Tuks’ challenge to be South Africa’s best club cricket team starts in earnest tomorrow when they take on Maties in the National Club Championships.
It is one of the most fiercely contested tournaments on the local calendar. Apart from Tuks, the teams that will be competing are Northwest University, Kovsies, Maties, Hollywoodbets Crusaders (KwaZulu Natal), and the Bohemians (Border).
There is no final. Every team will play everyone. The team with the most points after five games is the winner. The tournament will be played in Pretoria.
Tuks’s captain, Merrick Brett, does not mince words when asked what he and his teammates want to achieve.
“Just thinking about the tournament gets my adrenaline pumping. I can’t wait to play. It is the same for every other player. We will play as we always do, and that is to win. It is the Tuks way. Tomorrow we will play against Maties. We will go out hard, as starting off on a winning note is essential.”
Brett, who debuted for Tuks in 2019, was appointed captain in January. With him at the helm, Tuks has won the Northerns Premier League. Being captain is, for Brett, all about the team.
“My first goal was to gain the trust of every teammate. I never pretend to know everything. I often consult the bowlers and our wicketkeeper when setting a field placement. The one thing I bring to the team is energy. I am continuously encouraging teammates.”
Brett has proved his value as an allrounder playing for Tuks. During last year’s USSA Tournament, he scored 28 unbeaten runs in the final against Northwest University to help steer his side to victory. He also ended up taking eight wickets during the tournament.
A definite highlight for the Tuks captain was the 2022 USSA final played in Pretoria.
“We again faced off against Northwest University in the final. It was a humdinger. There was a stage when it seemed like a mere formality that Northwest would win. I came into bat with our score at 100/6. We still needed about 100 runs to win. I scored an unbeaten 75, which enabled us to win by one run. That was special.”
When asked about his bowling abilities, Brett said that he can bowl at 138km/ph on a good day.
“But my best trait is my consistency. I can hit my areas for long periods at a time. I keep it simple, ensuring I am bowling at good length and throwing in the odd bouncer. It is how I go about setting the batsman up.”
Tuks plays Maties at Laudium. On Sunday, they play against the Bohemians at the Tuks Oval; on Monday, they play Kovsies again at the Tuks Oval; on Tuesday, it is against the Crusaders at Sinovich Park; and on Wednesday, Northwest at the Groenkloof Oval. All the games start at 10:00.