Gilbert to captain experienced Eastern Cape Iinyathi at Khaya Majola Week
Tré Gilbert will lead an experienced 13-member Eastern Cape Iinyathi u19 side at the 2024 edition of the Khaya Majola Coke Week to be contested in Cape Town from 16-20 December.
The Selborne College captain is one of 10 players who were present at the 2023 Khaya Majola Week. Jacques van der Merwe, Chulumanco Macozoma, Ryan Denston, Bevaneo Maytham, Lithemba Nomoyi, Chad Clark-Evans, Adam Rogers, Waeden Plaatjies, and Hlumelo Ntola are the other nine. Gilbert and Denston also featured at the showpiece in 2022.
Aaron Senekal and Inga Mafanga played at the 2023 u16 Week, while Canton Hartnick is making his maiden appearance on the national stage.
Despite the vast experience in the side, Simon Sakhele, the Iinyathi head coach, is not taking any chances with preparations. The next 26 days will be packed with activities for the team.
Iinyathi has team-building activities, will play against the Eastern Cape Iinyathi Colts on 28 and 29 November, and will also play against the u16 team. Sakhele’s side will set a target in their first outing against the Colts and chase in their second.
“The match against the u16 side is not a glorified net session. We want the boys to score as many runs as possible in match conditions. It is also part of our preparations for the 2025 Khaya Majola Week. Some of those boys will have moved up to u19,” he explained.
The Iinyathi team will also have a three-day camp just before they leave for Cape Town.
“We will use all these activities to assess players’ strengths and weaknesses. That will help us upskill the boys as they head into the tournament,” Sakhele said.
The coach has a lot of talent at his disposal. He has an outstanding contingent that is not limited to his solid top-order batsmen, Van der Merwe, Gilbert, Maytham, and Rogers.
Van der Merwe, a left-arm spinner, participated in the Cubs Week last year and is also a member of the Iinyathi’s 2024 T20 team. Like Van der Merwe, Gilbert featured for the Cubs team last year, and he also turned out for the Iinyathi Colts team.
Murray Spence, Selborne College’s Master of Cricket, described the Iinyathi captain as a fine player who understands when to be aggressive and when to manipulate the field. One of Gilbert’s strengths is his excellence against spin bowling.
“Adam Rogers is a brilliant opening batsman. He likes to manipulate the field and does so really well,” Spence shared. “He is also a good right-arm off-spin bowler and a gun fielder.”
Iinyathi has, in Ryan Denston and Aaron Senekal, two gifted all-rounders. Both are explosive with the bat. Denston is a leg-spinner, while Senekal, who captained the 2023 Iinyathi u16 team, is a medium-pace bowler with good variations in his arsenal.
Sakhele said one of his goals is to get the best out of his top and middle order during their Khaya Majola campaign. “Our plan is for the boys to play fearless cricket. They can only do that if they have a full understanding of what is required of them,” he explained.
The coach’s preparation is not limited to on-field activities. The Iinyathi coaching staff is also working to mentally prepare the boys for the tournament.
“We need to equip them with the tools to deal with pressure. Also, some of these players have never been out of the province. It can be daunting to be out of your comfort zone,” the coach shared.
Eastern Cape Iinyathi u19 Squad
Jacques van der Merwe (Selborne College), Chulumanco Macozoma (Hudson Park), Tré Gilbert (Selborne College), Ryan Denston (Queen’s College), Bevaneo Maytham (Queen’s College), Lithemba Nomoyi (Hudson Park), Chad Clark-Evans (Stirling High), Adam Rogers (Selborne College), Waeden Plaatjies (Selborne College), Hlumelo Ntola (Dale College), Inga Mafanga (Dale College), Aaron Senekal (Selborne College), Canton Hartnick (Buffalo Flats Hub).
