Get ready, sports enthusiasts! The Curro Podium Athletics meeting, the most illustrious high school athletics event in Southern Africa, is back in action. Curro Hazeldean will host this high-octane event on behalf of Curro. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, 27 September 2023 because the Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria will be where all the magic happens.
Curro is doubling down on its commitment to fostering athletic excellence, which follows an inaugural event that surpassed all expectations. The series now extends to two regional showcases. After the north event in September, sports fans can look forward to a second meeting in the south on Saturday, 28 October 2023 at Dal Josaphat Stadium, setting the stage for a grand national finale early next year.
Pierre le Roux, the Executive Head of Curro Hazeldean, couldn’t contain his excitement, ‘The Curro Podium Athletics north event is more than just a competition. It’s a stage where we nurture future champions in sport and in life. We are fully committed to cultivating young talent and fostering a culture of high achievement.’
The Curro Podium Athletics, which is endorsed by Athletics SA (ASA), aims to spark passion and raise a new generation of sports heroes. The north event is shaping up to be an adrenaline-packed day, featuring the cream of the crop from schools across key regions in South Africa, including the Vaal Triangle, Free State, central Gauteng, KZN, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West and the central region of North West.
Athletes won’t just compete for bragging rights, however. They’ll vie for team and individual titles across a myriad of categories. From the best boys’ and girls’ athletics teams to standout performances in junior and senior track and field events, trophies will find deserving homes. A total of 24 events, ranging from sprints and hurdles to discus and high jump, will make sure every talent is showcased.
The regional champions will earn the right to display their prowess at the Curro Podium national finals slated for February next year.
You can catch all the action live on SuperSport Schools. Now more than ever, Curro ensures that the thrills and inspiration of this event reach as many eyes and hearts as possible.
The results from around South Africa will be updated here as we receive the results from the various schools and clubs.
If your school’s match is not listed below or you would like to send in your team’s results – please contact us via e-mail at hockey@superschoolsnews.co.za or via WhatsApp at 072 172 5455.
The annual North/South T20-tournament will have two new faces and a new title sponsor in 2023.
Selborne College of East London as well as the Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool of Pretoria (Affies) will make their debut at this year’s tournament. They will replace Northwood of Durban and St Andrew’s College of Makhanda in this prestigious tournament.
The Westvaal Motor Group will be the new title sponsor from 2023 taking over from We Buy Cars who was the main sponsor from the inaugural tournament back in 2018.
Selborne College has produced one Protea in the former wicketkeeper as well as Protea-coach, Mark Boucher. Affies has been turning out cricket talent during the last two decades with AB de Villiers, Jacques Rudolph, Neil Wagner, Faf du Plessis, Roelof van der Merwe, Kruger van Wyk and Dewald Brevis all being former pupils of the school.
Affies will join Menlopark, Centurion, Waterkloof, St Andrew’s School (Bloemfontein), Potchefstroom Volkskool, Hoërskool Nelspruit and St Stithians College as the team that will represented the northern region.
The southern schools are Grey College, Grey High School, Paarl Boys’ High, Rondebosch Boys’ High, SACS, Westville Boys’ High, Wynberg Boys’ High and Selborne College.
Waterkloof is the defending champions after defeating Potch Volkies in last year’s final.
The draw for this year’s tournament will take place live on the Groot Ontbyt show of Groot FM this Tuesday.
The sad news of the passing of an icon and a true servant, coach James Mabena to the development of South African football came in the early hours of Saturday morning. The School of Excellence announced that Coach Mabena was admitted at OR Tambo Hospital and that is where he passed away after a short illness.
The Dube Birds, Moroka Swallows also joined in through its social media pages, bidding farewell to one its iconic legends, James “Akulalwa ” Mabena.
With heartfelt condolences pouring in, many people expressed how wonderful and great a man he was, not to mention a fantastic teacher to the young ones on and off the field.
The former Moroka Swallows defender has effortlessly committed himself and dedicated his life to the development of young talent in South Africa. His belief in young people will not go unnoticed. His life spans a work of over two decades committing to unearthing raw talent in the country at the SAFA Transnet Football School of Excellence.
