Border T20 show gets up and running in EL
Thrilling cricket action takes centre stage in East London from Friday as Border host pool C of the season opening Africa Cup T20 competition between Buffalo Park and Police Park.
The 2018-19 cricket season is set to get under way with a bang as two provincial teams, in Eastern Province and Mpumalanga and two international sides in Namibia and Kenya join up with Border to battle it out over a winner-takes-all weekend of cricket.
All five teams will be vying for top spot, as only the pool winners will progress to the finals weekend next weekend.
“It is very exciting, especially to have international teams coming here to take part in the tournament,” said Border cricket chief executive Thando Booi.
“We have expanded this competition to Africa and that adds an exciting element to the action and we are expecting to see some top-class cricket.”
This will be the third year in a row that Border is hosting a leg of the Africa Cup and they will be desperately hoping for good weather after only two games were possible in 2016 and then three-and-a-half matches were played last year as rain played havoc over both those weekends.
“We are definitely hoping it doesn't rain again, we are hoping that we will get a result not based on the weather and other things, but on the performance of the five teams over the weekend,” admitted Booi.
“We (Border) have a very strong team that I believe can go all the way to the final and I want to see them play every game the pool.”
The Border team is an exciting mix of youth and experience, with an SA U19 player in Jason Niemand in the side, along with Warriors contracted stars like Basheer Walters, Gihahn Cloete, Christiaan Jonker and others.
The team will be led by Border stalwart Jerry Nqolo and will also feature the unions top players like Marco Marais who was named the Border player and batsman of the season earlier this year.
“We always want to expose young players to professional cricketers and teams, so the Africa Cup gives us that opportunity,” said Booi.
“I would like to see our young stars shine and to have so many quality Warriors players in the team is exciting, so I really believe that the team can give the East London crowd something to remember.”
The Africa Cup pool C starts on Friday morning and will end on Sunday afternoon.
The Border squad is:
We have expanded this contest to Africa and that adds an exciting element
Jerry Nqolo, Mncedisi Malika, Basheer Walters, Bongolwethu Makeleni, Gihahn Cloete, Christiaan Jonker, Clayton Bosch, Yaseen Vallie, Aya Gqamane, Marco Marais, Phaphama Fojela, Jason Niemand, Bamanye Xenxe.