Wellington College Cricket Club Tour to South Africa – February 2019

TOUR NEWSLETTER: Welcome to the Rainbow Nation

Heathrow airport on a Monday morning, bubbling with anticipation. Bags dropped. Passports brandished. Security cleared. The 16:00 flight to Durban was full. Families, solo travellers and a posse of Wellingtonians took to the skies. After eleven hours, a few films and two meals (a recurrent feature of our week), we landed in KwaZulu Natal, to cloud-pocked skies and cloying humidity.

Hilton College is set in glorious, rolling savannah. Set in the middle of over 200 acres, not including the 500-acre game reserve they call their own, it has a proud history of sporting, not to mention cricketing, excellence. Boys trained hard for two hours, working the flight out of their systems, and after a generous evening meal, an early night was welcomed by all.

The Hart-Davis Oval is surrounded by history. The names and feats Hiltonian alumni cover honours boards in the pavilion and in the Fleur-de-Lys clubhouse. Boys enjoyed seeing one of our own, Tom Curran, displayed alongside those of some household names. Batting first, Hilton amassed 222-5 from 40 overs, thanks largely to a superb undefeated hundred from their opener. Wellington fared well in the field, setting about their work with energy and enthusiasm. Harry P and Arvind S bent their backs with ball in hand and Max W produced the first outstanding moment of the tour, taking a flying catch at mid-wicket to take the first wicket. Jed C made an excellent start behind the stumps and at lunch, the mood in the camp was justifiably upbeat.

The Wellington reply started well. Mack K took a particular shine to the Hilton opening bowler, pulling him into and then over the fence in the third over. Inevitably, pre-season rustiness was in evidence and the boys all made sterling efforts to work through unfamiliar movements and situations. By the time rain closed in, Wellington had made their way to 74-8.

One of the great joys of touring is meeting new people and forging new friendships. That evening, over the first of many a braai, the boys ate, drank and talked with their counterparts from Hilton, before retiring to prepare for our second game.

Michaelhouse School, long-standing rival of Hilton, lies another 30 miles or so into the Natal countryside. Our journey there took us through some outstanding scenery, as well as past the site of Nelson Mandela’s capture in 1962. The significance of this place was not

lost on the boys, but unfortunately our early start meant that the site was not yet open when we passed.

The welcome we received from Dean and John at Michaelhouse was second-to-none. Boys were taken to their accommodation and following a rain-enforced study session, lunch was served in anticipation of a hastily rearranged T20 fixture. That we were able to play any cricket at all was a huge bonus and a good contest ensued. Batting first on a tacky surface, Wellington managed to eke out 88 runs, thanks largely to a pugnacious contribution of 22 from Will S. At one point in the Michaelhouse reply, a rather swift and ignominious end looked in prospect, but once Jamie L took the wicket of the opening batsman for 52, he then went on to produce an excellent spell of leg-spin bowling, causing havoc in the opposition middle order. Aided by four catches by Monty B, it seemed that Jamie might turn the tide in Wellington’s favour, but, alas, it was not to be. The game concluded, boys once again shared a great evening with the opposition, winning the obligatory post-match game of football before another braai. Friday’s opposition was Kearsney College. Set in the hills to the northwest of Durban, it is another school with a proud history of sporting prowess. It was hard to imagine how the hospitality that we had already enjoyed might be surpassed, but somehow Kearsney managed. Not one, not two, but three meal breaks punctuated the day (much to your correspondent’s delight), and the boys once again set about the challenge of playing against a very strong side. The wicket was again tacky and slow, courtesy of an unusually wet spell in the area. Runs were hard to come by, but Wellington responded well, showing resilience and a willingness to put a high price on their wickets. Archie C looked in terrific touch in the early stages, but it was Charlie B who stole the batting headlines with a powerful innings of 27 in the latter stages, helping Wellington to a competitive total.

