8 February 2024
When the KZN cricket team finished second at the 2023 Khaya Majola Cricket Week, losing only to a star-studded Central Gauteng team in the final, one of the primary reasons for KZN’s success was their new ball bowler Ntando Soni.
The Glenwood paceman enjoyed a spectacular week in Makhanda. His returns included 4/39 in a crucial game against a strong Titans outfit, 3/11 vs Eastern Province, 2/12 vs KZN Inland, and 2/32 vs Central Gauteng.
Those superb performances earned him a place in the South African Schools side, which then faced the SA Colts team at St George’s Park. There, Soni saved his best for last, knocking over 5/20 to see SA Schools to a massive 118-run win.
Soni had been an in-swing bowler until 2023, when he tweaked his action, which not only brought him an out-swinger but also an increase in pace. Before that, he candidly said: “I wasn’t really getting enough pace to play at the next level.”
It takes talent to get to the top, but another non-negotiable is hard work, and it was that work ethic, both on and off the field, that was rewarded.
The tweak Soni referenced happened as a result of watching videos of Proteas’ fast bowler Gerald Coetzee in action. It was the way that he loaded up, the Glenwood 1st XI captain explained.
“I thought let me try this and see just for fun, and I started bowling and it felt good. It felt as if I was hitting the right areas at training. I was bowling quicker. So, I’m like, okay, this is it. Ever since then I’ve been making small adjustments, because I don’t want to look at other players’ actions that won’t suit me. So, I have made a few changes, small changes.”
It was another Proteas’ paceman who first captured Ntando’s imagination and inspired him to become a fast bowler. “I just started watching cricket on TV, when I was four- or five-years-old, and someone who really caught my eye was Dale Steyn, the aggression and the excitement that he brings. That’s when I fell in love with cricket.
“It was how he went about things, like his celebration, and all of that made me want to grow in cricket. I wanted to be like him. He was my role model growing up.”
On the national selectors’ radar
In 2023, Soni was clearly on the national selectors’ radar. He was invited to a regional camp in Port Elizabeth, and that was followed by an invitation to the national camp in Pretoria.
“That’s when it started to get serious,” he said. “Performance-wise, it wasn’t really my best. But I understood what it took to be there, so I learnt quickly. Later on in the year, I went on to make the Khaya Majola Week and then SA Schools.”
His success was about more than physical preparation, Soni shared. He had done his homework and it paid dividends. He explained: “I got information from some people before the Khaya MajolaWeek. They had gone on a tour to East London, so I had chats with them about how the wickets were playing. They said it’s similar to Durban.
“I went to the Khaya Majola Week. The pitches were nice. The ball was snappy. It was swinging around.”
Heading into the inter-provincial showpiece, Soni said he chose not to think about making the South African Schools or South Africa u19 teams, because that would put unnecessary pressure on his shoulders.
“I just wanted to play my role as best as possible, to be honest, and help my team win. If I do well, the team does well.
“I played all five games, and my body was exhausted, but I had to give 100 percent. You’re representing your province, so it was good. I learned a lot.”
South African Schools selection
His personal performances in Makhanda were clearly top notch and there was no avoiding the thought, Ntando knew he was in with a shout at making the SA Schools team.
Before the announcement of the side, a friend told him he would definitely be in the team. “I’m a bit of a shy guy, to be honest, so I’m like, ‘Nah, maybe not’,” Ntando replied.
“I didn’t want to get too confident. I did do well but, at the same time, it’s my first time at the Khaya Majola Week.
“Then, they called out the SA Colts team, and I wasn’t there, and I’m thinking there’s a slight chance I’ll be in the SA Schools team. Then they called the likes of Tristan Luus, and then I think I was the second to last one they called. Then, I knew. Okay!”
That announcement caused a thrilling jolt in his heart, Soni said. “To go up, everyone’s watching, everyone’s clapping for you receiving your SA Schools’ cap. It was a dream come true… Just to be in that moment was great.”
Being selected for SA Schools meant a next day clash against the SA Colts team and the players in both sides certainly didn’t want to be shown up by the opposition.
It was Ntando Soni’s day, however, even though he went into the contest tired after five days of hard-fought cricket.
“I was just happy to be there for the experience,” he admitted. “Then I rock up there. In my first over, I take two wickets. So, I thought I’m onto something here. I didn’t want to change anything, because everything had been working for me throughout the week. So, I didn’t want to change my processes.
“Then, I ended up taking five. I’m not sure how, because it happened quickly, and they were good wickets.”
Hard work
Soni credits the Linda Zondi Cricket Academy for playing a major part in his success. Apart from regular 1st team practices, he diligently attends academy sessions on Tuesday and Thursday mornings before school starts. He also attends sessions at Kingsmead with the Dolphins School of Excellence.
“The information that I get there, I come back, and I work on it by myself, like bowling drills and my action, how I’m going to get wickets, where to bowl.
“I think I’m a fairly consistent bowler. That didn’t come overnight. I worked hard for it. I train when I have time outside of school. I have training sessions, mainly at night. That started when I was in grade 9 because I had a goal in mind that I wanted to be the best in KZN and hopefully the best in SA. I just keep striving for that.
“I try to do things that other people can’t do. You won’t get a bowler with good pace and bowling six out of six [good balls] for a whole spell. It’s rare, so my goal is to be as consistent as possible, take wickets if I need to take wickets, and slow down their run rate.
“The work I put in here, not many people see it, but knowing that I made SA u19 – and that was one of my goals – I knew it actually paid off. It was a good feeling.”
That SA u19 cap he spoke about came against India in the Triangular Series that preceded the u19 ICC Cricket World Cup. Despite his excellent returns during the Khaya Majola Week, he didn’t crack the nod for the World Cup, which was a disappointment.
Still, one of his goals is to represent South Africa at the next u19 ICC Cricket World Cup, which won’t involve heavy travel demands as it is set to be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia.
When it comes to working on his game, Soni said he also takes a lot from Clifton College old boy Kushen Kishun, who enjoyed a 10-year playing career with a very successful KZN Inland outfit. Kishun now serves as an analyst with the Dolphins, and Soni is keen to keep banking the knowledge he imparts.
“That is my opportunity to get better, because not many people have the privilege to be in the Dolphins School of Excellence set up. So just to be there, getting experience, information, and to come back here with the facilities at Glenwood, helps.
Glenwood and its influence
As captain of the Glenwood 1st XI and an SA Schools’ opening bowler, Soni receives a lot of attention from the younger members of the Glenwood community. He views it as his responsibility to encourage them.
“I’m a boarder and a lot of boys come to me, asking what it feels like to play for my country. They ask me to teach them to bowl fast. They ask for my shirt, for example. They come and I try my best to give them insight because I was also once in that position.
“I was shy when I was younger, so I didn’t go up to people and ask them how it felt. I want to give them what I really didn’t have growing up, just to share information with them and hopefully they use it.”
Glenwood has a fine tradition of producing fast bowlers, including Andile Phehlukwayo, who excelled for South Africa at the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. Phehlukwayo maintains close ties with the school and when he is around Soni chats with him.
Soni has also shared the field with the 2014 matriculant. “I played a series with him against Oman at Chatsworth. We have chats, and another one [I talk to] is [former SA Schools and SA u19 fast bowler] Lifa Ntanzi. I grew up watching him a lot. He was someone I really looked up to. I also stayed with him in the BE, as well, when I was in grade 7, so we have chats, about life, things like that.”
Current and future focus
Looking towards the future, Soni is planning to study at UKZN and maybe pick up a contract with the Dolphins. But nothing has been signed yet.
Considering the present day, he said he wants to work on his batting. “I am a good batsman, but I don’t train batting a lot. I train my bowling a lot, so I think there is an imbalance,” Ntando said.
“I know how to bat. I bat in the top five, here at Glenwood. I scored a few runs at Khaya Majola Week. I got a not out against India. I do know how to bat, and this year I am going to try to balance it out a bit because there is a big role that I need to play when it comes to school cricket.”
Glenwood is the best place he could be, Soni opined. “I started boarding at Glenwood when I was in grade seven. It caught my eye, with the tradition and the brotherhood and the excitement it brings.
“I knew I was going to grow with Glenwood. They have produced a number of national and provincial players, so I knew that if my books were in order, I was going to be one of those guys.”
There have been challenges, some of them beyond his control, turning out for the Green Machine. His grade 8 year was disrupted by Covid-19, so he played little u14 cricket. The following year, he was part of a team that went unbeaten at u15 level. From there, he skipped u16 cricket and moved straight into the 1st team.
“That step was big, but I didn’t let it take over mentally. I did well in my first year in the 1st team,” he said. “I think I took 20 to 30 wickets that year. That was good. My team-mates have changed over the years. This is my third year playing for the 1st team now.”
Reflecting on his team-mates during those three years in the 1st XI, he said: “We’ve had a good relationship. There is no one [that has brought us down], so I have had good relationships with everyone in the team. I haven’t struggled with that. I get along with people. My team-mates have been good throughout the years.
This year is his second as captain of the first team. “There was a lot of pressure last year,” he admitted. “As a grade 11, I was captaining seniors.
“I enjoy captaincy. The expectation brings out something in me. People, usually, go through the motions, but captaincy keeps me focussed.
“When we come back to school, boys ask me if we won. [Sometimes I can say] yes, we won. If we lose, everything comes back to me, so those are the ups and downs of being a captain. But it is all worth it.”
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