Schools SA20 Profile – Xander Venter – Hoërskool Garsfontein
A quiet confidence and a love for the game is the first impression one gets when talking cricket with Hoërskool Garsfontein‘s Xander Venter.
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It’s also easy to see why he idolises England’s Test captain, Ben Stokes. Venter is also a southpaw with the bat, but he torments batsmen with his right-arm seam bowling.
“I’ve played cricket ever since I can remember. There are home videos of me with a plastic bat in hand, learning to bat left-handed, because my Dad is a lefty,” Venter recalled.
Born and bred in Pretoria, the talented all-rounder has always preferred cricket to other sports, but he also spent time on the rugby field, tennis court, and golf course until the age of 15, which was when he finally decided to throw all of his efforts into cricket. His talent in the game has been evident from a very young age.
In 2018, he was selected to represent the Titans for the first time in the u11 age group. He has gone on to represent the franchise every year since then, cementing his name thoroughly throughout the cricketing community in and around Pretoria.
“There have been a few coaches who have played a significant role in my cricketing journey thus far,” he shared. “At Laerskool Garsfontein, I was lucky to have Mr Anton Britz and Mr Armand Azar as my cricket coaches for six years. Alongside them, coach Malan Morkel also played a massive role in preparing me mentally for high school cricket.
“Since then, coaches Elmar Dorey and Janneman Basson have taken over as the influential figures in my cricket. They allowed me to be part of the 1st XI since grade 9, and backed me enough to make me captain last year, as a Grade 11.”
Venter has more than 100 1st XI caps to his name. His batting prowess and fighting attitude, similar to that of Ben Stokes, make him Garsfontein’s biggest asset. He plays his natural free-flowing game, which often takes the contest away from Garsfontein’s opponents while entertaining spectators.
His most astonishing innings thus far was an astounding 303 not out from only 97 deliveries in a club game in 2023.
His form in 2025 has been immaculate and it includes a couple of centuries in the shorter format of the game.
One thing is certain: an in-form Xander Venter is a dangerous Xander Venter, which is exactly what Garsfontein’s supporters want to see as Garsies bid for the title of national champions in the inaugural Schools SA20 competition.
