"THE SECONDS HAD A VERY FITTING END," writes Mr Kevin Rall, "to the SCC cricketing careers of Joel Barron, Khivaar Mohinlall and Graham Koch. Kearsney started briskly, and at one stage were approx 80/1. The Saints spinners came on - and the tide changed. The Kearsney lads limped through to 138 all out. In reply SCC were 0/1 and 32/2 when Gareth Rall and Barron batted together for a stand of 76 before Rall fell for 35. Vaughn Moses and Barron saw the team home with Barron 54* at the end of the match.

The U15A side played at Kearsney. They were in heaps of trouble early on but got through to about 120 - a 50 from Pavi Indrjith helped. They then bowled out Kearsney for around 70."

Thanks for these notes and results from Mr Kevin Rall. The results sheet from this game may be downloaded here.

THE MAIN CRICKET GAME was on the St Charles College oval. Shots of this game are above and below.

Well played to Kearsney College and St Charles College - and thanks for joining us today Kearsney. Prefacing his report with, "A top game of cricket to end the season ... before Michaelhouse on 11 January 2011," Mr Dave Karlsen writes of this match:

"Team: Gareth Dukes (Capt), Gregory Ford, Kalin Nundlall, Mzamo Cele, Dean Robinson, Matthew Ford, Jarryd Streicher, Ryan Sclanders, Dex Hobbs, Matthew Tweddle, Burton Weakley

In conditions perfect for cricket saw a massive run fest on the St Charles College Oval. With blue skies, a lightning-quick outfield and a rock-hard pitch the day was set fair for an excellent day's cricket. The sizeable crowd were not to be disappointed with just under 600 runs scored in the day.

Match report
The very hot conditions were always going to give an advantage to the side batting first - and so it proved in the long run with Kearney's very strong batting lineup revelling in curator Peter Allen's perfect batting strip. The Saints started the day by losing the toss and producing a poor opening spell of bowling and fielding. This proved costly and ultimately was the difference between the two sides. Both Michael Airey (103) and Chad Bowes (86) were dropped in their early 20s which the hosts paid dearly for. Although St Charles pulled it back they were always fighting to maintain a foothold in the game. New boy Jarryd Streicher had a magnificent game with bat, ball and some top fielding with his 10 overs going for 38 while all around him battled against the rampant Kearsney batsman. With the hot sun beating down the lads from Harwin Road stuck to their task manfully and at the close of the Kearsney innings had done really well to knock over eight of the visitor's batsman although they had scored a mammoth 334 runs.
Having scored over 300 the week before the hosts were optimistic that the total was not completely out of reach. Putting up a top display with Gregory Ford once again leading the way the hosts were ahead of the required rate well into the 30h over but, as is the case with big run-chases they lost wickets at critical times. The St Charles reply ended in the 49th over 70 runs short of the required total, but had made a fantastic game of it.

Format: 50 overs
Kearsney College: 334 for 8
M Airey 103, C Bowes 86, Josh Perry 31, Kalin Nundlall 3/60
St Charles College: 262 all-out
Dean Robinson 35, Gregory Ford 45, Jarryd Streicher 31, Kalin Nundlall 32, Campbell 3/61
Kearsney College won by 72 runs."

Webmaster | St Charles College Indoor Centre and oval | 2010 11 20

THE JOLLIFE POOL IN THE CITY'S Pine Street this evening was the setting for the annual St Charles Prep School swimming gala. In spite of the excellent times in 2009, more records were broken this evening. Mrs Ben Bray, mother of Ian Bray in Grade 7 handed out the prizes. Well done to all the swimmers. All the boys took part and, as we pointed out last year, "It's important for all to note that in the St Charles Prep EVERY boy participates in the gala. Of course, not all starting dives are going to be slick. Of course, some swimming will be suspect, and sadly, not everyone will swim like their captain of swimming - but that's not the point. SCC boys, as part of a School with an holistic educational mission, will not be exposed to the widespread disease of "spectatoritis" which results in a decline in initiative and enterprise."

Webmaster | Pietermaritzburg | 2010 11 16

The St Charles College oval this morning in the game against visitors, Michaelhouse.

ACTUALLY, IT WASN'T ALL LUCK. Perhaps it was the opposite for the various oppositions this week, but it certainly has been a fabulous week of careful and well-crafted cricket for the Saints of Pietermaritzburg.

