‘Best in the world’. It is a moniker bestowed on a select few; a testament to the absolute dedication to one’s art. Whether as a prefix or a suffix, from 16 September to the start of the next Varsity Cricket tournament early in 2018, this is the moniker that will either precede or succeed the name of the North-West University’s (NWU) cricket team.
This comes after NWU coach Conrad de Swardt’s team added to their Varsity Cricket crown by winning the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Final in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The tournament featured players from South Africa, Australia, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates and Zimbabwe.
The NWU, officially representing South Africa, made easy enough work of their island nation hosts in the final by chasing down their total of 121 all out in just 15.2 overs. The NWU started their campaign with a nail-biting six-wicket win over Australia before beating India (72 runs), Pakistan (76 runs) and Bangladesh (seven wickets).
Janneman Malan walked out of the tournament as the top run scorer with 259 runs as well as the competition’s most valuable player. Next on the list is another NWU star, Wihan Lubbe, with 152 runs and the accolade as the third most valuable player. The NWU’s Dyllin Matthews was the leading wicket taker with 12 scalps.
According to Conrad it was an experience to savour: “It sounds almost a bit weird to be called the best university cricket team in the world. It took a lot of hard work getting here, it was a three- to four-year process to mould this team into its current shape. I think the greatest thing was seeing our boys developing into young, responsible men who now will be playing cricket in the T20 Global League.
“I can honestly say that from a university perspective the NWU and Tuks are the two top club cricket teams in the world. In most cricket teams there are five or six players you depend on to pull the game through. We have a squad of 13 players we can depend on. That said, this is 20-overs cricket and anything can happen. One player can change a game. It was a tough challenge and I am immensely proud of how the guys worked together as a team.”
The conditions in Sri Lanka proved a unique and somewhat unpredictable obstacle.
“We expected the wickets to turn a lot and the bounce to be low. The ball did turn, but we were able to make excellent use of the short ball, the pace of the wickets were decent and our guys bowled really clever,” says Conrad. “However, the humidity is something I struggle to explain. It is like Durban multiplied by three. We had to use two kits per game because the players sweat so much and the food also took some serious getting used to.”
It was also a personal triumph for Conrad and a vindication of his faith in his players.
“When we won the Varsity Cricket tournament in Potchefstroom earlier this year there was a massive sense of relief because it was our third try on our home ground. For me personally this win was a surreal experience. I’ve spent so many nights just thinking how the club can be made stronger. Now we have two trophies in our cupboard.”
Conrad is adamant that the club’s success should not be credited to his input alone.
“This club would not have been able to achieve the success it has without the dedication of Niel Bredenkamp, Pieter Knoetze and Walter Fokkens. They have an unbelievable work ethic and an unwavering commitment to the club. All credit to them as well.”
Local champions and global champions; what a year it would have been for the NWU if cricket was played on Mars?
Conrad de Swardt is the proud coach of the NWU cricket world champions.
