WESTVILLE HIGH
The best boys’ school swimming team in South Africa
When the two very impressive pools in your Aquatic Centre are named after your school’s illustrious old boys, Chad le Clos and Chad Ho, one knows that good things have happened in your swimming programme, writes KZN10.com’s Brad Morgan.
When one asks the question when Westville Boys High was last beaten in a gala and no one can instantly recall the answer, there’s your second clue; the swimming programme at Westville Boys High isn’t just good, it’s exceptional.
In case you’ve been hibernating to avoid news for more than the past decade, Chad le Clos, who specialises in the butterfly, is an Olympic champion and a multiple world champion in both long course and short course swimming. He was the man who brought an end to the reign of the greatest swimmer the world has seen, Michael Phelps, in the American’s speciality, the 200m butterfly, at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Open water swimmer Chad Ho is a two-time World Championships medallist, finishing third in the 5km event in Rome in 2009, and winning gold in the 2015 World Champs over the same distance in Kazan. He’s also the record seven-time champion of the world’s largest open water swimming event, the aQuellé Midmar Mile.
Westville dominated Durban and District Gala
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The Chad le Clos Pool in the Westville Boys High School Aquatic Centre is very impressive and able to host galas and water polo matches.
So, there’s the past success. Then there’s the Aquatic Centre itself that the boys utilise at the school. It’s hugely impressive and, yes, huge too. It’s also a facility that would be the envy of most swimming clubs.
But, no matter how great a facility is, no matter how great a school’s history is, it takes good teachers to teach and motivate learners to challenge themselves to become better, and that is where Westville has led and continues to lead the way.
The foundations for Westville’s extraordinary swimming success were laid by former Deputy Headmaster Nestor Pierides, who passed away in January 2019. He had a passion for finding, developing and nurturing sportsmen and he especially promoted swimming.
It was because of Pierides that the school’s current swimming captain, Ian Brijlal, chose to attend Westville Boys’ High. Ian was a learner at Hopeville Primary School, mostly for the academics, he said, but the school also had a strong swimming tradition. When Pierides saw Ian in action at the National Championships, he approached his parents about the possibility of sending their son to Westville for his secondary schooling.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do for high school, but my parents were very moved by Mr Pierides coming to me. That made a big difference to me. I felt needed and wanted,” Ian said, sitting on one of the stands in the Aquatic Centre on Wednesday. “A lot of other swimmers that are in matric with me feel that sense of belonging, as if they need us, and that had a big impact.”
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Westville, though, is also a school with a strong academic tradition, and that was also part of the criteria Ian needed to meet. “The criteria are not only about swimming,” he said, “they’re also about academics. You need to have a good academic level. You can’t be failing and expect to get a scholarship, because you would then bring down the pass rate for matrics, and you would bring down the whole grade.”
To put the importance of academics at Westville into context, we’re not talking average, we’re talking well above average. The school has an incredible record in that sphere. In 2019, for example, 232 boys wrote the final exams, with 93 percent achieving Bachelor and Diploma passes. An astonishing 22 boys achieved seven distinctions or more.
Underlining just how well the school performed was the fact that 85 percent of the boys took core mathematics and 78 percent physical science, two subjects in which most South African schools perform abysmally. A further 33 boys wrote advanced programme mathematics.
As an athlete, Ian said he is determined to defy the stereotype that sportsman are not smart. Thus, he finds himself in one of the leading academic classes in matric. And he is not alone among the swimmers. It’s about all-round excellence and it’s about setting an example for others to follow.
Back to the pool…the big push to make Westville a powerhouse of the sport came in 2008, explained the Head of Aquatics, Jarred Appelgryn. That year, for the first time, the school won the Durban and Districts Gala, a competition comprising 4 x 50 metres relays in all strokes, in all age groups, and a ladder relay.
It’s a competition that truly focuses on the depth of swimming talent in a school. It’s also a competition that Westville has won every year since then, including 2020’s gala, which was held at the end of February, when they raced to victory in 22 out of the 26 races on the programme.
Westville swimming captain Ian Brijlal accepts the Durban and District’s winner’s trophy from DHS Headmaster Tony Pinheiro. (Photo: Brad Morgan, KZN10.com)
More than in galas of other formats, the focus of the Durban and Districts meet is on the team and while swimming might seem to be a sport that is centred on the individual the idea of team applies very strongly at Westville.
Nowadays, most school’s top swimmers train only with clubs. In most cases, that is 100 percent the case, but at Westville it’s not.
Graham Hill, a former South African national swimming team Olympic coach, is nearby, and a bus takes boys to training with him daily at 14:00, while Petro Nortjé, like Hill a multiple South African champion in various strokes, coaches boys in the Chad Ho swimming pool at the school. The vast majority of boys train with the two former swimming stars, the outstanding South African swimmers of their day, and the quality of the coaching they provide is superb.
