James delighted with maiden fifty for WSB WP, hungry for more runs

It was a moment of pure joy and relief for Juan James as he raised his bat to acknowledge his maiden T20 half-century at Boland Park on Tuesday.

James’ 52 runs from 33 balls, was a milestone that had felt both elusive and inevitable for the young World Sports Betting Western Province batter.

After several promising starts in his fledgling career, James finally converted his potential into substance with a composed and determined knock that spoke volumes about his growth and maturity as a player.

Reflecting on the innings, James expressed his happiness and sense of relief, admitting that getting that first one off the mark feels really special while also emphasizing that he’s hungry for more.

“It was quite a relief, to be honest. I've been feeling quite good in the nets, so I'm happy I could put a performance together like that," said James.

“This is just the beginning for me; my eyes are already set on bigger scores and stronger performances ahead to help the team as we are on the building phase together.”

The former South Africa U19 captain admits he wasn’t overthinking at the crease as he approached his fifty.

“I wasn’t thinking about much, he said. “The situation was pretty tough, so my main focus was just to get the team as close as possible to the target.”

Speaking about his fellow South Africa U19 teammate, Valentine Kitime who notched up his maiden First-Class century and T20 50 recently.

“Valentine Kitime has had quite a good start to the season, with him ticking off a couple of milestones.

“I think it all just comes down to the way coach Rory (Kleinveldt) allows us to play and the belief he has in us as individuals.”

The team’s next assignment takes them to Gqeberha, where they will face the Dafabet Warriors at St George’s Park on Friday.

The 21-year-old says the Boys in Blue are ready and motivated for the challenge ahead.

“The Warriors have had a good start to the season and look like a team with confidence, especially seeing that they haven't lost a game yet,” said James.

“But we are up for the challenge and looking to change that this Friday. So, it should be a really good game.”

WSB Western Province Squad

Juan James, Joshua van Heerden, Beuran Hendricks, Edward Moore, Josh Breed, Valentine Kitime, Mthiwekhaya Nabe, Daniel Smith (w/k), Jiveshan Pillay, Dane Paterson, Oliver Whitehead, Raeeq Daniels, Asakhe Tsaka.