Saints goes back-to-back as Central Region Schools SA20 champions

Another Switch Schools SA20 final, another FG Botha half-century!

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St Andrew’s School, from Bloemfontein, was crowned the back-to-back Central Region champion of Phase Two of the Switch Schools SA20 competition on Sunday morning after they successfully defended their 2025 title with a comfortable 37-run victory over Hoërskool Rustenburg in the final at the JB Marks Oval.

As he did in last year’s win in the final over Grey College, Botha raised his bat on the grand stage. He anchored the Saints‘ innings with an attacking and unbeaten 57 from just 30 deliveries, striking six fours and two sixes.

A vital 56-run partnership with Grové du Preez (24) towards the end of their innings proved decisive and boosted the Bloemfontein outfit to a handy 144/4 from their 20 overs. Jonathan Hickley, meanwhile, weighed in with a valuable 26 at the top of the order.

The Rusties‘ reply followed a similar pattern to their opening encounter against Saints on Friday, as they, once more, struggled to break free against the champions’ tight and disciplined bowling. Callie Fryer, however, underlined his status as one of the country’s most promising young all-rounders, producing his second half-century of the weekend with a resolute unbeaten 53, which accounted for nearly half of his side’s total.

However, the rest of the batting line-up struggled against the leg-spin of Nikhil Sukraj and the new-ball threat of Erhard Barends.

Sukraj weaved a web around the Rustenburg batsmen, tying them up while snaring 2/14 from his four overs, which left him with 10 wickets at the end of the Phase Two tournament. Barends claimed two wickets of his own and conceded just 20 runs.

In the end, Hoërskool Rustenburg was restricted to 107/5 from their 20 overs, which left them as the runners-up after a second loss to the only side that beat them over the three days in Potchefstroom.