Heroes will be made at the Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Cricket Week

Stefan Klopper of Hoérskool Centurion, Pretoria, has been recognised as an outstanding achiever in the Coca-Cola® T20 School Challenge, for the 84 runs he made in his side’s 128 run victory over Hoérskool Zwartkop in October.  This outstanding player has also been selected to play for Northerns in the 2014 Coca-Cola® Khaya Majola Cricket Week happening from 16^th to the 20^th December in KwaZulu-Natal.

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.

Stefan has had an exceptional season notching up 999 runs, averaging 38, and taken 37 wickets with an average of 27/6. His performance has earned him the school Sportsman of the Year.  

Coach, Johan Cloete has known Stefan since primary school.  “He is naturally competitive in everything he does and since childhood his dream has been to play professional cricket, a dream that is getting closer to becoming a reality.” 

Stefan is also one of the schools top athletes, excelling in the javelin.  “He gave up rugby recently after suffering a back injury, which jeopardized his cricket career,” said Cloete.

Centurion has played three Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge matches to date winning all. The next match will be in January against Hoérskool Menlopark in the quarter finals.

“I was speechless when I was called up to receive my recognition award,” said Stefan.  “I have worked so hard at my cricket, my goal being to get selected to play in the  Coca-Cola® Khaya Majola Cricket week.  My older brother, Hans, played in the week and he said it was the best week of his cricket career.  I am so looking forward to December.  I would like to get selected to play in the SA Schools Team as well.  That would be a fitting end to the week.”

Players arriving in Pretoria for the Mamelodi Sundowns camp

Twenty two of the most talented under-19 soccer players in the country will gather in Pretoria on Friday where they will attend a week-long training camp at Mamelodi Sundowns. They were selected as those with the most potential at the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup national finals in Durban in August and will now be given the opportunity to develop further.

They will receive training from top development coaches, and get individual attention as well. They will play three games, one of them against the Mamelodi Sundowns first team, and will attend a PSL match.

Mamelodi Sundowns have invited coaches and talent scouts from the first division and PSL clubs to come through and see the players in action.

Mamelodi Sundown’s youth development manager, Shawn Bishop, said there were so many talented players at the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup national finals they felt it important to give them an opportunity to develop further. “Hopefully some of the clubs will then take them that step further,” he said.

One of the invited players is Ofentse Motlhanke, the 19 year-old goalkeeper from Bloemfontein’s HTS Louis Botha, who was named the goalkeeper of the tournament at the national finals. “I think this is a great opportunity for my soccer career, I will be exposed to the best coaching staff,” he said. “I have never attended a camp before, so I don’t really know what happens but I think that I will be taught the technical skills of goalkeeping, and see how other goalkeepers handle the goal posts. I hope that after the camp my goalkeeping skills and mental game will have improved. Being a ’keeper, you need to pre-empt a player’s action, a skill I hope to learn from Sundowns.

Ofentse said that while he didn’t expect to be selected for the camp, it has always been his goal to play at a higher level. “Hopefully this opportunity will take my soccer to much greater heights. Like playing for a PSL or first division team,” he said.

Not surprisingly, Kennedy Mweene, the Sundowns goalkeeper, is his favourite Sundowns player. “He was goalkeeper of the season in 2009, and I hope to meet him and pick his brain a little about the position that we play,” he said. “I would like to ask him how he prepares himself before a match and how he keeps his composure during the game.”

Ofentse will be joined at the camp by his team mate Tani Mpusana, who is 17 years-old and a defender.  Tani says he is very proud to have been selected to attend the camp. “I am filled with a lot of emotions, I can’t really explain it in detail,” he said. “It really means a lot to me and I will try to learn as much as possible.”

Tani’s father Simon Mpusana, who has never played the game before, is more pleased than he is, he says, because he has been the one to encourage him to continue with the sport. “Hopefully when I come back I will have good news for him, like maybe being selected to attend trails for Sundowns.”

At the camp, Tani is hoping to learn about the basics of understanding how to defend and to attack. “I want to learn how to effectively communicate with my team mates, as that’s a problem when it comes to team work. I have noticed that many teams don’t play as a team, they want to shine individually and end up messing up the entire game for everyone.”

Tani was surprised, and happy to be selected to attend the camp. “I never thought I would make it because my performance was not 100%, but now that I know that I made it, I want to work hard at the camp and listen to all the advice that I will get from the coaching staff,” he said.

