25 March 2023
Durban High School enjoyed an excellent day on the Blue and Gold AstroTurf against their traditional rivals, Maritzburg College, maybe even a historically good one. After watching the host’s 1st team put up a 2-1 victory, their first over College since 2009, DHS Director of Hockey, Michael Baker, commented: “This is huge. Also, the under-14A and under-16A teams won. I don’t know if that has ever happened.”
The truth is College has traditionally ruled this fixture, much as they have ruled against most other schools, so this was a milestone success for DHS. And, no, it had nothing to do with College being below their usual standard. Their hockey was as solid as it always is. However, the history books will show that on Saturday, 25 March 2023, the honours belonged to DHS.
High intensity
The first quarter of the 1st team match was played with high intensity, with DHS working hard to pressure Maritzburg College high up the field and trying to force the visitors to play down their left, thus keeping the ball on Durban High School’s strong stick side.
While DHS was often successful in forcing College to play on the left flank, the boys from the KZN capital dealt with that pressure well and were composed in effectively extricating themselves from the DHS press, more often than not.
Both teams managed to create opportunities in their opponents’ circles, with the best one falling to DHS after a baseline run drew the College defenders away from the middle of the D, where Aldridge Maasdorp lurked. He received the pass with a little time and space available and managed to get a shot away from close range. His effort, however, was denied and the teams ended the quarter all-square.
In the second quarter, the Blue Typhoon broke open the contest with a goal from a penalty corner, with Matlhatse Sebake zipping a drag flick past Nick Holmes’ stick, to the goalkeeper’s right (See below).
Credit to Maritzburg College, they immediately responded with a swift attack down the right flank and, after the cross found the stick of Asanda Khumalo, goalie Keelan Henry was called upon to make a sharp save, down low to his right.
With just over a minute left in the half, it was almost 1-1. College took a quick hit just inside the DHS 23, shifting the ball wide right to captain Bryn Brokensha, who quickly stopped, spun and centred the ball. There, Julian Konnigkramer deflected it, but it passed less than a ruler’s length outside of the keeper’s right-hand post and DHS maintained their one goal advantage at the break.
Paid the price
After half-time, DHS put College under considerable pressure, pinning the red-black-and-white deep into their half, and forcing them to concede a string of penalty corners. College were finding it difficult to transition from the back and through the DHS midfield, and it soon seemed they had paid the price for conceding those shorties.
Matlhatse Sebake found the back of the net once more, this time his drag flick beating Holmes to his right, but higher than his earlier goal-scoring shot. However, the ball had not exited the circle after being stopped and the DHS lead remained only a single goal.
Eventually, though, DHS reaped further reward from a PC. Sebake, who had shown the danger he posed at the set piece in no uncertain terms, was standing on the second castle, in a more central position, but the injection, quick and accurate, went to the first castle. Thanks to the speed of the injection, Lethabo Bogacwe was able to transfer his body weight fully through the drag flick.
Goalkeeper Nick Holmes tried to stop it to his right, but the shot was too quick for him and it passed between his glove and stick before he could close the gap.
DHS celebrated as they took a 2-0 lead. They appeared to be on their way to a victory. However, Maritzburg College is known for its fighting spirit and the visitors were not about to lie down. They came back hard at the home team.
College almost found an immediate reply. They forced a penalty corner from the restart after making good ground up the right-hand flank. Then, from the PC, they opted for a direct hit from skipper Brokensha. He struck a good shot to the keeper’s right, but Henry got down smartly, laying out like a log, to deny the College captain before also sweeping the ball clear and out on the right-hand flank.
Reward for College
College’s efforts, though, were rewarded as time expired in the third quarter, and this time it was the red-black-and-white who benefitted from a penalty corner.
From the injection, working a variation, Brokensha slipped a pass to his right, but DHS were alert to the danger and prevented College getting off a shot. The visitors, though, did just the right thing, instead driving towards the baseline before laying the ball back towards the near post, where Brokensha redirected it.
The shot had just enough force to sneak by Ruben Peters, who partially stopped it on his reverse side, but had to watch the ball bounce its way over the line.
The fourth stanza brought no change to the final score-line, but DHS came ever so close to adding to their tally, with a Bogacwe drag flick deflecting off the keeper’s right-hand glove and into the right hand upright.
At the final whistle, DHS celebrated a deserved victory over their traditional rivals, who had brought much to the game.
Many eyes would have been on DHS star Lerou Ditlhakanyane, deservedly so, after he helped the South African under-21 team win the Africa Junior Cup, but full marks to DHS for not forcing play through him when, so often at schoolboy level, there is a tendency to put way too much on a star player’s plate. They were, instead, able to deliver a well-balanced performance.
“A brilliant coaching staff”
Reflecting on victories in the three main games, DHS Director of Hockey, Michael Baker, complimented the support he has received from the school: “They have given me a bit of licence,” he said. “I’ve got a brilliant coaching staff. If you look at us, we’re close, we’re all friends, we’re all together. They’re celebrating when the 1st team wins. We just have [regular] conversations together [about hockey]. As you can see, I’m happy.”
He explained, too, how the new Blue and Gold AstroTurf played a role in the victory, creating opportunities that previously likely would not have existed.
Having the facility, he said, allowed the players to focus more time on academics. Also, they no longer have to take a bus to and from practice. “That has given us more time. You look at our short corners today. Previously, I hadn’t been able to work on those things. We never had enough turf time. We can get a lot more specific now, which, as you can see, there is a bit of a difference.”
There was more than a bit of difference. On this day, those penalty corners were worth three goals, very nearly a fourth, and a programme-affirming victory.
Confidence
Baker said he had spent a lot of time working on the DHS team’s culture and focused on team-building in the past three weeks, aiming to instil confidence in his charges. Clearly, that worked.
“They’re winning at the moment, and, when you’re winning, I think it is easy to be confident.”
However, he cautioned: “I don’t want to get too excited. I know sport. We could lose the next three games on the trot. But we’re definitely happy now.”
Maritzburg College may be less enthused with the results, but they have the pieces in place to improve by leaps and bounds and, it should be pointed out, the first term is not yet over.
It’s very early in the season, with schools set to play in various festivals around South Africa during the forthcoming first term break, where the opportunity to play a good number of games in a short span of time is likely to lead to rapid improvements and some much-needed, valuable fine-tuning.
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