Photo Credit: Gallo Images/ Dolphins Cricket
Having tasted a season with the Hollywoodbets Dolphins back in 2016/17, Tshepang Dithole is ready and eager to contribute to the team as a more experienced cricketer when he takes up a contract with the team this season.
As a young player in his early twenties Dithole joined the Dolphins for a season, however played a lot of his cricket with the KZN Inland side and made a handful of appearances for the senior Dolphins side.
He went away and refined his game and learnt more about himself. Last season he starred for Hollywoodbets KZN Inland as they went on to win the CSA Division Two One Day Cup where Dithole made 93 in the final to help his side over the line against Northern Cape.
After spending the last season in division two, he is looking forward to making that step up to the top tier of domestic cricket in South Africa.
“I am really excited to be coming back to the Dolphins but I’m more excited about the competitiveness that I am going to be exposed to,” Dithole said.
“Along with that I am really excited to be reuniting with Imraan Khan,” this comes after Dithole played with Khan at the Dolphins and Inland.
“I never really got the chance to be a sponge and absorb all I could from him because he was still playing and had other things to concentrate on.
“Now that he is the coach I am really looking forward to gaining as much as I can from him as well as a number of other people at the Dolphins.
“The likes of David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj, Prenelan Subrayen and Quinton Friend, who played a lot of domestic cricket.”
Returning to the Dolphins as a 29-year-old Dithole comes back as a more mature player and person and that is something that he is grateful for.
“I cannot take my growth as a cricketer and a person for granted and I appreciate the journey that I am on.
“My cricket has grown; I have grown outside of the game. I take things more seriously, I take accountability for my actions and I know that there are things that separate you from others when you become a professional athlete; I didn’t get it back then but I do now.”
Heading into the new campaign Dithole’s cricketing goals are simple however he wants to make an impact away from the game too.
“I want to dominate this season and I don’t see why I can’t do that in division one as long as I channel my focus and put my mind to it.
“Also when it’s crunch time and when it matters the most I need to execute.
“I want to Dolphins to get right back to the top and I want to contribute to the team as much as I can.
“Hopefully I can help the guys all pull in the same direction and if I can add value to someone’s progression on and off the field then I am winning,” he explained.
