In a rare occurrence, Seb Golding will be one of the first sportsmen to participate in two Varsity Sports events when he captains UCT in the inaugural Varsity Cricket tournament in Potchefstroom from 3-8 February.

Golding represented UCT Ikeys in the Varsity Hockey event held in May 2014 and feels that having already participated in a Varsity Sports event will give him an upperhand in what to expect off the field but will have no bearing on their performance on the field.

“I played in the Varsity Hockey event and I think the only advantage I have will be in terms of how everything is set-up and how we are spoilt. It will help me to impart the vibe of the event and what to expect outside of the game to the rest of the team but it won’t have any effect on our performance.

“I really enjoy both sports and will to try to continue playing both of them as much as possible, I’m not sure how it will affect my studies but I will certainly try to keep playing both as long as I can,” he told varsitysportssa.com.

The 21-year-old is quietly confident about his side’s chances of winning event and feels the group of players representing Ikeys are well-suited to the 20-over format.

“We are quietly confident and have nothing to lose. I think a lot of teams think of us as underdogs. The make-up of our team is suited to the 20-over format, we have some big hitters who can take the game away from teams and have balanced that with good bowlers.

“To win this tournament, it’s going to be crucial to have very good individual performances but consistency throughout the event is the most important aspect. You will have to win the ‘big games’ but also remain calm in pressure situations. Those situations will arise because of the nature of the format and there will be a lot of close games which will require clear heads and good decisions.

“T20 allows for closer games but the added innovations certainly makes for closer games which will keep teams in the hunt for longer periods. This will obviously add pressure to the bowling side and will make things more interesting when captaining the team. The new innovations adds a new dimension to captaining the team,” he added.

Unlike many of the other participating sides, UCT have no SA Under-19 players to call on, which the fourth-year Economics student feels won’t have as big of an impact on them as they look to claim the title.

“We don’t have any SA U-19 players and we may be missing out on some good players but I don’t think it has as big of an effect as one may think. I feel like the more senior players will make more of an impact in the games than the younger SA U-19 players.

“Obviously, if you have represented the country at U-19 level, you must be a good player but it will come down to how they are able to handle the pressure. To me, experience is going to play a huge factor and calm heads will come to the fore in a tournament like this,” he stated.

UCT’s regular coach Ryan Maron won’t be accompanying the Cape students to the event as he will be at the Cricket World Cup with the Afghanistan national side and the all-rounder, who opens the batting and turns the arm with some leg-spinners, feels that despite losing their coach, it will be up to players to take accountability on the field.

“Not having him [Ryan Maron] with us is a major loss because he has offered a lot to the club and he will be missed, but he has made sure we have a really good coach, Haydon Higgs, who has taken his place. He [Higgs] has brought a few different elements to the table but ultimately, it’s up to us to do the job on the field.

“We have learnt to do things on our own on the park and have become used to doing it but I think we good enough to handle it,” he said.