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MEET THE ROOKIES WHO INJECTED YOUTH INTO SEASON 2
With Youth Month in full-flow, we take a look back at the inaugural Rookie 'intake' and how they fared during Betway SA20 Season 2.
Of the six who started the campaign, including the replacements for Under-19 World Cup stars Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Steve Stolk, three saw game-time.
The inaugural Betway SA20 Rookies were Bryce Parsons (Durban's Super Giants), Ronan Herrmann (Joburg Super Kings), Connor Esterhuizen (MI Cape Town), Nqaba Peter (Paarl Royals), Tiaan van Vuuren (Pretoria Capitals) and Andile Simelane (Sunrisers Eastern Cape).
MI Cape Town's Connor Esterhuizen featured in half their campaign showing a cool head when more experienced big names weren't doing so; fresh-faced Ronan Herrmann had a brief taste of the big time during his two matches in Joburg Super Kings playing XI; while Nqaba Peter (Pretorius' replacement) had a debut of mixed emotions for Paarl Royals.
THE STATS THAT MATTER
Herrmann stats | Matches: 2 | Runs: 15 | Highest score: 9 | Strike rate: 88.23 | Dismissals: 1
Esterhuizen stats | Matches: 5 | Runs: 81 | Highest score: 32 | Strike rate: 103.84 | Catches: 1
Peter stats | Matches: 1 | Wickets: 1 | Best bowling: 1/27 | Economy rate: 14.72
The SA20 experience undoubtedly enriched all six Rookies' careers, not least Peter who went on to be a revelation during the domestic T20 tournament with his leg-spin and is now a capped international player.
Durban's Super Giants' Bryce Parsons, may not have got on the park during their run to the SA20 Final, but the 23-year-old (whose favourite player is DSG teammate Quinton de Kock) also returned to the domestic game with an enhanced skillset and delivered career-best scores in both First Class and T20 cricket for the Dolphins.
ALSO READ: Parsons recalls Rookie experience with DSG
It was similar for Andile Simelane, whose bowling repertoire could only have been enhanced by working with Dale Steyn at Sunrisers Eastern Cape and confidence buoyed by ending the season with an SA20 winner's medal. The 22-year-old quick subsequently produced his career best bowling figures in the domestic T20 tournament with the Dolphins.
Meanwhile, Tiaan van Vuuren (Stolk's replacement) took his learnings from the Pretoria Capitals camp - like the legendary Jacques Kallis as well as fellow allrounders Wayne Parnell and Jimmy Neesham - and not only helped his domestic team, the Knights, return to the top division for 2024-25 but also boasts new bests in First Class bowling and T20 batting.
Each of the Class of 2024 has a unique story to tell about their first taste of SA20. Look out for exclusive interviews with each in the coming weeks.
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