Tuks' challenge to be South Africa's best club cricket team starts on Saturday, April 13, when they take on Maties in the 2024 CSA National Club Championships in Pretoria. There is no final. Every team will play everyone. The team with the most points after five games is the winner.

It is one of the most fiercely contested tournaments on the local calendar. Apart from Tuks, the teams that will be competing are North-West University, Kovsies, Maties, Hollywoodbets Crusaders (KwaZulu Natal), and the Bohemians (Border). 

The Tuks captain, Merrick Brett, does not mince words when asked what he and his teammates want to achieve.

"Just thinking about the tournament gets my adrenaline pumping. I can't wait to play. It is the same for every other player. We will play as we always do, and that is to win. It is the Tuks way. Tomorrow we will play against Maties. We will go out hard, as starting on a winning note is essential."

Brett, who debuted for Tuks in 2019, was appointed captain in January. With him at the helm, Tuks has won the Northerns Premier League. Being captain is, for Brett, all about the team. 

"My first goal was to gain the trust of every teammate. I never pretend to know everything. I often consult the bowlers and our wicketkeeper when setting a field placement. The one thing I bring to the team is energy. I am continuously encouraging teammates."

Brett has proved his value as an all-rounder playing for Tuks. At the 2023 USSA Cricket Championships, he scored 28 unbeaten runs in the final against North-West University to help steer his side to victory. He also ended up taking eight wickets during the tournament.

A definite highlight for the Tuks captain was the 2022 USSA Cricket Final played in Pretoria.

"We again faced off against Northwest University in the final. It was a humdinger. There was a stage when it seemed like a mere formality that NWU would win. I came into bat with our score at 100/6. We still needed about 100 runs to win. I scored an unbeaten 75, which enabled us to win by one run. That was special."

When asked about his bowling abilities, Brett said he can bowl at 138 km/h on a good day.

"But my best trait is my consistency. I can hit my areas for long periods at a time. I keep it simple, ensuring I am bowling at good length and throwing in the odd bouncer. It is how I go about setting the batsman up."

Tuks will face Maties at Laudium. Then, they'll compete against the Bohemians at Tuks Oval on Sunday. The following Monday, they'll have another match against Kovsies at Tuks Oval. Tuesday's game will be against the Crusaders at Sinovich Park, and on Wednesday, they'll play Northwest at the Groenkloof Oval. All matches start at 10:00.