One of the earliest things Donovan Ferreira learned when playing for Tuks was to make every opportunity count and it stood him in good stead. Last month, he was crowned as the Titans Men’s T20 Player of the Year and recently he was awarded the TuksCricket PUMA Player of the Year award for the 2021/22 season.

The 23-year-old still remembers how it all started for him. Last year, he got a call from the Titans coach, Mandla Mashimbyi, asking him to play T20 cricket. He was slightly caught off guard.

"I started working full time. So I could not just pack up and leave to play cricket. I had to ask my boss's permission. In a way, having a full-time job turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It has changed my mindset. I now relish every moment I get to play. There is no more taking anything for granted ever.

"It has been a dream of mine to play for the Titans. Two days before the T20 provincial tournament, I dislocated a finger. It was not going to stop me from playing. If I passed up on the opportunity, I realised I might never get to play for the Titans again. So I had a never say die attitude when I went out to bat."

In five T20 games, Ferreira scored 155 runs at an average of 76. A definite highlight was scoring an unbeaten 55 off 29 balls as the Titans beat South Western Districts in the quarterfinals.

During the 2021/22 Cricket South Africa (CSA) T20 Challenge tournament, he scored 166 runs at an average of 80 in nine games. According to Ferreira, he was only doing his job. 

"When I started playing for the Titans, the team was 'sort of' with their backs against the wall. I saw my role helping them across the finish line, batting at number six. That is like being a 'finisher'. It can sometimes be stressful as you don't always have time to play your eye in."

According to Ferreira, he will forever be grateful that he got to hone his cricket skills at Tuks. 

"Tuks is 'run' like a franchise. Coach Kruger (Van Wyk) is the ultimate professional in how he goes about things. At times I think we at Tuks work harder than most other teams. But no one ever complains because you know there is a plan with everything you do. 

"The results speak for themselves. I and 'Coach Kruger' spoke it about the other day. Since I started to play for Tuks in 2017, I think we have won 20 tournaments. That includes winning the International Red Bull Campus Tournament, Varsity Cup and Club Champs. There was a stage where we won eight tournaments on the trot. 

"Playing for Tuks made me realise what it is to play for pride. In club cricket, we are the team that everyone wants to beat. If they do, it is like a season's highlight to them. But we never give up without a fight. Especially not when playing at the Tuks oval. That is our 'fort' where you never surrender."

Ferreira adds on to say this is why Tuks has become a ‘feeder system’ to South African cricket. 

Currently, there are four TuksCricket alumni in the Proteas team that will be in action at the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Australia. During their recent 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand, Sune Luus captained the national women's side while four Tuks players represented the SA under-19 team. Some Tuks players are currently playing for Ireland and Namibia. And in total, there are 18 Tuks players playing franchise cricket. 

The complete list of Tuks players currently involved in international and provincial cricket is as follows:

• Proteas men's side: Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Heinrich Klaasen, Dwaine Pretorius. Tumi Masekela is the team's strength and conditioning coach
• Proteas women: Sune Luus and Mignon du Preez. Kruger van Wyk (wicket keeping and fielding consultant)
• Proteas under-19: Sam Ruwis, Jordan Hermann, Matthew Boast, Dewald Brevis. Blanche Conradie (manager) and Kruger van Wyk (Wicket keeping and fielding consultant).
• Ireland: Curtis Campher
• Namibia: Ruben Trumpelmann; Michau du Preez, Zane Green, Michael van Lingen, Karl Birkenstock (all Academy). Pierre de Bruyn and Albie Morkel (Coach)
• Oman: Sean Nowak (Physio)

CSA Competitions

• Easterns: Khwezi Gumede
• North West: Chris Britz
• Dolphins: Ruan de Swardt
• Limpopo: Juandre Scheepers
• Warriors: Kabelo Sekhukhune, Shafiek Abrahams (CEO)
• Border: Thomas Kaber and Gideon Peters
• Boland: Achille Cloete
• Mpumalanga: Rubin Hermann, Blake Schraader, Kyle Klesse
• Titans: Bonga Chepkonga, Corbin Bosch, Neil Brand, Jiveshen Pillay, Jandre Pretorius, Donovan Ferreira, Jarred Jardine, Jordan Hermann, Jandre Pretorius, Sam Ruwisi, Theunis de Bruyn
• Knights: Pite van Biljon, Wandile Makwetu, Migael Pretorius, Jacques Snyman
• Northern Cape: Ernest Kemm, Evan Jones
• Western Province: Tony de Zorzi
• Lions: Mitchell van Buuren
• SWD: Leus du Plooy
• SA-A: Abraham Ndlovu (Analyst) and Tony de Zorzi