KNYSNA NEWS - Today marks the start of the first in a series of cricket festivals organised by local organisation, Sport at Backward Point.
There will be four festivals held over the following three weeks with a total of 70 local and visiting teams taking part on nine different cricket fields between Rheenendal and Plettenberg Bay.
Teams ranging from U12 to U19, and hailing from as far as Kuruman and Hartswater, will be taking part.
Today, September 22 sees the U12s and U13s kick off the action. The fields being used are the Abbottsfield in Rheenendal, Oakhill’s fields, and Plett Primary’s field. The festival will continue till Monday, September 25.
According to organiser Keith Cretchley, the ‘Cretchley Cricket Series’ is not only a pre-season warmup for the various teams taking part, but also aims to push development of the sport. The teams attending over the following three weeks are also not just here for cricket, he said, but on their off time they explore the area and visit some of the many attractions that are on offer.
“During these festivals we also take the emphasis off winning and losing, and focus more on participation, the ethos of the game and how it is played,” he said, adding that Sport at Backward Point is committed to encouraging an impeccable standard of sportsmanship on and off the field.
Ex-umpire of South African and international cricket for 29 years, Rudi Koertzen, will also be attendance. He believes that the Cretchley Cricket Series does more for the promotion of cricket than any other organisation in South Africa.
“I met Keith about four years ago in Port Elizabeth and have been involved with his cricket festivals since. My main objective is to promote what Keith is doing wherever I go,” he said.
Koertzen also aims to teach the players a lesson or two. “Cricket is a gentleman’s game. It is not always about winning but about the camaraderie, discipline and respect needed for the game. That is what I try and imprint onto them,” he said.
To view the full programme visit www.sportatbackwardpoint.co.za
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