SA20 YOUNGSTER MAPHAKA NAMED U19 WORLD CUP'S BEST

Kwena Maphaka might have missed out on playing in his debut Betway SA20 campaign, but the Paarl Royals left-armer's reward was being named the Player of the Tournament at the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2024.

Maphaka claimed the award ahead of Ubaid Shah, Saumy Pandey, Musheer Khan, Jewel Andrew, Hugh Weibgen, Uday Saharan and South Africa Under-19 teammate Steve Stolk (who was due to play for Pretoria Capitals in SA20).

The record-breaking pace bowler took 21 wickets in the just concluded tournament, won by Australia, just one short of the tournament record set by Bangladesh's Enamul Haque Jr in 2014. Maphaka, thought, did claim a record of his own with the 17-year-old becoming the first player to collect a trio of five-wicket hauls at a single edition of the tournament.

Maphaka, meanwhile, joins an elite list of South African players who have been Player of the Tournament at the men's event in the past.

Current Lions captain Dominic Hendricks won in 2010, before Aiden Markram did so in 2014 while leading the Junior Proteas to the World title.

At the last edition , in 2022, Dewald Brevis claimed the award for a record-breaking tally of runs in the tournament.