17 December 2024
The Dolphins and The Tuskers produced mixed results at the CSA u16 Boys Week, which was played in Pretoria from 10-14 December. The Tuskers, though, will point to a comfortable win over the Dolphins on the second day of competition as a cause for celebration.
No team in the Platinum Section compiled a clean record, but Free State, with outstanding contributions from FG Botha, who was named the Week’s top all-rounder, cruised through their Gold Section matches.
10 December 2024
On the opening day, the Dolphins were saved by the weather in their outing against Western Province at St Alban’s.
The Capetonians struggled somewhat against the KZN side’s bowling attack, but two of their batsmen made some inroads, with half-centuries from Michael Kruiskamp and Muhammed Ameen Schroeder propelling them to 235/9.
DHS all-rounder Taine Havemann, with 4/46, led the Dolphins’ bowling effort, while Kearsney‘s Litha Gonya and Kyle McGough, of Westville, picked up a pair each.
When rain stopped the game, the Dolphins were on 58/6 in their reply, with only Glenwood‘s Kressan Pillai, who was on 31 not out, having managed anything worthwhile with the bat. Michail Tarentaal had done the damage, knocking over 3/7
SCORES
Western Province 235/9 (Michael Kruiskamp 78, Muhammed Ameen Schroeder 66, Taine Havemann 4/46, Litha Gonya 2/24, Kyle McGough 2/46); Dolphins 58/6 (Kressan Pillai 31*, Michail Tarentaal 3/7)
Match drawn
The Tuskers, meanwhile, made a strong start to the Week, cruising to a straightforward seven-wicket win over the SWD Garden Route Badgers, also at St Alban’s, thanks mainly to a stunning bowling performance from Michaelhouse‘s Liam O’Dwyer.
He destroyed the Badgers’ innings, capturing 6/5 in 6.4 overs, three of which were maidens. Kairuyan Naidoo, of St Charles College, and Reece Willson, from Maritzburg College, weighed in with 2/16 and 2/17 respectively.
Then, Hilton College‘s Obakeng Motsepa and Ben Wilson guided the Tuskers to victory, with solid innings of 36 not out and 25 being enough to see the side to a comfortable victory.
SCORES
SWD Garden Route Badgers 85/10 (Daniel du Plessis 51, Liam O’Dwyer 6/5, Kaiyuran Naidoo 2/16, Reece Willson 2/17); Tuskers 87/3 (Obakeng Motsepa 36*, Ben Wilson 25)
Tuskers won by 7 wickets
11 December 2024
Day two brought a big showdown between the two KZN sides on the Tuks Oval and it went the Tuskers’ way despite a fighting all-round performance from Tristan Delvin for the Dolphins.
He compiled their top score of 31 as the coastal side posted only 127 all out.
Kaiyuran Naidoo, who enjoyed an excellent week with the ball, sent four batsmen packing at a cost of only 16 runs, while opening bowlers, Sechaba Gude, of Hilton, and Reece Willson, laid the foundation, picking up two sticks apiece while removing the top four batsmen in the order, which left the Dolphins in big trouble on 19/4 in the eighth over.
Opening batsman, Ben Wilson, then, did a superb job of summing up the situation. He anchored the Tuskers’ innings, spending 142 balls out in the middle for an undefeated 63, which helped steer his side to 128/6 after 42 overs, and with that a four-wicket victory.
SCORES
Dolphins 127/10 (Tristan Delvin 31, Keegan de Jager 28, Kaiyuran Naidoo 4/16, Sechaba Gude 2/12, Reece Willson 2/15); Tuskers 128/6 *Ben Wilson 63*, Thandanani Zuma 22, Tristan Delvin 3/22, Bonga Maphanga 2/23)
Tuskers won by 4 wickets
12 December 2024
Back at St Alban’s, the Dolphins bounced back in a big way on the third day, running roughshod over the SWD Garden Route Badgers to record a massive 183-run victory.
