Mitchell’s Plain primary school cricket squads took to the field looking like winners, before the first ball was even bowled, in last week’s final round of JP21 league matches, thanks to a donation of kit, courtesy of former Dutch international, Jacob-Jan Esmeijer.
Established 10 years ago by star Protea batsman, JP Duminy, the league features more than 30 schools, 27 of whom benefited from Esmeijer’s donation.
The top schools in the league, now fully kitted in their new cricket whites, are gearing up for their respective matches in this week’s semi-finals, next week’s knock-outs and a cricket festival at Bishops, in December.
Esmeijer, who represented his country in 60 ODI’s between 2000-2005, visited Caradale Primary School, in Rocklands, in 2017 and noticed some children played cricket without the proper attire. As someone who has played the game from a young age, Esmeijer knows all too well the joy of playing with a proper bat and ball can bring to a child.
“As a kid,” he said, you just want to play with real gear. I still recall my maiden club shirt, a feeling I will never forget. So, I wanted to return the favour.”
Upon his return home, Esmeijer raised enough funds to provide the school with 30 sets of cricket whites on two occasions. The pictures he received afterwards, he said, warmed his heart and ignited a desire to go one better. He was now looking to sponsor all cricket-playing schools in Mitchell’s Plain.
Last year, while in India, the thought of writing a book on Dutch cricket, covering the five World Cups that Holland has participated in so far, crossed his mind and ultimately led to the release of his best-selling book, titled, Cricket in Cloggs.
Esmeijer approached former SA batsman Neil McKenzie, his former coach in The Netherlands during his playing days, to connect him with Duminy, whom he wanted to write the foreword in his book. Duminy duly obliged and the rest Esmeijer said, is history. “He gladly contributed. And that’s how things started to move,” said Esmeijer.
The idea, he said, was to sell enough books to be able to give cricket-playing schools in Mitchells Plain a cricketing kit complete with an emblem on each uniform for 11 players, three per school, two sets of stumps, balls and bats.
By July, he had sold enough books needed to make this dream come true. Mission accomplished with the official handover that took place at Caradale a fortnight ago.
“Some 900 uniforms were handed over,” said Esmeijer, hinting that he might have to write another book to secure another shipment.
Caradale Primary deputy principal, Dawn Cockrill, has been involved with the school’s cricketing programme since the inception of the JP21 league and knows exactly the impact it has had on the development of players on and off the pitch.
“I would like to see more young girls playing cricket in primary schools. The primary schools are the foundation for all sports,” she said. “We definitely will produce a Protea cricket female player in Mitchell’s Plain if we plant that seed at a very early age. Maybe not just one but more than one,” she said.