Some of the iconic players to have come out of the School of Excellence and having been coached by coach Mabena include the likes of Steven “Schillo” Pienaar, one of the notable graduates from the School of Excellence and icons to have worn the Bafana Bafana jersey. Daine Klate, Bernad Parker, Bryce Moon and Masilo Modubi, are amongst the proud and excellent graduates of the School of Excellence who have gone to make a landmark in the history of South African football.
Recent graduates from the School of Excellence include the likes of Siyabonga Mabena of Mamelodi Sundowns, Relebohile Mofokeng (Orlando Pirates), Boitumelo Radiopane of Orlando Pirates currently on loan to Cape Town Spurs. The list goes on!
Condolences continue to pour in for the man who committed his life to the development and excellency of South African football.
Lala Ngoxolo Tata uqqatso lwakho ulufezile, Robala ka kgotso kgosikgolo: Rest in peace coach James “Akulalwa” Mabena,
Geen skole in Groep 1 van die SDC Noordvaal Cup sal vir 2024 gerelegeer word nie.
Dit beteken dat die Hoërskool Menlopark met sy velle nog op die draad sy status as ‘n Beker-afdeling skool behou het. Die Parkies het alles in die stryd gewerp om in die boonste afdeling van die kompetisie te bly en self prokureursbriewe aan die Noordvaal Skolerugby-vereniging (NVSRV) gestuur.
Die NVSRV het wel besluit om Groep 1 vir 2024 te vergroot, wat op die ou einde Menlopark asook ‘n heel paar ander skole se bas gered het. Daar sal wel aan die einde van die 2024-seisoen relegasies plaasvind.
“Daar was al vroeër vanjaar begin werk aan verskeie nuwe modelle vir die reeks. Ons het met die onderskeie rolspelers in Groep 1 vergader en daar is op die vergroting die boonste been besluit,” het Dr. Jorrie Jordaan, voorsitter van die NVSRV, gesê.
Die Beker-afdeling sal voortaan uit tien spanne bestaan met die Hoërskool Rustenburg wat uit die Plaat-afdeling vir 2024 gepromoveer is.
Die Plaat-, Skild- en Bowl-afdeling sal voortaan uit nege skole bestaan wat sal beteken dat elke span vier weg- en vier tuiswedstryde in die reeks sal speel.
Ligbron Akademie van Ermelo en Oos-Moot is die nuwelinge in die Plaat-afdeling vir 2024, terwyl HTS Middelburg se Rooi Bulle die relegasie vrygespring het. Die Rooi Bulle se behoud het waarskynlik ook die jaarlikse interskole tussen hulle en die Hoërskool Middelburg lewend gehou. Die interskole is sonder twyfel die grootste in die Puma-streek.
In die Skild-afdeling sal Die Anker van Brakpan en Wesvalia die nuwe gesigte wees, terwyl Lichtenburg sy plek danksy die besluit deur die bestuur behou het.
In die Bowl-afdeling maak Piet Retief, Potchefstroom Gimnasium en Wagpos van Rustenburg hul toetrede tot Groep 1. Dr. Malan van Meyerton word nog ‘n kans gegun deur nie na Groep 2 gerelegeer te word nie.
No less than 16 rugby players that will be in action during the World Cup in France that are not playing for the Springboks completed their schooling careers in South Africa.
Eight of the 16 players will represent neighbouring Namibia at the World Cup. They are Tiaan Swanepoel (Stellenberg), Oela Blaauw, Adriaan Ludick (both Paarl Gimnasium), Le Roux Malan, Damian Stevens (both Paarl Boys’ High), Tiaan de Klerk (Monument), Torsten van Jaarsveld (HF Verwoerd), and Aranos Coetzee (Boland Landbou).
De Klerk could’ve been one of two former Monnas’ locks at the tournament, but France’s Paul Willemse was ruled out due to a thigh injury. He however is still on the list of replacements for the French squad if experience any injury woes during the tournament.
De Klerk did start his high school career at the Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool before moving with his coach Wynand Moolman to Krugersdorp. The French also get their kick from Vlok Cilliers who matriculated from Canarvon in the Northern Cape. Cilliers, also capped by the Springboks, is the hosts’ kicking coach.