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“It does make a big difference that they are all club swimmers. We’re not doing the training for about 75 percent of the boys,” Appelgryn said.
“Some afternoons, the captain will call a practice for a bit of team vibe. The other 25 percent of the boys that make up the team are waterpolo players. We’re doing our ‘polo fitness while they’re swimming, and then they also have ‘polo practice.
“The big difference is that the club players bring the speed element, but then your polo players, where they tie in, is they bring the team vibe.”
The decision to also develop waterpolo at the school was an important and valuable move, Appelgryn reckoned: “We decided that we can’t just hinge on swimming success. We had to bring in the waterpolo as well.
“Westville’s waterpolo was never the greatest, but every year now we’re lifting it a notch or two to be in the top three consistently in the province. We go to tournaments knowing we’re not going to be playing for the wooden spoon,” he said in a case of classic understatement.
Westville, seen here in a 12-7 win over DHS, is one of KwaZulu-Natal’s leading waterpolo-playing schools. (Photo: Brad Morgan, KZN10.com)
With competition so strong among the swimmers, Appelgryn said his main focus is on getting the team selection right, and at times, he explained, that means making selections based on intuition and not on times alone.
“Sometimes it is hard for boys to accept that the fourth swimmer is not the fourth best. Sometimes the boy who is fifth is five or six splits off [the fourth swimmer’s time], but he has more of a drive to win a race. There is a lot of gut feel when we sit down and pick our sides.
“It’s not simply [that we choose] our top four and the second fastest swims first, quickest swims last. Most of our fastest swimmers actually swim in third place in the relay against most of the other schools’ slowest swimmers, just to solidify a winning result, hopefully.
“At the end of the day, we try to encourage boys to remember that it is not just an individualistic sport at school. At club level, it is. You need to remember that you are swimming for your school and for the guys next to you.
“We try to base it off of the American style where the institutions there back their swimmers, so that they’re representing their teams, not themselves.”
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There is also little room for complacency in such a competitive environment, swimming captain Ian related: “Swimming times are always changing, guys are always improving. It’s talent, but mainly hard work.
“In grade eight, maybe you are the best, but you stop training as hard and swim every now and again, and think you can keep it up. You can’t.
“If someone is training hard, they can be ranked last, but two years down the line they will overtake you. That happened to me, and to many others, and it is a wake-up call. I think every athlete needs that.
“You have to always be on your game. You can’t expect to win every single thing. You have to put in hard work to win. All the athletes at this school put in the hard work.”
A dramatic start to a backstroke relay at the Durban and Districts Gala where Westville finished a convincing 45 points ahead of the second placed team. (Photo: Brad Morgan, KZN10.com)
“It’s not as if Westville is just going to win every gala. You can’t win unless you work hard. Everyone has to step up their game, and they do.”
Being appointed the captain of the Westville Boys’ High swimming team was a huge honour, Ian continued: “It meant a lot to me because this school is undefeated. There’s a lot of pressure, but it feels important as well, and it gives a lot of meaning to my life.
“Giving speeches on behalf of Westville has meant a lot because you have a lot of responsibility. If you mess up or lose, I feel personally responsible for that too. If you win, our entire team wins.
Action from one of the 50 metres breaststroke relay events at the Durban and Districts Gala. (Photo: Brad Morgan, KZN10.com)
“I think it is my job as captain to try and motivate everyone to try and do better, and to bring them up when they are down.”
Citing the Durban and District Gala, where DHS managed three relay wins to Westville’s two in the under-15 age group, he said: “Take the under-15s, they’re not a bad age group. They’re still under-15 and there is still a way to go to the open age group. If they have the right grounding now, and if they learn from their losses, they can work harder and maybe by the time they’re competing at under-17 or open level they will win.”
Head of Aquatics, Jarred Appelgryn, weighed in, saying that while winning is good it is not the be all and end all of matters: “Most of the time, we are one step ahead of the opposition. But it’s also nice to not always be a step ahead. It’s nice that the boys lose a race. We lost four at Durban and Districts. It’s nice because the boys, then, don’t get complacent.
“Two or three years ago, I don’t think the boys lost a race, period. But you could see that the boys became complacent, not that one can necessarily blame them. Therefore, it is good to be beaten every now and again.”
He feels some pressure to maintain the winning tradition, he admitted: “but I think when you’ve got a team like I do, including [members of staff] Brad Rowe, Andrew Stewart and Tanya Bower, there is a lot of experience.
“As much as it is my first year stepping in as Head of Aquatics, the marketing guys are with us and there are people looking out for the boys. The teachers help our swimmers academically, too. It’s a massive team effort that leads to the final performance.”
