Noordvaal qualification: New-look Easterns League adds pressure
The Eastern Premier League has taken on a fresh look for the 2025 season, with teams now having just one round in which to secure a place in the Fain Noordvaal Playoffs later in the year.
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Previously, the league featured two rounds of 50-over fixtures. This year, however, only one 50-over round will be played, followed by a second round in the Time Cricket format—designed to test youngsters’ abilities in the longer game.
The team that finishes top of the standings at the end of the first round will earn automatic qualification for the Noordvaal series, upping the pressure and leaving Hoërskool Hans Moore with everything to play for.
The Moories are the reigning Noordvaal champions, having defeated Hoërskool Middelburg in last year’s final at St Alban’s College—a historic triumph, as it was the school’s first-ever title.
That puts the pressure squarely on the shoulders of captain Adrian Watson and his charges. Watson, nevertheless, appears to have hit form at the perfect time. On Wednesday, 3 August, he dismantled Hoërskool Dinamika with an astonishing innings of 196 from just 129 deliveries.
This Saturday, however, Hoërskool Marais Viljoen, playing at home, will pose a sterner challenge. As one of the league’s strong contenders, it will be intriguing to see what tactics captain Jaden Govender and his side devise in their bid to topple the Moories.
The Alberton-based outfit must beat Hans Moore to keep their campaign alive, after falling to another of the favourites, Hoërskool Kempton Park.
The Kempies, meanwhile, face Benoni High School on Saturday. Coach Johan Fourie has assembled a balanced side, with Khaya Majola fast bowler, Kristiaan du Plessis leading the attack. All-rounder Wian Pieters, who also featured at the 2024 Khaya Majola Week, will be central to their hopes with both bat and ball.
Should Hans Moore prevail on Saturday, the race for top spot will almost certainly come down to their clash with the Kempies—fittingly, in the final round of the 50-over phase.
In the third fixture of the weekend’s Easterns action, Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen travels to Alberton to take on Dinamika. The hosts are still smarting from the heavy defeat inflicted by Hans Moore and conceding 505 runs in 50 overs earlier in the week.
Their coach, Jacques Venter, a fine seam bowler in his playing days, will be desperate for his attack to step up against a dangerous-looking Jansie side.
