Challenging season awaits Steinhoff Maties Cricket : 2015-10-06
This season Andrew Wylie wants his Steinhoff Maties Cricket team to drop the title of beaten finalist in national competitions.
For the past few seasons Maties have played in all the finals of national tournaments like USSA, National Club Championships and also Varsity Cricket. Every time they were beaten by nemesis Tuks. The close but no cigar-tag must no longer apply if Wylie gets his way.
“Our goals for the season will shift a lot more to the University weeks and Varsity Sport Cricket tournament where we have consistently competed in finals but would like to get over the line in one of these competitions and win a national trophy and relieve holders Tuks of that number one spot,” said Wylie.
“The league will be a difficult one this year with provincial schedules and the fact that we are going through what many varsities go through, cycles of losing experienced players and balancing it with new and developing youngsters. The key is obviously to maintain our high standards set and look to make further contributions at national tournaments.”
According to Wylie new players will only become part of the set-up next year. “There are a number of young players that have made an excellent impact with Niel Botha – leading wicket-taker in the Varsity Cricket tournament – and Justin Dill leading from the front. Our settled players will be Dewald Botha, Jean Marais (Varsity Cricket Batsmen of the Tournament), Jean Bredenkamp, David Bedingham and Keegan Petersen. The younger players will however have to really make an impact as these stalwarts will not always be available due to provincial commitments when the league campaign starts.”
The Boland season starts this Saturday with a match against Vredenburg/Saldanha.
AFRIKAANS
Uitdagende seisoen wag Steinhoff Maties Krieket
Die seisoen wil Andrew Wylie sien of sy Steinhoff Maties Krieketspan van die titel as verslane finalis in nasionale kompetisies kan ontslae raak.
Vir die afgelope paar seisoene het Maties in al die eindstryde van die nasionale toernooie soos USSA, die Nasionale Klubkampioenskapsbyeenkoms en ook Varsity Krieket gespeel. Elke keer is hulle deur hul nemesis Tuks, geklop. Die naby, maar tog so ver titel gaan nie meer van toepassing wees nie, as Wylie sy sin kry.
“Ons doelwitte en fokus vir die seisoen sal meer skuif na USSA en Varsity Sport Krieket-toernooi waar ons gereeld die eindstryd haal, maar wil graag nou ‘n stap verder gaan en nasionale trofee wen en Tuks as houers onttroon,” vertel Wylie.
“Die liga is ‘n moeilike een die jaar met die provinsiale skedules en die feit dat ons soos baie universiteite ervare spelers verloor en nou ‘n balans moet vind met nuwe en ontwikkelende spelers. Die sleutel is natuurlik om ons hoë standaarde wat ons gestel het te handhaaf en te kyk om verdere bydraes by nasionale toernooie te maak. ”
Volgens Wylie sal splinternuwe spelers slegs volgende jaar deel van die groep word. “Daar is ‘n aantal jong spelers wat al klaar ‘n uitstekende impak gemaak het soos Niel Botha – die voorste paaltjienemer in die Varsity-kriekettoernooi – en SA o.19-speler Justin Dill. Ons gevestigde spelers is Dewald Botha, Jean Marais (Varsity Krieket se Kolwer van die Toernooi), Jean Bredenkamp, David Bedingham en Keegan Petersen. Die jonger spelers sal egter na vore moet tree en ‘n impak maak omdat dié staatmakers nie altyd beskikbaar sal wees nie as gevolg van provinsiale verpligtinge wanneer die liga veldtog begin.”
Die Boland seisoen begin Saterdag met ‘n wedstryd teen Vredenburg / Saldanha.
