Photo Credit: Lions Cricket
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has today announced a 15-player South Africa Emerging Men’s squad for a five-match 50-over series against Zimbabwe from 13 – 23 August in Tshwane.
DP World Lions batter Mitchell van Buuren will captain the side under the guidance of National Academy lead and SA U19s head coach Malibongwe Maketa.
The squad features several players that have done excellently over the past 12 months, amongst them being CSA Domestic Newcomer of the Year, Dafabet Warriors batter Jordan Hermann.
The 21-year-old hit 297 runs at an average of 49.50 during last season’s One-Day Cup campaign, including a top score of 150 against Paarl Rocks. His form also earned him a spot on the SA ‘A’ tour of Sri Lanka in June.
Former SA U19 captain George van Heerden and his then teammates Liam Alder, Matthew Boast, Michael Copeland and Valentine Kitime have also been named in the squad.
“We have a well-balance squad that has worked hard for the past three months at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria,” said Maketa. “They’re looking forward to the series as it’s almost like a nice reward to put into practice what we have been working on for the past three months.
“The whole aim of the National Academy is to prepare these players to get ready for the next level and this series will provide the opportunity to come up against international opposition and really put their skills to the test.
“As coaches, we’re looking forward to having the guys play in different situations and roles, and ultimately see how they respond to playing under pressure.”
Commenting on the preparation, Maketa added: “The players have also had the opportunity to work with national coaches in the build-up to this series, including sessions with Test head coach Shukri Conrad and bowling coach Piet Botha, as well as Proteas white-ball fielding coach Wandile Gwavu.”
All five matches will be played at the Groenkloof Oval, with the first encounter set to get underway on Sunday, 13 August from 10:00. The series will be streamed live via the official CSA YouTube channel.
South Africa Emerging squad against Zimbabwe Emerging
Mitchell van Buuren (DP World Lions, captain), Liam Alder (Dafabet Warriors), Matthew Boast (Momentum Multiply Titans), Okuhle Cele (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Michael Copeland (Gbets Rocks), Jordan Hermann (Dafabet Warriors), Valentine Kitime (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Andile Mogakane (Dafabet Warriors), Peter Nqaba (DP World Lions), Siya Plaatjie (Dafabet Warriors), Joshua Richards (DP World Lions), Daniel Smith (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Musa Twala (Momentum Multiply Titans), George van Heerden (Dafabet Warriors), and Nealan van Heerden (Dafabet Warriors).
Management
Malibongwe Maketa (Head Coach), Mandla Mashimbyi (Assistant Coach), Ashler Serwadi (Team Manager), Tumi Masekela (Strength and Conditioning Coach), Arishana Maghoo (Physiotherapist) and Hendrikus Coetzen (Video Analyst).
South Africa Emerging Tour against Zimbabwe Emerging Itinerary
Sunday, 13 August at 10:00
South Africa Emerging vs Zimbabwe Emerging at Groenkloof Oval, Tshwane
Tuesday, 15 August at 10:00
South Africa Emerging vs Zimbabwe Emerging at Groenkloof Oval, Tshwane
Friday, 18 August at 10:00
South Africa Emerging vs Zimbabwe Emerging at Groenkloof Oval, Tshwane
Monday, 21 August at 10:00
South Africa Emerging vs Zimbabwe Emerging at Groenkloof Oval, Tshwane
Wednesday, 23 August at 10:00
South Africa Emerging vs Zimbabwe Emerging at Groenkloof Oval, Tshwane
Name of Author: Cricket South Africa
Cricket South Africa (CSA) governs cricket in South Africa. Formed in 2002, it succeeded the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB) and became the sole governing body in 2008. CSA oversees all levels of cricket, including national teams for men and women, and is a full ICC member and SASCOC affiliate.
