Northerns are the unofficial champions of the 2008 Coca-Cola Khaya Majola cricket week, having beaten Gauteng by 106 runs in the match between the only two unbeaten sides at the week-long tournament in Port Elizabeth on Sunday.
Northerns were too good for their opponents on the day. Batting first, they notched a useful 228-7 in their 50 overs, and then their bowlers were always in charge during Gauteng's chase, bowling them out for 122 in 38 overs.
The Northerns players to do the damage were Joshua Richards and Willie Laes with the bat, and Graeme van Buuren with the ball.
Richards made a patient 60, while Laes smashed 57 off 48 balls to set up the win, and then Van Buuren finished it off by taking 5-22 in nine overs as Gauteng collapsed.
It was a good week for Van Buuren. He made three big scores, including a century, and he weighed in with the ball on several occasions as well.
Gauteng put in four good performances leading up to yesterday, but could not perform for the fifth day in a row. They looked sluggish in the field and their bowling lines and lengths were all wrong. Only their captain, Dale Deeb (3-28) and opening bowler Christopher Abrams (2-26) made any impact.
In other action on the final day, Easterns handed Namibia their fourth defeat of the week. The visitors did, however, beat SWD earlier in the tournament and were quite competitive in their first time back at the week after many years.
Western Province had an indifferent week, but they ended it on a high note by beating the hosts, Eastern Province, on Sunday. They were chasing 194 and made it with three wickets to spare, thanks mainly to a 52 from Kirk Wernars.
Griquas had a great week. They lost to Boland on the third day, but beat Limpopo on day four and North West yesterday to make it four wins out of five.
Brandon Louw of SWD was the only player to get a century on the final day (105). It was his second in a row, and he made two big scores earlier on, making him the week's top run-scorer with 446, at an average of 89. The top wicket-taker was Northerns' Thomas Kaber (18), while the top all-rounder was Van Buuren of Northerns (279 runs and 14 wickets).
Another batsman to consistently make big scores was KwaZulu-Natal Inland's Matt Hullet. He made 69 in his side's win over Mpumalanga yesterday, his fourth half century of the week.
SA Schools team: Dale Deeb (Trinity House,Gauteng, captain), Andrea Agathagelou (Fields College, North West), Graeme Van Buuren (Pretoria Boys' High, Northerns), Brandon Louw (Outeniqua, SWD), Temba Bavuma (St David's Marist, Gauteng), Jerry Nqolo (Dale, Border), Mangaliso Mosehle (Dr Johan Jurgens, Easterns), Reece Williams (Northern Cape High, Griquas), Clayton August (New Orleans, Boland), Thomas Kaber (Affies, Northerns), Kelly Smuts (Graeme College, E Province), Manager: Pierre Hugo. Coach: Goolam Jaffer.
SA Colts team: Josh Richards (St Alban's, Northerns, captain), Emile Kriek (Paul Roos, Boland), Mathew Hullet (St Charles College (KZN Inland), Christiaan Schoeman (Hoerskool Waterkloof, Northerns), Colin Ackerman (Grey High School, EP), Cody Chetty (Glenwood, KZN), Dane Piedt (Sacs, WP), Graham Hume (Trinity House, Gauteng), Kushen Kishun (Clifton College, KZN), Athi Maposa (Maritzburg College, KZN Inland), Rabian Engelbrecht (New Orleans, Boland). Manager: Shaheed Khan. Coach: Geofrey Toyana.
SA under-19 team: Jonathan Vandiar (Gauteng, captain), Andrea Agathagelou (North West), Clayton August (Border), Themba Bavuma (Gauteng), Dale Deeb (Gauteng), Thomas Kaber (Northerns), Samuel Mofokeng (Northerns), Magaliso Mosehle (Easterns), Bokang Mosena (Free State), Siya Ntshona (E Province), Cobus Pienaar (Free State), Stephen Smit (Free State), Kelly Smuts (E Province), Reece Williams (Griquas)