Star swimmer Luca Holtzhausen, who broke five records in the Nestor Pierides Inter-provincial gala, including a Chad le Clos butterfly mark, Head of Aquatics Jarred Appelgryn, and swimming captain Ian Brijlal show off the silverware awarded to the winning school in the Alan Burt Gala, the Nestor Pierides Inter-provincial gala, the Kwa-Zulu Natal High Schools Top 10 Gala and the Durban and Districts Gala. (Photo: Brad Morgan, KZN10.com)
A look at four of the trophies currently in Westville’s possession tell an incredible story of excellence: champions of the Durban and Districts Gala, the Kwa-Zulu Natal High Schools’ Top 10 Gala, the Alan Burt Gala, and, most importantly to the school itself, the winners of the Nestor Pierides Inter-Provincial Gala every year since 2008.
At times, people lose the love of the sport they participate in, because of the pressure that comes with winning and the expectation that that success should continue. But, if Westville swimming captain Ian Brijlal is any example of the general feeling among the Griffins’ swimmers, the enjoyment of competition has not been lost.
“I love racing. I love the closeness of the gala. For example, the Nestor Pareidis Gala was amazing. Grey College, Saint David’s, Affies and Saint Benedict’s were really close. It was crazy.
“I enjoy close races. Winning all the time is not as much fun. There is no point in winning all the time, otherwise you lose purpose. We lost a few races and it kept people on their toes.”
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Appelgryn echoed Ian’s sentiments: “There is performance pressure when it comes to galas, especially like the Affies Gala, which we were losing by about 17 points halfway through the gala, and then I was wondering was I going to be that guy [who oversaw the end of the winning streak].
But, at no point is someone watching my back, saying don’t mess this up, which is nice. It actually makes my job quite easy in terms of dealing with the kids and the way I can deal with them. I am not putting that onto them to secure my job. That’s make a big difference for them as well.”
It is said that success breeds success and that is true, but to continue to succeed one needs to strive to achieve ever higher goals, lest the challengers catch up.
At Westville, each and every swimmer strives to better himself, for his benefit and for the benefit of the team, and, inevitably it seems, Westville wins again.
Westville dominate Durban and District Gala
DHS played host to the annual Durban and District Gala on Tuesday afternoon. The event – featuring DHS, Westville, Northwood, Glenwood, Clifton and Kearsney – consisted of the 4 x 50m relay in all strokes in the under-14, under-15, under-16, under-17 and under-19 age groups and culminated in the 5 x 50m freestyle ladder relay, writes KZN10.com’s Brad Morgan.
Contested late in the afternoon, a decently sized crowd took in some good competition in pleasant conditions, with the powerhouse Westville team, predictably, dominating proceedings. A total of 26 events were contested with the Griffins excelling and capturing the honours in 22 of the 26 relays.
While Westville ruled the roost in the Durban and Districts Gala, DHS shone in the under-15 age group, picking up wins in three of the five relays (All photos: Brad Morgan, KZN10.com)
They impressed with their depth, not only in the various strokes, but also throughout the various age groups. Westville also swept all relays in the under-14, under-16 and under-17 age groups.
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Clifton picked up a very impressive win in the under-19 freestyle relay, which, obviously, meant their time of 1:40.84 was the fastest recorded in any relay on the day. That was the only race Westville didn’t win in the senior age group.
The competition took place in ideal late afternoon conditions, with a nice crowd in attendance.
DHS were especially strong at under-15 level. In fact, they claimed three wins to Westville’s two, with the hosts giving the crowd plenty to cheer with victories in the backstroke, butterfly and medley relays, while Westville reigned supreme in the freestyle and breaststroke races.
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A hallmark of the gala, which was very pleasing to witness, was the friendly nature of the competition. It echoed days gone by when winning was not all that mattered and the appreciation of challenging oneself and others was as important as the result itself.
So, well done to all the swimmers and the coaches (and moms and dads); besides the excellence of the performances, the good-natured racing stood out.
From the first event to the last, there was no doubt that Westville would claim the silverware as champions of the Durban and Districts Gala. DHS headmaster Tony Pinheiro presented the winner’s trophy to Westville captain Ian Brijlal.
RESULTS
1st: Westville 152 points
2nd: Clifton 107 points
3rd: DHS 90 points
4th T: Glenwood 69 points
4th T: Kearsney 69 points
6th: Northwood 57 points
DHS outlast Westville in lively basketball showdown
Hot weather and a light wind made scoring difficult early on in Saturday’s basketball encounter between DHS and Westville in Durban, writes KZN10.com’s Brad Morgan.
In stark contrast to the high temperature, both teams started off with stone-cold shooting. The defences dominated and were aided by some wayward shooting from both sides.
DHS overcame a spirited Westville first team 63-41 in an entertaining clash. (All photos: Brad Morgan, KZN10.com)
It took a good 2 or 3 minutes and numerous attempted shots before the first basket dropped. When it did, the game began to settle down.
