The national finals of the Coca-Cola Schools T20 Challenge will return to the Capital City, Tshwane, after the premier youth cricket tournament was successfully hosted in 2014.
The tournament will take place this weekend (March 16-18) at University of Pretoria, and will see a new school crowned as 2018 champions.
The new champions will succeed 2016 and 2017 winners, St Stithians College, who represented the Highveld Lions, and were knocked out during the provincial phase of this year's tournament.
This season, Coca-Cola added a new element to the tournament that is aimed at spreading the talent search wider, by bringing on board Proteas player Temba Bavuma and key cricket experts, to identify and reward players at each of the six franchise finals.
These players represent the Coca-Cola T20 All-Star team and have been given the opportunity to be part of the national finals.
The Coca-Cola T20 All-Star team members will take on a Cricket South Africa Development Hub team as a curtain-raiser to the final match of the tournament.
The team includes: Matthew Montgomery (batsman, Clifton College), Simon Holmes (fast bowler, Clifton College), Matthew Thorn (opening batsman, Outeniqua), Rudi Klaasen (batsman, Paul Roos Gimnasium), Neil Bothma (wicketkeeper-batsman, HTS Marais Viljoen), Khaya Nyamathe (batsman, Marais Viljoen), Mason Zacharea (left-arm spinner, Northern Cape), Reeza Alexander (batsman, Northern Cape High School), Odilile Modimokoane (left-arm spinner, Rustenburg High School), Stiaan Swanepoel (all-rounder, Rustenburg High School), Matthew Dewar (batsman, Selborne) and Matthew Fourie (bowler, Selborne).
Michelle Cloete, marketing manager, Coca-Cola South Africa, commented: “We would like to congratulate all the players taking part in this year's tournament. Coca-Cola continues to be committed to the development of South Africa’s future Proteas through our sponsorship of the Coca-Cola Schools T20 Challenge.
“We look forward to seeing all the talent that will be on display this week,” Cloete said.
* The Coca-Cola Schools T20 Challenge National Finals takes place at the University of Pretoria LC de Villiers Cricket Oval, this weekend (March 16-18).
To engage with the tournament online, search #WhereHeroesAreMade on Twitter or visit @CocaCola_ZA and @OfficialCSA
Schools that will represent the six Cricket South Africa franchise teams, as well as two focus school teams, at the 2018 Coca-Cola Schools T20 Challenge National Finals are:
Cape Cobras – Rondebosch Boys High School
Knights – St Andrew’s School
Warriors – Grey High School
Dolphins – Hilton College