Single mom’s devotion and commitment drives Smith
He is the head of cricket at Benoni High School and is also the Eastern Cricket Union's head of high schools cricket.
The Benoni High School (BHS) cricket head, Andrew Smith, credited his mom for igniting his passion and love for the sport.
Smith was motivated to improve and become the best version of himself by his selfless, devoted and committed mother, who raised him by herself and ensured he succeeded as a cricketer.
“It comes from my mother,” said Smith on his love for cricket.
“She raised me as a single mom. She loves cricket. I was six when she took me to my first club. From there I just improved. I played in primary and high school.”
Influence
A member of the Benoni Northerns Cricket Club (BNCC) for many years, Smith represented the club from the age of 16, playing in various age-group divisions before a stint at Three Bridges Cricket Club in England, where he played on the county circuit.
He shared his admiration for Northerns and Three Bridges, explaining both clubs played a pivotal role in his growth and development, adding they were instrumental in his transition into coaching.
The coach cited Northerns stalwarts like Mark Robey, Gavin Rademeyer and Suleiman Ebrahim as his greatest influences, saying as a youngster he could turn to them at any time for guidance.
“I was raised in an environment where you could speak to these older guys who were always ready to assist. They also taught me a great level of respect,” he said.
Smith’s career has come full circle. After the likes of Rademeyer and Ebrahim mentored him as a youngster, he’s now coaching their sons, Morgan and Sohail, in the BHS U19 team.
“We have become a close-knit family and it has helped a lot in the development of our team.”
Talent
With a keen eye for spotting talent, Smith’s years of toiling inside the oval and sharing change rooms with legends of the game are coming in handy in his role at BHS.
“When it comes to scouting talent, you don’t need a complete project. There are plenty of rough diamonds out there that you can shape into the players you want them to become and then assist them to be the best they can be. That’s what we are big on at BHS. We don’t offer bursaries. We simply develop talent,” he said.
Smith is also the chairperson of the Easterns High School cricket and the ECU’s U19 team manager for the Khaya Majola Week.
He acknowledged the crucial role schools play in developing and nurturing talent, saying it’s a massive help to the ECU.
The school’s system has produced players like Dewan Marais and Martin Khumalo, who represented SA in the ICC U19 World Cup in January, as well as Juan Steyn and leg-break bowler Parth Patel, who recorded the best ever bowling figures of 7/15 in 10 overs at the Khaya Majola Week in December.
“It makes me feel good. It shows the growth and potential of the region. All these players come from their schools’ development. Hoërskool Marais Viljoen should take credit for Dewan and Juan. We have the hub in Actonville, which gave us Martin. It shows that the schools are the foundation.”
On his future, he’s got no ambition to leave SA. While the goal is to become a provincial and national coach, he’s happy with his current work and would continue to upskill himself to become a level three and four coach.
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