KNOW THE FINAL SHOWDOWN TEAMS: BOYS' POOL B

Pool B of the Schools SA20 Final Showdown pits Bishops Diocesan College, the CSA Hub Invitational Team, Pearson High School and St David’s Marist Inanda against each other.

Bishops recovered from losing the Western Province final to SACS to then comfortably win the Western Cape regional honours in Oudtshoorn (despite the absence through SA Under-19 duty of star batter Adnaan Lagadien) to book their ticket to the national finals at University of Pretoria from 12-15 March 2025.

As their name suggests, the CSA Hub Invitational Team brings together the best talents who have played for hub teams during the Schools SA20 competition to date. The 13 selected players hail from eight different provinces, will be captained by SA Schools player Enathi Kitshini (Thembalethu Hub, South Western Districts) and includes fellow SA Schools selectee Paul Matlala and SA Colts member Ryall Julies.

Pearson, meanwhile, reached Phase 2 by winning their semifinal of the Eastern Province leg like Grey High School did and the rivals then met in the final of the Eastern Cape regional tournament held in East London. Their captain, Cayden Wilson proved the star man in the final and will be a key man at the Final Showdown.

St David’s, much like Bishops, put the disappointment of losing the Central Gauteng Lions provincial final behind them by exacting revenge on Hoërskool Noordheuwel during Phase 2. The pair had no problem accounting for their Mpumalanga opponents in the regional tournament held at Wits University, making it a straight shootout for a place in the national finals. Dramatically, thanks to inclement weather, that shootout then became a head-to-head bowl-out between Nories captain Corne Botha and St David’s Morteza Manack with the latter holding his nerve to cue celebrations.

Read more on each of the Pool B teams below:

BISHOPS DIOCESAN COLLEGE

Road to the Final Showdown

Phase 1 – Western Province

Round 1 vs Groote Schuur High School (16/10/2024, won by 356 runs)

Round 2 vs Fish Hoek High School (28/10/2024, won by 9 wickets)

Quarterfinal vs Curro Durbanville High School (30/10/2024, won by 9 wickets)

Semifinal vs Rondebosch Boys’ High School (9/11/2024, won by 4 wickets)

Final vs South African College High School - SACS (9/11/2024, lost by 45 runs)

Phase 2 – Western Cape (played in Oudtshoorn)

Round robin vs Paarl Boys’ High School (24/1/2025, won by 4 wickets)

Round robin vs Hoërskool Paarl Gimnasium (24/1/2025, won by 32 runs)

Round robin vs D’Almeida Hub (25/1/2025, won by 9 wickets)

Semifinal vs South African College High School - SACS (25/1/2025, won by 99 runs)

Final vs Paarl Boys’ High School (26/1/2025, won by 9 wickets)

Top run-scorer | 225 – Waco Bassick (10 matches)

Top wicket-taker | 13 – Luke de Klerk (10 matches)

Bishops’ Final Showdown squad: Raa’id Arendse, Waco Bassick, Luke de Klerk, Thaafier Japhta, Michael Kruiskamp, Adnaan Lagadien (vice-captain), Cameron Macbeth, Litha Mbiko (wicketkeeper), Julian Pilkington, James Robb-Quinlan (captain, wicketkeeper), Samuel Stavely-Alexander (vice-captain), Kyle Stirk, Alex Vintcent.

Co-coaches: Visser Gildenhuys and Lutho Pohlongo

CSA HUB INVITATIONAL TEAM

CSA Hub’s Final Showdown squad: Taywin Adams, Rivoningo Chauke, Keano Coericius, Matthew Florence, Ryall Julies, Enathi Kitshini (captain), Tshepang Laka (wicketkeeper), Paul Matlala, Nathan Nwafor, Sherwin Plaatjies, Bradley Rikhotso, Olebogeng Scott, Nkosibonile Sibisi.

Manager: Colin Gxowa | Coaches: Elridge Booysen and Lerato Malesa

PEARSON HIGH SCHOOL

Road to the Final Showdown

Phase 1 – Eastern Province

Round 1 vs St Dominic’s Priory School (8/10/2024, won by 102 runs)

Round 2 vs Westering High School (17/10/2024, won by 5 wickets)

Quarterfinal vs Gelvandale Hub (9/11/2024, won by 206 runs)

Semifinal vs Graeme College (9/11/2024, won by 16 runs)

Phase 2 – Eastern Cape (played in East London)

Round robin vs Mqanduli Village Junior Secondary School (17/1/2025, no result)

Round robin vs Jumba Senior Secondary School (17/1/2025, won by 10 wickets)

Round robin vs Queen’s College Boys’ High School (18/1/2025, won by 10 wickets)

Semifinal vs Selborne College (18/1/2025, won by 4 wickets)

Final vs Grey High School (19/1/2025, won by 29 runs)

Top run-scorer | 275 – Cayden Wilson (9 matches)

Top wicket-taker | 12 – Sulaymaan Gangat (9 matches)

Pearson’s Final Showdown squad: Matthew Burton, Saluymaan Gangat, Luke Hector (wicketkeeper), Jonathan Holmes, Cade Hummel, Aiden Mitchell, Kade Myburgh, Cale Price, Daniel Ritchie (non-playing), Jude Septoo, Jean Schultz, Jaydan Ward, Cayden Wilson (captain), Zac Zietsman.

Head of Sport and Manager of Boys’ Cricket: Charl van der Merwe | Assistant coach: Tembalethu Mtya

ST DAVID’S MARIST INANDA

Road to the Final Showdown

Phase 1 – Central Gauteng Lions

Round 2 vs Dobsonville Hub (10/10/2024, won by 89 runs)

Quarterfinal vs King Edward VII School – KES (18/10/2024, won by 6 wickets)

Semifinal vs St Stithians Boys’ College (24/10/2024, won by 2 wickets)

Final vs Hoërskool Noordheuwel (1/11/2024, lost by 4 wickets)

Phase 2 – Central Gauteng & Mpumalanga (played in Johannesburg)

Round robin vs Middelburg Hoërskool (31/1/2025, won by 7 wickets)

Round robin vs Hoërskool Secunda (31/1/2025, won by 158 runs)

Round robin vs Hoërskool Noordheuwel (1/2/2025, won by 8 runs via DLS method)

Final vs Hoërskool Noordheuwel (1/2/2025, won via bowl-out)

Leading run-scorer | 301 – Armaan Manack (8 matches)

Leading wicket-taker | 11 – Kyle Butler (8 matches)

St David’s’ Final Showdown squad: Samrat Basu (captain), Kyle Butler, Hayden Campbell, Christopher Emslie, Jonah Gruskin (wicketkeeper), Armaan Manack, Morteza Manack, Roberto Mariano, Kamogelo Phiri (wicketkeeper), Jason Rowles, Khutso Sekgobela, Michael Smithyman, Jared Stern.

Director of Sports Performance and Director of Cricket: Dave Nosworthy | Head coach: Jeff Levin | Assistant coach: Grant Mokoena