HUDSON STAR BOWLS INTO SA U19
2020 World Cup a real prospect for selected duo
Nonelela Yikha selected by national team to join India tour next month
Taking a massive step towards representing the South African U19 team at the 2020 World Cup to be staged in SA, Warriors Cubs stars Nonelela Yikha and Luke Beaufort were selected for the SA U19 team’s tour of India taking place in February and March.
Hudson Park High School’s Yikha and Grey High School’s Beaufort both impressed during the recent Coca-Cola Khaya Majola week for Border and Eastern Province respectively, which saw Yikha named in the SA Schools team for the tournament and both making the Warriors Cubs side.
They then took that form into the Cubs week and impressed the watching SA U19 selectors enough to see them picked alongside a number of fellow uncapped players, including new SA U19 captain Matthew Montgomery, from the Dolphins.
At the Cubs week it was Yikha’s superb bowling effort that stood out as he was named bowler of the tournament after picking up the most wickets, 12 scalps across five games.
“Nonelela was brilliant. He played so well over the week,” said Warriors Cubs and Border Coke week coach André de Beer.
“He will be in my Coke side this year and I am planning to make him captain. He has a lot of maturity and I think he has learnt a lot over the past month, and I think there is still more to come from him.
“But to make the SA U19 touring side to India is fantastic, and it will help develop his skills even further and turn him into an even better player, which I am excited to see.”
This included 4/33 against the Knights, 3/17 including six maidens against the Titans, 3/29 against the Dolphins and 2/32 against the Lions, with his only blank coming against the Cobras.
Yikha is also a solid middle to lower order batsman, although he did not get many opportunities to show that at the Cubs week.
For Beaufort it was his batting exploits that got him the nod.
He began the Cubs week in style, cracking a century in the first game against the Knights, falling soon after reaching the 12 runs, but he had already shown enough to impress the selectors.
The two will now hope to get a good chance to show what they can do against the Indian U19 team, with the tour set to feature the four day Youth Test matches and four Youth OneDay Internationals.
The tour will take place from February 16 to March 12. mark for 103.
He followed that up by top scoring in the next match as well with 49, just missing out on a half century but helping the Warriors Cubs chase down a low score against the Titans Cubs easily.
Beaufort then slipped up against the Cobras and Lions, and only faced three balls against the Dolphins in scoring
He has a lot of maturity and I think he has learnt a lot over the past month