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Hosts DHS were the first to find some offensive rhythm and they profited from a number of forced turnovers to ease into a 15-9 lead.
The advantage doubled when DHS moved – almost imperceptibly – into a clear 24-12 lead, but Westville hit back with a number of late baskets to close to within 9 points (18-29) at the break.
Homeboys DHS offered up very few open shots to Westville, who had to battle for every basket-scoring opportunity.
When the contested restarted, it was DHS who hit their straps first, utilising their stout defence and strong rebounding in the paint to create turnovers once again – and hit Westville on the break.
Slowly but surely the gap increased and it became clear that this would be the home team’s day. But it wasn’t going to be without a fight.
Westville – a team in transition according to Sports Director Waylon Murray – kept battling to the end.
Time after time – when it appeared that DHS would pull away and turn the contest into a blowout – the never-say-die Westville first team responded with a flurry of baskets.
However, a sound structure and strong defence carried the day for the DHS lads, who ran out 63-41 winners in what was a hard-fought battle.
Now that’s what KZN10.com calls red-blooded determination! A gritty performance from DHS in less-than-ideal conditions eventually saw the hosts claim victory over Westville.
Source: Sunday Tribune
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Captain Matkovich guides Westville to hard-fought win at DHS
Durban High School (DHS) welcomed Westville to Theobald Oval on Saturday for a 50-over contest played in challenging hot and muggy conditions, writes KZN10.com’s Brad Morgan.
In a low-scoring game, both schools’ innings followed similar patterns but, after a poor start, Westville managed a better repair-job of their innings to secure a hard-fought 5-wicket victory, with 3 overs in hand.
In 2 losses to Clifton the previous week, Westville had conceded rapid runs with the new ball, with Clifton getting away to fast starts in both matches.
So it was very pleasing to Westville coach Tomo Jackson to see his frontline bowlers
make early inroads into the DHS batting line-up while also keeping the run rate in check.
They were well supported, too, by a good fielding performance.
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Due to a slow outfield, both the DHS and Westville batsmen had to work hard for every run. (All photos: Brad Morgan, KZN10.com)
“I thought we bowled really well on a pitch that didn’t offer much to the seamers but offered some nice turn to the spinners,” Westville coach Jackson said afterwards.
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“Jared bowled 10 overs and picked up 1 for 17 – including 5 maidens – which is a class showing for a seamer.”
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It was the Westville spinners, though, who really ratcheted up the pressure on DHS.
Jaden Arumugam sent down 10 overs and was miserly, claiming 1 for 21, while Mikaylen Kistna bowled 8 overs and snared 3 for 19.
DHS opener Yudi Ramanand held down his end after a poor start left the home team struggling in the early going.
Yudi then established some stability with Corné Nel, coming in at 5, and together they set about adding substance to the innings.
Ramanand was the first to go, though, when, after looking relatively untroubled, he played around a ball from the left-arm spinner Arumugam and was clean bowled for 31 from 71 balls.
Opening batsman Yudi Ramanand was one of the leading run scorers for DHS, making 31 before falling to the guile of left-arm spinner Jaden Arumugam.
Nel and Joshua Stride then held up the Westville onslaught until both were dismissed on 35, with Nel’s runs coming from 67 deliveries and Stride’s from 64.
Neither batsman hit a boundary as, remarkably, DHS managed only 2 fours in their innings, which was testament to Westville’s strong effort in the field – and the slow outfield.
The eventual DHS total of 145 for 9 in the allotted 50 overs was not enough, DHS Director of Sport and first XI coach, Nathan Pillay, admitted: “Conditions were quite slow. The outfield was a little bit thick as well, which made batting conditions quite tough.”
DHS Director of Sport and first XI coach Nathan Pillay
‘I thought we were about 30 runs short. It showed’
Kyle Hammond contributed 6 runs for Westville before having his stumps knocked back by Sibonelo Makhanya.
The going looked reasonably easy for Westville when they visited the crease, but DHS soon made inroads into their reply, capturing wickets regularly, aided by some soft dismissals.
By afternoon tea, Westville were limping along on 50 for 5
Sibonelo Makhanya doing the damage with 3 sticks. DHS were buoyed
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After the break, though, Westville’s Ethan Matkovich and Anthony Dunford
set about wresting the game away from the hosts
Matkovich played a mature captain’s knock, recognising that there was no need to chase anything, with less than 3 runs an over required for victory. He played confidently, with little risk, and worked the ball around well.
The skipper found a willing partner in Anthony Dunford, who struck an unbeaten 47 from 73 balls, with 6 fours to help steer Westville to a hard-fought win.
Matkovich (who also took a superb catch to get rid of Nel to end the best partnership of the DHS innings) finished unbeaten on 51, facing 111 balls in a 160-minute stay at the crease.
