A number of South African cricketers were all born in 2000 and turn 20 in 2020. SA Cricket magazine looks at this unique crop of talent …

Gerald Coetzee (St Andrew’s School) – 2 October

Coetzee represented Free State at the 2017 and 2018 Khaya Majola Weeks. He captained the 2018 South African Schools team and played for SA at the 2019 ICC U19 World Cup and on the tour to India. He made his List A debut for Free State in the CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge in 2018; his T20 debut for the Knights in April 2019 and his first-class debut for the Knights in the 2019-20 4-Day Franchise Series. A fast bowler who was clocked at 140km/h-plus as a schoolboy, he is certainly one to look out for.

Khanya Cotani (Paul Roos Gymnasium) – 13 September

He played for Boland at the Khaya Majola Week in 2017 and 2018 and was selected for the SA Schools Colts team in 2017. He captained the South Africa U19 team in the one-day series against Pakistan in 2019 and is in the greater squad from which the team to play in the ICC U19 World Cup in 2020 will be chosen. He made his first-class debut for North West in the CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup in January 2019 and his List A debut for North West in the CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge in 2019.

Ximus du Plooy (Affies) – 3 November

He represented Northerns at the 2018 Khaya Majola Week and won the prize for the best fielder of the week on the strength of several spectacular catches. He also represented his province at U13 and U17 level. He is a left-handed batsman who made a lot of runs for Affies and had a good Khaya Majola Week, making 61 not out against Western Province and 50 against Boland.

Dian Forrester (Affies) – 7 June

Forrester became the first player to take five wickets and score a century in the same game at the Khaya Majola Week when he made 107 not out and took 5-25 against KZN Inland in 2018. He was rewarded with a place in the SA Schools Colts team. He played for Northerns in the CSA Cubs Week and took 5-25 for Northerns U19 in the warm-up game against the SA U19 team before the ICC U19 World Cup in January 2019. He is part of the Northerns Academy and the Tuks development programme.

Jarred Jardine (St David’s Marist) – 4 November

He was one of the stars of the Gauteng team that won the ‘main game’ at the 2017 and 2018 Khaya Majola Weeks.  He represented SA U19 in the Youth Test series against England in 2018, before being called up for the national U19 side on their tour to India, replacing the injured Gerald Coetzee. He is studying at Pretoria University and is a member of the Titans Academy. Jardine made his Twenty20 debut for Northerns in the 2019-20 CSA Provincial T20 Cup in September 2019.

Fraser Jones (Michaelhouse) – 14 June

Fraser represented KwaZulu-Natal Inland at U17 level and at the 2017 and 2018 U19 Khaya Majola Weeks as an opening bowler. He attended The Ridge Primary School in Johannesburg before moving to Michaelhouse and represented Gauteng at U13 level. He was selected for the SA U17 team and played in the ICC U19 World Cup in New Zealand. He also played in the one-day series against West Indies and the triangle tournament against U19 England and Namibia. He was the Dolphins 12th man in a Sunfoil Series match and is in the Tugela Sharks team in the Dolphins T20 Premier League.

Bonga Makaka – (Newlands Cricket High School) 5 April

Makaka was selected for the SA Colts side at the 2018 Khaya Majola Week after standout performances for Western Province, having come through the Newlands Cricket High School system.
He began playing at Khayelitsha Cricket Club and was offered a bursary to the Newlands Cricket School after representing Western Province at U15 level. He was selected for the SA U19 team for their tour to India. He made his first-class debut for Western Province in the 2017-18 Sunfoil 3-Day Cup and his List A debut for Western Province in the 2017-18 CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge in January 2018.

Jacob Miltz (St David’s Marist) – 14 February

Miltz was captain of the Central Gauteng Lions team that won the main game at the Khaya Majola Week in Cape Town at the end of 2018. He made his debut for the SA U19 team at the beginning of the 2018 year, playing in the two Youth Tests in England in 2018. He is part of the Central Gauteng Lions Academy system and plays for the University of Johannesburg in the Gauteng Premier League.

Kgaudisa Molefe (Jeppe High School) – 9 February

The spin bowler played at the 2017 and 2018 Khaya Majola Weeks and made the SA Schools team in both years. He was the leading wicket-taker of the 2018 Khaya Majola Week. Playing for Central Gauteng Lions, he claimed 21 wickets at an average of only eight runs per victim. He played at the 2018 ICC U19 World Cup and toured England in July. He made his List A debut for Gauteng in 2019 and has been contracted by the Central Gauteng Lions.

