4 November 2025
(Feature photo: Bayanda Majola played a leading role in the DHS 1st XI’s win over Clifton on Saturday)
After winning both the 1st team and u15 titles at the KZN Top 10 Water Polo Tournament, Clifton College added further evidence that their powerful water polo programme remains on the upswing by winning the Northwood Stayers Tournament on the weekend.
It wasn’t a totally clean run to the trophy for Clifton, with Westville Boys’ High scoring a convincing win over Pierre le Roux‘s charges in a group stage game. But, when it mattered, Clifton delivered.
They took down a strong Kearsney side in the semi-finals and then dealt with Northwood in the final.
WATER POLO
Northwood Stayers
Group stage
Clifton 1-7 Westville Boys’ High
Clifton 13-1 Thomas More College
Clifton 18-0 St Charles College
Clifton 13-0 Northwood Invitational
Quarterfinals
Clifton 13-2 Maritzburg College
Semi-finals
Clifton 9-7 Kearsney
Final
Clifton 10-6 Northwood
CRICKET
One of Durban High School’s (DHS) defining features in 2025 has been the reliability of their top order – Ismaeel Omar, Ethan Cooper, and Josh van Biljon – who have laid solid foundations throughout the season.
When Clifton College removed all three for a combined total of only 27 runs at the Riverside Sports Club on Saturday, the home side must have sensed an opportunity to bowl DHS out cheaply. But Taine Havermann had other ideas.
Batting at number six, the all-rounder produced a superb, match-winning innings, an unbeaten 103 from 111 deliveries, which featured eight fours and a six, to rescue his side and turn the contest on its head.
Havermann found an able partner in Dhilan Naraidu, and together they rebuilt the innings with a fluent 94-run stand for the fifth wicket. Naraidu contributed a well-compiled 42 from 54 balls, striking six boundaries before falling with the total on 165.
From there, Havermann took charge, accelerating smartly in the closing overs as DHS added a further 71 runs to reach 236/9 in their 50 overs. Lazlo Jooste chipped in with 26, but it was Havermann’s lone hand that defined the innings.
For Clifton, left-arm spinner Blake Johnson claimed 2/50 in his 10 overs, including the prized wicket of Van Biljon, while leg-spinner Shiraz Perumal continued his prolific run of form, returning 2/41 from his 10 overs.
Chasing 237, Clifton recovered from an early setback to reach 33/1 through a steady partnership between Byron Ward and Yusuf Ahmed, before Ward fell LBW to Sandi Mazibuko for 19.
Ahmed, with 26 off 60, including three fours, and Tim Saulez, with 34 off 31, and five fours, then added 36 for the third wicket, giving the hosts hope at 98/3. But once Saulez departed, the innings unravelled quickly.
Bayanda Majola, in his final appearance for the DHS 1st XI, produced a fiery spell of pace bowling that ripped through the middle order. He dismissed Saulez, Hayden Drieselmann, and Lawson Dinsdale in quick succession to reduce Clifton to 101/6.
Perumal offered brief resistance with 12, but Josh Morley cleaned up the tail in emphatic fashion, taking 3/10 in five overs as Clifton collapsed to 131 all out.
Majola finished with outstanding figures of 4/22 from eight overs, which was a fitting farewell performance for a player who has been central to DHS’s success this season.
Scores
DHS 236/9 (Taine Havermann 103*, Dhilan Naraidu 42, Lazlo Jooste 26, Extras 22; Shiraz Perumal 2/41, Blake Johnson 2/50); Clifton College 131/10 (Tim Saulez 34, Yusuf Ahmed 26, Extras 23; Bayanda Majola 4/22, Josh Morley 3/10). DHS won by 105 runs.
In the other three matches, a five-wicket haul, including a hat-trick from Evan Murray propelled the Clifton 2nd XI to a thrilling win over DHS, while the Horseflies scored a comfortable u15A win, but were made to work hard for a victory in the u14A match.
Results
2nd XI
Clifton 185/10; DHS 172/10
Clifton won by 13 runs
u15A
DHS won by 51 runs
u14A
Clifton 141/10; DHS 143/7
DHS won by three wickets
BASKETBALL
It’s been a while, but about a decade ago DHS was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the best basketball-playing school in the country, with the 1st team dominating all-comers. They’ve found the going more challenging as the game has improved in South Africa in recent years, but there are signs that School‘s fortunes are on the up, and their 1st team, especially, has looked far more formidable in 2025 than in recent seasons.
They dominated against Clifton, winning by 38 points. In fact, DHS swept the fixtures, but they were challenged by Clifton’s 3rd team and u16A sides before pulling out victories.
Results
1st: Clifton 23-61 DHS
2nd: Clifton 16-64 DHS
3rd: Clifton 25-28 DHS
4th: Clifton 7-48 DHS
16A: Clifton 22-32 DHS
16B: Clifton 8-27 DHS
16C: Clifton 0-60 DHS
15A: Clifton 20-48 DHS
15B: Clifton 14-33 DHS
15C: Clifton 10-52 DHS
14A: Clifton 17-35 DHS
14B: Clifton 12-34 DHS
14C: Clifton 0-17 DHS
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