Sipho Potsane: from Alex to the ICC u19 Cricket World Cup
The Alexandra Cricket Club is celebrating one of its own after 17-year-old Sipho Potsane was recently included in the SA under-19 squad which will fly the national flag at the ICC u19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka from 13 January to 4 February.
After recognising Potsane’s talent and potential, Jeppe High School for Boys brought him into their ranks, and he has since blossomed.
His former coach, Dan Phaka, praised Potsane after he cracked the nod for the national team. “Sipho is one of the brightest cricketing prospects to come from the township and we are sure, if all goes well, he will soon make it to the Proteas,” he said.
A left-arm spinner and left-hand bat, Potsane toured Bangladesh with the SA under-19 team in July, playing in three of the five Youth ODIs.
In his first match, he dismissed Bangladesh captain Ahrar Amin for a duck, and picked up 2 for 42 in his 10 overs. The very next game, he snared 2 for 38 from his 10 and, once again, took the wicket of the Bangladesh skipper, this time for a single.
With the series tied at 2-2, the coaches demonstrated their confidence in Potsane by including him in the decider, which the hosts won by a narrow three-wicket margin.
Potsane is one of nine Jeppe boys named in Lions’ cricket teams to participate in inter-provincial tournaments during December.
He, Jaydon Brooker and Tshepo Stafa were named in the under-19 team, which will be in action in Makhanda from the 16th to the 20th of December.
Tino Mutekwa and Ryan Young were selected for the under-16 side, and Aiden Reyneke, Shreshth Kumar, Keegan Cockburn and Zizi Mkhize earned places in the under-15 team.
