Cricket South Africa (CSA) recently confirmed that South Western Districts Cricket will host the Pool B leg of the 2016 edition of the Africa Twenty 20 Cup in Oudtshoorn over the weekend 9-11 September 2016. The three teams that will join SWD in Pool B will be confirmed during a draw process.
The first edition of the Africa Twenty20 Cup was presented the past season where SWD had the luxury to included players like Vernon Philander and Andrew Puttick in the line-up. A similar approach will be followed in 2016. The Saturday and Sunday matches will be broadcasted live on SuperSport. The other venues will be Paarl, East London and Pietermaritzburg.
The Chief Executive Officer of SWD Cricket, Albertus Kennedy, confirmed that the union already started with infrastructure improvements at the Recreation Ground in Oudtshoorn with the upgrading and expansion of the existing commentary boxes at the main stand. “We will invest more than R1,5 mil to the stadium in the next few months to ensure we improve on the compliance requirements for the event”, he said.
SWD will also in September host the CSA franchise academies tournament as well as a series of pre-season warm-up events that will involve the Cape Cobras and Warriors. Mr Niel Els, the Chairman of Oudtshoorn and De Rust Tourism earlier in the week acknowledged the contribution of SWD Cricket to the local economy. “The contribution of SWD Cricket in our economy is often underrated and pre-bookings for teams, officials and even television crew for the Africa Twenty20 Cup in September has already been confirmed”, he said.
Earlier this week, Mr Rudy Claassen, the President of SWD Cricket, confirmed that an announcement will soon be made whereby SWD Cricket will host franchise matches of the Cape Cobras. SWDS Cricket recently became a shareholder of Western Cape Cricket.
