Author: froberholzer

The squad

Umar Badat (Secunda), Janco Breyl (Nelspruit), Umair Cheema (Bergvlam), Zeeshan Enrahim (Hoogenhout), Gavin Genis (Hoërskool Middelburg), Bulelani Mgwevu (Emba Hub), Nhlakanipo Mosehlane (Emba Hub), Mfundo Mthimunye (Uplands College), Herman Potgieter (Hoërskool Middelburg), Alfredo Skhosana (Emba Hub), Eduan Strydom (Hoërskool Middelburg), Leam van Zyl (Uplands College), Xavier Visagie (Cambridge Academy).

One of South Africa’s top T20 tournaments at schoolboy level, the erstwhile Westvaal Noord/Suid Tournament will from this year be known as the Wildeklawer T20 tournament, after Wildeklawer was announced as the new main sponsor of the prestigious event.

Read and follow all the Wildeklawer T20 action live on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) 

Along with the lead sponsorship change, no fewer than five new teams will be in action this year.

The tournament takes place from 16 to 19 October, in the batting-friendly conditions of Pretoria, with Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies), Hoërskool Waterkloof and Die Hoërskool Menlopark playing host to 13 teams from across the country.

Affies, the defending champions, who beat Grey College in the final last year, are in Group A, where they will face Jeppe High School for Boys and Grey High School, from Gqeberha. Each group features at least one newcomer, with the CSA Hub Invitational XI being the new face in the group.

The Hub side, which replaces Hoërskool Centurion, consists of the best up-and-coming talent from all Hubs across South Africa, and it has the makings of being a formidable force. Their excellence was underlined when they went unbeaten at the 2024 Oppenheimer Michaelmas Week in KwaZulu-Natal.

In Group B, Deon Botes, Affies’ former Director of Cricket, and his highly talented Paul Roos Gimnasium side replaces SACS in the lineup. They will be up against Grey College, Die Hoërskool Menlopark, and Northwood. It’s a wide open a group that is hard to call.

Group C includes two newcomers, including a formidable Durban High School (DHS) team that has been in fine form, and recently added the Eston One Insurance T20 Night League title to the Clifton T20 title they won earlier in the year. Their addition brings the number of KZN sides up to three, with Paarl Boys’ High, from the Western Cape, not in action this year.

King Edward VII School (KES), meanwhile, takes over from St Stithians College – one Johannesburg school replacing another.

DHS and KES will battle it out against St Andrew’s School, the regional Schools SA20 champions of the Free State, Northern Cape and North West, and Wynberg Boys’ High, from the southern suburbs of Cape Town.

Group D, it appears, is 2025’s Group of Death. Four high-quality teams, all with potential match-winners in their ranks, makes for an intriguing lineup, but two very good sides are going to miss out on the quarterfinals.

The two-time champions, Hoërskool Waterkloof, take on the Western Cape powerhouse Rondebosch Boys’ High, the Schools SA20 national runners-up, St David’s Marist Inanda, and Westville Boys’ High School, who claimed the KZN Coastal region’s W100 title for a fifth time in succession earlier this year.

GROUPS 

Group A
Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool
Grey High School
Jeppe High School for Boys
CSA Hub Invitational XI

Group B 
Die Hoërskool Menlopark
Paul Roos Gimnasium
Grey College
Northwood

Group C
St Andrew’s School
Wynberg Boys’ High School
King Edward VII School
Durban High School

Group D
Waterkloof
Rondebosch Boys’ High School
St David’s Marist Inanda
Wesville Boys’ High School

News from the North West region in the Schools SA20 competition is that defending champions, Hoërskool Rustenburg, have already secured a spot in the final again, awaiting to see what will happen during the following two rounds to determine who they’ll face in the final at the JB Marks Oval on 25 September.

Read and relive all the North West Schools SA20 action on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) 

The Rusties, having won both their first two matches, first against Bergsig Akademie and then Hoërskool Hartebeespoort, by 146 runs, earned automatic qualification to the final later this month.