“I know that all the players will be going all out to be noticed, so I have been training hard and working at improving my strength,” he said. “I train 4 times a week and I play in local games to improve my performance.”

He is looking forward to meeting the Sundowns first team players and said it would be an honour to speak to them one on one. “ I see them on TV all the time and meeting them will encourage me to do better in my soccer career. I look up to all successful soccer players.”

KFC renews their involvement in domestic and international T20 cricket in South Africa

KFC has renewed their sponsorship of the KFC T20 Internationals and associate sponsorship of the domestic Ram Slam T20 Challenge for another season.

The renewal of this sponsorship comes at the start of the Proteas home summer season where they will be playing 5 KFC T20 Internationals; 2 against Pakistan on the 20^th and 22^nd of November and 3 against Australia on the 9^th, 12^th and 14^th of March.

The KFC T20 Internationals provide a terrific opportunity for KFC Mini-Cricket kids from around the country to get active in and around these matches, escorting the players onto the field, participating in the coin toss and being ball boys and girls on the boundary ropes.

As associate sponsors in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge, KFC endorses the reason why they are involved in KFC Mini-Cricket and that is to encourage kids to live active lifestyles. Here the same opportunities for player involvement occur on a more frequent basis allowing more and more kids to get active in the major stadiums around the country.

The kids are chosen at the 16 KFC Mini-Cricket festivals held around the country. Each kid gets the chance to meet a local professional cricketer at the KFC mobile studios where they ask them questions about cricket.  The most confident and enthusiastic kids at this activation get the opportunity to get active in the KFC T20 Internationals and the Ram Slam T20 Challenge.

Being able to meet and interact with their heroes during a KFC T20 International is a once in a lifetime experience for the kids involved, something that can be clearly seen when they are caught on camera during the matches dancing and interacting with the crowds!

With the cut and thrust nature of the T20 game, the KFC Mini-Cricket kids involvement in these thrilling domestic and international matches adds to the live spectacle, and gives the youngsters the belief to aim high as they go from strength to strength within KFC Mini-Cricket.

Heroes being made at Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge

Over 11 000 cricketers from over 700 schools are currently in action to determine who will represent their respective provinces at the Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge national week taking place in March 2014.

While it is still in its infancy, the Coca-Cola® T20 Schools challenge, run under the auspices of Cricket South Africa (CSA), is already starting to assume its place in South Africa’s talent identification chain and becoming recognised as a place where heroes are made.

The first Protea to compete in the tournament was Quinton de Kock, who played for King Edward School (KES) in 2010 and 2011 and has gone on to make the national side. 

Stellenbosh hosted the 2012 finals with Rondebosch Boys’ High School, representing the Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras, beating The Unlimited Titans representative, Hoërskool Waterkloof, in the final match to be crowned as champions. The game was played as a curtain-raiser to a Ram Slam T20 match played at Sahara Park Newlands, Cape Town.

Four players who competed in Stellenbosch were members of the SA under-19 team that played in the quadrangular series against India, Australia and Zimbabwe in India in September. Two of them – Dayaan Galiem and Hayes Van der Berg – were part of the victorious Rondebosch Boys’ High team, and they were joined by Sine Ntshona of St Andrew’s and St Stithians’ Kagiso Rabada.

Many of the top players from the Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge are recruited into the provincial side to compete in the annual Coca-Cola® Khaya Majola Cricket Week.

“Coca-Cola® South Africa has sponsored the Coca-Cola® Khaya Majola Cricket Week for over 30 years and in that time over 200 players have gone on to play for the Proteas,” said Fetsi Mbele, IMC Marketing Assets Manager, Coca-Cola® South Africa. “With the inclusion of the Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge we are not only helping to identify heroes but also encouraging teens to be physically active.”

The format sees each of the 16 Cricket South Africa (CSA) unions stage their own tournaments to identify their provincial champions. A play-off between other provincial champions within their regions will determine which school will represent each of the six franchises in the national finals tournament.

CSA General Manager: Cricket, Corrie van Zyl, commented: “Accessibility to the game of cricket and getting an opportunity to showcase your talent in the pursuit of achieving the ultimate honour of representing the Proteas is the dream of every schoolboy in South Africa. The Coca-Cola T20 Schools challenge is an event that makes this achievable for every cricket-playing school team and consequently for each player representing his school.

