Coastal Conquerors ready for exciting Cubs Week challenge
STELLENBOSCH. – The Coastal Conquerors have been presented with a favourable opportunity to bag another title at this year’s Cricket South Africa Cubs Week.
The side was also crowned champions back in 2022. The annual tournament takes place in Stellenbosch from 5 to 9 January.
Catch all the action live on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).
The South African u19 side is already preparing for the ICC u19 World Cup, which will have a major impact on the Cubs Week. It will also provide the Cubs Week players with an ideal opportunity to showcase their readiness to step up into the national u19 set-up after the World Cup.
The Central Gladiators would’ve been the strong favourites to wear the crown, but six of their players – David Teeger (captain), Lhuan-dré Pretorius, Kwena Maphaka, Sipho Potsane, Richard Seletswane and Esosa Aihevba – will be in action during the World Cup.
Their absence meant Gladiators’ coach, Nqaba Matoti, had to pick a youthful squad for the tournament. He was able, however, to add the services of Jaydon Brooker, who missed the Khaya Majola Week in Makhanda at the end of last year.
Brooker was absent because he was in Kuala Lumpur, representing the South African u21 hockey side at the Junior World Cup. His experience will be vital and a big boost for the Gladiators in Stellenbosch.
The Gladiators’ main feeder side, the Central Gauteng Lions, were crowned the undisputed champions of the Khaya Majola Week in December, winning all five of their matches in emphatic fashion.
Both feeder teams for the Conquerors, KwaZulu-Natal, and KwaZulu-Natal Inland, made it to the semi-finals of the Khaya Majola Week. Unfortunately for them, they had to face one other for a place in the final.
Their two key players in Stellenbosch will be Hayden Bishop (feature photo, courtesy Justin Waldman Sports Photography) and Ntando Soni, who were in superb form in Makhanda with the bat and ball respectively.
Bishop was the leading run-scorer in the Platinum Section with 253 runs at an average of 63 runs per innings. Soni picked up a five-wicket haul for the SA Schools side in their clash against the SA Colts at St George’s Park in Gqeberha to put a cherry on top of a great week for the fast bowler.
He was also the best bowler in the Platinum Section, capturing 12 wickets at a cost of only 9.8 runs per victim.
The Cubs Week has, however, shown through the years that it is probably the toughest of all u19 competitions in South Africa. The Knights, these days known as the Western Legends, were rated sixth out of the six teams in 2019, but just five days later they lifted the trophy as the champions after winning all of their matches.
Talking about the Legends, their ranks include the two highest run-scorers from the recent Khaya Majola Week, Simon Liversage and Ludwich Schuld.
Liversage, who amassed 329 runs at an average of 66 runs per innings, was also named the All-rounder of the Week at the conclusion of the tournament. Schuld was on fire, too, scoring 310 runs at an average of 78 runs per innings.
The two left-handed batsmen could help the Legends to, again, produce a surprise or two during the Cubs Week.
The Fixtures
Friday, 5 January 2024
Central Gladiators vs Western Legends (Coetzenberg Oval)
Southern Superstars vs Coastal Conquerors (Tassies Oval)
Northern Champions vs Eastern Warriors (Maties C)
Saturday, 6 January 2024
Northern Champions vs Coastal Conquerors (Coetzenburg Oval)
Central Gladiators vs Eastern Warriors (Tassies Oval)
Southern Superstars vs Western Legends (Maties C)
Sunday, 7 January 2024
Eastern Warriors vs Southern Superstars (Coetzenburg Oval)
Northern Champions vs Central Gladiators (Tassies Oval)
Coastal Conquerors vs Western Legends (Maties C)
Monday, 8 January 2024
Coastal Conquerors vs Eastern Warriors
Northern Champions vs Western Legends
Southern Superstars vs Central Gladiators
Tuesday, 9 January 2024
Northern Champions vs Southern Superstars
Central Gladiators vs Coastal Conquerors
Western Legends vs Eastern Warriors
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