20 December 2024
16 December
The Dolphins were hard-pressed to win on the opening day of the Khaya Majola Week when they took on Eastern Province at Wynberg Boys’ High‘s Jacques Kallis Oval.
Bowling first, the KZN side did a fine job with the ball, limiting EP to only 107 all out; low scores would become a feature of the week.
Xander Elkington held the Eastern Province innings together, scoring 50 and was at the crease for 87 of the 107 runs his team scored. Next best was Dawid Vermaak, with 18.
Glenwood‘s Bandile Mbatha did the damage, knocking over 5/16 in 5.2 overs. Sandiswa Yeni, of Kearsney, bagged 3/22 as the Dolphins’ bowlers enjoyed the conditions. The challenge was that the team’s batsmen needed to also negotiate the tricky pitch.
In the end, they scraped a two-wicket win, but EP did themselves no favours by conceding 18 extras, which included 16 wides, to the three runs and two wides, surrendered by Ross Coetzee (feature photo) and his men.
The Kearsney College batsman also played the key innings for the Dolphins, a patient and unbeaten 39 from 91 deliveries, which included four fours and a six, with Clifton‘s captain Shahzaad Perumal, opening the innings, producing the second-best score of 20.
Esa Gangat spun his way to a tidy haul of 3/18 from nine, while Cayden Wilson claimed 3/25 from 9.3, but Eastern Province was, in part, undone by the extras they conceded.
SCORES
Eastern Province 107/10 (Xander Elkington 50, Bandile Mbatha 5/16, Sandiswa Yeni 3/22); The Dolphins 108/8 (Ross Coetzee 39*, Shahzaad Perumal 20, Extras 18, Esa Gangat 3/18, Cayden Wilson 3/25)
The Dolphins won by 2 wickets
The Tuskers faced a tough opener, taking on the hosts, Western Province, at Rondebosch Boys’ High.
They batted well, although, with five batsmen making it to 20, they would have liked to have seen more of them push on to consequential scores.
St Charles‘ opener Cian Fortmann led the way, cracking six fours in his innings of 50 from 70 balls, while his school captain, Marcell Wellmann contributed 30. Sphamandla Dzanibe, of Maritzburg College, was unbeaten on 27 when the Tuskers’ 50 overs were completed, while Hilton College‘s Charles Swart weighed in with 22 as the Tuskers finished on 196/8.
Raeeq Daniels, playing on his home ground, captured 3/38 in his 10 overs, while his fellow new ball bowler, Timothy Short, also from Rondebosch, picked up 2/37 in 10. Mbulelo Dube added a return of 2/48.
Province lost the highly regarded Adnaan Lagadien cheaply, bowled by Hilton’s Natenzi Denenga for three, and Rowen Rajah, of Saints, sent Kashief Joseph packing for 22.
Siyabonga Venge and last year’s SA Schools’ captain, Beni Hansen, then took the game away from the Tuskers by sharing in a stand of 104 for the third wicket. It was ended when Rajah and Hilton’s Ben Hockly combined to run out Venge for a well-played 57 from 67, which featured nine fours and six.
Hansen stuck around for a while longer and was eventually out for 58, bowled by Marcell Wellman. That left Province on 164/4.
Daniel Bosman, with 24, and Paul James, with 19, then saw the home side to victory without the loss of a further wicket.
Wellmann bowled a tight 10-over spell, picking up 1/33 with his left-arm spin, while Denenga finished with 1/26 from seven, and Rajah picked up 1/35 in 10.
SCORES
The Tuskers 196/8 (Cian Fortmann 50, Marcel Wellmann 30, Sphamandla Dzanibe 27*, Daniel Nadasan 26, Raeeq Daniels 3/38, Timothy Short 2/37, Mbulelo Dube 2/48); Western Province 197/4 (Beni Hansen 58, Siyabonga Venge 57, Daniel Bosman 24*, Natenzi Denenge 1/26)
Western Province won by 6 wickets
17 December
Day two brought the Dolphins another win and it was a convincing one over a dangerous Boland side.
Another good performance in the field restricted the Wine Farmers to just 130 all out. Johan Wege was the cornerstone of the Bolanders’ effort, making 49, while Christiaan Wege made 24. The Dolphins’ lines were nowhere near as good as they were the previous day, though, with 17 wides contributing to a total of 20 extras.