Callie Fryer, normally a threat with his sheer pace with the ball, has been the frontrunner in the Rusties’ batting department. He was exceptional with 149 from only 59 balls against Hoërskool Hartebeespoort in the second round. Henri Kemp, a spin bowler in the shorter format of the game, has also been an asset. Kemp has been magical with the ball in all formats, already boasting a six-for in the North West School Premier League.

Of the 20 teams that originally started, only four are still in the running for a spot in the final against the Rusties. Both Potchefstroom schools, 2024 runners-up, Potchefstroom Gimnasium, and Potchefstroom Volkskool, are still in the hunt, while Hoërskool Klerksdorp and Hoërskool Lictenburg look dangerous with the playoffs around the corner. All four teams, along with the Rusties, are still unbeaten.

Gimmies’ destructive Cristivan Coetzer leads the batting charts following his memorable 150 from only 56 deliveries against Ikageng Hub in the second round. The Gimmies won this match by a mammoth 207 runs after scoring 250/1 in the allotted 20 overs. They also won their first outing against Potchefstroom High School for Boys comfortably with nine wickets.

The Volkies first saw off Hoërskool Ferdinand Postma before claiming the scalp of Hoërskool Wolmaransstad. They now face the Liggies in Lichtenburg on 18 September, while, on the same day, Klerksdorp and an in-form Gerrit Koen will cross paths with the Gimmies, most likely on home turf, in Klerksdorp. Gimmies, however, having beaten Grey College handsomely recently, will be buzzing with confidence.

Thereafter, the victors of the above-mentioned matches will square off in a playoff match on 25 September. This will take place at the Witrand Oval in Potchefstroom, after which the final will be decided between the Rusties and whoever makes it through the next two matches unscathed.

Before England destroyed South Africa‘s bowling lineup on Friday, amassing a mammoth 303 in just 20 overs, the third-highest T20 international total in the format ever, Hoërskool Marais Viljoen sprinkled some batting magic of their own on the Schools SA20 tournament.

Read and relive all the Schools SA20 action on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) 

Playing at St Declan’s College on Thursday, Marais Viljoen’s batsmen went wild, clubbing 338/1 in their 20 overs, which works out at a run rate of 16.9 per over.

The Alberton school became the second team to achieve the feat of scoring 300 runs or more in the Schools SA20’s brief history. In the 2024/25 season, Prestige College smashed 388 against Hoërskool Akasia, with a double century from Lesedi Mabena (209*) rewriting the record books.

Marais Viljoen made some history of their own on Thursday by having two players score 150 in the same T20 match.

Almost everything went their way, but the toss didn’t, and St Declan’s sent Marais Viljoen in to bat. That turned out to be a questionable decision as opening batsman, Trent Shrives, and Ethan van Rooyen, batting at three, thundered their way to big centuries.

Van Rooyen took the lead. He faced only 56 deliveries but sent 13 of them for six and another 13 for four, which meant that 84 percent, or 130 runs, of his 156 came from boundaries. His strike rate was 275.

Shrives was not far behind, but it’s seldom that a player scores 150 while flying along at a run rate of 263 and he’s playing second fiddle, just. That, unfortunately for St Declan’s, was the case, however.

The opener bettered Van Rooyen’s 13 sixes, blasting 15 of his own. Shrives added 10 fours, too, to also finish with 130 runs in boundaries, which meant his boundary rate was a jaw-dropping 86 percent.

Together, Shrives and Van Rooyen shared a mammoth 327-run partnership.

The devastation continued for the hosts when they took to the crease, with Daymain Coetzee leading the Marais Viljoen charge by knocking over 5/14 in just 3.1 overs.

Rieshaeel Hashim, also, hastened the demise of St Declan’s, picking up 3/9, while Stian Janse van Rensburg chipped in with 2/19, to restrict the hosts to 65 all, which left Marais Viljoen the winners by an eye-popping 270 runs.

