07 Oct CSA T20KO FINAL ACTION TO GO DOWN IN EAST LONDON
EAST LONDON – The opening round of the Cricket South Africa (CSA) T20 Knockout Competition unleashed some of the best cricket talent in the country.
The SA U19 Men dominated Pool A in Pietermaritzburg, winning all three group matches against Eastern Storm, AET Tuskers, and Mpumalanga Rhinos. These victories were accompanied by two bonus points from the Storm and Rhinos encounters.
Tuskers went through to the semi-final after securing a bonus point victory in the opening match against Mpumalanga Rhinos, albeitsuffering two defeats by the SA U19 and Eastern Storm. The Rhinos also registered one victory against the Storm to finish third on the Pool A standings.
Meanwhile, inclement weather in East London saw the first two days of the competition abandoned without a ball being bowled and teams sharing the spoils. In the last round of group stages, the Northern Cape Heat claimed a 14-run win over Limpopo Impalas and secured a semi-final spot.
The Eastern Cape Iinyathi and Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers went down to the wire in the second match with the home-side coming out victorious in the Super-Over to claim the last semi-final spot.
With both Iinyathi and Tuskers being favourites to host the final round of the competition, the East London-based side’s eight-point finish ensured a home semi-final.
The four captains shared their excitement on the much anticipated T20KO finals weekend and their understanding of CSA’s #EndGBV campaign.
SA U19 Captain, George van Heerden, said; “It is excitement all-round in the team with our qualification. After our stint in 2021 where we lost all our games and to turn around this year and confidently win matches has been amazing.
“The experienced members of the team have helped a lot in assisting the younger players on how to deal with pressure and what to do in the big moments. Last season’s experiences have been vital, and we look forward to what awaits us in the remainder of the tournament.
“It is crucial for us to stick to our processes and not get too far ahead of ourselves and not try over-analyse our performances.
“We are also very privileged to be part of creating awareness amongst the South African youth. Gender-Based Violence is a serious issue that has affected women and children around the world.
Young people ought to realise that this is real and we must all work together to put a stop to violence in any way, shape or form,” said van Heerden.
Eastern Cape Iinyathi Captain, Marco Marais, said; “We are happy to be through to the semi-final as the one match we got to play was very challenging. Our match against the Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers had many ups and downs but we pulled through in the super over.
“Even though rain had a huge impact on our games, we want to focus on the semi-final ahead of us and to play well.
“#EndGBV is for all of us to take a stand. We understand that even though our matches do not reach a large number of audiences, we have a responsibility as players to educate and make an impact for those around us,” said Marais.
Northern Cape Heat Captain, Ernest Kemm, said; “Our matches were mostly interrupted by rain, and we are mostly looking forward to go out and play. We are a team that thrives in action, so we are keen to get back to the park with Tuskers and hopefully compete well.
“We’ve really grown as a team. Our bowlers are more consistent, the fielding which cost us a lot last season has improved, and we have to ensure that the batters all take responsibility down the order.
“#EndGBV is very close to our hearts and extremely important to all of us. We are part of the education and creating awareness around these issues. It is also important for us as the cricket community and as the Northern Cape Heat team to unite and take a stand against something that is bigger than us,” said Kemm.
AET Tuskers Captain, Michael Erlank, said; “We are really excited about being in the semi-finals. We were disappointed after losing the last game but knowing that we had done enough kept our spirits up.
“The first round of the competition could’ve gone the other way for us, but we’ve done well in all departments at different stages, so we are looking to string it all together.
“We also note the #EndGBV campaign for the cricket fraternity and by having it on our shirts makes us more aware and keeps the gender-based violence conversations at the forefront of our minds. We truly hope this brings about more responsibility to be better as a nation and build a better and safer future,” Erlank concluded.
T20KO UPCOMING FIXTURES
SATURDAY, 08 OCTOBER 2022
Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium, East London
10h00: Northern Cape Heat vs AET Tuskers – Semi-final 1
14h00: SA U19 vs Eastern Cape Iinyathi – Semi-final 2
SUNDAY, 09 OCTOBER 2022
Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium, East London
14h00: Final
All results are available here:
T20KO FINAL TEAMS
SA U19: George van Heerden, Liam Alder, Matthew Boast, Abdallah Bayoumy, Schalk Engelbrecht, Thebe Gazide, Ronan Herrmann, Juan James, Kwena Maphaka, Dewan Marais, Aphiwe Mnyanda, Meeka-eel Prince, Richard Seletswane, David Teeger, Liyema Waqu.
Management: Shukri Conrad (Head Coach), Blanche Conradie (Manager), Thabang Kumalo (Ass.Coach), Esther Bhengu (Physio), Kyle Southgate (Analyst), Curtly Diesel (Fitness Trainer), Kruger Van Wyk (Fielding Coach).
NORTHERN CAPE HEAT: Ernest Kemm, Grant Thomson, Hanu Viljoen, Rivaldo Moonsamy, Bafana Mahlangu, Andrew Rasemene, Tsepho Ntuli, Benjamin Van Rensburg, Gerhardt Abrahams, Juan Landsberg, Johan Van Dyk, Romano Terblanche, Jerome Xaba, CP Klijnhans.
Management: Mark Charlton (Head Coach), Deon Carolus (Assistant Coach), Storm Clark (Trainer), Sharee Hendricks (Physio).
EASTERN CAPE IINYATHI: Clayton Bosch, Jade De Klerk, Josh Dodd, Phaphama Fojela,Thomas Kaber Mncedisi Malika, Marco Marais, Jason Niemand, Jerry Nqolo, Sinovuyo Ntuntwana, Nqaba Peter, Gideon Peters, Joshua Van Heerden, Nonelela Yikha.
Management: Paul Adams (Head Coach), Tumelo Bodide (Assistant Coach), Shannon Graham (Strength & Conditioning Coach), Aneliswe Mntambo (Physiotherapist).
AET TUSKERS: Cameron Shekleton, Michael Erlank, Tian Koekemoer, Sanele Mbata, Andile Mokgakane, Kurtlyn Mannikam, Gareth Dukes, Keith Dudgeon, Nduduzo Mfoza, Alindile Mhletywa, Dilivio Ridgard, Thamsanqa Kumalo, Stefan Tait, Malcolm Nofal.
Management: Grant Morgan (Head Coach), Athi Maposa (Assistant Coach), Gareth Ford (S&C), Daiyaan Solomons (Physio).
For media enquiries, please contact:
Alungile Nyakambi
Cell: 084 204 3689
Email: alungilen@cricket.co.za
ENDS
Issued by: Cricket South Africa – Corporate Communications
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Cricket South Africa (CSA), an affiliate of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), is the national governing body for the sport of cricket in South Africa and administers all aspects of South African cricket, men, and women, both in the professional and amateur sphere.