14 February 2026
The beauty and brutality of T20 cricket lies in its refusal to follow a script.
On the opening day of the third annual b in Durban, reputations counted for little and momentum shifted with dizzying speed. No side that played twice managed to win both of their matches.
Yet, amid the chaos, some results stood out, including Michaelhouse’s emphatic dismissal of Hoërskool Waterkloof and Northwood‘s statement win over St Charles College, which followed a nerve-shredding tie with Westville Boys’ High.
If there was a performance that combined power with poise, it belonged to Michaelhouse.
Playing at DHS, Waterkloof won the toss and chose to field. It was a decision they would soon regret.
Graydon Leslie and Riley Muir came out with clear intent, and within five overs ‘House had rocketed to 47. Leslie was electric, smashing 33 off 16 balls, six of them boundaries, before departing with his side firmly in control.
Muir anchored the innings superbly, striking 47, while Ben Heuer’s brisk 26 off 17 ensured the tempo never dipped. Then came the decisive blow. With the innings entering its closing stages, Thandanani Zuma and Victor North unleashed in spectacular fashion, plundering 53 runs from the final four overs in an unbroken seventh-wicket stand.
Zuma’s unbeaten 35 off 22 and North’’s explosive 30 not out from 13 deliveries powered Michaelhouse to an imposing 191/6.
Waterkloof, true to character, counterpunched. Juan Swart blazed 36 off 13 balls, peppering the boundary, while Vorster de Villiers (32) and Wian du Plessis (25) kept their hopes flickering. Yet, Michaelhouse’s new-ball pairing of Zuma and Rendani Nonge kept striking at pivotal moments.
Zuma finished with 3/24, Nonge claimed 3/39, and Liam O’Dwyer chipped in with 2/26 as Waterkloof was bowled out for 154 in 17.4 overs — 37 runs short. It was a clinical display from an in-form side that is growing in confidence.
Northwood’s mixed bag: dominance and drama
Northwood’s day, meanwhile, showcased both their ruthlessness and their resilience.
Against St Charles, they were relentless. Saints stumbled to 6/3 inside seven balls – a start from which there was no recovery. Northwood’s bowlers applied suffocating pressure, and when they chased down 112/8, they did so with authority, sealing a nine-wicket win in just 14.4 overs.
If that was a cruise, their meeting with Westville at Riverside was anything but.
After being sent in, Northwood battled to 101/7. Hamza Amla‘s unbeaten 23 and David de Bruyn‘s measured 23 were the backbone of a modest total, with Westville’s Ewan du Toit (3/13) spinning a tight web.
Westville’s reply mirrored the first innings – graft over glamour. Kyle McGough top-scored with 19, but wickets fell at regular intervals. As the final ball approached, the equation was down to fine margins. Aarin Rasmussen scampered two off James Searle to secure a tie, with Westville closing on 101/8.
In a format defined by fine lines, Northwood experienced both extremes: emphatic victory and heart-stopping parity.
Perhaps the story of the day, though, was Durban High School (DHS), the two-time champion, going down to two defeats.
The first, to Glenwood High by 15 runs, was a shock loss because the Green Machine has struggled to find form in 2026. The second, to Waterkloof by five wickets, was a result of some poor decision-making at the top of their batting order.
Hilton College powered their way to a comfortable 50-run win over Clifton College, who lost three of their top five batsmen to run outs, which is a sure-fire recipe for defeat.
Kearsney College‘s Asher Hollister scored the day’s only century, slamming seven fours and six sixes in his unbeaten 106 off 66 in a 46-run win over St John’s College (Harare).
Westville, the runner-up in 2025, is well positioned to make another run at the title. Apart from their tie against Northwood, they eased to a 41-run win over Maritzburg College in which their plethora of all-rounders delivered with both bat and ball.
St Charles, well beaten by Northwood, convincingly beat Maritzburg College in their opener in a tough day for the Red, Black, and White.
One of the big stories to follow on Saturday is whether or not Glenwood can follow up their stirring win over DHS with more successes.
SCORES
St Charles College 159/8 (Ryan Clarke 47, Thando Zama 37, Caleb Sharp; Ethan Fabre 3/16, Reece Willson 2/29); Maritzburg College 109/10 (Rory Schirge 41, Lebo Mokoena 3/8). St Charles won by 50 runs.
Glenwood High 141/8 (Mishael Gunawardana 42, Jonah Chita 23*, Akhil Sinath 20; Josh Morley 3/32, Matt Potgieter 2/22, Taine Havermann 2/33); Durban High School 126/6 (Mohammed Asmal 28, Taine Havermann 25; Kamo Moloto, Mishael Gunawardana 2/32). Glenwood won by 15 runs.
Northwood School 101/7 (David de Bruyn 21; Ewan du Toit 3/13, Kyle McGough 2/10); Westville Boys’ High 101/8 (Kyle McGough 19; James Searle 3/20, Hamza Amla 2/17). Match tied.
Michaelhouse 191/6 (Riley Muir 47, Thandanani Zuma 35*, Graydon Leslie 33, Ben Heuer 26; Johan Liebenberg 2/26); Hoërskool Waterkloof 154/10 (Juan Swart 36, Vorster de Villiers 32, Wian du Plessis 25; Thandanani Zuma 3/24, Rendani Nonge 3/39, Liam O’Dwyer 2/26). Michaelhouse won by 37 runs.
Hilton College 165/4 (Robert Burman 63, Barack Munawa 55; Blake Johnson 1/18); Clifton College 105/10 (Daniel Rea 29, Shiraz Perumal 23; Sechaba Gude 4/23, Sean Burman 2/19). Hilton won by 60 runs.
Kearsney College 196/1 (Asher Hollister 106*, Keegan de Jager 66*; Sean Reilly 1/24); St John’s College 150/4 (James Manning 83, Riley Ettlin 33, Luca Spagnuolo 28; Matthew Rice 1/12, Daniel Miskey 1/13). Kearsney won by 46 runs.
Westville Boys’ High 164/4 (Liam de Villiers 34*, Kyle McGough 34, Tristin Delvin 29, Aarin Rasmussen 25*; Ethan Fabre 1/16). Maritzburg College 123/10 (Reece Willson 22, Akhil Bharath 20; Ewan du Toit 2/13, Lwandle Bulose 2/16, Aarin Rasmussen 2/19). Westville won by 41 runs.
St Charles College 112/10 (Caleb Sharp 35, Christiaan Prinsloo 22; Ryan van Zyl 2/24); Northwood School 113/1 (David de Bruyn 56*, Ross McGlashan 35; Keegan Vermaak 1/14). Northwood won by nine wickets.
Durban High School 99/10 (Josh van Biljon 24, Mohammed Asmal 23; Christiaan Smit 3/7, Rivan Booysen 2/13); Waterkloof 103/5 (Johan Feuth 29*, Vorster de Villiers 26; Bonga Maphanga 2/28, Taine Havermann 2/22). Waterkloof won by five wickets.
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