Alberton’s Ashleigh chosen for provincial cricket team

Ashleigh van Wyk (14) is a talented cricket player from Hoërskool Marais Viljoen High who has been playing the sport since she was nine years old.

Recently she has been chosen to be part of the Easterns senior women’s team and she is very excited about her future as she plans to become a professional cricket player one day.

Cricket or nothing

“I used to play cricket with my older brother, Sheldon, every day after school, and I just fell in love with the sport,” said Ashleigh. She then, after a long battle, started playing cricket in primary school on the boys’ team.

“It was an honour to be able to play with boys and they just always made me feel welcome. They also did not hold back during practices or matches just because I am a girl.”

She made the U13 Easterns cricket team when she was only nine years old and played in the first cricket team in primary school.

Ashleigh has also been part of the Alberton Cricket Club for a year before moving over to the Bedfordview Cricket Club where she has been for the last four years.

She has been with NL Serious Cricket Academy based at Marais Viljoen for the last five years.

When she got to high school, she competed at the school’s trials where there were about 36 other players and she made it to the A-team. Four of her teammates, who she played with at the Bedfordview Cricket Club, are now her teammates in the A-team as they all go to the same school.

Ashleigh made it to the Easterns senior women’s team and the Easterns U16 team this year and she is looking forward to playing for both teams and representing her school.

She was drafted into the Cats team this year, which is part of the Lenasia Premier League (LPL) and they won the series in her age group.

Some of her highlights include when she smashed a 77 not out in 2021 and when she took a hat trick. Her best bowling stats are four wickets in three overs for zero runs.

Ashleigh is an allrounder. “I enjoy batting the most as I feel there is so much more action and it can be quite challenging. There are different ways and techniques, which can be used,” she said.

For her to be able to play in a boys’ team has given her a major confidence boost and her teammates inspire her to better herself.

“Cricket is such a fun sport for me as it can be played for competition or fun. It is a good sport for developing overall fitness, stamina and hand-eye coordination,” she explained.

A dream to follow

“My brother inspires me as he is an excellent cricket player. Everything I know about the sport is what he taught me and for that, I am so grateful.”

She said that Sheldon always motivated her and helped her and he is one of the reasons why she is the cricket player she is today.

Another role model in her life is Laura Wolvaardt, a South African cricketer who plays for Western Province, Adelaide Strikers, Northern Superchargers and South Africa (SA).

She plays as a right-handed opening batter.

“I am inspired because of what Laura has achieved as a woman cricketer. She also started playing cricket from a very young age and made it to the SA team when she was 19. In a way I can relate to her, and watching her in action has taught me a lot,” said Ashleigh.

Cricket is part of her plans, but she also wants to become a sports psychologist.

“It is one of my dreams to educate others on how psychology influences sport and to help them to improve their performance.”

She wants to encourage more girls to play cricket.

“Anyone can play cricket, and the benefits of the sport are just so amazing. I also want to take the opportunity to thank my brother, my father and my mother for all of their support and for being my number one fans. Thank you to all of my coaches for going the extra mile and enabling me to make my dream come true, especially coach Malcolm.”

The very energetic Ashleigh

She was born and raised in Alberton and has been living with her parents in Verwoerdpark for the last 14 years. Being active has always been part of her life.

When she is not playing cricket, she plays netball and does athletics and cross-country. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

“I am a big animal lover and will whenever I get the chance spend time with my pets,” she said.

Her hobbies include being creative as she loves to draw and paint. She is really this girly girl who likes to wear dresses and sandals off the cricket field. A childhood memory, which stands out for her, is the talks she and her brother had while playing cricket after school when they were younger.

A life motto she lives by is, “Wake up beauty. It’s time to the beast”.