Warriors Cubs out to make early impression

THE Warriors Cubs will be aiming to lay down an early marker as they take on the Titans Cubs in their first match of the annual Cricket SA (CSA) Cubs Week, which gets under way in Stellenbosch today.

Both teams will be gunning for the win to gain some good early momentum to take into the rest of the week, with the final games taking place on Sunday.

Warriors Cubs coach Andre de Beer said: “Titans is going to be a very tough game.

“Northerns were overall winners at the Coke week, so they will come in with a lot of momentum, but we are excited for the match,” he said.

“We want to have a good start to the week, so we are looking for a positive result in the first match.”

The Cubs week sees the best U19 cricketers from around the country going head to head for their respective franchise teams after their impressive form at (last year’s) CSA Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Week saw them picked for their respective sides.

The Warriors Cubs team is an especially strong one, featuring six players who made the top two tournament teams at the end of the Coke Week.

Matthew Breetzke and Jade de Klerk of Eastern Province, and Akhona Mnyaka and Sinethemba Qeshile of Border, were in the main SA Schools team, while Jason Raubenheimer and Siphamandla Krweqe, both of Border, were picked for the SA Colts (second) team.

The players’ Coke week form clearly impressed the selectors enough to make both sides.

Lutho Sipamla, of EP, was originally in the Warriors Cubs squad and also made the SA Schools team, but he has moved up into the EP semi-professional set-up, so his place was taken by Border’s Luke Dallas.

The other Warriors Cubs players include Jason Niemand and Axola Ngwana, of Border, and David Rushmere, David Masterson, Jarryd Lookwhy and Jimmy Sholto-Douglas, of EP.

“We have an extremely strong team,” De Beer said.

“I am happy with the players and they were all in good form in the Coke week,” he said.

“We had a good couple of sessions with the team last week.

“These guys have the potential to do very well at the week.”

Two key batsmen to watch for the Warriors Cubs will be Qeshile and Breetzke.

Qeshile captained Border and, batting at No 3, scored an impressive 204 runs over the Coke week at an average of 51.

Breetzke amassed a superb 366 runs over the week at an average of 61.

The action starts at 10am today.