A strong start to the USSA cricket tournament in
Bloemfontein recently laid the foundation for the Madibaz A team to win promotion
to the A-section in 2025.
The Mandela University side – guided by coach Garth
Anderson and captain Buvayise Manyakanyaka – won all five of their matches to
put the finishing touches on a satisfying week.
The opportunity to compete in the premier division again
was a major boost for Madibaz cricket for a number of reasons, Anderson said.
“It is very important to participate in the A-section
as this will allow us to be part of the Varsity Sport T20 if it returns to the
calendar next year.
“It also enables us to attract and recruit the best
schoolboy cricketers from our region and around the country.”
Starting their bid for promotion, Madibaz outclassed North-West
University Vaal by 180 runs on the opening day.
That created a wave of momentum that saw them sweep
past the Fort Hare University and Madibaz B in the pool rounds followed by wins
against Tshwane University of Technology (semi-final) and Fort Hare University
(final) in their remaining matches to emerge clear-cut B-pool champions.
The opening win was one of several factors contributing
to their success.
“Conditioning was critical going into the week as we
knew we would have to deal with the heat of Bloemfontein,” Anderson, whose
charges made royal use of the expertise locked up at the Madibaz High Performance
Complex, said.
They also had a biokineticist as part of the support
staff at the tournament to promote functional recovery and top physical
performance.
On the field, Anderson pinpointed a high level of
consistency as key.
“The players excelled by executing the game plan within
their individual roles and their match awareness was very good.”
This meant being able to navigate their way out of sticky
situations and moving the game forward when they needed to.
Anderson emphasised how the team had pulled together under
the astute captaincy of Manyakanyaka.
“A cool, stern and calculated captain. I could always
rely on him to marshal the troops on the field.”
Allrounder Wezo Gqiba, who scored 263 runs and took 11
wickets at an economy rate of 1.3 runs per over, was the pick of the players in
earning his four man of the match awards.
These stats saw him taking the batsman and player of
the week accolades in the B-section. He was also selected for the tournament
team, which was picked from across both sections.
With 14 scalps, Ian Baard was the leading wicket-taker
and bowler of the week in the B-section while Micaiah Coltman stood out with his
haul of 11 sticks.
Anderson said they would now switch their attention to
the Nelson Mandela Bay leagues, where they had been the losing Twenty20
finalists and are currently unbeaten in the 50-overs competition.
There were also a number of goals set for individual players,
he said. Should these be achieved, it will contribute to the overall strength
of the Madibaz.
