6 February 2024
Clifton College, in the year of the school’s Centenary, is adding an exciting new event to the KZN schools’ cricket calendar, with the inaugural Clifton T20, set to take place from 16-18 February.
The competition features nine of KZN’s top 10 boys’ schools and St John’s College (Harare). Kearsney College was unable to fit in the event this year, but it has indicated it will play in next year’s Clifton T20.
SuperSport Schools will carry live coverage of the action, while DStv SuperSport Channel 216 will broadcast the semi-finals and final, with commentary, on Sunday, 18 February.
The inclusion of the St John’s team is fitting because the inspiration for the Clifton T20 comes from the wildly popular St John’s Rams T20, of which Clifton has been a part since 2014.
Clifton Director of Cricket, former Dolphins’ fast bowler Brandon Scullard, explained: “We were at the St John’s Rams T20, and we thought if we could replicate something like it in Durban, and use our Centenary year to launch it, that would be pretty epic. Cricket doesn’t have much to play for in terms of trophies in KZN.
“Playing in front of big crowds, with tents… What could be better than creating our own T20 tournament?
“It will give the boys an opportunity to play under pressure and play for something. It’s an opportunity for them to put themselves out there in front of a lot more people than they’re used to.”
Scullard detailed how the competition structure will function: “We’re going to be 10 teams in two groups. The top two after the round robin stages will go into the semi-finals. If you finish third, fourth or fifth, you will play cross-pool positional playoffs.
“The losers of the semi-finals will finish joint-third. Third in each group will play for fifth and sixth, fourth will play for seventh and eighth, and fifth will play for ninth and tenth position.”
Scullard said while the traditional fixtures among KZN schools are important, adding an event in which schools play for a trophy offers up an exciting new challenge and the feedback he has received from his fellow Directors of Cricket has been very positive.
“Everyone is excited. Everyone that I have spoken to is really looking forward to participating in it. I think it was something that KZN was missing. We go to tons of festivals, but even our Saturday fixtures are not league games. If you look at other parts of the country, especially places like Pretoria and Johannesburg, their normal fixtures are leagues and playing for trophies.”
Not that long ago, there was a Cricket South Africa-endorsed national T20 competition, which featured regional competition, followed by a national final between the franchise champions. It was very popular among the schools, but when the sponsors withdrew their support, the competition fell away. Scullard hopes the Clifton T20 will fill that gap in KZN.
Indeed, the new tournament will mirror many aspects of the previous CSA competition. The biggest difference will be the condensed nature of the event.
The aim of the Clifton T20, though, is not to just add the games and play for silverware, it is to inject the feel-good vibe and lively atmosphere of the St John’s Rams T20.
“We want to replicate the atmosphere and feeling of that tournament. We will have live music and MCs. There will be VIP hospitality tents for our corporate sponsors. It’s going to be really cool,” Scullard said.
Sponsors, too, appear to be very excited about the Clifton T20. Honor Magic V2 is a Platinum sponsor, Edgars is a Gold sponsor, while Mercedes-Benz Umhlanga and SANI Car Rental are Silver sponsors.
The official hydration partner is aQuellé, and KFC has agreed to sponsor all lunches on the day of the final.
Something else that is being copied from the St John’s Rams T20 is the coloured cricket kit that each team will wear, and the unveiling of those kits will add an extra element of intrigue.
“We have the pantone colours for all of the schools,” Scullard explained, “so they will be playing in their traditional colours. There will be sponsors’ logos on the kit, on their shirts and sleeves, reflecting the corporate involvement that we have been lucky enough to secure.
“Each school will have different designs, so it won’t necessarily be a plain colour. Our apparel supplier, Custom Apparel, have drawn up some really fun designs for the different teams, and those kits will be unveiled at our opening ceremony on Thursday, 15 February.
“We’re having an opening function, where there will be a Q and A with the captains, and they will be wearing and unveiling the kit for the first time in front of their peers and their coaches.”
He added: “Not many boys get an opportunity to play white ball cricket. The W100, in which we play, uses pink balls. Not many schools have shade cloth or black sightscreens. The white ball element really does elevate the tournament, and the boys love the coloured clothing.
An aspect of the St John’s Rams T20 that has had South African teams gushing over the years is the phenomenal job that the Zimbabweans have done as hosts, and Clifton is determined to match that standard.
“The Zimbabweans are the most incredible people and the most amazing hosts. Our boys and parents have been lucky enough to experience that when we go to Zimbabwe, so I am sure our parents are going to pull out all the stops to look after the St John’s boys.
Clifton opened its hugely impressive boarding establishment, Centenary House, at the beginning of the school term and Scullard said the school is hoping to incorporate it into the tournament in future: “We are also hoping from next year to host the Zimbabwe and Maritzburg schools in our boarding house. We’d love to have the travelling schools in our boarding establishment.”
Clifton opens Centenary House, boarding begins
The latest addition to the Clifton campus has drawn rave reviews from the school’s boys, he added: “The boys are absolutely loving it. They love being with their mates. They love the set-up. It’s like a hotel. It’s amazing.”
The goal for 2025 is to expand the field to 12 teams, featuring the top 10 KZN boys’ schools, as well as Harare’s St John’s and St George’s College,
Both Zimbabwean schools feature in the annual Independent Schools Cricket Festival (ISCF), which is hosted by St Alban’s College, and the timing of the Clifton T20 is ideal for them. It occurs during half-term for the Zimbabweans, and a week before the ISCF.
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