Dwayne Ratzlaff - Hero is made at Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge

Dwayne Ratzlaff of St Conrad’s College in Klerksdorp, North West, has been recognised as an outstanding achiever in the Coca-Cola® T20 School Challenge for the 84 runs he made in his side’s seven wicket win over Hoërskool Orkney on 2 October.

Coca-Cola® South Africa and Cricket South Africa (CSA) grant this honour to players who excel in the competition and they are awarded a special commemorative cap and a certificate marking the occasion.

Dwayne is 16 years-old and in Grade 11. He is one of the top pupils in the school, both academically and on the sports field. He is the school’s 2013 Sportsman of the Year; he captains the first cricket and rugby teams and also plays hockey and tennis. He is a batsman and bowler and as the school does not have a dedicated wicket keeper, he shares the gloves with the schools spin bowler.  “When the one bowls the other stands in as wicket keeper and vice versa,” says Sports coordinator at the school, Hope Gates. 

Gates describes Dwayne as outgoing, a good leader, reliable, well-mannered and a hard worker. He never misses practices and has just been made a prefect for next year.

Dwayne is proof that the Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge is a competition where heroes are made and he is worthy recipient of this special honour.

St Conrad’s is a private Catholic school with only 260 pupils of which 130 are boys. Their cricket team was only formed last year and the players are all under-16. Gates, said that they felt that they were ready to compete at the under-19 level this year and they made the semi finals in the under-19 North West Super League, but lost to Hoërskool Klerksdorp.

They have not lost a game in the Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge so far. They won all four of their circuit level games and beat Vryburg in their regional final to qualify for the provincial semi finals, where they will meet Hoërskool Potchefstroom in February next year.

Gates says she is proud that the team managed to hold their own against big schools like Klerksdorp Hoërskool that have over 1 000 pupils. Klerksdorp beat them in the North West u-19 Super League earlier on, but St Conrad’s managed to beat them in the Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge.

The Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge is about making heroes, explains Fetsi Mbele, Coca-Cola South Africa Marketing Assets Manager. “This grass roots tournament is where heroes are unearthed and then progress through to the Coca-Cola® Khaya Majola Cricket Week, an annual tournament, sponsored by Coca-Cola South Africa for over 30 years. It has to date produced over 200 Proteas players.”

For more information, please contact Kassey or Shawn at Intune Communications on (011) 023-9401