Qeshile credits his team for Cricket Week award

STAR EFFORT: Cricketer of the Week Sinethemba Qeshile receives his award from Phindile Phiri and Neels Momberg during the Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Week Gala Dinner in Soweto this week Picture: GALLO IMAGES
STAR EFFORT: Cricketer of the Week Sinethemba Qeshile receives his award from Phindile Phiri and Neels Momberg during the Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Week Gala Dinner in Soweto this week Picture: GALLO IMAGES
Border U19 cricket captain Sinethemba Qeshile received the highest honour at the 2017 Coca-Cola Khaya Majola week awards when he was named the Cricketer of the Week at a glittering final awards function held at the Imbizo Hall of the University of Johannesburg Soweto Campus on Thursday night.

Hudson Park High School matriculant Qeshile was in superb form throughout the week as the led from the front, taking Border into the “unofficial final” of the week against unbeaten hosts Gauteng, where they unfortunately came up short.

However, it was a wonderful effort from Qeshile, who was captaining the Border side for the second consecutive year at the Coke Week and he must be happy with his exploits over the two years.

“For the Week I didn't think about getting an award or anything like that, I just went into it aiming to do my best for the team,” said the humble Qeshile

“I am really proud and chuffed with the team’s performance, because without the team I wouldn't have actually won this award.”

Over the week Qeshile scored 263 runs in seven innings with an unbeaten century, as well as two half- centuries and an important unbeaten 35.

His first big score came on day two against Western Province, where he made 60 while sharing in a monster 184-run stand with Jason Niemand which helped Border post 275/6, with them then drawing the Time Cricket (declaration) match.

On day three Qeshile then enjoyed a moment of brilliance, taking an amazing catch on the boundary that had to be seen to be believed against Namibia, before his unbeaten 35 then guided Border to a tight win in the match.

Against KwaZulu-Natal on day four he then stroked his way to an unbeaten 103 during a 150-run partnership with Matt Dewar (89) as Border set KZN a massive target of 288 runs to win and he then took five catches behind the stumps as Border claimed a 134-run win.

In the final match Qeshile scored 59, and along with Luke Dallas (38) featured in a 90-run partnership against Gauteng. The two were basically the only batsmen to defy the rampant Gauteng bowlers, with Border all out for 193. Gauteng won the match by nine wickets.

“I just think with our team, we rocked up at this tournament knowing that we wanted to be in the final,” said Qeshile.

“After that first day we just decided that this tournament isn’t over and we can still make it and the boys showed some fantastic character throughout the rest of the Week to prove that we deserved to be there.

“Whenever I arrived at the crease I would first look at our team situation and my thought processes was then really simple, I would just keep calm and think things through so I could do the best for my team.”

Qeshile will now be eyeing bigger things with his schooling career having come to an end and he will hope to build on this going forward.

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