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Mossel Bay's Point High School will host Africa's biggest gathering of cricket teams when its annual Point Cricket Festival gets under way on the 28th of September.
Twenty six schools from around the country have entered for the event - which will celebrate its fourteenth birthday this year, and which will end on the 2nd of October.
"The Festival is designed to develop cricketing talent - and especially talent in the South Western Districts - and to give our young cricket stars a chance to form friendships from around the country," said organiser Jannie Nel.
He said that most of the Festival games will be played to 45 overs per innings.
"But this is schoolboy cricket, and we have to face up to the realities: the Saturday game between The Point and Brackenfell will have to be 35 overs per innings because Brackenfell have their matric dance on Friday night, and we don't expect them to get to Mossel Bay before lunch time, so that game will begin at 1:00 o'clock.
"Most of the other games will begin at 9:00 in the morning, except the Disasport Super Over Match, which will be played under the lights at the van Riebeeck Stadium on Saturday evening - and for which all the schools will nominate their best players."
This 'Best of the Best' event - which will be played to twenty20 rules - will also be a social event, with teams relaxing around braai fires, and music supplied by the African Bank's Bazz Bus.
"By tradition the coaches use the Point Cricket Festival to prepare their teams for the coming season, so winning isn't everything - but still, it's great for players who stand out to receive some kind of recognition, which is why we award floating trophies for bowler and batsman of the Festival.
"Last year Bellville High took both honours - Janno Mostert was best bowler with four wickets for just 16 runs (and he also knocked 32 not out and 52 not out) - while Morne Willemse had two excellent innings of 72 not out 69 not out.
"Since Janno was only in grade 9 last year, he'll be back to defend his title this year again," said Mr. Nel. "But he'll be facing stiff competition, especially from Anrich Nortje of Brandwag High.
"This will be Anrich's fifth appearance at the Festival, and he was named both the best bowler and the best batsman in 2010."
Mossel Bay Tourism board member and municipal Councilor Petru Terblanche said that the Festival is an important highlight of the town's annual tourism calendar.
"With 26 teams each bringing twelve players, two coaches and a scorer - and all the parents and supporters who follow them - the event provides a very welcome injection of capital into the town.
"But it's not only about the money: the presence of so many young achievers in Mossel Bay is a strong motivator for our local youngsters. It also gives us a chance to show off a little - and hopefully, like all our visitors, the cricketers will go away as ambassadors for Mossel Bay."
He said that the event will be a highlight of Tourism Month and that it will form part of the Mossel Bay Sports Festival which takes place from the 28th to the 30th of September.
"The theme for this year's tourism month is 'Sustainable Tourism,' and we believe that sport is one of the strongest means of growing our tourism economy.
"We're really looking forward to welcoming the players, coaches, and umpires - and their friends - to Mossel Bay."
Mr. Nel said that the fact that the Festival has attracted 26 teams makes it the biggest schools cricket festival in Africa.
"With the support of SWD Cricket and the business community of Mossel Bay, we're hoping that The Point Cricket Festival will become the biggest festival of its kind in the world next year."
