Jeppe champion of the Switch Schools SA20 of 2026
Jeppe High School for Boys is the new champion of the Switch Schools SA20 Volume Two competition.
The team from Johannesburg defeated Bloemfontein’s St Andrew’s School by six wickets in the final at the Tuks Oval. Last year, Cape Town’s Diocesan College became the inaugural winners of the competition.
Saints were the only undefeated side in the tournament before the final. Jeppe, meanwhile, had suffered only one defeat, going down to East London’s Selborne College in their final pool match.
When the toss went the way of St Andrew’s, they opted to bat, but their batting effort was undermined by the run outs of three batsmen.
After 20 overs, they had tallied only 105/7. Grové du Preez (36*) led the way, while FG Botha (17) and Harbin Smith (16) made good starts but failed to convert them into more telling scores.
Jeppe’s Phemelo Sekopane (1/11) boasted the best bowling figures.
From the start of their run chase, Jeppe went hard at the Saints’ bowling. It took them until the 14th over to overhaul the Bloemfontein boys, with opening batsman, Vegas Scott, who was unbeaten on 45, continuing his excellent form with the willow. He received the Switch Batter of the Tournament Award after scoring 163 runs at an average of 81.5.
He and Zizi Mkhize (32) shared a crucial 47-run partnership for the second wicket, which laid the foundation for the Black Caps‘ victory. Mkhize’s performance in the final also helped him to bag the Switch Player of the Tournament Award.
He scored 49 runs at an average of 16.33 during the tournament, and also picked up seven wickets at an average of 10.43 runs per victim.
Saints didn’t go home empty-handed as Erhard Barends was named the Switch Bowler of the Tournament. Barends removed nine batsmen at only 8.1 runs per wicket.
For the second successive year, St Andrew’s also received the Spirit Award for the manner in which they played the game.
Summarised Scorecard:
St Andrew’s School 105/7 (Grové du Preez 36*, FG Botha 17, Harbin Smith 16; Phemelo Sekopane 1/11); Jeppe High School for Boys 106/4 (Vegas Scott 45*, Zizi Mkhize 32; Erhard Barends 1/23). Jeppe High School for Boys won by six wickets.
