St Andrew’s School a serious contender for national glory

Bloemfontein’s powerhouse, St Andrew’s School, will not only be a force to be reckoned with at the Schools SA20 National Finals but will also be a strong contender to walk away with the spoils as South Africa’s best T20 schools side in the 2024/25 season.

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Having beaten their neighbours, Grey College thrice, twice in the shorter format and once in the 50-over format, more recently, Saints have certainly stamped their authority as a serious cricketing side.

To put the cherry on top, both victories in the T20 format came in finals, firstly in the provincial and then in the regional final of the tournament.

Led by wicketkeeper/batsman Naudé Botha‘s willow, the Bloemfontein side has settled nicely as a balanced and dangerous side.

Botha, the most experienced player in their team, boasting 97 caps for the 1st XI, will bring up his 100th cap against Graeme College in the round-robin stage of the tournament’s National Playoffs, scheduled to start on 12 March at the University of Pretoria.

Alongside him, his opening partner and batting all-rounder, Andrew Sobiech will be another important piece of the Saints’ puzzle. His hard-hitting nature at the top of the order has earned him a reputation as one to watch in Pretoria. Further strengthening the Saints’ side is the talented FG Botha, who has been in tremendous form since the start of the 2025 calendar year.

He seems to love the big occasion, playing match-winning knocks of 57 and 84* in the provincial and regional finals. Also vastly experienced, with 80 1st XI caps under his belt, Botha continuously pulls his weight with the ball, too. Fooling batsman from around the country with his leg-spin, he’s taken 20 wickets in only nine T20 matches, the most of any Saints’ bowler in the Schools SA20 competition.

Captain, Reuben van Aarde, has steered the Saints’ ship nicely from the middle order, providing the batting depth to outscore any opponent on the day. In the bowling department, alongside Botha, opening bowler, Cullen Kakora, has been another shining light, especially with the new ball up front.

He’s been exceptional, conceding only 6.25 runs per over, bowling during the most difficult stages of T20 cricket, the first powerplay, and in the death overs, boasting a total of 13 wickets in the nine matches he’s played.

The squad for the National Playoffs

St Andrew’s School: Naudé Botha, Andrew Sobiech, FG Botha, Grové du Preez, Reuben van Aarde, Leon Athanasiou, Johan Liebenberg, Jonathan Hickley, Nikhil Sukraj, Erhard Barends, Heindré Serfontein, Cullen Kakora, Ryle Beckmann, Gary Simons.,

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Franco Oberholzer

Franco is a sports fanatic from Tzaneen, a small town in Limpopo. Obsessed with both cricket and rugby, he still does the sport at club level when given the chance. Combining the rush of sports with his other passion, writing, gives him the fix any sport-crazy fan needs. In his spare time, he spends quality time with family and friends, preferably around a braaivleis fire.

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