adrian weir

ICC U19 Men: All it took for South Africa's Kwena Maphaka to stamp his presence at the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2024 was two balls. Off his second delivery in the tournament, he bowled a searing, in-swinging yorker that had West Indies opener Adrian Weir flummoxed.

What followed was an animated punch in the air and a big celebration -– quite in contrast to the very mellow one he had planned with his elder brother Tetelo. For a few seconds, Maphaka was drawn into the moment, the adrenaline rush getting the better of him. He would end the day with a five-wicket haul, a feat he would go on to achieve twice more in the next few weeks.

“That one [spell against West Indies] is probably closest to my heart,” Maphaka told ICC.