DHS downs Northwood, Verbaan’s first 1st XI century powers Kearsney win
Durban High School leaned on a tried and tested batting approach to score an emphatic eight-wicket win over Northwood on the Robin Smith Oval on Saturday. To make it work, though, their bowlers had to play their part, and they did so superbly in hot and humid conditions.
Josh van Biljon‘s decision to bowl first after winning the toss delivered rewards early and often. Northwood are at their best when their openers, David de Bruyn and Ross McGlashan, play themselves in, but the dangerous duo was dismissed only four balls apart in the fourth over.
Ismaeel Omar caught McGlashan for 13 off Bonga Maphanga. Then, in a critical blow, Taine Havermann ran out De Bruyn for one to leave the Knights on 16/2. Northwood was wobbling, and they continued to absorb body blows.
Maphanga picked up a second wicket when he had Josh Mills caught behind by Van Biljon for four, Josh Morley accounted for Keegan Reeves for nine, and Matt Potgieter removed Luc Boyall for one and Hamza Amla for four as Northwood slipped to 43/6 in the 18th over.
Thomas Oosthuizen and James Searle stopped the slide with a 37-run seventh-wicket partnership, but when Tristan Quail picked up Searle’s wicket, after a patient 16 from 41 deliveries, another collapse followed.
Thabiso Mtambo joined Searle two balls later. In the 36th over, Thomas Oosthuizen was the ninth man to go, bowled by Taine Havermann for the Knights’ top score of 28. Northwood had only one wicket left. They got eight runs out of it, which took them to exactly 100 all out when Maphanga bowled Ryan van Zyl for his third wicket of the innings.
He led the DHS attack with a sharp return of 3/23 from 8.3 overs, while Matt Potgieter claimed a tidy 2/13 off six. The other four bowlers – Taine Havermann, Josh Morley, Tristan Quail, and Seth Edwards – picked up a wicket each.
Then, DHS turned to the batting blueprint that has served them well over the past three years: composed, controlled, and patient application from their top three to lay the foundation for victory, whether batting first or second.
Over the last three years, Ismaeel Omar and Josh van Biljon have filled two of the top three places in the order. In 2024, they combined fantastically with Semal Pillay. Last year, Ethan Cooper took on the role of the third “big gun” with distinction.
In recent outings, Suliman Jadwat has ably fulfilled the requirements of opening the innings with Omar and adding a third sturdy performer to the DHS top order. On Saturday, Omar and Jadwat spent just over 26 overs together on an 85-run first-wicket stand, which sucked the life out of Northwood’s challenge and left DHS with little to do when Jadwat was caught by Trevor van Volenstee off Hamza Amla for 36. He had hit four fours and a six.
That brought Josh van Biljon to the middle to join Ismaeel Omar. They have been, by far, the most successful partnership in KZN schools’ cricket over the past three years. Although they mustered only a 15-run stand on Saturday, which ended when Omar became a second victim of Amla for 47, DHS needed only one run to win. It took them three more balls to get it. Van Biljon was unbeaten on 12.
Hamza Amla, the only Northwood bowler to enjoy wicket-taking success, finished with an impressive 2/12 from five overs.
Kearsney College vs Glenwood High
Kearsney College swept to a big 129-run win over Glenwood on the AH Smith Oval on Saturday, with a contained and focused batting effort being followed by a penetrative bowling performance.
Captain Keegan de Jager‘s decision to bat first was met with an early setback, with Rivaan Moodley going out in the fourth over for six. It took Glenwood another 278 balls and 194 runs to pick up a second wicket. Credit to them, though, despite not enjoying wicket-taking success, they kept the run-scoring in check.
Aaron Blackburn was the second man to go, but by then just three balls remained in the Kearsney innings. His excellent contribution was 87 off 137 balls, including seven that he sent to the boundary.
Esihle Gasa added the wicket of De Jager with the very next ball to finish with a neat return of 2/29 from nine overs. Qhamani Sikutshwa stood out, too, claiming 1/29 in 10.
Neither, though, could get rid of opener, Gary Verbaan. A top performer throughout the age groups on his way to a place in the Kearsney 1st XI, Verbaan showed he is comfortable at the top level, striking seven fours and two sixes in a 155-ball innings that produced an unbeaten 104 runs and his maiden century for the 1st XI.
At the end of their 50 overs, Kearsney had posted 211/3.
Glenwood’s reply, unfortunately for the visitors from Durban, faltered early before a middle-order collapse truly did them in.
Kearsney’s opening bowlers played their part by removing the Green Machine‘s top three, which left them on 23/3 in the eighth over. Then, in the space of 35 balls, the contest was all but decided as Glenwood plummeted from 36/3 to 48/7.
It wasn’t that one bowler caused the collapse either. Three claimed a wicket each, and Gary Verbaan ran out Sebastian Oertel.
Charles Nkwanyana offered stubborn resistance, smashing two fours and two sixes in a 40-ball stay that realised 28 runs, the top score of the innings.
Rivaan Moodley, who had trapped the in-form Mishael Gunawardana LBW earlier in the innings, then brought it to an end, capturing the last two wickets in three balls as Glenwood finished on 82 all out after 30.3 overs.
Moodley snared 3/19 in 7.3 overs with his leg spin, while James Bishop nabbed 2/8 in four, and Michael Groom returned 2/18 in five.
Summarised scorecards
Northwood 100/10 (Thomas Oosthuizen 28; Bonga Maphanga 3/23, Matt Potgieter 2/13); Durban High School 101/2 (Ismaeel Omar 47, Suliman Jadwat 36; Hamza Amla 2/11). DHS won by eight wickets.
Kearsney College 211/3 (Gary Verbaan 104* Aaron Blackburn 87; Esihle Gasa 2/29); Glenwood High 82/10 (Charles Nkwanyana 28; Rivaan Moodley 3/19; James Bishop 2/8, Michael Groom 2/18). Kearsney College won by 129 runs.
