Theunis de Bruyn scoops five Titans awards
The Titans' annual awards function was a testimony to the brilliant season that Theunis de Bruyn experienced since returning to Pretoria after two years of ‘cricket exile’ in the Free State.
After a brilliant season in which he established himself as one of South Africa’s best batsmen, Theunis de Bruyn completely dominated the Annual Titans Awards at Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate last week.
The powerful top order batsman was head and shoulders above his peers in all formats, and his reward was a haul of five trophies, including the coveted Player of the Year.
“We were thrilled when we got him back from the Knights, and he has most certainly made up for lost time. Theunis remains one of the very best players in South Africa, and performances like these for the Titans can only strengthen his claims for more Proteas caps, across all formats,” Titans CEO, Dr Jacques Faul enthused.
De Bruyn also won the Players’ Player of the Year, the Most valuable Player gong, as well as the First-Class Player of the Year and the T20 Player of the Year, having finished the CSA T20 Challenge as the leading scorer in the competition – despite only playing seven games.
His form in the Four-Day Franchise Series was also phenomenal, as he toiled manfully in a challenging campaign for the team.
De Bruyn told Rekord after the function that he appreciated the awards so much after two setbacks with his health threatened to spoil his season.
“First, doctors discovered that I had a problem with my eyes. This is, of course, a major crisis for any batsman, but thanks to good treatment and an operation I could quickly be back on the field with no further sight problems,” explained the former learner of Hoërskool Menlopark.
He also suffered a back injury later in the season, but he managed to overcome it with good treatment and then continued to play brilliantly for the Titans in the Momentun one-day series and the local T20 tournament.
The constantly improving Junior Dala won two awards on the night. The tearaway fast bowler established himself as the spearhead this season, vaulting the Titans to the Momentum One-Day Cup title.
That saw him win the MODC Player of the Year award, but his night didn’t end there. Dala was also voted as the Fans’ Player of the Year, having given them plenty to cheer over the past season.
Young spinner Gregory Mahlokwana won the Newcomer of the Year award, as he continues to develop into an excellent white-ball weapon for the franchise.
The night also provided an opportunity to say goodbye to long-serving captain Albie Morkel, who announced his retirement during the course of the season. The allrounder was a distinguished servant of the Sky Blues, and added significant gloss to a night of celebration by delivering a moving speech.
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