Kearsney College sports report over the weekend:
CRICKET
Hilton 1st X1: 272/6 – Swart 103, Roux 90; Browning 3-32, Weyer 1-37, De Jager 1-44
Kearsney 1st X1: 273/4 – Coetzee 111, Veenstra 104*, De Jager 21 (34)
Kearsney won by 6 wickets
College lost the toss on a belter of a track in hot windless conditions, and Hilton College had no hesitation in electing to bat, believing scoreboard pressure would have a significant say in the game on a deck on which bowlers were destined to toil.
The game promised to be an epic encounter. At 26/3 Hilton were in a little strife, but enter the classy Charles Swart (103) and Jayden Roux (90) to add to a cavalier 28 from Simon Steyn. They ensured that Hilton finished on a formidable 272/6 at the conclusion of 50 overs.
Playing in sweltering conditions in which the fielders were showing a dash of fatigue, the pick of Kearsney’s bowlers was Ryan Browning with respectable figures of 3/32 in 7 overs, and Ross Coetzee with 0 for 35 in 10.
Chasing the mammoth total was never going to be easy. Jack O’ Donovan (5) and Keegan de Jager (21) were tasked with weathering the aggressive pace of Ethan van Heerden and Natenzi Denenga and then the gloves were off. Spectators were privy to an incredible partnership of 210 between two talented young men. In a majestic display of batting, Ross Coetzee (111) and Cameron Veenstra (104*) set about the Hilton bowling, virtually getting Kearsney over the line. Murray Weyer with a quickfire 10* ensured victory with Cameron Veenstra still at the crease, and Kearsney won by 6 wickets with 5 overs to spare.
This was a memorable encounter between two foes who have been playing for over a century and it was certainly schoolboy cricket at its best.
Kearsney captain Ross Coetzee was playing in his 100th match, to become the highest-capped player in the history of the College, and guided his team to victory with an impressive 111 runs.
WATER POLO
Kearsney had a historic weekend in the Top 10 tournament, claiming the overall trophy for the first time in 30 years, and finishing in the top three of their respective age categories.
It was particularly memorable for 1st team captain Blake Kruger who ended the season with 176 caps, to become the most capped 1st team player in the College’s history.
KZN TOP 10 POSITIONS:
1st teams – 1 Kearsney, 2 Hilton, 3 Westville
U15 – 1 Clifton, 2 Hilton, 3 Kearsney
U14 – 1 Clifton, 2 Kearsney, 3 Hilton
Overall – 1 Kearsney, 2 Hilton & Clifton
Kearsney’s 1st team water polo squad faced formidable opponents at the annual Top 10 Tournament held at Westville Boys’ High.
In the opening match against Northwood, Kearsney took an early lead and showcased strong defence, securing a 5-1 advantage by half-time. Northwood fought back in the second half, however, levelling the score at 5-5. With just 10 seconds remaining, Levi Thom scored the decisive goal, sealing a 6-5 victory for Kearsney.
The second game pitted them against Hilton. Despite a hard-fought battle, Kearsney narrowly lost 9-11. It was a great performance, but they weren’t as sharp on the day.
The third game was against Michaelhouse. After a slow and steady first chukka, where Kearsney held a 2-1 lead, the team pulled away in the second and third chukkas, eventually winning comfortably with a final score of 11-4.
Reddam House Umhlanga, Curro Hillcrest and Thomas More College combined to form a co-ed team for the tournament. Kearsney dominated this match, winning 16-4.
Kearsney finished second, behind Hilton, in the pool stages. First place advanced to the semi-finals, while second place played against the third-placed team from the opposite group for a chance at the semi-finals.
In a display of resilience and determination, Kearsney emerged victorious with a 5-3 win over Clifton College, to secure a semi-final against Westville Boys.
Having only 90 minutes break between games, teams were undeniably fatigued. Westville was a tough opponent, and Kearsney had lost to them by a single goal two weeks earlier. This time, however, they were determined and succeeded – winning 7-5 to secure a place in the final against Hilton College.
In the final, facing Hilton for the third time in two weeks, it was a tightly contested match. Hilton took an early lead, going up by one in the opening minutes, but Kearsney managed to end the first quarter with a 2-1 lead; and held on to the advantage for the remainder of the game, clinching the championship with a narrow 8-7 victory.
BASKETBALL
Kearsney 1st team lost to Northwood 1st team 58-79
Kearsney hosted perennial basketball powerhouse Northwood on Saturday in a large fixture with 20 teams playing over four age groups.
It was a big game for two Kearsney players: Luca Borrageiro who received his 100th 1st team cap and James Hastings-Brown, 50 caps.
The 1st team match should have been a one-sided affair as Northwood has many talented players to call on, and Kearsney is in a rebuilding phase. However, this was not the case as the Kearsney team was determined to prove that they belonged at this level and were willing to do what was necessary to remain competitive.
In the first quarter, Northwood took an early lead with the Kearsney team struggling to handle the physicality and sheer size of Northwood’s big men. The quarter ended 17-10 in the visitors’ favour.
Kearsney fought back in the second quarter through some accurate shooting and forced Northwood into some careless turnovers. The teams went into half-time with Kearsney leading 25-23.
Northwood stepped up a gear in the third quarter managing to score 30 points while Kearsney was not able to score as freely. They did not have an answer to the Northwood’s powerful play or the quickness of their guards. Despite this Kearsney was only 10 points behind, 43-53 with one quarter to go.
The young Kearsney team showed a lot of fight. They were still in the match but, despite one of their best offensive quarters, were not sufficiently able to disrupt Northwood’s offense and ended up losing 58-79.
Top Performers
Kearsney: Pabatso Sithole 23 points; Kwakhule Sibiya 7; James Hastings-Brown, Kabo Ramadebedi and Sibongokuhle Miya 6
Northwood: Siyamtanda Shabala 24 points; Lusanda Hlongwane 19; Mitchell Igboegwa 17; Simamukelo Vacu 9
SQUASH
Kearsney’s 1st squash team travelled to the Cape Town Stayers Squash Festival over the weekend. The boys competed well against strong competition from around the country, notching up wins against Wynberg Boys’ High and Kingswood College, but losing to Menlo Park, St John’s College and Grey High.
Report sent from Sue Miles at Working Words.