Oranje on the hunt for seventh Fairtree Super 12 title

C&N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje put the finishing touches on their Fairtree Super 12 tournament preparations with a 5-1 win over their neighbours Eunice in the Southern Free State League final on Tuesday evening.

Carolien Wessels, Karla van der Westhuizen, Xylia Choene, Marlene du Plessis, and Chanette Jansen van Vuuren found the back of the net as Gyster van Schalkwyk‘s charges fed themselves a big boost ahead of their challenge for the Fairtree Super 12 title.

“The Super 12 is a major tournament and we have been using our league matches as part of our preparation for it,” Van Schalkwyk said.

The elite event runs from 8-12 August at Oranje, who will be chasing their seventh Super 12 title in nine editions of the tournament.

Van Schalkwyk’s side has been drawn in Pool A with Paarl Gimnasium, St Mary’s DSG (Kloof), Garsfontein, Bloemhof, and Waterkloof. The Anriette Otto-captained team’s campaign begins with a tie against Waterkloof on the first morning of the tournament.

Oranje’s record at the Super 12 is impeccable. They’ve won 49 of their 60 matches, lost only eight, and drawn three. They enter the event as the top seed, intent on emulating their title-winning performances of 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2022.

Last year, Oranje finished third after losing 1-2 to Eunice in the semifinals. They, then, beat Rhenish 2-1 in the third and fourth place playoff.

Despite the outstanding achievements of past Oranje teams, Van Schalkwyk’s side won’t let history and expectations weigh them down as they seek to add to the school’s dominant run.

“The accomplishments of past teams do not concern me or the girls because we can’t do anything about that but take the lessons that came along with it,” Van Schalkwyk said. “This is an elite tournament that will most definitely come with pressure and excitement.”

Spectators can expect an attacking brand of play from Oranje and, if their goal tally against Eunice in the league final is anything to go by, they will score a lot of goals as they challenge for top honours. The Fairtree Super 12 title is always the school’s goal, never anything less.

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CS Chiwanza

CS Chiwanza is a former poet and now a full-time storyteller of Southern African sports. He jokes that those who can't do a thing well enough either teach or write. He knows the right way to hold a cricket bat and the right grip for the wobbleball, but can't do either well enough to be picked for a good team. So he writes. However, he mastered the best dart grip and spends hours stat-padding against his wife and kids.

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