Captain Ethan Matkovich starred for Westville with a crucial knock, which steered his side to victory.
“There was a decent partnership between Ethan Matkovich and [Nathan] Trevethen. That settled us down,” reckoned Tom Jackson. “Then, after losing Trevethan, a match-winning partnership between Matkovitch and Dunford went really well.”
DHS Director of Sport and first XI coach Nathan Pillay
‘All credit to Westville. Their 2 batsmen got stuck in, showed courage and determination’
It was a win for Westville, but also a game in which both teams came away with some positives to take forward into their next matches and plenty of reasons to be optimistic going forward.
FIRST XI MATCH SCORES IN BRIEF
DHS 145 for 9 (Joshua Stride 35, Corné Nel 35, Yudi Ramanand 31, Mikaylen Kistna 3-19)
Westville 147 for 5 (E. Matkovich 51*, A. Dunford 47*, S. Makhanya 3-31)
Westville won by 5 wickets
Source: Sunday Tribune.
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Westville stave off DHS fightback to take water polo honours
DHS and Westville did battle in the water polo pool in Durban on Thursday, writes KZN10.com’s Brad Morgan, with Westville claiming the honours in clashes between the U14A, U15A, 2nd and 1st teams.
Leading up to the main game, DHS made Westville work hard in each of the contests, but each time the visitors managed to put together a decisive chukka to claim the honours.
With a dominant opening half, the visiting Westville 1st team was able to come away with a deserved victory over a plucky DHS line-up (all images by Brad Morgan).
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In the U14A game, Westville finished strongly to record a 12-2 victory, in a contest which had been a lot closer until the finishing stages.
The U15A sides went blow for blow until the last chukka, when Westville scored 3 unanswered goals to break open a tight game to claim a 9-4 win.
After Westville had opened a small early lead in the 2nd team showdown, DHS fought back to reduce the deficit to 2-3, but Westville, as their younger age-group teams had done, finished well to secure a 6-3 victory.
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In the clash of the first teams, Westville started confidently, forcing DHS into numerous errors with some stifling defence.
That, allied with strong play upfront, saw the visitors roar out to a 4-1 lead after the 1st chukka.
It didn’t get better for DHS in the 2nd chukka either, as Westville looked sharp, tacking on a further 4 goals without response.
Outplayed in the 1st half, DHS came back to make a game of it against Westville.
At 8-1 down at halftime, DHS looked as if they were on their way to a hiding, but credit to the home team – a side made up mostly of grade 10 boys, according to DHS Director of Sport Nathan Pillay – as they powered their way back into the contest after the break.
Forcing turnovers and then hitting Westville with rapid counter-attacks, they ripped off 4 unanswered goals before the visitors were able to find a response.
It was 10-5 at the end of the 3rd chukka and when the teams shared the honours 2-2 in the final chukka it ended 12-7 to Westville.
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Ultimately, it was a convincing Westville win, but DHS will take heart from a spirited showing in the 2nd half of the contest.
RESULTS
1st DHS 7-12 Westville
2nd DHS 3-6 Westville
U15A DHS 4-9 Westville
U14A DHS 2 -12 Westville
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Back-to-back Clifton first XI wins at Westville
The Clifton College first XI followed up last Thursday’s 4-wicket T20 win over home side Westville on Bowden’s with a 64-run victory in this past Saturday’s 50-over match.
“Clifton set the tone from the beginning,” says the Clifton coaching staff’s Oliver Cash.
The Clifton College first XI’s strength and conditioning coach Ollie Cash has reason to smile after back-to-back victories inside 3 days for his lads. Photo Brad Morgan
All cricket photos by KZN10.com‘s BRAD MORGAN
The hard-hitting Josh Platford provided the early impetus with a typically belligerent 54 off just 33 balls that included 9 fours and 2 sixes in his hour at the crease.
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“A patient innings from Matt Adams meant he was the perfect partner for the attacking and big-hitting Josh Platford,” says coach Oliver Cash, who has been with the first XI for a number of years, primarily in the strength and conditioning role, which so ably complements the cricketing knowledge of the experienced Clifton first XI coach Yashin Ebrahim.
Adams and the attack-minded Clifton skipper Nabeel Jeewa (40 32b 3×4 2×6) complemented the first-wicket partnership with another productive stand for the third wicket.
Grade 10 talent Ross Montgomery – coming in at number 5 – weighed in with a 34 off 70 balls (2 fours).
“Our experienced captain Nabeel Jeewa and young Ross Montgomery were brilliant in making sure that flow continued to lunch and beyond,” says Cash.
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The 35 extras that included 21 wides and 2 no-balls (a “freebie” 23 runs that also provided the Clifton batters with 23 extra deliveries to face) did not help the Westville cause and Clifton’s innings closed on an imposing 267 for 7 in their allotted 50 overs.
