Newcomers Chatsworth Hub eager to make their mark at The Final Showdown
There was no doubting the class of the field during the Switch Schools SA 20 Volume Two girls’ competition in KwaZulu-Natal. That title belonged, emphatically, to the Chatsworth Hub.
They were undisputedly the province’s best team. No side came close to challenging them.
Their results included an astonishing win over Umlazi Comtech High. The Hub side smashed 282/2 in their 20 overs, which featured a remarkable opening stand of 156 off only 8.3 overs between the captain, Shreeya Subbiah, and Thando Matamela. Then, Chatsworth skittled Umlazi Comtech for only 18, with eight players dismissed for ducks.
That wasn’t a one-off kind of performance, though. After last year’s KZN champion, Dr John L Dube, batted well to post 94/4 from their 20 overs, Chatsworth Hub barely blinked. In only 13.5 overs, Subbiah and Matamela steered their team to a 10-wicket victory.
Unfortunately, for the Chatsworth Hub, Matamela is out of The Final Showdown with a collar bone injury. That is a big loss. However, the Chatsworth squad includes 13 players with provincial colours, led by their SA u19 star, Shreeya Subbiah.
They will be tested more in Pretoria than they have been in KZN, but coach Keshin Moodley is confident his girls are ready to handle that extra pressure.
He’s been compiling the side over the past four or five years, working with some of the players from as young as the age of nine. They’re still a young side, with their youngest players aged only 14, but they’re experienced as a unit.
“For them to get this far, it shows that they have been playing very good cricket within the region,” Moodley said. “We don’t take anything lightly. All we are going to do is keep our game simple, do what we love, and play good cricket. On the day, we’ll make it happen.”
The coach identified bowling out the opposition and closing out games quickly as one of the team’s primary strengths. Chatsworth’s attack will be led by Alex Pickvance, Sihana Naidu, Aadya Mohun, and Shreeya Subbiah.
Their depth runs deep. “We have a very well-balanced team,” Moodley said.
The Chatsworth Hub’s final preparation camp takes place on Friday. “We’re looking forward to having a good session with the girls. We’ve brought in some extra coaching support to inspire and motivate them. We want them to be at ease, at peace, not thinking too much about the game. It’s our first time going to a national tournament.
“All we want to do is play good cricket. We’re trying not to think about who’s the best in Pretoria. We want to take it one game at a time,” Moodley said.
“My team has the potential to go far. But, you know the saying, ‘cricket is a funny game’. Anything can happen.”
The Chatsworth Hub faces another provincial-laden team, the Nkowankowa Hub, in their opening match in the afternoon on Wednesday, 4 March. On Thursday, 5 March, they have a morning game against Queens High, followed by an afternoon assignment against Nomandi.
The playoffs happen from Friday, 6 March.
FIXTURES
Wednesday, 4 March
Chatsworth Hub vs Nkowankowa Hub, Tuks C, 14:00
Thursday, 5 March
Chatsworth Hub vs Queens High, Tuks E, 09:30
Chatsworth Hub vs Nomandi, Tuks C, 14:00
