11 January 2026
While many of KZN’s top cricket-playing schools were in action in pre-season cricket festivals, Maritzburg College hosted Clifton College for a two-day clash on Goldstone’s, covering Thursday and Friday. While the home team held the advantage in the game, they were unable to close out the contest.
The highlight of the match came in College’s first innings from Dax Jursa, who made his way out to the middle after George Gooch had dismissed both of the home side’s opener, Akhil Bharath and Kyle de Bruyn, with only five runs on the board.
Jursa settled in, holding down one end while keeping the scoreboard ticking, and along the way he received some useful support.
He and Luka Puddu, who made a patient 29, added 78 for the third wicket, while Jursa and James Pembridge, whose contribution was 22, put on 57 for the seventh wicket. Matt Bisset chipped in with 13 in a 43-run stand for the eighth wicket.
When College declared after 65 overs on 254/8, Jursa remained unbeaten on 123. He had faced 174 deliveries and struck 11 fours and three sixes.
While George Gooch bowled well up front and finished with 2/28 from nine overs, left-arm spinner, Blake Johnson (feature photo) tied down College’s batsmen, sending down 24 overs, four of which were maidens, and snaring 3/63.
Clifton had six batsmen make it into double figures in their reply, but they failed to press on, with Jack Snaith‘s modest 27 their top score. Opener, Yusuf Ahmed (21), and Hayden Drieselmann (21) were the only others to make it into the twenties.
Tuskers‘ Khaya Majola Week representative, Reece Willson, took new ball and returned 3/41 from 11 overs, while Dom du Toit and Akhil Bharath clamped down on the Clifton scoring, with Du Toit claiming 2/14 in six overs and Bharath a miserly 2/13 in 11.
After 47.4 overs, Clifton was bowled out for 147, giving Maritzburg College a 107-run first innings’ lead.
College, then, spent 45 overs out in the middle in their second innings, declaring it on 218/9.
Akhil Bharath and Dax Jura led the way, with 69 and 41 respectively. They also partnered for 93 runs from 109 balls for the second wicket. Luka Puddu weighed in with 24 and Reece Willson made 22.
Once again, Blake Johnson impressed. The Dolphins‘ u16 star removed three College batsmen for only 21 runs from 10 overs.
When leg spinner, Shiraz Perumal returns – he turned out for the Dolphins’ Khaya Majola Week team and, more recently, for the Coastal Conquerors at the CSA Cubs Week – he and Johnson will offer, arguably, the best spin duo in the province. Last year, Perumal captured a hugely impressive Clifton record of 95 wickets.
Adam Dickin, who didn’t get a bowl in College’s first innings, despite Clifton employing seven bowlers, was the seventh one used in College’s second innings, and he took his chance, sending down 15 overs while snagging 4/77.
In their second innings, Clifton’s batsmen struggled again. This time, Daniyaal Klinck, with 28, top scored. Only Ethan Grieselmann (24*) joined him in the twenties, but the Durban boys fought hard, with Blake Johnson (16 from 38 balls) and Connor Jackson (15* from 65) defying the home side’s push for victory.
When the game ended, after 54 overs of Clifton’s second innings, the visitors were on 138/8, a long way away from victory but also safe from defeat.
Reece Willson added another three wickets to his first innings’ haul, picking up 3/16 in 12 overs, while Dom du Toit followed up to his tight first innings’ performance with 2/10 from six as College used 10 bowlers in an effort to prise out Clifton’s lower order batsmen.
SCORES
1st XI
First innings
Maritzburg College 254/8 dec. (Dax Jursa 123*, Luke Puddu 29, James Pembridge 22; Blake Johnson 3/63, George Gooch 2/28); Clifton College 147/10 (Jack Snaith 27, Hayden Drieselmann 21, Yusuf Ahmed 21; Reece Willson 3/41, Akhil Bharath 2/13, Dom du Toit 2/14).
Second innings
Maritzburg College 218/9 dec. (Akhil Bharath 69, Dax Jursa 41, Reece Willson 22; Adam Dickin 4/77, Blake Johnson 3/21); Clifton College 138/8 (Daniyaal Klinck 28, Ethan Grieselmann 24*; Reece Willson 3/16, Dom du Toit 2/10).
Match drawn.
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