Feast of cricket in Maritzburg
Pietermaritzburg will host several top cricket schools over the next few days.
With eight matches a day involving a group of the finest cricket schools in the country, the 2013 edition of the prestigious Oppenheimer Week promises to provide local fans with champagne cricket from Saturday to next Tuesday.
It forms part of Maritzburg College’s 150th birthday celebrations, and adding further fizz to the occasion is that this festival of all that is good in schoolboy cricket sees the first three days’ matches being 50-overs-per-side affairs that bring big hitters, brilliant fielders, crafty run stealers and foxy bowlers into the limelight, with the last day featuring the hugely popular T20 format.
The 16 school first XI's are Maritzburg College, DHS, St John’s (Johannesburg), Glenwood, St Alban’s, Hilton, KES, PBHS, Kearsney, Affies, St David’s, Michaelhouse, St Stithian’s, Northwood, Grey College, St Charles, Hudson Park and Westville.
On day one this Saturday, Maritzburg College face the powerful St Stithian’s first XI before the hosts meet St John’s, Affies and Pretoria Boys’ High on the days thereafter. All College’s matches are on the premier Goldstone’s ground at the school. The daily start time for all matches is 9.30 am.
St Charles meet St Alban’s, then St Stithian’s, Hudson Park and St David’s over the four days. All their matches are on the St Charles Oval.
This Saturday, Hilton meet Hudson Park on College’s Barn’s cricket field, which is closest to the school buildings, before facing Affies at Richmond, King Edward VII School (KES) at Eston Country Club, and St Alban’s (Maritzburg Oval) on the following days.
Pietermaritzburg teams are as follows:
Maritzburg College: 1. Karl Hillerman *, 2. James Martin, 3. Tyron Walsh (captain) **, 4. Piero Zanone *, 5. Sohail Mahmoud *, 6. Kurtlyn Mannikam, 7. Jean De Wet, 8. Bryce Tullis, 9. David Small, 10. Lwandiswa Zuma *, 11. Gareth Jeary, 12. Shaun Wormington *. Manager: Andre Leroy. Coach: Michael Smith. Umpire: Craig McCauley. Scorer: Cora Tedder.
St Charles College: 1. Mark Ortmann *, 2. Ben Philpott ***, 3. Eric de Rauville *, 4. Ferdie Luttig, 5. Andrew Darroch (captain) ***, 6. Marc Knoble *, 7. Jody Saayman, 8. Zach Koutsouris, 9 Jamie Gouweloos, 10. Kylan Naidoo, 11. Matthew Dukes *, 12. Michael Darroch, 13. William Squires. Manager: Gareth Rall. Coach: Dave Karlsen. Fitness Trainer: Rod Isaacs.
Hilton College: 1. Brian Pfaff (captain), 2. Stephen Reeves, 3. Matthew Holding, 4. Jaryd Edy, 5. Daniel Cole, 6. Marc van Wymeersch, 7. Luc Maingard, 8. Daniel Roy, 9. Campbell Caley, 10. Matt Lauryssen, 11. Alistair Rayner, 12. Michael Dedekind. Manager: Sean Carlisle. Coach: Neil Johnson. Scorer: Ross Talmage.
*Previous appearances at the week.
(File Photo:Smugshot Photography)
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