Hilton and Michaelhouse ready for Pink Day contest
On Saturday, 9 November, Hilton College and Michaelhouse will do battle at Hilton College in their annual PinkDrive cricket match.
It’s the fourth year that the sides are playing in support of cancer awareness.
The match starts at 09:00 and will be shown on DStv Channel 216 and streamed on SuperSport Schools.
The contest, which has become a well-supported event on the two schools’ sporting calendar, serves as a fundraising event to help PinkDrive NPC, a health sector NGO, founded by Ms. Noelene Kotschan in 2009.
The organisation was founded on the basis that “early detection will help to prolong a life.”
PinkDrive’s goal is “to contribute towards preventing, as many people as it can, from succumbing to breast, cervical, prostate, and testicular cancer. Its primary focus is on citizens without access to reasonable care for these conditions, and who reside in areas where health services do not reach.”
“The match is a brilliant initiative and one which both schools, I would like to believe, hold very close to their hearts,” Khalipa Cele, the Michaelhouse 1st XI coach, told SuperSport Schools Plus.
Warren Kirsten, the Hilton College 1st XI coach, echoed Cele’s words. “This is an important event for our school because we are all affected by this disease. When the boys go out to play, they are not just playing for themselves, they are also playing for the other 600 boys in their brotherhood and their loved ones.”
Cele’s side hosted the last PinkDrive contest in which Michaelhouse went down in front of their home crowd. They will be keen to return the favour. That plan is not misguided as Michaelhouse has won against Hilton this year. However, Hilton, most recently, triumphed against their rivals in the semi-finals of the Tuskers’ Schools SA20 tournament before going on to win the regional title. Cele’s charges will go into the match keen to have the final word on the question of who had a better year.
Michaelhouse heads into the game on the back of a comprehensive 143-run win over Northwood, which featured a brilliant 88 from Graydon Leslie and outstanding bowling from Thandanani Zuma and Radhesh Jhilmeet, who bagged seven wickets for 16 runs between them.
Hilton, on the other hand, heads into the contest on the back of a loss to St Charles in their most recent limited-overs match. Kirsten’s men have endured an inconsistent run in traditional limited-overs fixtures. They’ve also missed five of their top players for extended periods due to injuries. However, three of those five players are back for Saturday’s match and Kirsten hopes the team will be able to capitalise on their availability.
Victory will be foremost on the minds of both sides, because, as Kirsten put it, a contest between Hilton and Michaelhouse always means more. The schools have a well-chronicled rivalry. But they’re also aware that the match is being played for a bigger cause than a win.
“As a coach and educator, I always try to blend sport with life lessons. Sport is about life lessons really; learning to be patient, resilient, and working with other people, to name a few. This day is about cricket, but also not about cricket, as it is about a cause which, in my opinion, is bigger than the game, but the game is used to raise this awareness,” Cele explained.
“We are aware of the significance of the rivalry between the two great schools. It brings energy and excitement to the fixtures. Our message is consistent with every match we play. Follow your process, which contributes to the team’s success. Having the PinkDrive as part of the day creates a meaningful motivation,” Kirsten said.
As regular followers of the Michaelhouse versus Hilton matches have come to know, the contest between the sides will be spirited. Neither will be willing to give an inch.
