Following a stellar ten-year career with the Hollywoodbets Dolphins and the KZN Cricket Union, hard-hitting left-handed batsman Vaughn van Jaarsveld has decided to call time on his career with immediate effect.
Van Jaarsveld arrived at the Dolphins in 2010 after leaving the Highveld Lions and made Durban a prolific home as he went on to amass over 8500 runs across all three formats in the 213 games he played for the franchise.
Van Jaarsveld’s career peaked when he was selected for South Africa on a tour to Australia in 2009 and he played two One Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals for the Proteas.
He ended his career with 128 first-class matches in which he scored 8440 runs, which included 21 hundreds, 52 fifties and a batting average of 40.5. His 184 match List-A record included just under 6000 runs, nine hundreds and 43 fifties at an average of 36. He also played 133 T20’s in which he scored 2934 runs at an average of 28.8 and a strike rate of 119 which included one century and 13 fifties.
Van Jaarsveld reflects fondly in his career at the Dolphins as he prepares for life after cricket which includes a coaching role at Northwood High School.
“Kingsmead was my home for ten years and the memories that I have made with the players and coaches will never be forgotten,” the 35-year-old said.
“I learnt so much from my time here and have made strong bonds with the people that make up the KZN Cricket Union.”
Following a tough lockdown period that included a few injuries, one of the Dolphins’ stand-out performers felt that he was making the right decision.
“I had a long think about it and thought that it was the right time for me to call it a day.
“I’ve had a great career and played for my country; a lot of people can’t say that so I have been very blessed as a cricketer.
“Taking on coaching is an opportunity for me to give back to the game that I love and to see kids grow as cricketers is something that drives my passion for cricket and for coaching.
“I would like to thank my wife Carlynne and my three boys for all the love and support they have given me over my career,” he added.
CEO of KZN Cricket Heinrich Strydom was appreciative of Van Jaarsveld’s contribution to the franchise over the last decade.
“Vaughn has been a fantastic asset for the Dolphins over a long period of time,” Strydom said. “The sheer magnitude of his overall career stats speak of an incredibly talented player who was consistent over a very long time.
“To have played close to 450 official First-class, List-A and T20 matches, and score over 17 300 runs is a phenomenal achievement. There are not many players that can reflect on a career which included 31 centuries and 108 fifties.”
“It’s great to see him move into the coaching sphere and we look forward to following his growth as a coach over the coming years.
“From the staff and players at KZN Cricket we want to wish Vaughn all the best for the future.”
