3 March 2026
On a sun-drenched Saturday in Pietermaritzburg, it took nerve, resilience, and a match-shaping eighth-wicket stand to carry St Charles College to a dramatic two-wicket victory over Northwood.
Chasing 195 for victory in a limited-overs contest that ebbed and flowed, Saints found salvation in a 48-run partnership between Lebo Mokoena and Owen Widdows. When they came together, the game was on a knife’s edge. When they parted, St Charles was on the brink of something special.
Northwood, sent in to bat after losing the toss, recovered well from the early loss of Ross McGlashan. David de Bruyn and Nic Slater steadied the innings impressively, sharing 88 runs for the second wicket in 119 balls. It was a stand built on patience and placement rather than brute force, and it laid a solid platform for the Knights.
Jack Richards, however, provided the breakthrough. Slater, after a well-constructed 47 from 65 balls, including four fours, was caught by Ryan Clarke. De Bruyn followed as the third wicket to fall, but not before compiling a polished 48 from 72 deliveries, striking seven fours and a six. At 110/3 after 26 overs, Northwood were well positioned.
Thomas Oosthuizen added impetus with a lively 38 from 40 balls, peppering the boundary with three fours and a six. Yet, just as the visitors threatened to accelerate decisively, Richards returned to strike again.
The Saints’ seamer was outstanding. His 4/41 from nine overs not only removed key men but also stemmed Northwood’s late charge. From 183/6, the Knights slipped to 194 all out, unable to capitalise fully on their earlier foundation.
Richards found good support. Kaiyuran Naidoo delivered 10 probing overs, claiming 2/41, Ryan Clarke chipped in with 2/42, and Jayden Saville turned the screws with a miserly 1/18 from nine overs, including three maidens. It was a disciplined bowling display that ensured the target, while competitive, was within reach.
Or so it seemed.
The St Charles’ reply began in nightmare fashion. Reduced to 12/3 in the sixth over, they were staring down the barrel. Ryan van Zyl struck twice in quick succession, removing captain Thando Zama and Keegan Vermaak, while Josh Mills accounted for Clarke. Northwood was rampant, and the momentum was firmly with the visitors.
Christiaan Prinsloo and Connor Simpson refused to yield. In a brave counterattacking display, they added 45 runs for the fourth wicket at almost a run a ball, which was a statement of intent in a desperate situation. Simpson, aggressive and positive, struck four boundaries in his 31 from 37 balls before David de Bruyn held on to a catch off Keegan Reeves‘ bowling.
At 57/4 in the 15th over, the contest remained delicately poised.
Prinsloo, calm and composed, anchored the innings while Caleb Sharp provided support. Together, they added 51 valuable runs, nudging Saints closer to parity. Prinsloo’s patient 38 from 81 balls ended when McGlashan held a catch off Hamza Amla, but his contribution had steadied the ship.
Van Zyl returned to remove Saville, tightening Northwood’s grip once more. Sharp and Mokoena responded with another crucial stand, worth 31 runs. Sharp looked set for a half-century, but Mills ran him out for a determined 46 – a blow that left Saints still needing a composed finish.
Enter Mokoena and Widdows.
With the tension ratcheting up and wickets in hand but little margin for error, the pair displayed composure beyond their years. They rotated the strike smartly, punished loose deliveries, and steadily chipped away at the target. The required runs dwindled, but Northwood’s bowlers refused to relent.
The drama reached its peak in the final over.
Widdows, attempting a sharp single from the first ball, was run out by de Bruyn. St Charles was on 192/8 – three runs short, with two wickets in hand, and the pressure was immense. Mokoena, however, was unmoved.
Having crossed during the run-out, he faced the next delivery and promptly dispatched it to the boundary. In an instant, the tension evaporated. Saints had completed a superb run chase, sealing victory by two wickets in heart-stopping fashion.
Mokoena’s 36 was priceless. Widdows’ 22 was invaluable. Together, they turned a precarious position into a memorable triumph.
Van Zyl did everything he could to deny them, finishing with 3/33 from eight overs, while Amla’s 1/32 from 10 overs maintained relentless pressure. But in the end, St Charles College held their nerve.
Scores
Northwood 194/10 (David de Bruyn 48, Nic Slater 47, Thomas Oosthuizen 38; Jack Richards 4/41, Kaiyuran Naidoo 2/41, Ryan Clarke 2/42); St Charles College 196/8 (Caleb Sharp 46, Christiaan Prinsloo 38, Lebo Mokoena 36*, Connor Simpson 31, Owen Widdows 22; Ryan van Zyl 3/33). St Charles won by two wickets.