Summarised scorecard

Marais Viljoen 338/1 (Ethan van Rooyen 154*, Trent Shrives 150*; Caelan Boucher 1/48); St Declan’s College 65 (Daymian Coetzee 5/14, Rieshaeel Hashim 3/9, Stian Janse van Vuuren 2/19).

Marais Viljoen won by 270 runs. 

Hoërskool Waterkloof se Rico van der Walt en Ruben Groenewald van Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool het die opwinding vir die komende stryd tussen dié twee tradisionele aartsvyande met ‘n paar vlakke laat styg, met puik individuele vertonings die afgelope naweek in die Titans Platinum Liga.

Lees en herleef al die Titans Platinum Liga-aksie op SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) 

Klofies en Affies se onderskeie seges beteken nie alleen dat hulle die enigste onoorwonne spanne onder die “groot vier” is nie, maar ook die enigste spanne is wat nog nie in vanjaar se liga verloor het nie.

Van der Walt se kolf was weer witwarm. Die Klofies se paaltjiewagter het sy tweede honderdtal vir die jaar aangeteken om as speler van die wedstryd in sy span se sege met 199 lopies oor Hoërskool Garsfontein aangewys te word.

Van der Walt het uit die staanspoor blitsig gekolf. Die 82 aflewerings wat hy trotseer het, het 10 sesse en sewe viere opgelewer voordat hy uiteindelik vir 132 lopies terug pawiljoen toe gestuur is. Dit was egter nie die einde van ‘n moeilike 50 beurte vir die Ysbere nie. Jaydon Blom het ook sy pond vleis tafel toe gebring. Blom wat oor die laaste jaar of wat in ‘n uitstekende veelsydige speler ontwikkel het, is met 77 lopies, nie uit nie, beloon vir ‘n doeltreffende beurt as die Klofies se sewende kolwer.

Die Garsies se boulers was hoegenaamd nie swak nie, dit was bloot ‘n geval van Waterkloof se uitstaande kolfwerk wat eenvoudig té goed was.

Xander Venter was die Ysbere se beste bouler op die dag. Hy het aan die einde van sy toegelate 10 beurte met syfers van 3/29 gespog, met 42 leë balle op die koop toe. Dit het egter nie vir Waterkloof gestuit om ‘n reuse totaal van 310/7 in die toegelate 50 beurte op te stapel nie.

Die Ysbere se kolfwerk het hulle egter wel in die steek gelaat. AJ de Villiers het dié keer sy kolf vir die bal verruil en die meeste skade aangerig. Sy 4/19, tesame met die linkerhandse draaier, Rivan Booysen, se 3/20, het die Garsies geknou. Die ineenstorting van sewe paaaltjies vir slegs 39 lopies het beteken dat hulle uiteindelik vir ‘n teleurstellende 111 uitgeboender is.

Elders in Pretoria, het Ruben Groenewald Sondag vir Die Hoërskool Menlopark laat les opsê. Dit was sy knaende en akkurate swaaiboulwerk wat die Parkies aanvanklik onsenu het. Soos gewoontlik het Groenwald die bal in die middelste gedeelte van die beurt geneem, en dit laat tel. Hy het in slegs vyf beurte vier paaltjies vir net 25 lopies laat kantel.

Groenwald is deur Nico Loggenberg (2/33) bygestaan om die besoekers tot 199 te beperk. Dié telling was grotendeels te danke aan Jan-Willem Pienaar wat die 50 merk verbygesteek het. Hys is uiteindelik vir 51 lopies deur Vihan Pretorius uitgehardloop.

Daarna het Groenwald die wilgerlat ook laat gesels. In die jaagtog van presies 200 lopies het hy slegs 50 balle trotseer, maar steeds 77 lopies gemoker.

