Temba Bavuma scored an important 102 not out in the second Test
- South Africa's first black batsman is an inspiration to young cricketers
- Sportsmail visited the Langa township in Cape where Bavuma grew up
- Langa resident Andile Kraai said the sledging dished out by England to Temba during his milestone knock is nothing to what he got growing up
- Bavuma’s first coach, Ezra Cagwe, shares his memories of young Temba
- The batsman is aware of the significance of his achievements in a nation, and a sport, that continues to struggle with race-related issues
At the crossroads on Rubusana Avenue, the cricket-mad boys of Langa township play with a makeshift bat and a taped tennis ball, and even here they could never get Temba Bavuma out.
Though he was barely six years old, half the age of many playing in the road they dubbed Newlands, after the famous South African ground a few miles away where the still tiny Bavuma last week became the first black African to score at Test hundred, he would not give up his wicket easily.
Langa resident Andile Kraai, now a musician, stands on the scruffy kerb as an impromptu game struck up with two crates for a wicket and the memories flood back from 20 years ago.
Temba Bavuma has come a long way from playing in the road at the Langa township in Cape Town
South Africa's first black batsman hit an impressive and important century in their second Test draw
‘He was a good batsman, he used to stay there for hours,’ said Kraai. ‘Some of us would go and eat and come back, and he was still batting.
‘We had to swear at him to get his mind off, or just bully him. He would not get out, so we just took the bat from him. He was a very confident young fellow with beautiful shots. You can ask anyone who used to play with him, they will tell you the same story. He was always like this.
‘He had to play with the big boys. England’s bowlers chirping him is nothing compared to what we gave him.’
Now Bavuma, 5ft 3in and 25 years old, is the giant new hero of black Africans across the country, in a sport still wrestling with the affects of apartheid and the controversial ‘targets’ or quotas applied to try to get more black players into domestic teams and at international level.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-3392065/Temba-Bavuma-opens-doors-township-talent-South-Africa-black-batsman-s-ton-inspiring-kids-country.html#ixzz3x1qr0coq
No comments:
Post a Comment