The 59th annual Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Festival takes place in and around Pietermaritzburg from Saturday until Tuesday next week, writes THEO GARRUN.
The week, the oldest continuing inter-school festival in the country, is named after cricket benefactor Jonathan Oppenheimer, who has been a long-term sponsor of the event. It is organised by Maritzburg College and matches are played at the school, and UKZN Pietermaritzburg and at St Charles College and Hilton College.
This year there will be 22 schools in action, along with a Cricket South Africa Talent Acceleration Programme (Tap) team made up of talented players who have been identified but do not attend the traditional boys’ schools who make up the bulk of the participants.
Westlake Boys’ High School from Auckland, New Zealand is back, having played twice before. All the matches are 50-over limited-overs games, with the schools having the option of playing a T20 game on Tuesday, depending on their travel arrangements.
Most of the top KZN and Gauteng cricket schools will be competing at the week, along with Hudson Park and St Andrew’s from the Eastern Cape. The Western Cape schools do not participate in the week.
This week is traditionally the end of the school cricket careers for the matrics at the various schools and most of the teams are at full strength. There are a number of intriguing clashes on the cards.
Day 1 – Maritzburg College vs Affies
Day 2 – Westville vs King Edward
Day 3 – CSA Tap team vs St Stithians
Day 3 – Grey College vs St John’s
These clashes, among others, will give an indication of where the cricketing strength of local schools is likely to lie this season.
Michaelmas – full fixtures
| Saturday 29th September Maritzburg College vs Affies Hilton College vs Jeppe High School for Boys Michaelhouse vs Grey College St Charles College vs St John’s Kearsney vs Hudson Park Clifton School vs St Andrew’s Westville vs St Stithians Northwood vs Westlake Durban High School vs Pretoria Boys’ High School Glenwood High School vs St Alban’s CSA TAP Invitation XI vs King Edward VII School. |
Sunday 30th September Maritzburg College vs Grey College Glenwood High School vs Hudson Park Hilton College vs Westlake CSA TAP Invitation vs Affies Michaelhouse vs Jeppe High School for Boys Durban High School vs St John’s St Charles College vs St Andrew’s Northwood vs St Alban’s Kearsney vs Pretoria Boys’ High School Clifton School vs St Stithians Westville vs King Edward VII School. |
| Monday 1st October Maritzburg College vs St John’s Michaelhouse vs St Alban’s Kearsney vs Westlake Westville vs St Andrew’s Durban High School vs Jeppe High School for Boys CSA TAP Invitation vs St Stithians Hilton College vs King Edward VII School St Charles College vs Pretoria Boys’ High School Clifton School vs Grey College Northwood vs Hudson Park, Glenwood High School vs Affies |
Tuesday 2nd October Maritzburg College vs Westlake Hilton College vs St Andrew’s St Charles College vs St Stithians Clifton School vs Affies Northwood vs Pretoria Boys’ High School Glenwood High School vs CSA TAP Invitation Grey College vs St John’s Durban High School vs St Alban’s Westville vs Jeppe High School for Boys Kearsney vs King Edward VII School Michaelhouse vs Hudson Park |
Charl van Rooyen Week
There are a number of Western Cape sides playing in the U14 Charl van Rooyen Week on the same four days. This Week is hosted by Paarl Boys’ High as part of their 150th Anniversary celebrations.
Charl van Rooyen Week – full fixtures
| Saturday 28th September Paarl Boys’ vs Selborne St Andrew’s vs Affies Pretoria Boys’ vs Kearsney Waterkloof vs Paul Roos Bishops vs Jeppe KES vs Grey High |
Sunday 29th September Paarl Boys’ vs Kearsney Pretoria Boys’ vs Selborne St Andrew’s vs Jeppe Waterkloof vs Grey High Bishops vs Affies KES vs Paul Roos |
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Monday 1st October |
Tuesday 2nd October Paarl Boys’ vs Jeppe Pretoria Boys’ vs Paul Roos St Andrew’s vs Waterkloof Bishops vs KES Affies vs Selborne Grey High vs Kearsney |
Photo: Theo Garrun
