3 March
On a searing Saturday on the AH Smith Oval, Kearsney College was made to sweat long before the mercury peaked.
The Clifton College 1st XI arrived with intent and, inside nine overs, had the hosts reeling on 22/3. The early damage was inflicted by the accuracy and control of left-arm spinner Blake Johnson and the lively Daniel Rea, who combined to rip through Kearsney’s top order and tilt the contest sharply in the visitors’ favour.
Johnson was outstanding. Operating with control and subtle variation, he accounted for opener Gary Verbaan for five and returned miserly figures of 1/16 from his full allotment of 10 overs. At the other end, Rea struck twice in quick succession, removing Rivaan Moodley for six and Aaron Blackburn for two.
Under heavy pressure, Kearsney stayed cool. Captain Keegan de Jager and Asher Hollister (feature photo) dug in, absorbed the pressure, and methodically rebuilt the innings. It was not flashy cricket. It was disciplined, calculated, and exactly what Kearsney required.
Clifton captain Shiraz Perumal kept things tight, conceding only 29 runs in his 10 overs, but the breakthrough proved elusive as the fourth-wicket pair settled into a rhythm. The partnership grew. And grew.
By the time left-arm seamer George Gooch finally made the breakthrough, 199 balls had been sent down during the fourth-wicket stand, and 131 runs had been added to the total. Hollister, who top-scored with a measured 72 from 101 deliveries, including three fours and two sixes, holed out to Perumal with the score on 153. It was an innings of maturity, patience, and timely aggression.
De Jager followed 10 runs later for a resolute 60 off 109 balls, his knock decorated with six fours. When he was caught by Keegan Watson off Muhammed Malek, Kearsney had 6.2 overs remaining and a platform from which to launch a late-innings onslaught.
Freed from consolidation duties, the lower middle order lifted the tempo. Rea returned to the attack and benefitted from the hosts’ aggression, picking up the wickets of Luke Grobbelaar and Michael Groom, who both found Hayden Drieselmann at long-off. Rea’s figures — 4/58 from nine overs — reflected both the punishment and the reward that came his way.
Yet Kearsney’s late surge ensured they finished strongly. Daniel Miskey played a lively cameo, striking four boundaries in an unbeaten 32 from just 25 balls. His contribution nudged the total to a competitive 211/7 from their 50 overs, which was a far cry from the perilous 22/3 they found themselves on in the opening exchanges.
Clifton’s reply began cautiously. Daniyaal Klinck and Yusuf Ahmed added 21 for the first wicket before Litha Gonya produced a beauty that clipped the stumps to remove Ahmed for six. It was the first of several telling contributions from the Kearsney attack.
There was a pivotal moment soon after. Muhammed Malek, fresh off back-to-back centuries at the Independent Schools Cricket Festival and brimming with confidence, set off for a sharp single. James Bishop’s direct hit found its mark, and Malek was run out for one. At that stage of the innings, it was a risk Clifton could ill afford.
Still, the visitors responded positively. Klinck and Drieselmann steadied the chase with a composed 76-run stand for the third wicket. Klinck, fluent and patient, struck seven fours in an 82-ball 48 before he was caught by Aaron Blackburn off Bishop. Drieselmann followed for a well-made 43 from 59 balls, which included five fours and a six.
At 116/4 in the 29th over, Clifton remained very much in the contest. But from that point, the tide turned decisively.
Kearsney’s bowlers tightened their grip, and the pressure mounted. Wickets began to fall in clusters, and the visitors lost seven wickets for just 27 runs in a dramatic collapse that spanned a little over 11 overs. The discipline and accuracy that had characterised Clifton’s start deserted them as Kearsney sensed victory.
After 39.4 overs, Clifton was bowled out for 143.
The 68-run margin of victory reflected not only the hosts’ recovery with the bat but also a collective, disciplined bowling performance. Gonya returned 2/29 from eight overs, Moodley claimed 2/25 from eight, and Matthew Gorrie chipped in with 2/22 from 7.4 overs. Each operated with control, exploiting scoreboard pressure and capitalising on Clifton’s need to force the pace.
Only Perumal, with 11, and Veer Ramouthar, with 10, joined Klinck and Drieselmann in reaching double figures – a statistic that underlined the effectiveness of Kearsney’s attack once the momentum swung their way.
Kearsney College 211/7 (Asher Hollister 72, Keegan de Jager 60, Daniel Miskey 32*; Daniel Rea 4/58); Clifton College 143/10 (Daniyaal Klinck 48, Hayden Drieselmann 43; Matthew Gorrie 2/22, Rivaan Moodley 2/25, Litha Gonya 2/29). Kearsney College won by 68 runs.
Results
2nd XI
Clifton 120/10: Kearsney 121/3
Kearsney won by seven wickets
u16A
Clifton 134/10; Kearsney 135/7
Kearsney won by three wickets
u15A
Kearsney 235/10; Clifton 102/10
Kearsney won by 133 runs
u14A
Clifton 175/10; Kearsney 176/3
Kearsney won by seven wickets
BASKETBALL
While the Clifton and Kearsney 1st, u16A, u15A, and u14A teams were busy in KZN Top 10 action, the other teams clashed on Saturday, with Kearsney enjoying the better of the matches.
2nd: Kearsney 29-21 Clifton
3rd: Kearsney 52-13 Clifton
4th: Kearsney 44-22 Clifton
5th: Kearsney 47-6 Clifton
16B: Kearsney 54-9 Clifton
16C: Kearsney 54-16 Clifton
15B: Kearsney 82-2 Clifton
15C: Kearsney 79-8 Clifton
14B: Kearsney 49-5 Clifton
14C: Kearsney 49-2 Clifton
14E: Kearsney 25-2 Clifton
KZN TOP 10
Kearsney scored the best result of the competition at the KZN Top 10 1st teams event in Pietermaritzburg, beating Maritzburg College in their first pool game, which was College’s first loss and only loss of 2026 thus far.
