Local lad selected for Dolphins Cricket Academy
The 18-year-old said that 2013 was a year he regarded as being his best as far as cricket goes
Former Ladysmith lad Kurtlyn Mannikam began a new journey recently as he was selected to be a member of the Dolphins Cricket Academy.
He hopes this will one day see him playing for the Proteas, which is his main aim and ambition. Talking about his cricket career so far, he says that 2012 was not such a good year for him and that his confidence took a bit of a knock. That all turned around when he played against Peterhouse from Zimbabwe and scored 72. That innings saw him being moved up to number four on the batting order and consistently making scores in the 30s and 40s. Aside from his ability to score runs as a batsman, Kurtlyn is also a medium-pace bowler who is very capable of putting batsman back in the clubhouse!
Having been named vice-captain of the KZN Inland team at the CSA U/17 Cricket Week last year, Kurtlyn has put Ladysmith on the sporting map with his prowess and enthusiasm for the game. The 18-year-old said that 2013 was a year he regarded as being his best as far as cricket goes.
Kurtlyn began playing cricket when he was only seven years old, attending the Ladysmith Cricket Academy (LCA). From there, he continued playing for the love of the game. He completed his primary schooling at Egerton Primary and then obtained a scholarship with the Jacques Kallis Foundation. This saw him attending Maritzburg College. Currently enrolled at UKZN Westville in Durban to study Sports Science, it’s little wonder that Kurtlyn sees the legendary Jacques Kallis as his hero and mentor. He says Jacques chats to him at least once a month, calling or sending e-mails to check on his marks. Aside from Jacques Kallis, Kurtlyn says he modelled his batting around Australian captain Michael Clarke.
His main goal is to play for the Proteas before he’s 25. For now, he will use the coming year to break into the Dolphins ‘A’ or ‘B’ side and land a rookie or semi-professional contract.
“I am very proud of my achievements so far and will continue striving to become a great cricket player,” smiles Kurtlyn.
