With this year’s Khaya Majola Boys U19 Cricket Week taking place in the stunning Western Cape, anticipation is high as teams accustomed to local conditions prepare to dominate the competition.
Day One results certainly indicate that Gauteng and Titan batters are struggling to adapt to the challenging bowling conditions. The Titans, boasting a formidable lineup, faced a tough run chase against Boland. In a standout performance, Charlie Hofmeyr’s Leolan Davids delivered a match-winning 4/30, leading Boland to a memorable victory over one of the tournament favorites.
Meanwhile, the KZN Dolphins kicked off their week with a nail-biting win. In a low-scoring affair, the express pace of Glenwood seamer Bandile Mbatha proved too much for Eastern Province, as he sliced through the bottom order with an impressive 5/16, bundling them out for a mere 107 runs. However, the Dolphins made their run chase unnecessarily difficult, losing wickets at regular intervals due to careless shots. Only captain Ross Coetzee steadied the ship, guiding his team to a tense two-wicket victory.
Expectations were high for the Gauteng Lions, featuring several players who have excelled throughout the season. However, their big names struggled against Free State, who set a challenging target of 196 runs thanks to Christian Kind from Grey College, who narrowly missed out on a century with a valuable 90 runs. The Free State bowlers maintained pressure by taking wickets at crucial moments, ultimately leaving the Lions 22 runs short of victory.
In contrast, SA Schools captain Benni Hansen led his Western Province team to a comfortable six-wicket win over KZN Inland Tuskers. As hometown favorites, WP restricted the Tuskers to 196/8, which included a solid half-century from St Charles College’s Cian Fortmann. Hansen and Siyabonga Venge then combined for a brilliant partnership of 126 runs to secure their first win of the week.
Day One of the Khaya Majola Boys U19 Cricket Week showcased dominant bowling performances across the board. Despite several batters getting starts, none managed to score a headline-grabbing century. With excitement building for Day Two, fans eagerly await what thrilling moments lie ahead!
Results Day One:
Free State 195/10 (Christian Kind 90, Dakalo Leketa 48, Jason Rowles 3/40, Ruan Strauss 2/22, Cole Francis 2/41); Central Gauteng Lions 173/10 (Corné Botha 46, Armaan Manack 37, Richard Seletswane 25, Kamogelo Phiri 22; Darion Rabie 3/24, Otto Krause 2/14, Meyer Pretorius 2/17, Hendru de Wet 2/29). Free State won by 22 runs.
Tuskers 196/8 (Cian Fortmann 50, Marcell Wellmann 30, Sphamandla Dzanibe 27*, Daniel Nadasan 26, Charles Swart 22; Raeeq Daniels 3/38, Timothy Short 2/37, Mbulelo Dube 2/48); Western Province 197/4 (Benni Hansen 58, Siyabonga Venge 57, Daniel Bosman 24*, Kashief Joseph 22). Western Province won by six wickets.
Boland 219/10 (JJ van der Sandt 59, Chad Ayford 45, Jevohndré Jacobs 44, Stefan Conradie 23; Charl Prinsloo 4/24, Divan de Villiers 3/36); Titans 195/10 (Divan de Villiers 70, Lethabo Phahlamohlaka 33, Marcus Bakker 22, Tshepang Laka 29; Leolan Davids 4/30, Sibulele Makeleni 2/48). Boland won by 24 runs.
Eastern Province 107/10 (Xander Elkington 50; Bandile Mbatha 5/16, Sandiswa Yeni 3/22); Dolphins 108/8 (Ross Coetzee 39*, Shahzaad Perumal 20; Esa Gangat 3/18, Cayden Wilson 3/25). Dolphins won by two wickets.
Mpumalanga 231/7 ( Nathan Duncan 46, Jayden Meyer 39, Bruce Nel 24, John Duncan 22; Coetzee du Preez 2/28); Limpopo Impalas 227/9 (Lukas van der Merwe 62, Maaz Mabummad 44*, Hanno van Zyl 38; Vaughn van Zyl 2/30, Sibonelo Skhosana 2/37, Curtleigh Koetzee 2/44). Mpumalanga won by six runs
CSA Invitational XI 202/8 (Paul Matlala 40, Vihan Pretorius 39*, Ruben Groenewald 25, Nkosana Sibiya 22; Nathan Rossouw 2/25, Brendin Mathyse 2/32, Marneau Dreyer 2/49); North West 69/8 (Caiden Seleka 28; Dayalan Boyce 3/16, Ryall Julies 2/7, Paul Matlala /12). CSA Invitational XI won by 132 runs
Easterns 166/9 (Jaden Govender 44, Sabelo Mabanga 38, Xavier Coetzee 25, Parth Patel 24; Liviwe Bawuli 3/22, Jesse Lewis 3/24, Trent Huisamen 3/36); Garden Route Badgers 165/10 ( Kurt Botha 28, Keano Coerecius 27, Joof Enslin 23, Trent Huisamen 23; Parth Patel 2/16, Wian Pieters 2/29). Easterns won by one wicket.
Northern Cape 120/10 (Ryan Denston 4/15, Canton Hartnick 3/18, Hlumelo Ntola 2/54); Eastern Cape Inyathi 121/1 (Adam Rogers 43*, Jacques van der Merwe 31*, Bevanoe Mayhtam 28; Raul Williams 1/15). Eastern Cape Inyathi won by nine wickets.
