Rowles’ Record Knock

Johannesburg: Any other South African matriculant is preparing for their matric dance before the year ends, but when you have represented the country in an ICC U19 World Cup, before producing an innings of your young career with a magnificent double century against England U19 you simply will go to the record books.

Jason Rowles, who recently captained the Junior Proteas side in a historic multi-format tour to England believes his achievement is the result of years of learning and growth within Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) Pathway programme.

His 201 from 296 balls in Youth Test marked Rowles’ maiden double century and fulfilled a long-held ambition of performing on one of the biggest stages in age-group cricket.

“I was quite excited to score my double ton. It was my first double hundred I’ve ever scored. Playing against England has always been a dream of mine to even score a hundred, let alone a double ton. I’m quite proud of myself for that.”

Despite the magnitude of the occasion, the right-hander revealed that his approach never changed. “I approached it like any other innings. I didn’t really feel the greatest throughout my innings, but I was quite clear with my game plan, and they worked out in the end.”

While the scorecard will remember the runs, Rowles believes the innings is a reflection of the work invested behind the scenes over the past few years.

The SA U19 captain credited the national pathway environment, along with SA U19 Head Coach Imraan Khan and coach Bongani Ntini, for helping transform his understanding of the game.

“Being part of the SA Under-19 setup has helped me grow immensely. When I first came into the programme, I didn’t really know a lot about my game. It was quite simple and incomplete. Now I feel it’s a lot more complete, although there’s still plenty of work to do. My coaches have really guided me in the right direction and helped me understand what’s expected at the highest level. I’ve always wanted to captain South Africa. It’s been a great honour and privilege, and I really enjoy the responsibility.”

Rowles will be in action with CSA High Performance team in the YesPlay Pro20 Cup when they take on Tuskers at Tuks Oval on Tuesday.

CSA HP vs Tuskers: Adnaan Lagadien, Bandile Mbatha, Ayabonga Tongo, Lleyton Troskie, Jayden Brooker, Tiaan Britz, Zakwan Patel, Dayalan Boyce, Jason Rowles, Ombesa Matsha, Zizi Mkhize, Kamogelo Phiri, Divan De Villiers, Vihan Pretorius, Schalk Engelbrecht.