Young cricketing superstars from Lincolnshire have toured South Africa as part of a winter training camp.
The tour around Cape Town was led by Coach Eddie Burke, who heads the U18s and U16s at Lincolnshire County Cricket Club, along with manager and stats expert Raj Barla, with 18 players and few families.
The tour – aimed at giving talented youngsters a chance to compete and showcase their skills in alternate conditions – was a challenging one for players, suddenly playing in 25° coming from winters.
They played seven T20 games against four different teams at four venues and came out with a positive win rate despite being the underdogs.
Coach Eddie Burke was proud of the boys for surpassing expectations and showing a competitive attitude. He praised the support of the parents massively for funding and helping all the way through the expensive tour.
Manager Raj Barla, who is big on numbers, was delighted and in awe of the bright talent from many young guns. There was big praise on player fitness and spirit, as many players played despite suffering sunburn.
The team’s vice captain Dan said the tour was a great time for the players to bond and get to know each other.
He also talked about the importance of such tours for the players, to understand and assess pitch conditions and learn the game better.
The county continues its efforts to make the sport accessible to everyone, and despite how expensive it could be, have programmes in place to support young and emerging talent.
