Benoni boy in World Cup squad
Lakefield’s Bradley Dial (18) was recently called up to the South African u-19 ICC Cricket World Cup team, after a recurring knee injury forced Dayyaan Galiem out of the side.
Having not initially been called up into the team to do battle in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the news of his selection came as a big relief to the Soweto Cricket Club all-rounder.
“It was a very pleasant surprise when the call came from Cricket South Africa,” he said.
“The call actually woke me, but the excitement and realisation that I was in the team only really sunk in once I got my ticket.”
At the time of going to press, the South African team had secured a spot in the semi-finals against Australia, at the DSC Stadium, in Dubai, on Wednesday, February 26, after going unbeaten in their first four games.
The team claimed victories over the West Indies, Canada and Zimbabwe, and a quarter-final win over surprise package Afghanistan, to get to the semi-finals.
It was the game against Canada, on Sunday, February 16, that proved Dial’s value to the team, as his 47 runs off 44 deliveries contributed to a 45-run win and secured a quarter-final spot for his country.
“The tournament has been great so far and the team is in a very good space; we just have to maintain our momentum,” Dial told the City Times on Sunday.
The former St Dustan’s College Preparatory School pupil has come a long way in the sport, and one of his former junior coaches, Ian Smith, who runs the Rowlin National Cricket Academy, said the young cricketer always had the talent to do well in the sport.
Smith coached Dial at u-11 and u-13 level, at the academy.
“He was always one step ahead of the others in his age group and has always been a hard working player,” Smith said.
“He was easy to coach, because he always had the self-motivation.”
