Union High School’s 16th annual Senior Cricket Festival takes place in Graaff-Reinet from Wednesday until Saturday next week, 11 to 14 January. Matches will be played on Union’s Minnaar and Puttick fields as well as at the Botanics Sports Club, Hoër Volkskool, Asante Sana Private Game Reserve and Wheatlands Farm with each venue’s idyllic setting in the Gem of the Karoo providing the perfect backdrop for cricket at the height of summer.

A birds-eye view of Union High School’s 2021 Senior Cricket Festival, as photographed by Old Unionite Ross Stanley.

This year, teams from twelve schools will be competing in T20s, declaration matches as well as 50-over encounters. Union looks forward to welcoming Daniël Pienaar Technical High School, Framesby, Stirling High School, Edgemead High School, Nico Malan, Grey High School, Cradock High School, Victoria Park, Lilyfontein, Milnerton High School and Westering High School to our town for four days of competitive cricket.

Union’s Lihle Mxhunyelwa in action during last year’s cricket festival

The team that will be representing Union High School during this festival as its 1st XI, consists of Joshua Horne, Brent Hesselink, Hlaki Skepe, Jude Langmead, Laythan Carelse, Jordan Wilmot, Shaakir Kazi, Joshua Basson, Camran Swartz, Peter Michaels, MS de Beer, Uyanda Tele, Yaaseen Kazi and Yonella Wana. The school invites all parents, Old Unionites and members of the Graaff-Reinet community to come and support the teams.

Union’s Joshua Horne in action during last year’s cricket festival.

Union High School’s 1st XI seen here with Edgemead High School at last year’s cricket festival.