Langenhoven Gymnasium, from Oudtshoorn, confirmed their dominance at schools cricket in the province when they retained the U/19 Super League and U/15 Super League titles. Oakhill School from Knysna, who is coached by the former professional cricketer who represented Natal, North West and SWD, David Pryke, caused an upset when they won the U/19 Coca Cola Twenty 20 competition.
In the U/19 Super League Langenhoven Gymnasium (233/4) successfully defended the title when they were defeated Outeniqua (227/7) by 6 runs in a high scoring final. An impressive batting performance by their captain, Grant Esau (96*), secured Gymnasium the victory. In the U/15 competition Langenhoven Gymnasium (115 all out), like in the u/19 league, also claimed the honours with a nail biting 8 runs victory against Outeniqua (108 all out). Outeniqua ‘B’ (99/2) won the u/19 Promotion League competition when they defeated the defending champions, Uniondale High (98 all out) by two wickets. The Rosemoore Hub (87 all out) from George won the U/15 Promotion League title when they defeated Knysna High (82 all out) by 5 runs.
Oakhill School had the upper-hand in the Coca Cola Schools Twenty20 competition when they beat Outeniqa by 7 wickets in the final that was played at the Recreation Ground in Oudtshoorn. Outeniqua, who also played in the final the previous year, was restricted to 132/6 where after Oakhill who also played in their first final, won their maiden T20 title when they reached the target with 27 balls to spare thanks to good contributions from the bat by thanks to a 73 runs partnership for the third wicket between Simkelo Mvimbi (53 from 50 balls) and Scott Armstrong (33* runs from 38 balls). Thirty-two schools participated in this popular competition.
Todd Walker, from Oakhill, who scored a total of 354 runs with a highest score of 157 was the top batsman in the T20 competition whilst Marcello Wessels from Langenhoven Gymnasium who took 13 wickets with the best figures of 4/17 was the top bowler in this competition.
All-rounder, Johann Muller (380 runs), from Langenhoven Gymnasium was the top batsman in the U/15 Super League and he also claimed the most wickets in the league – 20 wickets – with a best bowling analysis of 4/17.
In the U/19 Super League, Todd Walker was as last season the outstanding batsman when he scored a total of 469 runs with a highest score of 242 runs. Brian Jack from Sentraal High School in Beaufort West, who took 20 wickets with the best figures of 6/16 was the top bowler in the league.
Point High School from Mossel Bay hosted the annual KFC U/19 Cricket festival during October 2015. With 32 participating schools, primarily from the Western and Eastern Cape but also from Free State, Gauteng and Namibia it is the biggest event of its nature in South Africa.
At the national cricket tournaments of CSA the SWD representative schools teams showed a significant improvement in overall performances thanks to inspiring performances by the U/19- and U/15 provincial teams. A good individual performance by Jean du Plessis from Glenwood House at the Coca Cola Khaya Majola week in Port Elizabeth was rewarded with an inclusion in the SA Colts team.
Du Plessis was the SWD High Schools player of the season, Michael Papenfus (Glenwood House) who excelled with outstanding versatile performances at the CSA U/13 National Week the Primary School’s cricketer of the year and Annerie Dercksen (Sentraal High School) was the Girl’s Schools cricketer of the season. One-hundred-and-Fifty-Nine (159) primary schools and 58 high schools actively participate in the province’s most popular summer sport code.
