COCA-COLA KHAYA MAJOLA CRICKET WEEK – HOW THE FORMAT HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS

The Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Week is unique among cricket tournaments in a number of ways, one being the way in which the format has changed over the years in order to provide the best possible opportunities for the players to display their talents and get themselves noticed by those who are at the week, on the lookout or potential talent.

At the week in Cape Town this year, as has been the case for the past few years, the teams played two “time” cricket matches, two T20 games – on the same day- and two 50 overs-a-side, limited overs games.

The idea behind this, according to Cricket South Africa’s manager of youth cricket, Niels Momberg, is to reflect the changes in the way the game is being played around the world. “We are flexible and relook at the format on a year-to-year basis,” he explains, “and the week looks the way it does at the moment because limited overs cricket is the most commonly played at this stage.  It also allows the selectors to look at the players performances in the various different formats of the game as each has subtle tactical differences.”

It was not always that way at the Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Week. In the beginning the teams played only proper “declaration” cricket on all five days and, at one time, that was changed to allow for one two-day game, and three one day games.

Then, with South Africa’s admittance to the World Cup and the advent of one day international series, it was decided to make this a limited overs competition, with a final and a trophy awarded.

That changed again when the T20s came along, and it was decided to reintroduce two days of “proper” cricket again. And, this year, a rest day was introduced as well

That meant there could not be an overall winner anymore and the week reverted to a festival. The two sides playing the best cricket over the first four days, in the view of the SA Schools committee, are matched on the main field on the last day of the week in an unofficial “final.”

Interestingly, the captains of six of the teams present were asked which of the three formats they preferred and all said they liked the time cricket best.