The Springboks will open their campaign to defend their title against Scotland on the 10th of September in the Stade Velodrome in Marseilles. The Scots have four South Africans in their squad of which three will be in action against the Springboks tonight.
Duhan van der Merwe (Outeniqua), Pierre Schoeman (Affies) and WP Nel (HTS Drostdy) will play against the Springboks, while Kyle Steyn (Trinityhouse, Randpark Ridge) is the other Saffa in the group. Van der Merwe’s brother Akker played for the Springboks, while Steyn’s father Rory was Nelson Mandela’s bodyguard.
Nel interestingly comes from a small town in the Northern Cape called Loeriesfontein, which is almost four hours drive away from Canarvon (Vlok Cilliers) in the same province. Hoërskool Calvinia also produced another international player in Mouritz Botha. The former English coach is currently the head coach at Bedford School in England.
The other four South Africans in action during the World Cup is Dave Ribbans (England), Pieter Labuschagne (Japan), Sebastian Negri (Italy) and Rob Herring (Ireland). Ribbans attended Somerset College just outside of Somerset West before leaving for England after school.
Labuschagne was part of the Grey College side of 2007 that brushed all before them. Negri was born in Zimbabwe but attended Clifton Prep in Durban before finishing his schooling career at Hilton College. Rob Herring is a SACS old-boy.
Kotaro Matsushima, fullback of Japan, was also born in South Africa. He completed his primary schooling career at Graeme College in Makhanda before he left to finish his schooling career in Japan. Another Japanese player Dylan Riley was born in Durban but his family left for Australia before he started school.
Players at the Rugby World Cup who received their schooling in South Africa:
Lhuandre Pretorius (St Stithians College). PHOTO: Theo Garrun
St Stithians College left-handed batsman Lhuan-Dre Pretorius made use of the flat winter tracks on offer and climbed into the St Andrew’s bowling as he helped himself to an excellent ton.
The stylish South African u19 batsmen reached the milestone in spectacular fashion, by dispatching a ball for six and also making it 22 runs from the 23rd over. He ended on 188 runs from 138 balls and looked like scoring the first Fasken double-century.
The Fasken Festival has not disappointed with action-packed days as the batsmen have made good use of their times at the crease and capitalizing on drier wickets which have not offered much to the dismay of the fast bowlers.
Liam Armstrong carried on with his magnificent form as he notched up a brilliant second hundred for the festival. The opener ended on 109 from 173 balls, demonstrating his ability to shift gears, a stark difference from his first hundred on Thursday. Ultimately putting Maritzburg College in another strong position.
A third hundred partnership with fellow opener Caleb Thomas has shown the class of these two young players and their understanding of one another’s games. Dare I say it but it will be on everyone’s minds; can they make it four from four?
Noordheuwel struggled to keep up with Waterkloof’s speedster Tristan Luus, whobowled with pace and aggression picking up 4/10 picking up wickets at different stages of the innings; his third wicket was the crucial wicket of Dillon Potgieter, who blasted his way to 91 from 65 balls which included 10 fours and 5 sixes.
The side from Krugersdorp found themselves batting on day one again after bowling Waterkloof out for 226 but lofted four wickets before the close of play leaving them with a 24-run lead. Alexander Volschenk picked up two wickets to leave the side struggling at 51/4.
Jeppe’s Kai Van Aardt joined Potgieter by falling ten runs short of what would have been a well-played hundred, ending on 90 from 94 balls. Jepped batted out their 65 overs in the first innings to reach 279/7. Paul Roos found themselves losing several wickets after batters made starts but did not kick on.
The Lions Invitational side put 317/9 on the board. St David’s bowler Morteza Manack was the standout bowler for the day picking up 4/49.
Lions all-rounder Henricus Meyer having a good day with both bat and ball. First scoring 76 from 72 balls, which was followed up with 3/46 with the ball in hand, including a big breakthrough of St David’s Matthew West.
Spin has been a major component for teams which has allowed teams to get overs in quickly during the innings, with several notable bowling performances coming in from spinners across all of the matches. It will be interesting to see how the wickets behave on the final day as they have seen plenty of cricket over the last three days.
