Cricket
A brief history of the Tuks
The Assupol Tuks have been champions two times in a row. Can they get the hat-trick?
The Tuks on a rampage in 2014
© Rutger Pauw / Red Bull Content Pool
The University of Pretoria is over 100 years old. It was founded as a branch of the Transvaal University College in 1908. Students earned the nickname "Tuks" or "Tukkies" from the abbreviation of the Afrikaans name of the university: Transvaalse Universiteits-Kollege (TUK). In 1930, it expanded and came into its own as the University of Pretoria.
Even before it became the University of Pretoria, the Tuks Cricket Club had been started for Tukkies to play and perfect their game. The University placed a high degree of importance on all sports, including cricket, which stays strong to this very day. It has produced 4 captains of the Springboks, the South African national rugby team, numerous other Springboks, footballers and athletes.
And of course, the Tuks Cricket Club has produced several eminent players.
Recent captains of the South African national team, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis and Mignon du Preez are all former Tuks.. Morne and Albie Morkel are also among the long and illustrious Tuks Wall of Fame.
Aiden Markram also played for the Tuks. Markram was the captain of South Africa’s maiden title at the Under-19 World Cup in 2014, and Man of the Series as well. The same year, he was part of the Tuks’ first victory at the 2014 edition of Red Bull Campus Cricket in England. The next year, he captained South Africa and led them to an unprecedented 2nd consecutive title in India.
To put the enormity of this feat in context: the first edition of Campus Cricket was won by India’s DAV Chandigarh. The second edition was won by India’s Rizvi College. The Assupol Tuks are the first university team in the world to successfully defend their title. And it was by no means an easy journey.
Two in two for the Tuks
© Ali Bharmal / Red Bull Content Pool
In the 2014 edition, they started off with a match against Bangladesh. Led by an astonishing century from skipper Theunis de Bruyn, they scored over 200. With incredibly economical bowling, they limited their opponents to a score under 100 in 20 overs, winning by 114 runs. It was quite a first impression.
Their next match was against England, who chose to bat. One again, they impressed with economical bowling, while Corbin Bosch regularly took wickets. Setting themselves the low target of 110 runs, they won with 3.4 overs and 7 wickets to spare.
Their last group stage game saw them face the West Indies. Batting first, Aiden Markram’s half century took them to a competitive total of 178. Despite some hitting from the Windies’ top order, the Tuks managed to restrict the scoring and run through the lower order, taking 8 wickets for just 26 runs. They won by over 50 runs.
They went up against India in the semi final, who were represented by the defending champions Rizvi College. Sent in to field, they managed to tie down the free scoring Indians with some excellent slow bowling and restrict them to 122. While chasing, they lost both openers quite early, but Johan Wessels steadied the ship with a well-paced half century and saw them to a 5 wicket victory in the last over, and through to the final.
The final saw them face the West Indies again, who had demolished Australia in their semi final. Once again, Wessels scored a valuable half century as they set a target just shy of 190. They looked to be in danger, with the West Indian middle order scoring freely and fearlessly, before they managed to trigger another collapse and won by 40 runs. Theunis de Bruyn was Man of the Series for his excellent captaincy in addition to being the only player to score more than 200 runs in the tournament.
This was a fine performance, but now they had to defend their title, which no college or university team had thus far done.
Lucky number three?
© Vaibhav Mehta/Red Bull Content Pool
The 2015 edition started much more interestingly for the Tuks. Playing with a title to defend, they lost their first match against Sri Lanka. Batting first, their top order was run through by BMS Mendis. Despite a late recovery, they set a target of only 135. Bowling fiercely, they managed to take a number of Sri Lankan wickets. But the Lankans all contributed a little to the score, and eventually crossed the target with 2 wickets and 2 balls to spare.
Looking to get back into form, they decimated the UAE in their next match. Opener & keeper Murray Coetzee’s undefeated century took them over 200. After a brief spell of rain, their bowling was ruthlessly economical, and they restricted their opponents to just 73 runs in 17 overs. Continuing this momentum, they chose to field against Pakistan, who managed to make just 103/9 in 20 overs. Losing just one wicket, they smashed their way to a 9 wicket victory in less than 10 overs.
In the semi final, they once again faced India, represented this time by Swami Shraddhanand College. Sent in to bat, the openers Markram and Coetzee made a century stand before the 1st wicket fell. Despite the regular loss of wickets, the Tuks made it to 202 in 20 overs. The bowlers then stepped up their game, slowly but steadily chipping away wickets and refusing to let any batsman make something of their start. By the end of the 19th over, India were dismissed and the Tuks won by 40 runs in a match that was closer than it looked on paper.
They were up against England in the final. Choosing to field, the bowlers bowled magnificently. Making regular inroads and running through the middle order, they set up a relatively easy target of just 121 runs. A half-century from the skipper saw them breeze through the chase, winning by 8 wickets in the 17th over. Murray Coetzee was very deservedly the Man of the Series, scoring almost 300 runs in 5 innings, and taking 4 catches and 1 stumping behind the wicket.
The 2016 edition of Red Bull Campus Cricket begins on September 4 in Sri Lanka. The Assupol Tuks are back, and they are going for the hat-trick. Can any team defeat them?
Stay tuned to find out.