Kwa-Thema Hub represents Ekurhuleni at Schools SA20  

You couldn’t even blink in the 3.5 overs it took the Hoërskool Garsfontein Ysbere’s Echard Struwig and captain Xander Venter to stun Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool in the final of the Schools SA20 Eastern, Northern and Limpopo regional finals at Willowmoore Park on February 2.
The competition, featuring six boys’ and three girls’ teams, began on January 31.
Hoërskool Kempton Park, St Benedict’s College and the Kwa-Thema Hub represented Ekurhuelni.
Struwig and Venter put on an exciting bowling exhibition that was as awe-inspiring as it was breath-taking to shatter former Proteas opening batsman Jacques Rudolph’s Affies by 18 runs and qualify for the national finals in Pretoria in March.
After his brilliance with the bat, Struwig took 4/21. Venter assisted with 3/13 as Affies folded after the wicket of opener Ethan Williams, who combined for a magnificent 96 with Vihan Pretorius for the third wicket after losing two early wickets.
After Williams’ departure, they lost six wickets for 19 runs in 3.5 overs, with Struwig and Venter the chief destroyers as they took the gas out of the Affies batters.
Set 141 after dismissing Garsies 140 all out, Affies’ chase began in the worst possible way after losing JP Botha and Dylan Stander to Venter and Struwig, respectively, in the second and third overs.
But Williams and Pretorius restored parity with their 96 for the third wicket before the former fell to Wikus du Plessis for 48 off 46, including four boundaries, in the 17th over to start the collapse.
Ruben Groenewald followed Williams to the shed when he was caught at long-on off Sizwe Khumalo before Struwig removed Daniel Murray for a golden duck. The all-rounder then bowled Pretorius (50 off 52) and Armin Snyman with two successive balls to leave Affies on 121/5.
Venter took care of the tail with the wickets of Zian Labuschagne and Nico Loggenberg as Affies ended on 124/9, falling 18 runs of their target.
Batting first, the Ysbere lost Ruben van Zyl to Snyman in the first over. After dispatching Snyman for four with the second ball of the day, the seamer had the last laugh when he dismissed the right-hander with the next ball.
Venter followed in the fifth over after a well-crafted 14 off 14 as Garsies posted 44-2 inside the opening six overs, but Loggerenberg struck with the first ball after the power-play, bowling Jared Carr for 12 off 17.
Loggerenberg had Charl van Staden caught at short mid-on before Jaden Beukes dismissed Righardt Joubert and Rian Boshoff.
Struwig (40 off 30) and Khumalo (19 off 13) offered some resistance on the backend of the innings. However, Khumalo was eventually run out by Groenewald before Labuschagne trapped Struwig in front as Affies cleaned the tail to dismiss their opponents at 140 all out.
The Nkowankowa Hub won the girls’ competition after beating the Kwa-Thema Hub by five wickets.