INTRIGUING POOL C MATCH-UPS READY TO SERVE UP MORE THRILLING CSA PROVINCIAL T20 KNOCK OUT CRICKET

08 Oct INTRIGUING POOL C MATCH-UPS READY TO SERVE UP MORE THRILLING CSA PROVINCIAL T20 KNOCK OUT CRICKET

KIMBERLEY: The CSA Provincial T20 Knock Out Competition has lived up to its name so far, with the ball flying all over the park in the group games as Pool C, hosted at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein from Friday, 08 October, is set to wrap up the round-robin stage.

The Hollywoodbets Dolphins and the North West Dragons are the Division One sides in the group, while the Eastern Storm and the South Africa under-19s make up the rest of the pool that pits the country’s aspiring stars against some of the best domestic talents.

The Dolphins side, under head coach Imraan Khan, stands out as strong favourites going into the opening round of games, with the team featuring exciting young players like former SA U19s captain Bryce Parsons and rising star Thando Ntini, blended with seasoned pros.

Despite a disrupted pre-season due to the ongoing pandemic as well as the recent unrests in KwaZulu-Natal, Khan credits his team, which also includes a leadership group made up of a captain, Prenelan Subraye Khaya Zondo and Sarel Erwee, for managing to still prepare well.

“The boys responded to those setbacks incredibly well,” commented coach Khan. “They have trained fantastically over the pre-season period and are now just looking forward to the competition.

“It’s an exciting start to the new competition, to the new season. T20 cricket is always an exciting format so the boys are really thrilled. As a team, we are certainly looking forward to pulling in some strong performances. Our big focus is sticking to our processes and hopefully, that will stand us in good stead during the course of the fixtures,” Khan continued.

In the Dragons camp, it’s a case of go out there and express yourself according to the head coach, Monty Jacobs as he also relishes the involvement and know-how of his assistant coach, Craig Alexander to help them achieve results through their distinct brand of cricket.

“I want the guys to go out there and have the freedom,” Jacobs said. “They are talented players and the main thing from the coaching staff, we have people like Craig Alexander who has played a lot of cricket, we are just trying to get the guys to be calm and play fearless cricket.”

“It’s about going out there and enjoying the game, hopefully, that way they can express their true talents,” the coach added.

For the SA under-19s, who will be playing against players aged between 4-10 years older, the preparations were still a balancing act between school and cricket for the players and the coaching staff. With that said, head coach, Shukri Conrad is eager to see his juniors showcase their ability this weekend in preparation for bigger moments that lie ahead.

“We certainly don’t see ourselves as underdogs,” he said confidently. “Although it’s an integral part of our preparation for the World Cup, we see this competition as one that we if we give a good account of ourselves and perform like we know we can, there’s no reason why we can’t be there in the quarter-final stages.”

“It will also be good preparation from a mental side, how we cope with these sort of pressures that are similar to what the World Cup will bring,” Conrad commented.

Execution is key for Division Two side, Eastern Storm and head coach, Sandile Masengemi regardless of the opponent, with the side featuring a battle-hardened collection of provincial players, led by Sizwe Masondo,  who have recent success in T20 cricket.

“Our process is pretty simple and it is to make sure we play game by game. We know we are in a good group but for us, we are not too worried about who we play against, we just have to make sure we are able to execute on the day,” Masengemi said.

“I believe if we play the brand of cricket we want to play, it doesn’t after who we play against., we will get positive results. We are not taking anything for granted in, we just have to focus on our skills and execution, and if we are able to do that, we will play good cricket.

I am really looking forward to our game on Friday and how these guys will play this weekend,” he concluded.

All 31 matches of the competition will be broadcast live on SuperSport with commentary available in English, Afrikaans, and IsiXhosa. The competition will also be broadcast on multiple global networks including Free Sports (UK) and Fox Sports (Australia), and live-streamed via FanCode (Indian sub-continent).

Live updates will also be available on the CSA App, which is downloadable on IOS and Android devices via the App Store and Google Play.

Hollywoodbets Dolphins: Prenelan Subrayen (Captain), Sarel Erwee, Marques Ackerman,, Thamsanqa Khumalo, Thando Ntini, Kerwin Mungroo, Daryn Dupavillon, Ottneil Baartman, Keegan Peterson, Ruan de Swardt, Grant Roelofson, Khayelihle Zondo, Jason Smith, Bryce Parsons, Odirile Modimokoane, Bradley Porteous

North West Dragons: Nicky van den Burgh (Captain), Senuran Muthusamy, Wesley Marshall, Eben Botha, Shaylen Pillay, Lesego Senokwane, Jason Oakes, Duan Jansen, Eldred Hawken, Chad Classen, Lwandiswa Zuma, Chris Britz, Tahir Isaacs, Johannes Diseko, Caleb Seleka, Heinrigh Pieterse

Eastern Storm: Sizwe Masondo (Captain) Grant Thomspon, Matthew Arnold, Tumelo Simelani, Jurie Snyman, Sinehlanhla Zwane, Wesley Coulentianos, Clayton August, Khwezi Gumede, Gionne Koopman, Tumelo Thlokwe, Nathan Steyn, Armand Erasmus, Thulani Tembela, Devon Botha, Danie Rossouw

SA under-19s: George van Heeren (Captain), Liam Alder, Hardus Coetzer, Dewald Brevis, Michael Copeland, Ethan Cunningham, Valentine Kitime, GJ Maree, Aphiwe Mnyanda, Jesse Prodehl, Andile Simelane, Jade Smith, Kaden Solomons, Joshua Stephenson, Asakhe Tsaka

Full list of Pool C fixtures below. All matches will be played at The Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein.

Friday, 08 October 2021

Hollywoodbets Dolphins vs North West Dragons at 10h00

Eastern Storm vs SA under-19s at 14h30

Saturday, 09 October 2021

SA under-19s vs North West Dragons at 10H00

Eastern Storm vs Hollywoodbets Dolphins at 14h00

Sunday, 10 October 2021

Hollywoodbets Dolphins vs SA under-19s at 10h00

Eastern Storm vs North West Dragons at 14h30

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Issued by: Cricket South Africa – Corporate Communications

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