Change of coach for Wellington Cricket Club ahead of Club Championship in Pretoria

Greg JardineFile image: Greg Jardine.

Wellington Cricket Club have been forced into a late personnel change, ahead of this month’s National Club Championship.

Coach Craig Abrahams is unable to travel with the squad to the Pretoria tournament – and will be replaced by former Wellington Cricket Club player and current Paarl Boys’ High School first XI coach Greg Jardine.

Wellington Cricket Club beat Union Stars Cricket Club in the regional play-off to reach the tournament proper – and will face taxing fixtures against, among others, Crusaders Cricket Club from KwaZulu-Natal and Yorkshire Cricket Club from the Northern Cape in Pretoria later this month.

“We were last at the Club Championship in 2006. Cedric Williams and I are the only guys left from that squad. To go to the tournament again 12 years later, after going through a tougher qualifying round, it is very prestigious. For a community club like us, it’s great,” batsman Warren Groeneveld was quoted as saying by fiekie7.co.za.

Captained by the experienced Tiaan Cloete, Wellington Cricket Club will also rely on the experience of Williams and fine form of batsman Junaid Cassiem.

“Tiaan is a great captain and Craig is a great coach. Everyone put in solid contributions during the season, but Tiaan’s seven for 16 against Young Peoples Cricket Club and Junaid Cassiem’s century against Maties deserve special mention,” added Groeneveld.

Wellington Cricket Club’s campaign will get underway on 22 April, when they meet the University of Pretoria Cricket Club (Tuks).