KZN derbies include surprise package Kearsney against Glenwood
A sneakily good KZN derby fixture is scheduled for Dixon’s Field on Saturday, where Glenwood will welcome Kearsney College for a limited-overs match.
The Green Machine, on their home ground, presents a difficult proposition. Their attack is, mostly, spin-focussed, and coupled with their intense fielding, it makes them a challenging team against which to score big totals.
Kearsney, meanwhile, heads into the contest after back-to-back limited overs wins over Durban High School (DHS) and Northwood. The boys from Botha’s Hill have been the surprise of the season thus far. They’re very young, but they’ve shown they’re up for any challenges.
Batting on Dixon’s, though, will present them with one of the highest pressure challenges they will face. Still, in those previous wins over DHS and Northwood, Kearsney received important batting contributions from five different batsmen – Asher Hollister, Rivan Moodley, Keegan de Jager, Cole Young, and Nic Comrie – which should stand them in good stead against Glenwood. They’re not reliant on one or two sources.
Left-arm paceman Litha Gonya has been an excellent spearhead for Kearsney’s bowling attack, and against Northwood, he received superb support from a trio of spinners – Nic Comrie, Matthew Gorrie, and Rivan Moodley – who shut down the Knights‘ middle order.
Last weekend, Glenwood played well in a win at St Charles. Their intense fielding brought them two crucial runs out, and they followed up on that with a disciplined batting response, led by opener Karabo Ntsieng and Krian Jugoo. More questions surround their batting than their bowling, but another dollop of what they dished up in Pietermaritzburg would serve them well.
All-rounder Kyle Bryan, a very challenging prospect with his off-spin on Dixon’s, could be a key player in the clash. Akhil Maharaj, too, has been among the wickets.
Durban High School vs Michaelhouse
DHS visits Michaelhouse off the back of a loss at the in-form Westville Boys’ High. They’ll feel there were aspects of their game that let them down, which, if they improve those, would raise their level.
They, for instance, lost five wickets on Bowden’s, but three of those were to run outs. Without those kinds of setbacks, School has batsmen, including Ismaeel Omar and Josh van Biljon, who have shown an ability to bat long, and with that time at the crease, they score big. They’ll be especially excited by Omar’s strong recent form after he made an uncharacteristically slow start to the season.
On the bowling front, they’re blessed with a couple of strike bowlers in Bayanda Majola and Taine Havermann. They’re capable of taking wickets no matter the conditions. Left-arm spinner, Dhilan Naraidu, is also an attacking bowler and a regular wicket-taker.
Michaelhouse’s batting has been inconsistent, with way too many single-figure contributions thus far. They’re not short of players who have performed well at first-team level in the past, though, including Ethan Muir, Graydon Leslie, Kian Blignaut, Michael Blignaut, and Ben Heuer, but they need to find their collective form.
‘House’s bowling has been good. Their openers, Thandanani Zuma and Luke Mitchell, have done a good job. Jean-Luc Rey, too, has enjoyed some success, and they’ll look to players like Harry Vickery and Radhesh Jhilmeet to also make an impact.
Both teams could do with a win and an injection of confidence on the Roy Gathorne Oval.
Hilton College vs St Charles College
Another side that could do with a change in fortune is Hilton College. They host St Charles College on Saturday. Hilton has some hugely talented players in their ranks, but coach David Griffith’s men have been inconsistent this season.
As is sometimes the case, when teams are blessed with outstanding batsmen – and Hilton has those in their openers, Ben Hockly and Alex Pitman – if they don’t fire, the remainder of the batsmen struggle to get going. Robert Burman and Jayden Roux are more than capable, but they would benefit from spending good time out in the middle.
On the bowling front, Hilton possesses pleasing variety, mostly from their spinners. Sechaba Gude and Jayden Roux lead the attack, while Benoit Rey, Luke Campbell, David Hill, and Simon Steyn present different challenges with their spin.
St Charles has played some good cricket recently. Thus, it was something of a surprise when they were beaten at home by Glenwood last time out.
Opener batsman, Thando Zama, has been among the runs, while captain Rico Honiball and Caleb Sharp, have been two of the more consistent run-scorers.
Saints has a well-balanced bowling attack, led by Rowen Rajah, who generates good pace. AJ Bosman, who is blessed with good height, has made his mark in recent weeks, and Kairuyan Naidoo is a proven performer with his off-spin.
Really – and this could apply to any of the KZN sides, considering we’re still waiting for the first century of the season on the province’s pitches – much will depend on the top order of both teams.