“With the Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Week being the pinnacle of the schools cricket pipeline and, therefore, the springboard for selection to higher honours, the T20 Schools Challenge provides the opportunity to a wider range of players involved to impress at a higher level of competition.”

Pinelands High School competes for outside gym

Pinelands High School, Western Cape, was one of the schools that competed in the Coca-Cola® 30 Minute Heroes Challenge, a competition introduced to schools participating in the Coca-Cola® T20 schools challenge and aimed at getting learners to participate in physical activity. 

After the entire school offered to participate, including the Grade 12’s, the school had to cut down the numbers to make the challenge more manageable. 

The concept encourages as many learners as possible to complete a five drill circuit within a 30 minute period.  The scores will only be made public once all schools have completed their challenge.  The school that completes the most circuits in the allotted time frame stands a chance to win a prize of an outdoor gym to the value of two hundred thousand rand, which will be installed at the winning school.

“The decision we took was to get those that participated in the first team of any sport to go first and build up momentum.  The quicker they completed the drills the more people we could get through the course in the allotted time period,” said Jason Mulder, Director of Cricket.  “The skipping was by far the most challenging, but everyone had fun and a good laugh and we got to see those that do not play sport regularly active.”

Pinelands is doing very well in the Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge.  “We beat local school, Westerford High School by 8 wickets and our next game is against Bishops,” said Mulder.  “Our star player is Matthews Strauss who has taken 20 wickets in the last four games – and he is the youngest member of the team.”

Pinelands encourage their pupils to become physically active and participate in as many sports as possible.  The school won the 2013 Squash League and produced Laura Goodwill, who plays for the SA Women’s Cricket team.

Academically the school won the 2013 Science Fair.

The five drills in the Coca-Cola 30 Minute Heroes Challenge include:

1.    Shuttle runs between 6 beacons, moving a cricket ball from one   beacon to the next.

2.    Target Throwing at a set of wickets.

3.    Skipping with a skipping rope.

4.    Catching balls off a rebound board.

5.    Weaving in and out of 10 slalom poles.

For full competition terms and conditions please visit http://www.cocacola.co.za/".

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

Eastern Cape Schools benefit from Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Experience

Executive Academy School and Ndamase Senior Secondary School represented the Eastern Cape at the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup national finals in Durban, finishing the tournament in 12^th and 14^th positions respectively. Vuyisa Yolwa, team manager of Ndamase, says that although they were disappointed not to have come close to the semis or the final, they learnt an incredible amount from the experience which will benefit his players, and change the way in which they approach the sport.

“Firstly,  ninety percent of the team was playing in this tournament for the first time and will still be there next year so with the lessons we learnt we will go back to the drawing board and prepare for next year and hopefully do much better,” he said.

Yolwa was very impressed with the eventual winners, Clapham High School. “They were so tactically and technically astute. The team is organised they attack and defend together as a team. That’s what we need to start implementing in our side,” he said.

The Ndamase boys were very nervous when they had to play their first game against Benny’s Sports, Yolwa says, and they lost 9-0. “I was watching from the stands and could see that the team wasn’t listening to the coach and following his instructions and it showed blatantly on the field. In our second game, although we lost, our defenders were tight and strong, we didn’t leave any room for the opposition to score more goal than the one they scored. Where we were lacking was in our strike force. We need to focus on this if we want to improve. We scored no goals in the first 2 days which is not good at all. Further, the players need to unite and play as a team as opposed to individuals.  I saw a lot from other teams and will look at this going forward.”

Yolwa says the level of football at the tournament is excellent. “The fact that some of the schools are academies made the tournament interesting and challenging.”  Ndamase admits his school was at a disadvantage because their coach, Ndoyisile Poswa, is a local lawyer who volunteered to coach the team. “He has no qualifications and does this for the love of the game. He helps us a lot, even purchasing 2 balls that are now used for the entire school.  He also pays for the transport when our team competes in away games,” Yolwas explained.

Ndamase School does not have a soccer field, but train and practise in the school yard. They don’t have goal posts and make goals from any materials they can find lying around.  “We will continue to play in this tournament and hopefully the lessons we learnt from the academy schools will help us win the provincial finals next year. The boys are fully aware of the prize money on offer and the difference it can make to the school,” Yolwa said.