“Mention must also be made of the fact that Westville all-rounder Troy Botha was absolutely brilliant in the field,” says Clifton’s Oliver Cash. “A couple more fielders like Troy makes me think that our score may have been a lot less.”
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Westville employed 7 bowlers in the Clifton innings and the most significant outcomes came from Anthony Dunford (7 overs 1 maiden conceding 28 runs and taking 2 wickets) and Jared Slaney (10-0-53-2) and a tidy 10-0-28-1 from opening bowler Troy Botha. Dylan Rae and Jaden Arumugam picked up a wicket apiece.
In their reply to Clifton’s total of 267, too many misplaced airborne shots resulting in 6 catches coupled with 3 run outs did little for the Westville run chase, albeit a run chase set at a more-than challenging (on KZN pitches) 5.3 an over.
Opening batsman Kyle Hammond made a brisk start to the Westville innings with 36 off 35 (3 fours) while first-wicket Callum Hayes (30 42b 2×4) and skipper Ethan Matkovich (35 49b 2×4) also contributed handily to keep the home side within sight of winning ways.
“I thought Clifton started very poorly in the Westville innings,” says Cash. “Energy was very low and our bowlers lacked intent. Westville got on top with some aggressive batting. Unfortunately, one or two silly run outs from them meant their run rate fell off towards the middle of their innings.”
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A typically pugnacious Troy Botha – coming in at 7 – innings of 57 runs off 46 balls including 6 fours and 3 sixes injected further momentum into the Westville run chase but the total of 3 run outs, including 2 towards the end, saw the home team’s innings close with the score reading 203 all out in just 39.4 overs of the 50 granted them.
“Once again it was Troy Botha who stepped up to the plate for Westville,” says Cash. “Troy had a brilliant knock and almost took the game away from us, but once we took his wicket we smelt blood in the water and with the light fading we cracked on the accelerator and closed the game out.”
It’s easy to say in hindsight of course, and purely statistical conjecture (lies, damn lies and then there are statistics, they say) but those 62 unused deliveries – had they been utilised by the batsmen in search of the remaining 65 to win (remember the 3 ill-judged run outs) it may well have brought the respective innings totals closer together.
Aside from the 3 run outs, Clifton spinners Marco Mottura (8-0-42-2) and the in-form vice-captain John Munford (8-0-25-2) were the chief wicket-takers while opening bowler Ryan Jairaj, first-change Ross Montgomery and second-change Teague Ridgway each earned a wicket.
“Given the conditions and some player health issues, I am very proud of the Clifton lads,” added Cash.
WESTVILLE V CLIFTON SCORES IN BRIEF
1st XI
Thursday T20: Westville 124/5 (John Munford 3-25) Clifton 125/4 (Josh Platford 31, Romashen Pillay 30)
Clifton won by 6 wickets
Saturday 50-over: Clifton 267/7 (Matt Adams 64, Josh Platford 54, Nabeel Jeewa 40, Ross Montgomery 34) Westville 203 all out in 39.4ov (Troy Botha 5, Kyle Hammond 36, Ethan Matkovich 35, Callum Hayes 30)
Clifton won by 64 runs
Other CC v WBHS results
2nd XI: Clifton 122 lost to WBHS 124/4 by 6 wkts
3rds: Clifton 90 lost to WBHS 91/2 by 8 wkts
U16A: Clifton 114 lost to WBHS 115/3 (Kistna 47) by 7 wkts
U15A: WBHS 74 (Murray 6-13) lost to Clifton 75/5 by 5 wkts
U14A: Clifton 114 (Miller 41, Kistna 5-22) lost to WBHS 115/2 (Kistna 48) by 8 wkts
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John Munford gets 3 of Westville’s top 4 to set up Clifton’s T20 win
Clifton College 1st XI vice-captain John Munford made 3 vital breakthroughs in the T20 at Bowden’s yesterday while Josh Platford took full measure of too many boundary balls upfront from home side Westville, leading to a 4-wicket victory for the visitors from Morningside with 2 balls to spare.
All photos Brad Morgan
Feature image: Clifton vice-captain John Munford played a pivotal role in his side’s win on Bowden’s at Westville.
Josh Platford was in devastating form in setting up the Clifton run chase.
Three home-side batsmen got into the 20’s before falling victim to Munford (2) and promising grade 10 Ross Montgomery as Westville concluded their 20 overs with the total reading 124 for 5, Clifton vice-captain Munford ending with 3 for 17 from 4 probing overs.
Clifton 1st XI end Kearsney’s 10-match winning streak
https://kzn10.com/clifton-1st-xi-end-kearsney-1st-xis-10-match-winning-streak/
Back to back Clifton 1st XI wins at Westville
https://kzn10.com/back-to-back-clifton-first-xi-wins-at-westville/
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The batting blitzkrieg that is Josh Platford (31 off 18 balls with 5 fours and 1 six, strike rate 172.2) set up Clifton’s chase and with the rest of the top 5 chipping in it appeared to be a given needing 9 runs to win and 16 deliveries still in the bank.
