A second week of cricket weather on cricket practice weekdays and water sports conditions on cricket match Saturdays meant that 15 cricket fixtures against Clifton College and the golfing showdown between Michaelhouse and Maritzburg College were washed out over the weekend.

Basketball

Michaelhouse’s Murray Witherspoon reports that, as per last week, basketball barrelled on in the indoor centre, where Michaelhouse were in imperious form over visitors Clifton College, winning 15 from 15, including solid wins for the U16A (48-8), U15A (30-14), and U14A (26-7) sides.

Michaelhouse feature photo caption: Michaelhouse U16 paddlers Louis Souchon and Aiden Furby taking on Mission Rapid in the Campbell’s to Dusi Bridge race on Sunday.

Murray says that the first 3 periods of the first team basketball encounter saw a pedestrian spectacle, with Michaelhouse only able to convert a mountain of possession into a molehill of points.

Michaelhouse skipper Lucky Mabuza’s boys couldn’t miss in the final stanza though, nailing 3-pointers seemingly at will; and with mounting confidence, frustrating rebounds became crowd-inciting points.

“The scoreboard, no longer stuck in the mud, ticked over furiously until the final second for the home team’s 80-23 win.

“Next door, in the aquatics centre, the water polo match spoils were being more equitably shared. Clifton dominated the open age group winning everything on offer going into the first team game.

“The much-fancied Clifton first water polo team opened the scoring but were forced to content themselves with trading goals all the way through to midway into the third chukka.

“The home team faithful were just starting to believe that the upset of the season might be on the cards when Clifton’s sheer weight of class turned the tide. A late goal from Michaelhouse firsts could do nothing to avert the outcome, a 9-5 win for the Clifton College first team.”

Murray reports further that the Michaelhouse age groups were able to stem the Clifton tide. Proving their pedigree, House’s U14A boys followed up the B side’s win with an 8-3 victory of their own; while a little later in the morning, the Michaelhouse U15A (7-2) and B (8-5) lads were able to do the same.

Canoeing

Michaelhouse’s canoeists revelled in the high water levels on Saturday paddling into second place (Reuben Baldry) and fourth place (Robert Butcher) in the U18 event of the Dash & Crash on the Upper Umgeni, which also doubled as the first race on the 2022 interschool race calendar.

Aidan Furby crossed the line in first place with Louis Souchon in third in the U16 event while Jess Webber placed third in the U14 age group.

On Sunday, Rob Butcher partnered Dom Furby into third place in the U18 race of the Campbell’s to Dusi Bridge event, while Rourke Murray and Stuart Neilson claimed first place with Louis Souchon and Aiden Furby just behind in second place in the U16 race.