Cricket
Kearsney 1st XI hosted Maritzburg College at AH Smith Saturday. The hosts won the toss and chose to bat on a pitch that offered the bowlers something early on.

Kearsney lost two wickets in the first two overs and were 4-2 after 1.2 overs. Asher Hollister (23) and Keegan de Jager (24, including a huge six) rebuilt the innings with some patient batting, taking the score to 45 before De Jager fell in the 12th over.

Wickets then fell steadily, and Kearsney were 59-6 in the 17th over. Hayden Lotter (13) held one end while Matthew Gorrie played the cameo of the innings, hitting 19 off 15 balls with two sixes and a four. The innings ended on 113 in 27.2 overs.

Maritzburg College’s opening bowler and captain Reece Willson was the pick of their attack taking four for 30, and Matt Bisset and Luke Venter took two wickets each showing exceptional seaming bowling skills.

Defending a small total, Kearsney’s bowlers made a very good start with Litha Gonya and Blake Pugh sharing the new ball and kept the pressure on, with the visitors struggling to 19/4 at lunch. Gonya finished with two for 25 in his eight overs, and Pugh took two for 11 in six overs.

The match turned on a fifth-wicket partnership of 71 between Luan van der Merwe and Willson. Willson hit 35 from 47 balls, before Gorrie had him caught by De Jager, and from there Kearsney fought back.

Gorrie went on to take three for 39 and Rivan Moodley was exceptional, bowling 10 overs with four maidens taking one for 14. College slipped to 100-7 and then 112-8, and the contest was in the balance until the end. Van der Merwe stayed unbeaten on 43 off 81 balls and, with Venter, saw College home with the win by two wickets.

Kearsney’s cricketers can take plenty of pride from a spirited bowling and fielding performance that took the game to the final overs.

Basketball
Kearsney’s 1st team basketball took part in the Inanda Hoops tournament hosted by St David’s College in Johannesburg.
The boys had a tough start but soon found their momentum, enjoying wins against The Kings School, Linbro, Michaelhouse and Michael Mount They finished 11th overall out of 20 participating teams.

Canoeing
At the final inter-schools’ relay event of the season, Kearsney paddlers had a clean sweep, winning all three age groups — U14, U16 and U18 — to end on a high in the Upper Umgeni River.

The winning teams were U14 Ethan Kruger and Jude Carr; U16 Thomas Bishop, Lance Martegoutte and Jonathan Ellison; and U18 Jack Sternberg, Sphe Ndlovu and Nathan Hotchkiss.

PROVINCIAL SELECTIONS
Golf
Kearsney golfer Asher Hollister has been selected to the SA U19 Inter Provincial team to play at the King David Mowbray Golf Club from December 14-18.

Mountain biking
Kearsney’s Declan de Haas (Grade 10) represented the KZN mountain biking schools’ squad at the recent National High Schools Interprovincial competition in Stellenbosch. It was his first nationals on a very tough course and field. Top KZN rider Cole Baxter, also in Grade 10 at Kearsney, was also selected but was unable to compete due to injury.

Tennis
Kearsney tennis players Liam van Bronkhorst and Michael Lawrence have been selected to the KZN U15A and U15B teams respectively. They will represent the province at the IPTs to be held in Pretoria during January.