The youngsters were showcasing their skills in the hopes of being one of three lucky sides to win the opportunity to spend some time with the Proteas when they challenge Zimbabwe in a three-match T20 series next month.
There were hundreds of kids taking part in mini-cricket matches, causing a quite chaotic environment but one that all the kids were thoroughly enjoying and making the best of this opportunity. One of the aspects KFC wants to promote as part of the KFC Mini-Cricket programme is having the kids interact with players who are at the highest level of the game.
Earlier in the year the Proteas Women’s team challenged the young ladies of Makgake Primary School in Hammanskraal in celebration of Woman’s month and now there is an opportunity for three more lucky sides to spend two days with the Proteas men's side.
Highveld Lions batsman Omphile Ramela made himself available to spend the day with the kids and it is always a great moment for any up-and-coming sportsman or sportswoman to meet one of their sporting icons. Ramela himself came through a programme similar to KFC Mini-Cricket and understands the importance of having programmes such as this.
“Beyond just the playing factor, there are enormous opportunities that come with playing cricket. Cricket provides opportunities for schooling for kids and myself personally that is how I got spotted, through what was the Bakers Mini-Cricket programme and what the KFC Mini-Cricket programme is now,” Ramela said.
Ramela acknowledges that the KFC Mini-Cricket programme has advanced leaps and bounds in all aspects since he took part as a youngster many years ago.
“The technology is just hugely different, so much more interactiveness and inter-connectivity from a technological side. Also there seems like a lot more gathering (coming together) because some of these kids travel. Where we were, the programme came to us, so there seems like there is a lot more opportunity to travel and meet at a young age”.
He went on to say: “I think the technology is fantastic and it seems like a lot of coaches are a lot more involved. There is also lot more gender diversity; when we started the teachers were kind of the line keepers and the men were the coaches. Now the teachers are doing the line work, the coaching and it is a lot more tight fit."
KFC Mini-Cricket made its way across the Jukskei for this weekend’s Northerns festival, which is being held at the Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria West campus.