Linda Ndlovu (Jeppe High School) – 3 September

Captain of the successful Jeppe 2018-19 team and represented Central Gauteng Lions at the 2018 Khaya Majola Week in Cape Town. He played for the Central Gauteng Lions Academy team in an inter-provincial game and has been contracted by the union for 2020.

Thando Ntini (Wynberg Boys’ High) – 7 July

The son of SA bowling legend Makhaya Ntini, he represented Western Province at the 2017 and 2018 Khaya Majola Weeks and was selected for the SA Schools team in 2018. He has played for the SA U19 team in most of their recent matches. He made his Twenty20 debut for Western Province in the 2018 Africa T20 Cup in September 2018, his List A debut in the 2018-19 CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge in February 2019 and his first-class debut for the province in the same month, progressing to the Cape Cobras in October. He was included in the Paarl Rocks team for the 2019 Mzanzi Super League and was awarded a senior contract by Cricket South Africa before the 2018-19 domestic season.

Caleb Pillay (Westville Boys’ High) – 29 October

Pillay is a left-handed batsman who played for KwaZulu-Natal Inland at the 2017 and 2018 Khaya Majola Weeks and made the SA Schools team in 2018. He made his first-class debut for KwaZulu-Natal Inland in the 2019-20 CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup.

James Ritchie (Hilton College) – 26 April

Ritchie represented KwaZulu-Natal Inland at the 2017 and 2018 Khaya Majola Weeks. He captained the SA Colts side after a standout tournament which saw him score over 240 runs, leading them to a shock victory over the SA Schools team in the concluding game of the 2018 week in Cape Town. He was named the Coca-Cola Schools T20 Cricketer of the Year at the 2018 CSA awards breakfast after leading Hilton College to the final of the national tournament.

Gareth Schreuder (Hilton College) – 10 February

Represented KwaZulu-Natal Inland at the 2018 Khaya Majola Week and was selected for the SA Colts side. He is playing for Surrey in the English Second XI County Championship and made a century in his first game there.

Tristan Stubbs (Grey High School) – 14 August

Made the most runs at the 2018 Khaya Majola Week – 287 – at an average of  71.8 including 110 vs Boland on the first day. He has since gone on to the Nelson Mandela University where he was one of the shining lights for the Madibaz at the 2018 Varsity Cup tournament. The 19-year-old wicketkeeper batted in the middle order and hit 258 runs at an average of 56 and a strike rate of 121. His top score was 80.

Matthew Montgomery (Clifton College) – 10 May

Montgomery was the captain of the SA U19 team that went to India in February 2019. He represented KwaZulu-Natal Coastal at the 2017 and 2018 Khaya Majola Weeks and captained the Dolphins at the 2018 CSA Cubs Week where he was the third-highest run-scorer. He made his T20 debut for KwaZulu-Natal in the 2018 Africa T20 Cup in September 2018 and his first-class debut in the 2018-19 CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup. He made his List A debut in the 2018-19 CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge in January 2019, scoring a century. He was the leading run-scorer for his province in that tournament, scoring 221 runs in four innings.

Emmanuel Motswiri (Maragon School) – 4 September

Represented the Central Gauteng Lions side for the second year in a row at the 2018 Khaya Majola Week and had a successful week, averaging more than 50 with the bat, including 51 not out against KwaZulu-Natal Coastal. He was selected for the SA Colts team, has represented his province at every level and is in the greater SA U19 squad.

Cameron Shekleton (St Stithians College) – 21 January

He made the high individual score at the 2018 Khaya Majola Week – 137 for Central Gauteng Lions against Western Province during the unofficial final of the week at Newlands. He was included as a wicketkeeper-batsman in the SA Schools team. He made his first-class debut for Gauteng in the 2018-19 CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup in February 2019 and his List A debut for Gauteng in the 2018-19 CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge.

Garnett Tarr (St Andrew’s School) – 2 July

Captained Free State at the 2018 Khaya Majola Week and then went on to lead the Knights team at the Cubs Week in Stellenbosch. He made the highest score in the history of that tournament when he amassed 181 runs off 135 deliveries (21x4s, 7x6s), opening the batting for the Knights against the Cape Cobras. He made his first-class debut for Northern Cape in the 2018-19 CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup in February 2019 and his List A debut for Northern Cape in the 2018-19 CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge.