As a newcomer to the area I have been impressed with the enthusiasm and level of support our 1st XI cricket team enjoy. For them weekly travel is a necessity to gain the level of competition that will improve their game. Our cricket teams benefit from significant parent support in their willingness to coach, manage and provide transport. There is also a local identity who takes much pride and spends many hours in preparing a quality wicket on the Domain, opposite school. He clearly has a passion for this volunteer role and our lads benefit from the excellent pitches produced.
In 2017 the majority of our team were Year 13 students who had played 1st XI for at least two seasons. They performed to expectation and were a close-knit bunch. It was my pleasure to accompany them to The Willows cricket dinner at St Bede’s College and it was surprising how many ex-cricketers I actually knew at this function.
In 2018 we feature a team that only has two Year 13 lads in it; with the majority from Year 11. So far they have played with a very positive attitude and recent results have started to reflect their potential. The best thing about this group of boys is that they are a team and are happy to work together to develop their cricket skills. We will enjoy watching them over the next couple of years.
Currently there is a lot of parental support towards raising the necessary funds for the biennial cricket tour to Australia. This is always a popular trip for the Ashburton College cricketers. Another feature of this region is the amount of support towards fundraising. This trip, and others like it, have the potential to be fully funded for the players as their parents get in behind the venture. This level of community support towards fundraising was not as apparent when I worked in city schools.
The final acknowledgement needs to be to The Willows Cricket Club. The fact that they have included an outlying rural school into their community is much appreciated. I know our lads who attended the dinner in 2017 appreciated the sense of tradition, oratory and camaraderie on display. As a former “cricket tragic” myself I never got to experience these traditions. It is fantastic that our rural lads have exposure to such values and facilities.