Glenwood skipper Ntando Soni captured a tidy 3/17 in 6.2 overs, while Sandiswa Yeni took 2/27 in seven, which was the least economical return as the Boland batsmen struggled for momentum. Westville Boys’ High‘s left-arm spinner, Roxton Payne, gave little away, snaring 1/19 in 10.
The Dolphins replied with 131/5 in 33.5 overs, but there were some moments of concern. Max Robertson delivered a crucial knock of 55 at the top of the order, but the Dolphins were jolted when Bandile Mbatha fell for a duck and Ross Coetzee followed, run out for a duck, too, which reduced the KZN boys to 34/3.
Following the dismissal of Shahzaad Perumal, the Dolphins were on 82/5, with the game up for grabs, but the Northwood duo of Nqobani Mokoena and Mfana Shange combined for an unbroken stand of 49 to see the Dolphins to a solid win.
Opening bowler Taywin Adams claimed 2/36 in six, while Callum Appollis, with 1/15 in 10, and Christiaan Wege, with 1/22 from his 10, slowed the Dolphins to a walk. That wasn’t enough in the end.
SCORES
Boland 130/10 (Johan Wege 49, Christiaan Wege 24, Ntando Soni 3/17, Sindiswa Yeni 2/27); The Dolphins 131/4 (Max Robertson 55, Mfana Shange 26*, Nqobani Mokoena 21*, Taywin Adams 2/36)
The Dolphins won by 6 wickets
The Tuskers scored a comfortable 47-run win over Free State in their second outing, played on Frank Reid Field at Bishops.
For a long while, it appeared as if it would be the Free Staters’ day, but Maritzburg College’s Chad Mason then turned the match with the fifth-best return at the Khaya Majola Week since 1994.
Again, the Tuskers’ batsmen could have delivered so much more, with seven batsmen making it into double figures, but they had to settle for 209/9 from their 50 overs, which was, nonetheless, a decent score in the conditions.
College’s Daniel Nadasan top scored with 38, while Cian Fortmann weighed in with 34. His fellow opener, Ben Hockly made 28, while Ikusaselihle High‘s Siposethu Ngcobo chipped in with 23.
The Free State bowlers shared the wickets around, with Darion Rabie snaring 2/25 in 10, while Meyer Pretorius took 2/41 and Hendru de Wet 2/47.
In reply, Free State made an excellent, flying start, with Christiaan Kind and Naudé Botha cracking 93 for the opening wicket in 11.5 overs before Botha fell LBW to Chad Mason for 59 from 50, with 10 fours and a six.
Mason, the fifth bowler introduced into the Tuskers’ attack, proceeded to lay waste to the Free State batting. In 10 overs, which included two maidens, he captured a sparkling 7/27.
Kind made 55 from 58, but the next best score after the two openers was 11 by both Hendru de Wet and Meyer Pretorius, as Free State’s challenge fell away, and they were all out for 162.
A measure of how much Mason challenged the batsmen could be seen in the fact that he bowled three and had another three trapped LBW.
SCORES
The Tuskers 209/10 (Daniel Nadasan 38, Cian Fortmann 34, Ben Hockly 28, Siposethu Ngcobo 23, Darion Rabie 2/25, Meyer Pretorius 2/41, Hendru de Wet 2/47); Free State 162/10 (Naudé Botha 59, Christiaan Kind 55, Chad Mason 7/27)
The Tuskers won by 47 runs
18 December
After back-to-back wins, the Dolphins’ iffy batting performances cost them in their third outing against the Titans. Playing at Curro Durbanville, they fell to a 64-run defeat.
The Titans didn’t have a particularly good day at the crease, but 51 from Marcus Bakker and 41 from Charl Prinsloo were the most important contributions to their 192 all out. Wian Ruthven, with 26 at the top of the order, also did his bit.
Nqobani Mokoena led the Dolphins’ attack with three wickets, although he was a trifle expensive, going for 57 from his 10 overs. Sandiswa Yeni picked up 2/8 in three, while Semal Pillay, the captain of DHS, bowled tidily for his 1/32 from 10.
In response, the Dolphins found run-scoring difficult, advancing at only three an over until they were bowled out for 128 in the 43rd over.
SA u19 opening batsman, Steve Stolk, made his most important contribution with the ball, taking the first three wickets to fall, which left the Dolphins punch-drunk on 19/3 in the sixth over. Marcus Bakker, then, bowled Westville’s Nicandro Kistna in the very next over, without the addition of a run.
