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NCU Representative Cricket Directorate

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The Northern Cricket Union has announced details of its planned Youth Development tour to South Africa. Thirty boys in two squads and ten support staff will make the trip to Cape Town departing 26th March and returning 5th April next year.

As Alan Waite, NCU vice-chairman, who will act as manager to one of the squads explained:
“… The touring party will be pitched at two levels; firstly we are looking at the Under 15 age group and then the Under 17 age group”.
Alan has enlisted the help of Neil Watson, a former Chairman of Western Province to put together an itinerary, together with accommodation and games.  

Alan went on to say:
“…The key thing is the level that the tour is pitched at; we want this to be competitive and the level of competition to step up as the tour progresses. We will also be staying in a complex called City Lodge, Grand West in Cape Town, which effectively has everything on-site and will serve to keep the whole party together.  I believe that having it at the start of the season is the right timing.  The players will be doing a lot of work as a squad sessions throughout the winter and this will give a real focus to that, plus they will be able to take the learning from the tour and apply it directly in the new season at home.”

Picture right: CIYMS cricketers (pictured l-r) Tom Millar, Peter McCreery and John Matchett have been included in the Northern Cricket Union squad that will be heading to Cape Town in the New Year for a series of matches and coaching. Between now and then the squad will be training at the University of Ulster’s Jordanstown Sports Centre where they were pictured celebrating their selection (© Ian Johnston).

Squad details:
U17 Squad:
Paddy Beverland (CSNI), Craig Irvine (North Down), Jack Burton (Carrickfergus), Stuart Nelson, James Hume (both Cregagh), Morgan Topping, James Mitchell, Sam Wilson, Marcus McClean (all Waringstown), John Matchett (CIYMS), Jonathan Hunter (Lurgan), Thomas Magowan (Downpatrick), Andrew Forbes (Instonians), Sam Gordon (Muckamore).

U15 Squad:
James McClean (Ballymena), Charlie Shannon (Holywood), Jack Carson, Jonathan Waite, James Humphreys (all Waringstown), Archie Johnston (CSNI), Max Burton (Carrickfergus), Ben Rose, James Hunter, Bradley McNamara, James Metcalf (all Instonians), Peter McCreery, Tom Millar (both CIYMS), Reece Malone (Derriaghy), Harry Warke, Adam Clarke (both Templepatrick).

Itinerary:
25th March 2015 - Depart Dublin 17.30, London 20.10 to Cape Town
26th March 2015 - Arrive Cape Town 09.40

• Net practice at Western Province CC, Swim, Lunch
• Depart Western Province CC at 15.30
• Check-in City Lodge, Grand West, Cape Town

27th March 2015 - Full day of Coaching at the Gary Kirsten Cricket Academy.
28th March 2015 - Matches versus Wynberg Boys’ High School.
29th March 2015 - Matches versus Western Province CC at Avenue de Mist.
30th March 2015 - Table Mountain by cable car followed by Robben Island Tour.
31st March 2015 - Matches versus St. Augustine’s CC.
1st April 2015 - Matches versus Western Province Cricket Academy U17 & U15.
2nd April 2015 - Matches versus Groot Drakenstein Club Invitational XIs. Check-in Protea Hotel, Stellenbosch.
3rd April 2015 - Visit to Aquila Private Game Reserve.
4th April 2015 - Matches versus District North Cricket at Durbanville.
5th April 2015 - Check-out Protea Hotel, Stellenbosch. Visit to the Cheetah Outreach Programme. Beach swim. Depart Cape Town 17.30 to London.
6th April 2015 - Arrive London, onward to Dublin arriving 10.55.