Round 2 Day 1 Scores:
Jeppe High School for Boys first Innings: 279/7 from 65 overs (Kai Van Aardt 90, Christopher Ellson 43, Extras: 14; Dian Winkel 3/67, Neil Barnard 2/40); Paul Roos first Innings: 136/6 from 41 overs (William September 49, Josh Jordan 25, Extras:3; Christopher Ellson 2/27, Sipho Potsane 2/46) Paul Roos trail by 143 runs.
Lions Invitational XI first Innings: 317/9 from 60 overs (Henricus Meyer 76, Joshua Mccoy 74, Professor Mkhwanazi 63, Extras: 13; Morteza Manack 4/49, Kabir Bhattacharjee 3/69); St David’s first Innings: 187/7 from 46 overs (Armaan Manack 55, Matthew West 43, Extras: 18; Henricus Meyer 3/46. St David’s trail by 130 runs.
St Andrew’s College first Innings: 226/10 from 56.1 overs (Schalk Liebenberg 73, André Du Preez 36, Extras: 19; Emile Odendaal 3/32, 2/26); St Stithians College first Innings: 298/3 from 54 overs (Lhuan-Dre Pretorius 188, Richard Seletswane 85*, Extras: 9; Dakalo Leketa 2/55) St Stithians College lead by 72 runs.
Maritzburg College first Innings: 293/5 from 65 overs (Liam Armstrong 109, Caleb Thomas 64, Bryn Brokensha 50, Extras: 18; David Ireland 2/58); St John’s College first Innings: 174/3 from 51 overs (Joe Macrobert 61*, Nkosana B Sibiya 45, Extras: 15; Oliver Dacosta 2/17) St John’s trail by 119 runs.
Hoërskool Noordheuwel first Innings:199/10 from 36.4 overs (Dillon Potgieter 91, Brandon Pieters 30*, Extras: 18; Tristan Luus 4/10, 2/45); Hoërskool Waterkloof first Innings: 226/10 from 43.5 overs (Beukes Van Den Berg 80, Marcus Bakker 36, Extras: 19; Gomolemo Sibi 3/50, Corne Botha 2/26); Hoërskool Noordheuwel second Innings: 51/4 from 14 overs (Ruan Strauss 14*, Tidi Moeketsane 12*, Extras:10; Alexander Volschenk 2/6) Hoërskool Noordheuwel lead by 24 runs.
Lhuandre Pretorius (St Stithians College). PHOTO: Theo Garrun
The Fasken Festival was another huge success this year, just showing that there is still room for more traditional formats to be played at school boy level and that red ball cricket remains the pinnacle for any young player coming through the ranks.
Lhuan-Dre Pretorius was named Player of the Festival for his impressive all round performances over the past four days. Bowler of the Festival went to Jeppes’ Sipho Potsane and Maritzburg College’s Caleb Thomas was named Batter of the Festival.
Saints number four Richard Seletswane scored a brilliant 108, to help extend the lead that already stood overnight.
With St Andrew’s staring down the barrel of a 155-run deficit, it was always going to be tough, but cometh the hour and yesterday’s hero with the bat Lhuan-Dre Pretorius showed his allround class, as he picked up5/53 adding to his impressive 188 not out.
With only 51 runs needed to win the St Stithians top order made lightwork of the chase, ticking over the score to win by 9 wickets within 7.3 overs.
St John’s pushed hard for a well fought victory over Maritzburg College, winning by 3 wickets. Joe MacRobert converted his start into a 110 from 134 balls, which helped reduce the deficit to 49 runs.
However it was the bowlers that set-up the side on the path to victory, bowling out arguably one of the most inform top order batting line-ups in the festival. With inform openers falling early, captain Alec Loveland picked up 6/30 reducing Maritzburg to 118 all out, giving them a total of 167 to chase.
Macrobert started where he left off and scored 70 not out to see his side home for a very well played win, giving his side their second victory of the tournament.
Waterkloof finished on a high-note cruising to a 9 wicket win over Noordheuwel. Marcus Bakker bagged himself five sticks in the second innings to walk away with figures of 5/20 which helped set-up a small chase for the side from Pretoria. The all-rounder then scored at a strike-rate of 236.84, to help chase down the 77 runs which were needed. His knock didn’t include much running as scored 44 of his runs in boundaries.
