The player who represented South Africa at the 2018 ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand, recently claimed a five-wicket haul during his first-class debut for the Free State.

Coetzee, who is also more than capable with the bat, will lead the side against the South African Colts team on Friday at Newlands in Cape Town.

Coetzee has become the third player from Saints in Bloemfontein to lead the national schools' team after Peter Carlstein in 1958 and more recently, Keagan Rafferty in 2010.

His teammate, the spinning all-rounder, Ruan Cronjé, was selected in the Colts team, and the two good friends will be playing against each other for the first time.

Coetzee told OFM Sport that he was shocked when his name was read out as the skipper.

“It’s been a very good year of cricket for me, so I really cannot complain. This year started really well, and the nice thing is that I did well in various teams that did well.

“It really has been an awesome year, and to cap it off by being named as the SA Schools captain, which I did not expect, is unreal. It came as quite a shock.

“Ruan and I have been friends and roommates since grade nine. We are even roommates here in Cape Town, and now I am going to play against him for the first time ever. So, it is going to be a very lekker and interesting experience.”

SA Schools - Gerald Coetzee (St Andrews – Free State, captain), Jonathan Bird (Diocesan College, Western Province), Achille Cloete (Paarl Boys' High, Boland), Thamsang Khumalo (Glenwood, KwaZulu-Natal), Kgaudise Molefe (Jeppe High School for Boys'), Lefa Ntanzi (Glenwood, KwaZulu-Natal), Thando Ntini (Wynberg Boys’ High, Western Province), Bryce Parsons (King Edward VII, Gauteng), Caleb Pillay (Westville Boys' High, KwaZulu-Natal), Cameron Shekleton (St Stithians College, Gauteng), Tristan Stubbs (Grey High School, Eastern Province), Nonelela Yika (Hudson Park, Border).

SA Colts - James Ritchie (Hilton College, KwaZulu-Natal – captain), Ruan Cronjé (St Andrews, Free State), Dian Forrester (Affies, Northerns), Justin Gilliland (Newlands Cricket School, Western Province), Marco Jansen (Potchefstroom Gimnasium, North West), Mondli Khumalo (Maritzburg College, KwaZulu-Natal Inland), Bonga Makaku (Newlands Cricket School, Western Province), Akeem Minnaar (Klein Nederburg, Boland), Emmanuel Motswiri (Maragon Ruimsig, Gauteng), Siya Plaatjie (Wynberg Boys' High, Western Province), Gareth Schreuder (Hilton College, KwaZulu-Natal Inland), Tumelo Yeki (Queen's High).

@MorganPiek OFM Sport