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.”

GETTING ACTIVE WITH KFC MINI-CRICKET AND WAYNE PARNELL

As part of the KFC Mini-Cricket campaign to get children from across South Africa leading active and balanced lifestyles, Wayne Parnell held an exclusive KFC Mini-Cricket coaching session with youngsters from Kingswood College, Grahamstown today.

This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came courtesy of Bekithemba Ngulube, a former pupil at the school, who won the prize after his name was drawn from thousands of entries in a competition held earlier this year.

“This is our third year of involvement in KFC Mini-Cricket and events such as today reflect the extent to which the youth have embraced the sport. We are proud to be able to bring a well-respected player to hold a hands-on coaching session with these boys,” says Lauren Turnbull, CSI and Sponsorship Manager at KFC South Africa.

The 2011/12 season saw the programme grow by 20% in numbers, resulting in more than 100 000 kids being actively involved. This season, KFC Mini-Cricket festivals started in September and will run until March, with children from all 16 of the cricket provinces getting a taste of the action. The provincial cricket unions have also committed to having some of their senior players at the festivals to give some invaluable hands-on tips to the children.

The focus this season will also be the KFC Mini-Cricket kids ambassador search which will get kids encouraging other kids to join the programme and for kids already in the programme to play more frequently. Auditions will be held at all festivals.

“Cricket is such a wonderful way to get children outside and active. And it is one of those sports you can play virtually anywhere. From their backyard to the beach, the children will find a way to play the game,” said Wayne Parnell, Proteas left-arm medium-fast bowler.

 

 

 

KFC Mini-Cricket – Last chance to win a coaching session with a Proteas player

The South African cricketers currently playing in the IPL in India are in great form, keeping South African fans interested and entertained even though the local season is over.

And, courtesy of the KFC Mini-Cricket programme, young cricket fans can stand a chance for a Proteas Player to visit their school and coach their school cricket team.

The lucky six schools that get drawn will see either, Hashim Amla, AB De Villiers, JP Duminy, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell or Vernon Philander coming to the school to coach their school cricket team.  The player selected will run a coaching session, speak to the players as well as motivate them to keep working at their game.

Fans can enter the competition on http://www.supersport.com/competitions/KFCIPL with entries closing on 27 May.  A draw will be take place once the IPL ends when all competition entrants  will get to know if they have won and which player will be visiting their school. The coaching sessions will be finalised based on the availability of the players.

KFC Mini-Cricket programme, which is a soft ball development programme that is an integral part of Cricket South Africa's mission to take the game to the people of South Africa, is a programme that AB De Villiers endorses as an ambassador to the programme. AB says this is a programme he is very passionate about and that it brings him great joy knowing that he is contributing to kids living an active and balanced lifestyle.

Information or to register your school for KFC Mini-Cricket log on to www.kfc.co.za/minicricket or contact CSA at (011) 880 2810.

Press Release for the 2011 Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Cricket Week

The Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Cricket Week, which takes place from 14-21 December in Cape Town, is without a doubt a major stepping stone for teenagers who want to play professional cricket and ultimately represent the national cricket team, the Proteas.

The 2010 Player of the Tournament, Quinton de Kock, has already made his franchise debut for the Highveld Lions. De Kock scored 83 runs in his first match against the Nashua Titans in the 1-Day Cup on the 2^nd November 2011.

Even players who represent other countries like Kevin Pietersen, Craig Kieswetter (both England) and Grant Elliot (New Zealand) took their first step to professional cricket at the Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Cricket Week.

This year's 69th edition of the tournament will also likely unearth future international stars. The Mother City last hosted the Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Cricket Week in 2002. It was during this tournament that current Proteas players, AB de Villiers and Vernon Philander played. Both were selected to represent the South African Schools' side at the conclusion of that year's tournament. Philander recently made his test debut in the series against Australia and was also named the Man of the Series.

