TWO learners from Atholl Heights Primary School have achieved remarkable milestones in their cricketing careers thus far, the most recent being making the KwaZulu-Natal under-13 cricket team.
The cricketers are Aadya Mohun and Sanjana Madona.
Aadya, 11, of Reservoir Hills, said her journey started at the age of seven.
“My mom used to take my twin brother for practice at the Reservoir Hills Cricket hub. One day, she told me to join them. At first, I was upset because it was a boy’s sport but as the weeks went on, I started to enjoy myself. It was a lot of fun and I made a lot of friends. It became a big part of me,” said Aadya.
She now practices at the Chatsworth Cricket HUB (system set up by Cricket South Africa (CSA) to identify and grow talent in young cricketers) with coach Keshin Moodley.
“Dheeyanka Naidoo is my personal coach and mentor. She always pushes my limits. I am also part of the Chatsworth United Premier League Girls’ cricket club team and we play games on Sundays,” she said.
As an all-rounder, Aadya excels in batting, bowling and fielding. She’s a fan of T20 matches and has already represented her school in various tournaments.
“I captained my team in the DSE Super 8 cricket tournament at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in June this year and took the team to the finals. The best under-13 players got to play in the G100 Cricket Tournament at the Kingsmead Oval in July this year, and my team came out second in the tournament.”
Aadya added that this was her third attempt to make the under-13 team and she was finally successful. “I didn’t give up, even when I didn’t make the team at first. I kept practising and trying my best.”
She said that apart from cricket, she enjoyed playing hockey, softball, golf, soccer and chess as well as swimming and karate.
“I’m also an avid painter and gardener. My favourite subjects in school are maths and science, and I aspire to become a Protea player and a scientist.”
Aadya’s family, especially her twin brother Jaiveer, are her biggest supporters. Her parents, Jerusha and Ashveer Mohun, are always present at her games, cheering her on.
Jerusha said: “We lost our youngest son and instead of grieving, we focused on giving our twins the best life possible. We’re proud of Aadya’s achievements, especially making the under-13 team at 11-years-old.”
She said her daughter had also made the Pinetown and District School Sports Association (Padssa) hockey team, she is vice-captain with Sanjana for the school’s first team for girls’ cricket, first hockey team, and first softball team.
“She has her orange belt in karate, plays golf to relax, and she enjoys swimming. She is also an academic.”
Jerusha’s advice to parents: “Provide unwavering support to your children. A child that is loved and supported will always thrive in any circumstance.”
Aadya’s next competition is the 2024/2025 Women’s Premier League and she will play for Chatsworth United. She will also play in the KwaZulu-Natal under-13 tournament in Johannesburg in November.
Sanjana, 12, of Pinetown, started playing cricket with her elder brother and role-model, Rohan, who plays recreational cricket. But at age seven her interest in the sport grew.
Her talent was spotted by school coach, Matthew Webber, who sent her for the Padssa trials.
Sanjana made the KwaZulu-Natal under-13 team at 10 years old and is now in her third year playing for the team.
“I love the competition and the spirit of the game. I have a preference for bowling, but I’m an all-rounder. My personal best includes scoring 45 runs and taking 5 wickets in a single game,” she said.
Sanjana’s favourite cricketer is David Miller and she hopes to become a Dolphin and eventually a Protea player.
She practices three times a week with various coaches at different levels, including Webber, Nadine Moodley, Dheyanka Naidoo, and Nicole Archer.
Sanjana has participated in multiple competitions since 2022. She was part of the team that won the promotion league 2022/2023 and was promoted to the women’s premier league and her team was the runner-up in the women’s premier league (Delta Cricket Club Ladies Open).
Aside from cricket, Sanjana enjoys playing soccer, netball, touch rugby, softball, and athletics.
“I am also a talented keyboard player, singer, and artist. My favourite subjects are natural science, Afrikaans and life orientation. I want to become a physiotherapist, lecturer, or a sports coach.”
Her mom, Kaajal Madona, said: “We saw her determination and love for cricket and we’re proud of how far she has come.”
She added that aside from excelling in cricket, her daughter has won all her heats in athletics, including 800m, 1 200m, long jump and high jump.
“She set a new record for the 80m sprint in 2023 at 11 years old (her time was 12:01s, beating the previous record of 12:04s); and she set a new record for the 200m sprint this year at 12-yearsold (her time was 30:96s, beating the previous record of 31:02s).
“In addition, she is the vice-captain for the netball A-team at Atholl Heights Primary and the vice-captain with Aadya for the cricket first team at her school this year.”
Sanjana’s next competition is the 2024/2025 Women’s Premier League with Delta CC Ladies next month. She will also participate in the under-13 KZN Tour from November 29 to December 3.
Both girls were models for Mr Price in their cricket advertisement campaign, shot in May and launched in July.
Their school coach, Webber, said: “Aadya is an off-spinner. Her control with the ball is evident and she is able to get a significant turn. She is hardworking and eager to learn. She also has a solid batting technique and favours the leg side. Aadya has been the player of the match in our matches against opposing schools.
“Sanjana is a fast-bowler. Her control with the ball allows her to be effective with the new ball and in her second spell with the older ball. She is hard-working, respectful and a pleasure to coach. She is eager to learn and pushes herself to be better in every session. She has a solid batting technique and loves to play the cover drive.”
Webber added that the school was proud of its girls and programme, and that he personally was also filled with pride at their achievements.
“My hope for them is to continue playing and to maintain the love of cricket throughout their careers. Like any coach, it would be amazing to have a former learner play for our national team, but I would like them to continue knocking down the forest and paving the road for the next generation of girl cricketers,” said Webber.
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