Cricket: Youngsters learn from best

Former Black Caps fast bowler Shane Bond watches as Cameron Chapman, of Dunedin, sends down a...
Former Black Caps fast bowler Shane Bond watches as Cameron Chapman, of Dunedin, sends down a delivery at Logan Park. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
Budding cricketer Cameron Chapman has one eye on the wickets and the other on former fast bowler Shane Bond's speed record.

The 9-year-old Dunedin boy donned the whites for the first time only last summer, and still has a fair way to go to top the 150kmh thunderbolts sent down by the former Black Caps opening bowler.

And, although professing to be a "quite fast" bowler himself, Cameron told the Otago Daily Times he was no Shane Bond - yet - but planned to be one day.

"I reckon he's good."

He took his first step towards that goal as he sent down a few pint-sized thunderbolts of his own, helped by a few pointers from Bond, during the first National Cricket Club Super Camp at Logan Park this week.

About 70 young cricketers attended the coaching session, receiving pointers in batting, bowling and fielding from Bond and New Zealand players Martin Guptill, Kyle Mills, Andrew Ellis and Tarun Nethula.

The camp was the first of five to be held around New Zealand this summer. The others will precede Black Caps matches in Napier, Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington.

The camps were an initiative of Black Caps and New Zealand Cricket sponsor National Bank.

About 30 budding coaches also attended a Dunedin clinic, tailored to help lift their coaching skills and pass on the knowledge to young players, event organiser Alec Astle said.

 

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