Here are the big winners during Northerns’ Awards Ceremony
The winter season has rolled in quicker than an 80’s West Indian bowler approaching a freshly prepared green top.
Although the sound of ball smashing into willow on a Saturday morning has not been heard in a few weeks; the Annual Northerns Award Ceremony was in full swing on the 25th of May 2019.
The prestigious event was hosted at Supersport Park in Centurion, the awards pays tribute to the various cricket sections in the Northerns Cricket Union.
Several awards were handed out in the school section most notably was Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool, taking home the awards for finishing top in the Platinum Section, u15A and u14A leagues.
Affies topped the Platinum League which features other strong Pretoria based schools. Affies has become a breeding ground for iconic players having produced the past two national captains in AB De Villiers and more recently Faf Du Plessis who is currently steering the ship at the Cricket World Cup.
In the individual section former AHS pupil Dian Forrester, picked up the IXU u19 Player of the Season at the awards after he had a stellar all-round performance at the 2018 Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Week. Dian was selected for the SA u19 Colts side after scoring a century and taking fiver.
The award was shared with Hoërskool Waterkloof’s Ludwig Kaestner. Kaestner’s performances during the season ensured Hoerskool Waterkloof made it through to the final of the Gunn and Moore Noordvaal Final to whom they narrowly lost to Hoërskool Garsfontein by 2 wickets.
Hanu Viljoen, wicket keeper-batsmen, of Pretoria Boys High School picked up the u17 IXU Player of the Year.
Hanu had a strong season scoring 1345 runs across school and provincial cricket during the season at an average of 51,7. His top score of 135 runs came against a strong Paul Roos side.
In the primary school section Laerskool Lynnwood bagged several awards picking up both the u13A League and the u13 A Day Night Series.
Laerskool Lynnwood a strong cricketing school in the Pretoria East area also picked up the u9A, u10A, u11A and u12A league awards.
Hanu stated; “I am looking forward to my last school season at PBHS hoping to have a strong finish at school level. I aspire to firstly making the Northern’s Coke Week side with one eye on the South African u19 side.”
The IXU u13 Player of the season was shared between Jacques Lamprechts and Thebe Gazide.
With the new season approaching and the 2019 Cricket World Cup underway many of the young school players will want to emulate the successes of their heroes. The School of Cricket looks forward to another exciting season ahead.
Photo Credit: Hannes Viljoen