“We really appreciated being in the national finals and playing against such strong teams. It will help our entire village as we will go back and show every school what we learnt.

RESULTS: DAY 1 (24 September 2013)

Sibongumusa 0 vs Executive Academy 1, Goal: Sive Klaushe

Ndamase 0 vs Benny’s Care 9. Goals: Matuka Kabota (2), Khuliso Mudau, Eethe Khaukanani (3), Lfentswe Mungadziwa, Alton Lesedi, own goal

Cloetesville 4 vs Executive Academy 1. Goals: Cloetesville: Antonio Lewis (2), Curvin Williams, Jason Clayton (captain). Executive Academy: A: Zolani Malahla

Ndamase 0 vs Eric Nxumalo 1. Goal: Fumani Mathebula

Welabasha 0 vs Executive Academy 1. Goal: Siphiwe Giften

RESULTS: DAY 2 (25 September 2013)

Okiep 1 vs Ndamase 0. Goal: Duncan Vd Heever

Executive Academy 1 vs Rosina Sedibane 1. Goals: Executive Academy: Zolani Malahla; Rosina Sedibane: Skhumbuzo Mazibuko

East High 6 v Ndamase 0. Goals: Muzi Thabotha (2), Siyabonga Sibiya (3), Bojosi Manjoe

Executive Academy 0 v Mondale 2. Goals: Dillan Fransch (2)

Louis Botha 6 v Ndamase 0. Goals: Boipelo Segwaba (4), Ernest Mabathoana, Phatsimo Litseho

RESULTS: DAY 3 (26 September 2013)

Pos 9 – 12: Eric Nxumalo 2 vs Executive Academy 0. Goals: Funani Mathabela, Sydney Moyane

Pos 13 – 16: Sebetwane 1 vs Ndamase 1. Ndamase won 3 – 2 on penalties. Goals: Sebetwane: Tshepiso Lobelo. Ndamase: Ayakha Stamp

Pos 11 – 12: Rietvale 1 vs Executive Academy 1. Rietvale won 4 – 2 on penalties. Goals: Rietvlei: Angelo Van Rooi, Executive Academy: Bonga Klaushe

Pos 13 – 14: FK Tjiane 1 vs Ndamase 0. Goal: Dumisani Shongwe

Okiep High School pleased with performances at the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup

Okiep High School finished 6^th overall at the national finals of the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup – six places ahead of their Northern Cape rivals and provincial winners, Rietvale, who are seasoned campaigners at this stage of the tournament.

That’s quite an achievement says Clive De Jongh, team coach and principal of the school, who points out that they have had no prior experience at this level. “This was the first time we qualified while Rietvale have won the provincial finals before, so it was quite an achievement for us to finish well ahead of them,” he said.

“The competition was tougher than we expected and there were no easy games,” explains De Jongh.  But the tournament opened the door for an unbelievable experience for two of my players as they were selected to travel to Johannesburg and participate in a Mamelodi Sundowns camp in November.”

The two –are the coach’s nephew, Gian De Jongh, a striker, and midfielder Lugiano Knopp.

“Personally I learned that I need to prepare for next year’s tournament much earlier than I did this year - I am already drawing up the training schedule,” De Jongh said. “Most of the team that competed this year will be eligible for participation next year, so that will be a big advantage.”

The coach says the standard of play at the finals was extremely high. “The academy teams were very good, in particular, but I am pleased with my boys as we kept to the game plan and managed to close players down, preventing scoring opportunities.”

The biggest challenge facing the team was the 24 trip they took to get to the venue. “The boys were tired, so they did not play well in their first game losing 2 – 0 to Louis Botha Technical High School (Free State).”

De Jongh has 29 years of experience in coaching and holds SAFA level 1 and 2 coaching certificates.  He is very involved in soccer in his community being chairman of Schools football in Okiep and implemented an under-10 soccer league in the town. He is also the school’s tennis coach, and is proud to have coached South African tennis player, Jeff Coetzee.

“Our school is based in a very poor area but I managed to get the Department of Sports, Art, Culture and recreation to build us a state of the art multipurpose sports combo field.”

De Jongh has been very impressed with Sanlam as a sponsor. “I think Sanlam is an ideal brand to associate with soccer as we all need to learn more about financial planning. I look forward to hearing more about Sanlam and how the company can help us all build up our asset bases.”

