Jeppe Quondam Cricket Club is ready to take on 2021
Kourie will lead the club’s youth developmental academy targeted at girls and boys aged 5 and up.
As part of the club’s mission to foster a love for cricket from a young age, it teamed up with former South African cricketer Alan Kourie.
Kourie will lead the club’s youth developmental academy targeted at girls and boys aged 5 and up.
As a former Jeppe High School for Boys learner and lifelong member of Jeppe Quondam, Kourie hopes to share his passion for the game with youngsters from the community and surrounding areas.
During his schooling career, Kourie captained the Transvaal Nuffield side and also held the position of vice-captain for the SA Schools’ side.
During this time he also played for the Transvaal senior side. From 1971 to the 1985/1986 season, Kourie played for the Transvaal Senior A side known as The Mean Machine.
He was an all-rounder, left-arm spin bowler and middle-order batsman whose career peaked when he played for South Africa in the rebel tours at a time when the side was banned by world cricket.
Kourie played a total of 16 unofficial test matches for South Africa and in 1980 he was named player of the year.
While touring, Kourie played against England, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and Australia.
For a number of years, he also captained the Jeppe Quondam Cricket Club’s first team.
Kourie also played baseball for South Africa.
When he retired, the Transvaal Cricket Board asked him to coach and manage an u-21 provincial side and he agreed.
At the time, Kourie and his team raised enough money for the squad to tour in England. “We broke the cricket ban and it was illegal.”
From that team, players such as Richard Snell, Clive Eksteen, and Steven Jack went on to play for South Africa while the remainder played provincial cricket.
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Kourie later coached and managed the Transvaal Senior side captained by Clive Rice. He told the NEWS while the aim of the academy is to enhance cricket skills for the next generation of players, he wants those taking part to have fun.
“The whole idea behind the academy is to get youth cricket going at the club,” he said. All academy lessons will be held under strict Covid-19 regulations and will be limited to four members per lesson.
“This will allow for individual attention to each player,” Kourie said. He added that he aims to ensure the cricket development takes place at the level of the players who attend the lessons.
Kourie said to ensure those attending the academy have access to the best facilities he called in the help of former award-winning Wanderers Stadium head groundskeeper Chris Scott, who advised on the upkeep and renovations of the practise nets.
Anyone interested in joining the Alan Kourie Cricket Coaching School of Excellence may contact Kourie on 082 875 9368 or at alankourie@ajk51.co.za
Jeppe Quondam is one of only eight clubs out of 52 in the Central Gauteng district that has been granted permission to practise by Cricket South Africa (CSA).
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Marietta Lombard (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za, or (Journalists) Busi Vilakazi busiv@caxton.co.za , and Lebogang Sekgwama lebogangs@caxton.co.za.
