Border bowler’s 300th wicket a testament to his skill and character

At the start of his career, Border paceman Phaphama Fojela thought that capturing 300 first-class wickets was far-fetched.

But he reached the milestone earlier this week against Boland in Paarl in spectacular fashion, taking seven scalps to land on 301 victims.

The standing ovation he received in Paarl would have been ideal for Buffalo Park.

His achievement can also be credited to the cricket-crazy Masingata village outside King William’s Town. It was there that he caught the cricket bug and ran with it.

“Cricket is life there,” Fojela said. “When you wake up in the morning it’s cricket, in the afternoon and evening, it’s cricket.

“From the youngest to the oldest, boy or girl, men or women, they all know and love cricket.

“It’s number one, followed by rugby and soccer.” 

The 36-year-old reached the milestone in 106 matches, averaging 21,03 a wicket with an economy rate of 3,09 an over. Along the way he has taken 11 five-wicket hauls.

The bowler’s wildest dream has come true, but at one stage it appeared that it wasn’t going to happen because of the enforced Covid-19 break.  

“When I started I honestly thought I would not get 300 wickets, but now that it’s happened it’s surreal,” Fojela said.

“Before lockdown we had a game against Gauteng at Buffalo Park and I was left with a few wickets to get to 300.

“Then at the back of my mind I had the thought that I might not reach the mark because of the lockdown.” 

This milestone is testament to the person Fojela is as he is one of the game’s stalwarts, a dedicated and hard-working professional who continues to look after himself while working on his craft.

His respect for the game and his humble, modest character have also helped him to stand on solid ground.

“It has a lot to do with how you carry yourself; like how you look after your body, watching what you eat, knowing what works and doesn’t work,” Fojela said.  

“You also have to practise the skill every day, repeating the same thing so you can improve and be better than yesterday.

“You have to respect what you’re doing, you have to respect cricket and the people you are playing with.

“The game has allowed me to meet people from different backgrounds who have different views and perspectives.”

Border head coach Mfuneko Ngam praised the veteran seamer.

“It’s a big milestone and I’m so proud of Fojela,” Ngam said.

“The guy has looked after himself; he doesn’t drink or smoke. He shows that we need to look after ourselves when we are young so we can age well.

“He works hard on his fitness. If you look at him, he seems as young as the youngsters we have in the team. He bowls well and he bowls with experience.”

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