Cricket Academy achieves international success

Vanderbijlpark – The VaalPukke Cricket Academy on the Vaal Triangle Campus of the North-West University boasts three players who are competing internationally.

After undertaking several successful tours to England during the 2005/2006 season, the players from the Academy not only gained valuable match experience, but also formed cooperative international sporting relations. Three players from the Academy, Wikus Botha, Francois Haasbroek en Leon Bender, were invited to take part in the English club cricket season and will carry the torch of the North-West University abroad.

Wikus Botha will play in Scotland for a second season whilst Francois Haasbroek will join a club in Liverpool for the premier league – this follows after a very successful first season in Scotland. The third player, Leon Bender, will depart from South Africa on 8 April to join a club in Swindon for his first season as international player.

According to Mr Malan Morkel, sports officer at the Vaal Triangle Campus and head coach at the Academy, the international call-ups manifest the Academy’s striving towards shaping quality players, and sends out a clear message that the Academy is a force to be reckoned with both locally and abroad.

 
         From left are Wikus Botha, Francois Haasbroek and Leon Bender