Batsment from South Africa and New Zealand managed to hit a total of 188 fours and nine sixes during the recent Sunfoil Test Series between the two countries, allowing the tournament sponsors to give R200 000 to the Sunfoil Education Fund.
Sunfoil, the Proteast test cricket sponsors, had earlier pledged to donate R1 000 for every four and R2 000 for every six hit over the course of the two match test series.
CRICKET DEVELOPMENT
Speaking after the handover of the R200 000 cheque by Sunfoil, Willowton Group sales and marketing sirector Shoaib Moosa said that the company was proud to not only make a contribution to the country’s top cricketing team but also to the future of South African cricket and the youth of our country.
Batsment from South Africa and New Zealand managed to hit a total of 188 fours and nine sixes during the recent Sunfoil Test Series between the two countries (Image: Cricket South Africa Facebook page)A family owned business that was started 43 years ago, the Willowton Group manufactures Sunfoil sunflower oil and other related products, and has manufacturing facilities in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pietermaritzburg.
The Sunfoil brand has been involved in cricket development for the past five years, largely in the KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng regions. The company supports both the KZN Cricket Union and Gauteng Cricket Union’s Sunfoil Development Programmes and the Sunfoil Schools Night League which the Willowton Group has sponsored since 2010.
Sunfoil also sponsors both the KwaZulu Natal Sunfoil Dolphins and Proteas test series cricket. Moosa said that the country’s top cricketers – including Proteas test captain Graeme Smith who was present for the handover and Sunfoil man of the match Steyn – were important role models for South Africa’s up and coming cricket stars and supporters.
EDUCATION IS VITAL
“Willowton Group is passionate about the development of sport in South Africa. The Sunfoil Education Fund was created to help provide bursaries for children coming through our development cricket programmes. We believe that education is vitally important and we are committed to not only encouraging children to achieve academically and helping grow future stars but also to seeing more children begin to play and appreciate cricket.”
“We need to encourage children to play cricket which is a great team sport and teaches good morals and values,” he said.
Willowton Group has already contributed R700 000 towards the Sunfoil Education Fund, from the two test series between Australia and Sri Lanka in the 2011/12 season and awarded 13 full bursaries including transport, to youngsters in the programme who required assistance to better and further their education.
During their first innings, Black Caps’ top scorer BJ Watling contributed 13 fours before he was caught by Smith. During the second innings Watling smashed 11 fours before he was caught by Dale Steyn while Martin Guptil hit 10 fours. The South African contribution came from Dean Elgar and Faf du Plessis with 14 fours each. Keeper AB de Villers added another six. The second test match added four sixes with these boundaries coming from New Zealand’s Trent Boult as well as South Africa’s du Plessis and Elgar.
During the first test match at Newlands in Cape Town, 13 fours came from Kiwi Dean Brownlie, 11 from Proteas Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla (nine) and de Villiers (eight). Brownlie, Kallis and Petersen provided the sixes.
