On Wednesday, April 17, TuksCricket, under the headship of Kruger van Wyk, capped a brilliant season, winning the Cricket South African National Club Championships by beating the North-West University with three wickets in the final.

"To champions is a big thing for us as a university. We played against the best, and we won. As a coach, I am so proud. This will be forever remembered as one of the standout moments of TuksCricket," van Wyk.

"People expect TuksCricket to win trophies, but many might not know what it takes to do so. A season like this, where we have won every tournament we played, does not just happen. It has taken hours and hours of hard training and planning. It has genuinely been a team effort by players, coaches, administrators and support personnel."

Van Wyk compared this season's heroics to that of 2018 and 2019, in which Tuks had won everything they could in a calendar year and in one season. 

"This is the end of the road for many of our senior players like Jack Lees and Merrick Brett. What is exciting is that our younger players are already rising to the occasion."

The game played at the Tuks Groenkloof Campus against NWU Pukke was an unofficial final. Tuks had won their first four games on the trot. North-West had only lost once, so they had to beat Tuks to have a chance of claiming the title. 

The Cricket South Africa (CSA) Chief Executive Officer, Pholetsi Moseki, highly talked about the CSA National Club Champs making its return for the first time since 2019.

“The CSA Club Championship is a testament to the rich cricketing culture and talent that thrives within South Africa...This tournament not only showcases on-field cricket action but also the sheer determination of these teams, who have dominated at the provincial level. It provides access for future cricket stars to excel and take their cricketing journey to the next level.” 

It was a humdinger as it had become the norm when these two teams faced off. Northwest batted first. At first, it seemed like a walk in the park for Tuks. NWU Pukke was bowled out for 112 runs. After six overs, Tuks was 54/2. But NWU Pukke was not going to give up with a fight. In the next 12 overs, Tuks lost five wickets. With Tuks' score of 95/7, it was all to play for. As they did at last year's USSA Cricket final against NWU Pukke, Matthew Boast (19* runs) and Merrick Brett (5* runs) weathered the storm and scored the winning runs. 

Schalk Engelbrecht of Tuks, who took 3/24 in 10 overs, was the Man of the Match. 

"To again be able to beat NWU Pukke in a 'final' is special. But kudos to them. They are the team that keeps bringing the fight to us and never gives up."

Engelbrecht said, "Credit should go to our coaching staff. Especially 'Coach Kruger', who has taught us to play with a winning mindset. He has ingrained in us that individuals do not win matches. He expects at least seven of us to step up during a game on any given day. So when there is an opportunity to impact on the game, you make it count."

Engelbrecht said his role as a spin bowler is a challenge he relishes.

"I bring much energy to the team as I want to take wickets. It is essential to always be one step ahead of the batsman, sussing out their weaknesses."

When reading through Tuks' scorecards, one has to admire the team effort it took to win the National Club Championships title. In the five games played, every player stepped up. 

[Against Maties] Bowling: Matthew Boast 2/34, Divan Engelbrecht 3/31 and Merrick Brett 2/35. Batting: Merrick Brett 97* runs. Tuks won by 3 wickets.

[Against the Bohemians] Bowling: Luco van der Walt 2/23 and Merrick Brett 4/22. Batting: Christiaan du Toit 89* runs and Raees Salie 53* runs. Tuks won by 10 wickets.

[Against Kovsies] Bowling: Matthew Boast 2/26, Luco van der Walt 2/19, Conrad Mouton 3/15. Batting: Jack Lees 60* runs and Raees Salie 30. Tuks won by 8 wickets.

[Against Crusaders] Bowling: Merrick Brett 3/34, Luco van der Walt 2/30 and Kundai Matiguma 3/44. Batting: Jack Lees 81* runs, Raees Salie 35 and Christiaan du Toit 36. Tuks won by 5 wickets.

[Against NWU Pukke] Bowling: Matthew Boast 2/33, Schalk Engelbrecht 3/24, Kundai Matiguma 3/11. Batting: Christiaan du Toit 40. Tuks won by 3 wickets.