A new look Old Eds cricket team
HOUGHTON - With last seasons captain, Ryan Cook having relocated to Cape Town and Richard das Neves having taken up a position at UJ, the Old Eds Premier league cricket team will be a far younger one this season.
The new captain will be Gareth Harte, who has just returned from spending the English summer playing club cricket in Somerset and some games for Kent’s second team.
“We will not have a nucleus of some seven or eight players who played virtually every game for us last season, and coupled with call ups to the Lions and the Strikers, this will give the younger players a wonderful opportunity to play Premier league cricket,” he said.
“The bowling department may be a bit thin, but I expect Matthew Varner to be our main strike bowler with back up from David Sator, Naps de Beer and Jarred Barnes.”
He added that the batting line-up was looking good with Malcolm Nofal opening. “He will be supported by myself, Grant Roelofsen, Daniel van den Berg, and we also welcome back Wesley Briggs.”
The club will only be able to use the likes of Stephen Cook and Devon Conway when provincial call ups allow, and there is the possibility of other players also being called up by the Strikers.
Accepting the title of captaincy Harte said, “I will only be captain if we want to win trophies. The club has become used to collecting silverware most seasons, and a season without a trophy will be a failure.”
The team plays their first fixture against UJ away on 27 September followed by a home fixture against Jeppe the following day, and another at Wanderers on 5 October.
This is a tough start, and it will be a baptism of fire for some of the younger players.
