From walking the grounds of De Hoop Primary as a scholar to playing on the international stage for Ireland, Reinhardt Strydom’s cricket journey has come full circle.

Last Tuesday night (14 July), the 49-year-old Somerset West local added another crowning achievement to his decorated career when he was awarded the prestigious Veterans’ Cricket Award at the official Cricket South Africa (CSA) Awards ceremony in Johannesburg.

The national accolade follows an outstanding campaign at last year’s Veteran World Cup in Pakistan, where Strydom represented the South African over-40 team. Delivering a stellar all-round performance with bat and ball, he earned a coveted spot in the tournament’s official World XI squad.

Strydom also plays for the Stellenbosch Strikers in the Boland veterans’ cricket league.

Reflecting on the recognition, Strydom expressed deep gratitude for the honour.

“It was a great honour and privilege to be there and represent veterans’ cricket in South Africa. Receiving the award is up there with one of my greatest achievements, if not the best,” he said in an interview with DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette.

Despite South Africa falling just short in a hard-fought semi-final against Australia, Strydom praised the atmosphere and warmth of the host nation.

“The atmosphere was amazing; everywhere you went, you were warmly greeted by the people of Pakistan. The hospitality was of the highest level – we were treated like VIPs. For myself, it was just one of those tournaments where everything went well, especially the bowling, where the ball just came out nicely.”

Strydom’s path to the top of veteran cricket is built on decades of high-level experience. Raised in Somerset West, he attended De Hoop Primary and Paul Roos Gymnasium before studying at Stellenbosch University.

His cricketing talents eventually took him overseas, where he spent several years playing professionally in Ireland. His performances earned him a spot in the Irish national team and opportunities to tour globally with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).

However, a holiday back home inspired him to return to South Africa permanently. In 2018, Strydom stepped back onto the grounds where his journey began, accepting the role of head cricket coach at De Hoop Primary.

“It’s an amazing feeling walking onto those fields, with all the old memories coming back,” Strydom shared.

“De Hoop was very good to me when I was a scholar, and now it’s great to give back and use my experience to help improve the young cricketers at the school.”

For the young players at De Hoop, having a World XI selection and national award winner as a mentor has been a source of inspiration. Strydom said the reaction from learners and parents alike has been deeply heart-warming.

When asked what core lesson he aims to pass down to his young proteges, his message is simple: “Enjoy everything you do in life and work harder at your passion than anyone else.”

For fellow cricketers over 40 who might believe their competitive days are behind them, Strydom offers strong encouragement to stay in the game: “Join a veterans’ cricket league; you will make a lot of new friends and reunite with old teammates while still playing competitive cricket with plenty of opportunities attached to it.”

Even with a national award in hand, Strydom has no intention of slowing down.

His sights are set on the upcoming over-40 World Cup in Guyana, taking place from 17 to 31 October. As the tour is self-funded, he is actively seeking local sponsors and planning fundraising initiatives to represent South Africa on the world stage again.

On the home front, Strydom plans to expand his private coaching venture, Cricket Cubs, aiming to elevate De Hoop Primary into one of the top cricket schools in the country – all while preparing for his upcoming marriage to his fiancée, Sonne-Rez Muller.