1st X1 Cricket match report,
St Charles College vs Maritzburg College (as reported by Head Coach Divan van Wyk)
It was a beautiful Saturday in Pietermaritzburg, one of those quintessential summer days that breathe excitement and anticipation into every cricket lover. The atmosphere around the field carried that special City Derby energy — a sense of pride, rivalry, and tradition.
The fixture was hosted at Maritzburg College, on the iconic Goldstones, a surface that has consistently offered good value for batting throughout the season. Both teams entered the match with confidence and high expectations.
Winning the toss, St Charles College elected to bat first — a decision that, on paper, aligned with what the wicket had suggested all season: bat first, post a total, and let scoreboard pressure do the rest. However, this Saturday proved slightly different, as the surface remained superb and true throughout the entire day.
Despite the early morning challenge of slight movement off the surface, Thando Zama and Christiaan Prinsloo gave St Charles College a solid foundation, playing positively against a disciplined Maritzburg College attack. Both batsmen looked well set before departing in the 20’s — dismissals that came just as they seemed ready to push on. The partnership that truly defined the St Charles innings came from Caleb Sharp and Rico Honiball, who combined superbly for a 100-run stand for the third wicket. Their partnership showcased composure and class — rotating the strike and punishing anything loose. In hindsight, the pair might feel they left a few runs on the table during the middle overs, where Maritzburg College’s spinners tied things down effectively with tight lines and well-set fields. As the innings entered its final phase, Connor Simpson and A.J. Bosman brought much-needed momentum. Bosman, in particular, was outstanding, playing a fluent and confident innings of 43 not out off just 30 balls — a display of clean hitting and calm finishing that suggested he may be ready for a higher position in the order going forward. At the close of their 50 overs, St Charles College posted a competitive 245 for 7, a total that reflected a strong team effort on a good batting wicket.
Maritzburg College’s reply started cautiously under pressure from Rowen Rajah, who struck early to remove the dangerous Nadasan, caught smartly by Dylan Leppan on his return to the side. At 24 for 1 after 5 overs, St Charles College had their tails up. However, the home team steadied the ship through De Bruyne and Barath, who built an important partnership of 82 runs that laid the foundation for the chase. Barath played with composure and control, anchoring the innings with a well-made 84, while De Bruyne’s support ensured momentum never faltered. The turning point came with Carl Dedekind’s superb innings — a match-winning display that swung the contest decisively in Maritzburg College’s favour. Dedekind’s knock combined power and placement, and he deservedly took home the honours as Player of the Match, in my books, guiding his side to an excellent victory.
While the result did not go the way of St Charles College, the fixture was played in excellent spirit, a true reflection of the long-standing respect and rivalry between these two schools. There were plenty of positives to take forward — partnerships, intent, and individual performances that bode well for the rest of the season.
A fitting day of schoolboy cricket on Goldstones — spirited, competitive, and memorable.
1st Team Basketball: St Charles College vs Maritzburg College (as reported by MiC Ben Myburgh)
The basketball 1st team walked into Saturday’s derby fixture down 3 starters and their head coach. With the odds largely stacked against them, the boys knew they were in for the toughest game of their season. However, they strode forward, bolstered by previous Matric captains Shaun Sithole and Matthew Naude helping to provide leadership and assistant coach Myburgh stepping in to fill the shoes of Head Coach Holcomb.
The boys showed incredible tenacity on the defensive end of the floor and grade 10 Khwezi Simelane played an outstanding game dropping 33 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Led by his efforts, the boys were able to bring the game to within 5 points with 3 minutes remaining in the game. However, costly turnovers and missed free-throws was their undoing as College pulled away in the final 2 minutes to win 58-45.
Despite all their setbacks, the St Charles College 1st team showed a grit and tenacity that made our school proud.
