CRICKET NEWS - The 17-year-old Enathi Kitshini, a Grade 11 learner at Thembalethu High School, was selected for the SA Schools cricket team, becoming the fourth player from the Garden Route Badgers/SWD region to be selected for this elite team. 

Kitshini is a product of the SWD Cricket Hub development programme.

He also made his first-class debut for the Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers professional team in December last year.

The SA Schools team was selected after the conclusion of the Cricket South Africa Khaya Majola national u.19 tournament that was hosted in Cape Town.

Kitshini, who made the SA Colts in 2023, had an outstanding tournament for the Badgers as he excelled with both bat and ball.

The SA Schools and SA Colts met at Newlands on Saturday 21 December in the last match of the school season for 2024. Just like in 2018 when Proteas teammates, Tristan Stubbs (SA Schools), Gerald Coetzee (SA Schools) and Marco Jansen (SA Colts) met at one of the most scenic cricket grounds in the world, the SA Colts came out top with a 25-run victory.

In a T20 match, the Colts posted 145/8 and thereafter dismissed SA Schools for 120. Kitshini was in fine form for the SA Schools team as he bagged 2/12 in four overs.

Kitshini was also selected for the Southern Superstars (the Western Cape regional team) that will compete in the SA Cubs tournament in Stellenbosch this month. Wynand de Ridder of the Garden Route Badgers will be the head coach of the team.

Previous SWD/Garden Route Badgers players who were selected for the SA Schools team are Waldo Lategan (Oudtshoorn High School, 2004), Brendon Louw (Outeniqua High School, 2009) and Marcello Piedt (Outeniqua High School, 2011).

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