Die veelsydige middelordekolwer het meestal in sesse te werk gegaan en sewe daarvan oor die grens laat seil, terwyl hy ook vyf viere gemoker het. Boonop was hy teen die tyd dat wenlopies behaal is, steeds nie uit nie. Pretorius het goed gelyk vir sy 42 lopies, terwyl jongeling Cristian Linde 30 lopies tot Affies se vyf-paaltjie sege bygedra het.

Beknopte telkaarte:

Waterkloof 310/7 (Rico van der Walt 132, Jaydon Blom 77*, AJ de Villiers 29, Franco Schmidt 23; Xander Venter 3/39, Wikus du Preez 2/37); Garsfontein 111 (Reuben van Zyl 20, Wikus du Preez 20; AJ de Villiers 4/19, Rivan Booysen 3/20, Ricardo Crous 2/20). Waterkloof wen met 199 lopies. 

Menlopark 199 (Jan-Willem Pienaar 51, Juan Lombard 37, Dian van Zyl 37; Ruben Groenewald 4/25, Nico Loggenberg 2/33); Affies 203/5 (Ruben Groenewald 77*, Vihan Pretorius 42, Christian Linde 30; Jordan van Exk 3/54). Affies wen met vyf paaltjies. 

‘n Afgeronde spanpoging, aanvanklik deur Hoërskool Secunda se kolwers en daarna twee van sy boulers, het verseker dat hy met 98 lopies oor Hoërskool Nelspruit in Secunda kon seëvier.

Lees en herleef al die Mpumalanga Premier Liga-aksie op SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) 

Jayden Sholtz, meer bekend vir sy werk met die bal, het Secunda se kolfaanslag gelei. As die tuisspan se agtste kolwer het hy die langsteel ingelê om vier sesse en twee viere te moker vir sy span se hoogste telling van 54 lopies.

Luan Swart was kort op sy hakke met 45 aanskoulike lopies, terwyl Nathan Erasmus vir 39 lopies verantwoordelik was. Verdere bydraes deur Juanru Brazelle (29) en Umar Badat (27) het die tuisspan uiteindelik tot ‘n netjiese totaal van 269 gehelp.

Jason Knoetze (4/54) se harde werk in sy toegelate 10 beurte het goeie vrugte afgewerp, terwyl Gerdu van Eeden (2/52) en Safwaan Muller (2/55) ook beïndruk het met die bal.

Die deurslaggewendste boulskofte was egter deur Secunda se voorslagboulers afgevuur. Aanvangsbouler, CJ Bakker, en Luan Swart, die enigste van hul span se boulers om ál 10 toegelate beurte te boul, het die uitklophou toegedien. Swart en Bakker het elk drie paaltjies ingepalm, terwyl Swart slegs 35 lopies in sy 10 beurte afgestaan het. Bakker se 10 het hom ook maar slegs 51 lopies gekos.

Die ekstras het die tuisspan ietwat gekelder en was ook die Nellies se voorste lopiemaker met 48 gratis lopies wat van die gasheer ontvang is. Buiten dit het aanvangskolwer, Duan Smal, hard gewerk vir sy 38 lopies en 66 aflewerings trotseer. Juan Maritz was sy span se tweede beste kolwer met 33 onoorwonne lopies, maar dit het oplaas veel tekort geskiet om die tuisspan te troef.

Beknopte telkaart

Hoërskool Secunda 269 (Jayden Scholtz 54, Luan Swart 45, Nathan Erasmus 39, Jamru Brazelle 29, Umar Badat 27, Ekstras 23; Jason Knoetze 4/54, Gerdu van Eeden 2/54, Safwaan Muller 2/55); Hoërskool Nelspruit 171 (Ekstras 48, Duan Smal 38, Juan Maritz 33*, Dian Boucher 28; Luan Swart 3/35, CJ Bakker 3/51). Hoërskool Secunda wen met 98 lopies. 

Hoërskool Piet Potgieter usurped the lead in the Limpopo Impala Super League, having comprehensively seen off Hoërskool Pieterburg by 62 runs in the fourth round, in Polokwane on Saturday.

