Cricket fields across Kimberley come alive as young cricketers from across the Northern Cape and beyond take to the field for what promises to be another exciting edition of the Wildeklawer Primary Schools Cricket Tournament.

Commencing on 10 September and concluding on 7 November, schools and cricket hubs will come together in Kimberley for weeks of competitive primary school cricket.

The Wildeklawer Primary Schools Cricket Tournament, hosted by Staats Primary School, aims to create more opportunities for young cricketers to play quality cricket, experience proper tournament conditions and compete against schools they would not normally face during the regular cricket season.

Last year, the tournament produced 123 matches involving 28 teams and 336 young cricketers. It also saw the introduction of a full girls’ division for the first time, creating an important platform for young female cricketers.

At the end of the 2025 tournament, Kathu Primary School were crowned boys’ division champions, whilst Oranje-Noord Primary School in Upington claimed the girls’ division title.

Expanding opportunities

The 2026 tournament has taken a big step forward. This year, 22 boys’ teams and 11 girls’ teams will be competing throughout the tournament.

The boys’ division has also been expanded into two competitive sections. This new structure gives teams more meaningful competition and ensures that every match matters. In the Cup section, 12 boys’ teams are competing, and in the Shield section, ten teams.

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Also, for the first time, the Wildeklawer Primary Schools Cricket Tournament will introduce a promotion and relegation system. With this, teams will not simply play for results in individual matches. They will be playing for their position as well as their future in the tournament.

“We believe this will bring another level of excitement and competitiveness to the tournament and, most importantly, keep teams on their toes from the first match right through to the final stages,” said Ruan de Bruyn, Sport Manager at Staats Primary School in Kimberley.

Dedicated cricket weekends

With the tournament growing and more teams travelling from outside Kimberley, measures have been implemented to make the tournament more practical for participating schools.

For schools to travel to Kimberley for individual fixtures throughout the tournament can be difficult, especially for teams coming from further away. For that reason, dedicated Wildeklawer Cricket Weekends have been introduced.

On 16 and 17 October, and on 30 and 31 October, the girls’ weekends take place, where all participating girls’ teams will have the opportunity to complete a number of their fixtures over this period. This will be followed by one dedicated boys’ weekend on 23 and 24 October, which will give boys’ teams the opportunity to play multiple fixtures over a concentrated period.

Schools and hubs participating

This year’s tournament will bring together schools and cricket hubs from across the region, with teams travelling from different towns and communities to compete in Kimberley.

Participating schools and hubs include Newton, Eureka, Kimberley Junior School, St Patrick’s CBC, Kathu, Oranje-Noord, Seodin, Jacobsdal, West End, Herlear, Hopetown, Douglas, Hartswater, Futurum Akademie, Upington, Frank Roro Hub, HC Rose Hub, Yorkshire Hub, Prieska and Staats.

Wildeklawer will once again be the main sponsor of the Wildeklawer Primary Schools Cricket Tournament. This is the second consecutive year that Wildeklawer has partnered the tournament.
“The continued support from Wildeklawer allows us to keep growing the tournament and to provide young players with an experience that they will remember for years to come,” organisers said.

Tournament under way

On 10 September, the first ball was bowled. From there, the tournament will run until 7 November when the final champions will be crowned at the Wildeklawer Sport ground at Staats Primary School.

Between those two dates there will be runs, wickets, celebrations, disappointments, new friendships, big performances, players who will surprise and moments that young cricketers will remember for the rest of their lives.