Jeppe batsman makes international waves

“I’ve played six cricket seasons in the Northern hemisphere.

“Four in England and two in the Netherlands, where I received my highest score of 184 not out,” said Edenvale local and cricket player Matthew Smit.

Matthew has also played senior provincial cricket for Mpumalanga and the Gauteng u-17A team.

Playing cricket created a long-lasting reputation on the field of play and in his community.

The 24-year-old is currently the Jeppe Quondam Premier League captain and Mpumalanga senior provincial cricketer.

Smit comes from a family who loves sports.

“My dad was my coach at a very young age,” he said.

His older brother, Nicolas Smit, also plays professional cricket, and made his first-class debut on October 17, 2019, for the North West in the Provincial Cup.

“It’s unbelievable having my brother playing professionally too.

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“It shows my friends and family that our hard work and theirs is paying off.

“When you work hard, there will be light at the end of the tunnel,” said Smit.

Both brothers are competitive, but according to Smit, they will never be competitive against each other if they were on the same team.

“We work really well together and we are known as the Brothers Grimm,” he said.

The batsman was introduced to cricket at a young age while playing cricket with his cousins.

The cricketer said he was a very sporty child. He played soccer, rugby, athletics and golf, but cricket was his number one choice.

At 15 years old, Smit’s cousin introduced him to the Jeppe Quondam Cricket Club.

“I have been a part of the cricket club ever since.”

The cricketer said the Edenvale community has been very supportive.

“Having my coaches, friends and family stay very close to me and willing to work the extra hours to help me achieve my goals in cricket has helped me.”

His message to up-and-coming cricketers was to always work hard, be grateful for the gift they have and always remember to be a good human off the field.

“We never lose, we only learn. When we win, we stay humble,” said Smit.

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