Ben van Niekerk

Benjamin van Niekerk is a outstanding all-round sportsman from South Africa’s North Eastern region of Mpumalanga. A dashing right-handed middle-order Batsman, Ben is also a better than useful right-arm off- spinner. Schooled at HTS Middelburg, Ben is no stranger to provincial colours, having been one of the provinces top performed age-group players. Representing the province at every age group except U13, which he missed due to a South Africa Schools Tennis tour to the States.

As he got older, his performances blossomed, finishing the National U17 week as the tournament’s second leading wicket-taker with 19 wickets at 9.21 and the next year for the U19’s was the provinces leading run- scorer, avergaing 48. His age-group representative success resulted in selection for the senior Mpumalanga side in the CSA Rural League. Off the back of his performances, he sought to pursue some cricket overseas and ventured to the UK for the first time in 2015, joining Dartington & Totnes CC in Devon.

Ben was dominant for DTCC, scoring 793 runs @ 56.64 and helping himself to 29 wickets @ 16.41. He returned to the UK in 2017, joining Burscough CC in the ECB Liverpool League First Division. Whilst he was lighter on runs than he would have expected of himself, scoring 563 runs @ 29.63 and guilty of “not going on with it” on many occasions, he was exceptional with the ball in hand, taking 53 wickets @ 15.62 with an incredible best of 6-19 against Rainhill CC in the Liverpool Echo T20 knockout.

In summer 2018-19, Ben was selected to represent Mpumalanga in the CSA Africa T20 cup, scoring 108 runs @ 36.00 and finished Top 10 for strike-rate in the tournament at 177.04. His 42 (19) against Namibia & 44 (25) against Kenya his best performances. He is now part of Mpumalanga’s push to return as a First Class Province for the 2019-20 season.

Ben has gone on to become a middle-order rock for Mpumalanga, scoring 954 runs @ 50.21 across all formats including 345 runs @ 65.00 in red ball cricket with a best of 113* against Limpopo.

Seeking to play abroad again next summer, Ben will be a a great addition to any club seeking an aggressive middle order Batsman and Off-Spinner for next season. Ben has a CSA Level One Coaching Qualification.