IT’S interesting sometimes to see that our top sportsman are ‘rested’ from time to time, especially cricketers.
I’m not saying for a second they don’t work hard or are not in need of a break.
But spending a day watching U11s play cricket made me wonder if the 8-ball or even sometimes 10-ball over might make a comeback.
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These youngsters played three days in a row, two games a day and 30 overs a side, so roughly 360 overs in three days.
That’s a lot of cricket. And wides and no-balls there were aplenty.
Yet they ran in and ran in, seemingly with no end to their energy reserves.
It did not really seem to matter the state of the match, they simply gave it their all.
It was great to see these from various backgrounds enjoying the game together.
The camaraderie and sportsmanship was exceptional.
It showed, in many ways, that in cricket size and shape doesn’t really matter, but skill and heart certainly do!
While our beautiful yet troubled nation has its problems we are still privileged to have many superb grounds on which to play cricket.
The Proteas recent, unexpected but not unwelcome whitewash of Australia (our new favourite foe, it seems) has shown that sometimes giving someone new a chance can reap pleasing results.
Hopefully, young boys and girls will continue being given a chance to play cricket and that it will be something that schools will maintain as a summer sporting priority for many years to come.
Now it’s up to the Proteas to keep the momentum going when they play India soon.
Then it’s on to the T20 World Cup in Australia in October.
South Africa, as all cricket fans know, has never won a World Cup.
But if they can play with the same zest and zip that these young guns showed, a major trophy can’t be far off.
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