Bus gives boost to development cricket

Development cricket in Gauteng received a major boost thanks to Pridwin Preparatory School and Bridge Taxi Finance on 3 December.

The school donated a bus to Central Gauteng Lions (CGL), which will be used to transport children from disadvantaged schools to and from cricket matches across the province.

Grade 4 to 7 learners at Pridwin Prep were excited to meet Rassie van der Dussen and Justin Sammons of the Jozi Stars, who signed autographs for the boys at the bus handover ceremony.

Deputy headmaster at Pridwin Prep Eswee Prinsloo said the school embarked on a relationship with the Lions seven years ago, donating equipment to boys who were less privileged.

“We discovered that getting to venues and fixtures was a major hurdle for these children and we wanted to make a difference,” said Prinsloo.

CEO of the Lions Jono Leaf-Wright explained to the Pridwin boys, “Not everyone is as privileged as we are to have our parents drop us off and pick us up from matches. Some children must get up at 4.30am to get to a match and have to wait for hours to get a ride home.

“For us to create the next hero, mentor or great story, it’s going to take partnerships like this. This is an historical moment for Pridwin and CGL and I challenge other private schools to follow suit and make a difference for the next generation of cricketers.”

Lions coach Harmony Ntshinga said this donation would go a long way to help develop young cricketers.

Van der Dussen thanked Pridwin for paving the way for the next generation of Temba Bavumas. “Johannesburg is such a massive area and there are a lot of cricketers here, many of whom can’t get to matches,” he said. “This will make sure that we get more kids playing cricket because school cricket and club cricket is the lifeblood of the sport we love.”

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