The Corner Flag: Dreams do come true

As Nkosi Sikelel ‘iAfrica echoed through Willowmoore Park before the start of the SA women’s T20I match against England last month, the Eastern Storm U16 girls’ team replicated their heroes and stood up in a row to sing along.

Dressed in white Eastern shirts and blue jeans, they sat to the left of the Ekurhuleni End, watching the ladies and, no doubt, imagined themselves on that grand stage one day.

Their faces lit up in admiration when young seamer Ayanda Hlubi took up her post at fine leg, directly in front of them. She put on her cap and waved at them, drawing huge grins from the youngsters.

They probably saw Hlubi lead SA’s attack in the inaugural ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, which Benoni co-hosted last year and realised they, too, could play for the Proteas. Inspired, they cheered for her every ball when she bowled.

Perhaps the fact that Hlubi shares a changeroom with Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp lifted their spirits because her presence on the side has cut the gap between junior and senior international cricket by a decent chunk.

Hlubi is one of only three players from that U19 side to earn senior call-ups. The others are spinner Seshnie Naidu and wicket-keeper Karabo Meso.

Although most of the girls from that squad play senior cricket at the franchise level, none, including Benonian Madison Landsman, were called up to the Proteas.

This is concerning because there should be a natural progression from junior to senior international cricket. Players already in the pipeline understand the culture and have played international cricket at the youth level, so they should gradually be injected into the senior team.

The match at Willowmoore Park exposed our lack of depth in many areas. Without Kapp, Sunè Luus and a firing Chloe Tryon, do we really have players ready to step in in the middle to lower middle order?

Hlubi, Meso and Naidu seem a perfect choice to replace Ayabonga Khaka, Sinalo Jafta and Nonkululeko Mlaba in the long-term, but are there any others in the pipeline being groomed to step in for Kapp, Luus or Tryon or to deputise for Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits at the top?

I don’t have the answers, but new coach Mandla Mashimbyi seems to have a plan. At his first interaction with the media on December 3, I asked him if he would consult the U19 girls’ coach, Dinesha Devnarain, to look at the talent in the system.

Mashimbyi said it would be naïve of him not to. It was encouraging, so any anxieties or fears of not making the senior side of the Eastern U16 girls or the players already in the national U19 set-up might have, they can rest easy.

For now, though, they can hold onto their dreams and aspirations because Hlubi is proof that dreams do come true.

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