ONE of the top Border U13 teams, the U13A team from Hudson Park Primary, are gearing up for a short eight-match tour of Ireland in June and July.
The tour will include a match against the full Irish U13 team – a real test for Hudson.
“They’ve just returned from a tour of Barbados, so it’s going to be a tough game,” explained Border batsman Bryn Thomas, a teacher at the school who will accompany the team as a coach along with former international bowler, professional coach Ken Watson.
Thomas stated that for some years Ireland has been sending boys to play cricket at various schools in South Africa and what they learn they take back to improve the standard of cricket there.
“Eion Morgan, the England ODI specialist, was out here a few years ago,” Thomas said. “I coached him at Leinster U16 and he has promised to meet up with us and encourage us, but he also says he will cheer for the Irish boys!”
Thomas further explained that Bri’an O’Rourke, the Irish Youth Development Officer, has assisted Hudson by organising the matches that side.
He is a great supporter of SA cricket and had been in East London some years ago to work with Pieter Strydom’s Border team when they were coached by Alan Mansell. According to Thomas, the ICC are trying to spread the gospel of cricket world-wide and are currently pumping money into Irish Cricket.
Three current Border players – Thomas, Darryl Brown and Shaun de Kock – have played club cricket in recent years in Ireland.
“The tour is not just about cricket,” Thomas said. “There’s also the cultural side and the boys will be visiting the pyramids of Egypt and Paris and we’ll be visiting Irish castles. We are also going on a Viking tour and will visit an Irish village where they speak the Gaelic language.
“We are also arranging to meet former Eastern Province cricketer Adrian Birrell who coached the Irish national team a few years ago. He’s currently working with the ICC as a technical coach, and he’ll meet the boys, do some coaching and motivate them.
“Phil Simmonds, the former West Indian Test player and current Irish coach has also promised to meet us if he can find the time.”
Thomas said that a brochure outlining the tour would be published and the school is hoping to derive some income from sales of the booklet which will offset some of their expenses.
Allrounder Morgan Steyn has been appointed captain of the touring side.
“It’s a new experience for us and we’ll be playing on different types of wickets,” he said. The traveling may affect us but I anticipate a successful tour,” Steyn added. The team leave on June 28 and return on July 11.
Fixtures:
June 30: v YMCA (Twenty/20), Dublin.
July 1: v Clontarf (40-overs), Clontarf.
July 2: v Merrion (Twenty/20), Merrion.
July 3: v Pembroke (Twenty/20), Pembroke.
July 5: v North Kildare (40-overs), North Kildare.
July 7: v Irish U13 XI (40 overs), Dublin.
July 9: v Leinster XI (40 overs), Rathmines.
July 11: v North County (Twenty/20), Dublin. - By PETER MARTIN
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