Strong finish to the Saints Summer Season
St Charles College finished the summer season in style with very competitive games across the codes. The first water polo tournament in AquaPark was a great success and we thank Mr Richter for initiating this opportunity for the boys before the end of the season. The 1st team basketball and cricket were highly motivated to finish the season well and both achieved wins against respected rivals, Northwood. The cricket and rugby reports, as written by head coaches Divan van Wyk and Darren Holcomb, are as follows:
St Charles College hosted Northwood on a beautiful summer’s day for the final senior school summer sports fixture of the term — and it proved to be a memorable occasion.
After winning the toss, the Saints 1st XI elected to bowl first. Despite the picturesque conditions, rain the night before left the wicket slightly slow and spongy early on. As expected, it eased as the innings progressed, but it required discipline and patience from both sides.
Northwood adopted a cautious and measured approach, which paid dividends. A composed second-wicket partnership of 88 between De Bruyn and Slater steadied their innings and laid a solid platform. However, the momentum shifted dramatically when spearhead bowlers Jack Richards and Jayden Saville struck in quick succession to remove both set batsmen.
Richards, who has produced match-winning spells before, delivered another outstanding performance — claiming three wickets in a single over to leave the Northwood batting line-up reeling with just one wicket remaining. A final partnership of 10 runs pushed Northwood to 194 all out in the 47th over, leaving three unused overs that could have proven significant. Credit must go to St Charles’ disciplined bowling attack, who conceded just five extras — a testament to their accuracy and control.
In reply, St Charles faced early pressure before the fightback began. Christiaan Prinsloo and Connor Simpson steadied the innings with a crucial fourth-wicket partnership of 45. Simpson’s innings was brought to an end by an excellent catch, but the momentum was building.
Caleb Sharp entered and batted beautifully alongside Prinsloo, adding a vital 50-run stand. The ever-reliable Relebogile Mokoena contributed meaningfully before Sharp was unfortunately run out at a pivotal stage. With the match finely balanced, Owen Widows — who has a reputation for finishing games — once again delivered under pressure. His composed partnership of 48 guided St Charles College to victory, securing a hard-fought two-wicket win.
St Charles College closed out the first-term summer season in fantastic fashion, defending their home ground and showcasing resilience, composure, and belief. Congratulations to the First XI on a superb performance, and credit to Northwood for a well-contested and spirited fixture.
KZN 10 Tournament – A Fitting Finale
The KZN 10 Basketball Tournament this past weekend was a superb culmination to the season and a true reflection of how far the Saints team has come. Facing the very best basketball schools in the province, the team produced arguably their most consistent and composed performances of the year.
St Charles College topped their pool with confidence, playing disciplined, high-intensity basketball on both ends of the court. The boys executed their game plans with maturity, defended with purpose, and showed excellent composure in tight moments. Big wins over Hilton College, Westville, Clifton, and Northwood were particularly pleasing and underscored the progress made throughout the season.
Advancing to the semi-finals was richly deserved and spoke volumes about the team’s growth. In the semi-final, the Saints came up against a strong Kearsney College side. While the result did not go our way, the boys competed bravely and with pride, leaving everything on the court.