Booysen takes five wickets as Waterkloof topples KES in annual derby
A classy display of left-arm off-spin highlighted the annual meeting between Hoërskool Waterkloof and King Edward VII School (KES) on Saturday.
After winning on home soil in 2025, the Klofies again asserted their dominance by claiming a six-wicket victory in Johannesburg, inspired chiefly by the brilliance of Rivan Booysen. He topped the bowling charts, outfoxing five KES batsmen in just 8.1 overs.
His five-wicket haul came at the modest cost of just 17 runs, at an impressive economy rate of 2.8 runs per over, the best across both sides.
Still only in Grade 11, Booysen established himself as a regular for the Klofies while in Grade 10 last year.
He was ably supported by Jean Cloete (2/19), the son of renowned international umpire Johan Cloete, who currently heads the cricket programme at Midstream College.
Among Booysen’s victims was Tiago Dias, the home side’s top scorer, who weighed in with one of the match’s two half-centuries, scoring a well-compiled 54 from 62 deliveries. He received limited support, however, with only Troy Gordon (31) and Abdullah Mohammed (20) offering other meaningful contributions, as the hosts were restricted to 144 all out.
It quickly became clear that 144 was insufficient when the visitors set about the chase with purpose. An opening stand of 42 in just 6.4 overs between Wian du Plessis and AJ de Villiers (22) laid a solid foundation. Du Plessis, then, went on to anchor the innings, remaining unbeaten with a fluent 43*.
With Du Plessis holding down his end, wicketkeeper-batsman Rico van der Walt, batting in his preferred number-four position, took control. He struck the second half-century of the match, compiling 55 from 53 balls, before being run out by Luke Clark shortly before the target was reached.
Connor Kuijers was the home team’s most successful bowler, claiming the wickets of De Villiers and Jean Swart (16) on his way to figures of 2/25 from seven overs. Despite his efforts, the Pretoria school completed a comfortable run chase in only 29 overs.
Summarised scorecard
King Edward VII School 144/10 (Tiago Dias 54, Troy Gordon 31, Abdullah Mohammed 20; Rivan Booysen 5/17, Jean Cloete 2/19); Waterkloof 145/4 (Rico van der Walt 55, Wian du Plessis 43*, AJ de Villiers 22; Connor Kuijers 2/25). Waterkloof won by six wickets.
