style, handing Grey College a six-wicket loss.
Playing on Barns, at Maritzburg College, Grey tallied 209 all out after choosing to bat. River Scott led the way, scoring a rapid 64 from 48 balls, with seven fours and three sixes, while opening batsman, Aiden Dodd, made 50 and Jaco Prinsloo tallied 35.
In something rarely seen, Westville used all eleven players as bowlers, with Dayalan Boyce and Tristan Delvin bowling seven overs each, the most in the innings. Kyle McGough, though, was the pick of the attack, returning 3/17 from 4.3 overs, while Misbah Nair took 2/16 in five.
Westville captain Seth Simpson is one of the most talented batsmen in the country and when he came off, it was game over for Grey College. Simpson spent 100 balls at the crease, hit 10 fours and four sixes, to finish unbeaten on 90 as he saw his side across the line in the 46th over.
Kyle McGough made a valuable contribution, scoring 58 from 84, with seven fours and a six, and shared a third-wicket partnership of 85 with his skipper. Ewan du Toit, with 23, also helped, while Tristan Delvin combined for an unbroken stand of 66 with Simpson to take Westville to victory.
Juan Maree picked up 2/44 from 10 overs for Grey.
Scores
Grey College 209/10 (River Scott 64, Aiden Dodd 50, Jaco Prinsloo 35; Kyle McGough 3/17, Misbah Nair 2/16); Westville Boys’ High 212/4 (Seth Simpson 90*, Kyle McGough 58, Tristan Delvin 31*, Ewan du Toit 23; Juan Maree 2/44). Westville Boys’ High won by six wickets.
Glenwood High vs CSA Hub Invitational XI
The CSA Hub Invitational XI had their unbeaten run, which stretched back into 2024’s week, ended by Glenwood High, but only after a tremendous fight at UKZN.
The Hub XI struggled at the crease, but they found some runs lower down the order to post 151 all out.
Tshepang Laka led the way, scoring 39 and Matthew Florence made 27, while the ninth and tenth batsmen, Awonke Mngini and Ryall Julies, added 41 runs for the ninth wicket to lift their side from 100/8 to 141/9.
Mngini finished with 25, while Julies smashed three sixes in his entertaining 24 from 20.
Akhil Maharaj, on as the first change bowler, hurt the Hub XI with his excellent 5/32 from 10 overs. Jonah Chaita, meanwhile, had the Hub XI in early trouble on 2/2. He picked up 2/4 from two overs.
Glenwood lost Karabo Ntsieng early in their reply, but Olwami Zondi and Rehaan Jugbathur, their leading run scorers in Saturday’s win over St Alban’s, then added 80 for the second wicket before Zondi was out with the total on 81.
At 81/2 in the 23rd over, the Durban side appeared set for an easy victory. It was anything but.
They lost another three wickets before reaching 100 as Rivoningo Chauke put the skids under the Glenwood reply. Later, Enathi Kitshini, who had opened the bowling, returned to great effect, reducing the Green Machine from 134/5 to 134/8 while dismissing Krian Jugoo, Mishael Gunawardana, and Kamogelo Moloto as he grabbed a hat-trick.
The Hub XI, however, led by only 17 runs and Kyle Bryan and Kenzo Mchunu knuckled down to see Glenwood to victory with one over to spare. Bryan ended on 16 and Mchunu on 11.
Kitshini, the hat-trick man, snared 3/20 from his 10 overs, while Chauke knocked over 3/28 from nine.
Scores
CSA Hub Invitational XI 151/10 (Tshepang Laka 39, Matthew Florence 27, Awonke Mngini 25, Ryall Julies 24; Akhil Maharaj 5/32, Jonah Chaita 2/4); Glenwood High 152/8 (Olwami Zondi 46, Extras 26, Rehaan Jhungbathur 23, Krian Jugoo 16; Enathi Kitshini 3/20, Rivoningo Chauke 3/28). Glenwood won by two wickets.
