The Coca-Cola® All-Star team
completed a ‘dream’ weekend with a
hard-fought win against a Cricket South Africa Hub team in a curtain raiser to
the 2019 Coca-Cola® Schools T20 Challenge National Finals in Pretoria.
On Thursday 12 players from 7 different schools from around
the country had an opportunity to meet and engage with each other for the very
first time whilst embracing their true passion for cricket and establishing new
friendships.
The players came from Westville High School, Hoer Volkskool
Potchefstroom, Old Bunting Secondary School, Langenhoven Gimnasium, South
African College School (SACS), Northern Cape High School and Cambridge Academy
to be part of a Coca-Cola® All-Star team where they were coached and mentored
by Proteas Legend Paul Harris.
After three extensive training
sessions and closely watching the other franchise teams play during the
Coca-Cola® Schools T20 Challenge National Finals, the team finally had an
opportunity to bring their game and shine on Sunday. Cricket South Africa
included a strong team which included players such as Obakeng Maila who played
in the Coca-Cola® Khaya Majola Week in December 2018 to pose as serious
challenge to the team.
Coca-Cola® All-Star team won the toss and sent the CSA Hub
team in to bat first. This decision proved to be a good decision when Anda
Dilima took a wicket in the first over and from there onwards the CSA Hub team
was on the back foot throughout the match. Five of the Coca-Cola® All-Star team
took wickets but Zuan Swart ended up with the best figures with 2/16. The CSA
Hub ended up with 119/8 in their 20 overs.
The Coca-Cola® All-Star team started their run chase meekly
losing Wali Voyoni and Jedhli Van Briesies both to Tshepiso Makau with the
score on 4 but they did not panic and continued to chase down the modest total.
The big difference between the two teams came when Jannie Claassens came in to
bat and smashed 30 off 13 balls including 4 sixes. His peer from Hoer Volkskool
Potchefstroom, Timothy Malan marshalled the team to win by 4 wickets.
Coca-Cola® All-Star team player and Cambridge Academy
cricketer Wali Voyoni said, “I had a phenomenal experience, I had a chance to
play and test myself against some of the best school boy cricketers in the
country. I also made a number of new friends which I will keep in contact with,
hopefully I will get to play against the lads in the very near future.”
Puso Makume, Coca-Cola® Sponsorship Manager said,
“Congratulations to all the participants of the 2019 Coca-Cola® Schools T20
Challenge National Finals, it was great to see how all the players gave their
all this weekend! A special congratulations to the Coca-Cola® All-Star team for
winning their game against CSA Hub team.
We look forward to next year’s breed to come out of Coca-Cola® Schools
T20 Challenge and hope to see them on even bigger cricketing stages.”
Paul Harris said, “Coca-Cola® has initiated a good idea by
enabling boys that were unfortunate to not make the Coca-Cola® Schools T20
National Finals. The boys played on some of the best fields in the country and
trained in the Powerade High Performance Centre which is a top cricket facility
where the Proteas themselves train from time to time. I wish the boys a great
journey ahead and hope they continue to make their dreams come true on and off
the crease.”
Coca-Cola® Schools T20 Challenge took place from the 15th
-17th March 2019 at University of Pretoria’s High-Performance Centre
in Pretoria.
Players that made the Coca-Cola All-Star Team:
(Dolphins) Westville
High School Francios
Fourie
(Dolphins) Westville
High School Wynand
Steynberg
(Cobras) Langenhoven
Gimnasium Jedhli Van Briesies
(Cobras) SACS Anda
Dilima
(Titans) Cambridge
Academy Wali Vuyoni
(Titans) Cambridge
Academy Zuan Swart
(Knights) Northern
Cape High School Austin Brooker
(Knights) Northern
Cape High School Naziel Adams
(Lions) Hoer
Volkskool Potchefstroom Jannie Claassens
(Lions) Hoer
Volkskool Potchefstroom Timothy Malan
(Warriors) Old
Bunting Secondary School Afikile
Mahlungu
(Warriors) Old
Bunting Secondary School Lukho
Nomphandana
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