Old Queenian returns to Parry Davies Field, this time in Dale colours

Dale College's new Head of Cricket, Thandisizwe Bula, will be back on familiar ground on Friday, 9 October, when Dale take on Queen's College at Parry Davies Field in the rain SA20 Derby Series.

Bula is an Old Queenian, which gives the fixture an added twist. He knows Queen's as a former pupil, and he also worked at the Junior School as a teaching intern and Advanced Skills Cricket Specialist Coach, helping young players through their earliest stages. This time he will be in the opposite dugout to what he is familiar with.

WATCH: Queen’s vs Dale live on DStv Channel 216, the Schools SA20 YouTube Channel and SuperSport Schools App on Friday, 9 October from 14:00.

Newly-appointed in September, Bula arrives at Dale with experience from both sides of the boundary. As a professional (one of over 80 Old Queenians they list as having played senior provincial cricket), he played for the Highveld Lions, North West Dragons, Easterns and Limpopo Impala before moving into coaching. Bula is a Cricket South Africa accredited coach and has worked at grassroots, age-group, provincial and high-performance level. His roles include CSA U15 and U17 Framework Coach with Limpopo Impala, Assistant Coach of the Border U16 provincial side, and Head Coach and Manager of several North West age-group teams.

DID YOU KNOW? Bula, a wicketkeeper-batter by trade, played 95 first-class fixtures, 73 List A matches and 22 T20s during his 15-year career.

His brief at Dale is a long-term one. Bula wants to make the College one of the leading school cricket programmes in the Eastern Cape, with a clear pathway from junior cricket through to the 1st XI.

Once there, the list of alumni can only but inspire ‘Amadoda’ (as Dale students are known), from Hylton Ackerman to Makhaya Ntini, Malibongwe Maketa and Monde Zondeki.

The goal for Bula is more than technically sound cricketers. As revealed in Dale’s confirmation of his appointment in mid-September, he wants players who can think the game, handle pressure and understand their role.

He is just as focused on culture. He hopes to bring coaches, players, parents and Old Boys closer to the programme and reconnect the wider Dale cricket community with the game.

Friday's rain SA20 Derby Series match gives an early look at where that work begins, and it's a homecoming with a difference for Bula.