Spinner Dian Winkel and opener Riley Norton bowled well for Paul Roos, picking up 4 wickets each in the second innings against Jeppe reducing them to 113 all out. This left the side from Stellenbosch with a 214 to chase, but none of the batsmen were able to get away, as Jeppe’s frontline spinner Sipho Potsane bowled with control and precision, picking up figures of 6/63 in the first innings and 3/46, which ended as the festivals best overall bowling figures in any of the matches.
The Lions Invitational XI put in a big performance in the second innings with Kyle Swanepoel notching up 103 not out from 95 balls, and partnered well with Professor Mkhwanazi who scored 75 not out from 80 balls.
Having declared it was all down to the bowlers, with the match going down to the wire. The side made up of boys from across Gauteng reduced St Davids to 184/9 with time quickly running out. Mashudu Khangala was the chief destroyer picking up 4/29, narrowly missing out on a fiver, with the match.
King Edaward VII, showed their aggressive nature with skipper declaring late on the first day leaving a slight deficit for his team and hoping to give his side a chance to bowl out Clifton cheaply on the second day. However this risk didn’t pay-off as Clifton College piled on the runs scoring 306/7 from 64.4 overs before sending in the opposition after a declaration. Cohen Naidoo scored 66 runs and Rivan Moodley scored 60 runs, while the other batsmen chipped in.
Callum Ritchie took 5/61 for KES, bowling with discipline and guise as he tried to make use of an aging wicket. The KES batsmen came out all guns blazing with Michael Holmes scoring a quick fire 47, along with Zieg Roos scoring 50 runs from 32 balls. This was not enough as there were just too many runs on the board to enforce a victory, thus the match played out to a draw.
Summarised Scorecards:
St Andrew’s College first innings: 226/10 from 56.1 overs (Schalk Liebenberg 73, André Du Preez 36, Extras: 19; Emile Odendaal 3/32, 2/26); St Stithians College first innings: 381/6 from 54 overs (Lhuan-Dre Pretorius 188, Richard Seletswane 108, Extras: 10; Dakalo Leketa 2/57); St Andrew’s College second innings: 206/10 from 39.5 overs (André Du Preez 82, Johan Liebenberg 26*, Extras: 15; Lhuan-Dre Pretorius 5/53, Pranav Raichetti 3/39); St Stithians College second innings: 52/1 from 7.3 overs (Pranav Raichetti 21*, Extras:5; Andrew Sobiech 1/12). St Stithians College won by nine wickets.
Maritzburg College first innings: 293/5 from 65 overs (Liam Armstrong 109, Caleb Thomas 64, Bryn Brokensha 50; David Ireland 2/58); St John’s College first innings: 244/10 from 62.3 overs (Joe MacRobert 110, Nkosana Sibiya 45; Oliver Dacosta 2/17); Maritzburg College second innings: 118/10 from 39.1 overs (Caleb Thomas 38, Extras:8; Alec Loveland 6/30, Malan Du Plessis 2/27); St John’s College second innings: 168/7 from 39.2 overs (Joe MacRobert 70*, Cole Francis 33; Chad Mason 4/46, Sphamandla Dzanibe 2/14). St John’s College won by three wickets.
Hoërskool Noordheuwel first innings: 199/10 from 36.4 overs (Dillon Potgieter 91, Brandon Pieters 30*; Tristan Luus 4/10); Hoërskool Waterklooffirst innings: 226/10 from 43.5 overs (Beukes Van Den Berg 80, Marcus Bakker 36; Gomolemo Sibi 3/50, Corne Botha 2/26); Hoërskool Noordheuwel second innings: 102/10 from 14 overs (Ruan Strauss 43; Marcus Bakker 5/20, Alexander Volschenk 3/9); Hoërskool Waterkloof second innings: 78/1 from 8.3 overs (Marcus Bakker 45, Stephen Stoltz 20*; JJ Basson 1/14). Hoërskool Waterkloof won by nine wickets.