Results
2nd XI
St Charles Northwood
Northwood won by five wickets
3rd XI
Northwood 117/7; St Charles 119/8
St Charles won by two runs
4th XI
St Charles Northwood
Northwood won by 36 runs
6th XI
Northwood; Howick High
Howick High won by 180 runs
u16A
St Charles Northwood
Northwood won by seven wickets
u16B
St Charles Northwood
Northwood won by two wickets
u16D
St Charles 131/9; Northwood 127/9
St Charles won by four runs
u15A
St Charles 121/10; Northwood 128/4
Northwood won by six wickets
u15B
St Charles Northwood
Northwood won by 57 runs
u15C
St Charles Northwood
Northwood won by 103 runs
u15D
Northwood; Howick High u15A
Howick High won by 36 runs
u14A
St Charles Northwood
Northwood won by 48 runs
u14B
St Charles Northwood
St Charles won by nine wickets
u14C
St Charles Northwood
Northwood won by 29 runs
BASKETBALL
At the KZN Top 10, St Charles finished seventh overall and Northwood eighth. The Knights, surprisingly, struggled in the 1st team competition and finished only eighth after securing a runner-up finish at the St John’s Basketball Tournament the previous weekend. St Charles, meanwhile, finished third in the u19 age group.
At u16 level, St Charles finished sixth and Northwood fourth. Saints ended third in the 15 event, while Northwood ended tenth. In the u14 competition, St Charles was tenth and Northwood fourth.
KZN Top 10 1st Team
St Charles 62-55 Hilton
St Charles 43-31 Clifton
St Charles 52-42 Westville
St Charles 72-68 Northwood
St Charles 39-60 Westville
Northwood 55-56 Westville
Northwood 66-26 Clifton
Northwood 52-35 Hilton
Northwood 68-72 St Charles
Northwood 31-60 Michaelhouse
Northwood 43-60 DHS
KZN Top 10 u16
St Charles 25-24 Northwood
St Charles 36-29 Clifton
St Charles 26-46 Westville
St Charles 23-40 Hilton
St Charles 24-42 Kearsney
St Charles 34-35 Westville
Northwood 24-25 St Charles
Northwood 32-28 Westville
Northwood 37-26 Clifton
Northwood 21-26 Hilton
Northwood 36-53 Maritzburg College
KZN Top 10 u15
St Charles 30-29 Westville
St Charles 61-34 Northwood
St Charles 52-26 Michaelhouse
St Charles 30-40 Maritzburg College
Northwood 39-48 Clifton
Northwood 31-49 Hilton
Northwood 34-61 St Charles
Northwood 44-55 Glenwood
KZN Top 10 u14
St Charles 12-34 Hilton
St Charles 21-32 Clifton
St Charles 24-37 Northwood
St Charles 27-24 Westville
St Charles 23-27 Glenwood
Northwood 25-24 Westville
Northwood 31-29 Clifton
Northwood 37-24 St Charles
Northwood 22-44 Hilton
Northwood 36-53 DHS
Twenty-one games were played outside of the KZN Top 10 fixtures. Northwood won three of the five open-age group matches and two of the three u16 contests. The u15 games titled Northwood’s way, with four wins from five outings, and they won the three u14 matches.
Results
2nd: St Charles 27-35 Northwood
3rd: St Charles 36-26 Northwood
4th: St Charles 32-44 Northwood
5th: St Charles 38-32 Northwood
6th: St Charles 11-29 Northwood
16B: St Charles 32-30 Northwood
16C: St Charles 40-41 Northwood
16D: St Charles 19-26 Northwood
15B: St Charles 28-30 Northwood
15C: St Charles 29-45 Northwood
15D: St Charles 30-41 Northwood
15E: St Charles 31-29 Northwood
15F: St Charles 8-34 Northwood
14B: St Charles 19-24 Northwood
14C: St Charles 5-34 Northwood
14D: St Charles 10-25 Northwood
WATER POLO
St Charles 2nd Team Tournament
St Charles 1st
5th/6th: St Charles 6-5 Westville 2nd
St Charles 5-3 Michaelhouse 3rd
St Charles 6-7 Maritzburg College 2nd
St Charles 3-10 Hilton College Youth
St Charles 6-4 Maritzburg College 2nd
St Charles 2nd
3rd/4th
St Charles 3-12 Michaelhouse
St Charles 3-13 Northwood
St Charles 6-7 Curro Hillcrest 1st
St Charles 3-8 Michaelhouse 3rd
15A: St Charles 4-12 Northwood u15B
14A: St Charles 8-9 Northwood u14B
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