Strangely, despite the gaping margin of victory, the highest score achieved by a Dolphins’ batsman was 40 by Northwood‘s David de Bruyn. This was supplemented by scores in the thirties from Kyle McGough, of Westville, Kressan Pillai, and Clifton College‘s Shiraz Perumal. Tristan Delvin added 24.
The Badgers’ reply fell apart early as Perumal, Litha Gonya, and Kressan Pillai picked up three wickets apiece. Perumal (feature photo), who set a Clifton College 1st XI record for the most wickets in a season in 2024, conceded only four runs with his attacking leg-spin, while Gonya gave up just 14 runs, and Pillai only 20.
Daylenn Williams finished with an unbeaten 21 and Jordan Ross made 20, but the Badgers tumbled to just 77 all out.
SCORES
Dolphins 260/10 (David de Bruyn 40, Kyle McGough 37, Kressan Pillai 34, Shiraz Perumal 32, Tristan Delvin 24, Matthew Coleman 3/55, Qhamani Veiwer 2/34, Hanno Swart 2/47); SWD Garden Route Badgers 77/10 (Daylenn Williams 21*, Jordan Ross 20, Shiraz Perumal 3/4, Litha Gonya 3/14, Kressan Pillai 3/20)
Dolphins won by 183 runs
Flying high after their win over the Dolphins on the Tuks Oval, the Tuskers were brought back down to earth at the same venue after a sub-standard batting performance against Western Province, which led to a seven-wicket defeat.
Thandolwethu Zama, of St Charles, paced the KZN team with 25 runs, but it was the only performance of note in a disappointing 68 all out. Benjamin Blackburn ripped through the Tuskers’ batting, snaring 5/12, while Joseph-John Rothman and Unathi Magoloza both claimed 2/9.
That was never going to be a big enough total to defend. Kaiyuran Naidoo did his best, knocking over 3/24, but Province batted circumspectly and grafted their way to a seven-wicket win after 24.3 overs. They were led by Tyler Heyns, who scored 27.
SCORES
Tuskers 68/10 (Thandolwethu Zama 25, Benjamin Blackburn 5/12, Joseph-John Rothman 2/9, Unathi Magoloza 2/9); Western Province 69/3 (Tyler Heyns 27, Kaiyuran Naidoo 3/24)
Western Province won by 7 wickets
13 December 2024
A solid all-round performance brought the Dolphins a very good win over Boland, who had scored convincing victories over the highly regarded Titans and Eastern Province previously.
Batting first, the Wine Farmers mustered 134 all out, with Abriam Jacobs scoring 43 and Wian Munnik an unbeaten 31.
Shiraz Perumal led the Dolphins’ attack, with the Clifton ace snaring 3/34. David de Bruyn contributed 2/4, Kearsney’s Bonga Maphanga 2/22, and Tristan Delvin an extremely tidy 2/10 from 10, which included five maidens.
It was the Westville combination of Kyle McGough and Tristan Delvin that then steered the Dolphins to victory in the 37th of their 50 overs. McGough was unbeaten on 57 and Delvin on 31, and together they put on an unbroken 82 to see their side to another win.
SCORES
Boland 134/10 (Abriam Jacobs 43, Wian Munnik 31, Shiraz Perumal 3/34, David de Bruyn 2/4, Tristan Delvin 2/10, Bonga Maphanga 2/22); Dolphins 135/5 (Kyle McGough 57*, Tristan Delvin 34*, Ronan Meintjies 2/8, Dion Slabber 2/20)
Dolphins won by 5 wickets
The Tuskers eked out a heart-pounding eight-run win over the Central Gauteng Lions at St Alban’s in a match that was decided on the DLS Method.
After a stuttering start from the Tuskers, Obakeng Motsepa worked hard for 51 from 103 balls to play the key innings in his side’s 166 all out. Further good contributions were made by Reece Willson, with 34, and St Charles College’s Ryan Clarke, who made 25.
