Gimmies and Volkies renew an evenly-poised match-up under lights

Every school derby has its storylines, and Potchefstroom Gimnasium vs Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom has been keenly contested in recent times.

On the face of it, whenever it has mattered most in the North West leg of rain Schools SA20, Gimmies have had Volkies' number.

WATCH: Potch Gim vs Potch Volkies live on DStv Channel 216, the Schools SA20 YouTube Channel and SuperSport Schools App on Wednesday, 14 October from 18:00.

In Volume 1's provincial quarterfinal in September 2024, Volkskool were bowled out for a modest 111, Herman Hesse's 23 the best of a batting effort that never got going against Ruan Steenkamp's tidy 2/10. Gimnasium strolled home by eight wickets, Jahndré Coetzee's unbeaten 53 seeing them to 113/2 and earning him the man-of-the-match award. Gimmies went on to reach Phase 2 of the competition.

A year later, in Volume 2's semifinal, Volkskool went one better with the bat but still couldn't get past their rivals. Christivan Coetzer's blistering 87 off just 34 balls, including ten sixes, powered Gimnasium to 174/8, and Damian Kruger (4/24) and Bennet Keet (3/13) made sure it was more than enough, bowling Volkskool out for 117 to seal a 57-run win. Two volumes, two knockout meetings, two Gimmies wins.

That, however, doesn’t tell the full story of recent meetings between the two schools from either end of central Potchefstroom.

In fact, Gimmies’ Director of Cricket Jandre Jacobs is cautioning against assumptions come Wednesday evening.

“[Volkies] have beaten us a few times this year, so we are the underdogs and they are under pressure I reckon. We are looking excitedly forward to this fixture in the rain SA20 Derby Series,” Jacobs said in a joint Potchcast appearance last week.

He, of course is talking about a Volkies’ 12-run win in a 50-over fixture a month ago as well as their four-wicket victory when the neighbours previously met in a 20-over fixture: back in May at the NWC Oval.

For his part, Volkies’ Director of Cricket Wynand Schmitt is excited for another occasion – with a difference - at the town’s showpiece venue.

“What makes the rain SA20 Derby Series great is that all the matches are being broadcast on SuperSport [Channel 216]. We also have the stadium the full day so at 9am we’ll start with a match between the two schools’ Under-15s and then early afternoon the teachers will face each other.”

While, the history of the matchup adds its own weight, Volkskool, founded in 1922, has regularly sent players into first-class and international cricket circles: Louis Vorster played for Worcestershire and toured with the SA Schools side in 1983, Arno Jacobs represented South Africa A and later played for Scotland before turning to umpiring (including in SA20), and François Pieters has represented South Korea at multiple ICC T20 World Cup qualifiers.

Gimnasium, founded in 1907 and traditionally better known for its rugby, can point to a name recognisable to cricket followers around the world: Marco Jansen, the towering Proteas fast-bowling allrounder, came through Gimnasium's ranks (alongside his twin and recent Protea, Duan, of course) before making his mark for South Africa across all three formats.

That's the shape of this derby - a school with deep first-class roots against one with a genuine current Proteas star, and on-field action where a winner can’t be predicted.

“Potch cricket is very healthy at the moment,” says Jacobs while encouraging the town to come out in numbers. “If you look at our junior schools and us two high schools, we have been the best cricket schools in North West province for a while now.”