Several Western Province Cricket Association premier league players have been listed among the rookies available for acquisition during next week’s auction for the 2025 SA20.
New Rondebosch Cricket Club recruits Fayyaad Davids and Christiaan Oberholzer have been listed for 1 October 2024’s SA20 player auction. Davids and Oberholzer recently joined Rondebosch Cricket Club from Primrose Cricket Club and Cape Town Cricket Club, respectively.
Western Province Cricket Club leg-spinner Justin Behrens, who was the leading wicket-taker in the 2023-24 WPCA premier league, has been listed as well.
Christiaan Oberholzer.
The list of rookies available features several players with provincial experience, including Western Province’s Juan James and Daniel Smith. James and Smith represent Western Province Cricket Club and Claremont Cricket Club in the WPCA premier league, respectively. Smith is accompanied by Claremont Cricket Club team-mate Beni Hansen on the list.
Green Point Cricket Club fast bowler Keegan Crawford and batsman Valentine Kitime, who recently exited Claremont Cricket Club in the WPCA premier league for Cravenby Cricket Club in the first division B, have also been listed.
“After successfully being introduced in season two, the rookie player draft will once again feature after the main auction. A rookie is a South African player aged 22 years or under on the day of the auction that has not been contracted to SA20 before,” said SA20 league commissioner Graeme Smith.
“Players meeting the definition of a rookie can be bought in the regular auction stage, but if not chosen in the regular auction, will then be eligible for the rookie draft.
“As a testimony to the depth of the South African talent, five of the six rookies selected at the last auction, in addition to a further two replacement rookies, have been incorporated in the list of retained players by their respective teams for season three.
“A player signed up as a rookie last season cannot be purchased as a rookie at the auction on 1 October despite still meeting the age requirements.”