Local cricketer celebrates Limpopo Impalas T20 win
Limpopo Impalas Cricket Club player and former Ben Vorster High School learner, Atwell Mokgolobotho, says being part of the squad that won the provincial T20 Knock-Out Challenge means the world to him.
The Limpopo team was crowned champions after a sixwicket win against Northern Cape Heat at the Polokwane Cricket Club on Sunday, April 7. Mokgolobotho told the Herald that when the tournament started, he did not think that they would win the title. “Reaching the final and winning was awesome. We started from humble beginnings and now we boast a national title,” an elated Mokgolobotho said.
Northern Cape Heat won the toss and elected to bat and set up a score of 139/9. The local team won the trophy with eight balls to spare. Gordon Parsons, Impala coach, told the Herald that his boys showed character and discipline on the day. “I’m proud of my team, they have grown so much from six months ago when I joined the team.
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“The win is not about the coach, but about the players. They are the ones on the field who choose to buy into the vision and goals that are set out by the coach.” Parsons added that although it is a good feeling to win, this is only the first step going forward. “We have bigger dreams and goals to achieve, and I believe this win will demonstrate that Limpopo has a first-class professional cricket team,” he said.
Daniel Van der Merwe was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets for 18 runs in three overs, while Don Radebe cemented his place as the top bowler of the tournament with two wickets for 26 runs in four overs. Standout performances with the bat included 51 off 57 balls by Sizwe Masondo and a quick-fire 35 off 33 balls by Ruan Haasbroek that included two sixes and one four.
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The Impalas won R300 000 in prizemoney. Earlier in the year they were in the running to become the Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) Division 2 four-day champions but fell short in the tournament. Parsons said the T20 championship win comes as consolation for his team.
