Visitors to the Midlands, Kearsney College looked in mid-season form when they weathered the challenges of the heat, the altitude, and the discomforts of an away-game fixture.
Basketball:
Despite losing 12 of the 22 basketball clashes, Michaelhouse’s basketball administration will feel as though they bagged the ones which mattered. House’s first team avenged their 2022 defeat to Kearsney with an emphatic 62-41 win. Denied any opportunity to trouble the scorer during the second quarter of the match, the boys from Botha’s Hill did well to salvage some respectability in the final score line. House also chalked up a solid 42-27 win in seconds and came away with good victories for the third, fourth, sixth and seventh team outfits. A 24-18 win for the Michaelhouse U16A boys was emulated by the U5A lads clinching their own 24-12 win; but the U14A boys endured a trickier start to their high school basketball careers, going down 5-16.
Cricket:
Up the avenue on the Roy Gathorne Oval, Michaelhouse suffered their second heavy loss to a rampant Kearsney College first XI in the space of a week, as they were skittled for 138 attempting to chase down the visitor’s 142/3 off their 50 overs. Murray Hall Jones’ 52* was instrumental in the Michaelhouse second XI’s three wicket win; while Edwin Miller’s 3/7 and Josh Southwood’s 3/12 and a swashbuckling 56* were pivotal in what was a nail biting seven wicket win for House’s thirds. In a celebration of cricketing depth at both schools, Kearsney’s fourths and fifths recorded good wins over their rivals from Balgowan.
House’s U16A batsmen fell just 38 runs short of chasing down Kearsney’s 166/6 in the day’s only fixture in the age group. Cameron Jones (50) and Graydon Leslie (80) kept House’s U15A in the chase until Kearsney’s death bowling sealed an entertaining 20 run win on Meadows. The home side’s B team averted three Ls in the U15 results column with their three wicket win. Wonga Mlonzi’s 53 wasn’t enough to ensure a dream start to the Michaelhouse U14B team’s high school careers as his side fell only 20 runs shy of a win. House’s U14A maturely handled the challenge of a talented visiting outfit, patiently accumulating 208/7; their youthful energy demonstrated by the fact that the team ran more than half of their total in what was oppressive Midlands heat. Right arm seamer Rex Wardlaw and left arm spinner Nathan Simons then set about strangling the chase, limiting Kearsney to 6/3 off their first ten overs before some stubborn batting resurrected some hope of a win. Ultimately a measured game in the field concluded a 30 run win for the hosts. House’s C team win wrapped up a good maiden day of cricket for the boys from Balgowan.
Water Polo:
It was all Kearsney in the aquatics complex. While the home U15A side were able to close the previous year’s seven goal differential to a single point for their 4-5 loss, the visitors came away with wins in the U14A (14-6), U14B (16-2), second (8-3) and first team (11-9) water polo fixtures. Michaelhouse’s thirds, fourths and fifths salvaged a little pride in the pool, all coming away with good wins.
Sports Report compiled by Michaelhouse Marketing.
Photo credit: Martin Ashworth
Image 1: Michaelhouse first team player Oliver Walters takes a shot
Image 2: Michaelhouse keeper Campbell Ridl
