Maritzburg College sports news from the past week achievements.

College’s water polo, basketball and cricket teams were up against Durban High School this weekend. Some of the cricket matches were cancelled due to waterlogged pitches, but overall, College secured 10 wins from 13 cricket matches, with one tied. Our basketball teams continued to perform well winning 12 of the 18 games.

Congratulations to James Gotte who finished in 1^st place in the U16 K1 category at the Dam2Dam

race closely followed by Matt Rawson in 3^rd place.

Basketball

College’s basketball teams won 12 of their 18 games against DHS, with the 1^st team continuing their great performance and winning 50-41.

1^st team report (Mr Jacques Wilcock, MIC: Basketball)

A gloomy day in Berea was the only dull moment of this encounter, and a hostile home crowd was a clear indication of the massive challenge that awaited College. DHS came out the blocks running to take the lead, fighting off College’s attempts to get back into the game. An exciting second quarter saw 38 points scored, ending with a 5-point difference between the two teams. The fourth and final quarter saw College start on the back foot, 33 – 36 down, before coming back strongly to outscore DHS by 12 points and end as victors 50 – 41. C Siyongwana had an outstanding performance with a double-double, followed a good supporting cast of M Zakwe and N Ngcobo. It was a fantastic team effort showing great tenacity and determination.

Summary of results:

Cricket

College secured 10 wins from their 13 cricket matches against DHS, with one tied. The 2^nd XI secured a good 5-wicket win playing at home on Goldstones, and the U14E must be congratulated for their outstanding performance which saw them win their match against DHS by 156 runs. Although beating Grace earlier in the week, unfortunately, the College’s 1^st XI produced a poor batting performance against DHS losing by nine wickets, and will need to work hard to bounce back for the home matches against Kearsney later this week.

1^st team report vs DHS (Mr Robbie Coutts: 1^st XI coach)

The Maritzburg College 1st XI travelled to Durban to face DHS on the Theobald Oval. College skipper Chad Mason won the toss and opted to bat, the aim being to set DHS a challenging target. However, DHS had other plans as they unleashed a disciplined bowling attack that consistently found breakthroughs, stifling College’s efforts to build partnerships.

College found themselves in deep trouble early on, with the top order collapsing to 7 for 4. Struggling to rotate the strike, the batsmen were unable to settle, and DHS dominated the opening session. The only resistance came from a 39-run partnership between Mason and Karl Dedekind, which briefly challenged DHS and put them under pressure. But once this stand was broken, College’s innings unravelled further, and they struggled to post a meaningful total, bowled out for 77 in 32 overs.

DHS came out to chase with confidence and raced to 79 for 1 in just 17 overs, sealing a decisive victory. College’s only wicket came from an outstanding piece of fielding by Sphamandla Dzanibe, whose direct hit from cover provided a moment of brilliance in an otherwise challenging day for the visitors.

Scores in brief:

College 77 all out; Mason 22

DHS 79 for 1

DHS won by 9 wickets

Summary of scores:

Water polo

Summary of scores:

Canoeing

Results from day 1 at the Dam2Dam cycle race saw James Gotte finish in 1^st place in the U16 K1 category closely followed by Matt Rawson in 3^rd. Well done boys!

Report sent from: Sally J Upfold (Director: Marketing & Communications)

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