The 2025 Chronicle

During the year we welcomed Vincent Jordaan as our new head cricket coach, and he made a superb start to his Michaelhouse career. As First XI coach, he guided the team to four victories from four matches at Michaelmas, the first time this has been achieved in 15 years. We look forward to his continued contri bution to the school as we work towards our development goals in the years ahead. Our gratitude extends to all our coaches for their dedication, expertise and commitment to nurturing young cricketers at Michaelhouse. Their tireless work, both on and off the field, has been instrumental in this year’s success. The 2025 cricket season has been marked by sustained excellence, provincial recognition and continued growth in the values that make cricket such a special part of the Michaelhouse experience. The First XI began the 2025 season facing both promise and challenge. A mid-season change in leadership is never without diffi culty, and for the first six weeks the side were guid ed by Mr Khalipha Cele and Mr Lwandiswa Zuma. Under their stewardship the team laid a solid foun dation and competed admirably in the opening phase of the season. At midyear we bade farewell to both coaches and welcomed Mr Vincent Jordaan as head coach of cricket and First XI head coach. Mr Evan Mickleburgh was appointed as his as sistant, moving up from the U15 age group. This new coach ing partnership proved immensely beneficial. The team entered the Michaelmas term in September with renewed focus and momentum, achieving four consecutive victories for the first time in over a decade; a remarkable accom plishment. The season concluded on a high note with a memorable vic tory over St Charles, preceded by a splendid annual cricket dinner where the achievements and growth of the players were celebrated. Another highlight was the success of our annual Pink Day. Not only was it a special occasion for the team, beating Hilton at Michaelhouse in front of full banks on Roy Gathorne, but the Michaelhouse parent body once again demonstrated tremendous generosity, raising signifi cant funds in support of breast cancer research and treat ment initiatives. The side were led with distinction by Ethan Muir, whose perfor mances earned him selection for KZN Inland and the oppor tunity to represent them at National Week, an achievement of which the school is immensely proud. With a number of promising young players having progressed through our system into the First XI, the future of Michaelhouse cricket looks exceptionally bright. We look forward with confi dence and anticipation to the 2026 season under the contin ued leadership of these fine young men and the brilliant group of coaches at the helm. FIRST XI CRICKET

1

0

0

0

0%

1

7TH XI

1

0

0

0

0%

1

U19A

1

1

0

0

100%

0

U18 1ST

1

0

0

1

0%

0

U17 7TH

8

4

0

2

50%

2

U17A

3

1

0

2

33%

0

U16A

4

3

0

1

75%

0

U16B

15

7

0

3

47%

5

U15A

9

7

0

1

78%

1

U15B

7

4

0

2

57%

1

U15C

2

1

0

1

50%

0

U15D

18

11

1

5

61%

1

U14A

8

2

0

6

25%

0

U14B

5

0

0

5

0%

0

U14C

TOTAL

137 78

1

41

57%

17

* Table includes NR's - no results

The pinnacle of our achievements this year was the selection of 15 boys at provincial level. This is an extraordinary accom plishment that speaks to the quality of cricket being played at Michaelhouse. There is no game quite like cricket. It mirrors life. You can wait the whole day to bat and go out first ball because you made a mistake or, worse, receive a ball that was unplayable. But the beauty is you get a chance again next week. You can drop a catch because you were distracted, but the beauty is you will get another chance at a catch, if you just keep playing. You can be dropped because you haven't bowled well but as soon as you believe in yourself and take a few wickets, you find form and bowl well and get selected for the team a few weeks later. You have a bad day and let your team down and they lose. You are the star performer for the day and it helps your team win or, worse, they still lose. Any way you look at it, you will see that life and cricket are one and the same. Our boys are blessed to have the chance to learn from this magnificent game, as it teaches us all such invaluable life lessons. In everything we do as Michaelhouse cricket, we have a vi sion that underpins how we practice, how we coach, how we learn and how we play the game: “For all boys to understand the values and life lessons that cricket gives (patience, dis cipline, trust, friendship and determination). For each boy to have fun and to feel like he is contributing to his team’s suc cess. For all boys to have developed a love for the game so that they continue playing the sport after school. To encour age boys to focus on their strengths while working through weaknesses.” Michaelhouse is blessed with outstanding cricket facilities. Our sincere thanks go to the ground staff who maintain these ex ceptional facilities to the highest standard, ensuring optimal playing surfaces throughout the season.

161