CRICKET NEWS - After SWD Cricket recorded outstanding achievements in many areas of their operational structures in 2015/2016 the season under review (2016/17) did not produce the same level of results, but in his presidential address, Rudy Claassen reported that the company can still look back on some proud achievements the past season.
Claassen spoke at SWD Cricket's annual general meeting in Oudtshoorn on 25 July.
"In comparison with the previous year the results of the operational incentive scorecard are disappointing, but we as a board of directors are convinced that we can again progress to the top three positions in the country," he said.
In a year of tough financial challenges a profit of R329 395 for the 2016/2017 financial year was declared. Capital improvements of
R1 889 762 at the stadium was made and stadium equipment to the value of R1 350,000 was procured. In addition, the national lotteries commission allocated R500 000 towards SWD Cricket for various cricket programs.
The second edition of the Africa Twenty20 Cup (Pool B) was hosted by SWD during September 2016 and the union managed to present a very professional event and was also rewarded when Cricket South Africa awarded the semi-finals and final to SWD. SWD also successfully hosted the first franchise match in Oudtshoorn during January 2017 when the Cobras took on the Highveld Lions in a 4-day Sunfoil match at the REC Ground.
"It is with great excitement that we are looking forward to the 2017/18 season when the Cobras will have two confirmed Sunfoil series matches and one Momentum One Day Cup match scheduled for Oudtshoorn."
He highlighted the inclusion of Jean du Plessis in the SA Colts team and SA Franchise Colts team. SWD Cricket also successfully managed to retain Jean du Plessis as well as other talented players like Todd Walker, Grant Esau, Bailey Aarons and Levin Muller as identified players in their system and concluded a memorandum of agreement with the Nelson Mandela University to strengthen relations and operational functionality.
Cricket SA places a huge emphasis on its transformation program with specific reference to the Black African Development program. During the past season, SWD produced the first provincial product of their system, namely Mthobeli Bangindawo who made his debut for SWD during the Africa T20 Cup. The board of directors also expressed its satisfaction with the significant improvement in the quality of opportunity reports that emanate from the participation of our provincial representative teams in different competitions.
SWD Cricket successfully presented the CSA Franchise Academies Week in January 2016 and hosted a Youth Series of three matches between the u/19 national teams of South Africa and Sri Lanka. SWD will host the Momentum u.13 national week in December 2017 and CSA Franchise Academies Week in January 2018.
During the election process Shael Laminie, Calvyn Scheepers and Llewelyn Louw were all re-elected as non-independent directors and Jenny Kiewit as an independent director. Caroline Coetzee was appointed as a new independent director on the board.
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