Set a target of 142 to win, Kearsney were pegged back by an early run out and a terrific piece of bowling from Harry P, as he snared the opening batsman leg before. However, these were to be the only breakthroughs that Wellington enjoyed in the field, despite a good spell of off-spin bowling from Joe M, and Kearsney moved steadily to their target for loss of two wickets. That evening saw the first opportunity for the boys to enjoy some authentic South African hospitality, as they were hosted by families from Kearsney. Enjoying a break from the well-intentioned and exemplary supervision of their coaches, the boys were treated to a wonderful evening with their host families and they arrived the following morning sporting smiles on faces, with new friendships forged. Northwood School for Boys is proud alma mater to a certain Shaun Pollock, amongst other illustrious alumni. And you can see why he fell in love with the game here when you walk along the tree-lined pathway to The Smith Oval (named after Robin Smith, a stalwart of the England middle order for several years in the 90s). The ground is nestled between the school buildings and local housing, and views from the pavilion stretch across the

Indian Ocean to the east. Sympathetic banking provides a stunning amphitheatre, in which the boys played their fourth fixture and their second T20 game.

Having lost the toss, Wellington were asked to bowl, and the boys responded well, shaking off the fatigue and soreness that was inevitably setting in. Northwood wickets fell regularly, the bowlers showing commendable discipline. Jamie I struck twice in one over, providing early momentum to the fielding effort and a good spell from Oscar C followed. The performance of the morning, however, came from Raghuv K who put together an excellent spell of medium-fast bowling, taking two wickets and restricting opportunities for batsmen to score. Faced with a target of 117 to win, Wellington started earnestly. Mack K and Archie C resumed their partnership at the top of the order, moving quickly to 50 without loss. From there, as is often the case, the loss of the first wicket precipitated a flurry and having been in a position of strength Wellington suddenly found themselves 6 wickets down, not to mention significantly behind the rate. Testing times call for resilience and endeavour and in Michael O’D and Archie R, Wellington found two heroes. Coming together at 83-6, in the 16th over, they put together a winning partnership of 37, securing victory from the penultimate ball of the match to give Wellington a well-deserved and morale boosting win. And so, we boarded flight BA6312 from Durban to Cape Town, from where your correspondent writes now. A series of demanding games lie in wait; watch this space for more news at the end of the week.

TOUR NEWSLETTER: Welcome to the Mother City Cape Town. Kaapstad. The Mother City. Whilst Jan van Riebeek is commonly considered to be the father of Cape Town, landing on these shores in 1652, first mention of it in the annals of European history was made in 1488 by Portugese explorer Bartholomeu Dias. More recently, it was known as the nearest settlement to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 years. Famed for its Mediterranean climate, wonderful wine and its stunning vistas, it is rightly one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Also, home to some of the very best cricketing schools in the world, Wellington arrived well aware of the magnitude of the sporting challenge that awaited us. First port of call was Rondebosch Boys High School. Set in beautiful parkland, just a mile or so from Newlands Cricket Ground, Rondebosch has long been considered one of the strongest cricketing schools in South Africa, if not the very best. They are also one of the busiest, hosting several touring sides each year, as well as playing their own domestic schedule. Fresh from a well-earned victory, Wellington arrived at the beautiful Gary Kirsten Oval in buoyant spirit. Captain Archie C won the toss and elected to bat. Any misconceptions that may have been abroad about the strength of the opposition were

