Matthew De Villiers, former Hambledon overseas player, is rapidly making a name for himself in South African cricket.
Matt came to Hambledon in the 2022 season, and scored a massive 1234 runs at an average of 94.92, breaking the long-standing league batting record.
Having continued to impress since then, Matt made his first-class debut in October for the EP Warriors, and then was picked as captain for the Warriors in the T20 Challenge competition, despite never having played a professional match. He went on to lead the team to win the tournament and finished as leading run scorer, justifying the faith shown in him by coach – and former South Africa spinner – Robin Petersen.
Now Matt has secured a place in the Joburg Super Kings team in the SA20 competition, under the captaincy of Faf du Plessis. So far he has made scores of 13, 7, 38 and 21, at a strike rate of 127, and is making a positive impression with the TV commentary teams.
You can catch Matt in action on Sky Sports Cricket, who have been showing the SA20 matches. Next match is today (Thursday 9 January) at 3:30pm GMT, with the Super Kings taking on the Paarl Royals. For a full list of upcoming fixtures, see the SA20 website.