Devon Cricket Board - South Africa Tour 2016 Report

SOUTH AFRICA TOUR 2016

The itinerary included matches in three formats, Fifty over and T20s, with which the players were familiar and 'two day / 'two innings' games which most of them had not played before. Add to this the certainty that they would encounter competitive and capable opponents, at a time when they themselves had not played outside for some five months, and it was clear that the programme would challenge the player’s determination and fitness as well as their technical competence.

Though it left little time for acclimatisation we accepted an invite to play two T20 games just one day after arriving in Kruger. This proved to be a useful exercise with everyone being involved on the first playing day of the tour. The two-day game against Nelspruit, a fixture which has featured in every tour, highlighted a problem with the batting which become a frustrating feature during the rest of the tour i.e. not enough players contributing significant runs to the final total.

Some might interpret this issue as evidence that a collective attitude or ‘team spirit’ was lacking however this was not the case, more a matter of individuals lacking the confidence and determination to eek out as many runs as possible, runs which might mean the difference between winning or losing. It would not have taken many more to turn defeats into victories in the games against Newlands Cricket School, WP U14s and WP Development XI. A record of won 3, lost 4 sounds, and is, so much better than losing 6 to 1. Surprising how scrapping and scraping home as opposed to missing out by a few runs encourages a belief throughout the team that they can win matches.

As regards individual performances on the tour these are given in the stats table below, though caution is necessary before drawing any significant conclusions on the basis of such a small sample. Ben Sapiecha scored the most runs (142) which included the highest single score (72) in the two-day game at Skukuza. While selection for the tour was focused on the County U14s from the 2015 season, three players from the U13 group were also included. They certainly justified their selection with Abraham Kopparambil and Jack Moore being the second and third highest run scorers.

The bowling was generally better and more competitive than the batting. Max Hancock, a left arm spinner and the third of the players from the younger age group, led the way with 13 wickets, including 4 for 35 and 4 for 32 in the game against Western Province U14s, James Onley-Gregson's medium pace accounted for 8 wickets while Sam Carpenter had a remarkable impact on the T20 game against Skukuza scoring 46 runs and taking 5 wickets for only 13 runs.

Our fielding was as enthusiastic and competitive as our opponents with Max Mejzner and James Onley-Gregson each taking five catches. No signs here of lack of effort.

On the face of it only one win in seven games is disappointing but the match against Western Province B/A at WPCC was the only occasion when we were comprehensively outplayed from start to finish. It is sometimes said that batsmen lose matches whilst bowlers win them. A simplistic view maybe but one which accurately summarises what happened on this tour.

While the principal reason for making the long journey is to play cricket against competitive and capable opponents we should not disregard the more general educational benefits. Relationships built up over many years with wonderful hosts in Kruger and Cape Town allow unique access to places of interest and activities which would not be available without their generosity of spirit. This was certainly the case again in 2016 when, in addition to the sightings of the wonderful wildlife the boys were shown disturbing first-hand evidence of the cruelty wrought by rhino poaching in Kruger. Breakfast was certainly different on the last day in Cape Town when Christo Brand, Nelson Mandela's personal prison warder during his imprisonment on Robben Island, gave a talk and answered questions on the relationship between the two men. Christo has been invited to talk to groups all over the world as well as publishing his memoirs in this book ‘Doing Life with Nelson Mandela’

They are not the reason why we travel 6000 miles but experiences such as these do not detract from the real purpose of the visit, in fact they help to put in perspective the ups and down which often become exaggerated during a short tour.

I am sure that I am speaking on behalf of the entire management staff in thanking the players for being such a pleasant and cooperative group of young people to work with. Doubtless they will be disappointed at not winning more games, an understandable reaction but one that in the long term is far less important than the benefits derived from the overall experience.

As regards the wider educational aspects it would be disappointing if anyone returned from South Africa without witnessing something, which contributed to a better understanding of the world we live in. The geographical beauty of the contrasting landscapes is obvious but the extent to which the country is recovering from relatively recent strife makes the human geography even more interesting.

‘What do they know of cricket who only cricket know’

(C L R James “Beyond a Boundary”1963)

Alan Swift

Team Manager.

Note:-

Thanks to everyone who contributed in any to the success of the tour. There was some uncertainty about the availability of coaching staff but in the end the players were extremely well catered for. Sandy Allen, a level III coach and formerly on the staff playing with Warwickshire came for a second time whilst Matt Cooke and Joe Smith (both ECB coaches and in fact former tourists) were available for some of the time in Kruger and Cape Town respectively.

I know he won't take kindly to be referred to as the ‘icing on the cake’ but everyone was delighted that Chris Read, currently captain of Nottinghamshire CCC and a highly respected professional, was able and willing to be part of the coaching staff. Add in the fact that he is a thoroughly likeable bloke and it is easy to see why he was such a valuable addition to the touring party.