Eastern Province is set to make a huge impact at this year’s u/19 Khaya Majola Week for provincial cricket teams.
There will be a lot in favour of EP when the tournament starts on December 16, in Makhanda.
The playing conditions will be familiar to the EP boys, and they will be able to use the local knowledge to their advantage.
In the EP squad of 13 players there are four boys from Makhanda, three from St Andrew’s College and one from Graeme College, who will really feel at home.
The rest of the players are all from Nelson Mandela Bay, three from Grey High, two from Victoria Park, and one each from Pearson High, Westering High, Muir College and Daniel Pienaar.
They will have played many inter-school matches in Makhanda over the years, and will be confident to do their best in the familiar surroundings.
Although home ground is a huge advantage, it is the personnel who make the EP supporters excited about a possible massive performance at the event.
This is a very balanced side, full of talented players, but there is also a lot of experience in the squad.
A competitive week like this is a level up from what the boys are used to, playing for their school, and it can be intimidating for newcomers.
This is where the EP squad ticks another box, as there are several players with experience of playing at national weeks.
Seven players represented EP at last year’s event in Stellenbosch, and they will be eager to make an even bigger impact this year.
Corby van Heerden, Esa Gangat, Simnikile Soyaya, Matthew Beamish, Russel Petersen, Olwakhe Goqorza and Aphiwe Mnyanda are the returning players, and they carry a lot of firepower.
Van Heerden is one of the Grey players in the team, and has performed consistently well this year for his school.
The Grey boys joining him, Jean Upman and Kian Cambier, are also regular contributors to Grey’s success.
The Makhanda conditions will suit Gangat, the Pearson left-arm spinner, and he could be one of the most influential players at the week.
He had a taste of international age-group cricket, representing the South African u/19 team, and will want to stay in the eye of the national selectors.
Although contributing to his province’s cause will be Gangat’s first objective, he will also want to perform to make sure of national selection in the future.
The real veterans in the squad are Goqorza of Victoria Park and Mnyanda of Graeme College. This will be their third Khaya Majola Week.
What a year it has been for Hamza Khan.
He was recently named head boy at Westering for next year, and is also one of the new faces in the team.
The squad:
Nolan DiPaolo (Daniel Pienaar), Sibusiso Mxube (St Andrew’s), Matthew Beamish (St Andrew’s), Jean Upman (Grey), Russel Peterson (Victoria Park), Aphiwe Mnyanda (Graeme College), Kian Cambier (Grey High), Matthew Poole (St Andrew’s), Simnikile Soyaya (Muir College), Olwakhe Goqoza (Victoria Park), Esa Gangat (Pearson), Corby van Heerden (Grey High), Hamza Khan (Westering).
