At the age of 20, Kyle Verreynne will be thrust into the position as successor of the former national wicketkeeper of the Cape Cobras, Dane Vilas, who has just joined the Hollywoodbets Dolphins, in 2017/2018.
But Salieg Nackerdien, interim coach of the Western Province semi-professional team, says the wicketkeeper-batsman Verreynne, currently at the Powerade National Academy, possesses all the attributes to become a highly successful and prolific franchise wicketkeeper.
“I think what the national academy will do for his batting is to assist him in capitalizing on starts and on turning 40’s or 70’s into big centuries. They will offer him more ideas on game plans and on how to construct an innings,” he said.
“He drives very well on both sides of the wicket and he is certainly not afraid of fast bowling. He can manipulate the ball through the gaps against the spinners as well.
“But I think the academy will even improve his batting against slow bowlers,” said Nackerdien, who was a stalwart of Boland years ago and an assistant coach to Paul Adams in the 2015/2016-season.
Nackerdien is full of praise of the abilities of Verreynne behind the stumps, saying he has got what it takes to move to the next level.
Verreynne is a natural aggressor, a man fearless and adventurous in spirit with a wide array of attacking shots.
In just 11 games for Western Province, he has scored 691 runs at an average of 53.15. He has struck a century and four half-centuries in these few matches, which included 98 in the penultimate game of the season.
But if inserted at number five and six and surrounded by genuine all-rounders like Jason Smith, Dayyaan Galiem and last season’s Cape Cobras Player of the Season, Aviwe Mgijima, one can expect him to strike more centuries.
His strike rate of 67.21 suggests that there is nothing tentative about his approach and that his philosophy resembles that of Quinton de Kock: “See the ball; hit the ball.”
Verreynne was wicketkeeper and opener of the South African U19-team but he is likely to slot into the number six position of the Cape Cobras in the 2017/2018-season.