Luke Holland of St Benedict’s College will captain the Easterns U19 team at the Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Week in Cape Town from 16 to 20 December 2018, writes THEO GARRUN.

St Benedict’s was moved from the Gauteng union to Easterns three years ago on the basis that it is located in Ekurhuleni. Luke was in grade 10 then and he made the Easterns U17 team that year, and got the nod for the U19s the following year.

‘I had a pretty decent Khaya Majola Week last year,’ he said. ‘I made a 100 against Limpopo and a 40 and a 30,’ said Holland, who scored two centuries during his school’s pre-season tour to Zimbabwe, so he is heading into Khaya Majola Week in good form.

‘The Coke Week is very important because it’s the first time that there is media and selector focus on you as a player, so you have to learn to handle the pressure,’ he said. ‘You have to perform there to show you are ready to take the next step up as a player.’

Luke is a top order batsman who also bowls a bit of off-spin.

‘We have three good spinners in the team, so the plan is that I won’t bowl at the week unless we need some variation. I might give myself a few overs in one of the time cricket games, depending on how it’s going,’ said Luke, who is aware that Easterns always go into the Khaya Majola Week as underdogs.

‘We are not going to take notice of that this year,’ he said. ‘We have shown over the years, at the week and in our warm-up games, that if we put it together we can be competitive against the top teams. We are an experienced team, as seven of our players were at the Khaya Majola Week last year, and key players have been in good form for their schools. We will all be concentrating on our own game and not worrying too much about the opposition.’

The Easterns team comes from a wide range of schools. There are two St Benedict’s boys and the only other school with more than one representative is EG Jansen, with three.

Easterns U19 team for Khaya Majola Week 2018
Sahil Khan (Hans Moore)
Neil Bothma (Marais Viljoen)
Mazamo Mboqo (Kwathema)
Arni Enslin (EG Jansen)
Ntlakanipho Ndaba (Daduza)
Thulani Khumalo (Tsakane)
Neo Felane (Birchleigh)
Kyle Saxby (St Benedict’s)
Thulani Tembela (Nqayizivele)
Sinenhlanhla Zwane (Liverpool)
Luke Holland (St Benedict’s)
WP Myburgh (EG Jansen)
Maxwell Meyer (EG Jansen)
Coach: Ephraim Myawo
Asst. Coach: Willie Bernhardt
Manager: Gift Xaka

Photo: Theo Garrun