Maritzburg College vs St John’s College
On Goldstone’s, Maritzburg College followed up their win over Pretoria Boys’ High with a 41-run defeat of St John’s College.
College captain Daniel Nadasan opted to bat first, and he and Akhil Bharath combined for a 73-run stand for the second wicket, which proved to be pivotal. Bharath, who was the first to depart, sent 10 balls to the boundary in his 52 from 51 balls.
Soon after he was dismissed, Nadasan followed for a patient 30 from 53, and Karl Dedekind, their top run scorer on Saturday, was out cheaply, which left College on 105/4.
Late innings’ heroics from Luka Puddu and Joe Currie injected some substance into the College innings, with Puddu weighing in with 39 from 59, while Currie went wild, blasting seven fours and two sixes in a 35-ball 61.
With one over remaining, College was all out for 245.
Ethan Robinson and David Ireland, who had opened the bowling for St John’s on Saturday, were the fifth and sixth bowlers used, but they were the most successful. Robinson claimed 3/38 in eight, while Ireland recorded 3/45 in seven.
St John’s lost Nkosana Sibiya and Darshik Lutchman early, but Michael Stubbs and Joshua Hall arrested the slide, adding 36 runs for the third wicket before Stubbs lost his wicket for 30. Two runs later, Hall joined him back in the hut. On 52/4 in the 13th over, the Johannesburg boys were in a tricky position.
Captain Alec Loveland and Herman Basson saw the total to 86 before Loveland was bowled by Dom du Toit for 14. Basson helped to advance the score to 115, but he was the run out, which was a big blow to the St John’s run chase.
Two more wickets fell in quick succession, leaving St John’s staring defeat in the face on 118/8. Nobody told Connor van der Walt, however, and he set about the College bowling with intent. In just 58 balls, he made 50, and he was well supported by Lwazi Khuphe, who made 26 from 24.
In the end, though, they had been left too much to do and the St John’s innings ended in the 45th over on 204.
Opening bowler Sam Hughes made a solid contribution to College’s win, capturing 3/37 from eight, while Nathan Pembridge was expensive, but removed two batsmen. He claimed 2/61 from 10.
Scores
Maritzburg College 245/10 (Joe Currie 61, Akhil Bharath 52, Luka Puddu 39, Daniel Nadasan 30; Ethan Robinson 3/38, David Ireland 3/45); St John’s College 204/10 (Connor van der Walt 50, Herman Basson 36, Michael Stubbs 30, Lwazi Khupe 26; Sam Hughes 3/37, Nathan Pembridge 2/61). Maritzburg College won by 41 runs.
Michaelhouse vs Paul Roos Gimnasium
Michaelhouse, after a comfortable win over Affies on Saturday, followed up with a convincing five-wicket defeat of Paul Roos Gimnasium on the Roy Gathorne Oval.
The visitors elected to bat first and posted 180 all out. Opening batsman Reuben Coetzee set a sound foundation, making 59 from 99 balls, with six fours and a six.
Jason Raal, with 44, and Niel Barnard, with 33, also made useful contributions, but the key partnership was between Raal and Coetzee, who added 65 for the sixth wicket.
‘House Opening bowlers, Thandanani Zuma and Rendani Nonge, enjoyed excellent outings, with Zuma snapping up 5/36 in 10 and Nonge claiming 3/30 in 6.2. Michaelhouse also pulled off two run outs.
Their successful run chase owed plenty to opening batsman Ethan Muir, who made an unbeaten 95 from 99 balls, eight of which he dispatched to the boundary. Ben Heuer continued his excellent all-round season, stroking two fours and smashing two sixes in his 32 from 42, as he and Muir put on 84 for the fourth wicket.
Heuer was out with the total on 146. Muir, though, saw Michaelhouse home, with one more wicket falling, but it was all over in the 38th over of their reply.
Scores
Paul Roos Gimnasium 180/10 (Reuben Coetzee 59, Jason Raal 44, Niel Barnard 33; Thandanani Zuma 5/36, Rendani Nonge 3/30); Michaelhouse 181/5 (Ethan Muir 95*, Ben Heuer 32). Michaelhouse won by five wickets.
Hoërskool Waterkloof vs Kearsney College
At Lynwood, aggressive and effective batting set up Waterkloof for a big 149-run victory over Kearsney College.
The Pretoria school chose to bat first and their batsmen responded well to the challenge. Opener AJ de Villiers smashed seven fours and three sixes in his 61 from 78 balls, while Rico van der Walt chipped in with 36 from 25, and Riley Miller made 28 from 27.
Jaydon Blom contributed a hasty 27 off 18, with five fours and a six, but it was Darius Maritz, batting eighth in the order, who made a world of difference. He blasted four sixes and six fours in a 63-ball unbeaten 67, and Ricardo Crous weighed in with 36 from 35, which helped Klofies beyond the 300-run mark.
They finished on 314/9 to set Kearsney a stiff victory target.
Litha Gonya and Rivaan Moodley picked up three wickets each, although both came in for some stick. Gonya grabbed 3/56 from his 10 overs, while Moodley’s 10 went for 62 runs. The best of the Kearsney bowlers, though, was Gonya’s new ball partner, Michael Groom, who finished with 3/45 from his 10.
Kearsney’s run chase never developed the momentum it needed and they were bowled out for 165 in 41.3 overs.
Aaron Blackburn smacked five fours and six in the innings’ top score of 37 from 51 balls, while Keegan de Jager made 30 but his runs were from an uncharacteristically slow 60 deliveries. Cade Francis scored 21.
Wian du Plessis, who hadn’t come off at the top of the Waterkloof batting order, got his revenge with a match-winning bowling return of 5/16 from 7.3 overs, which included the wickets of Kearsney’s three top run scorers.
Scores
Hoërskool Waterkloof 314/9 (Darius Maritz 67*, AJ de Villiers 61, Rico van der Walt 36, Ricardo Crous 36, Riley Miller 28, Jaydon Blom 27; Michael Groom 3/45, Litha Gonya 3/56, Rivaan Moodley 3/62); Kearsney College 165/10 (Aaron Blackburn 37, Keegan de Jager 30, Cade Francis 21; Wian du Plessis 5/16). Waterkloof won by 149 runs.
Hilton College vs Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool
For a second day in succession, Hilton College came close but walked away defeated on the Hart-Davis Oval. On Sunday, Affies won there by 24 runs.
Batting first, the Pretoria school notched 217/7 in their 50 overs. Their batting effort was led by opener JP Botha, who made 91 from 133 balls, with six fours and a six, before being run out by a combination of Ben Hockly and Sechaba Gude.
Lower down the order, 32 from Adriaan Nel and 24 from Daniel Murray provided a nice late-innings spurt.
The spinners, Benoit Rey, with 2/28, and David Hill, with 2/33, paced the Hilton bowling attack.
Unfortunately for the home side, they had eight batsmen make it into double figures, but only two made it out of the twenties. Alex Pitman contributed 34 at the top of the order, while Obakeng Motsepa, batting ninth, finished with an unbeaten 37 from only 29 balls, which included two fours and a six.
Simon Steyn added 23 and Jayden Roux made 21, but Botha’s 91 for Affies made all the difference as Hilton was bowled out in the last over of their innings for 193.
Petrus Rautenbach took 3/36 in 10, while Ruben Groenewald snared 2/16 in 6.3, and JP Botha followed up his match-winning innings with 2/34 from six.
Scores
Affies 217/7 (JP Botha 91, Adriaan Nel 32, Daniel Murray 24; Benoit Rey 2/28, David Hill 2/33); Hilton College 193/10 (Obakeng Motsepa 37*, Alex Pitman 34, Simon Steyn 23, Jayden Roux 21; Petrus Rautenbach 3/36, Ruben Groenewald 2/16, JP Botha 2/34). Affies won by 24 runs.
