Undeterred by the lack of proper facilities, the game's latest converts around the country, from sleepy villages and urban settlements, improvise: using tomato boxes for wickets, dusty roads for pitches and, when nothing better can be found, home-made bats.

Elias Letebele, 14, of Maseding in the North West says "You always get injured when playing soccer and it is boring. Cricket is very good."

Although most of the youngsters have never been to the Wanderers, Newlands or Centurion Park they clearly understand the rules of the game. "We learned it from TV, but one of us also had a book from the library, which we used to learn most of the rules," says Thabang Tshosho, 13, of Mohlakeng township on the West Rand.

"We start our games immediately after school. We place the wickets on the street and then we select the players who are going to start. We normally play 6 overs," he says. "Sometimes we just play a friendly game without putting money at stake. But when we know we are going to play for money, we don't buy food during break at school."

"We play cricket every day," says Elias Mataboge,16, of Majanejeng, who has earned respect for his betting prowess from his playmates. "They call me Hansie," he says, adding that he is captain of his village team.

The youngsters play on the potholed streets - which means having to stop the game when cars or cattle go past - or in any open space they can find.

And the game is also no longer the preserve of "gentlemen". "Girls also play cricket," says Molebogeng Masoga, 11, who is a fan of Jonty Rhodes. "I am a bowler. I like Jonty because he plays well," she says. Philadelphia Mawetsa, 16, of Mohalakeng township is held in high esteem by the boys she plays with. "She's our coach," says one of them. "I can play as bowler, batsman and wicketkeeper. I like this game and I want to play for South Africa one day," Philadelphia says.

The aspiring young cricketers say they would love to see their cricketing heroes in action but cannot afford to travel to the main centres where top league cricket is played. But this does not deter them - they spend their free time glued to the TV, watching cricket at home or with the neighbours. "If there is a cricket match on TV and my parents want to switch the channel and watch something else then we fight," says Elias.

The United Cricket Board of South Africa said it recognised the need for infrastructure in black neighbourhoods and he implemented plans to provide cricket facilities in these areas. Khaya Majola, the Board's director of development and a former provincial cricketer, said the board was running a development programme under which facilities and coaching were provided. "We are not only looking at developing cricket in rural areas or townships alone, but in the whole of South Africa," he said.

This winter the Board, in a joint project with Standard Bank, will distribute equipment to the value of R1.6 million to clubs and teams in disadvantaged areas. The project will also entail the construction of a R400 000 oval in Soshanguve near Pretoria. Rose Zwane, a spokesman for the Board, said countrywide this year 55 talented young cricketers from disadvantaged communities had been given bursaries to attend top cricketing schools.

And it's not only the budding players that are receiving the board's attention: 66 teachers and coaches from the Bakers Biscuits Coaches Academy have been granted bursaries to study sports management.

Together with a local company, the Board has built a 135 concrete-based pitches and 154 nets at a cost of R2 million. It plans to build 1000 more nets countrywide by the end of the decade.