St.Stithians win Coca Cola T20 Schools Challenge Championship

Wiaan Mulder and Wandile Makwetu shared a 138-run, second-wicket partnership to set up an eight-run victory for St Stithians over Paarl Gymnasium in the final of the Coca-Cola T20 Schools Challenge held at Senwes Park Stadium in Potchefstroom.

St Stithians won the R110 000 cash prize on offer after claiming a second championship win for their school after winning the same tournament in 2014.

St Stithians posted 152/3 at the end of their 20 overs after they were put into bat first. Mulder played another captain’s innings, hitting 82 runs from 60 deliveries, with Makwetu adding 61 from 55 to set up a tough score for the opposition.

The 18-over long partnership included 13 fours and four sixes before Wolmarans [full name] struck a second time to get rid of Makwetu in the 19th with St Stithians on 142/2. Mulder lost his wicket with just one delivery left of the innings, falling victim to Pieter Borcherds (1/29), but his brother JP Mulder got the side two more runs to reach 152.

The Paarl batting reply saw an early wicket fall when the Saints’ skipper removed Wolmarans for a duck in the first over. André Hanekom hit an impressive 75 runs from 57 balls to give his side hope of a victory, but no one else turned up with the bat to assist him. The second highest score came from Wiaan van Niekerk who managed 19 at a run a ball before his dismissal.

Saints bowlers Justin Watson, Curtis Campher and Wiaan Mulder took two wickets each to restrict Paarl to 144/8.

To add more joy to St Stithians College, they along with Grey High School (PE), met the required score on the Cricket South Africa Quality Performance Index to reach Blue Chip status and have been awarded a further R55 000 and R33 000 in prize money respectively.