Damian to pass on his experience to locals

He has returned to his hometown to start coaching in the town where his cricket journey started. This former Southern Cross Schools (SCS) learner says during his school days at SCS they only just had enough players to form a team. “During my U13 year, we won the Limpopo small schools league. That year, three from Southern Cross represented Limpopo U13 cricket at an interprovincial tournament.” He attended high school in Franschhoek at Bridge House where he made his first team debut in Grade 8.

“At school, I also played for the men’s side at Groot Drakenstein Cricket Club and represented Boland in regional and provincial sides,” he said. De Vos, an all-rounder, joined the Western Province Cricket Club in Rondebosch after school, and in 2015 he was selected as a high-performance player at Gary Kirsten Cricket Academy. “I was selected for an invitational tour to Sri Lanka in 2015 and named a player of the series.

In 2016, I made my premier league debut for WPCC and I went on an invitational tour to the UAE where we played one of our games at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.” He signed his first overseas contract with Wath Cricket Club in South Yorkshire in the United Kingdom in 2017. He played two seasons for the club where he achieved the highest run score in the championship division in 2018. He scored 628 runs at an average of 39.25 runs per innings with a highest score of 117 not out.

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“The 117 not out was a very special hundred because my brother, Tyran, was there in the UK to witness it.” He then signed a contract with Maori Oxshott in Surrey where he played his last season in the UK. “During all three seasons in the UK, I had private one-on-one clients and ran holiday camps. Two girls I coached represented their county teams in the UK,” he added. From 2016 to 2022 he also coached at the Gary Kirsten Cricket Academy in Cape Town.

“I was on the coaching staff for two high-performance camps in 2019 and 2020 with players from the UK, India, Holland, UAE, Zimbabwe, and Barbados. I also coached the top players in every age group at Rondebosch Boys High School in the pre-season training camps in 2021 and 2022.” He received his level 1, 2, and 3 coaching qualifications over the years he coached at Gary Kirsten. “Gary Kirsten is a South African legend and I am grateful that he coached me and that I was given the opportunity to represent his academy in Cape Town for six to seven years.

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I learned a lot and had great experiences with his presence on the field and in the nets. I also learned a lot from Ryan Cook who was my batting coach and mentor. Ryan is now the head coach for the Netherlands cricket team,” he said. De Vos said he remembers not having access to much coaching when he was at primary school.

“It’s a special feeling to be able to offer coaching at a place where my love for the game started. This is what has inspired me to coach in Hoedspruit, my hometown. “I want to channel all my experience into the training that I offer; an environment my students would love to come to, where they can learn about this beautiful game, have fun doing so, and improve their skills. “Any skill can be mastered through dedication and effort. I hope to see some new faces coming to lessons. I welcome anyone and any age to my lessons,” concluded De Vos. Contact De Vos on 061 129 4060 for cricket lessons.