The Fasken Time Cricket Festival returns to St David’s Marist Inanda this September, bringing together some of South Africa’s leading school cricket programmes for a unique pre-season test designed to challenge young cricketers both on and off the field.
Hosted by St David’s Marist Inanda and supported by title sponsor Fasken, the 2026 festival will take place from 3-6 September, providing players with an opportunity to experience the demands of longer-format cricket while sharpening their tactical awareness, resilience and leadership ahead of the new season.
First established in 2017, the festival has grown into a highly anticipated fixture on the school cricket calendar. Following the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the festival has continued to build momentum and will host its ninth competitive edition in 2026. At its heart, the Time Cricket Festival is about giving young players the opportunity to understand what the longer format of the game is really about.
Unlike traditional limited-overs cricket, the festival encourages players to think strategically, manage their time and resources, and understand that success is not always immediate. Players are encouraged to take calculated risks, learn how to respond to setbacks and, importantly, develop the ability to remain disciplined and focused over extended periods.
The festival also aims to breed young captains, giving players greater responsibility while allowing batsmen and bowlers more time in the middle to develop their skills.
“Time cricket teaches lessons that cannot always be learnt in a shorter format of the game,” says Dave Nosworthy, Festival Director and Director of Cricket at St David’s Marist Inanda. “It is about strategy, tactics, patience and resilience, but also about understanding how to compete. We want the players to play hard, to test themselves and to be prepared to lose in order to learn how to win. Ultimately, however, everything must be played in the right spirit, with respect for the opposition and the game.”
The 2026 festival will feature 12 participating teams, including:
- St David’s Marist Inanda
- St Stithians College
- St Andrew’s School
- King Edward VII School
- Clifton School
- Middelburg Hoërskool
- St Charles College
- Waterkloof Hoërskool
- Jeppe High School for Boys
- St John’s College
- Noordheuwel Hoërskool
- Lions Cricket Invitational XI
Across the festival, approximately 156 players, 28 coaches and managers, 12 umpires and six scorers will be involved, alongside the SuperSport Schools team providing live-streaming coverage.
A different kind of cricket festival
The Time Cricket Festival is deliberately structured to create scenarios that challenge conventional approaches to school cricket. Matches are played over two days, with teams permitted to use 13 players, while only 11 batsmen are allowed per innings. The format allows teams to rotate fielders to help manage player workloads, while creating opportunities for coaches to develop players across different roles. A minimum of 110 overs must be bowled per day, placing an increased emphasis on fitness, concentration and bowling discipline.
The festival also introduces compulsory declarations, new-ball opportunities and a follow-on threshold, encouraging teams to think carefully about when to attack, defend and take calculated risks. One of the festival’s most distinctive features is what happens when matches finish early. Rather than simply ending the contest, the festival has provisions that can introduce additional “time games” or target-based scenarios, ensuring that players continue to gain valuable match experience during the pre-season.
This approach reflects the festival’s broader philosophy: keep players playing, thinking and learning.
Access the Fasken Time Cricket Festival app
Spectators, players, coaches and supporters can follow the festival through the Fasken Time Cricket Festival app, which provides access to festival information, updates and match details.
The app is available for download on:
When prompted, use the access code: Cricket
All festival fixtures can also be accessed here.
The festival will also recognise individual performances through three awards: Batsman of the Festival, Bowler of the Festival and Player of the Festival. The awards will be determined by Brad Ireland, Deputy Head: Extra Curricular at St David’s, and Theo Garrun, Festival Media Specialist and Reporter, in consultation with participating teams where appropriate. For St David’s Marist Inanda, the festival represents more than a pre-season competition. It is an opportunity to expose young players to an environment where decision-making, leadership and resilience are as important as technical ability.