Sam Henderson will be captaining Boland at the Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Week in December for the second year in a row, having led the team at last year’s week in Johannesburg as well, writes THEO GARRUN.

The Somerset College all-rounder enjoyed a good week last year, taking 11 wickets in all and making three big scores. It was also a good week for Boland, as they produced good results in the time cricket games, drawing with Free State and beating Northerns, and winning both their T20 games before losing to the eventual unofficial champions, Gauteng.

From the Coke Week, Sam went on to the CSA Cubs Week as part of the Cobras franchise U19 team and did well there too, making two half-centuries.

‘It was a good week for us, and we have four of those players back this year, as well as last year’s top U17 batsman, Ruan Terblanche, who is in good form, which will be good for us.’

Terblanche, who goes to Paul Roos Gimnasium, made 392 runs in last year’s U17 week and has scored 805 runs for his school team this season.

Sam’s re-selection as captain this year means it is the second year in a row that the Boland captain has come from Somerset College, which is quite a feat for what is a small school that is grouped with the traditional sporting powerhouses from Paarl and Stellenbosch.

‘We hold our own against those schools, and against the cricketing schools from Cape Town,’ Sam said. ‘A year or two ago we had a season in which we beat a whole lot of them, and although the team is in a rebuilding phase now, the school is recruiting talented players in the junior age groups and we are becoming a good cricket school.’

He is confident that this Boland side will do well this year.

‘The tournament is in Cape Town, so we are basically at home. The conditions will be familiar to us and that will give us an edge,’ he said. ‘We have the correct blend of experienced players and talented youngsters. A lot of us have also been in good form for our school teams, so we are looking forward to the competition.’

Sam’s immediate future has not been finally decided yet, but he knows it is going to involve cricket.

‘We do A Levels at Somerset College, so there is the option of studying at a university in the UK,’ he said. ‘At the moment it looks like I will be doing actuarial science at Stellenbosch University, and hopefully becoming part of the Cobras set-up.’

Before that, though, he wants to lead Boland to a good Khaya Majola Week, and hopefully go to the Cubs Week again early next year.

The four Boland players who are making their second appearances at the Khaya Majola Week are: Sam Henderson, Khaya Cotani, Garreth Wolmarans and Archille Cloete.

Boland U19 team
Rudolf Classen (Paul Roos Gimnasium)
Achille Cloete (Paarl Boys’ High)
Khanya Cotani (Paul Roos Gimnasium)
Samuel Henderson (Somerset College)
Johannes Lambrecht (Paarl Boys’ High)
Brenton Manuel (Paarl Boys’ High)
Anele Matya (Paul Roos Gimnasium)
Aiden Meyer (Paul Roos Gimnasium)
Akeem Minnaar (Klein Nederberg)
Nkosinathi Ngxoni (Western Cape Sports School)
Ruan Terblanche (Paul Roos Gimnasium)
Kieron Williams (Paarl Boys’ High)
Garreth Wolmarans (Paarl Gimnasium)
Coach: Nathaniel Tsolo   
Asst coach: Rudolph Buys
Manager: Terrence Adonis

Photo: Gallo Images courtesy of Coca-Cola