Dolphins’ skipper Ross Coetzee stubbornly resisted, spending 91 balls out in the middle for the innings’ top score of 31, while Nqobani Mokoena weighed in with a run-a-ball 22, but the KZN team came up well short.
Stolk completed his 10 overs with a haul of 4/33, while Bakker snapped up 2/14 in 5.2.
SCORES
The Titans 192/10 (Marcus Bakker 51, Charl Prinsloo 41, Wian Ruthven 26, Nqobani Mokoena 3/57, Sandiswa Yeni 2/8); The Dolphins 128/10 (Ross Coetzee 31, Nqobani Mokoena 22, Steve Stolk 4/33, Marcus Bakker 2/14)
The Titans won by 64 runs
The Tuskers also went down, losing by six wickets to the Central Gauteng Lions.
They mustered only 130/8 in their 50 overs against the defending champions, led by Siposethu Ngcobo’s 29 and 24 from Kwanele Nqayi, of St Charles.
Opening bowler Corné Botha was both economical and penetrative for the Lions, capturing 3/10 in 10. His opening partner, Cole Francis, claimed 2/30 in eight, while left-arm spinner Sipho Potsane delivered a tight 10 overs and picked up 1/23 in 10.
The Tuskers didn’t have enough runs to defend. All that the Lions needed was a decent partnership or two, and they got them.
The opening pair, Armaan Manack and Jason Rowles, both from St David’s Marist Inanda, put on 58 for the first wicket in 11.1 overs before Rowles was LBW to Chad Mason for 29. He also trapped Ruan Strauss in front for six, but Manack went on to make 44 from 52, with four fours and two sixes, to guide his team towards the win.
An unbeaten 30 from Tiaan Goosen, then, saw the Lions home by six wickets in the 33rd over.
SCORES
The Tuskers 130/8 (Siposethu Ngcobo 29, Kwanele Nqayi 24, Corné Botha 3/10, Cole Francis 2/30); Central Gauteng Lions 131/4 (Armaan Manack 44, Tiaan Goosen 30*, Jason Rowles 29, Chad Mason 2/24)
Central Gauteng Lions won by 6 wickets
19 December
Day four brought another extraordinary performance out of Chad Mason as the Tuskers won a low-scoring clash, which produced only 146 runs for the loss of 20 wickets, against Eastern Province.
At the Western Province Cricket Club, only three Tuskers’ batsmen made it into double figures, as the Inland side tallied just 79 all out, which made Cian Fortmann’s run out for 13 especially costly. Sphamandla Dzanibe’s 16 was almost the highest score, but extras took it with 19.
Cayden Wilson bowled superbly to finish with 4/15 from 9.5 overs, while Jadwyn Cona lent him good support with 3/25 in eight. Three runs outs was not good for the Tuskers.
However, they made a good call by giving Natenzi Denenga and Chad Mason the new ball. The paceman got the ball rolling by dismissing Luphelo Mdyesha for a duck, and Mason then took over with his leg-spin.
In another decisive performance, he removed five batsmen at a cost of 35 runs from nine overs. Marcell Wellmann delivered crucial support, snatching 3/8 with his left-arm spin in just 3.3 overs.
Cayden Wilson struck a six and a four in a 13-ball stay, which produced 18, Eastern Province’s top score. Only Kian Cambier, with 16, joined him in double figures, but EP was all out for a paltry 67.
SCORES
The Tuskers 79/10 (Extra 19, Sphamandla Dzanibe 16, Cayden Wilson 4/15, Jadwyn Cona 3/25); Eastern Province 67/10 (Cayden Wilson 18, Kian Cambier 16, Chad Mason 5/35, Marcell Wellmann 3/8)
The Tuskers won by 12 runs
Playing for a place in the final against a resurgent Central Gauteng Lions team, which had bounced back well from losing its first two matches, the Dolphins went down by eight wickets on Frank Reid Field.
They batted well enough, putting up 218/8 in their 50 overs, with Ross Coetzee, again, showing how to do it with the innings’ top score of 63 from 84 balls, which included only one four, but also two sixes.
Max Robertson cracked 29 from 28 and Ntando Soni showed off his all-round ability with 25. Five batsmen, though, fell for less than 20 after reaching double figures.
