Chance of a lifetime for young cricketers

THE Proteas sneaked home off the last ball, but the real winner was the KFC Mini-Cricket programme as more than 1000 schoolchildren enjoyed a morning of fun at Axxess St George's yesterday.

Crammed into a corner of the main grand stand, adjacent to the Graeme Pollock Pavilion, the children shouted and cheered as Malabar Primary School took on a combined Proteas men's and women's team in the final of the seven KFC Mini-Cricket v Proteas tour matches.

Going into yesterday's game, the series stood at 3-3 and this time the Proteas made sure they did not choke as, needing 63 off eight overs, they won with a single by new cap Beuran Hendricks off the last ball of the match.

It was not really about winning, but more of an opportunity for young enthusiasts to rub shoulders with their heroes and to draw inspiration from some of the best players in the land such as AB de Villiers, Wayne Parnell and women's stars Marizanne Kapp and Daine van Niekerk. -