25 November 2025
(Feature photo courtesy of Justin Waldman Sports Photography)
St Charles College turned in a commanding performance on Saturday to claim the KZN Inland Switch Schools SA20 – Volume Two title, sweeping aside Hilton College with an emphatic eight-wicket win at home and with a remarkable 12 overs in hand.
A year ago, Hilton lifted the inaugural KZN Inland Schools SA20 trophy after beating Maritzburg College in the final. This time, though, the honours stayed in Pietermaritzburg, with Saints producing a decisive display to dethrone the 2024 champions.
After Hilton skipper Robert Burman called wrong at the toss, Saints‘ captain Thandolwethu Zama sent the visitors in, and his bowlers quickly vindicated the decision. Only one of Hilton’s top seven was able to reach double figures as wickets tumbled in clusters.
The innings began unravelling early. With the score on 12, opener Sean Burman was caught by Connor Vogt off Ryan Clarke for 10, which was ultimately the joint-second-highest contribution of the Hilton effort. Three more wickets followed for just 10 additional runs as Hilton slumped to 22/4.
The Saints’ attack maintained the squeeze. Caleb Sharp held a catch off Vogt to remove Barack Munawa for two, while Ben Wilson fell for the same score as the first of Kaiyuran Naidoo‘s four scalps. Sharp, then, struck again, this time dismissing Cameron Hargroves for one, well-held by Zama.
Luke Wilson and James Peattie offered a brief stabiliser – adding 11 to push the total to 33 – before Wilson was caught and bowled by Naidoo for seven. Another slide followed as Naidoo accounted for both Sange Qangule and Peattie to leave Hilton in deep trouble on 38/7.
A gritty partnership of 22 between captain Robert Burman and Benoit Rey finally halted the slide, albeit temporarily. Rey, batting at nine, was then run out by Zama for 10.
Burman battled on to lift the total to 76 before becoming Naidoo’s fourth victim for a hard-earned 21, which included two boundaries. Remarkably, only two Hilton batsmen found the fence in the entire innings, the other being his brother, Sean, who struck one four.
Hilton survived their 20 overs but limped to 79/9, setting a modest target that required Saints to score at just four per over. Kaiyuran Naidoo, with a return of 4/11, was a puzzle they never solved.
Zama and his fellow opener Matthew Weightman immediately made the chase look perfunctory. Playing with freedom, the pair put the Hilton attack under pressure from ball one, with Zama in particular striking the ball cleanly and with authority as they surged towards victory.
With the target in sight, Zama, sitting four runs short of reaching 1 000 for the season, attempted to reach the landmark in style, only to hole out off of the bowling of Hargroves for a blistering 46 from 23 deliveries, which featured four sixes and three fours.
Hargroves also removed Keegan Vermaak for a duck, but by then the contest had long been settled.
Weightman steered Saints home with an assured 28 not out, striking a six and four fours, while Clarke finished unbeaten on four.
Hargroves ended with 2/17 in his two overs. He was the only Hilton bowler to pick up wickets, and he was, also, their most economical performer.
Both finalists will, however, have an opportunity to extend their campaigns. St Charles and Hilton, by reaching the final, both qualified for the four-team playoff to determine the KwaZulu-Natal representative at the national finals of the Switch Schools SA20 – Volume Two competition.
They’ll be up against Westville Boys’ High and Northwood in Pietermaritzburg in January 2026 for that honour.
Scores
Hilton College 79/9 (Robert Burman 21; Kaiyuran Naidoo 4/11, Caleb Sharp 2/20); St Charles College 81/2 (Thandolwethu Zama 46, Matthew Weightman 28*; Cameron Hargroves 2/17). St Charles College won by eight wickets.
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