Eastern Province has the ammunition to compete with the best at the Cricket South Africa Khaya Majola Week.
This tournament for u/19 provincial teams starts tomorrow in Stellenbosch and ends on Sunday.
The players have been working hard to make sure EP is ready to produce the goods.
Team manager, Corbyn Dolley, is happy with the way the preparations went but there were challenges.
“There are always the challenges of players who are busy with exams and travel logistics for the players from Makhanda, but our sessions have been meaningful,” the former Warriors player explained.
“It is always hard to predict how you will do in a week like this but we have got the players to be very competitive,” Dolley said.
More than a handful of the players in the squad played in last year’s tournament or were involved in the Colts Week.
They know what to expect.
The EP bowlers could make life difficult for the batters in Stellenbosch, especially on pitches which offer the fast bowlers a bit of assistance.
“On their day, our seam attack is arguably one of the better ones in the country in their age group,” Dolley said.
The side won’t just be relying on the bowlers to win matches. Dolley feels that this year there is batting depth to post winning scores.
He describes the team’s opening batsman, Corby van Heerden, as a destructive left-hander and a player who could make a massive impact at the week.
The all-rounders, Olwakhe Goqoza, Aphiwe Mnyanda and Dan Ristow, are also players to look out for, according to Dolley.
The 18-year-old Mnyanda has already represented the South African U/19 team and the Warriors.
He is a left-arm bowler who will be looking to get his team off to a good start in their matches by taking wickets with the new ball.
Goqoza has played for the SA Schools Colts and, like Ristow, was a member of the EP side at last year’s tournament.
EP will face North West in their first match tomorrow on the Maties B-field and will take on Boland the next day at the Paul Roos Oval.
The u/19 boys are not the only EP side on the battlefield this month.
The u/16 boys will complete their tournament today in Johannesburg.
The u/16 girls will play their last match tomorrow in East London.
The u/19 girls started their campaign yesterday, in Bloemfontein, and will finish on Friday.
The youth manager of CSA, Niels Momberg, sees these weeks as very important as they serve as a breeding ground for talent in the country.
“After massive disruptions due to COVID-19, youth cricket is back in full swing.
“The tournaments play a vital part in the CSA pipeline.
“We will see high-quality cricket and top levels of organisational excellence in all tournaments.”
