Bakers Mini Cricket graduate promoted to National Captain

South Africa's young crop of top cricketers is the envy of many countries that are finding it increasingly difficult to attract young people into the game.

Among those who came into the game through Bakers Mini Cricket programmes at their schools are now world stars and represented South Africa at the 1999 World Cup.

These include the recently named national captain and allrounder, Shaun Pollock, wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, fast bowler and explosive batsman, Lance Klusener.

The fact that South Africa has so many young people from all communities playing the game is not an accident.

In the 1980's Dr Ali Bacher (then chief executive of the Transvaal Cricket Union and is currently the managing director of the United Cricket Board of South Africa) used to jog in the mornings around the Wanderers Stadium with Alvin Kallicharran, the West Indies batting star who was then playing for Transvaal.

Bacher said he was searching for a way to bring young children into the game of cricket in a way in which they could have fun, play on any surface and have no fear of the hard ball. Kallicharran recalled his introduction to the game through beach cricket and this struck a cord with Bacher.

And so he devised a modified form of the game. It consists of fast scaled down games, with eight children per team, that can be played on any surface with a soft ball. All players get a chance to bat, bowl, field and keep wicket with the emphasis on fun.

Having done this, Bacher, found a willing sponsor in Bakers Biscuits, and in 1982 Bakers Mini Cricket was launched as a regional experiment with a sponsorship of R50 000.00

Bakers Mini Cricket took off like wildfire, and was soon being played by thousands of youngsters including boys and girls in all communities, both urban and rural under the auspices of the United Cricket Board of South Africa. The Bakers Biscuits' sponsorship now stands at R10-million over three years.

The sponsorship also encompasses the Bakers Coaches Academy, which provides training for prospective coaches at all levels of the game and more than 15 000 teachers have graduated from this Academy.

Pollock today holds the record as the youngest player to complete the international "double" of 1 000 runs and 100 wickets in the least number of matches.

Boucher took over the mantle of the legendary Dave Richardson behind the stumps, and since his debut for South Africa in the 1997/98 series against Pakistan has firmly established himself as the world's best young `keeper.

Lance Klusener, popularly known as Zulu, is one of the world's best one-day allrounders and on his day is capable of winning matches with either bat or ball.

Cliff Sampson, managing director of National Brands Limited, producers of Bakers Biscuits, said: "The philosophy behind our sponsorship in cricket is that if South Africans can play together, they can work together.

"Our reward is the happy smiles on the faces of boys and girls playing Bakers Mini Cricket and seeing them making new friends to last a lifetime.

"And it is also wonderful to see them in later life representing their country with honour and commitment such as Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher and Lance Klusener."

TO GET INVOLVED IN BAKERS MINI CRICKET OR THE BAKERS COACHES ACADEMY CONTACT YOUR NEAREST CRICKET PROVINCIAL ORGANISATION.