Smith backs new school competition

Proteas skipper Graeme Smith has come out in support of the new Standard Bank Schools Pro20 Challenge, which will be extended to 500 schools countrywide over the next three years.

The competition, which kicked off on January 20, was officially launched on Tuesday, and will end with a two-day tournament featuring the top six schools at the end of March.

Some 340 schools are involved at the moment.

Smith welcomed the initiative.

“Sport at school — and cricket in particular — is important not only from a sporting perspective, but also forms part of the person you want to be. Events like this offer youngsters of today an opportunity to showcase their talents individually and as a team, and provide a platform for them to grow and take themselves to the next level.

“It’s massively encouraging to see how the game is developing, and going from strength to strength.”

The participating schools include:

Boland: Albert Myburg Senior School, Atlantis Senior Secondary, Bergrivier Senior Secondary, Boland Landbou, Cloetisville High School, Desmond Tutu High School, Dirkie Uys High School, Drostdy HTS, High School Vredenburg, Hottentots Holland High School, Hugenote High School, Klein Nederburg, Langeberg Senior Secondary, New Orleans Secondary School, Paarl Boys High, Paarl Gymnasium, Paul Roos Gymnasium, Paulus Joubert Senior School, Stellenbosch High School, Strand High School, Swartland High School, Weltervrede Senior Secondary, Weston Senior Secondary, Worcester Gymnasium

Border: A.M. Tapa High (Middledrift), Bisho High (King Williams Town), Cambridge High (EL), Comprehensive High (Healdtown), Dale College (King Williams Town), Dalubuhle High (Alice), Gobizembe High (Alice), Hector Peterson High (King Williams Town), Howard Ben Mazwi (EL), Hudson Park High (EL), Inyibiba High (Healdtown), Jabavu High (Ailce), Josi High (Middledrift), Kama High (Middledrift), Lindani High (Healdtown), Mdantsane Composite Team (EL), Mzontsundu High (King Williams Town), Nkwenza High School (EL), Phandulwazi High (Alice), Queens College (Queenstown), Sada High School (EL), Sakhululeka High (Healdtown), Selborne College (EL), Siseko High (Middledrift), Stirling High (EL), Tembalabantu High (King Williams Town), Toise High (King Williams Town), United Composite Team (EL)

Eastern Province: Andrew Rabie (PE), Bertram Secondary School (PE), Bethelsdorp Comprehensive School (PE), Brandwag (Humansdorp), Chapman High (PE), Cigani High School(PE), Cillie (PE), Cowan High (PE), D.F Malherbe High (PE), Daniel Pienaar THS (PE), David Livingstone Secondary School (PE), Despatch High, Douglas Mbopha (PE), Ed-U-College (PE), Framesby (PE), Gamble Street Secondary School (Humansdorp), Gelvandale Secondary School (PE), Gqebera Secondary School (PE), Grey Boys High (PE), Hankey Secondary School (Humansdorp), Harvest Christian (PE), Humansdorp Secondary School, Ithembelihle Comprehensive School (PE), James Jolobe Secondary School (PE), Kwezi Lomso (PE), Lawson Brown (PE), Linkside (PE), Loyiso (PE), Masiphambane (PE), McCarthy Comphrehensive School (Humansdorp), Mclachlan (Humansdorp), Mfuneko Ngam (PE), Muir College Boys High (Humansdorp), Mzontsundu (PE), Newell Public High School (PE), Nico Malan (Humansdorp), Otto Du Plessis High (PE), Paul Sauer (Humansdorp), Pearson (PE), Receive (PE), Sakhisizwe (PE), Soqhayisa (PE), St. Dominic Priory (PE), Theodor Hertzel (PE), Tylhulwazi (PE), Uitenhage, Victoria Park (PE), Vulumzi (PE), Westering (PE), Westview (PE), Westville (PE), Woolhope (PE), Zwide Squad (PE)

Central Karoo: Alaxamdria (Albany), Cradock (Winterberg), Gimnasium (Winterberg), Ikhamvalesizwe (Albany), Mary Waters (Albany), Michausal (Winterberg), Nathaniel Nyaluza (Albany), Nombulelo (Albany), Nomzamo (Albany), P.J Olivier (Albany), Port Alfred (Albany), Spandu (Central Karoo), St Andrews (Albany), Volkskool (Central Karoo), Winterburg Agricultural (Winterberg)

Free State: Dr Blok Heidedal (Bloemfontein), Fichardtpark (Bloemfontein), Grey College (Bloemfontein), Hentie Celliers (Virginia), Rocklands Centre Team (Bloemfontein), Roii Skool Kroonstad), Sasol High (Sasoburg), Sentraal (Bloemfontein), St. Andrews (Bloemfontein), St.Dominics (Welkom), Welkom Gymnasium Secondary School (Welkom), Witteburg Skool Bethlehem)