Read and relive all the Limpopo Impala Super League action on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) 

The side from Mokopane now leads the pack with 18 league points, three points abreast of Merensky Landbou Akademie (15), who also secured a bonus-point, nine-wicket win against Hoërskool Ben Vorster on Saturday. Piet Pot, however, has played four games, one more than the Plasies.

Ryaan Malji swapped his bowling heroics for a spot in the limelight as Piet Pot’s leading batter on the day. Batting at six, with his side in a spot of bother at 64/5, Malji steadied the ship with an industrious 69 runs. Facing only 56 deliveries, he smashed eight fours and four sixes.

With further contributions by Hamza Vahora (31), lower down the order, and Ridhwan Patel (25), the visitors were eventually able to reach 221 before the last wicket fell.

Pieties’ opener, Celliers van der Merwe, was the main architect of Piet Pot’s initial difficulty. His outing of 3/44 in 8.3 overs produced the best figures for the Pieties on the day.

Frederik Botes responded in likewise fashion for Piet Pot, also claiming three wickets, while conceding only 14 runs, causing the home side to wobble in pursuit of victory. Following the run-out of Stephan Swanepoel (45) and the wicket of in-form Hanru Marais (43), the Pieties suffered a massive collapse, conceding five wickets for only 22 runs. Michael Jooste (2/25) and Ruben Oosthuizen (2/52) supported Botes in the 62-run win.

Merensky’s bonus-point victory over Ben Vorster also ensured bragging rights after the local derby had taken a turn for the worse in the Black Caps’ batting department.

The spinning-friendly wicket of the Merensky Oval suited the hosts’ decision to bowl first, with right-arm off-spinner Rinaldo Bornman  (4/13)  and the left-arm spin from Timothy Baker (2/22) causing severe headaches for the visitors. Baker’s two wickets also established him alone as the leading wicket-taker in the league.

Captain Luka Heinlein again led by example, snapping up 3/18 with his canny out-swing bowling. The combined effort by the bowling trio restricted Ben Vorster to a meagre and disappointing 81 runs.

The Plasies made the pitch look quite different when it was their turn to bat. Njabulo Maseko was the only one able to pick up a wicket, that of James Durant (9), before the experienced Xander Schoeman (32*), nicknamed Mike, and Logan Janse van Renburg (29*), steered the Plasies home with a 63-run partnership for the second wicket.

Nkowankowa Hub‘s Abongwe Mopayi (4/5) and Alen Shiviri (4/15) played a lethal role to bungle out Hoërskool Louis Trichardt for only 49. The side from Nkowankowa chased down the target comfortably, winning by eight wickets in the end.

Summarised scorecards:

Hoërskool Piet Potgieter 221 (Rayaan Malji 69, Extras 34, Hamza Vahora 31, Ridhwan Patel 25, Ruben Oosthuizen 23; Celliers van der Merwe 3/44, Henco Prinsloo 2/21, Hanru Marais 2/32, AJ Galloway 2/68); Hoërskool Pietersburg 159 (Stephan Swanepoel 45, Hanru Marais 43, Extras 31; Frederik Botes 3/14, Michael Jooste 2/25, Ruben Oosthuizen 2/52). Hoërskool Piet Potgieter won by 62 runs. 

Ben Vorster 81 (Ruben Pohl 18; Rinaldo Bornman 4/13, Luka Heinlein 3/18, Timothy Baker 2/22); Merensky Landbou Akademie 82/1 (Xander Schoeman 32*, Logan Janse van Rensburg 29*; Njabulo Maseko 1/21). Merensky Landbou Akademie won by nine wickets.

Hoërskool Louis Trichardt 49 (Ayaaz Patel 10; Abongwe Mopayi 4/5, Alen Shiviri 4/15); Nkowankowa Hub 50/2 (Ntsako Makaringe 18*; Juandro Kruger 1/14). Nkowankowa Hub won by eight wickets. 