Clifton opener Romashen Pillay executes the switch-hit on Bowden’s.
To their credit the spirited Westville lads whittled the Cliftonians down to the 3rd-last ball before acknowledging defeat.
Westville get a chance to turn the tables when Clifton return to Bowden’s for the 50-over match tomorrow.
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* Brad and I were hoping, but eventually unable, to get the names of Westville’s notable contributors with bat and ball – as well as those in-photo. Maybe you can help us?
Be it cricket or rugby, Bowden’s at Westville has witnessed many a nail-biting finish.
Clifton’s lively young opening bowler Ryan Jairaj in full cry.
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Westville’s seamer in delivery stride as Clifton cricket consultant Wayne Scott looks on. Readers, please identify.
Westville batter on the charge. Readers please identify.
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This one is flying over cow corner, as Clifton keeper Matt Adams looks on. Readers please identify the batter.
Clifton’s winning runs down to fine leg. Readers please identify the batsman and the wicketkeeper.
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Great to see the handshakes all-round after a match between 2 of our 10 Schools of KZN.
After action satisfaction: Clifton strength and conditioning expert Oliver Cash reflects on a job well done – Hopefully no injuries Ollie!
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Westville Boys vs Kearsney College Hockey match report
In their final match of the 2019 hockey season Westville Boys took on Kearsney College on old boys day. In a fixture which saw the hosts seldom troubled for any extended period of time, a totally dominant display, lead to a 3-1 victory for the home team.
Kearsney started off the game at a frenetic pace as they harried and hassled the Westville players into unusual mistakes in the opening minutes.
The strategy seemed a good one as Westville play a slow, deliberate, possession based game which forces their opponents to cover allot of ground to cover passing lanes as the move the ball from side to side.
Kearsney, for their part, were successful in halting any Westville flow as they tore round the 3 schools astro.
For all their endeavour, though, they couldn’t quite get enough of the ball to create goal scoring chances of their own.
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The quality of the Westville team soon started to show, however, as Ethan Matkovich and Wynand Steynberg gained control of the tempo of the game.
Their passing and great linking with Luke Allen and Randal Govender pushed Kearsney further and further back until the visitors were well and truly pinned in their half for large portions of the 1st half.
The first opportunity for a goal came in the 5th minute as a strong drive by Govender earned Westville a PC. A Luke Allen drag flick flashed past the left upright of Christopher Kiggen, a warning shot to the boys from Kearsney that this wasn’t going to be an easy afternoon.
With 3 seconds left in the 1st chukka a driving run from Govender earned the griffins another PC. The resultant save by Hayden De Kock must go do as one of the stops of the season. A Matkovich drag flick missile was incredibly swatted away on the goal line a few inches from De Kocks face.
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A great piece of skill and life preservation from the defender.
The 2nd chukka had a familiar pattern to it as Westville’s calm, measured, approach eventually lead to a passing lane for the ball to get up field.
In the 23rd minute came their next chance as some great individual work from Joshua Davies created a little space for Joshua Korte to fire over the Kearsney crossbar.
That the half ended at 0-0 doesn’t reflect the total control that Westville had on the match at this stage. But, to Kearsneys credit, they had defended manfully up to this point in keeping Westville at bay.
The Griffins dominance was rewarded, however, shortly after the break, as a great run from Korte earned Westville a PC in the 31st minute. A simple push out to the 1st castle and a Allen drag flick found the back of the goal. 1-0 to the hosts.
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Kearsney College, who had been content on sitting fairly deep on defence, immediately sprang into life and starting pressing little a bit higher up the field in search of a equaliser. Westville who had been in total control of the tempo of the match got a bit to casual in possession and were disposed deep in their half giving Calvin Davis a chance to shoot just wide.
Kearsney, sensing that Westville had lost a little concentration, continued to play with a lot more aggression and hunger. It was during one of the brighter passages of play from Kearsney that a brilliant 40 metre slap stick pass from Chase Kelly found James Maguire open on the edge of the D. With only the keeper to beat the striker unfortunately scuffed his shot.
In the 48th minute Kearsney were rewarded for their efforts with a goal of their own after some great work in the D by Menzi Mhlungu earned Kearsney a PC.
If there is anyone who has been a rock for the Kearsney team this season it has to be captain, Chase Kelly. The PC specialist has a bullet drag flick and has phenomenal strike rate at short corners.
Chase Kelly scores against Westville boys. Photo – Kearsney College
With another one of his thunderbolts crashing into the back of the goal he levelled the scores at 1-1. Great rewards for the Kearsney boys as they came out with a great deal of intent after the Westville score.