Gauteng: Alberton High, Alexander, Bryanston High, Dr. Malan, Driehoek, General Smuts, Heidelberg Volkskool, Helpmekaar, Jeppe Boys High, Kagiso, King Edward School, Krugersdorp High, Lenasia Secondary, Lenasia South Secondary, Marais Viljoen, Monument, Noordheuwel, Northcliff, Parktown Boys High, Queens, Randburg, Randpark High, Redhill, Roodepoort, Soweto, St. Benedicts, St. Davids, St. Johns, St. Martins, St. Peters, St. Stithians, Trinity House

Griquas: Carlton Van Heerden High (Oranje), Danielskuil High, Duineveld High (Oranje), Floors (Frances Baard), Hopetown High (Karoo), Kalahari Nababeep High (Namaqualand), Northern Cape High (Frances Baard), Okiep High (Namaqualand), Orion High (Karoo), Springbok High (Namaqualand), Technical High (Frances Baard)

KZN: Amanzimtoti, Brettenwood, Clifton, Crawford La Lucia, Durban High School, Durban Central (composite team), Felixton College (composite team), Gelofte, George Campbell, Glenwood, Grantleigh, Grosvenor, Hillcrest, John Ross College, Kearsney College, Kingsway, Kloof, Kuswag, New Forest, North Coast (composite team), Northwood, Phoenix (composite team), Pinetown, Port Natal, South Coast (composite team), St Henry’s, Sunfoild Township (composite team), Thomas More, Uthungulu (composite team), Westville

KZN Inland: Hilton College, Maritzburg Invitational, Maritzburg College, Michael House, Northern Natal Invitation, St Charles School (KZN Inland)

Limpopo: Ben Voster, Giyani, Hans Strydom, Huwelkruin Kollege, Merensky, Pepps, Phalaborwa, Pietersburg, Ramatau, Seshego, Settlers, Stanford Lake College

Mpumalanga: Embalenhle (Gert Sibande), Greendale (Nkangala), Hoogenhout (Gert Sibande), HTS Witbank (Nkangala), Lydenburg (Elanzeni), Malekutu (Ehlanzeni), Middelburg (Nkangala), Nelspruit (Ehlanzeni), Secunda (Gert Sibande), Uplands (Elanzeni), Witbank High (Nkangala)

Easterns: Attridgeville / Laudium (South West), AHS (Central), Akasia (North), Centurion (South West), Clapham (Central), Cornwall Hill, Crawford (Central), Die Wilgers (East), Eersterust / Mamelodi, Eldoraigne (South West), Garsfontein, Gerrit Maritz (North), Hatfield (Central), Hendrik Verwoerd (Central), John Vorster (North), Lyttelton Manor (South West), Menlopark (Central), Noord, Oos Moot (North), Pretoria Boys High (Central), Pretoria THS (Central), Rosina Sedibane (South West), Soshanguve/Hkraal (North), Sutherland (South West), Uitsig (South West), Waterkloof (East), Wonderboom (North), Zwartkop (SouthWest)

North West: Bergsig, Fields College, Gimnasium, Hartebeespoort High School for Boys, Potchefstroom, Hoerskool Klerksdorp, Hoerskool Lichtenberg, HTS Potchefstroom, Matlosana Combined Team, Rustenburg Hoer, Volkskool Potchefstroom, Wesvalia

SWD: Bridgton Senior Secondary, Kairos Senior Secondary, Knysna Senior Secondary, Knysna Sports School, Langenhoven Gymnasium, Oakdale Agricultural School, Oakhill School, Oudtshoorn High, Outeniqua High, Point High, PW Botha College, Sentraal High, Soa Brass Senior Secondary, York High

Western Province: Bellville HS, Bellville South HS, Bellville Tech HS, Bergvliet HS, Bishops, Brackenfell HS, Camps Bay HS, Cannons Creek HS, Chesterhouse HS, De Kuilen HS, DF Malan HS, Durbanville HS, Edgemead HS, Elsies River C.C, Fairbairn College, Fairmont HS, Fish Hoek HS, Gordon HS, Groote Schuur HS, Guguletu C.C, Iqra Academy, Jan Van Riebeeck HS, JG Meiring HS, Khayelitsha C.C, Matthew-Goniwe HS, Milnerton HS, Monument Park HS, Muizenberg HS, Norman Henshilwood HS, Oude Molen HS, Parow HS, Phillipi C.C, Pinelands HS, Plumstead HS, President HS, Reddam College (Constantia), Reddam House (Atlantic), Rhodes HS, Rondebosch BHS, SACS, Sherwood – Manenberg C.C, Somerset College, St Augustine’s C.C, St Josephs College, Stellenberg HS, Table View HS, The Settlers HS, Tygerberg HS, Victoria C.C, W.P.C.C, Westerford HS, Wynberg BHS, Zwaanswyk HS