
Ahead of the Under 15 Boys setting off for South Africa on Thursday, Henry Squire reflects on the 2023 trip for this year's tour brochure.
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"When I first found out I had been selected for the South Africa Tour, I naturally became rather overwhelmed by such an incredible prospect. However, the reality of the journey I would go on did not begin to percolate until I stepped on that plane. Unsurprisingly, the week prior to the tour I was bombarded by the same question: "Are you looking forward to it?"
"Of course I was, but I still could not comprehend what I was about to experience.
Touchdown in the Kruger
"Greeted by the wave of warm air at the plane door, I began to realise that this distant proposal of a tour: awaiting the date of the 9th of February eagerly back home and anticipation, were now a thing of the past because I was truly living it.
"Sitting in the only lounge on the only sofas in Skukuza's unique, charmingly authentic airport the team, tired after an arduous 24 hours of travelling, returned to asking the questions that made us feel most at home, with the question "What’s the Wi-Fi password?" being the biggest hit.
"I am not sure any of us knew what awaited us out there, just 30 metres and we were in the wild. Soon we would be immersed in the beauty and diversity of the Kruger National Park, eating our meals next to prowling hyenas and having our bus surrounded by a pride of lions.
"Yet for now, we sat around the circular sofas, quite content with the fact that after 15 minutes of trying every which way a password can be written, with numerous capital letters and digits, we had all obtained the Wi-Fi. Well, most of us, that is.
The Cricket Club
"Hailed as "The new home of Devon Cricket for the next week" by Matt Cooke, I can still vividly remember each aspect of the gorgeous setting of Skukuza CC, open to surrounding wildlife, particularly some resident hyenas who became frequent guests at dinner each night.
"Unfortunately, Matt’s comment must have been a jinx, as not a single ball was bowled in the Kruger due to record-breaking amounts of rainfall, leaving the pitch waterlogged and thus rendering it unplayable within a couple of hours each time the torrential downpours came.
"Despite Frik’s best efforts, Mother Nature left her rather merciless mark on the first leg of our tour. We did, however, manage a few games of tennis ball cricket with the local children, whose enthusiasm for cricket, and sport in general, were admirable and made them excellent additions to the slip cordon when tennis balls were being fired off the face of a tennis racket left, right and centre.
The Wildlife in the Park
"I remember the first taxi ride from the airport (airshed) along an uneven track was when I first became overwhelmed with excitement: we all began craning our heads out of the windows to try and catch a glimpse of a zebra or a giraffe, unaware that the sight of such animals would soon become a normality. It staggers me really to reflect on it.
"The phrase, “It’s only a giraffe”, when on the pursuit of lions or a leopard perhaps puts into perspective quite how rich with life the park is. Giraffes were a normality. Even elephants were a sight we soon became accustomed to.
"Undoubtedly, the two distinct highlights of our time exploring was witnessing a pride of five lions feasting on a fresh zebra carcass on the side of the track, within 3 metres from the side of our vehicle. To me, this scene displayed the reality of nature. An image of both power and dominance, but also death and sacrifice, which none of us were prepared for.
"Provided for by the unfailing generosity of the Rossouws, Frik and Petro, Edward’s expertise in guiding us through the area and all the other fascinating people we met throughout our week there, our memories in the Kruger have been imprinted in all of our memories.
Life in Cape Town
"A bustling city, in the midst of a cricket World Cup, was a stark contrast from the peace of the Kruger Park.
"The rich history of the city shone through and whilst the melting pot of cultures is harmonious now, our visit to the District Six Museum gave the team insight into the troubled years Cape Town faced under the Apartheid regime, which employed segregation and discrimination.
"The chance to watch a televised World Cup match at the world renowned Newlands Cricket Ground was eagerly seized by the boys and on one of our rest days we travelled across town to watch our own England women’s team take on Pakistan. Whilst there, many of us made appearances on camera - most notably perhaps the re-enactment of the lion king scene performed by Elijah ('Simba'), Joel and myself.The day was thoroughly enjoyable, especially as we were bathed in sunshine throughout.
"Having watched the women's team defeat Pakistan, it was now our turn to perform in our first games of cricket in months.
Cricket in Cape Town
"Having not bowled a ball in the Kruger, the entire team were itching to get out on the field. Our first game was the proposed day-night game. Of course, with our luck, load shedding in the area meant the floodlights would be out of action resulting in the format changing from 45 to 25 overs per innings. This however would not spoil a terrific game of cricket in which we would eventually emerge victorious in the final over. The skipper, Zach [Vukusic], led from the front with an excellent 91, scored at blistering pace, ably accompanied by Matt Whalley (31).
"The next game would be a comprehensive victory over a development side from one of the local townships. Many batters made starts but no one kicked on and many of us were disappointed to miss out on such an excellent opportunity for large personal scores. The innings was capped off with a quick-fire, highly entertaining cameo from Alex [Shutt] who came off the field giving the team a little bat wave.
"The bowlers clearly did not want to mess around: the opening pair of Joe [Gillett] and Marco [Bell] picked up seven wickets between them - Joe taking a five-wicket-haul. Whilst this game perhaps wasn’t as challenging, the setting - a ground overlooked by the iconic Table Mountain - and the grounding experience of playing people much less fortunate than ourselves was something I feel was important for our development as people not just players.
"The third match of the tour against a Western Province Invitational XI, played at Belville CC, would be a taste of what would be to come in the next few days. Fast bowling and skilful spin would culminate in a very competitive game of cricket in which the quality was high. However, it would be the strength of our batting lineup and clinical wicket-taking bowling unit that would mean we would prevail victorious. Once again, Captain Zach impressed with a spectacular 89, this time building a partnership with Henry (36). A total of 222 would prove to be ample as we bowled out our opposition for 102, Joe picking up the key wicket of their captain early on.
Our Final Days
"The next day, with a whole day of cricket in our legs, the boys were back out on the field at Belville for a new challenge: a two-day game against a slightly older Western Province side. The heat became an increasing challenge throughout the day as we had to battle not only tiredness from the previous day but constantly being dehydrated.
"We bowled first and kept it tight not allowing our opponents to relax. They would declare after their eighth wicket on 208, a score we felt we could match. Strong top-order stands between Rintoul (17) and Matt Whalley (79), and then Whalley and Jack Martin (16) would set the platform for Whalley to kick on with Gillett, promoted to number 4, to see us to the end of the day's play around 70 runs behind.
"After a team discussion on the morning of the second day, we made the decision to bat for a short amount of time in the morning to try and reduce the deficit, whilst also allowing ourselves time to bowl Western Province out and chase. Declaring after six overs, having narrowed the deficit, we walked out into the heat buzzing with optimism. An enthralling day of cricket ensued. We would come out the wrong end, losing by 27 runs.
"I remember leaving Belville CC that day and realising that was it. Something that had seemed so surreal at first and continued to do so had become the norm. Subconsciously I, and I believe all the players, had become quite settled in our new environment of adventure, laughs and communal press-ups.
"I would do anything to go back there someday, not only for the brilliant cricket but also to relive such incredible moments that at the time simply felt too good to be true."