Cricket:
Far flung festivals featuring the first and U15A cricket and basketball sides didn’t dull the luster of a full weekend of fixtures between Michaelhouse and coastal rivals Durban High School.
Home side Michaelhouse enjoyed a slight edge on the ledger of cricket results, winning six of the 11 encounters; although DHS enjoyed a clean sweep in the U14 age group, winning all three games. House returned the favor in the age group up. Following an unbeaten year in 2022, Michaelhouse’s U15C unit have gone winless in 2023, but with nothing to lose, they swept to a comfortable 8 wicket win on Saturday. Eight wicket wins became something of a trend on the weekend with the fourth XI (Matt Solms 48*) winning and both the U16A and second XIs capitulating by the same margin. House’s thirds weighed in with an all-round team effort with three batsmen chipping in with 20 or more towards the total of 140, and five bowlers pitching in with wickets to cut DHS 39 runs short of the win. Franko Bocking was the destroyer in chief for the U16Cs claiming 3/7 off his four overs with Noah Bates sealing DHS’s fate, both with ball (2/8) and bat, wrapping up the chase in style with a monster six for the seven-wicket victory. Alex Roberts wreaked havoc in the DHS U16B batting lineup, helping himself to 5/9 off his four overs on the way to his side securing a good 36 run win. Match of the day was surely the U15B cliff hanger. Defending 110 with the visitor’s chase on 104, Josh Strudwick was tossed the ball to handle the final over. And that’s just what he did, calmy dispatching DHS’s last two batsmen, ensuring the thrilling 6 run win!
Water Polo:
House’s fourth and fifth water polo teams enjoyed a good day, winning all four of their matches in a triangular outing with College and Northwood. It was all Michaelhouse the previous afternoon where Houses won six from six in the pool against visitors DHS.
House also enjoyed the lion’s share of ticks in the win column in the basketball programme, triumphing in ten of the 14 starts including wins for the U16A (36-28) and U14A (32-21) sides.
Squash:
The weekend also kick-started the provincial squash season. The opening tournament attracted a strong field of players from across the province. A perennial squash powerhouse since the game was first instituted at Michaelhouse in 1928, the school posted several standout performances across the age groups:U19
Jacob Sinclair 1st
Anesu Nduru 3rd
Josh Hoatson 4th
Benjamin Harper 9th
U16
Justin Higginson 1st
Connor Hatfield 12th
Matt Stanistreet 16th
Sumeshin Naidoo 17th
U14
Callum Fly 5th
Sports report compiled by Michealhouse.
Photos are of our two squash players who placed first in their age groups at the provincial squash tournament.
