The U30 Northern Cape Bowls team of 2023. From the left are Charl Labuschagne, René van Niekerk (manager), Driaan van Niekerk, Le Roux Fourie and Charles-Peter Mathewson.
The U30 team of the Northern Cape Bowls (NCB) is gearing up for the Bowls South Africa U30 inter-districts tournament this weekend.
Entering the tournament as defending champions, the Northern Cape team is eager to secure a back-to-back victory and further cement their dominance in this competition taking place from Saturday, 21 September, to Tuesday, 24 September, at the Maritzburg West Bowling Club in Pietermaritzburg.
New team members
Two members from last year’s victorious team, Driaan van Niekerk and Charl Labuschagne, will return to the greens, bringing valuable experience and skill to the squad.
However, the team will be without their previous lead, Le Roux Fourie, who aged out of the U30 category.
Fourie will be replaced by the rising star, Kieran Kelly, whose bowling prowess is well-recognised across the Northern Cape.
Kelly has already demonstrated his exceptional talent by winning the NCB U30 Masters title back-to-back in 2022 and 2023.
Another notable change in the team is the absence of CP Mathewson, who was part of last year’s winning lineup. Mathewson will be representing Bowls South Africa at the African States Tournament in Botswana, which takes place over the same period.
In his place, Raymond Hardiman will step in to skip the team. Hardiman’s leadership and experience are expected to play a pivotal role in the team’s campaign as they aim to retain their championship title.
B-team optimistic
This year, NCB will again send two teams to the tournament. Last year, their B-team, filled with young talent, gained invaluable exposure and experience from the competition.
This year, the B-team is stronger and more determined. The side includes Dian Cilliers, Japie Steyn, Danie Herholdt, and Andrei Matthee. With only Cilliers being new to the squad, the team is optimistic of making a serious charge for the title as well.
As both teams set their sights on victory, the tournament promises to be an exciting and challenging experience for NCB.
The defending champions are ready to prove their mettle once again and aim to bring home the prestigious title for the second year in a row.
– Driaan van Niekerk
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