Die stryd om te sien wie die beste rugbyspan in Middelburg is, sal in 2026 voortgaan.

Volg al die aksie op SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)

Hoewel Hoërskool Middelburg in 2026 in die SDC Noordvaal Cup se Beker-afdeling gaan uitdraf, en Hoër Tegniese Skool Middelburg in die Plaat, sal die jaarlikse Middelburg-derby steeds plaasvind.

Die rugbybase van albei skole, Jano Venter (HTS Middelburg) en Coene Nolte (Hoërskool Middelburg), het na beraadslaging met die Noordvaal-bestuur uiteindelik tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat dié twee spanne aanstaande jaar op dieselfde naweek ‘n loslootjie kan geniet, waarvolgens die derby dus op 9 Mei 2026, by Hoërskool Middelburg, kan plaasvind.

“Dit is fantasties dat die derby voortgaan,” het Venter gesê. “Dit bied eerstens ‘n taamlike finansiële inspuiting vir die dorp, met mense wat van heinde en ver kom om die wedstryd by te woon.

“Tweedens sou dit ‘n onreg wees om die seuns van só ‘n dag  te ontneem. Daar is min dorpe wat bevoorreg genoeg is om twee sulke sterk skole te hê, so ‘n derby so taai soos die afgelope twee jaar s’n is Middelburg weer beskore.”

Nolte meen dat die derby in elke Middelburger se hart leef.

“Vir meeste mense is dit nie bloot ‘n wedstryd nie, maar ‘n erfenis van trots, gees en eenheid,” sê hy. “Alle Middelburgers, oud en jonk, beplan maande vooraf om die jaarlikse derby by te woon.

“Die dorp word waarlik in rooi en groen getooi tydens derby-week. Dit wys ook hoe gesond Middelburg se twee Hoërskole en gemeenskap is. Vir ons by die Middies is dit belangrik dat die tradisie voortbestaan.”

In 2025 het dié spanne mekaar twee keer gepak. Eers was dit die Middies wat op vanjaar se derby-dag met 16-11 baas was. Die Rooi Bulle het egter die bordjies verhang in die eindstryd van die Plaat-afdeling met ‘n sege van 19-11. Daarmee het hulle ook die titel verdedig en ‘n tweede, agtereenvolgende trofee onder Venter, in sy twee jaar by die Rooi Bulle, ingepalm.

Die spanne het in 2024 en 2025 vier keer ontmoet, in 2024 twee keer op Hoërskool Middelburg se veld en in 2025 twee keer by die huis van die Rooi Bulle. Wat die afgelope twee seisoene betref, loop die span in rooi dus met drie seges teenoor een voor, wat van 2026 ‘n reuse affêre maak.

There are currently only two unbeaten teams left in the Easterns Premier Schools League, Hoërskool Kempton Park and defending champions, Hoërskool Hans Moore.

Read and follow all the Easterns Premier League action on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) 

This could set things up nicely for the final clash of the 50-over round-robin stage, on 20 September in Kempton Park, making the fixture an unofficial final, and vital to qualifying for the Noordvaal competition following the respective leagues across five provinces.

Both teams, however, have unpredictable hurdles to overcome first.

The Kempies face Hoërskool Dinamika at home. The visitors from Alberton will certainly be buzzing after a 22-run victory over Hoërskool Dr. EG Jansen last weekend.

The recent form of top-order batsman, Mohammed Valli, and Branko Steenberg in the middle order should also excite Coach Jacques Venter. Both batters were exceptional against the Jansies, with Valli falling just one run short of what would have been a memorable century.

In addition, it was the bowling department that ultimately got them over the line. The bowling attack will be a key weapon against a class lineup in Kempton Park.

Sheldon Kruger‘s bat has already caused damage with a double hundred earlier in the season. Alongside him, Shuan Nash and the ever-present Wian Pieters also pose a threat with the willow. Pieters will also play a pivotal role with the ball, while Kristiaan du Plessis, the Kempies’ Khaya Majola fast bowler, will charge in from the other side.

