CSA congratulates Wynberg Boys' High, Kallis

Published Nov 26, 2009

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Wynberg Boys' High School honoured its greatest cricketing son when it renamed its main cricket ground the Jacques Kallis Oval at a function at the school on Thursday.

The occasion was marked by a 20 overs cricket match between the school 1st XI and a Jacques Kallis XI led by old boy Aubrey Martyn who was chosen for the Proteas' tour of England in 1994 but had his international career cut short by injury.

The XI also included two other Proteas in the spin bowling twins, David Rundle and Paul Adams.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) CEO Gerald Majola sent a special message of felicitations to both the school and to Jacques Kallis.

"Cricket South Africa sends it's very best wishes to Wynberg Boys' High School on the unveiling of the Jacques Kallis Cricket Oval," Majola commented.

"This is a very special occasion because its marks forever the place where Jacques took his first important steps to becoming one of the greatest all-round cricketers the world has known.

"It is also special because Jacques has remembered and revered these roots by creating the Jacques Kallis Scholarship Foundation at his Alma Mater to give young cricketers from all walks of life the chance to progress through cricket like he has.

"Both Jacques and Wynberg Boys' High School will be role models for generations to come.

"CSA hopes that this on-going relationship will be an inspiration to all educational institutions and successful former pupils alike."

Kallis described Wynberg's decision to name their main ground after him as 'a great honour'. "It is a very special moment for me and I regard this as one the greatest honours I have received in this wonderful game.

"I first played a few games for the Wynberg 1st XI when I was 14 but in those days we played on one of the top fields. I think I was in standard 9 (grade 11) when we moved to the current ground.

"This is where my career started. I never dreamed at the time that I would one day make 10 000 runs for my country and I owe Wynberg and the various coaches and teachers I had there over the years a great deal for not only making me a good cricketer but hopefully making me a good South African citizen as well.

"Cricket has made me many wonderful friends over the years and this applies particularly to my time at Wynberg."

"There can be few international sportsmen who have been as loyal to their old school as Jacques Kallis," commented Wynberg headmaster Keith Richardson.

"Not only has he been extremely generous in financial terms, but he has been generous in terms of his time and in the interest he shows in the activities of his old school.

He thoroughly enjoys coming back to watch sport and is immensely appreciative of the grounding he received at Wynberg.

"We are really proud of his achievements and by renaming our first team cricket field 'The Jacques Kallis Oval' we are, in a small way, able to acknowledge his contribution not only to this school but to the cricketing world at large." - Sapa

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