18 November 2025
(Feature photo: Justin Waldman Sports Photography – After a hard-fought last game of the season, the 1st XIs and their supporters shared a photo)
Hilton College held their nerve in a low-scoring thriller on the Hart-Davis Oval on Saturday, edging out Westville Boys’ High by six runs after defending a modest 140/9 in a 40-over clash that was firmly tilted in the bowlers’ favour.
On a surface offering assistance throughout, no batsman from either side bettered 25 runs, and every partnership felt like a minor victory.
Winning the toss, Hilton chose to bat, but they quickly found themselves in a quagmire at 23/4 after a string of early setbacks.
Kyle McGough struck the first blow, removing Barack Munawa for four, before left-arm seamer Lwandile Bulose accounted for Alex Pitman, whose six from 29 balls illustrated how tough scoring had become.
Westville’s pressure mounted when Ben Wilson was run out for eight and Ben Erasmus lasted only three deliveries before falling to Ashton Kidgell.
Ben Hockly and Cameron Hargroves, though, produced the grit their team desperately needed, grafting through a 43-run stand for the fifth wicket. Hockly’s 22 from 28 ended when he was caught off to Dayalan Boyce, while Hargroves, who had struck three of the four boundaries scored by Hilton’s top order, followed soon after for 25, stumped off the accurate left-arm spin of Ewan du Toit.
At 69/6 and then 80/7, Hilton risked falling short of triple figures.
But James Peattie and Luke Campbell steadied the ship, adding 25 to lift the total to 105 before Peattie was bowled by Boyce for 21. Campbell’s determined 24 from 33 balls, featuring three crucial fours, ensured Hilton had something to bowl at, and they closed on 140/9.
Westville’s attack had shared the workload effectively: Boyce returned an impressive 2/18 from eight overs, Du Toit’s left-arm spin yielded 2/16, while McGough picked up 2/30 and Bulose kept it tight with 1/13 from four.
Chasing 141, Westville stumbled early when Sechaba Gude removed Aarin Rasmussen in the first over. Du Toit and McGough rebuilt with a 30-run stand before Benoit Rey and Gude combined to dismiss McGough for 19.
The visitors appeared to settle again when Du Toit and Seth Simpson moved the score to 65, but Hilton’s bowlers continued to chip away. Rey claimed both men – Du Toit caught for 16, Simpson trapped in front after a bright 21 – and when Misbah Nair fell soon after, Westville was wobbling on 79/5.
Tristin Delvin‘s patient 14 briefly steadied matters, but a pivotal shift came from Campbell, who removed him to leave the visitors on 99/6, and then sent Boyce back shortly afterwards. At 107/7 the match was wide open.
Liam de Villiers kept Westville in the hunt with a composed 23 from 39, but his run out with only 14 needed swung the momentum decisively. Campbell then wrapped up proceedings, trapping Aidan Baudach LBW before claiming the final wicket of Kidgell, caught for two, to dismiss Westville for 134.
Campbell’s outstanding all-round display – 24 with the bat and a match-winning 4/19 – proved decisive, while Rey’s 2/26 and Gude’s 2/28 ensured Hilton completed a spirited defensive victory on a day when every run mattered.
Scores
Hilton College 140/9 (Cameron Hargroves 25, Luke Campbell 24, Ben Hockly 22, James Peattie 21; Ewan du Toit 2/16, Dayalan Boyce 2/18, Kyle McGough 2/30); Westville Boys’ High 134/10 (Liam de Villiers 23, Extras 23, Seth Simpson 21; Luke Campbell 4/19, Benoit Rey 2/26, Sechaba Gude 2/28). Hilton College won by six runs.
Hilton won the two open age group matches, but the remainder went Westville’s way, including another emphatic win for their superb u14A side.
RESULTS
1st XI
Hilton 140/9; Westville 134/10
Hilton won by six runs
2nd XI
Westville 136/10; Hilton 137/5
Hilton won by five wickets
u15A
Westville 129/10; Hilton 103/10
Westville won by 26 runs
u15B/u15C
Westville u15C 147/10; Hilton u15B 120/10
Westville won by 27 runs
u14A
Westville 251/6; Hilton 132/7
Westville won by 119 runs
u14B
Westville 214/7; Hilton 97/10
Westville won by 117 runs
BASKETBALL
In recent seasons, Hilton’s u14 and u15 basketball teams have excelled and that excellence has started to show itself in the older age groups as those players have moved up. On Saturday, they won the 1st team game by 18 points, and picked up six wins to two over a strong Westville programme.
RESULTS
1st: Hilton 71-53 Westville
2nd: Hilton 34-55 Westville
16A: Hilton 30-25 Westville
16B: Hilton 30-32 Westville
15A: Hilton 34-27 Westville
15B: Hilton 19-18 Westville
14A: Hilton 45-42 Westville
14B: Hilton 27-25 (OT) Westville
WATER POLO
Competition in the pool was tight. Two of the three matches were decided by only one goal, while the other finished with a two-goal margin separating the sides as the defences dominated. Hilton, though, came away with three wins from three games.
1st: Hilton 6-5 Westville
15A: Hilton 5-3 Westville
14A: Hilton 6-5 Westville
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