The KwaZulu-Natal Midlands will be a hive of activity this weekend as Maritzburg College welcomes 26 of the nation’s leading schools’ cricket teams for the annual Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week, which will run from 24 to 27 September.
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This year marks the 66th anniversary of the showpiece event, which was first played in 1959. It has taken place every year since, apart from 1970 and 2020.
More than 100 players who have played at the Michaelmas Week have gone on to play international cricket, representing, among others, South Africa, Namibia, New Zealand, England, The Netherlands, Scotland, Zimbabwe, Australia, the USA, and Ireland.
Not only that, but also, nine South African cricket captains – AB de Villiers (Affies), Francois du Plessis (Affies), Hashim Amla (DHS), Kepler Wessels (Grey College), Hansie Cronje (Grey College), Ali Bacher (KES), Graeme Smith (KES), Shaun Pollock (Northwood School) and David Miller (Maritzburg College) have been part of the week, while Kevin Pietersen (Maritzburg College) and Tony Greig (Queen’s College) skippered England, and Ross Taylor (Palmerston North) captained New Zealand.
Thirteen fields will host the event, with Maritzburg College’s Goldstone’s and Barns’ home to four of the matches.
Other venues include Collegians, Lynwood, Eston, Hilton, St Charles, Varsity 1, MP Oval – Woodlands, Richmond, Howick, Kearsney, and Michaelhouse‘s Roy Gathorne Oval and Hannah’s Field.
The host province, KZN, features a strong contingent. Maritzburg College heads into the event buoyed by a strong campaign at the St George’s College CABS Smashing T20 Tournament, where they collected the silver medal.
Kearsney College showed their pedigree at the St John’s Rams T20 Tournament, where they secured a second-place finish this past weekend.
Clifton College finished third in Harare. Coach Brandon Scullard’s side has made an encouraging start to the season, led by Muhammed Malek, who scored a sensational school record 170 against St Stithians at the St David’s Marist Inanda Fasken Time Cricket Festival.
Perennial competitors Glenwood, Westville Boys’ High, Durban High School (DHS), Hilton College, St Charles College, and Northwood complete the line-up of local teams, along with a Tuskers Invitational XI.
King Edward VII (KES), the only side to win a match at the Fasken Time Cricket Festival, leads a five-team contingent from Johannesburg, which also includes St Stithians College, St John’s College, St David’s Marist Inanda, and the national Switch Schools SA20 champions, Jeppe.
Northern Gauteng has deployed teams with heavy hitters to the showpiece. Hoërskool Waterkloof’s AJ de Villiers and Juan Swart sensationally scored double centuries in a single match at the Fasken Festival, and they’ll be keen to wreak further havoc.
Vihan Pretorius, who is fresh off an outstanding double century, an Affies’ record 241 not out against Hoërskool Garsfontein, will be another player on whom to keep a close eye. Cornwall Hill, St Alban’s College, and Pretoria Boys High (PBHS) round off the contingent from Pretoria.
Paarl Boys’ High all-rounder, Aden Batt, is a top performer with the bat, ball, and in the field. He will be eager to play a leading role for his side in their Michaelmas matches. Paarl Gim and Paul Roos complete the Western Cape contingent.
Grey College is the lone representative from the Free State and will be eager to make its mark.
The line-up is completed by the CSA Invitational XI, which has enjoyed some outstanding results in recent seasons.
The teams will each play three 50-over games and then wrap up with T20 encounters on Sunday.
Fixtures:
Thursday, 24 September: Paarl Boys’ High vs Kearsney (Collegians), Paul Roos vs Jeppe, Michaelhouse (Hannah’s), Pretoria Boys High vs Paarl Gimnasium (Howick), Westville vs Grey College (Lynwood), Maritzburg College vs Affies (Goldstone’s), Glenwood vs Cornwall Hill (Barns’), Hilton vs St Stithians (Hilton), DHS vs Waterkloof (Eston), St Charles vs St John’s (St Charles), Northwood vs King Edward VII (Varsity 1), CSA Invitation vs Tuskers Invitation (MP Oval – Woodlands), Michaelhouse vs St David’s (Michaelhouse, Roy Gathorne), Clifton vs St Alban’s (Varsity 2).
Friday, 25 September: Hilton vs Paarl Boys’ High (Hilton), St Charles vs Grey College (St Charles), Waterkloof vs Paarl Gimnasium (Varsity 1), Paul Roos vs CSA Invitation (Varsity 2), Maritzburg College vs Pretoria Boys High (Goldstone’s), Tuskers Invitation vs St David’s (Barns’), DHS vs St Stithians (Collegians), Jeppe vs Northwood (Lynwood), Westville vs St John’s (Eston), Cornwall Hill vs Clifton (MP Oval), Michaelhouse vs Affies, (Michaelhouse, Roy Gathorne), Glenwood vs St Alban’s (Michaelhouse, Hannah’s), Kearsney vs King Edward VII (Howick)
Saturday, 26 September: Paarl Boys’ High vs CSA Invitation (Eston), Maritzburg College vs Paul Roos (Goldstone’s), Clifton vs Grey College (Varsity 1), Paarl Gimnasium vs St David’s (Michaelhouse, Hannah’s), Kearsney vs Affies (Barns’), Northwood vs Waterkloof (Collegians), Glenwood vs Pretoria Boys High (Lynwood), Hilton vs King Edward VII (Hilton), St Charles vs St Alban’s (St Charles), DHS vs St John’s (MP Oval – Woodlands), Michaelhouse vs St Stithians (Michaelhouse, Roy Gathorne), Cornwall Hill vs Tuskers Invitation (Varsity 2), Westville vs Jeppe (Howick).
Sunday, 27 September: Westville vs Paul Roos (Collegians), Affies vs Paarl Boys’ High (Lynwood), King Edward VII vs Paarl Gimnasium (MP Oval – Woodlands), Northwood vs Grey College (Michaelhouse, Hannah’s), Maritzburg College vs Jeppe (Goldstone’s), Hilton vs Waterkloof (Hilton), St Charles vs St Stithians (St Charles), CSA Invitation vs St Alban’s (Varsity 1) Michaelhouse vs Pretoria Boys High (Michaelhouse, Roy Gathorne), Clifton vs St John’s (Barns’), Kearsney vs Cornwall Hill (Varsity 2), DHS vs St David’s (Howick), Glenwood vs Tuskers Invitation (Eston).