Jeppe High School for Boys first innings: 279/7 from 65 overs (Kai Van Aardt 90, Christopher Ellson 43, Extras: 14; Dian Winkel 3/67, Neil Barnard 2/40); Paul Roos Gimnasium first innings: 178/10 from 41 overs (William September 49, Josh Jordan 25; Sipho Potsane 6/63, Christopher Ellson 2/27); Jeppe High School for Boys second innings: 113/10 from 41.4 overs (Munib Ayob 20; Dian Winkel 4/20, Riley Norton 4/33); Paul Roos Gimnasium second innings: 152/6 from 48 overs (Liam Basson 43*, William September 29; Sipho Potsane 3/42). Match Drawn.
Lions Invitational XI first innings: 317/9 from 60 overs (Henricus Meyer 76, Joshua Mccoy 74, Professor Mkhwanazi 63, Extras: 13; Morteza Manack 4/49, Kabir Bhattacharjee 3/69); St David’s Marist first innings: 223/10 from 55.2 overs (Armaan Manack 55, Matthew West 43; Henricus Meyer 3/46, Mashudu Khangala 2/28) Lions Invitational XI second innings: 229/3 from 37 overs (Kyle Swanepoel 103*, Professor Mkhwanazi 75*; Jordan Abraham 1/35); St David’s Marist second innings: 184/9 from 57 overs (Gomolemo Phiri 78*, Matthew West 31, Extras: 24; Mashudu Khangala 4/29, Juan Minnaar 3/52). Match Drawn.
Clifton first innings 248/6 (Tim Saulez 95, Jayden Roux 87, Extras: 30; Kirstin Sabela 2/11, Michael Holmes 2/20); King Edward VII first innings: 217/4d (Callum Ritchie 84, Tiaan Goosen 47; Shahzaad Perumal 2/92); Clifton second innings 306/7 from 64.4 overs (Cohen Naidoo 66*, Rivan Moodley 60, Extras: 27; Callum Ritchie 5/61, Cameron Byrne 1/21); King Edward VII second innings: 243/5 from 49 overs (Eric Southey 52, Zieg Roos 50; Shahzaad Perumal 3/75). Match Drawn.
With the first round of fixtures of the 6th Annual St David’s Fasken Festival about to get underway starting on Thursday, the festival has some exciting matches lined up.
Hosted amidst the lush grounds of St David’s Inanda and St Stithians College this annual event has become a staple in the school cricket calendar, drawing schools and enthusiasts from all corners of the country to celebrate the spirit of the sport.
The format of the fixtures is time cricket; which essentially might just be the bridge that elevates modern cricket to new heights while preserving the essence of the traditional forms. This approach fosters an environment where adaptability and strategic decision-making are key, turning every minute into an opportunity to seize victory.
Let’s see how the 12 teams stack up against each other going into the first round of fixtures:
St David’s Marist Inanda vs Maritzburg College (La Valla Oval, St David’s)
The host side St David’s takes on a formidable Maritzburg College, who make their way up the escarpment to take part in the festival.
St David’s will be going into the match eager to stamp their authority as they are faced with familiar conditions playing at home, the side will be skippered by Matthew West. The all-rounder will aim to lead from the front with both bat and ball.
Maritzburg playing in a different set of conditions might be the differentiating factor between these two sides over the course of the next couple of days.
The midlands side has a three-pronged spin attack which is held together by attacking leg spinner Chad Mason who has shown throughout 2023 that he will be challenging to read.
Jeppe High School for Boys vs Clifton College (Gier Oval, St David’s)
Jeppe recently played a warm-up match in preparation for the festival against a touring Northern Cape High School, winning that match by a sizable margin of 228 runs. The batsmen filled their pockets by piling up a total of 351/9 from 50 overs whilst spending valuable time at the crease.
Jaydon Brooker scored a classy 111 runs from 100 balls, while Kaleb Burger chipped in with 51 runs.
With it still being early in the season and not much rain about, both sides will be looking at their spinners to play crucial roles in the match. Jeppe left-arm spinner Tshepo Stafa could find himself playing a vital holding role and tying down an end, whilst the seamers could run in and bowl a barrage of attacking shorter spells.
Clifton College boasts a few players who will be returning to the festival for a second time, with some of the players having the potential to feature in further additions to the festival.
One of these players is Jayden Roux, who scored a magnificent century against St David’s last year whilst only in Grade 9. Skipper and top order batter Shahzaad Permual, will be hoping for flatter and dryer wickets where he can look to cash in on some valuable runs.