Results of Northern Cape Schools

HTS Louis Botha 2 vs. Okiep 0

Okiep 3 vs. East High 0

Okiep 1 vs. Ndamase 0

Okiep 3 vs. Eric Nxumalo 2

Clapham 2 vs. Okiep 0

Okiep 1 vs. Benny’s Sports 1

Okiep 0 vs. Mondale 0

Rietvale 0 vs. Harmony 3

Clapham 6 vs.  Rietvale 0

Sebetwane 1 vs. Rietvale 1

Rietvale 0 vs. Freedom Park 1

Rietvale 2 vs. FK Tjiane 1

Freedom Park 1 vs. Rietvale 1

Rietvale 1 vs. Executive Academy 1

Proteas suffer their first defeat in the KFC Mini-Cricket Kids vs Proteas Tour.

Belvue Primary School was the first team to defeat the Proteas in the KFC Mini-Cricket Kids vs Proteas Tour. With a 33 run win on the 5^th of November in Cape Town, they got the KFC Mini-Cricket kids back into the series after the Proteas won the first two matches of the seven match series. 

The Proteas and the Belvue Primary School teams on the day were both mixed sides, providing a great example to all young boys and girls who are getting active with KFC Mini-Cricket across the country that cricket is not a sport for males only.

Winning the toss and electing to field, the Proteas were up against it right from the start. With batting being the strength of the Belvue team, they used it to their advantage early on dispatching Shabnim Ismail and Thami Tsolekile to all parts of the field.

The expected nerves seem to do little to hinder the youngsters against their more seasoned opposition, but just as everything was going great for the KFC Mini-Cricket kids thanks to knocks from Rubin Deppe, Joshua Plaatjies and David Wagner, Alexis le Breton got the Proteas back into the game with two wickets in her first over.

There was little time for celebration for the Proteas team however, as Nicole Numan and Geneva Fillies put Belvue back on the front foot with some inspired stroke making while Rory Kleinveldt battled to find his rhythm. Once they departed, it was then time for Wilma Jones’ son Jesse to show what he was capable off.

Wilma, who’s friend Lana Knipe was the 3^rd winner in the KFC Mini-Cricket kids vs Proteas Tour competition and nominated Belvue Primary School to play against the Proteas, believes her son will be the next Jacques Kallis.

She was filled with excitement as he strode to the crease, but he was sadly bowled first ball by Mosline Daniels. After that initial setback though, he partnered with Waalied Adams and put together a formidable partnership that took the KFC Mini-Cricket kids to a score of 91 in their allotted 8 overs.

In response to the daunting target, the Proteas started slowly as Waalied Adams, the man of the match, was again proving to be a thorn in their side, this time with the ball. At the halfway stage, the Proteas had only 38 runs on the board despite the experienced Alviro Pietersen doing his best at the crease. Needing 53 runs from 24 balls, the Proteas could only manage another 20 runs, and with that, Belvue Primary were the deserving victors.

Team coach and Grade 1 teacher at Belvue Primary, Desiree Layman, was naturally overjoyed by the result; “I am bursting with pride. The kids were very nervous this morning and we were worried that they would not perform the way that we know they can due to their nerves. Some of the players don’t believe enough in themselves but today’s game will give them more confidence”.

From a proud coach to a proud parent, Wilma Jones also had an amazing day watching her son take on the Proteas; “I saw that my son has the temperament to play like Kallis. He started slowly but when he warmed up, he was unstoppable”.

With the Proteas now only leading the series 2-1, the next game at Edleen Primary in Kempton Park provides the KFC Mini-Cricket kids the chance to square things up on December the 19^th. This match takes place on the day before the Proteas play their first KFC T20 International against Pakistan, providing the perfect backdrop to inspire the young cricketers to get active and enjoy themselves against their heroes in a game that they love.

BRYANSTON HIGH SCHOOL COMPETES FOR OUTDOOR GYM

Bryanston High School, Gauteng, was one of the schools that competed in the Coca-Cola® 30 Minute Heroes Challenge, a competition introduced to schools participating in the Coca-Cola® T20 schools challenge and aimed at getting learners to participate in physical activity. 

Bryanston selected their top 25 athletes from grades 8 – 11 to participate.  The concept encourages as many learners as possible to complete a five drill circuit within a 30 minute period.  The scores will only be made public once all schools have completed their challenge.  The school that completes the most circuits in the allotted time frame stands a chance to win a prize of an outdoor gym to the value of two hundred thousand rand, which will be installed at the winning school.

