The Hudson Park High School first cricket team will be aiming to take their good momentum built up over an impressive season into the Coca-Cola Schools National finals in Pretoria over the coming weekend.
Hudson’s season has seen them make a number of finals, with the all-important one being the Coastal Focus Schools final against Western Province Sports School, which they won comfortably to qualify for the nationals as the Focus Schools champs.
They also made the Warriors provincial final, but rain had the final say and, in the end, Hudson were beaten by St Andrew’s College in a bowl out.
In all it has been a fantastic season for the team and they will hope to finish off with a bang at the nationals.
“It has been a brilliant season for the side.
“It has been incredible so far, and what has also been pleasing is that we have had to go through the season without our captain, Nonelela Yikha, who has been representing the SA U19s in India.
“To go through and do so well without his services has been really exciting,” said Hudson Park first team coach Dave Alers.
The team will, however, be boosted by the return of Yikha for the nationals after the SA U19 team returned to South Africa after their tour to India ended earlier this week.
“We are very excited to welcome Nonelela back for the nationals.
“He only arrived back from India last night [Tuesday] and is very tired, but I am hoping after he catches up a bit of sleep, he will be refreshed and ready to go by Friday morning,” said Alers.
This is not the first time that Hudson has qualified for the nationals, with their most recent appearance being in 2017 when they put in a superb effort to reach the final.
Unfortunately they where beaten by St Stithians.
“We are going there to be highly competitive like we were in 2017,” said Alers.
“I think the strength of this side is the depth of talent among the players, in the sense that we have got a few stars, but the squad as a whole can come to the party on any day.
“The last time we were there we had more star players, but not as strong a squad.
“We can bat right through and have a varied attack, so our bases are fully covered and we have a really nice balanced side.”
The action gets under way on Friday morning, with the team playing two games a day until Sunday afternoon.
Hudson Park squad:
Nonelela Yikha (capt), Nqaba Peter (vc), Blake Diedricks, Lilitha Reed, Babalo Nokele, James Troon, Divaan Kassan, Akhona Ratyana, Kwakhanya Gcekwa, Luvo Ntsekwa, Bryden Brandt, Damilola Odununga, Mzukisi Gwababa..