Connor Kuijers undermined the KZN team’s batting effort by snapping up 4/18 in 10 overs.
In reply, the Lions finished on 116/6 after 38 overs, which left them a little shy of victory.
College’s Akhil Barath delivered a match-winning spell, picking up 5/20 in 10 overs, after the Central Gauteng openers, Ombesa Matsha and Nkosana Sibiya had posted a comfortable 75 for the first wicket in 18.4 overs.
Matsha led all scorers in the game, making 53, while Sibiya weighed in with 30.
Credit must also go to Kairuyan Naidoo, who put the brakes on the Lions’ run scoring, conceding a miserly 14 runs from his 10 overs. He might not have picked up a wicket, but that return was a vital contribution to the Tuskers’ win.
SCORES
Tuskers 166/10 (Obakeng Motsepa 51, Reece Willson 34, Ryan Clarke 25, Connor Kuijers 4/18); Central Gauteng Lions 116/6 after 38 overs (Ombesa Matsha 53, Nkosana Sibiya 30, Akhil Barath 5/20)
Tuskers won by 8 runs on DLS Method
14 December 2024
Following a very good win over Boland, the Dolphins were well beaten the hosts, the Titans, on the last day of the CSA u16 Week.
Vihan Pretorius struck 65 as the home side posted 214/8 at the University of Pretoria. Keamogetswe Semenya lent good support, with 41 not out, while there were also twenties for Righardt Joubert and Rico van der Walt.
Shiraz Perumal, with 2/40, was the only Dolphins’ bowler to pick up more than one wicket.
In response, the Dolphins toiled to 104/8 after 30 overs, leaving them the losers by 87 runs on the DLS Method.
Taine Havemann showed off his all-round game with 42 not out from only 48 balls, with four fours and a six, but, apart from 21 from Kressan Pillai, he received little support.
Neoentle Makweta led the Titans’ attack with 3/26 from nine overs, while Rehaan Patel seized 2/30.
SCORES
Titans 214/8 (Vihan Pretorius 65, Keamogetswe Semenya 41*, Righardt Joubert 25, Rico van der Walt 22, Shiraz Perumal 2/40); Dolphins 104/8 after 30 overs (Taine Havemann 42*, Kressan Pillai 21, Neoentle Makwela 3/26, Rehaan Patel 2/30)
Titans won by 87 runs on DLS Method
In a well-contested game, the Tuskers came up 19 runs short against Eastern Province on the St Alban’s Oval.
EP, batting first, owed plenty to Markus Potgieter. His 72 helped them to 209 all out, with Connor Parry‘s 38 and other decent contributions from Sulaymaan Gangat and Andrew Muir also helped them beyond the 200-mark.
The College boys, Reece Willson and Akhil Barath, picked up three wickets each, with Willson going for 34 runs and Barath for 42. Saints‘ paceman, Connor Vogt, knocked over 2/24.
Barath and Willson, then, led the way with the bat in the Tuskers’ reply of 190 all out. Barath made a breezy 51 from 58, striking eight fours, while Willson chipped in with 24. Ben Wilson and Ryan Clarke both made exactly 20.
Rhys Wiblin snapped up 3/32 for EP, while Jordan Damons and Sulaymaan Gangat claimed two apiece as the boys from the Eastern Cape finished their week on a high.
SCORES
Eastern Province 209/10 (Markus Potgieter 72, Connor Parry 38, Sulaymaan Gangat 28, Andrew Muir 20, Reece Willson 3/34, Akhil Barath 3/42, Connor Vogt 2/24); Tuskers 190/10 (Akhil Barath 51, Reece Willson 24, Ben Wilson 20, Ryan Clarke 20, Rhys Wiblin 3/32, Jordan Damons 2/29, Sulaymaan Gangat 2/34)
Eastern Province won by 19 runs
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