Hoërskool Rustenburg star Callie Fryer makes franchise debut at just 17
Hoërskool Rustenburg‘s Callie Fryer has become the latest young talent to be called up by a South African franchise.
On 31 January, the Rusties‘ all-rounder made his debut for the North West Dragons at just 17 years and 294 days old, featuring in their CSA Four-Day Competition fixture against the Hollywoodbets Dolphins at the JB Marks Oval.
Batting first in the four-day encounter, the Dolphins were put under pressure as Fryer wasted no time in making his mark on the opening day of his first-class career.
The right-arm quick dismissed the in-form Romashan Pillay for 34 before later removing former Proteas Test batsman Khaya Zondo for 25.
Fryer ended an impressive debut innings with figures of 2/32 at a miserly economy rate of 2.67, which was the best return of any Dragons’ bowler, ahead of established performers, including Caleb Seleka and Ruan de Swardt.
Fryer has long been earmarked for higher honours, and, in 2025, he twice represented the South African u19 side, playing against Bangladesh and England.
Since making his 1st XI debut for Hoërskool Rustenburg in Grade 10, Fryer has been a cornerstone of their line-up. His raw pace, relentless work ethic and willingness to run in hard for extended spells make him a constant threat. At first, he made his mark as a bowler, but his batting has continued to develop steadily, and he is now a genuine all-rounder.
His prowess with the bat was on full display during the most recent edition of the Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two Competition, where he struck a commanding 149 during the provincial phase. More recently, Fryer produced another telling performance with a crucial half-century against St Andrew’s School in the Central Region Playoff Final in Potchefstroom during phase two of the competition, scoring an unbeaten 54.
Rustenburg head coach Jan van Staden expressed immense pride in Fryer’s rapid rise. Since identifying the youngster’s potential early on, Van Staden has steadfastly maintained a quiet confidence that Fryer’s talents, which have been central to Rustenburg’s recent success, would eventually translate into opportunities at higher levels.
Fryer is set to return to the Rusties’ teams for their A Section Finsbury League clash against Die Hoërskool Menlopark on Saturday. His experience of cricket at franchise level will, no doubt, serve Hoërskool Rustenburg well as they head into the last two rounds of the 2026 competition.