SAINTS ON A ROLL

Thursday evening saw the beating of Pelham Senior Primary School at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg) oval in a day-night game - as the St Charles Prep First XI knocked up a total of 281/4 - Zac Koutsouris hitting 107 and Jason de Rauville 91. In reply the Pelham youngsters reached 111 all out - with the boys from the far end of Harwin Road romping home with a 170-run win to their name. Still with the Prep, this morning's game at Cowan House saw more of the same in their 35-over-game as the young Saints made a frustratingly conservative total of 172-all-out on the last ball - in reply, the hosts were 21-all-out. Top figures this morning were another Zac attack of 41 and Riley Moodley (up from the Second XI) on 38*. Startling bowling figures were posted by Declan Cox with 5 wickets for 8 runs!

Well played all, and thanks for the games Pelham and Cowan House. The Prep Saints meet Cordwalles at a day-night dust-up under lights at Merchiston on Thursday 18 November. Be there! Rain, stay away!

This is clearly a testimony to the work being done in the Prep with Coach, Rowan Irons and assistant, Chad Barron. Chad has been working on particular aspects of Koutsouris's game - and the results are showing. Sadly, Chad was playing for KZN Inland in Kimberley so he could not be on hand to see his boys in their victories above.

Luck certainly played a hand, but perhaps "good management" is not out of the mix. Considering the number of matches played by the all the teams (the Senior Firsts in the order of some 40 matches this year, and the Preps playing 45 and 50-over games at home) it's a game the School takes very seriously. As Gary Player so succinctly put it, "The more I practice, the luckier I get." Cricket certainly appears to be one of those games.

OLD BOYS TO WATCH

Amongst our Old Boys, Glen Addicott this week scored 61 for the Dolphins (versus the Lions - on the back of his 70 a couple of weeks ago), Bradley Moses 102 vs Border for KZN Inland while Matthew Hulett helped win the game against Border.

"Matthew Hulett struck an unbeaten 119 as KwaZulu-Natal beat Border by three wickets on the Duckworth Lewis method in a CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge match at the Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on Sunday.
Chasing 213 for victory from 27 overs, KZN reached their target with five balls remaining as they ended on 213 for seven.  The victory was set up by a fourth wicket partnership of 85 between Hulett and Abdul Haq Razak with the latter smashing 47 from 32 balls. His innings included one four and three sixes.
Hulett faced 74 balls for his match winning knock that included seven fours and seven sixes.
Border made 200 for two from 27 overs after being put into bat before rain brought an end to their innings.

KZN pick up four points for their victory." 

FIRSTS ON SATURDAY RAMPANT

BUOYED BY THE FEATS OF THE BOYS THEIR JUNIOR, the senior First XI played host to Michaelhouse this morning where it was more of the same. Thank you to Michaelhouse for the matches, for joining us at Harwin Road today, and for hosting us at your "house".

SCC Coach Dave Karlsen puts it perfectly: "First XI squad: Gareth Dukes (Capt), Gregory Ford, Ryan Sclanders, Vaughn Moses, Mzamo Cele,  Matthew Ford, Burton Weakley, Keith Stanger, Matthew Tweddle, Dex Hobbs, Dean Robinson.

St Charles won the toss and chose to bat on a hard, true pitch under lovely blue skies.

After losing Dean Robinson to a very good ball early on, the hosts proceeded to play some of the best cricket seen on the beautiful St Charles College oval in many a year. Dex Hobbs, relishing the role of opener, was particularly aggressive on any loose bowling and his, and Ryan Sclanders's, combined 66 runs in 54 balls was a joy to watch before an unfortunate run-out saw Hobbs head for the showers.

Enter Gregory Ford (son of Dolphins' coach, Graham Ford) - and all around were treated to one of the best batting displays witnessed  for a long time. It was an imperious and beautifully crafted effort - chanceless and skilful. Such was his dominance that the next highest score was a 100 runs less as he powered to 145-not-out. The innings came to an end in the 50th over with St Charles on a massive 305/7.

In their reply, Michaelhouse were soon in all sorts of trouble early on as Gareth Dukes added to his 8-wicket haul (last week against Free State) with a top bowling effort and a well deserved 5-wicket haul todayl. He was backed up by Matthew Tweddle and Vaughn Moses both claiming 2. Losing 6 wickets before they had reached 50 runs stunted the Michaelhouse effort and, but for the tail wagging of Hulbert and Keane the visitors, at one stage, looked unlikely to reach 100. They did, but they were all out at 168.

