THE GENESIS OF CRICKET

THE GENESIS OF UWC CRICKET Cricket has always been a feather in the cap of UWC but its road to a powerhouse has not been without struggles

By Zaahier Adams

From its humble beginnings when hostel students competed in an internal league, the University of the Western Cape’s (UWC) Cricket Club has grown into a major powerhouse not only in the Western Cape but within the greater South African cricket landscape, too.

The UWC Cricket Club in its current state is a feared competitor that attracts the highest calibre of players and coaches — both men and women — from all around the world, all in search of the unique “Udubs” experience.

Initially, however, this was not the case. Although plenty of talented cricketers attended the university, their allegiances lay elsewhere. It was particularly difficult to get the students living at home in the Western Cape to align themselves with the University’s cricket.“We were stuck in the unfortunate position where it was not the students’ priority to play for UWC but instead for their local club,” says former chairperson Advocate Nic Kock.

“We had a lot of boys from Oudtshoorn who would play for Union Stars. As soon as they put their pen down for their last exam, they would rush back home to play for Union and then delay as long they could until they really could not anymore. They would then

return and, because they were living at the residence, they would filter back into our system.

“However, the real issue was the students who weren’t staying at the residence. They were much happier playing for their clubs, whether it was Montrose, Victoria, Primrose, St Augustine’s or United, all of whom play in the Western Province Cricket Association’s (WPCA) leagues.

“They would only surface when it was the University

Sports South Africa (USSA) Week and they wanted to be part of it because that was seen as a fun week.”

At the time, UWC Cricket was competing in the WPCA 2B League, which was basically the fifth division.

Something urgently needed to be done to change the culture of the club and the way it was being perceived.

The primary focus, then, was to raise the status of the club through elevation to a higher league. UWC approached the WPCA and succeeded in negotiating a three-year relegation-free term in the WPCA 1C Division.

This was only the beginning, though. UWC cricket needed a further intervention and it came in the form of the Sports Skills for Life Skills (SS4LS) programme, a non-profit that helps students from previously disadvantaged areas enhance their talent in

sports while providing them with an opportunity to obtain a tertiary education.

From here on, UWC Cricket Club has never looked back. Young cricketers now realise they can strike a balance playing cricket while being assisted with their academics through a tutorship programme. Equally, players have access to quality healthcare, nutritional support and a topnotch mentorship programme.

The first acquisition of the University’s reimagined cricket club was former first-class cricketer and current SABC news reporter Craig Marais as head coach. With the help of a couple of early stalwarts, such as Deon Newkirk and James Albanie, who travelled all the way from Touwsriver to Bellville, the Blue and Gold machine was starting to rumble.

Promotion to the WPCA 1A League quickly followed and bar one season, this is where UWC Cricket Club have been entrenched ever since. The trophy cabinet has overflowed during this period with two Premier League (2-day competition) wins, three 1-Day (50 overs competition) wins, three 20/20 Competition wins as well as sharing this trophy on a fourth occasion with WPCC during the 2016/17 season.

Success has also been achieved nationally with UWC progressing to the 2016 Varsity Cup T20 final in Potchefstroom as well reaching the USSA finals three times in the recent past.

Furthermore, the introduction of women’s cricket by SS4LS at UWC has been a revelation with the Cricket Club being the premier team in the Western Province for a number of years. Former and current Proteas, such as Shandre Fritz, Olivia Anderson, Shibnam Ismail and Andrie Steyn, provided the much-needed impetus to the continued hard work of former WP cricketer Nuraan Pipers in providing a high-performance home for the many aspiring female cricketers who also wished to pursue their studies.

Furthermore, UWC Cricket Club has extended its branches into the African continent by playing a prominent role in the development of Zimbabwean cricketers.

“We are very proud of our association with Zimbabwean cricket for the players are immensely deserving of playing within our structures,” says Kock. “All their students come from an environment where they do internationally accredited Cambridge O and A levels. Our first doctorate graduate, Dr Frank Zindo, was a Zimbabwean and two Zimbabwean cricketers were awarded the prestigious Mandela-Rhodes scholarship.”

“Every single one of our Zim student-athletes have graduated with the majority going on to post-graduate studies. They are a massive positive influence on the other students as they showcase what is possible if you challenge yourself academically.”

With UWC Cricket Club’s alumni honour list growing exponentially every season with a host of cricketers graduating to provincial and franchise cricket, it is hard to single out individuals that have worn the famous Blue and Gold baggy cap.

However, Kock could not hide his delight during one particular balmy sunny day during last year’s New Year Test against England at Newlands. “I was sitting in the President’s Suite and I couldn’t help but smile to myself. It really was a special moment. There, out in the middle was not just Zubayr Hamza, our first male Proteas cap, but also the team physiotherapist Craig Govender, who is a proud UWC and SS4LS alumnus.

“Running on with water bottles was 12th man Givon Christian, who currently plays in the UWC First XI. In the dressing room was also one of our former coaches, Charl Langeveldt, who is now the Proteas bowling coach. To have four UWC people involved in one game with the Proteas was something really special and shows what hard work can achieve.”

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