“Excellence is not a gift, but a skill that takes practice. We do not act rightly because we are excellent. In fact, we achieve excellence by acting rightly.” – Plato.
Paarl Boys’ High batsman and wicketkeeper Gillmer Horn is a 14-year-old Namibian cricket prodigy, who captured the spotlight when he was named the best batsman at the Noord-Suid Wildeklawer T20 in October.
Since then, he’s continued his excellent performances in the Boland rain Schools SA20 competition.
Boishaai head coach Rudolph Buys shared some impressive statistics from Horn’s first 18 games for the school’s 1st XI: “Gillmer has scored an impressive 576 runs at an average of 42 and a strike rate of 160.
“Some of his outstanding performances include a century against Affies, scores of 65 against St David’s Marist Inanda, 69 versus Wynberg Boys’ High, and 51 against Paul Roos Gimnasium in the Boland Schools SA20 semi-final.
“Particularly impressive is his ability to find the boundary, having already struck 58 fours and 31 sixes in his first 18 appearances for the 1st XI.”
When asked about what he has done differently when compared to others to make such rapid progress, Horn said his training protocol has no secrets: “I do a lot of basic drills, like having someone throw underarm to me and trying to either pull, drive, or simply hit as many balls as possible.
“I also keep my focus on the small details in my technique.”
From the get-go, he has hit the ball hard. He shared his earlier cricket memory with SuperSport Schools News, stating: “It was going to my first practice. I broke my bat in half and had to use one of my friend’s bats. I’ve always enjoyed the feeling of the ball coming nicely off the bat.”
Coach Buys also shared his methodology for nurturing Horn’s potential: “Our focus is not to take away his natural attacking style of play, but rather to develop and refine it further.
“We work with him on improving his game awareness, decision-making, and ability to adapt to different formats and match situations,” he explained.
Horn has big ambitions for the future: “With cricket, I want to be drafted in the SA20 League in grade 10, and then in grade 11, I want to start playing in the SA20.
“From there, I want to go to the IPL. I also want to be focused on my studies and to keep working hard in life.”
Coach Buys, who will be the assistant coach of the Boland U19s at the Khaya Majola Week, said the grade eight learner has already achieved one milestone on the path to fulfilling his dreams: “His selection for the Boland U16 side provides further valuable exposure, allowing him to test himself alongside and against some of the best U16 players in the country.”
Despite being the youngest player in the team, Horn might be viewed as Boishaai’s talisman by their rain Schools SA20 opposition. His record speaks for itself.
