Ferns leads a strong WP outfit

defence off to a great start with victories in Cape Town and

GLENROSE Xaba together Port Elizabeth, before finishing THE selectors have named a with other elite runners will in sixth position in Durban and strong Western Province bowls take on the hilly course of third place in Pretoria, said team to participate in next Pietermaritzburg in quest of she is not worried about Xaba month’s Under- 30 Inter- Disa victory in the fifth leg of the leading the Grand Prix. trict Championship in PieterSpar Women’s 10km Challenge “I’m not worried about maritzburg. tomorrow. The race starts at Glenrose right now. I am Helderberg’s Brendon Princess Margaret Drive outfocusing on myself. The most Ferns, who won the WP Men’s side Maritzburg College’s main important thing at the moment Masters titles this year, skips rugby field at 8am. is my health,” she said. a fours side which looks hard

Victory in this race will put The track and field specialto beat. the Boxer club member Xaba ist said she hasn’t been well He has WP senior cap in a good position to snatch health-wise lately and it has Eugene Ferreira (former WP the Grand Prix title from last affected her preparations for Masters winner) as his third, year’s winner Kesa Molotsane. the race. rising starlet Samantha Olivier

Xaba was the first athlete Zimbabwean duo Rutendo at middle- pip and Ananda to claim bonus points this year Nyahora, who has recovered Kotze at lead. when she met the target in the from a hamstring injury, and Daniel Griebenauw skips Pretoria leg two weeks ago. Rudo Mhonderwa, won’t make Andre Robbertse, Duwayne

The 24-year-old Xaba, who things easy for the Xaba and Tiemie and Lavona Gordon. finished second in the Cape Molotsane. Nyahora, who “All of us get on really well Town, Port Elizabeth and finished behind Xaba at the and have gold in mind,” said Durban races before winning Pretoria race, is fourth in the 21-year-old Ferns, who only her first Challenge race in PreGrand Prix standings while took up the game seven years ago.toria,has87pointsandis14Mhonderwaisfifth.

T ahead of Molotsane of KPMG The final race while be at he former Strand High Running Club. Marks Park Sporting Club in scholar has his sights also set

Molotsane, who got her title Johannesburg on October 7. on representing South Africa.

He is currently part of the Silver Squad.

Ferreira has been part of the WP set-up since his teen years and the burly fellow, who hasn’t quite realised his full potential, will be out to silence his detractors.

Once hailed as a future Protea, one is left to wonder whether the pressure placed on the Pollsmoor member to succeed has stymied his progress up the ranks.

Making him a third in the WP senior team this year never brought out the best, although he would have relished the chance to show he belonged in the back-rank.

Olivier (Pollsmoor) is SA’s top junior and the 25-year-old is tipped to make the national team in the near future.

The selectors have included her in their second-tier silver squad – the gold one is for the elite players who vie for Protea selection.

Her individual record is excellent. The reigning SA Junior Master has added the WP Masters and WP Champion of Champions titles to her trophy cabinet.

Her ability to make top players look ordinary suggests she is something special.

As a second for Ferns one can expect to see shot-making out of the top drawer from her in a position that requires a range of skill sets to be effective.

Kotze at lead will want to lay a solid foundation to put her side on the front-foot.

As for Griebennauw’s side, Gordon at lead could provide the platform for success.

She short to prominence many years back when she downed former SA golden girl Trish Young in a singles rubber at a now-closed Atlantic Green Point.

The other members of the quartet are relative unknowns as far as senior WP competition is concerned.