Josh Wilkie’s triple-ton sets national week batting record
The spotlight on the first day of the 2025 CSA u16 Boys National Week in Paarl rested on the Eastern Cape Iinyathi and, more specifically, on Selborne College‘s Josh Wilkie.
He treated the crowd at the Dal Josaphat B-Oval to a spectacular, history-making knock, blasting his way to a mind-boggling 334 runs in his side’s mammoth victory of 436 runs over Kei.
It was the highest individual score yet at a national cricket week.
Wilkie smashed the ball to all parts of the ground during his 174-ball innings, which included a whopping 35 fours and an astonishing 18 sixes.
Those 53 boundaries contributed 248 runs to his spectacular 334-run total.
Amyoli Oliphant rubbed further salt into the Kei wounds by chipping in with a half-century before he was run out for 59.
After 50 overs, the Iinyathi had tallied a humungous 518/7.
Jack Bosazza, on as the first-change bowler, then destroyed the Kei batting, capturing 5/21 in just 6.4 overs.
Kei’s reply lasted only 21.4 overs before they were bowled out for 82.
At the Paul Roos Oval, Relebogile Motsepa delivered a key all-round performance as the Tuskers comfortably handled Western Province‘s challenge, winning by a healthy 83 runs.
Motsepa contributed a useful 26 runs to the Tuskers’ 227/9, but he truly stood out with the ball, knocking over 4/20 to lead the Tuskers’ attack and restrict the Capetonians to only 144 all out.
Ryan Clarke was the top batsman for the Tuskers. Batting eighth, he played a gem of an innings that brought him 57 not out from only 45 deliveries. He and Motsepa also shared a vital 67-run stand for the eighth wicket.
Neighbouring Unions, The Lions and The Titans both defended low totals to open their accounts at the week with victories.
Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool‘s (Affies) Zian Labuschagne made his way to the crease with his side struggling on 56/5 in the 28th over of their innings against The Dolphins. He, then, took charge, striking a four and three sixes in his 50 from 61 balls, which helped the Titans to 135/9 on a difficult Parys Oval pitch.
His Affies’ teammate, Nico Loggenberg, then did what he does best, take wickets. He knocked over 4/13 and was well supported by Omphile Maredi, who snared 3/18, as The Dolphins were limited to only 102 all out, 34 runs short of the victory target.
At the Pen Basson Cricket Field, The Lions’s bowlers rolled through the Eastern Province batsmen, sending them packing for a mere 87 runs after posting a modest 130 all out.
St Stithians College‘s Zaakir Hanslo and Zizi Mkhize finished with identical returns of 4/21. Hanslo, however, bowled his full quota of 10 overs, while Mkhize sent down seven. Their efforts led to the Eastern Cape side losing their last eight wickets for only 37 runs from 12.3 overs.
Luan Swart‘s 80 in Mpumalanga‘s total of 212/7 was topped by 81 by North West‘s Ulrich Botha as the Dragons cruised to a six-wicket victory with 10.4 overs to spare at Swartland High School‘s Oval.
Botha, from Potchefstroom Gimnasium, has been in immaculate form throughout 2025, and his innings on Wednesday was an extension of his excellent showings this year. He received useful assistance from his opening partner, Sihle Duma, who made a patient 61 in the pair’s match-winning partnership of 158 for the first wicket.
The Limpopo Impalas bowlers suffered at the hands of the SWD Garden Route Badgers‘ opening batsman, Idan Balzun, on the field next to Dal Josaphat A-Field, where Josh Wilkie was authoring his batting extravaganza.
Balzun stayed focused throughout his innings and faced 140 balls. He narrowly missed out on a century, going out for 98, which played a big role in the Badgers totalling 279/4.
The Impalas mustered 184 all out in response. Opening Sontag Ramatsoma defied the SWD bowlers for 120 balls, top scoring with 65.
Thanks to 75 from Duan Maree and 57 from Xavier van Biljon, lower down the order, Easterns posted a strong 262/8 against Northern Cape at the Welbedacht Cricket Ground. That proved to be more than enough.
