SA20 shining the light brightly on young South African talent

The future of South African cricket was on full display at the Betway SA20 auction this week in Johannesburg. 

The hottest young talent in the country was placed under the microscope with the six teams spending a cumulative R22.8 million on the Under-23 players. 

The majority of that sum went to Pretoria Capitals’ new record R16.5 million signing Dewald Brevis, but there were also several raw diamonds potentially unearthed. 

Teenage paceman Kwena Maphaka will be back for Season 4 after being picked up for R2.3million by Durban’s Super Giants (DSG). 

The former SA U19 hotshot played for Paarl Royals last season but is now looking forward to returning to a happy hunting ground Kingsmead. 

“I am really excited. It's going to be a good challenge in Durban for me,” Maphaka said from the UK ahead of the T20 series against England.

 “I have fond memories of playing T20 cricket in Durban. My first game for the Proteas in South Africa was there, and I performed nicely. I am looking forward to going back to Kingsmead. 

“SA20 is a massive tournament in terms of finding and refining talent. I have been very lucky to be part of it. I am hoping to have a good season in Season 4.” 

Maphaka will be joined at DSG by his Proteas teammate Andile Simelane (22) and former Paarl Boys High prodigy Gysbert Wege. The 21-year-old was one of the standout players during the 2023 CSA Cubs Week in Stellenbosch.

Former SA U19 World Cup star Steve Stolk featured as a Rookie for Pretoria Capitals last season, but has now crossed the Jukskei River to join Highveld rivals Joburg Super Kings along with Neil Timmers.

Maphaka’s SA U19 World Cup new-ball partner Tristan Luus will continue his development with MI Cape Town after impressing last season down at Newlands. He will be joined by Cape Town-born teenager Dan Lategan, who recently debuted for Worcester in the English County Championship.

 The Pretoria Capitals could potentially have locked into the next superstar of the South African fast bowling conveyor belt with the acquisition of Durban Boys’ High School speedster Bayanda Majola.

The 18-year-old featured for DHS in the Schools SA20 KwaZulu-Natal regional final earlier this year, while former SACS prodigy Mika-eel Prince (21) is another of the victorious SA U19 Class of 2022 to be picked by the Capitals. Prince has been one of North West's standout players in CSA's Division 1 the last couple of seasons, which earned him a call-up to the Proteas ODI squad for the series against Pakistan earlier this year.

Sunrisers Eastern Cape assistant coach Russell Domingo attributed the high-level of promising young players on display due to the flourishing South African schools system, which has now been further enhanced with the Schools SA20 competition.

 “I was talking to Klaasie (Heinrich Klaasen) earlier about why South African cricket always remains strong, and it's because of our schooling system that produces so many good young players,” Domingo said.

 “It's a great initiative to have those young players be part of this competition. Kwena has come through it and it's great to have them playing with some of the greats of the game.

 “The tournament's doing as much as they possibly can to make sure young players are being given opportunities, and opportunities to learn and play with some of the best coaches that are around this table, and some of the best players that are sort of playing in the competition.

 “So, for a young player, to be playing with (Aiden) Markram or (Tristan) Stubbs or Klaasie is phenomenal. They're not going to learn that in 10 years of coaching but playing for an hour with one or two of those players is going to make all the difference.”

It will be a family affair at the Sunrisers Eastern Cape after the King brothers - CJ and JP - have been reunited after divided loyalties at Durban’s Super Giants and JSK respectively last season.

Northwood High School, alma mater of Capitals assistant coach Shaun Pollock, have produced another seamer of the highest quality in Nqobani Mokoena with the teenager’s impressive performances for the SA U19s against England recently earning him a deal with the Paarl Royals. 

 The Royals’ commitment to developing young South African talent remains unwavering with the Boland Park-based outfit boasting four Under-23 players after also adding 17-year-old Noordheuwel High School star JJ Basson and Keegan-Lion Cachet along with the pre-signing of Betway SA20 Season 3 top-scorer Lhuan-dre Pretorius to their roster.