Resilient St John’s College staged the biggest upset at the recent St Albans Cricket Festival, South Africa’s top schoolboys’ cricket competition, in an inspired performance which sent a bold message that Zimbabwe still possess deadly weapons in its junior armoury.

Star batsman Cameron Butler was outstanding at the crease, reaching a half-century as the Rams swept aside the challenge of Titans Invitation, the most highly-rated team in the tournament, by a significant two wickets.

Fellow Borrowdale voyagers St George’s College and Esigodini private school Falcon College were also admitted into the annual St Albans Cricket Festival in Pretoria which this year rolled out from the 23rd to the 26th of February.

Statistically St John’s College were the best performing Zimbabwean school after two winning two of their four ties with the fifth washed out by heavy rains that fell in the South African administrative capital in as much as they were pounding Harare.

St George’s College, to their big credit, were no pushovers also stealing maximum points in one of their three fixtures. Only Falcon College came unstuck in all their three outings.

Titans Invitation XI had received rave reviews in the run up to the tournament after assembling a force of some of the most talented boys from outside the participating but found the Zimbabweans a different proponent.

The South Africans were restricted to a total of 161 after losing seven wickets and St John’s innings returned 164 runs for the loss of eight, giving the Rams a beautiful two-wicket victory.

To prove their win over Titans was no fluke, St John’s again flattened Kingswood College, another of South Africa’s top cricket teams, in a twenty-over encounter Rams captain Damian White finished 55 not out.

Kingswood College were 141 for 5 leaving St John’s with a low run chase that saw them amass the 142 target to clinch the match by five wickets.

St John’s though were no match for St David’s Maritz who got the better of the visitors by two wickets in another twenty-over match, in which Rams bowler Kieran Robinson took out four batsmen.

St Charles College were the other school to record victory over coach David Mutendera’s men. The South Africans totalled 121 runs with eight wickets lost but were still superior to St John’s 84 for the loss of 10. St Charles College won their match by 37 runs.

The former Zimbabwe Test player was satisfied with St John’s tour.

“I liked what I saw. The boys can take on the best in the game and still come out with their heads high,’’ said Mutendera, who is also the master in charge of football at the Borrowdale school.