Maritzburg College vs Clifton College
Maritzburg College has enjoyed a strong season thus far, especially on Goldstone’s, and that’s where they meet Clifton College on Saturday.
College skipper Daniel Nadasan is usually not a fast run scorer, but he very capably holds up an end, keeps the scoreboard ticking, and accumulates runs. He appears to be rounding into form, and that allows other batsmen to feed off him. He’ll be a key wicket for Clifton. Karl Dedekind, also, has played some good innings, and he can knock it around at a good rate.
The success of the Red, Black, and White has, mostly, been built around their bowlers. They’ve enjoyed decisive spells from many different sources, and that makes them dangerous. Samuel Hughes, Reece Willson, Sphamandla Dzanibe, Nathan Pembridge, Dom du Toit, and Daniel Nadasan have all played prominent roles in College’s victories.
Clifton has been on a bit of a roller-coaster ride. They’re a veteran team, having lost only two players at the end of the year, and they came into 2025 on a hot streak, having performed very well at the end of 2024. They’ve not quite clicked yet, however.
It’s an early season pattern that Clifton’s Director of Cricket, Brandon Scullard, has had to deal with over the past two or three seasons.
Make no mistake, they’re very capable, and they have received good contributions from various players this season, but it has been a little hit-and-miss.
Captain Tim Saulez has set a good example with bat and ball, and his batting, especially, has been vital to Clifton’s challenge. Byron Ward, Zach Williamson, Hayden Drieselmann, Caleb Naicker, Cristiano Borrageiro, and Muhammed Malek have made occasional contributions, but they will be aiming for more regular runs.
Saulez also spearheads the Clifton attack, and he has a useful partner in the tall Regan Radley, who uses his height nicely. Caleb Naicker‘s done a neat job, but the biggest threat is posed by Shiraz Perumal. The leg-spinner turns it and can also generate drift through the air. Blake Johnson, an orthodox left-arm spinner, presents another tidy and effective spin option.
Both College and Clifton have the pieces in place to deliver good performances. College would be the more confident outfit heading into the contest, but Clifton has greater experience and will know what it takes to win under tough circumstances.
Westville Boys’ High vs Northwood School
Westville Boys’ High is on a roll. They’ve lost once all season and have been quickly and quietly racking up victories. They host Northwood on Saturday, having recently beaten the Knights at home in a W100 match. Limited overs, though, is a very different challenge.
Northwood has played some superb cricket this season. They’ve also had moments when they’ve appeared fragile, and that has been mostly in the batting department. Last weekend, Kearsney dismantled them, and the Knights will need to be at their best against Westville’s nagging attack to avoid another sub-standard batting performance.
Much has depended on their top four – David de Bruyn, Ross McGlashan, Tuswa Phetha, and Kyle White – and they have, for the most part, delivered. White, their skipper, is a key player. His team feeds off his performance and his energy. He was hugely impressive in guiding Northwood to a last-ball W100 win over Clifton on Tuesday.
If Westville can get stuck into the visitors’ top order quickly, the Knights could be in trouble. However, Morgan Jones, last week, and Jamie Wimble, on a number of occasions, have shown up well with the bat.
Dayalan Boyce, an SA Colts selection at the end of 2024, will lead the home side’s attack. Lwandile Bulose, Heath Stott, and Kyle McGough offer seam support, but it’s the left-arm spin duo of Tristan Delvin and Ewan du Toit who present the greatest danger to Northwood. Both have performed well this season, clamping down on run-scoring and picking up wickets.
Like their opposition, Westville leans on their top order for runs. They have good quality in Sean McGough, Kyle McGough, captain Seth Simpson, Tristan Delvin, and Bhaskar Sewlal. Last time out, the McGoughs and Seth Simpson propelled the Griffin to an impressive win over DHS.
They’ll be up against an attack that has fared well in 2025. New ball bowler, Jamie Wimble, keeps it tight and is usually good for two or three sticks, and he has a solid opening partner in Luke Allen.
However, Northwood’s success has, mostly, come from its spinners, led by Jordan Matthews. He’s economical and his nagging accuracy leads to wicket-taking deliveries. Off-spinner Ben Cilliers, especially, has proven himself to be a good foil to Matthews’ bowling. Kyle White, too, adds another useful arm to the Knights’ attack.
FIXTURES
Glenwood vs Kearsney
DHS vs Michaelhouse
Hilton vs St Charles
Maritzburg College vs Clifton
Westville vs Northwood
