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KovsieCricket honoured at Mangaung Cricket Association AGM: ‘Accolades are the result of unwavering dedication’

05 June 2025 | Story Vuyelwa Mbebe and Aimee Barlow | Photo Supplied

The University of the Free State’s (UFS) KovsieCricket club was honoured with two of the most significant awards at the recent Mangaung Cricket Association Annual General Meeting (MCA AGM).

First, KovsieCricket was crowned MCA Premier League Champions, marking a remarkable twelfth consecutive title in the region’s top league. Later, the club was named the Best Run Cricket Club in the Free State, a recognition that goes beyond match victories.

The MCA AGM, which reflects on the regional cricketing year, this year included key updates from MCA Chairperson Donavin George, a review of the season’s performance, and the election of the executive committee for the new term. The AGM also celebrates excellence, dedication, and growth within the sport during the preceding year.

Rocky le Roux, Head of Cricket at the UFS, reflected on the evening’s achievements by attributing them to the unified effort of everyone involved in the club. “These accolades are the result of unwavering dedication from our players, coaches, management, and support staff,” he said. “Our student-athletes lay the foundation with their performances, but none of this would be possible without the people working tirelessly behind the scenes. Teamwork, long-term planning, and a shared vision have allowed us to achieve this consistency.”

The Best Run Cricket Club award serves as a powerful validation of the systems and values in place at KovsieCricket, Le Roux said, adding that awards of these types are not only a source of pride but are instrumental in attracting top talent from around the country. “They show young cricketers that KovsieCricket is a place where they can grow, compete, and thrive – not just on the field, but as professionals and leaders.”

With regional dominance firmly established, KovsieCricket’s sights are now set on national excellence. Le Roux believes that becoming the best cricket club in South Africa is a realistic goal, but one that will require strategic growth in several key areas. He emphasised the need for permanent, experienced coaches to guide development, an even stronger recruitment network, facilities that meet national standards, and a culture of belonging that inspires players to invest fully in the club. He also stressed that consistent exposure to higher levels of competition and a focus on mental resilience will be critical in the journey ahead.

As KovsieCricket celebrates these milestones, Le Roux extended heartfelt gratitude to those who make the journey possible. He acknowledged Jerry Laka, Director of KovsieSport at the UFS, the KovsieSport team for their unwavering support, the players and coaches for their commitment to excellence, and Francis Marais, Supervisor of the sports grounds and grounds staff, for consistently preparing top-quality pitches. He also thanked the Mangaung Cricket Association for their continued efforts in running competitive leagues and providing the resources that help the game thrive in the Free State.

With another successful season behind it, KovsieCricket looks to the future with confidence and ambition. Trophies alone do not define the legacy they are building – rather, their culture of excellence, community, and purpose sets the standard for university cricket in South Africa and beyond.

News Archive

From wheat protein to perfect pizza

2017-09-26

Barend Wentzel received his PhD at the Department
of Plant Sciences during the university’s
winter graduation ceremony.
He is pictured here with Prof Maryke Labuschagne,
professor in Plant Breeding at the UFS.
Photo: Charl Devenish

Barend Wentzel, an alumnus of the University of the Free State’s Department of Plant Sciences, is passionate about plant breeding.

He literally eats and lives wheat proteins. In 1989 he initiated a breeding programme on arum lilies. “This breeding programme is at an advanced stage,” he said. Besides reading, playing the piano and accordion, Barend, due to the nature of his research at the Agricultural Research Council, also experiments with different types of ciabatta recipes made from sour dough. “I usually make my own pizza on Saturday evenings,” he said.

He is working at the Agricultural Research Council – Small Grain (ARC-SG) at the Wheat Quality Laboratory where he established a Cereal Chemistry Laboratory.

Complexity of flour quality
He explains that the focus of his research is on wheat protein composition. “The research conducted for my PhD study explains the complexity of flour quality to a certain extent, and it further emphasises the influence of the environment and genetic composition on selected baking characteristics.

“Wheat protein can be divided into different types of protein fractions. These protein fractions contribute differently to dough properties and baking quality and the expression is affected by different components in the environment, including locality, rainfall and temperature.

“Protein content alone does, however, not explain the variation in baking quality parameters, such as mixing time, dough strength and extensibility, and loaf volume.

“Several methods can be applied to quantify the different protein fractions. I am using high-performance liquid-chromatography (HPLC). The procedure entails the separation of a wheat protein extract through a column with chromatographic packing material. The injected sample is pumped through the column (known as the stationary phase) with a solvent (known as the mobile phase). The specific procedure, size-exclusion high-performance liquid-chromatography (SE-HPLC), is also used by the university’s Department of Plant Breeding, as well as in several international Cereal Chemistry Laboratories,” said Barend.

Dough strength and to loaf volume
“One of the highlights from the study was the positive contribution of the albumin and globulin protein fractions to dough strength and to loaf volume. The findings were wheat cultivar specific and the growing environment influenced the expression. The contribution of these protein fractions was much larger than previously reported for South African wheat cultivars,” said Barend.
“Previous reports indicated that these protein fractions had a non-specific contribution to the gluten network during dough formation. The findings from this PhD justify further research on albumins and globulin proteins.”

The Cereal Chemistry Laboratory at ARC-SG is involved in postgraduate student training under Barend’s guidance. He serves as co-promoter for several MSc and PhD students. He is also a collaborator on an international project with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) in Mexico. Barend is furthermore working on improving wheat quality for processing and health purposes as a member of the expert working group of the International Wheat Initiative.

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