Montrose night challenge exciting finale

A helicopter landed on the cricket pitch at the Montrose Night Challenge finale.

November 15, 2023

Lebogang Tlou 1 minute read

Montrose U11 team celebrates as they accept the tournament win.

The Montrose Primary School Night Challenge came to an exciting conclusion on November 10 with the closing ceremony.

Redhill and Dainfern play a fast-paced game. Pictured is Redhill’s Taylor Herman (red), Deinfern College player Reatile Motaung (orange) and Holly Dorrestein-Rowley. Photo: Lebogang Tlou

It was an exhilarating affair characterised by Aerial FX skydivers leaping from a helicopter as it circled above the school, and parachuting down to the cricket field. Denis Howe, Dylan Raff, Bailey Edmunds and Warren Hitchcock all managed to land on the field, coordinated by their team leader Ricci Bucceri.

Caden Edwards plays his part in taking his team to the final. Photo: Lebogang Tlou

Montrose Primary School won the U11 cricket tournament and Rivonia Primary School finished at the top of the netball log in winning this year’s Night Challenge.

Rivonia primary’s U11 netball coach Zunelda Bainbridge felt her players have just gone from strength to strength this year.

Skydivers Warren Hitchcock and Denis Howe celebrate their successful leap from the heavens. Photo: Lebogang Tlou

“We’ve come quite a long way from the beginning of the year when our league was played until now at the Montrose Night series,” Bainbridge said. “We started well; we’ve just taken each game as it came. We just gave our best in every single game.”

Grayston Prep U11 bowler Connor Dry and umpire Ernest Nyatsambo. Photo: Lebogang Tlou

Montrose Primary’s sports facilitator, Mokhosi Makara said winning the tournament was a testament to the hard work that went in the years before this victory.

“We started from U8 with this group of young players,” Makara said. “The lifting of the trophy is merely the culmination of all the hard work that they put in.”