In Benoni, Hans Moore welcomes the wounded Jansies. Despite boasting arguably the strongest batting lineup in the league, coach Paul Amorim says his charges will still be wary of the threat that Jaco Engelbrecht and the rest of Jansie’s attack pose. Engelbrecht, of course, picked up six wickets in an over against Border Kei at last year’s u16 National Week in Pretoria.

Captain Adrian Watson and especially spearhead batsman Xavier Coetzee have been in good form in recent times. Coetzee has already scored two consecutive centuries, first alongside Watson’s 196 against Dinamika and then a classy 105 against Marais Viljoen the following week. In the latter, Stephan Vermaak also raised his bat, top-scoring with 120, adding significant potency to an already formidable batting lineup.

Hoërskool Marais Viljoen faces Benoni High School in Alberton. Despite being out of the race for Noordvaal qualification, the Marais Viljoen side would dearly love to regain winning momentum. Although on the losing side against the Moories, Abdullaha Tadwala, also a Kahaya Majola representative, alongside captain Jaden Govender, was amongst the runs again. He will definitely add value with the ball, too.

For the second time in as many days, Hoërskool Middelburg handed Hoërskool Hoogenhout a heavy defeat, this time in a 50-over match on Thursday as part of the Mpumalanga Premier League.

Read and relive all the Mpumalanga Schools action on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) 

Playing at home this time around, Middies won the toss and opted to bat first, and Zubair Desai took the lead to showcase his prowess with the willow. Somewhat overdue for runs, the top-order batter used the home facilities to great advantage.

Alongside Herman Potgieter, in partnership for the third wicket, the pair added 90 runs before Potgieter lost his wicket to Hoogenhout captain Pieter Viljoen (2/54) for a well-played 66 runs from just 66 balls.

Desai then hit his straps as he started to score more freely. With Eduan Strydom (33) and Gavin Genis (37) both scoring at a healthy pace, Desai put pedal to the metal, hitting 10 fours to contribute 83, his side’s highest individual score on the day. This helped the hosts reach a big total of 325/7 in the allotted 50 overs. Zeeshan Ebrahim (3/74) ended the Middies’ innings as the most successful bowler, snapping up three wickets.

Genis then came to work his magic with the ball, as was to be expected. Hoogenhout got off to a steady start, but timely wickets by fast bowler Hendré Nel (2/28) denied them any momentum. The only thrust was provided by Juhwan Jonker, who managed to reach a half-century, before Eduan Styrdom (2/32) sent him back to the pavilion.

This set the scene for Genis to spin a web around the visitors. The right-arm off-spinner did what he does best, playing with his pace and attacking the stumps, to dismantle the Hoogenhout middle order. In the 9.4 overs he bowled, four wickets had his name written over it while conceding 65 runs. Hoogenhout could not manage more than 160 before their last batsman was sent back to the shed, losing by a big margin of 165 runs.

The other fixture in this round, between Hoërskool Nelspruit and Hoërskool Secunda, takes place on Saturday in Secunda. Both teams desperately need a victory after coming short against the Middies and Hoogenhout, respectively, last week. The Nellies, especially, will be buzzing to put the loss against Hoogenhout behind them with a comprehensive victory over the men from Secunda. Nevertheless, after Hoogenhout’s defeat, a win for either side could quite possibly shuffle the cards considerably in Mpumalanga’s top schools league.

Summarised scorecard: 

Hoërskool Middelburg 325/7 (Zubair Desai 83, Herman Potgieter 66, Gavin Genis 37, Eduan Strydom 33, Extras 31, Hendré Nel 22, Dewet Botha 21; Zeeshan Ebrahim 3/74, Pieter Viljoen 2/54); Hoërskool Hoogenhout 160 (Juhwan Jonker 50; Gavin Genis 4/65, Hendré Nel 2/28, Eduan Strydom 2/32). Hoërskool Middelburg won by 165 runs.