GARDEN ROUTE DISTRICT SPORT NEWS - Ashwell Prince, coach of Six Gun Grill Cape Cobras cricket team, has selected SWD wicketkeeper/batman Jean du Plessis for his 16-man squad for the Momentum One Day Cup. The Cape Cobras will play against the Imperial Lions at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom today, Friday 22 January.

Du Plessis is a former SA U19 player and will be out to make an impact for his franchise in the absence of regular wicket-keeper, Kyle Verreynne, who is on national duty with the Proteas test squad in Pakistan.

Du Plessis, who made his debut for SWD in 2016 while still at school at Glenwood House in George, is a great prospect for the future and has proven his class for the SWD provincial team. He also captained a South African emerging team against England in January 2020. Du Plessis scored a century in one of the two warm-up matches last week.

Senwes Park will host all six Pool B fixtures from 22 to 30 January in a bio-secure environment with the top two teams from Pool B contesting the semi-finals against the two teams (Hollywoodbets Dolphins and VKB Knights) that have emerged from Pool A.

There is also an exciting return to franchise cricket for former SWD and Warriors batsman Christiaan Jonker, who is currently contracted to Boland and has earned his first call-up to the Six Gun Grill Cape Cobras. Jonker has been one of the most impactful batsmen in white-ball domestic cricket over the past few years.

Zubayr Hamza will captain the side, while there is a long-awaited return for all-rounder Jason Smith who has recovered from an injury which saw him miss the entire first half of the season.

The Six Gun Grill Cape Cobras Squad are:
Zubayr Hamza (captain), Aviwe Mgijima, Benjamin Ward, Christiaan Jonker, Corbin Bosch, Imraan Manack, Janneman Malan, Jason Smith, Jean du Plessis, Jonathan Bird, Nandré Burger, Onke Nyaku, Pieter Malan, Siyabonga Mahima, Tony de Zorzi and Ziyaad Abrahams.

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