soon dispelled, as Wellington found themselves 10-2 in 11 overs. Despite an archetypal captain’s innings from Archie C, who ground out 56 hard-won runs, Wellington found reward hard to come by and eventually reached 146 from 50 overs. Whatever demons were in the surface during the morning session had been well and truly exorcised by the time Rondebosch began their reply. They never really looked in any trouble and, courtesy of two well-made half centuries, they made their way to their target inside 19 overs. Spectators were treated to a display of stroke-making and ball-striking of the highest order, and there was no doubt at all that we had witnessed the best side of the tour to date at work. All of the Wellington bowlers felt the wrath of the Rondebosch top order. And Wellington’s next opposition were no less renowned. Bishops Diocesean College are close neighbours and rivals of Rondebosch and their grounds lie just a stone’s throw from each other. Wellington were keen to move on from the previous day’s work, and the added allure of a day-night fixture, played under lights, made this all the more special an occasion. On another slow, low wicket, Wellington found it hard to score initially; the Bishops bowling attack maintained a disciplined line and length, for the most part, and wickets fell largely as a result of frustration. Only the arrival of Will S at the crease brought any kind of fluency to proceedings and he was unfortunate to finish on 49* as the Wellington innings came to an end. With ball in hand, Wellington set about defending their total with real energy. The early exchanges complete, Bishops found themselves in some difficulty at 25-3 from 9 overs, thanks in no small part to a very miserly spell of 8 overs 15-1 from Michael O’D. The fourth wicket partnership, however, proved to be the key one in the match. Slowly, but surely, the Bishops pair gained a foothold in the match and by the time the fourth wicket fell, the balance of power had shifted. Despite valiant effort from all the bowlers and fielders, the opposition reached their target in the 35th over, but Wellington left the field with a great deal of credit, following an excellent team effort. And so the tour party moved on to Paarl. Perched on the western edge of the fabled Cape winelands, the town itself is the third oldest in the region. Home to nearly 200,000 people, it is also the spiritual and historical home of the Afrikaans language. Paarl Boys High School (or Hoër Jongenskool) is one of the oldest schools in the country and its contribution to South African sport, and Rugby in particular, is long-running. Playing at their sports ground, just a short distance from the school itself, Wellington faced a new challenge: dry, hot and windy conditions suggested that local knowledge would count for much. Paarl batted first but, thanks to a sharp opening spell from Harry P, never really got going. Able support from Michael O’D, once again, Monty B and Oscar C, meant that by the time Wellington came to chase, the target facing them was a relatively modest 141. On a small oval, with a fairly quick outfield, this seemed an eminently achievable task. Despite the loss of captain and talisman early on, Max W and Monty B quickly set about putting

the Paarl attack to the sword. A partnership of 107 from 10 overs or so took the game away from the hosts before they realised what was happening. Max lead the way, picking up length very quickly and striking the ball superbly. Monty was more studious, classical in approach with a keen eye for gaps in the field, and scores of 66 and 54, respectively, were their rewards. A second victory was a real tonic to a now tiring touring party, and with one game left, against a very strong SACS team, all efforts were now focused on one last performance of which we could be proud. Again, the setting was magnificent, and the ever-present Table Mountain loomed over the oval, giving the impression that we were almost playing in the mountain itself. SACS won the toss and elected to bat under a beating, hot sun. An early wicket, stumped Mack K from the bowling of O’Donoghue, lifted spirits. Spectators were then treated to the best display of ball-striking from any player over the two weeks. By the time Wellington had bowled their allotted overs, the SACS opener had scored 116* and Wellington faced the daunting target of 211 to win. If this total was supposed to be out of reach, no one told the opening pairing of Max W (62) and Archie C (27). The first ball of the Wellington reply was deposited on the roof of the pavilion by Max, and he then set about the opposition attack. Archie also played some scything cuts and pulls, out-pacing his partner, if not out-scoring him. At 10 overs, Wellington were comfortably ahead of the rate, but two wickets in consecutive balls proved to be set back from which it was hard to recover. Monty B played another excellent innings (45 from 25 balls), but when he departed the tail couldn’t wag in the requisite manner, leaving the chasing team 36 runs short. A valiant, energetic effort, no doubt; and Wellington finished the playing portion of the tour in great spirits. That evening saw parents join with players and staff at an end-of-tour meal, a lovely way to end a fabulous fortnight of travel, friendship and plenty of promising cricket. Our thanks go to Craig and all the staff at Bundu Bashers, all of the schools who hosted us so tremendously well, parents for their unstinting support, but most of all, the boys, for representing the school so impeccably well from start to finish.