With Kearsney playing such a high line in search of goals it left acres of space in the midfield and it was only a matter of time until the Westville passing game clicked into gear.
In the 52 minute a breakout lead by Korte headed up the field with Randal Govender and Mazwi Meyiwa in support. Korte bounced through the defence like a pinball as would be defenders were summarily dispatched as he sped determinedly up field.
Just as he was about to be enveloped a by a swarm of defenders he deftly passed to an unmarked Govender to his left.
The midfielder, showing a great degree of poise, pirouetted away from the advancing goalkeeper before rolling a simple pass to Meyiwa who tapped the ball into the empty goal making the score 2-1 to the hosts.
Credit must go to Kearsney who, in spite of conceding a goal, continued to press a high line in search of an equaliser. The Westville midfield and backs were just to calm and controlled though.
They picked their way through the Kearsney pressure with Govender, Davies and Korte being simply outstanding in this stanza as they moved purposefully up field.
It was the another midfielder, Jarrod Slanely who earned the PC for the 3rd goal in the 55th minute after a great lay off from Davies.
A drag out to the 1st castle set the table for Matkovich to drill a powerful drag flick to the keepers left making the score 3-1 to the hosts.
The remainder of the game turned into a bit of a procession as the Westville boys relished the last 5 minutes of their school hockey careers.
That this team finished undefeated is a testament to the quality of this bunch of boys and the work of Cameron Mackay, the names of Matkovitch, Steynberg, Allen, Govender, Korte and Davies will be forever remembered as being part of one of Westvilles finest 1st XI hockey sides.
KZN 10 Super Saturday – The 26-28 Match… as Jono saw it… in the moment…
Aaaaaa-aaand on the first minute it’s a Westville try by outside centre Mlu Khalishwayo in front of the Kent Pavilion after a judicious kick towards the corner.
* Justin Waldman feature image: RedBlackWhite captain Siphe Kekana and The Nicholson Arch Touch.
College infringe 30 metres out and the low Grove Akker kick sees the 10’s effort flash a metre over the crossbar.
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More from photographer Justin Waldman.
Two-try Philani Simamane on fire. Photo Justin Waldman
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Westville 11
27 minutes to go.
The action was unstoppable. Sharon Pretorius Photography
16 minutes to go
But it’s never over till the full-figured lady sings…
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Then it’s Maritzburg College first XV flyhalf Anele Nzimande who smashes through for a Henry Trodd converted try!
Maritzburg College 19
Westville 25
Sharon Pretorius Photography
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Photo by Martin Ashworth
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And this KZN10 Super Saturday 1 June it’s the formidable Hilton first XV on Graeme Gilfillan Field in the lovely land of the Hiltonians.
A buoyant Westville tackle Kearsney on WBHS OB Day.
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The Maritzburg College Westville Goldstones epic: How the WBHS coaches saw it
“Throughout history a win on Goldstones has always been a difficult thing to obtain, but on Saturday after a hard-fought game the Westville 1st XV managed to hold on to their lead to win 28-26.
“1 minute into the game Westville were already on the score sheet with a try through outside centre Mlu Khalishwayo.
“The try was unconverted but more points were to follow with flyhalf Grove Akker kicking two penalties for 11-0 up.
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Westville were looking comfortable and clinical, however College were to step up their performance and in the 25th minute replied with a converted try of their own.
“The score was to remain the same till halftime 11-7 in favour of Westville.
“The momentum shifted with about 10 minutes to go in the first half and continued with College scoring a try from deep in their half just 3 minutes into the second half for the home team to take the lead for the first time (12-11).
Maritzburg College outside centre Philani Simamani on his way to scoring a magical try in the corner. All photos Martin Ashworth.
“College were now finding space in the wider channels and had Westville’s defence scrambling, but Westville managed to somehow hold them from scoring and instead responded with two beautiful tries of their own through right wing Simemela Nkomo and tighthead Okuhle Siyeni.
“The tries were converted by Grove Akker and, at 25-12 to Westville, yet again it seemed as though Westville had taken the game away from College, but yet again College showed that they are a team who never say die as they rallied together to score two converted tries in quick succession to regain the lead at 26-25 and set up a nervy last couple minutes of the game.
“Westville got a penalty right in front of the poles, though, and Akker’s kick reclaimed the lead for Westville at 28-26 and that is how it would stay till the final whistle.
“That final whistle seemed to take an age to come, though, as Westville had to defend and survive the relentless College attack at the death.
“Westville seemed to be camped for an age on their tryline. In the final moments College were awarded a penalty in front of the poles to win the game but inexplicably they turned it down and took a quick tap instead.
“Westville breathed a sigh of relief and tackled with renewed gusto. College eventually knocked the ball on and Westville had survived the tidal wave to record a 28-26 victory on the hallowed turf of Goldstones.”
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