St Charles College vs King Edward VII
In a very high-scoring match played on the St Charles Oval, King Edward VII (KES) scored a 44-run win over Saints.
KES’s decision to bat first was vindicated by an exceptional batting performance. Tiago Dias and Urav Mukhija put on 98 for the first wicket before Dias was LBW to Keegan Vermaak for 51.
There was no let-up from the Johannesburg side, though, with Mukhija and Matthew Bromley adding 99 for the second wicket before Bromley was out for 50, bowled by Jayden Saville.
Mukhija followed for 85 from 125 balls, with 11 fours, with the total on 208, also a victim of Saville, but that was the last success Saints enjoyed.
Troy Gordon, who scored an unbeaten 90 against Kearsney on Saturday, followed up with an unbeaten 61 off just 29 balls, which featured seven fours and three sixes, while Steele Grooteman played his part with 48 not out from only 28 deliveries to help KES to a healthy 317/3. Their unbroken fourth-wicket partnership was worth 109 runs.
Unsurprisingly, the St Charles’ bowling figures didn’t look good, but Jayden Saville stood out with his 2/48 from nine overs.
Saints made a go of it in trying to chase down the big KES tally, but they were kept to 273/9 in reply.
Connor Simpson set the standard for the home side, striking five fours and five sixes in his 87 off 80 balls. Five other batsmen made it into and beyond 20, but none made more than Relebogile Mokoena‘s 37 not out, and St Charles needed more.
Ryan Clarke made 31, Caleb Sharp 26, Connor Vogt 23, and Thandolwethu Zama 20, but KES had the contest under control.
Steele Grooteman followed up his fine batting effort with 3/42 with the ball, while captain Zieg Roos bagged 2/26 in five, and Connor Kuijers kept it tight to claim 2/39 from 10. Christian Sabela finished with 2/53 from his 10.
Scores
King Edward VII 317/3 (Urav Mukhija 85, Troy Gordon 61*, Tiago Dias 51, Matthew Bromley 50, Steele Grooteman 48*; Jayden Saville 2/48); St Charles 273/9 (Connor Simpson 87, Relebogile Mokoena 37*, Ryan Clarke 31, Caleb Sharp 26, Connor Vogt 23, Thandolwethu Zama 20; Steele Grooteman 3/42, Zieg Roos 2/26, Connor Kuijers 2/39, Christian Sabela 2/53). KES won by 44 runs.
Northwood vs Cornwall Hill College
Cornwall Hill College, beaten by the CSA Hub Invitational XI on Saturday, reversed their fortunes with a handsome 100-run win over Northwood, who had impressed in a win over Waterkloof on Saturday.
Batting first, at Richmond, Cornwall tallied 191/8 in their 50 overs, with Khumo Kgagodi making 57 off 65 balls, and Abubaker Rasool tallying 40 off 49.
They were in some trouble, however, when Kgagodi lost his wicket, which left the Pretoria team on 137/8. Mohale Pitso and Neoentle Makwela, however, provided Cornwall with a fantastic finish to their innings, combining for an unbroken 54 runs for the ninth wicket. Pitso finished on 24 and Makwela on 22.
Off-spinner Ben Cilliers was the pick of the Knights’ bowlers, claiming 3/32 from 10 overs, while Jordan Matthews took 2/42, also in 10.
Northwood’s response made for miserable reading, with only Thomas Oosthuizen and Jamie Wimble making contributions worth mentioning. Oosthuizen, opening the innings, struck two fours and two sixes in his 35 from 42 balls, while Wimble crushed a six and two fours in his 29 from 43. Northwood’s next highest score was only eight, though.
Mohale Pitso, who had caused the Durban school problems late in Cornwall’s innings, once again made life tough for Northwood, capturing 3/17 in 6.4 overs. Kirill Broughton bagged 2/5 in five and was involved in a run out as the Knights’ slid to only 91 all out.
