He might be a few decades older than when he first started playing cricket in Louis Trichardt, but Yahya Jiwa still has what it takes to demolish a bowling attack. He proved this in the first two matches played by the South African Proteas side in the Over-50 Africa Cup series.
Yahya was selected as the opening batsman for the national team competing in the Africa Cup for players aged 50 and older. The tournament, hosted by the Veterans Cricket Association of Namibia, is being played at Namibia Cricket Grounds, Wanderers Sports Club, and the Trustco United Sports Club in Windhoek.
South Africa has entered two teams in the tournament - the Proteas and the South Africa A side. The other competing teams are Namibia and Zimbabwe.
In the first match, played on Sunday at the Wanderers, the Proteas faced the Namibia Veterans. Batting first, the South African side scored 275/9 in their 45 overs. Yahya (45) and Craig Lyons (64) put together an impressive opening partnership of 91 runs to set the tone. Namibia were bowled out for 140 in the 31st over, handing the Proteas a commanding 135-run victory.
In the second match, also played at the Wanderers, the Proteas took on Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe batted first and were dismissed for 119 runs in the 30th over. What initially seemed like a straightforward chase became tricky as wickets started falling around Yahya. However, like the seasoned professional he is, Yahya anchored the innings and carried his bat, scoring an unbeaten 66 from 67 balls. The team reached the target in the 24th over, with six wickets down.
Yahya is well-known in the Soutpansberg, where he played most of his cricket after arriving in the region as a talented Indian player in the early 1990s. Although he still resides in Louis Trichardt, he commutes between the town and Pretoria weekly and plays club cricket for the Laudium Veterans side. Last year, he was selected to play for the Titans team that competed in the Gauteng league and the Inter-Provincial Tournament (IPT).
Yahya's performance during the IPT caught the attention of national selectors, earning him a spot on the Proteas team for the Africa Cup. In February next year, the team will travel to Sri Lanka to participate in the International Masters Cricket (IMC) Over-50s World Cup. The tournament will take place from 9-23 February, with matches played in and around Colombo.
Yahya's chances of making the final squad for the Sri Lanka tour have been bolstered by his stellar performance this week. Over two matches, he scored 111 runs, maintaining an impressive average of 111.
The SA team had another fixture against the South Africa A side on Wednesday, but the results were not yet available at the time of our going to press. Both teams are expected to top the league standings and face off in the final on Thursday (21st).