St David’s Marist Inanda renamed its main cricket field the Temba Bavuma Oval on Tuesday, after the former pupil and current Proteas skipper.
The field formerly known as the McGregor Oval, was changed to honour Bavuma who finished his schooling at the Johannesburg institution in 2007.
The entire school assembled to honour Bavuma on the newly named oval, where the 34-year-old was the guest of honour.
Bavuma was last in action for the Proteas at the Champions Trophy last month, and will be preparing to lead the Test side in the World Test Championship at Lord’s, in London, in June.
Bavuma reflects on his St. David’s journey and the honour of the renamed oval
“I think my experience of St. David's was nothing short of positive and surreal,” said Bavuma at the ceremony.
“I came to the school with, like all kids really, with high hopes, high ambitions of achieving, and I left the school with a lot of lessons, I left the school with a lot of memories that still stand strong in my life.”
Bavuma revealed how he first was noticed by the prestigious school while playing for a representative side against St David’s at Under-15 level.
“I think I did well in that game. Mr. Butt liked what he saw, and it was after a conversation that he had with my parents, my dad, that he decided that I would come to the school, on the scholarship, and finish off my high school career.”
As for the oval being renamed in his honour, Bavuma said: “The gesture from the school is a massive one. It's a beautiful one. I think I'll struggle to really put it into words. Like I said, I've always been a guy who has been ambitious, always striving for the stars, being at St. David's that enabled me to do that.
“But I think what has happened today, this will be a piece of my legacy or part of my history that I will look at it with a lot of pride. I do hope from this field there can be a lot more cricketers or athletes that go on to represent the country and also do everyone here proud.”