The North West u.19 Cricket team can be proud of their achievements during the u.19 Khaya Majola Coke Week that was held in Port Elizabeth from 16-20 December last year.
The team won three of their five matches and narrowly lost two matches to Namibia and KZN. Their wins against Limpopo and Border were an excellent reflection of the team’s capability in all departments on the field.
The team started the tournament with vigour and intensity as it dispatched Border in Time Cricket format with ease, thanks to Ruan Haasbroek’s unbeaten 101 – the first hundred of the week this year.
“We lost an early wicket and needed to start building a partnership and once Vian Maritz and I got settled we started to accelerate,” said Haasbroek.
Border was bowled out for 107 thanks to a brilliant bowling performance from Tshepo Seroalo who took 4/22. North West made 221/4 in reply and won the match on its first innings.
North West was unlucky in its second match against Namibia on day 2 as a poor first innings display led to the team’s downfall. North West was skittled out for a paltry 164 in its first innings while Namibia replied with 167 – giving them an important three-run lead.
North West did much better in its second innings with Potch Gimnasium’s Lourén Steenkamp hitting 55 not out before the end of the day. North West made 112/1 in its second innings but Namibia won as they scored more runs in their first innings.

Day 3 of the Khaya Majola Week saw the introduction of fast-paced T20 cricket with teams playing in two matches. North West started the day against Kwa Zulu Natal in a nailbiting match where the team was unlucky not to gain their second victory. KZN got the upper hand in the super over as the boys from the North West had to endure a heart-breaking defeat.
In the second match of the day, North West went up against eventual runners-up, Western Province. This was not only a tough match on paper, but it proved to be tough on the field as well. WP’s SA u.19 player, Dayaan Galiem shone with both bat and ball as his 67 and 4/8 ensured a comfortable 41-run victory.
It did not get any easier for North West on the fourth day, as they lost their first limited overs match by 130 runs against Boland. The team bounced back in its final match against Limpopo with Haasbroek scoring an unbeaten 96 and HTS Potchefstroom’s Modise Mahlaku hitting a quick-fire 32 to lead them to 213/6. Boland could only score 147/6 in their overs to give North West an easy victory.
Haasbroek, Steenkamp, Mahlaku, Maritz and Senokwane were the standout players for North West and will be players to keep an eye out for in the future.
Here are the results of the Coke Week for North West:
Day 1:
Border: 107 (Malika 29, Ngwana 23; Ruan Minnaar 3/21, Seroalo 4/22). North West: 221/4 (Haasbroek 101 not out, Maritz 47, Jandré Dreyer 28).
Day 2:
North West first innings 164 (Vian Maritz 69, Jandré Dreyer 40; Charl Brits 3/47, Frederik Coetzee 2/14); Namibia first innings 167 (Lohandré Louwrens 32, Jurgen Linde 30, Nikolaas Davin 30; Tshepo Seroalo 2/16, Ruan Haasbroek 2/17); North West second innings 112/1 (Louren Steenkamp 63, Lesego Senokwane 34*). Namibia won on first innings.
Day 3:
KwaZulu-Natal 123/9 (Jason Wagener 35, Keean Rencken 28; Lesego Senokwane 3/18); North West 123/8 (Vian Maritz 34; Nduduzo Mfoza 3/12, Okuhle Cele 2/11). Match tied – KwaZulu-Natal won on the boundary countback rule.
Western Province 140/5 (Dayyaan Galiem 67, Gavin Kaplan 27; Modise Matlhaku 2/22); North West 99 (Lesego Senokwane 32; Dayyaan Galiem 4/8). Western Province won by 41 runs.
Day 4:
Boland 192 (Fenito Mehl 57, Hannes Venter 47, Phumzu Mntungwa 35*; Ruan Haasbroek 2/10); North West 62 (Lesego Senokwane 24; Luke Philander 5/12, Milton Mackier 2/12).Boland won by 130 runs.
Day 5:
North West 213/6 (Ruan Haasbroek 96*, Vian Maritz 36, Modise Matlhaku 32; Brendan Bezuidenhout 2/31); Limpopo 167/9 (Morné Venter 40, Sahil Patel 33*; Lesego Senokwane 3/30). North West won by 46 runs.