St Charles College Sports Report :St Charles College vs DHS
The Saints were up against Durban High School on Saturday. Unfortunately, all the cricket matches were cancelled due to the weather as well as all outdoor basketball. However, basketball matches still took place in the indoor SK Arena and the 1st XI cricket team participated in the Clifton T20 tournament. The games played are reported on by our head coaches as follows:
1st XI Cricket (as reported by Head Coach, Divan van Wyk)
It has been a different kind of week for the St Charles College First XI, with the focus shifting to the shorter format of the game as they participated in the Clifton T20 Tournament. Unfortunately, the team had to endure two abandoned matches due to the weather in Durban, limiting their opportunities to compete.
However, when they did get on the field, they made it count. In their opening pool match against a strong Glenwood High School side, St Charles College bowled first. The bowling attack, led by Rowen Rajah, Caleb Sharp, Kaiyuran Naidoo, and Ryan Clarke, executed their plans perfectly, restricting Glenwood to a below-par total of 123 in their allotted 20 overs.
In the chase, Rico Honiball was in devastating form, blasting a breathtaking 45 off just 15 deliveries. His aggressive start set the tone, and Connor Simpson finished the job in style—sending multiple deliveries crashing into the Standard Bank office park. St Charles College secured a bonus point victory, chasing down the target in just 13 overs.
T20 vs Kearsney College
Two days later, the team faced Kearsney College in the Eliminator. After winning the toss and electing to bowl, St Charles College found themselves in a tight contest. Despite a strong bowling effort, a brilliant innings from Kearsney’s Cole propelled his team to 173.
The chase was thrilling, with captain Rico Honiball once again leading from the front. Rowen Rajah and AJ Bosman provided crucial contributions in the latter stages, keeping St Charles College in the hunt. However, inexperience in the batting lineup proved costly, as the team fell just three runs short of what would have been a remarkable victory.
Despite the narrow defeat, there is plenty to be excited about with this First XI. Their performances in the tournament showcased immense potential, and with continued effort and development, this team is certainly one to watch. The season rolls on, with the Tuskers 100 Ball playoffs looming, as well as a final summer Game Day versus Kearsney College.
1st Team Basketball (as reported by Head Coach, Darren Holcomb)
Having lost their first game of the term a week earlier, St Charles College looked to bounce back at home against long-time rivals Durban High School. However, having lost their first encounter against DHS during the stayer’s season, this was not going to be an easy ask and DHS showed this from the onset of the first whistle.
DHS got off to an extremely quick start scoring the first 9 points of the game. St Charles College, looking a bit bewildered at the initial pressure, battled to find their rhythm making silly turnovers and missing makable shots. However, the home team managed to find some flow by focusing on their defence. With their focus on help defence and staying vertical to avoid unnecessary fouls, the Saints forced DHS to take some tough shots and capitalised on this through their transition offence. Nonetheless, despite the defensive efforts, the game was extremely tight throughout.
With their continued grind on the defensive end, SCC managed to open a 10-point lead in the final period. As time started running low, DHS was forced to take quick shots and foul to stop the clock. St Charles College was up to the challenge, knocking down the critical free throws to maintain their lead and pick up a gutsy 73 – 66 win.
