t» m Cricket The World Cup, International Tours and TV coverage have resulted in more and more boys wanting to play cricket at Kearsney. This year we broke all records by putting some 20 teams out against Maritzburg College and Pinetown. Unfortunately we cannot do this every Saturday due to many of the bigger schools having so few fields. However, the introduction of morning and aftemoon games has given greater opportunities for boys to represent Kearsney. The "Shongweni Trophy" for the side with the best results was won by the U15C who won all their games. Finally thanks to Jay and his stafffor keeping the fields and pitches in such wonderful condition,the parents for their constant support, the "Parents Society" for the purchase of a new mower, Ronnie Groom for once again supplying us with top dressing, Roy Palmer, our resident professional and the coaches who give up hours to coach and umpire each Saturday. P.A.I Ratcliffe 1ST XI During January we attended the Annual Alex Cricket week and performed below par particularly with regard to our bowling and our out cricket. Prospects did not appear to be too bright for the season but after some hard work and motivation, we met Maritzburg College on the first Saturday of the season. We bowled superbly, hung onto every possible chance and then battled with confidence to pass their laboured total with wickets in hand. This seemed to set the tone for the 1st term and we continued to play positive winning cricket, recording wins over Michaelhouse, Hilton, Glenwood and Pinetown in successive weeks.The latter part ofthe 1st quarter produced draws against Westville and a strong D.H.S. team. The good results of the 1st quarter can be best attributed to an outstanding team performance as all players contributed at different times without anyone really starring. This situation was changed in the 4th quarter when the wonderful form of Rowan Groom made him stand out as a major contributor to the continued good fortunes of the side. Our only loss during this period was to the talented and motivated Maritzburg College side that on the day played better all round cricket than us. The last match of the year against Westville saw Scott Summersfinally fulfilling his potential with the bat as he blazed his way to a brilliant eighty. Westville seemingly coasting to an easy win, lost their last eight wickets for 15 mns due to some hostile bowling by Tim Wise and Mike Nienaber - and so we ended on a high note. This has been one of the more successful sides to have represented the College and the results are clear testimony to this. Fergus Pringle captained the side with determination and although his own form was not great, he was able to motivate the players so as to get the very best out of each member. His tactical awareness and handling of his bowlers was usually of the highest order. It would be remiss of me not to mention the superb contribution made by Rowan Groom,who as batsman, stood head and shoulders above the rest. His patience and application has been an object lesson to all cricketers at the College and his range of shots and the sweetness with which he times these shots was a pleasure to watch. He wasjustly rewarded by inclusion in the S.A. Schools XL We congratulate him and wish well in his future cricketing career. He will go a long way if he finds the time to pursue this sport. Essentially though, the success of this years XI has been a team effort and 1 thank all the players for their contribution. Finally it would be remiss of me not to mention the work of Jay Govender in preparing our grounds, Phil Ratcliffe for his organisation and the parents for their loyal support. 84 Kearsney Chronicle 1995
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