Gerhard Erasmus and Sune Wittmann received Namibia’s prime awards at Cricket Namibia’s annual prizegiving ceremony on Saturday night time.
On a glittering night time, with recipients dressed as much as the nines, quite a few awards have been received, whereas Erasmus and Wittmann walked away with the women and men’s participant of the 12 months awards.
For Erasmus it was the fruits of an awesome season throughout which he received the ICC Affiliate Cricketer of the 12 months award, after scoring near 1 000 One Day Worldwide runs at a median of 56,23, whereas he additionally took 12 wickets at a median of 27,66. In addition to that he excelled as a captain and fielder, main Namibia to a 62 p.c win ratio within the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2, whereas he was additionally a preferred winner of the Namibian Eagles’ Gamers’ Participant of the 12 months award.
Erasmus was not current on the awards since he’s presently taking part in worldwide franchise T20 cricket in Canada, however his household was well-represented, along with his newly-wedded spouse Anna-Mart receiving his awards, whereas his father and Cricket Namibia patron Francois Erasmus and mom, Rista, have been additionally current.
Erasmus senior stated it was simply reward after years of exhausting work.
“I’m a proud dad tonight. Gerhard’s been working exhausting for 12 years within the nationwide setup and I feel he’s now reaping the rewards, and it’s a testomony to his absolute love for the sport – he simply lives for it, he breathes cricket, so sure, I feel it’s simply reward for him,” he stated.
“Gerhard couldn’t be right here tonight as a result of he’s taking part in in Canada within the GT20 franchise match along with 4 different Namibians, so it’s a incredible alternative for them to get uncovered to those tournaments, to earn a bit of additional earnings, but additionally to play with some world-class gamers,” he added.
Wittmann, in the meantime, received the Capricorn Eagles Participant of the 12 months award after profitable each the batting and bowling awards. She was Namibia’s prime batter with 273 runs in 14 innings’ at a strikerate of 118, whereas she topped the bowling averages with19 wickets in 15 matches at a median of 10,73.
Budding batter Arrasta Diergaardt, in the meantime, walked away with the Capricorn Eagles’ Most Improved Participant of the 12 months award, in addition to the Gamers’ Participant of the 12 months award.
Different nationwide gamers who have been honoured have been Tangeni Lungameni, who received the Most Improved Nationwide Eagles Participant award; Bernard Scholtz, who received the Eagles T20 Participant of the 12 months award; and Jan Frylinck, who received the Eagles T20 World Cup Participant of the Match award.
Nationwide Richelieu Eagles coach Pierre de Bruyn received the Coach of the 12 months award, after main Namibia to their most profitable spell in historical past. This included a first-ever win in opposition to a number one test-nation in Sri Lanka on the T20 World Cup, whereas the group additionally received the ICC Males’s Efficiency of the 12 months award for 3 years in a row.
A number of different recognition awards have been granted, with Cricket Namibia vice chairman Polly Negongo profitable a particular recognition award; worldwide umpire Jeff Luck profitable a lifetime honouree member award; Wynand Louw profitable a long-time service to cricket award; and Jona Ambuga profitable a long-term worker service to cricket award.
In addition to that quite a few groups and gamers have been honoured for his or her achievements after a home season throughout which Wanderers returned to the Premier League summit after beating former champions Windhoek Excessive Faculty Previous Boys in each the 50-over and T20 competitions.
The president of Cricket Namibia, Dr Rudie van Vuuren stated they have been very enthusiastic about the way forward for the game in Namibia.
“We’re very excited in regards to the excessive efficiency program and the event program of Cricket Namibia – we’re seeing a stream of expertise coming by, displaying ability ranges that I’ve by no means seen on Namibian soil earlier than and this goes for each girls and boys. These packages will discover the athletes in our nation and make world class cricketers of them – we wish to see Namibian youngsters embrace cricket as a profession possibility and galvanizing youngsters from Oranjemund to Katima Mulilo to play cricket,” he stated.
With Namibia resulting from co-host the Cricket World Cup in 2027, Van Vuuren shared his long-term imaginative and prescient with the viewers.
“Now we have developed imaginative and prescient 2027 for the Cricket World Cup that we are going to be co-hosting with South Africa and Zimbabwe. They are saying a imaginative and prescient is an image of the longer term that creates ardour in individuals and if I shut my eyes I see one of the vital stunning actually Namibian cricket stadiums with individuals having a braai watching Namibia busy beating South Africa with camelthorn timber within the foreground and the solar setting over the Auas mountains within the background.”
Supply: namibian
