Van Heerden eager to shine with Boys in Blue

World Sports Betting Western Province Men’s latest signing, batter Joshua van Heerden, has shared his thoughts on what it means to join the Boys in Blue as he looks forward to making an impact ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Van Heerden is among three fresh recruits welcomed by the Western Province side this season, joining forces with experienced bowler Tshepo Moreki and talented batter Jiveshan Pillay as the Newlands-based outfit strengthens its squad for the upcoming campaign.

The 27-year-old revealed that his ultimate dream is to spend the remainder of his playing career with Western Province, expressing his deep commitment and loyalty to the side.

“It'll be really nice to stay here for a long period of time and spend a lot of my career here,” said van Heerden.

“This season you can expect full commitment, good energy, a couple of good bits of banter and I’m just excited to be here.

“I've got a couple of guys that I've played with and against – so arriving at Newlands to people I know and am familiar with made me happy.”

As the Boys in Blue put the finishing touches on their preparations for the upcoming season, they recently tested themselves in competitive action by participating in the inaugural Metro Cup T10 tournament at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead this past weekend.

Rory Kleinveldt’s side used the event as a valuable opportunity to fine-tune their skills and build momentum.

Van Heerden shared how warmly he was welcomed by his new teammates upon his arrival at the iconic Newlands, describing the atmosphere as supportive and inspiring, which has already made him feel at home in the squad.

“It’s been good to be here, and I have been enjoying every moment. The first week was wet but in the end the sun came out, so it's been a good start,” he said.

“I played golf on the first day when I got here; it was a very chilled way to get an introduction from my teammates.

“The guys have been very welcoming and I am enjoying being here.”

The right-handed batter also mentioned that being familiar with the squad made settling in much easier for him, allowing him to quickly adapt to the team’s dynamics and focus on performing on the field.

“I've played against a lot of the guys and a couple of them I played with in younger age groups in the U19 set-ups and Emerging games. But, obviously, I’m new to the set-up, so I'll be looking to make a couple of new friends as we go along.”

The Boys in Blue will remain in Durban this week as they gear up to take part in a three-day pre-season clash against the Hollywoodbets Dolphins, a fixture that will provide valuable preparation and momentum ahead of the new campaign.

The Boys in Blue will be on the road to Gqeberha later this month as they kick off their CSA 4-Day Series campaign with a challenging opener against the Dafabet Warriors, scheduled to take place from Thursday, 25 September, to Sunday, 28 September.