IN THE NEWS

Menlo Park win Standard Bank Schools Pro20 Challenge

29 March 2010

Hoërskool Menlo Park won the inaugural Standard Bank Schools Pro20 Challenge after a tense two run victory over Maritzburg College at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria on Sunday. Menlo Park, representing the Titans Franchise, bag R100 000 to use towards development at the school, as well as the coveted trophy, naming them as the best Pro20 school in the country.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) CEO Gerald Majola said: “Congratulations to Hoërskool Menlo Park for winning the inaugural edition of the Standard Bank Schools Pro20 Challenge. In just its first year, this competition has already had a positive impact on youth cricket overall. CSA has received positive feedback from administrators, players, and parents alike, and we are excited about what the future holds for this competition.

“Standard Bank should be commended for throwing its weight behind this Schools Pro20 Challenge and further extending their sponsorship involvement in the Pro20 space. Their innovative ideas have helped revolutionise the twenty-over format at all levels in South Africa. It is our intention to take this competition to new heights next year and we look forward to working closely with Standard Bank in this regard.

Menlo Park earlier beat Woodridge College by seven wickets and ended top of Pool A after Wynberg Boys High School upset strong contenders King Edward VII School (KES) by seven wickets. Maritzburg College ended on top of Pool B, despite their eight-wicket defeat at the hands of Northern Cape High School in their final pool match in the morning.

Menlo Park scored 136/4 in their innings, buoyed by Regardt Verster’s undefeated 41, which also earned him the man of the match award. Theunis de Bruyn (37) and Anton Verster’s (39) partnership of 61 off 52 balls was vital in building the match-winning total. Maritzburg College’s captain Jaryd Walsh and Kewan Harries got the Pietermaritzburg side off to a solid start with an opening partnership of 32 off 34 balls before Menlo Park’s attack pegged back the run-flow. The match went down to the final over, Glenn Foxcroft holding his nerve to lead his side to victory in the last ball. Calvin Savage (39) and Nicholas Hendrie (22) were the top-scorers for Maritzburg College.

Standard Bank’s Sponsorship Manager, Jonty Rhodes said: “ I’m very proud of my Alma Mater (Maritzburg) for making it through to the final of the Standard Bank Schools Pro20 Challenge, but congratulations to Menlo Park for winning. I have been catching some snippets of the competition here in India, and it has been wonderful to see the Pro20 talent.”

The Competition has not only been a brilliant display of the youth talent budding in the country, but also bodes well for CSA’s development structures which are currently breeding the next generation of Proteas players.  

CSA President, Dr Mtutuzeli Nyoka, who was on hand to present the Standard Bank Schools Pro20 Challenge trophy to the winning team, said cricket development could only benefit from a tournament like this.

“It is important that we further grow youth cricket. It is a vital part of our cricket development pipeline, and this tournament has the potential to take schools cricket to another level. Pro20 cricket is an exciting format, and the children are ecstatic to be playing in a high profile tournament, which is being televised, and talked about in all parts of South Africa.

“CSA will continue in its efforts to boost cricket development through the introduction of innovative initiatives which speak directly to our various target markets. We urge the communities to come on board and support CSA in shaping tomorrow.”

Sterling High School from East London were the recipients of a full cricket kit after their name was randomly drawn in a list of the 340 schools that participated in the competition.

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