Cricket tournament in Azaadville a huge success
It was hosted in Azaadville in Krugersdorp for the first time and proved to be a tournament where new friendships were forged.
The third annual Sunfoil Cricket Township Tournament concluded on 2 April and proved to have been an all-round success.
Having been hosted in the community of Azaadville in Krugersdorp for the first time, this tournament celebrated friendship, enjoyable sport and opportunities for all.
Although the weather initially threatened to hamper the tournament on day one, it cleared beautifully and allowed for the full event.
The teams from the various parts of Johannesburg (Central, South, Alexandra, Sedibeng, Elkah/ Dobsonville, Kagiso) as well as the visiting teams from Langa and KwaZulu-Natal competed in a closely contested affair to deliver a thrilling final between the Central and Elkah/ Dobsonville teams on Sunday evening.
The Central team stepped to the crease first and were bowled out for 156 with Kyle Badenhorst scoring a magnificent 99. Musa Matsikiri from the Elkah/ Dobsonville side showed some terrific bowling skills and had figures of 2/27 in the match. When their turn came to bat, the team from Elkah/ Dobsonville posed a brave fighting total of 119/9 before their luck ran out. Dirian Murray from the Central team had the best bowling figures (2/18) in the match.
Chief Executive Officer of the Gauteng Cricket Board, Greg Fredericks thoroughly enjoyed his inaugural Sunfoil Township Tournament.
“I have a tremendous passion for the youth of our country and took great pleasure in seeing this event take place in the community of Azaadville. The spirit of the game was evident in every match and I could see the enjoyment and pleasure that the players, parents, coaches and all others involved derived from it. My sincere appreciation goes out to the members of the community, the local organising committee and those who supported the event. I am proud to call this event part of the GCB annual calendar,” says Fredericks.
“The Sunfoil Township Tournament programme was developed to inspire the youth to play cricket and to instil a love of the sport among the whole community, making cricket a meaningful part of township culture,” says Shoaib Moosa, Sales and Marketing Director of Willowton Group.
“Cricket enables underprivileged young people to channel their energy into a positive and healthy team activity. It encourages them to work hard and develop skills that give them confidence and the belief that it is possible to change their lives for the better. It is our hope that we can provide a platform for the Gauteng Cricket Union to identify these talented youngsters and give them a future that allows them to rise above their circumstances,” says Moosa.
“The Tournament sponsor Willowton Group has been a committed supporter of South African cricket for many years, from development at grassroots level to the sponsorship of Proteas Test Series Cricket. The many quality brands produced by this family-owned business include Sunfoil, Sunshine D margarine, D’lite and Nuvolite spreads and, more recently, Allsome Rice.
The individual accolades of the event were as follows:
• The winners of the tournament were the Central Team.
• The runners-up were the Elkah/ Dobsonville Team.
• The batsman and player of the tournament was Kyle Badenhorst of the Central team scoring a total of a 193 runs with an average of 64,33 and taking three wickets.
• The bowler of the tournament was Musa Matsikiri from the Elkah/ Dobsonville team taking a total of 10 wickets.
• The coach of the tournament was Justin Nefdt of the Central team.
