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KNOW THE FINAL SHOWDOWN TEAMS: BOYS' POOL A

7 Mar 20254 mins

Pool A of the Schools SA20 Final Showdown pits Hoërskool Garsfontein, Graeme College, Northwood School and St Andrew’s School Bloemfontein against each other.

Garsfontein, the de facto home team, played the joint-most matches (10) to reach the final phase of this inaugural season of Schools SA20. Initially, they made light work of their opponents in the Titans provincial leg, qualifying for Phase 2 as a semifinal winner alongside Affies. The rivals then got the better of Easterns and Limpopo’s best in the regionals before meeting in the final where the 'Ysbere' sealed their place among the best eight schools boys’ teams for 2024-25.

Graeme College, meanwhile, made full use of their ‘second chance’. Having missed out on Phase 2 by losing in the Eastern Province semifinals they then won the CSA Focus Schools Tournament in December to secure direct entry to the national finals.

Northwood won the battle of KwaZulu-Natal, first by claiming the coastal title over Glenwood High School and then the regional title in Pietermaritzburg against Hilton College.

St Andrew’s School Bloemfontein, who won the previous version of this schools tournament in 2018, overcame bitter rivals Grey College twice on their Road to the Finals. First, they claimed the Free State bragging rights over their neighbours before again doing so in the Central regional tournament.

Read more about each of the Pool SA teams below:

HOËRSKOOL GARSFONTEIN

Road to the Final Showdown

Phase 1 – Titans

Round robin vs St Alban’s College (7/10/2024, won by 28 runs)

Round robin vs Hoërskool Uitsig (9/10/2024, won by 10 wickets)

Round robin vs Mamelodi Hub (16/10/2024, won by 10 wickets)

Quarterfinal vs Midstream College (23/10/2024, won by 45 runs)

Semifinal vs Prestige College (30/10/2024, won by 7 wickets)

Phase 2 – Easterns, Limpopo and Titans (played in Benoni)

Round robin vs Merensky Landbou Akademie (31/1/2025, won by 7 wickets)

Round robin vs Phalaborwa Hub (31/1/2025, won by 8 wickets)

Round robin vs St Benedict’s College (1/2/2025, won by 4 wickets)

Semifinal vs Hoërskool Kempton Park (1/2/2025, won by 102 runs)

Final vs Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool - Affies (2/2/2025, won by 18 runs)

Top run-scorer | 171 – Charl van Staden (10 matches)

Top wicket-taker | 25 – Xander Venter (10 matches)

Garsfontein’s Final Showdown squad: Heinrich Badenhorst (non-playing), Riaan Boshoff, Jared Carr, Ruan Coetzee, Wikus du Preez, Righardt Joubert (wicketkeeper), Zizwe Khumalo, Katlego Lebelo, Lesego Mziza, Rowan Plaatjies, Echard Struwig, Charl van Staden, Reuben van Zyl (wicketkeeper), Xander Venter (captain).

Director of Cricket: Elmar Dorey | Coach: Janneman Basson

GRAEME COLLEGE

Road to the Final Showdown

Phase 1 – Eastern Province

Round 1 vs Port Alfred High School (13/9/2024, won by 277 runs)

Round 2 vs St Andrew’s College (16/10/2024, won by 4 wickets)

Quarterfinal vs Union High School (9/11/2024, won by 92 runs)

Semifinal vs Pearson High School (9/11/2024, lost by 16 runs)

Phase 2 – Focus Schools Tournament (played at Dale College, Qonce)

Round robin vs Dale College Boys’ High School (2/12/2024, won)

Round robin vs Hudson Park High School (2/12/2024, won)

Final vs Prestige College (3/12/2024, won)

Phase 1 top run-scorer | 174 – Andrew Muir (4 matches)

Phase 1 top wicket-taker | 6 – Lisekho Zinyane (4 matches)

Graeme’s Final Showdown squad: Ethan Bokbaard, Jordan Damons, Ajay Jeggels, Kits McConnachie, Luphelo Mdyesha, Andrew Muir (captain), Erin Nelson, Qhama Ngoma (wicketkeeper), Zuko Pontshi, Ryan Stobbs, Enrique Strydom, Corbin Tidbury, Lisekho Zinyane.

Coaches: Odwa Xonxa and Carl Bradfield

NORTHWOOD SCHOOL

Road to the Final Showdown

Phase 1 – KwaZulu-Natal Coastal

Round 1 vs Durban North College (17/9/2024, won via walkover)

Round 2 vs Ashton International College Ballito (23/10/2024, won by 175 runs)

Quarterfinal vs Umlazi Comtech (30/10/2024, won by 92 runs)

Semifinal vs Clifton School (15/11/2024, won by 6 wickets)

Final vs Glenwood High School (16/11/2024, won by 8 wickets)

Phase 2 – KwaZulu-Natal (played in Pietermaritzburg)

Round robin vs Hilton College (16/1/2025, won by 5 wickets)

Round robin vs Maritzburg College (16/1/2025, lost by 11 runs)

Round robin vs Glenwood High School (17/1/2025, won by 6 wickets)

Final vs Hilton College (17/1/2025, won by 7 wickets)

Top run-scorer | 223 - Kyle White (8 matches)

Top wicket-taker | 13 – Jordan Matthews (8 matches)

Northwood’s Final Showdown squad: Luke Allen, Hamza Amla, Aidan Bauristhene, Ben Cilliers, David de Bruyn, Alistair Duncan (non-playing), Connor Leclezio, Jordan Matthews, Ross McGlashan (wicketkeeper), Thabiso Mtambo, Tuswa Phetha, Anay Valjee, Kyle White (captain), Jamie Wimble.

Director of Cricket: Mornantau Hayward | Head coach: Alex van der Merwe

ST ANDREW’S SCHOOL BLOEMFONTEIN

Road to the Final Showdown

Phase 1 – Free State

Round 1 vs Hoërskool Jim Fouche (4/10/2024, won by 10 wickets)

Round 2 vs Hoërskool Sentraal (17/10/2024, won by 10 wickets)

Qualifier 1 vs Hoërskool Trio (26/10/2024, won by 195 runs)

Final vs Grey College (27/10/2024, won by 5 wickets)

Phase 2 – Central (played in Potchefstroom)

Round robin vs Hoërskool Rustenburg (17/1/2025, won by 2 wickets)

Round robin vs Potchefstroom Gimnasium (17/1/2025, lost by 19 runs)

Round robin vs Hoërskool Kalahari (18/1/2025, won by 72 runs)

Semifinal vs Potchefstroom Gimnasium (18/1/2025, won by 41 runs)

Final vs Grey College (19/1/2025, won by 34 runs)

Top run-scorer | 309 – Naude Botha (9 matches)

Top wicket-taker | 19 – FG Botha (9 matches)

St Andrew’s’ Final Showdown squad: Erhard Barends, Ryle Beckmann, FG Botha, Naude Botha (wicketkeeper), Grove du Preez, Jonathan Hickley, Cullen Kakora, Johan Liebenberg, Heindre Serfontein, Gary Simons, Andrew Sobiech (captain), Nikhil Sukraj, Reuben van Aarde.

Director of Sport, Director of Cricket and Head coach: AJ van Wyk | Sport scientist: Erich Wolmarans