A clash of the giant killers in Fain Noordvaal final
Saturday will be a historic day for schools’ cricket north of the Vaal River.
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The Fain Noordvaal Competition will crown a new champion when the history-making underdogs, Hoërskool Hans Moore and Hoërskool Middelburg, face off on the TC Mitchell Oval, the home of St Alban’s College cricket, in Pretoria.
The Middies have won the Noordvaal competition once previously, way back in 1941, while the Moories will be chasing their first title.
The sides’ respective roads to the final weren’t easy. Hans Moore had to get past last year’s runners-up, Hoërskool Marais Viljoen, and Die Hoërskool Menlopark, tests which they passed with flying colours.
The Middies brushed aside Hoërskool Kempton Park in the quarter-finals and then, a week later, at home, stunned the defending champions, Hoërskool Waterkloof, in the semi-finals. Those victories mean that for the first time since 2013, a Pretoria-based school won’t feature in the title decider.
The Klofies, the most successful side over the past 10 years, contested nine of those 10 finals, winning six times, including consecutive victories in 2019, 2022, and 2023.
Saturday’s showdown should be a fascinating battle between bat and ball.
Middelburg possesses a strong bowling lineup, led by off-spinner Gavin Genis, who has bagged a sensational 16 wickets, including three five-fors, in his last three appearances. His best figures of 6/51 were achieved in the shocking upset of Waterkloof, a team that boasts a talented and deep batting lineup. Genis has also been a key performer with the bat, scoring over 450 runs in eight limited-overs matches in 2024.
Middies’ vice-captain, Eduan Strydom, will also be full of confidence after knocking over a crucial 4/44 in the win over the Klofies.
Facing the Middelburg attack will be a challenge, but Hans Moore’s captain, Warren Minnaar, will, no doubt, be looking forward to it. The Moories’ skipper has shown his class throughout 2024, accumulating 1 354 runs thus far. He’ll be eyeing one last big and game-changing score on Saturday.
Alongside him, Easterns’ Khaya Majola representative, Xavier Coetzee, always appears to be in form. He, too, will be a scalp the men from Mpumalanga will regard as critical to their success.
In the Moories’ bowling department, their vice-captain, Henré Everleigh, has already captured 59 wickets this year, which leaves him just four short of equalling the school’s record of 63. Appearing in the Fain Noordvaal final means motivation to equal or better that mark will not be an issue for him.
TEAMS
Hans Moore: Warren Minnaar (Captain), Henré Everleigh (Vice-Captain), Kenan Shaw, Stephan Vermaak, Xavier Coetzee, Adrian Watson, Aiden Shaw, Zander Swart, Ethan Smith, Kearan Weyers, Kyle Wratten.
Head Coach: Paul Amorin.
Assistant Coaches: Werner Swart, Justin Brink.
Hoërskool Middelburg: Le Roux French (Captain), Eduan Strydom (Vice-Captain), Zubair Desai, Herman Potgieter, Reuben Brandmuller, Gavin Genis, Shaun Taljaard, Ivan Deale, Hendré Nel, Wian van Heerden, Sibusiso Maduna, Christian Jansen.
Head Coach: Shaun Neethling.
Assistant Coach: Waldo Prinsloo.