Cole Francis was the pick of the Lions’ bowlers, taking 3/26 in eight, while Corné Botha picked up two sticks, although he went for 59 runs from his 10 overs, and Jason Rowles snared 2/36 in 10 with his spin.
Central Gauteng made a solid start to their reply, with Armaan Manack and Rowles posting 48 for the first wicket before Manack was bowled by Ntandi Soni for 23.
Pranav Raichetti and Rowles then took the game away from the Dolphins, sharing a decisive 143-run partnership in 30.5 overs before Rowles was caught by Roxton Payne off the bowling of Shahzaad Perumal for 75. He’d spent 75 balls at the crease and struck six fours and a six.
Raichetti went on to a century, finishing on 106 not out, which included 15 fours and a six, to see the Lions through to the final against Western Province.
SCORES
The Dolphins 218/8 (Ross Coetzee 63, Max Robertson 29, Ntando Soni 25, Cole Francis 3/26, Jason Rowles 2/36, Corné Botha 2/59); Central Gauteng Lions 219/2 (Pranav Raichetti 106*, Jason Rowles 75, Armaan Manack 23, Shahzaad Perumal 1/23, Ntando Soni 1/40)
Central Gauteng Lions won by 8 wickets
20 December
The Tuskers met the Titans n their last match and failed to solve the puzzle presented by their opponents.
Batting first, the Tuskers delivered a miserable 72 all out. Charles Swart stood out, compiling an unbeaten 39 from 70, with three fours and a six, but Chad Mason, with 11, was the only other batsman to go beyond single figures.
All six of the Titans’ bowlers enjoyed success. Mohammed Borabat snapped up 2/4, Marcus Bakker 2/11, Charl Prinsloo 2/15, and Divan de Villiers 2/17. Steve Stolk and Nayleo Sanna claimed a cheap wicket each.
Stolk, then, produced the kind of knock that makes him so dangerous at the top of the order. He blasted an unbeaten 57 from 45 balls, clubbing five fours and two sixes, to almost single-handedly steer the Titans to a seven-wicket win in just 14 overs.
Between them, the other five batsmen contributed a mere 11 runs, but that, with 10 extras, saw them to victory.
Rowen Rajah removed Wian Ruthven and Marcus Bakker cheaply, on his way to 2/17 from four, while Michaelhouse‘s Ross Moller also claimed a wicket.
SCORES
The Tuskers 72/10 (Charles Swart 39*, Mohammed Borabat 2/4, Marcus Bakker 2/11, Charl Prinsloo 2/15, Divan de Villiers 2/17); The Titans 78/3 (Steve Stolk 57*, Rowen Rajah 2/17)
The Titans won by 7 wickets
The Dolphins signed off on a high note, with Ross Coetzee leading from the front. He scored 96, the team’s highest score of the week, as they powered their way to a lopsided 153-run win over Boland.
Coetzee spent 111 balls out in the middle and hit 10 fours and a six while coming up just one more four short of a century. He and Mfana Shange shared a telling partnership of 133 for the third wicket, with Shange going on to finish with 62 not out from 121 deliveries.
Max Robertson weighed in with 26, Nqobani Mokoena tacked on 22, and Nicandro Kistna made 21 as the Dolphins totalled a useful 255/5.
Taywin Adams took 2/50 in 10, while Callum Appollis snared 1/33.
Nqobani Mokoena, then, led the Dolphins’ attack, knocking over 5/22 in six as Boland stumbled to 102 all out. DHS speedster Bayanda Majola played his part by removing two batsmen at a cost of 30 runs.
Christiaan Wege top scored for the Bolanders with 22, just ahead of opening batsman Chad Ayford, who made 21, but the Wine Farmers were unable to muster even half the runs they required for victory.
SCORES
The Dolphins 255/5 (Ross Coetzee 96, Mfana Shange 62*, Max Robertson 26, Nqobani Mokoena 22, Nicandro Kistna 21, Taywin Adams 2/50); Boland 102/10 (Christiaan Wege 22, Chad Ayford 21, Nqobani Mokoena 5/22, Bayana Majola 2/30)
The Dolphins won by 153 runs
Western Province was the only unbeaten team heading into the final day. Thus, it was fitting that they beat the Central Gauteng Lions by five wickets to finish as the champions of the 2024 Khaya Majola Week.
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