Western Province announced their Craven Week teams for 2023
Western Province has announced their two teams for this year’s annual Craven Week in George.
Paarl Boys’ High has the biggest representation within the two squads with 11 players that will make the trip to the Garden Route next month.
Jameel de Jongh (winger), and JC Mars (fullback) are the only two players returning from last year’s Craven Week squad and the two Boishaai playmakers will have an important role in the team as the senior players. They were part of a strong WP side last year, winning all of their matches.
Xola Nyali (flanker), Danio Botha (lock), Kyle Smith (flyhalf), Gino Cupido (centre), Scott Nel (winger), Herman Lubbe (prop) and Hashim Pead (scrumhalf) have worked their way into the Craven Week squad this year, after they were all part of the WP Craven Week XV team in 2022.
Shaywan Blankenberg, the Diocesan College flyhalf, has been selected for the WP XV as well, after playing for the WP Academy team last year.
Riley Norton, the flanker from Paul Roos is also a non-travelling reserve for the SA Under-19 Cricket squad who will be touring Bangladesh for a five-match 50-over series from 3 to 18 July.
He has made the cut along with some big names, including Liam Alder and Kwena Maphaka who represented SA at the 2022 ICC Under-19 World Cup last year, as well as Dewan Marais, Juan James, David Teegar and Richard Seletswane, who were part of the junior Proteas team to win last season’s CSA T20 Knockout Competition.
At only 17 years old, being included in both of these teams is a massive achievement for the dynamic sportsman from Stellenbosch.
Torren February, who was a flanker for the Grant Khomo team in 2022 has been selected for the WP XV.
These teams are still subject to change and the coaches will look forward to the Western Cape Bondedag, where they will be able to run their final trials and finalize selections. The fixtures for that event are still to be announced.
The Craven Week kicks off at Outeniqua in George on the 3rd of July.
The teams:
Western Province: 15 JC Mars (Paarl Boys’ High), 14 Scott Nel (Paarl Boys’ High), 13 Gino Cupido (Strand), 12 Albie Bester (Boland Landbou), 11 Jameel de Jongh (Paarl Boys’ High), 10 Kyle Smith (Paarl Gimnasium), 9 Hashim Pead (Diocesan College), 8 Marco Ferreira (Stellenberg), 7 Divan Fuller (Paarl Boys’ High), 6 Xola Nyali (Wynberg Boys’ High), 5 Van Heerden Pretorius (Paarl Boys’ High), 4 Danio Botha (Paarl Gimnasium), 3 Ryan Jack (Paul Roos Gimnasium), 2 Cilliers Viljoen (Boland Landbou), 1 Christoff Etzebeth (Boland Landbou). Replacements: 16 Justin Amos (Rondebosch Boys’ High), 17 Oliver Reid (Paul Roos Gimnasium), 18 Herman Lubbe (Stellenberg), 19 Riley Norton (Paul Roos Gimnasium), 20 Aiden Norris (Diocesan College), 21 Zeke January (Paul Roos Gimnasium), 22 Yaqeen Ahmed (Wynberg Boys’ High), 23 Gilermo Mentoe (Diocesan College).
5 Paarl Boys’ High | 4 Paul Roos Gimnasium | 3 Boland Landbou | 3 Diocesan College | 2 Paarl Gimnasium | 2 Stellenberg | 2 Wynberg Boys’ High | 1 Strand | 1 Rondebosch Boys’ High
Western Province XV: 15 Dewald de Villiers (Boland Landbou), 14 Juma Amisi (Rondebosch Boys’ High), 13 David Simon (Rondebosh Boys’ High), 12 Daniel van der Merwe (Paarl Boys’ High), 11 Enslin Claassen (Boland Landbou), 10 Leejay Peterson (Paul Roos Gimnasium), 9 Juan Loots (Paarl Boys’ High), 8 Liberty Nyashana (Milnerton), 7 Torren February (Wynberg Boys’ High), 6 Rubin Dames (Paarl Boys’ High), 5 Neil Hansen (Paarl Boys’ High), 4 Marno Steyn (Paarl Gimnasium), 3 Ikhona Maxegwana (SACS), 2 HB Odendaal (Paarl Boys’ High), 1 Xander Mynhardt (Paarl Gimnasium). Replacements: 16 Ethan Hendricks (Wynberg Boys’ High), 17 Luqobo Makwedini (Wynberg Boys’ High), 18 Malcolm Lamont (Boland Landbou), 19 Nazier Isaacs (Paul Roos Gimnasium), 20 Louw du Toit (Paarl Gimnasium), 21 Sange Mbutho (Wynberg Boys’ High), 22 Shaywan Blankenberg (Diocesan College), 23 Bryan Burger (Paarl Boys’ High).
6 Paarl Boys’ High | 4 Wynberg Boys’ High | 3 Paarl Gimnasium | 3 Boland Landbou | 2 Rondebosch Boys’ High | 2 Paul Roos Gimnasium | 1 SACS | 1 Milnerton | 1 Diocesan College