In 2019, these two sides met at the festival which resulted in a drawn match.
The Golden Lions Invitational XI vs King Edward VII (McGregor Oval, St David’s)
The Golden Lions Invitational XI, will be up against some stiff competition coming head-on with King Edward VII, many of the players would have previously shared provincial team changing rooms.
KES will be looking at youngsters Callum Ritchie, a top-order batter who bowls wrist spin to provide the team with some impetus and will need to gel well with wicketkeeper Tiaan Goosen, who will look to make a mark behind the stumps.
The Lions XI, will have their work cut out for them as many of the players will be playing with each other for the first time. The side is made up of some of the top talent within the province.
Fast bowler Mashadu Kangala, is someone to watch the youngster from Dobsonville, is known to send down some quick deliveries.
The opportunity to play against a strong side like KES gives the players a good platform to benchmark themselves up against one of the toughest teams at the festival.
St Stithians vs Hoërskool Waterkloof (Dlamini Oval, St Stithians)
Hoërskool Waterkloof has had a good lead-up to the festival, winning two back-to-back matches last weekend in the highly competitive Section A of the Pretoria League beating both Hoërskool Centurion and Prestige College in convincing fashion.
Players to watch out for include in-form opening batsmen Wian Ruthven and all-rounder Marcus Bakker. Alexander Volschenk has had a quiet build-up to the festival but has represented and captained the Namibian u19 side.
St Stithians College will feel quite at ease having the luxury of playing their first match with a home-ground advantage. In the last 10 years, St Stithians have become a cricketing powerhouse producing some talented players who have gone on to represent the Proteas.
St Stithians have four SA u19 team members who toured Bangladesh earlier this year in the form of Lhuandre Pretorius, Kwena Mhapaka, Richard Seletswane and Thebe Gazide, all of whom would have gained valuable exposure on the tour.
The match should provide a good contest between bat and ball with St Stithians going in as favourites.
St John’s College vs St Andrew’s School (Baytop Oval, St Stithians)
Two of South Africa’s premier independent schools come face-to-face in this much-anticipated clash. St John’s have had a very successful 2023, in their 125th Anniversary, winning 21 times out of 28 matches played.
St Andrew’s from Bloemfontein, have got a strong side and have been known previously to unearth some quality fast bowlers, such was the case with up-and-coming Proteas star Gerald Coetzee, however this year the side could look at u19 Free State spinner Dakalo Leketa toprovide his skipper and all-rounder Connor Nel with an attacking bowling option.
St John’s College will be banking on batsman Luke Francis who scored over 800 runs in the season, a classy top-order batter who has displayed his appetite at spending time at the crease.
Paul Roos Gimnasium vs Hoërskool Noordheuwel (La Rosey Oval, St David’s)
Paul Roos faces locals Noordheuwel, both will be eager to put their hands up as teams to be reckoned with.
Noordheuwel will be playing a side without any of their matric pupils as the end-of-year exams are fast approaching. This presents the team with an opportunity to give some of the younger more inexperienced players the ability to stamp their mark on the upcoming season.
Corne Botha who recently was selected for the SA u19 training group will be looking to display his talent. He will be well supported in the form of Dian Taljaard who has racked up 600 runs this year.
All eyes will be on Paul Roos all-rounder Cormey van der Watt, who is a left-handed bowler who regularly features in the top order, normally at first drop, the crucial number 3 position. He bowls a heavy ball and could provide some challenges for Noordheuwels’ inexperienced side.
Get ready, sports enthusiasts! The Curro Podium Athletics meeting, the most illustrious high school athletics event in Southern Africa, is back in action. Curro Hazeldean will host this high-octane event on behalf of Curro. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, 27 September 2023 because the Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria will be where all the magic happens.
The annual North/South T20-tournament will have two new faces and a new title sponsor in 2023.
The sad news of the passing of an icon and a true servant, coach James Mabena to the development of South African football came in the early hours of Saturday morning. The School of Excellence announced that Coach Mabena was admitted at OR Tambo Hospital and that is where he passed away after a short illness. 
Geen skole in Groep 1 van die SDC Noordvaal Cup sal vir 2024 gerelegeer word nie.
