Local rising cricket talents Akhona Mnyaka and Siphamandla Krweqe head off to Pretoria today to meet up with the South African U19 cricket squad.
This ahead of their tour to Sri Lanka, which they leave for on Friday.
“I am nervous but also very excited,” admitted Krweqe.
“This is a massive step for my cricketing career and I want to cement a place in the U19 set-up since I still have two more years I can play for them.”
Mnyaka and Krweqe will be training at the High Performance Centre along with the team over the next few days as they prepare for what should be a tough contest in the sub-continent.
The Hudson Park High School pupils, both in Grade 10 and both left arm seamers in the first team, will be up against international opposition for the first time.
“We are not only teammates but also best friends so it is nice having my best friend with me enjoying this experience and playing for the U19 Proteas,” Mnyaka said.
“Hopefully there will be a place for both of us in the team but we might have to challenge each other for a spot.”
A kit handover was done at Hudson Park High this past Saturday where they received their SA colours and they will now want to do their school and city proud.
“I think there will be a lot of pressure, but I expect to get a lot of support from the coaches and my teammates which should help a lot,” Krweqe said.
The matches take place from June 25 to July 13 and will see the Proteas U19s play two youth Tests and three youth one-day internationals.
First off for the team, however, will be a two-day warm up match against a Sri Lankan Board U19 team starting next week Monday.
“It will be a challenge playing on the different pitches. We will need to bowl a straighter line because the Sri Lankan batsmen feed off width and we need to pitch it up more than we normally do in South Africa,” Mnyaka said.
“Bowling in the heat and humidity as well as in long spells will also be a big challenge,” Krweqe said.
It is a very inexperienced team going on tour as 14 of the 16-man squad will be making their debuts on it.
The team will be led by allrounder, Wiaan Mulder, of Gauteng who featured for the side during their World Cup campaign earlier this year.
Mnyaka and Krweqe are the only Border players in the mix. They are joined by two other Eastern Cape players in Jade de Klerk from Woodridge College and Keenan Smith from Daniel Pienaar.
The new team will be looking to lay down an early marker together and an away series win would be a huge confidence booster.
Rising stars get ready for tour
This ahead of their tour to Sri Lanka, which they leave for on Friday.
“I am nervous but also very excited,” admitted Krweqe.
“This is a massive step for my cricketing career and I want to cement a place in the U19 set-up since I still have two more years I can play for them.”
Mnyaka and Krweqe will be training at the High Performance Centre along with the team over the next few days as they prepare for what should be a tough contest in the sub-continent.
The Hudson Park High School pupils, both in Grade 10 and both left arm seamers in the first team, will be up against international opposition for the first time.
“We are not only teammates but also best friends so it is nice having my best friend with me enjoying this experience and playing for the U19 Proteas,” Mnyaka said.
“Hopefully there will be a place for both of us in the team but we might have to challenge each other for a spot.”
A kit handover was done at Hudson Park High this past Saturday where they received their SA colours and they will now want to do their school and city proud.
“I think there will be a lot of pressure, but I expect to get a lot of support from the coaches and my teammates which should help a lot,” Krweqe said.
The matches take place from June 25 to July 13 and will see the Proteas U19s play two youth Tests and three youth one-day internationals.
First off for the team, however, will be a two-day warm up match against a Sri Lankan Board U19 team starting next week Monday.
“It will be a challenge playing on the different pitches. We will need to bowl a straighter line because the Sri Lankan batsmen feed off width and we need to pitch it up more than we normally do in South Africa,” Mnyaka said.
“Bowling in the heat and humidity as well as in long spells will also be a big challenge,” Krweqe said.
It is a very inexperienced team going on tour as 14 of the 16-man squad will be making their debuts on it.
The team will be led by allrounder, Wiaan Mulder, of Gauteng who featured for the side during their World Cup campaign earlier this year.
Mnyaka and Krweqe are the only Border players in the mix. They are joined by two other Eastern Cape players in Jade de Klerk from Woodridge College and Keenan Smith from Daniel Pienaar.
The new team will be looking to lay down an early marker together and an away series win would be a huge confidence booster.
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