The ITEC Knights are over the moon with their good showing at the 2024 Cricket South Africa Awards in Midrand on Thursday night.

The Knights received several accolades with JP Triegaardt named as the Division 2 Coach of the Year, and Garnett Tarr named as the Division 2 One-Day Cup Player of the Year. Yolandi Potgieter was named as the SACA Most Valuable Player of the Year and the Women's Domestic Player of the Year, while Martin Thlake was named as the Groundsman of the Year.

Francois van Rooyen was also named as the CSA Rural Cricket Player of the Year.

The Knights CEO, Johan van Heerden, told OFM Sport it was an amazing awards ceremony, and with the input of the new Minister of Sport, Gayton McKenzie, they are expecting positive things in cricket going forward.

“I think all of South Africa can be extremely proud of how Cricket South Africa did their awards last night,’ said Van Heerden.

“It was lovely to see the new Minister of Sport, Gayton McKenzie, also being involved. He mentioned how well all the athletes did for the year and he also looked at all the ex-players and how he would use them making cricket stronger and the number one sport in South Africa.”

Van Heerden added when it came to Free State Cricket, the fact that they received numerous accolades was very position and it is a step in the right direction as they are about to enter the 2024/25 domestic season.

“We’re extremely proud of our performances apart from the award winners in JP Triegaardt as the Coach of the Year, Garnett Tarr as the One-Day Player of the Year, Yolandi as she won two awards – as SACA’s Most Valuable Player as well as the Women’s Domestic Player of the Year, and Martin Thlake who was the Groundsman of the Year.

“We’re extremely proud of these performances, but apart from that also the team performances of both the ladies’ team and the men's team and our kids at national weeks. It was a tough year and a half for us being relegated, but we’ve now fought through that fight and hopefully this year with the performances and also the accolades we got, we're looking forward to a year where we can maybe not dominate most probably, but perhaps be back in the top three.

“So it was a great awards, it was proud for all South Africans and it was wonderful for us to contribute in such a way.”

Meanwhile, the former Knights fast bowler, Marco Jansen, who is now at the North West Dragons, was named the SA Men’s Cricketer of the Year. 

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek  dg