“This is a great initiative from Coca-Cola®,” said 17 year old, grade 11 learner, Dylan Wingrove. Who captains the rugby first team, plays first team cricket and also swims.  “We had such fun and the vibe was fantastic. Personally I found the first exercise, the shuttle drill, the most difficult. I found it difficult to get the ball on the cone.  Most people found the skipping the most difficult.  At one stage there was a queue.”

Mrs Loriene Tolstrup, Head of Department, Marketing, is hoping the school wins the outdoor gym.  “We have a small gym but it is not adequate and this will help keep the learners fit and active, and they can train together.”

The Coca-Cola® 30 Minute Heroes Challenge was held on the same day as the schools fun day (Blue Day) when all students, with exception of the grade 12 learners, participate in different games including rugby, cross country, swimming, cricket and netball.  The focus is on team building and getting kids active.  “This challenge added a new dimension to the day and fitted into our objectives perfectly,” said Tolstrup.

The five drills in the Coca-Cola 30 Minute Heroes Challenge include:

1.    Shuttle runs between 6 beacons, moving a cricket ball from one   beacon to the next.

2.    Target Throwing at a set of wickets.

3.    Skipping with a skipping rope.

4.    Catching balls off a rebound board.

5.    Weaving in and out of 10 slalom poles.

For full competition terms and conditions please visit http://www.cocacola.co.za/".

Belvue Primary School wins a KFC Mini-Cricket kids vs Proteas Tour match

Lana Knipe is the second winner in the KFC Mini-Cricket Kids vs Proteas Tour competition. Entering on behalf of her friend, Wilma Jones, Lana’s success now means that a KFC Mini-Cricket team from Belvue Primary School will take on the Proteas on the 5^th of November, in the third match of the exciting seven match tour.

Mother of three, Wilma Jones, encouraged all of her friends and family to enter the competition to increase her chances of winning and Lana was one of many who acted upon the request. Her link to KFC Mini-Cricket extends further than just entering. Her brother Grant used to coach KFC Mini-Cricket at Kenwyn Primary, and the interest in the game has been with her family ever since. A cricket and football lover, Lana’s favourite player is Rory Kleinveldt, a Proteas fast bowler who is also a star in her favourite local team, the Cape Cobras.

Other than getting a little help from her friends, Wilma entered so many times that she lost count, but it was all worth it in the end as her dream of providing her son Jesse with the chance to play against his cricketing heroes, came through in the end.

Jesse’s interest in cricket has increased this year by getting active with KFC Mini-Cricket and he has developed into a promising young batsman. Wilma has high hopes that he will one day become the next Jacques Kallis, Wilma’s favourite player.

Wilma firmly believes in getting involved in her kids school lives, and is thrilled with how this match will help Belvue Primary School get some great recognition within the junior game, and provide a group of youngsters something that they will never forget for the rest of their lives.

As in the Bloemfontein match, this will be the first time the Proteas will field a mixed team in Cape Town. This is nothing new for the KFC Mini-Cricket teams as both boys and girls frequently get active together in KFC Mini-Cricket matches. Whilst the female Proteas have been experiencing steady progress on the world stage, these matches will showcase how through all levels of the game, cricket in South Africa accommodates absolutely everyone.

The Proteas team for the day, as expected, is a strong one made up of Proteas Women Trisha Chetty, Shabnim Ismail, Moseline Daniels and Alexis Le Breton and Proteas Men Alviro Petersen, Rory Kleinveld, Thami Tsolekile and Farhaan Behardien. All players that were once also young kids getting active through the game, who have now gone on to make the most of their abilities.

The players in the KFC Mini-Cricket team will be announced on the day, but two new coaches have been brought in at Belvue Primary so the chosen players can get all the expertise and preparation they need. With the Proteas currently leading 2-0 in the 7 match tour series, the KFC Mini-Cricket kids know that this match is a must win to get them back into contention against their professional opposition.

Joining Wilma and Lana on the 5^th of November, will be a whole host of supporters made up of the various kids and family members aligned to the Belvue Primary School. Local support bases like this have been a tremendous element of the KFC Mini-Cricket Kids vs Proteas Tour to date, and certainly goes a long way in getting more and more South African’s active through a game we all love.