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By Johnathan Paoli
Grey High signed off the 2026 Grey Festival in emphatic fashion, completing an unbeaten campaign with a tense three-wicket victory over St Andrew’s School in a clash that pitted the tournament’s two undefeated sides against each other on the Pollock Oval.
With both teams having won their opening two fixtures, the final match carried the feel of a decider.
The Grey Festival is an annual multi-sport schools tournament hosted by Grey College in Bloemfontein, bringing together leading South African and invited international schools to compete across codes such as cricket, rugby and hockey.
It is regarded as one of the premier fixtures on the school sports calendar, showcasing elite youth talent and fostering traditional rivalries in a high-performance environment.
Grey High won the toss and elected to bat first, a decision that initially appeared sound on a surface that had offered value for runs across the festival.
However, St Andrew’s seamer Matthew Marshbank had other ideas and produced a devastating opening spell that swung momentum sharply in the visitors’ favour.
Marshbank ripped through the top order, dismissing three of the first four Grey High batsmen for ducks.
His 3/11 from four overs left the hosts reeling early and placed immediate pressure on their middle order to rebuild.
That responsibility fell to Schalk van Rensburg and Grove du Preez, who briefly threatened to turn the innings around with a promising partnership.
Both batsmen looked positive and intent on counterattacking, but luck deserted St Andrew’s at a crucial stage.
Two sharp run-outs ended their resistance, with Van Rensburg departing for 12 and Du Preez for a top score of 22.
Once that stand was broken, the innings unravelled quickly.
Grey High’s bowlers maintained relentless pressure in the field, and St Andrew’s were bowled out for 92 in 19.3 overs.
Erhard Barends once again underlined his consistency with the ball, claiming 3/9 in his four overs, while Nikhil Sukraj chipped in with an economical 2/19.
Chasing a modest target, Grey High were made to work far harder than expected.
Regular wickets kept the contest alive deep into the innings, but Connor Parry anchored the chase with a vital 29, the highest individual score of the match.
With tension mounting, the hosts held their nerve to reach 93/7 with four balls to spare, sealing the win and confirming a flawless festival record.
Meanwhile, Grey College edged out the Namibia Invitational XI in a thrilling T20 encounter at Victoria Park High.
Namibia bucked the festival trend by opting to field after winning the toss, and Grey College responded with a disciplined batting effort to post 153/7.
Aiden Dodd was the cornerstone of the innings, striking six fours in a composed 53 off 46 deliveries from number four.
Daniel Hattingh and Bergh Vorster added valuable support, while Dan Brassell was the standout bowler for Namibia with figures of 2/17.
The Namibian reply was led by captain and opener Adriaan Coetzee, whose aggressive 54 off 40 balls, including three fours and four sixes, kept the chase firmly on track.
Luca Micillo also contributed with a brisk 30, but Grey College’s bowlers shared the wickets at crucial moments.
Vorster’s tidy 2/24 proved particularly influential as Namibia were bowled out for 144 with seven balls remaining, handing Grey College a narrow nine-run victory.
At Pearson High, Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom produced one of the most dramatic finishes of the festival.
After winning the toss and sending Pearson in to bat, Volkies tore through the top order to reduce the hosts to 47/8.
A spirited unbeaten ninth-wicket stand of 52 between Connor Thomas and Jayden Warden rescued Pearson to 99/8, with Warden striking a heroic 30 not out.
The chase was equally nerve-racking. Schalk Pienaar’s rapid 28 provided early impetus, but Sulaymaan Gangat’s outstanding spell of 3/5 dragged the contest down to the wire.
Volkies eventually scraped home on 100/9 with two balls remaining to win by one wicket.
Northwood School rounded off the day with a convincing 48-run win over Selborne College on the Old Grey Oval.
Batting first, Northwood posted 145/5, with Luc Boyall falling just two runs short of a half-century and Ross McGlashan contributing a fluent 41.
Selborne started their reply brightly through openers Josh Wilkie and Thomas Lyon, but a collective bowling effort led by Trevor van Vollenstee’s superb 3/5 saw them dismissed for 97 in 18.2 overs, capping an action-packed conclusion to a memorable Grey Festival.
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