Steve Stolk is stepping into Season 4 of Betway SA20 with one clear focus – learning from the very best in the game. The Junior Proteas star, known for his explosive batting and record-breaking U19 World Cup heroics, is embracing a fresh chapter with Joburg Super Kings (JSK), where he’ll share a dressing room with world-class leaders and some of the most experienced players in T20 cricket.
The former Hoërskool Menlo Park learner made headlines at the 2024 ICC U19 Men’s World Cup, where he bludgeoned a record-breaking 13-ball 50, finishing with 83 off just 37 balls. A big statement highlighting his potential and power.
Stolk had a brief taste of Betway SA20 action during Season 3 with the Pretoria Capitals, but he now steps into a new challenge in the yellow of Highveld neighbours Joburg Super Kings.
“I’m really looking forward to being a part of the JSK team,” Stolk said. “Getting to play with the best players in the world is amazing. I am looking to learn a lot from them.”
The 19-year-old is particularly excited to tap into the experience of highly respected head coach Stephen Fleming and captain Faf du Plessis.
“The coaches are the best in the world,” he said, adding that JSK’s experienced squad will be invaluable to his development. “When you speak about the likes of Faf – he has loads of experience and you can’t buy that anywhere. I’m just going to try to soak everything up and learn as much as I can.”
Unlike his SA U19 contemporaries Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Durban’s Super Giants fast bowler Kwena Maphaka, Stolk has yet to fully translate his prolific schoolboy form into consistent professional performances.
But, armed with natural talent and supported by a world-class setup at JSK, he believes Season 4 could be the moment everything clicks.
“I think as we saw, if you do well at the SA20, you’re competing against the best in the world. So, you get to showcase your talent, and hopefully I can do that this year,” Stolk said.
“I trust in my abilities and that God will help me through it all. Whatever He wants for me will happen. Hopefully I can do well and almost kick-start my career.”
Stolk and fellow master blaster, Donovan Ferreira, joined the Johannesburg leg of the of the ongoing SA20 schools tour at Montrose Primary School, a day filled with rap battles, dance challenges, and an overall excitement for JSK’s first home match at Wanderers on 1 January.
The #PutYourHandsUpSA20 challenge was the hit of the day, with the girls and boys joining in on the Tik Tok challenge. Fans are invited to join the movement on TikTok and Instagram using #BetwaySA20 and #PutYourHandsUpSA20 for a chance to win tickets and merchandise.
Betway SA20 will be the place to be this summer with tickets across all six stadiums selling fast. Fans and vibe-seekers are encouraged to secure their front-row seats at www.SA20.co.za or at the stadium ticket office.
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Sport Trivia: Who was the first woman swimmer to win both the 100m and 200m breaststroke at the Olympics? Answer: Penny Heyns. She won both the 100m and 200m breaststroke events at the 1996 Olympics, the first woman to do so. She broke the world and Olympic records for the 100m breaststroke and broke the Olympic record for the 200m breaststroke. In 1999 she held 5 out of a possible 6 world breaststroke records, the first time this had ever been achieved (50m, 100m and 200m, plus same distances in 25m short course pool) — the one she \”missed\” was the 200m short course.
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The Rugby World Cup 1995 was held in South Africa: South Africans take a lot of pride in their rugby team, popularly called ‘The Springsbook.’ As the FIFA World Cup, South Africa was the first African country to host the Rugby World Cup tournament in 1995. The event became more successful as South Africa won the finale against New Zealand. The team was amazing enough to win the IRB Rugby World Cup two more times in 2007 and again in 2019.