Blonde maiden Jordan bowls ’em over
The young cricketer would love more people to play the game.
SHE has a shock of blonde hair, striking green-grey eyes, doesn’t like to smile too much for the camera, but loves the game of cricket.
That’s Jordan Newman, aged 12, of Marburg, who followed her dad Peter to a game of indoor cricket some years ago.
She fell in love with the game then, and now plays whenever she gets the chance.
“She is outside all day with the other youngsters in the neighbourhood. It’s tiring just watching,” joked Peter.
Recently Jordan was selected to play for the KwaZulu-Natal U13 girls’ cricket team.
This is quite an achievement for a girl from a South Coast school. Jordan attends RA Engar Primary and will go to Port Shepstone Secondary for her high schooling.
Most of the girls in the team were from Durban schools. Jordan was also one of the youngest players, and so will still be young enough next year to try and make the team again.
She is something of an all-rounder, batting right-handed but bowling left-arm. “She prefers bowling, is medium-fast and bowls a mean in-swinger,” said her father.
The interprovincial tournament was held at St Alban’s school in Pretoria. The team travelled up by bus.
They played six games and won five of them which was a superb effort. They lost their last game to the host province but still won the festival overall.
KZN beat Gauteng A and B, Boland, Limpopo and Northerns B along the way.
Being one of the younger players she didn’t get to bowl and bat as much as she would have liked, but she did effect a run-out with some great fielding.
One of the highlights of the trip was briefly meeting Protea player David Miller. “He came to see us off,” said Jordan.
While Jordan also plays the odd game of volleyball, her passion is cricket and she would love to see the sport enjoy something of a revival on the South Coast.
She has an older brother and sister but they seem to spend more of their time on PlayStation and aren’t too interested in acting as fielders for her!
Peter took his indoor cricket seriously until a motorbike accident saw him sustain a leg injury that basically put paid to him being able to compete at the level at which he was.
He was hoping to make the KZN Over 40s at the time. Nowadays he channels his energy into doing what he can to see his daughter succeed in her chosen sport.
Peter thanked all those who had helped (in various ways) to make the trip to Pretoria possible for Jordan. “There are too many to mention by name. We are extremely grateful,” he said.
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