Scores
Cornwall Hill College 191/8 (Khumo Kgagodi 57, Abubaker Rasool 40, Mohale Pitso 24*, Neoentle Makwela 22; Ben Cilliers 3/32, Jordan Matthews 2/42); Northwood School 91/10 (Thomas Oosthuizen 35, Jamie Wimble 29; Mohale Pitso 3/17, Kirill Broughton 2/5). Cornwall Hill College won by 100 runs.
Paarl Gimnasium vs Jeppe High School for Boys
Jeppe was full of runs in a big win over Hudson Park on Saturday, but their batting failed them on Sunday at Michaelhouse.
Paarl Gimnasium, though, demonstrated admirable resolve to post a challenging total after being reduced to 98/5. Charles King and De Waal Vivier combined for a 100-run partnership for the sixth wicket to help their side take charge of the contest.
King led the way making 78 off 92 deliveries, with six fours and two sixes, while Vivier struck 56 off 58, with four fours and a six. Derrick Groenewald, batting between the two, chipped in with 20.
Keegan Cockburn could hardly be faulted for his return of 6/36 from 9.3 overs, although he did concede eight wides, while Sipho Potsane kept it tight, snaring 3/26 from 10.
Jeppe’s run chase spluttered, with just three batsmen exiting single figures. The excellent Ryan Young top scored with 37 from 50, striking six fours, while Vegas Scott chipped in with 20, and Keegan Cockburn made 14, but wickets fell with alarming regularity.
Gim employed five bowlers, and they all tasted success. Zayd Abrahams collected 3/16 in only five overs, while the opening pair, Beon Swanepoel and Louis Koen, snagged 2/32 and 2/24 respectively. De Waal Vivier added a miserly 1/14 from six overs, and Wian Munnik bagged 1/32.
After 34.5 overs, Jeppe was bowled out for 119, leaving Paarl Gim the winners by 124 runs.
Scores
Paarl Gimnasium 243/10 (Charles King 78, De Waal Vivier 56, Extras 34, Derrick Groenewald 20; Keegan Cockburn 6/35, Sipho Potsane 3/26); Jeppe 119/10 (Ryan Young 37, Vegas Scott 22; Zayd Abrahams 3/16, Louis Koen 2/24, Beon Swanepoel 2/32). Paarl Gimnasium won by 124 runs.
Paarl Boys’ High vs Pretoria Boys High
Oppenheimer Michaelmas Week newcomers, Paarl Boys’ High, recorded their first win in the event, beating Pretoria Boys’ High (PBHS) by four wickets in Howick.
PBHS opted to bat first and mustered a middling 143 all out, with captain Tim Gordon showing how it’s done in his 60, which included six fours and two sixes, off only 55 balls. Three players in the middle order – Dylan Kruger, Louis Kruyshaar, and Justin Basdeo – made 17 each as the skipper failed to get the support he needed.
Aden Batt was a big reason for that, dismissing Kruger and Kruyshaar, on his way to a superb return of 5/27 from 10 overs. Keanu February knocked over 2/14 and Gideon du Toit picked 2/24.
It took Paarl Boys’ High 38 overs to overhaul Pretoria Boys’ High’s 143 all out, and they did it for the loss of six wickets.
Pieter Gildenhuis spearheaded their run pursuit, making an unbeaten 65 from 111 balls, with nine fours and a six, while Gideon du Toit provided much-need support, making 38. Together, they added exactly 100 for the fifth wicket.
Justin Basdeo did his bit to undermine Paarl Boys’ High’s reply, capturing 4/20 in eight overs, but the Bolanders took the win.
Scores
Pretoria Boys High 143/10 (Tim Gordon 60; Aden Batt 5/27, Keanu February 2/14, Gideon du Toit 2/24); Paarl Boys’ High 144/6 (Pieter Gildenhuis 65*, Gideon du Toit 38; Justin Basdeo 4/20). Paarl Boys’ High won by four wickets.
St Alban’s College vs Hudson Park High N/A
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