SOUTHERN CAPE CRICKET NEWS - SWD Cricket received a welcome financial injection with the announcement that Smart Office Connexion will be the team sponsor for the Oudtshoorn based team for the Africa T20 Cup for the fourth consecutive year.
SWD will have home ground advantage in Pool B this weekend when they, together with Northerns, Free State, Gauteng and Zimbabwe, will lock horns in Oudtshoorn.
"We have a long association with SWD Cricket and are proud to be involved with an organisation that strives for excellence and is a respected business partner," said Marcel de Ridder, business director for Smart Office Connexion. "SWD has shown tremendous growth and results both on and off the field and we are looking forward to their Africa T20 Cup campaign."
Group Editors, publisher of several local community newspapers in the Southern Cape, will be a secondary sponsor under the brand of the Oudtshoorn Courant this year, with the local community radio station Edenfm the media partner.
The Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport and the Oudtshoorn Municipality also made financial contributions towards the hosting of the event. Albertus Kennedy, CEO of SWD Cricket, commented, "The Africa T20 Cup is an ideal sponsorship property and we are grateful for the ongoing support with our business partners and government partners. We are looking forward with confidence to our team's ambitions for this coming weekend and this opportunity provides an extra platform to recruit potential sponsors for such an event."
SWD President, Rudi Claassen, added, "We thank our commercial and media partners as well as government institutions for their support to our brand and towards the event. I am sure their involvement will be a huge boost to our players and to the game generally in our area."
The SWD team will be captained by last season's top performer, Obus Pienaar. The SWD team will be boosted by four Cobras franchise players – Zubayr Hamza, Jason Smith, Aviwe Mgijima and Tladi Bokaka. Together with local heroes such as Marcello Piedt, Niel Hornbuckle, Brendon Louw and Jean du Plessis, SWD will have a decent line-up for this weekend.
Matches will be hosted at the Recreation Ground and the Bridgton Sports Ground.
The SWD cricket squad who will be in action in this weekend's Africa T20 Cup in Oudtshoorn. Back, from left: Morné Pietersen (station manager: Edenfm), Tladi Bokako, Jean Neethling (Departement of Sport and Recreation), Yamkela Oliphant, Jaco Janse van Rensburg, Aviwe Mgijima, Brendon Louw, Jason Smith, Albertus Kennedy (CEO: SWD Cricket), Obus Pienaar (captain), Marcello Piedt, Bradley de Villiers, Gurshwin Rabie (assitant coach), Niel Hornbuckle and Tsepo Ndwandwa. Front: Jean du Plessis, Daniel Seha (conditioning coach), Marcell de Ridder (business director: Smart Office Connexion), Simon Swigelaar (lifelong honorary president: SWD Cricket), Gielie Marais (sales consultant: Smart Office Connexion), Baakier Abrahams (head coach) and Zubayr Hamza.
The fixtures are:
Friday 14 September
Recreation Ground:
Zimbabwe vs Gauteng (09:30-12:40); Free State vs Zimbabwe (13:30-16:40).
Bridgton Sports Ground:
Free State vs Northerns (09:30-12:40); SWD vs Gauteng (13:30-16:40).
Saturday 15 September
Recreation Ground:
SWD vs Free State (09:30-12:40); SWD vs Northerns (13:30-16:40).
Bridgton Sports Ground:
Zimbabwe vs Northerns (09:30-12:40); Gauteng vs Free State (13:30-16:40).
Sunday 16 September
Recreation Ground:
Gauteng vs Northerns (09:30-12:40); SWD vs Zimbabwe (13:30-16:40).
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