WPCA praises CSA Award Winners

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August 2020

Western Province Cricket Association President Advocate Nic Kock led the praises for all the respective winners from the Amateur and Professional Awards held virtually over the past weekend.

Western Province and Momentum Proteas Women’s star Laura Wolvaardt was the big winner after being named as the SA Women’s Cricketer of the Year, Momentum ODI Player of the Year and to top off a sweep of the major awards, the Players’ Player of the Year.

Cape Cobras all-rounder George Linde put the seal on his hugely successful season by being officially awarded the SACA MVP Award and being named as the 4-Day Franchise Cricketer of the Season.

His Cobras team-mate, Janneman Malan was named as the Young Player of the Year for the 2019 Mzansi Super League for his performances for the Newlands-based Cape Town Blitz team.

The youngest member of the Cobras squad this coming season, Jono Bird, added another award to his ever-growing CV, by being named as the SA U19 Cricketer of the Year during Friday’s Amateur Awards.

Western Province’s KFC mini-cricket coach Ruth Bowles was awarded the KFC Mini-Cricket Coach of the Year, whilst Western Province’s Brindley Gilbert was named as the RPC HUBS Coach of the Year.

All in all, Western Province Cricket Association President Advocate Nic Kock was a very proud man and conveyed his congratulations to all the winners. 

“Laura continues to represent Western Province and South Africa with aplomb. She exudes professionalism way beyond her age of just 21 years old. We couldn’t be prouder of her achievements and how Laura continues to inspire young girls who are starting out playing cricket.

“Brindley Gilbert and Ruth Bowles are two excellent examples of the commitment shown by our coaches in developing young cricketers at Western Province. Our youth structures from KFC Mini-Cricket to U19 level made a strong showing at this year’s CSA Amateur Awards Ceremony. I want to congratulate the entire WP Cricket Services Department, led by Clinton du Preez, who continue to work to the highest standards in the country.”

“Jono Bird is an incredible talent and we are looking forward to what he is going to bring to the Cobras set-up. Janneman Malan and George Linde both continue to show exponential growth in their respective games under the guidance of Ashwell Prince and I am looking forward to both of them being given more opportunities on the international stage.”

“Finally, credit must go to WP Women’s Coach Claire Terblanche, WP U19 and Academy Coach Gurshwin Rabie, WP Men’s Senior Provincial Coach Paul Adams and Cobras Coach Ashwell Prince who continue to give cricketers opportunities to shine and express their talents on the big stage. We have a very proud history at Western Province and with coaches like them in place, we continue to produce national players every single year.”

“On behalf of the entire Western Province Cricket Association, I want to say congratulations to all the winners and nominees in their respective categories.

Wolvaardt’s coach at Provincial level, Claire Terblanche expressed her pride in her star batsman and team-mate Nadine de Klerk who was nominated in the T20 Player of the Year category.

“We are just so proud of both Nadine and Laura. Nadine, for being nominated at such a young age, is fantastic. She’s done a lot of hard work through the years and this nomination was a testament to that hard work. We are looking forward to seeing her momentum grow as she grows. Laura, our WP stalwart, her deserved wins are yet another testament to all the hours of work she has put in over the years to intensify her game. She remains a lover of the game and humble in her pursuit of excellence. Laura is always one to just have fun and really enjoy her batting and her drive to keep hitting the ball is what is going to be a positive influence for her, for years to come. It is a proud moment for WP Women and myself as coach that we can celebrate these players’ achievements and hope to celebrate more with them in the future.”

Cape Cobras Coach Ashwell Prince congratulated his players. “All of the coaching staff are absolutely delighted for all our winners over the weekend. Jono is obviously one from our youth system that we’ve been tracking for a while, and his performances for the SA U19s have earned him a taste of franchise cricket during last season’s Momentum One Day Cup and also his first professional contract with the Cobras.  He played really nicely in those 6 or 7 games that he played, and has a very bright future ahead of him.

“A few years ago George was regarded as pretty much a white ball or even T20 specialist. It was in the shortest format where he first got his opportunity to play for the Cobras (under Paul Adams) and he was really successful at that. Most young players these days would have been happy to carve out a career in white ball cricket, but George had a determination to prove that he can be a cricketer for all formats. On Saturday night he walked away with the Franchise 4 Day Cricketer of the Year award, The Most Valuable Player in the country award (domestic level) and he earned a Test debut during this past season. We are delighted for George and everything he achieved is just reward for his attitude and determination. The nicest part of it all is that his best is yet to come.”

“Jannas is a special player, and he illustrated that during his magnificent century vs the Aussies in just his second ODI. But this came as no surprise to us, as we work with him on a daily basis and know what he’s capable of. The sky is the limit for this young man, but just like George Linde previously, there’s a real hunger and determination to succeed in all formats and all levels of the game. His first season in the MSL and his innings at the Bullring in MSL 2.0 was absolute box office. He’s a young player with the world at his feet, but he also has his feet firmly rooted on the ground and this is one of his greatest strengths of character.”

Cricket Services Manager Clinton du Preez concluded by thanking all the role players for their contributions over the past season. “I want to congratulate all our award winners, we are so proud of Laura and Jono and Ruth and Brindley are two of the most dedicated coaches at WP and we thank them for their contributions. I’d also like to acknowledge and thank all the other Hub Coaches and management structures for the support and role they play within the success of the RPC program.”

“Finally, I want to thank the coaches involved with Jono and Laura’s development as they play a critical role in the careers of those players and the unselfish work done by mini-cricket coaches and how valued their contribution is with the development of young cricketers.”