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22 November 2025

Sod-Turning Ceremony Marks a Historic Milestone for St Andrew’s College

On Saturday, 22 November, St Andrew’s College proudly hosted the sod-turning ceremony for the new Indoor Cricket Centre, adjacent to the Bedford Street cricket nets. This event was more than just the start of a new building – it is a commitment to the Sporting Promise and our bold vison for the future of the school. This state-of-the-art facility will provide year-round training opportunities for our cricketers, come rain or shine!

The Indoor Cricket Centre will include:

  • Four full-length cricket lanes with bowler’s run-ups engineered to minimise joint stress and ensure consistent stride length.
  • A batting area optimised for realistic spin, pace and bounce performance.
  • Premium surfaces and modern materials for durability and year-round use.
  • Essential amenities including toilets (both male & female), a meeting room, mezzanine level and storeroom.


The Headmaster, Mr Tom Hamilton, opened the proceedings with a prayer and a welcome to all the guests. Short speeches were given by William Beamish (1st X1 captain 2025), Mr Peter Amm (OA and Chairman of Council) and Mr Zander de Bruin (professional cricket coach) who related his fear of public speaking to that of facing Australia’s Brett Lee on a ‘bouncy green wicket’.

The sod-turning ceremony brought together a wide range of the community, including Mr Mark Cotton (Chairman of the DSG Council), Dr Petra Gentz (Acting Head of DSG), Alexandra Murray (2026 Head Girl of DSG), Lisakhanya Mjali (2026 Deputy Head Girl of DSG), Alexandra Ovendale (2026 DSG Head of Sport), James Gordon (St Andrew’s Prep 1st XI cricket captain), Zukolwakhe Mdodana (College’s 2026 Head of School) and Murray Leith (OA 2013), captain of the OA cricket XI who was to play the school in the annual OA Tide cricket match later that day.

To celebrate this significant milestone in shaping the campus for generations to come, Mr Tom Hamilton invited Mr Arthur Short (1st XI Cricket Captain 1965 and Proteas 1970/1), accompanied by his son Mr Lloyd Short (OA 1993), to turn the first sod. And in true College tradition, Mr Murray Roodt played The Highland Cathedral on the bagpipes to honour the occasion.

The intention is for the new centre to be completed by July 2026 but we will be providing more updates as the Indoor Cricket Centre and other new campus developments take shape, an enduring testament to our legacy and aspirations as we move towards 2030 and our 175 Celebrations.

Mr Jonathan Thompson