Change the world

Doing the basics consistently well will be the key to success for the Madibaz cricket team when they challenge for the University Sport South Africa title in Johannesburg next month.

The 50-overs tournament takes place at Wits from December 2 to 6 and the Nelson Mandela University outfit are eager to underline their ability against their peers.

Two years ago they were beaten finalists against University of Pretoria, while the 2018 edition saw them finish fifth.

Madibaz coach Lefa Mosena said it was all about executing the small things properly.

“Our main challenge will be to make sure we keep doing our basics consistently,” he said. “If we can achieve that and do it for longer periods than our opposition then we will have a good chance.

“The main goal during the week will be to make sure we play to the team’s potential as this will ensure we get favourable results.”

He said their focus would be on finishing at least in the top three.

As they are fielding a relatively young side, he stressed how important the senior players were.

“Players who have been to this tournament are always key as they can share their experiences with the debutants on how to navigate through certain opposition and situations.”

The week will see Madibaz playing three round-robin games in their pool, followed by cross pool play-offs and classification matches between the top eight-ranked teams in the A section.

Mosena said they realised there would be challenging ties ahead but that the team were confident as they had prepared well.

“UP-Tuks, Maties [Stellenbosch] and University of Johannesburg have always made a good showing at this tournament. So playing them is a tough battle.

“Apart from our weekly sessions in the nets and conditioning at the Madibaz High Performance Centre, our local 50-overs league has been ideal to get us playing competitive cricket against other opposition for our preparation.”

Madibaz Sport cricket manager Sipho Sibande said the tournament provided a platform for some of the team’s younger players to make an impact.

“We are delighted at how the first years have progressed since they started at Madibaz earlier this year and we cannot wait to see them in action against other opposition from around the country,” he said.

“The fact that a large percentage of the players are still relatively young means the next couple of years are looking healthy for Madibaz cricket.”

 

Tristan Stubbs will be aiming to make an impact when he turns out for Madibaz at the University Sport South Africa cricket tournament at Wits in Johannesburg from December 2 to 6. Photo: Brittany Blaauw