Young guns look to shine for SA U19s next month

BORDER schools stars Akhona Mnyaka and Jason Niemand, along with former Border schools star Thando Ntini have been named in the Coca-Cola South Africa U19 squad that will take on England and Namibia in a Triangular series starting next month.

Niemand and Mnyaka, who both attend Hudson Park High School and Ntini, who was at Selborne College before moving down to Wynberg in the Western Cape this year, have all played for the U19s before.

They will be eager to continue impressing in the set-up as the series will be one of the last opportunities for selectors to have a look at possible picks ahead of the ICC U19 World Cup due to take place in New Zealand in early 2018.

“We are very chuffed and excited to see these three youngsters back in the South African U19 team,” said Border amateur manager Deon Muller.

“These guys are all products of the Border system and have excelled at their schools and in the Border age group sides for many years and fully deserve to be in the side.

“I believe that they all have a chance to make the World Cup team next year and they have the chance to show what they can do in the coming series.”

Ntini, the son of Proteas legend Makhaya Ntini, recently made his debut for the SA U19s in their series against the West Indies in July and put in some sparkling performances.

Mnyaka and Niemand last played for the U19s in February this year during the triangular series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

Both players (Mnyaka and Niemand) subsequently went on to make their Border senior team debuts and are now a big part of that set-up.

“Akhona and Jason have broken into the Border senior team set-up, Akhona played in the recent Africa Cup T20 and Jason is in the squad for