Pace bowler, Lizaad Williams of Boland, is one of the 2010 players who will be in action again this year. In addition there will be players who were part of the South African Under-19 Touring Party which clashed with England in a limited overs series earlier this year. These players include Regardt Verster (Northerns), Diego Rosier (Griqualand West), Prenelan Subrayen (KwaZulu-Natal), Shaylen Pillay (Gauteng), Calvin Savage (KwaZulu-Natal Inland) and two seam bowlers, Corné Dry (Free State) and Rabian Engelbrecht (Boland).

Corné Dry, who will captain Free State, will be competing in his third Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Cricket Week. 

Coca-Cola has been sponsoring the U-19 age group since 1978.  “We are proud of our history with the tournament,” said Coca-Cola South Africa’s Senior Communications Manager Anthony Garstang.  “Coca-Cola has been instrumental in helping South African cricket become one of the most revered cricket playing nations in the world, but no team can be successful at the elite level if there is not a strong grass roots structure to identify players.”

Garstang explains further:  “One of the key reasons for our continued support of the game at grass roots is to promote the importance of maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle among the youth.  This forms a big part of our Live for a Difference sustainability strategy.”

Wayne Parnell is the ambassador of the Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Cricket tournament

Wayne Parnell has been unveiled as the first-ever ambassador of the Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Under-19 Cricket Week and will make an appearance at the 2010 tournament scheduled from 17 – 21 December at Grey’s College in Bloemfontein, Free State.  The week will end with the announcement of the Under 19 national squad which will play the Free State Chevrolet Knights Cricket Team on 22 December at Outsurance Oval in Bloemfontein.

Parnell played in three Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Cricket weeks (he was 15 years old when he first competed) and was in the squad that went to play in the Under – 19 World Cup in Sri Lanka in 2006.    

Two years later he captained the Under-19 World Cup team that went to Malaysia. There he led by example, taking 18 wickets – the most in the tournament – and scoring useful runs as he led South Africa into the final. His best performance was against Bangladesh in the quarter final, where he took six wickets for eight runs, after scoring 57.

Parnell’s exceptional performance at the World Cup caught the eye of the selectors and he was sent on the Emerging Players’ tour of Australia before being called up to the national side in 2009.  He became the youngest player to be awarded a national contract.

Parnell said he was grateful to be honoured and paid tribute to the CSA cricket pipeline, and the support structures that are in place for budding cricketers.

“If you look at all of the names that have come through the Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Cricket Week you can see for yourself what an invaluable platform it is for aspiring cricketers. With over ninety percent of the current Proteas having played in one of the weeks it is a great stepping stone for a career in professional cricket.

“I was fortunate enough to play for the SA Schools XI for three years in a row as well as in two World Cups and I would never have gotten to where I am today if it were for the support structures in place,” said Parnell.

Gerald Majola, CSA CEO, said: “Wayne has successfully come through the entire CSA pipeline from grassroots to the Proteas’ and it is most fitting that he now plays this meaningful role for one of CSA’s most important tournaments, the Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Cricket Week.”

“This is the tournament where promising young junior players get the chance to move on to the senior ranks including professional domestic and international cricket.

“It is vital that CSA does not lose this talent after players leave school, and Wayne is going to help us to do this by his achievements and being an example of the rewards that await dedicated and talented young players.”

There will be 16 teams competing in Bloemfontein.  The last time it was held in this city was  2000. Interestingly, the previous times the tournament was held in Bloemfontein both Johan Botha and Hansie Cronje were named captains – time will tell whether history will be repeated.

“Coca-Cola as an iconic brand prides itself in developing young talent and shaping future stars, while promoting a healthy and happy lifestyle. We are continuously encouraged by CSA’s objectives of the TOMORROW campaign as it sits on the helm of Coke’s commitment to the South African youth, to build and nurture our grassroots programs”, said Coke Brand Manager,  Bradford Ross.

“We value the chance to get involved with a project which is in line with our vision as an organization and Wayne Parnell is fitting of this accolade”, continued Ross.