It was a quality performance from the boys of St Charles College - and a convincing win to carry them into their final effort against Kearsney, the top KZN team this year, next week.

Format: 50 overs

In the photos (by Justin Waldman) with this story, above, 1., the game against Michaelhouse on the oval at St Charles College. Below, 2, absorbing the events on the oval are Matthew Tweddle, Dex Hobbs, Gareth Dukes, Dean Robinson, Ryan Sclanders, Mzamo Cele, Matthew Ford, Dave Karlsen and Burton Weakley.

Webmaster | St Charles College oval | 2010 11 13

A TOTAL OF TWENTY ST CHARLES COLLEGE boys have been included in various teams in the Province.

A very pleased Dave Karlsen let the St Charles College web site have the following:

"St Charles College cricketers have done us proud for KZN-Inland against Free State.
Gareth Dukes and Mzamo Cele have just returned from a three day match against Free State U19 playing for the KZN-Inland U19 team. According to coach, Paul Atkins, both players were superb in there efforts as Gareth picked up 8 wickets (5 in the first innings and 3 in the second) and was batting when the winning runs were struck not out on 12having faced well over 40 balls. Mzamo Cele picked up 8 scalps with 6 catches and 2 excellent stumpings in a (as coach Atkins described it) 'superb display of first class wicket keeping'.

Five of our players in KZN-Inland U19 team for Coke Week
1 Gareth Dukes
2 Mzamo Cele
3 Vaughn Moses (2nd year)
4 Keagan Davids
5 Khivaar Mohanlall

Four of our players in KZN-Inland U17 team
1 Matthew Ford (Capt)
2 Ryan Sclanders
3 Dean Robinson
4 Kalin Nundlall

Three of our players in Kingsmead Mynahs team
1 Dex Hobbs
2 Robin Mitchell
3 Keith Stanger

Two of our U15s in KZN-Inland U15 team
1 Andrew Darroch
2 Pavishkar Indrajith

This makes a total of 14 boys in the High School who will be playing representative cricket during the holidays. For a small School this is pretty impressive indeed."

AND IN THE PREP SCHOOL (photo below by Dean Riley) six boys have been included in the KZN-Inland U13 squad:

Back: Riley Moodley (Mr Rowan Irons) Tanay Gopal, Michael Darroch
Front: Jody Saayman, Mohammed Jasat, Luke Barnard

Well done Saints! Play well and successfully.

Webmaster | Pietermaritzburg | 2010 11 09

PHOTOS: (Kevin Rall)
7. 2XI: Dolan gets another.
8. 2XI: Joel Barron directs operations.
9. 2XI: Greg Wedderburn is down after colliding with Jaryd Streicher (left) - but the other guy is out.
10. 2XI: The team looks on as Greg (extreme right) gets up and returns to the team - "yes, it IS sore guys".

PHOTOS: (Justin Waldman)
11. U15A: Blake Mingay. While batting, Blake scored 30 runs.
12. 3XI: Russell Whitley.
13. 3XI: Daniel Moxham.
14. U15B: Jonah Hines.
15. U15A: Andrew Darroch.
16. Andrew Darroch - Ouch! Apart from taking a fast ball on the cheek, he knocked up 31* before rain stopped play.
17. Jolivet and Crookes fields from the south western corner of the campus.
18. Cousins and Old Boys, Pierre and Guy de Charmoy, are flanked by their respective sons, Christian (left) and Dillon (right) - both of whom played for their Schools' U15B sides today. Christian had a remarkable game today with 4 wickets for 16 runs conceded - one wicket of which was - yes, you guessed - second cousin, Dillon's. In the days when Pierre and Guy were students here (late 1960s to mid-1970s), they will recall the Jolivet/Crookes Field combination was a forest with footpaths and corners known to only a few imbued with the Livingstone spirit of adventure. There are less complimentary ways of putting that, of course.
19. Prep 2XI: Mark Bray effects a run-out against Clifton Prep Second XI.

BELOW ARE SOME PHOTOS FROM FRIDAY 5 NOVEMBER AFTERNOON'S MATCHES AGAINST CLIFTON, DURBAN.

PHOTOS (Justin Smit)
16. (below) U12A: Luke Muir
17. U12A: Miles Longhurst
18. U10A: Scott Finch
19. Fifth XI: Ayden Smith
20. U10B: Travis Dutton
21. U11C: _____