SOUTHERN CAPE CRICKET NEWS - SWD Cricket received a welcome financial injection this week when Smart Office Connexion announced it is the team sponsor for SWD for the Provincial T20 Cup (formerly known as the Africa T20 Cup) for the fifth consecutive year.
SWD, drafted in Pool B, are in Kimberley from today, Friday 13 September, playing alongside the hosts Northern Cape, Boland, Eastern Province and KwaZulu-Natal Inland.
"We have a long association with SWD Cricket and are proud to be involved with an organisation that strives for excellence and is a respected business partner," said Marcel de Ridder, business director for Smart Office Connexion. "SWD has shown tremendous growth and results both on and off the field and we are looking forward to their Provincial T20 Cup campaign."
Albertus Kennedy, CEO of SWD Cricket, said they are grateful for the ongoing support with their business partners and are looking forward with confidence to their team's ambitions for this coming weekend."
SWD president Rudi Claassen said: "We thank Smart Office Connexion for their ongoing support towards our brand. I am sure their involvement will be a huge boost to our players and to the game in general in our area." The SWD team is being captained by former SA U19 player, Jean du Plessis, and is boosted by four Cobras franchise players - Aviwe Mgijima, Tladi Bokako, Nandré Burger and Akhona Mnyaka.
Together with local heroes such as Niel Hornbuckle, Brendon Louw and Du Plessis, SWD have a decent line-up.
SWD coach, Baakier Abrahams, was confident ahead of the pool matches. "We take confidence in our preparations and there is a vibe of excitement."
Abrahams and his troops are keen to improve on last season's performances but they face some real game breakers in the diamond city. Aubrey Swanepoel, Obus Pienaar, Grant Mokoena and Patrick Kruger (Northern Cape), Rob Frylinck, Kyle Nipper and Cody Chetty (KZN Inland), Marco Marais (Eastern Province) and Ferisco Adams, Hanno Kotze, Simon Khomari and Lizaad Williams (Boland) are experienced game breakers in white ball cricket and will test Jean du Plessis and his men. The SWD team is: Jean du Plessis (captain), Neil Hornbuckle, Yamkela Oliphant, Heath Richards, Brendon Louw, Bailey Aarons, Aviwe Mgijima, Travis Ackermann, Mesuli Vuba, Tladi Bokako, Tsepo Ndwandwa, Nandré Burger and Akhona Mnyaka.
SWD fixtures:
- Friday, 13 September: vs KwaZulu-Natal Inland (13:30-16:40).
- Saturday, 14 September: vs Boland (09:30-12:40); vs Northern Cape (13:30-16:40).
- Sunday, 15 September: vs Eastern Province (09:30-12:40).
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