Unfortunately, for Kearsney, they ran into a College buzzsaw when the sides clashed again in the final. College was on fire from the first whistle, and Kearsney was blown away. Regardless, a runner-up finish was a fine result for the Botha’s Hill boys.
Clifton was inconsistent, but pushed some teams hard. Ultimately, they finished ninth after beating Glenwood in a playoff.
While Kearsney’s second-place finish in the 1st team event was the best result from their four age group sides, Clifton’s best came in the u15 and u14 competitions. They finished seventh in both, with their results including wins over DHS and Northwood at u15 level, and victories against Westville and St Charles in the u14 age group.
1st Team KZN Top 10
Kearsney 60-56 Maritzburg College
Kearsney 63-64 DHS
Kearsney 58-29 Glenwood
Kearsney 54-45 Michaelhouse
Kearsney 70-48 St Charles
Kearsney 38-78 Maritzburg College
Clifton 31-43 St Charles
Clifton 26-66 Northwood
Clifton 30-81 Westville
Clifton 33-54 Hilton
Clifton 46-43 Glenwood
u16 KZN Top 10
Kearsney 32-26 Glenwood
Kearsney 29-23 DHS
Kearsney 23-31 Michaelhouse
Kearsney 27-35 Maritzburg College
Kearsney 42-24 St Charles
Kearsney 38-26 DHS
Clifton 16-34 Hilton
Clifton 29-36 St Charles
Clifton 26-37 Northwood
Clifton 33-38 Westville
Clifton 14-23 Glenwood
u15 KZN Top 10
Kearsney 45-55 Maritzburg College
Kearsney 48-29 DHS
Kearsney 43-20 Glenwood
Kearsney 30-35 Michaelhouse
Kearsney 45-21 Clifton
Kearsney 40-42 Westville
Clifton 48-39 Northwood
Clifton 32-55 Westville
Clifton 31-44 Hilton
Clifton 21-45 Kearsney
Clifton 32-21 DHS
u14A KZN Top 10
Kearsney 18-37 DHS
Kearsney 39-23 Glenwood
Kearsney 30-28 Michaelhouse
Kearsney 29-45 Maritzburg College
Kearsney 34-17 Westville
Kearsney 26-37 Michaelhouse
Clifton 29-31 Northwood
Clifton 32-21 St Charles
Clifton 17-40 Hilton
Clifton 20-24 Westville
Clifton 20-47 Michaelhouse
Clifton 24-10 Westville
WATER POLO
Kearsney put together a stellar showing at the KES Water Polo Tournament. They were beaten three times, but in each of those matches, they went down only after a shootout. Ultimately, they finished fourth overall.
Clifton had a less successful tournament, but a bit of digging reveals a hard-luck story. They lost to Bishops and St David’s Marist Inanda in group matches on the opening day. Those two sides went on to finish in first and second places.
Then, after comfortable wins over Jeppe and Pretoria Boys High, the Durban boys fell to St Andrew’s College after a penalty shootout. That was a disappointing outcome, but they bounced back, convincingly beating Paul Roos Gimnasium in their last game.
Meanwhile, Kearsney College’s u15 team went all the way to the title at the Indigo Cup. They were held to a draw by St Stithians, but their next closest result was a three-goal win over Hilton College in the final. It was a truly dominant run to glory.
1st Team – KES Water Polo Tournament
Clifton 4-10 Bishops
Clifton 5-9 St David’s Marist Inanda
Clifton 10-0 Jeppe
Clifton 7-3 Pretoria Boys High
Clifton (1) 5-5 (2) St Andrew’s College
Clifton 6-3 Paul Roos Gimnasium
Kearsney 10-9 Paul Roos Gimnasium
Kearsney 11-6 St Andrew’s College
Kearsney (2) 9-9 (3) St Stithians
Kearsney 12-8 Westville Boys’ High
Kearsney (1) 8-8 (3) St David’s Marist Inanda
Kearsney (2) 7-7 (3) SACS
St Charles 2nd Team Tournament
Kearsney 12-3 Curro Hillcrest 1st
Kearsney 4-5 Michaelhouse
Kearsney 14-3 St Charles
Kearsney 7-6 Woodridge u16
Kearsney 5-4 Northwood
Kearsney 5-3 Hilton
u15 Indigo Cup
Kearsney 11-1 Maritzburg College
Kearsney 5-5 St Stithians
Kearsney 12-1 Pretoria Boys High
Kearsney 6-1 St David’s Marist Inanda
Kearsney 14-1 Jeppe
Kearsney 16-2 St Benedict’s
Kearsney 14-3 SACS
Kearsney 11-5 Michaelhouse
Kearsney 8-5 Hilton College
u14 Ken Short Festival at Jeppe
Kearsney 12-1 Pretoria Boys High
Kearsney 16-2 St Benedict’s
Kearsney 9-3 Affies
Kearsney 15-1 Parktown Boys’ High
Kearsney 4-2 KES
Kearsney 1-4 St David’s Marist Inanda
Kearsney 4-1 St Stithians
Kearsney 4-5 St John’s College
3rd: Kearsney 9-4 Clifton 2nd
4th: Kearsney 7-12 Clifton 3rd
5th: Kearsney 3-9 Clifton 4th
6th: Kearsney 10-5 Clifton 5th
7th: Kearsney 10-5 Clifton 6th
15B: Kearsney 10-3 Clifton
14B: Kearsney 3-5 Clifton u14A
14C: Kearsney 6-6 Clifton u14B
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