Top class schools’ cricket expected at this year’s Michaelmas Week

The 60th annual Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week takes place in the KZN capital and surrounding areas from Saturday, September 21 to Tuesday, September 24 and promises to deliver a host of exciting matches as well as giving spectators the chance to watch the country’s future stars.

All the matches at Goldstone’s and Barns at Maritzburg College will be live streamed by DigiTV.co.za.

It is also a unique cricket event in that all 10 of the KZN province’s leading schoolboy first XIs are represented in one festival.

The annual hosts Maritzburg College are joined by fellow KZN schools St Charles College, Hilton College, Michaelhouse, Kearsney College, Westville, Glenwood, Durban High School (DHS), Clifton College and Northwood.

The KZN “Top 10” will pit their talents and teamwork against 12 of the very best in the country.

The school first XIs from outside KZN taking part are St Stithians College, Pretoria Boys’ High School (PBHS), Grey College, King Edward VII School (KES), St John’s College, Jeppe High School for Boys’, St David’s Marist, St Alban’s College, St Andrews College (Grahamstown), Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies), Hudson Park (East London) and, terms of the decades that the likes of KES have been at Michaelmas, a relatively new and invaluable addition in the form of the Cricket South Africa Talent Acceleration Programme XI (colloquially know as CSA TAP) a side that has taken the honours against the long-standing Michaelmas teams on numerous occasions.

A measure of the quality of cricketers that have passed through this festival are the household names who have graced the biggest stages in the world.

Ali Bacher and Graeme Smith (KES), Kepler Wessels and Hansie Cronje (Grey College), AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis (Affies), and Hashim Amla (DHS) are some of the Michaelmas cricketers over the past 60 years whose post-school careers have led them to become SA national team captains.

And just some of the Michaelmas cricketers who have gone on to reach the pinnacle of the game and delight audiences around the world include Barry Richards (DHS), David Miller, Kevin Pietersen and Jonty Rhodes (all Maritzburg College) and Quinton de Kock (KES).

Schoolboy cricket lovers are in for a treat.

The 50-over matches start at 9am.

On the last day schools have the option of playing either the T20 or 50-over format.

The Fixtures:

Day 1 

Maritzburg College vs Pretoria Boys’ High at Goldstones
St Charles College vs St Stithians College at St Charles College I
Durban High School vs King Edward VII at Barns 
Hilton College vs Affies at Hilton College
Michaelhouse vs Jeppe High School for Boys’ at Eston Club
Westville Boys’ High vs CSA Tap Invitational XI at Collegians Club
Clifton vs Grey College at Varsity Field I 
Kearsney College vs St Andrew’s College at Varsity Field II 
Glenwood vs St John’s College at Pietermaritzburg Oval
Northwood vs St Alban’s College at Richmond Club
Hudson Park vs St David’s Marist at St Charles College II 

Day 2 

Maritzburg College vs Grey College at Goldstone’s
St Charles College vs Hudson Park at St Charles College I
Durban High School vs St Davi’s Marist at Varsity Field I
Hilton College vs Jeppe High School for Boys’ at Hilton College
Westville Boys’ High vs Affies at Barns 
Michaelhouse vs King Edward VII at Pietermaritzburg Oval 
Clifton School vs St Andrew’s College at Collegians Club
Kearsney College vs St John’s College at Richmond Club
Glenwood vs St Alban’s Collegbe at St Charles College II
Northwood vs St Stithians College at Eston Club
CSA TAP Invitational XI vs Pretoria Boys’ High at Varsity Field II

Day 3 

Maritzburg College vs St Alban’s College at Goldstone’s
St Charles College vs Affies at St Charles College I
Durban High School vs St John’s College at St Charles College II
Hilton College vs Pretoria Boys’ High at Hilton College
Michaelhouse vs CSA TAP Invitational XI at Barns
Westville Boys’ High vs St Stithians College at Pietermaritzburg Oval
Clifton vs King Edward VII at Varsity Field II
Kearsney College vs Hudson Park at Eston Club
Glenwood vs St David’s Marist at Richmond Club
Northwood vs St Andrew’s College at Varisty Field II
Grey College vs Jeppe High School for Boys’ at Collegians Club

Day 4 

Maritzburg College vs Affies at Goldstone’s
St Charles College vs King Edward VII at St Charles College I
Durban High School vs Jeppe High School for Boys’ at Richmond Club
Hilton College vs St Stithians College at Hilton College
Michaelhouse vs Hudson Park at Collegians Club
Westville Boys’ High vs St Andrew’s College
Clifton vs St Alban’s College at Eston Club
Kearsney College vs St David’s Marist at St Charles College II
Glenwood vs Pretoria Boys’ High at Varsity Field II
Northwood vs St John’s College at Pietermaritzburg Oval
Grey College vs CSA TAP Invitational XI at Varsity Field II