Author: L. Crankshaw

Union High School, Graaff-Reinet’s young cricket talents made their school very proud this weekend in matches against Saint Andrew’s School, Bloemfontein and Laerskool Frans Conradie.

In the u/11A team’s match against St Andrew’s, Union opted to bat first but faced a disciplined bowling attack, managing to score only 65 runs. 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙀𝙙𝙬𝙞𝙣 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 20 𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙬 𝘽𝙤𝙨𝙘𝙝 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 14 𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙨. St Andrew’s successfully chased down the target in 11.3 overs, securing a 7-wicket victory.

Moving on to the u/13A clash with St Andrew’s, Union showcased resilience in both bowling and batting. Restricting their opponents to 90 for 3, Union’s bowlers maintained control. Despite a shaky start in the chase, 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙅𝙤𝙨𝙝 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙅𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙩 𝙑𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 on the second last ball, highlighting their ability to perform under pressure.

In the u/11A team’s encounter with Frans Conradie, Union’s early wobbles were steadied by a brilliant partnership between Matthew Bosch and Edwin Holmes, setting a target of 136. The bowlers then dominated, with Grant Murray’s 5 for 11 helping to dismiss Frans Conradie for just 31 runs, sealing 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟭𝟬𝟱-𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗻.

Lastly, in the u/13A’s fixture against Frans Conradie, Union’s batsmen shone with Jordan Maritz scoring 59 runs and Joubert Vorster adding 54 runs to reach a formidable total of 251 for 9. The bowlers continued the dominance, bowling out Frans Conradie for 75 runs with Josh Kingwill leading the attack with figures of 5 for 19.

𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯’𝘴 𝘶/13𝘈 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 3 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 3 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 3 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘤𝘬 (𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘍𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦), 𝘚𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘈𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘸’𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘦, 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.

In an exciting cricket match held at Union High School, Graaff-Reinet earlier today, Thursday, 15 February, the 𝗨𝟭𝟯𝗔 𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 took to the field against a visiting Cradock side.

The game started with Cradock taking their turn to bat, but they struggled to find momentum, eventually scoring only 40 runs, resulting in all players being dismissed within 16.3 overs.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚. Aidan Ferreira took 3 wickets for just 14 runs, while Josh Kingwill and Joubert Vorster also made significant contributions with 2 wickets each, conceding only 4 and 6 runs, respectively.

With a target of 41 runs, Union confidently stepped up to the crease. They wasted no time in achieving their goal, reaching the required score in just 8.1 overs. The Union batsmen displayed skill and determination, with Dante Mills leading the charge by scoring 16 runs off 27 balls.

Josh Kingwill also played a crucial role, remaining unbeaten with 6 runs from 13 deliveries, while Jordan Maritz contributed 4 runs from 10 balls.

The outstanding performance from the Union team resulted in a convincing victory, winning the match by 8 wickets.

𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬.

As per usual, the annual 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗟𝗦 𝗚𝗔𝗟𝗔 between the Union Schools and Volkskool – held this past Tuesday afternoon, 13 February – was a thrilling and closely contested event.

Despite the unbearable heat, the young swimmers displayed remarkable perseverance and determination throughout the competition. 𝗪𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝗸𝘀𝗸𝗼𝗼𝗹 for their victory and express our gratitude for their warm hospitality as hosts of this memorable event.

• In the senior category, the competition was neck and neck, with both teams exhibiting exceptional skill and performance. The final score stood at 364 points for Volkskool and 323 points for Union. It was a fierce battle, and every swimmer from both schools should be commended for their outstanding efforts.

Notable achievements were witnessed during the gala, with two standout individuals leaving their mark. 𝗕𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗺𝗸𝗲 (𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦) displayed his prowess by breaking the 50m Breaststroke record, winning six races and earning the prestigious title of Victor Ludorum for senior boys. 𝗔𝗹𝘆𝘀𝘀𝗮 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗽 also showcased her talent by breaking the 50m Freestyle record and securing victory in four races.

• In the primary school section, Volkskool claimed a total of 619 points, while Union accumulated 567 points. We must give special recognition to Union’s 𝗧𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗯𝘀, who achieved impressive results in multiple events. Taylor secured 1st place in the 50m Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Freestyle races, 4th place in the 100m Freestyle (Grade 5 to 7) race and 2nd place in the u/12 4x25m IM race.

𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, another u/11 swimmer, claimed 1st place in the u/12 4x25m IM and another set of 1st places in the 50m Freestyle, Butterfly and Backstroke races and a 1st place in the 100m Grade 5 to 7 Freestyle race. He also came a close second in the 50m Breaststroke event.

𝘕𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦.

𝗪𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. The Interschools Gala is always a highlight on the school’s summer sports calendar, showcasing the incredible talent that exists within our town.

𝘞𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘝𝘰𝘭𝘬𝘴𝘬𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘧𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵.

Well done to all, and let us continue to foster a spirit of sportsmanship and excellence in our future endeavours

𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗟 𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗘 to Union High School, Graaff-Reinet swimmers – Alyssa Trollip, Mark Lemke, Esethu Mabula, Gerda Clarke, Ben Lemke and Zoë Mills – who have qualified to compete at the SA Schools Trials being held in East London this Saturday, 17 February.

Union High School, Graaff-Reinet’s Top 6 boys’ and girls’ junior tennis players travelled to Cradock this afternoon for a mid-week fixture against Cradock Primary School.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮.

The experience, however, served as a valuable learning curve for our young players, who are still in the process of establishing themselves in their new positions on the team.

𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.

Although the results may not have favoured us this time, we are confident that our Top 6 tennis players will continue to grow and excel in future fixtures.