A South African Adventure of Cricket, Netball, and Culture

7 November 2025

Over the October half-term break, a group of 42 Caterham pupils—comprising two boys’ cricket teams, a girls’ cricket team, and a netball team—embarked on an unforgettable 10-day sporting and cultural tour to South Africa.

The packed itinerary brilliantly blended competitive sports fixtures with a host of cultural and adventure activities, providing our students with a truly enriching experience.

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Cultural Highlights: Learning and Adventure

The tour was about much more than sport. It provided eye-opening educational and adventure opportunities, including:

Ascending the iconic Table Mountain for breathtaking views.
A poignant tour of Robben Island, led by a former political prisoner from the Apartheid era.
An overnight stay in a game reserve where pupils tried to spot the famous “Big Five.”
Fun-filled surfing lessons and a sea kayaking adventure.
A deeply rewarding visit to Mbekweni Primary School, where our pupils ran dedicated cricket and netball coaching sessions for the local children.

This coaching session at Mbekweni was a truly special and memorable moment, fostering connections that transcended borders and leaving a lasting impression on pupils and staff alike.

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Girls’ Cricket: Exceptional Performance

The Girls’ 1st XI had an exceptional tour, successfully balancing competitive cricket with excellent team-building.

Pinelands High School: Lucy B scored an excellent 50* (retired), setting an inclusive tone as every girl was given a chance to bowl. WIN
Curro Durbanville: Ann T celebrated her 16th birthday with a fantastic spell, taking 3 wickets. Inaaya delivered a stellar batting performance to comfortably chase the total. WIN
Stellenberg: Arabella H led the attack with 3 wickets against a strong team. LOSS
Reddam House: On a scorching day, Arabella claimed both vital wickets. Jess C, transitioning seamlessly from keeper, delivered a brilliant, unbeaten 40*. LOSS

Mrs. Isaacs and Miss Wolf were incredibly proud of the girls’ immense resilience, determination, and teamwork demonstrated across all four demanding fixtures.

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Boys’ Cricket: Competitive Spirit

The Boys’ 1st XI Cricket team engaged in four highly competitive matches, showing great fight and individual brilliance against strong South African opposition.

Pinelands High School: George A was the pick of the bowlers (3-54), supported by a brilliant 41 from Meet P.
Reddam House: A comprehensive victory led by aggressive batting from Meet P (63 off 44 balls) and Henry D (49* off 39 balls). Sam M (3-20), Tom F (3-5), and Charlie M (2-4) dominated with the ball.
Bishop’s: A stunning team bowling and fielding performance restricted the opposition to 124, with Tom and Leo taking 3 wickets each, and Henry chipping in with 2-14. Despite a brilliant 55* from Sam D, a dramatic batting collapse saw the team lose by just 4 runs off the last ball.
Boland Invitational XI: After being 39-5, a crucial partnership between Leo (44*) and Cai H (18) got the team to a competitive total. Leo (2-16), Meet (2-20), and Sam (2-14) were the pick of the bowlers.

The 2nd team boys did themselves proud over the 4 games that they played, showing real passion and professionalism throughout. The pupils came back with a tremendous record of 3 wins out of 4 fixtures. Against tough South African local opposition, the boys fought hard every time they stepped on the field displaying excellent batting partnerships, sharp fielding, and disciplined bowling. The team had just as much fun on the field as they did off, experiencing the South African culture and bonding more as a team. We are looking forward to seeing even more of their development going into to the 2026 season. Much credit needs to go to Orin D who led the side brilliantly throughout the tour.

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Netball: The Undefeated ‘NetCats’

The netball team, affectionately nicknamed the ‘NetCats’, experienced 10 days they will never forget, culminating in an outstanding achievement!

“The winning streak continued for the NetCats despite facing hot temperatures and varying styles of netball, Caterham took wins from Reddham House, Muizenberg High and Charleston Hill – leaving the team undefeated in South Africa and earning the title of Team of the Tour!”

Beyond their fantastic sporting success, the netball team’s visit to Mbekweni Township High School to lead coaching sessions was a defining moment. They supported pupils in developing basic skills, played alongside them, and enjoyed a performance by the school’s choir. This connection was a truly humbling and memorable moment for all involved.

The pupils were accompanied by Mr Batty, Miss Wolf, Mrs Isaacs, Miss Ryan, Miss Handley and Mr Cutmore and a very tired group of pupils and staff returned to Caterham with fabulous memories of a great tour, and a wonderful country. I would like to thank all the schools who hosted us in South Africa and helped make the trip possible.