Raynard van Tonder has set one target for himself, to score as many runs as possible whenever he is in the middle, writes Khalid Mohidin.
Van Tonder is a player who is definitely one of the top youngsters in the country. Having captained SA U19 in the World Cup, expectations have always been inflated when it comes to the youngster.
The buzz around certain players tends to be fickle. People tend to talk about an up and upcoming youngster for a little while, and then it’s quickly onto the next future star.
Some players remain favourites and remain a topic of discussion. But it seems as though Van Tonder hasn’t received the attention he deserves and has fallen through the cracks when it comes to media and fan attention.
As a player, he is grounded and focused on his cricket with a clear strategy of how to get the recognition that his talent and ability deserves.
“At the moment I’m just focused on scoring big runs wherever I play, I believe that if I do that consistently the rest will take care of itself,” he said exclusively to Cricket Fanatics Magazine.
While revealing his goals and aims, a maturity shone through that is usually not as visible in players so young in their playing career.
“Obviously I’d like to be playing every franchise game this season, help the team win some trophies and then be in consideration for SA A teams and higher up. But that’s out of my control and all I can do is score runs and lots of them when I get a chance to bat.”
The 20-year-old is definitely a unique talent. His precise stroke play and control at the crease makes him a pleasure to watch. Not only is his playing ability a stand-out factor, but his natural leadership capabilities is too.
Shukri Conrad has praised the youngster in the past but has backed this up by selecting him as SA Emerging skipper in the longer format.
“It’s been quite a nice challenge to captain the SA Emerging side in red-ball cricket because I’ve never captained in the longer format.
“But having a coach like Shuks [Shukri Conrad] and some really experienced cricketers around the changing room such as Putters [Andrew Puttick] and Dillon du Preez has really helped me a lot and I could learn and get lots of different ideas from them which has been great.”
Van Tonder has been in good form for SA Emerging. He scored 102 not out and 71 in the 50-over format. He took this form into the red-ball format, where he scored 69 to help his side claim a 28-run win against Sri Lanka Emerging.
In typical captains fashion, he scored 137 in the second unofficial Test against the visitors to help his side score a solid 441 in their first innings.
“Yes, I’m really happy that I have contributed with the bat, whether I’m the captain or not, when I’m batting I’m always trying to score big.”
It’s now time for Van Tonder to carry his form into the domestic season for the Knights, starting with a regular spot in the 4-Day Franchise side.
Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/ BackpagePix
