Three of Border’s rising cricket stars received a massive boost when they were selected in the South African U19 cricket team to take on Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka over the next month.
Jason Niemand, Akhona Mnyaka and Siphamandla Kwreqe, all from Hudson Park, were picked for the team after impressing at the 2016 Coke week and 2017 Cubs week for Border and the Warriors respectively.
They form part of a seven-strong Eastern Cape contingent in the 15-man SA U19 set-up, with the other four players from Eastern Province.
“We always ask for team performances and when the team performs individuals then shine and, with seven players from the Warriors set-up in the U19 mix, it shows how well our guys are currently doing,” said Warriors Cubs coach, Andre de Beer.
Jade de Klerk and Matthew Breetzke were both also in the Warriors Cubs side, while Keenan Smith turned out for the SA U17 select team and Lutho Sipamla missed the Cubs week after he was selected in the Eastern Province senior team and subsequently made his first class debut against Border last week.
Of the seven, four have already played for the SA U19s, with Sipamla representing them at last year’s U19 World Cup in Bangladesh, while Mnyaka, Kwreqe and de Klerk all played for them in their tour of Sri Lanka.
Niemand, Breetzke and Smith will all thus be looking to make their debut during either the 10-match Youth One-Day International (ODI) triangular series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe or in the separate three-match Youth ODI series against Sri Lanka that follows.
“I am really stoked and privileged to have made the SA U19 team. It has been a dream of mine,” said Niemand.
“It was really special to make the team along with my fellow school mates (Mnyaka and Kwreqe) as I have really grown with them since grade 10, playing my first first team game with them, my first Border game with them and now, hopefully, now my first international with them.”
“It is quite amazing as it says a lot about all the hard work we have put in together and now it is paying off.”
At the Cubs week, all of the players made good contributions at various stages.
Niemand excelled on all fronts, scoring 202 runs in total with top scores of 77, 62 and 59, while he also picked up nine wickets with best bowling of 3/27, 2/14 and 2/37.
“My Coke week didn’t go as planned, but at the Cubs week I played really well with the bat, ball and in the field and I think that helped me make the team,” said Niemand.
Kwreqe and Mnyaka both shone with the ball, Kwreqe picking up seven wickets with a best of 4\54 and Mnyaka six wickets, with a best of 3\49.
Breetzke enjoyed a good Cubs week with the bat, hitting four half centuries, including a top score of 79, while de Klerk and Smith both also contributed on the bowling front, with de Klerk’s best being 2\15 and Smith 2\25.
“We have really good structures in the Eastern Cape at the moment and we are uncovering talent that before had been missed and having seven of us in the SA set-up shows all the hard work that Border and Eastern Province have put into junior cricket here,” said Niemand.
Coca-Cola South Africa under-19 squad:
Wiaan Mulder (bizhub Highveld Lions), Matthew Breetzke (Warriors), Jesse Christensen (Buildnat Cape Cobras), Michael Cohan (Buildnat Cape Cobras), Jade de Klerk (Warriors), Ruan de Swardt (Multiply Titans), Siphamandla Kwreqe (Warriors), Wandile Makwetu (bizhub Highveld Lions), Mohammed Mayet (bizhub Highveld Lions), Akhona Mnyaka (Warriors), Jason Niemand (Warriors), Lutho Sipamla (Warriors), Keenan Smith (Warriors), Mitchell van Buuren (bizhub Highveld Lions), Raynard van Tonder (VKB Knights)
The Tri-Series v Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe takes place from this Saturday until January 28 and the three match series against Sri Lanka from February 1-5.
Border features for SA U19
Jason Niemand, Akhona Mnyaka and Siphamandla Kwreqe, all from Hudson Park, were picked for the team after impressing at the 2016 Coke week and 2017 Cubs week for Border and the Warriors respectively.
They form part of a seven-strong Eastern Cape contingent in the 15-man SA U19 set-up, with the other four players from Eastern Province.
“We always ask for team performances and when the team performs individuals then shine and, with seven players from the Warriors set-up in the U19 mix, it shows how well our guys are currently doing,” said Warriors Cubs coach, Andre de Beer.
Jade de Klerk and Matthew Breetzke were both also in the Warriors Cubs side, while Keenan Smith turned out for the SA U17 select team and Lutho Sipamla missed the Cubs week after he was selected in the Eastern Province senior team and subsequently made his first class debut against Border last week.
Of the seven, four have already played for the SA U19s, with Sipamla representing them at last year’s U19 World Cup in Bangladesh, while Mnyaka, Kwreqe and de Klerk all played for them in their tour of Sri Lanka.
Niemand, Breetzke and Smith will all thus be looking to make their debut during either the 10-match Youth One-Day International (ODI) triangular series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe or in the separate three-match Youth ODI series against Sri Lanka that follows.
“I am really stoked and privileged to have made the SA U19 team. It has been a dream of mine,” said Niemand.
“It was really special to make the team along with my fellow school mates (Mnyaka and Kwreqe) as I have really grown with them since grade 10, playing my first first team game with them, my first Border game with them and now, hopefully, now my first international with them.”
“It is quite amazing as it says a lot about all the hard work we have put in together and now it is paying off.”
At the Cubs week, all of the players made good contributions at various stages.
Niemand excelled on all fronts, scoring 202 runs in total with top scores of 77, 62 and 59, while he also picked up nine wickets with best bowling of 3/27, 2/14 and 2/37.
“My Coke week didn’t go as planned, but at the Cubs week I played really well with the bat, ball and in the field and I think that helped me make the team,” said Niemand.
Kwreqe and Mnyaka both shone with the ball, Kwreqe picking up seven wickets with a best of 4\54 and Mnyaka six wickets, with a best of 3\49.
Breetzke enjoyed a good Cubs week with the bat, hitting four half centuries, including a top score of 79, while de Klerk and Smith both also contributed on the bowling front, with de Klerk’s best being 2\15 and Smith 2\25.
“We have really good structures in the Eastern Cape at the moment and we are uncovering talent that before had been missed and having seven of us in the SA set-up shows all the hard work that Border and Eastern Province have put into junior cricket here,” said Niemand.
Coca-Cola South Africa under-19 squad:
Wiaan Mulder (bizhub Highveld Lions), Matthew Breetzke (Warriors), Jesse Christensen (Buildnat Cape Cobras), Michael Cohan (Buildnat Cape Cobras), Jade de Klerk (Warriors), Ruan de Swardt (Multiply Titans), Siphamandla Kwreqe (Warriors), Wandile Makwetu (bizhub Highveld Lions), Mohammed Mayet (bizhub Highveld Lions), Akhona Mnyaka (Warriors), Jason Niemand (Warriors), Lutho Sipamla (Warriors), Keenan Smith (Warriors), Mitchell van Buuren (bizhub Highveld Lions), Raynard van Tonder (VKB Knights)
The Tri-Series v Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe takes place from this Saturday until January 28 and the three match series against Sri Lanka from February 1-5.
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