Josh van Biljon – Durban High School
Durban High School (DHS) boasts an incredibly rich cricket history.
All-rounder Trevor Goddard opened the batting but is also the most economical bowler in Test history (with 75+ wickets), conceding only 1.64 runs per over.
Hashim Amla owns the South African Test batting record against a top-tier nation, with 311* against England in 2012.
Hugh Tayfield was, for many years, South Africa’s leading Test wicket-taker, and remains the second-highest wicket-taker among South African spinners.
Barry Richards, meanwhile, was chosen by the legendary Sir Donald Bradman as one of the openers in his ultimate 20th-century Test team.
While acknowledging that different formats now exist, none of those players did what DHS captain Josh van Biljon has done: earn 100 caps for the 1st XI, which he achieved in February 2026.
Incidentally, Richards and Van Biljon followed the same school path: Clifton Prep and then DHS. Like Richards, Van Biljon’s greatest strengths include his uncomplicated and sound technique. At his best, he plays classic shots, unhurried, seemingly with oodles of time on his hands. He is also capable of executing shots usually found only in T20 cricket, and can tear attacks apart without losing his technical form.
At the Wildeklawer Noord-Suid T20, the in-form Hoërskool Waterkloof, a former winner of the title, will be one of the favourites, but they learnt, at the Clifton T20 in 2025, what Van Biljon at his best can be: a match-winner. In only 54 balls, he hit seven sixes and eight fours in an unbeaten 103, which lifted the Horseflies to 197/6, a target Klofies were unable to challenge. DHS went on to lift the trophy.
Van Biljon and opener Ismaeel Omar, another very experienced player, are the key batsmen in the DHS team. To beat the Durban boys, their opposition will have to account for those two. If not, they’ll be in for a tough outing.
The DHS captain represented SA U19 on their mid-year tour of England. He was South Africa’s second-highest run scorer in their two Youth Tests, scoring 233 runs at an average of 58.25. SA won the series 1-0.
Zizi Mkhize – Jeppe High School for Boys
Jeppe has a rich history of cricket.
The school’s alumni include Eric Rowan, who played 25 Tests for South Africa between 1935 and 1951, his brother, Athol Rowan, who also donned national colours, and Norman Gordon.
However, in recent years, the school has not produced national-quality players. Barring Tabraiz Shamsi, who briefly attended the institution in his early years, they have not produced Proteas players in the last few decades.
Zizi Mkhize is, however, part of a cohort of players with the potential to change that narrative. The left-hander ended 2025 on a high, taking home the Player of the Tournament accolade at the 2025 CSA u16 Week.
The top-order batsman, who is also a dangerous spin bowler, was a key performer for Jeppe in their run to the national title in the Switch Schools SA20 competition in March, where he was also named the Player of the Tournament.
Mkhize has begun the 2026/27 season with several top performances, including scoring centuries at the St David’s Marist Inanda Time Cricket Festival and in league matches that followed.
He also put his bowling skills on show with a haul of 7/31 against Paul Roos Gimnasium at the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week.
Vihan Pretorius – Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool
The captain of Affies, Vihan Pretorius, is a gritty all-rounder who leads from the front when the chips are down.
He has also showcased his skills with both bat and ball for the national U19 side, representing the side in England in June and July.
This season, Pretorius has scored two impressive centuries. Both came in 50-over matches, with the highlight being his unbeaten 241 against Garsfontein, which was the highest-ever individual score by an Affies’ 1st XI player. The record previously belonged to the legendary AB de Villiers.
He also scored 120 against Maritzburg College at the hallowed Goldstones, leading his side to a massive 184-run win on the opening day of the Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week.
In 2024, Pretorius was a member of the Affies side that won the Noord-Suid T20. He also helped the Northern Champions win the CSA Cubs Week.
He is the younger brother of the Proteas’ Lhuan-dré Pretorius, who recently scored a world record 188 not out for the Momentum Multiply Titans against the Flexbrands Knights in the Pro20 Cup.
Neil Louw – Paarl Boys’ High
Proteas spinner Bjorn Fortuin and former England international Dawid Malan are the most famous cricketers produced by Paarl Boys’ High. The pair has been an inspiration to many Boishaai youngsters, including Neil Louw.
His coach, Johann Louw, describes Louw as a composed batsman who can be trusted to open the innings and rotate the strike.
However, Louw is not a one-gear player. He possesses the ability to produce explosive knocks, as evidenced by his match-winning, unbeaten 119 off only 53 balls, which led Paarl Boys’ High to victory over Wynberg Boys’ High last month.
Last year, he represented Boland at the CSA U16 National Week. This season, he has been one of Boishaai’s top run scorers.
While his team will look to Louw to lead with his performances, he has repeatedly shown the ability and appetite to fulfill that role.
Ryle Beckmann – St Andrew’s School (Bloemfontein)
Ryle Beckmann can flummox batsmen. The left-arm orthodox spinner has been a prolific wicket-taker for St Andrew’s School for a while now.
Last year, the southpaw showcased his abilities at the CSA u16 National Week, where he gave a good account of himself while representing Free State.
Beckmann has carried that form into the 2026-27 season, which he kicked off with a five-wicket haul against St David’s Marist Inanda at the Fasken Time Cricket Festival last month, where he tested batsmen with his consistency and sharp turn.
One of Beckmann’s biggest attributes is his ability to bowl during any period of the game. He is comfortable with the new ball, can control the middle overs, and can wrap up the tail without conceding many runs, which makes him a valuable asset in the 20-over game.
St Andrew’s coach AJ van Wyk appreciates Beckmann’s work ethic, which has helped him to become a consistent wicket-taker: “He’s extremely polite and is always willing to put in the work where it’s required. As a result, the physically demanding areas of his game, his fielding and fitness, have grown a lot. With his mild-mannered nature and hard work, he has become a star example of a St Andrew’s boy.”
