Sports Overview: January 2026

Maritzburg College Kicks Off 2026 with Dominant Sporting Performances

The first month of 2026 saw Maritzburg College surge into the new sporting year with determination, skill and depth across all codes. From commanding cricket displays to outstanding basketball wins, inspired water polo performances, podium finishes in canoeing and cycling, and an exceptional showing on the athletics track, College teams have set a strong foundation for the term ahead.

College’s cricket programme opened the year with a remarkable set of results, with standout performances across all age groups.Preseason fixtures showcased exceptional form, particularly from the 1st XI, who drew a competitive two-day clash against Clifton before delivering a crushing 236‑run victory over Ashton, powered by centuries from Dax Jursa (123*) and de Bruyn (104*).Age‑group cricket mirrored this success. The U16A side dominated Clifton with an emphatic innings‑and‑119‑run win, highlighted by devastating bowling from Storm (4‑19 & 4‑8) and an all-round performance from Palmer. The U15A team went unbeaten at the Lance Klusener Festival, winning all four matches convincingly, while the 2nd XI picked up two strong victories, including a thrilling one‑wicket chase.

Later in the month, the 1st XI secured a nail‑biting one‑wicket win over St Charles, with captain Reece Willson (3/38) and Luan van der Merwe (52) anchoring the result. Across the cricket programme, all A‑teams recorded wins on the final weekend of January—another sign of promising depth.

Basketball emerged as one of the strongest codes in January, with College securing commanding programme wins against both Westville and St Charles/Michaelhouse.The season started with a bang as College defeated Westville in 16 of 21 fixtures, headlined by a confident 56–37 victory for the 1st team. The U14s were particularly impressive, winning by large margins including a powerful 53–6 result for the U14As.Momentum carried into the end‑January fixtures, where College won 19 of 22 matches against St Charles and Michaelhouse. The 1st team delivered another standout performance in the Pietermaritzburg Derby, producing a decisive 70–49 win built on defensive intensity and star contributions from W. Makhanda (14 points) and T. Lekhobo (12 points).

Across all age groups, basketball displayed exceptional consistency, depth and early-season readiness.

College’s water polo teams delivered competitive performances early in the season, with the 1st team finishing 5th at the Grey College Tournament, winning six of their ten matches. Strong victories over Grey’s 1st and 2nd teams, DHS and PBHS demonstrated the team’s resilience and growing cohesion.Local fixtures across the month saw mixed results, but the junior teams—especially the U14s—shone consistently. Against Westville, the U14A, B and C teams swept their matches, contributing to an overall balanced programme result of five wins and five losses.

College’s athletes made a powerful early-season statement at the first aQuellé Series meeting of the year, finishing 1st overall out of 31 participating schools.
The team secured five 1st places, seven 2nd places and six 3rd places across the programme.
Notable achievements included:

College also celebrated age-group champions in the U15, U17 and U19 categories—a strong signal of the talent pipeline.

Canoeing
At the African Slalom and Kayak Cross Championships in Underberg, College paddlers delivered outstanding performances:

Cycling
At Cascades MTB Park, College cyclists were in superb form, with:

These results underline the growing strength of College’s off‑road sports programmes.

Across every code, January at Maritzburg College has been marked by: