3 March
On Goldstone’s, bold intent met cold reality when Maritzburg College hosted Glenwood High on Saturday.
A decision to bat first backfired on Glenwood as College applied unrelenting pressure in the limited-overs clash and never loosened their grip. The visitors were tied down and crawled their way to 116 all out after 49 overs in an innings that exhibited grit but was short on fluency.
From the outset, College set the tone.
Both Glenwood openers, Akhil Sinath and Kamo Moloto, were back in the pavilion inside five overs. It was the worst possible start for the visitors, and it forced them into survival mode. Sebastian Oertel, at number three, embodied that resistance. His 19 took 76 deliveries – a stubborn vigil rather than a counterpunch – and it stood as the visitors’ highest score.
Oertel and Charles Nkwanyana put together Glenwood’s best partnership, 38 for the fifth wicket, but even that required 102 balls. The Green Machine showed heart, yet they were unable to break the shackles imposed by College’s attack.
The numbers painted a stark picture: only two batsmen struck at 50 runs or better per 100 balls faced, seven were restricted to single figures, and 34 extras ultimately became a significant contributor to the Glenwood total.
At 77/8, they were in danger of folding before reaching three figures. However, a spirited tail-end effort dragged them to 100/9 and eventually 116 all out, but it never felt sufficient.
Luke Venter and Kyle de Bruyn were the chief architects of the squeeze. Venter’s seven overs yielded 3/19, including a maiden, while De Bruyn mirrored him almost exactly with 3/18.
Support came from all quarters. Greg Hosking‘s 1/9 from seven overs was miserly, Akhil Bharath returned 1/10 from eight probing overs, and Ethan Fabre claimed 1/22 from his 10. It was a sustained collective effort that kept Glenwood on the back foot.
Chasing 117 to win, College did not have it entirely their own way.
Glenwood responded with intent, and at 37/3 in the ninth over, the contest held intrigue. Qhamani Sikhutshwa led the charge, accounting for two of the first three wickets to fall. When he later removed Luka Puddu – the fifth College wicket down – the hosts were wobbling at 61/5 in the 15th over.
For a brief moment, belief flickered in the Glenwood ranks. But that was as far as it went.
Rory Schirge and captain Reece Willson shut the door. Their unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 59 from just 68 deliveries was decisive, composed, and ultimately match-winning. Where Glenwood had been forced to graft, College rotated the strike efficiently and punished the rare loose delivery.
Schirge finished unbeaten on 26, striking two fours and a six, while Willson top-scored in the match with a measured 29 not out. Together, they guided the Red, Black, and White home by five wickets with 24.5 overs to spare – a comfortable margin that belied the early stutter.
Sikhutshwa was Glenwood’s standout performer, returning 3/36 from 8.5 overs, while captain Kreesan Pillai offered tidy support with 1/26 from seven. Yet the modest target left little room for error, and once College’s middle order settled, the result felt inevitable.
Scores
Glenwood High 116/10 (Extras 34; Sebastian Oertel 19; Kyle de Bruyn 3/18, Luke Venter 3/19); Maritzburg College 120/5 (Reece Wilson 29*, Rory Schirge 26*; Qhamani Shikutshwa 3/36). Maritzburg College won by five wickets.
RESULTS
2nd XI
Maritzburg College 115/10; Glenwood 116/3
Glenwood won by seven wickets
u16A
Glenwood 62/10; Maritzburg College 64/2
College won by eight wickets
u16B
Glenwood 29/10; Maritzburg College 30/2
College won by eight wickets
u15A
Maritzburg College 253/10; Glenwood 101/10
College won by 152 runs
u15E
Westville 149/4; Maritzburg College 150/3
College won by seven wickets
u14A
Glenwood 63/10; Maritzburg College 66/2
College won by eight wickets
u14B
Maritzburg College 284/5; Glenwood 60/10
College won by 224 uns
u14D
Glenwood 56/10; Maritzburg College 58/1
College won by nine wickets
u14G
Westville 100/9; Maritzburg College 102/2
College won by eight wickets
BASKETBALL
Maritzburg College’s status as the best 1st team in KZN was challenged on the first day of the KZN Top 10, when Kearsney shocked the Red, Black, and White, and Michaelhouse went down by only three. After that, though, they rebounded and slammed the door shut on all challengers.
College confirmed their status, also, as the overall number one in the province, winning titles in three of the four age groups.
KZN TOP 10
1st Team
Maritzburg College 56-60 Kearsney
Maritzburg College 44-41 Michaelhouse
Maritzburg College 91-28 Glenwood
Maritzburg College 74-32 DHS
Maritzburg College 54-46 Westville
Maritzburg College 78-38 Kearsney
u16
Maritzburg College 33-37 Michaelhouse
Maritzburg College 55-25 Glenwood
Maritzburg College 35-27 Kearsney
Maritzburg College 44-38 DHS
Maritzburg College 53-36 Northwood
u15
Maritzburg College 54-28 Michaelhouse
Maritzburg College 55-45 Kearsney
Maritzburg College 66-42 Glenwood
Maritzburg College 50-15 DHS
Maritzburg College 52-44 Hilton College
u14
Maritzburg College 23-16 Michaelhouse
Maritzburg College 49-14 Glenwood
Maritzburg College 40-33 DHS
Maritzburg College 49-25 Kearsney
Maritzburg College 34-21 Hilton College
2nd: Maritzburg College 47-24 Alex
3rd: Maritzburg College 45-13 Glenwood
4th: Maritzburg College 54-35 Howick
7th: Maritzburg College 21-25 Michaelhouse
16B: Maritzburg College 93-3 Glenwood
16D: Maritzburg College 10-31 Alex
16E: Maritzburg College 11-34 Michaelhouse
15B: Maritzburg College 31-12 Glenwood
15C: Maritzburg College 37-41 Howick
15D: Maritzburg College 16-27 Alex
15E: Maritzburg College 40-2 Michaelhouse
15F: Maritzburg College 20-79 Merchiston 1st
15G: Maritzburg College 25-17 Merchiston 2nd
14B: Maritzburg College 19-15 Alex
14C: Maritzburg College 36-24 Howick
14D: Maritzburg College 8-11 Glenwood
14E: Maritzburg College 14-7 Merchiston 4th
14F: Maritzburg College 12-22 Merchiston 5th
14G: Maritzburg College 19-0 Merchiston 6th
14H: Maritzburg College 12-9 Merchiston 7th
14I: Maritzburg College 7-4 Merchiston 8th
WATER POLO
It’s been a tough season in the pool for Glenwood, and College confirmed their superiority there, winning all four matches.
1st Team at Reef Cup
1st: Maritzburg College 8-4 Grey College
1st: Maritzburg College 28-1 Reddam House Umhlanga
1st: Maritzburg College 20-4 Rand Park High
1st: Maritzburg College 9-10 Affies
3rd: Maritzburg College 8-4 Glenwood 2nd
4th: Maritzburg College 8-1 Glenwood 3rd
15B: Maritzburg College 10-9 Glenwood u15A
14B: Maritzburg College 13-1 Glenwood u14A
u14 Ken Short Festival at Jeppe
14A: Maritzburg College 4-5 Affies
14A: Maritzburg College 8-2 Jeppe
14A: Maritzburg College 10-0 Pretoria Boys High
14A: Maritzburg College 9-0 St Benedict’s College
Some u14A results missing…
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