Northern Cape’s reply lasted only 28.3 overs, and it ended with them all out for 80. Christiano Moffat had a lot to do with that, nabbing a remarkable 5/22 from 6.3 overs, as Easterns charged to a big 182-run victory in Paarl.
At Boland Landbou, the home side, Boland, raced to an emphatic 10-wicket win over Free State. De Waal Vivier captured 4/23 and Ra-eez Isaacs 3/19 as the Free Staters folded for only 85.
It took Boland only 13 overs to overhaul that sub-standard total, with Abriam Jacobs finishing unbeaten on 53, and Neil Louw ending on 28 not out.
Summarised scorecards
Eastern Cape Iinyathi 518/7 (Josh Wilkie 334, Amyyoli Oliphant 59, Josh Edwards 49*, Extras 32, Mitchell Myerscough 20; Sibahle Bango 2/59, Somila Sgagayi 2/81); Border Kei 82/10 (Extras 24, Sibahle Bango 23; Jack Bosazza 5/21, Aventhanda Manyongo 3/6, Mitchell Myerscough 2/8). Eastern Cape Iinyathi won by 436 runs.
Tuskers 227/9 (Ryan Clarke 57*, Ben Wilson 42, Extras 41, Obakeng Motsepa 29, Relebogile Mokoena 26; Esihle Mazinyane 2/26, Ethan De Heer Kloots 2/42, Raa’id Davids 2/55); Western Province 144/10 (Ibrahim Taliep 40, Janko Webb, Extras 28; Relebogile Mokoena 4/20, Aphile Nzama 2/12, Keegan Vermaak 2/28). Tuskers won by 83 runs.
Easterns 262/8 (Duan Maree 75, Xavier van Biljon 57, Extras 32, Ashley Khumalo 23, Treasure Dube 21; Rulo van der Merwe 4/50, Lefika Matloko 2/60); Northern Cape 80/10 (Extras 20, Vaylen Lombaard 19; Christiano Moffat 5/22, Jake Bevolo 2/4). Easterns won by 182 runs.
Titans 135/9 (Zian Labuschagne 50, Dylan Stander 34; Esihle Gasa 3/32, Josh Mills 2/19, Muhammed Malek 2/24, Rivan Moodley 2/26); Dolphins 102/10 (Aaron Blackburn 30; Nico Loggenberg 4/13, Omphile Maredi 3/18). Titans won by 33 runs.
Lions 130/10 (Urav Mukhija 40, Extras 24, Sohail Seonath 22; Oliver Whittaker 5/24, Kitts McConnachie 2/17); Eastern Province 87/10 (Cale Price 28, Aiden Mitchell 22; Zaakir Hanslo 4/21, Zizi Mkhize 4/21). Lions won by 43 runs.
Mpumalanga 212/7 (Luan Swart 80, Extras 35, Nijan Swart 23, Luan Siebrits 22, Themba Mgidi 22, Benjamin Kazandjis 21*; Ruhann Steenkamp 2/25); North West 213/4 (Ulrich Botha 81, Sihle Duma 61, Extras 50; Kesha Moore 2/44). North West won by six wickets.
Free State 85/10 (Schalk van Rensburg 29; De Waal Vivier 4/23, Ra-eez Isaacs 3/19); Boland 88/0 (Abriam Jacobs 53*, Neil Louw 28*; Michael Sacks 0/6). Boland won by ten wickets.
SWD Garden Route Badgers 279/4 (Idan Balzun 98, Extras 42, Keaton Lambaatjeen 39, Hanno Swart 39, Sange Mayekiso 38; Talent Ndlovu 1/21); Limpopo Impalas 184/10 (Sontag Ramatsoma 65, Extras 39, Masilo Morema 24; Keaton Lambaatjeen 2/33, Johalin Oosthuizen 2/38). SWD Garden Route Badgers won by 95 runs.
