OBHS trio heading to Sri Lanka

The boys were selected for the side after strong performances in two national tournaments. Photo:...
The boys were selected for the side after strong performances in two national tournaments. Photo: Simon Knyvett

The Willows Cricket Club can often be a stepping stone on the way to greater honours.


Otago Boys’ High School pupils Max Chu, Hunter Kindley and Ben Lockrose could be taking the first step in that direction.

The trio have been selected for the Willows touring team, and will embark on a 14-day trip to Sri Lanka and Singapore in April.

The team will play six matches throughout the tour, including a game at Galle International Cricket Stadium.

The boys were selected for the side after strong performances in two national tournaments, the National Under 19 tournament at Lincoln in January and the First XI Cup in December.

All three boys said it was a surprise to make the side.

Kindley, an all-rounder, impressed the selectors despite having to miss the final match for Otago in the under-19 tournament.

"It is always a pleasant surprise to make a side.

"I finished the under-19 tournament well but was injured for the final match," Kindley said.

Before the trip, there were many challenges he expected from playing in anew country.

"It will be a lot warmer than Dunedin, with the humidity expected to be challenging," he said.

Lockrose, a spin bowler, also expected the conditions to be a challenge.

"As a bowler, I will not only be bowling to a different style of batsman but they will also be more accustomed to playing against spin," he said.

Lockrose was excited to experience a different culture both on and off the cricket pitch.

"We know Dunedin and New Zealand as a lifestyle, so it will be interesting to see the lifestyle in a different place in the world," he said.

Chu was the only of the three to have played cricket overseas.

He travelled to Australia to play cricket for Otago Boys’ High School and chose to go to India to play through an agency.

The trip would be another step up, the young wicketkeeper said.

"It is a pretty big achievement but it is just another stepping stone on the way to hopefully higher honours," Chu said.

The players join a squad of 13 players and four coaches for the trip.

The Willow Cricket Club has been selecting teams for overseas tours since 2008, when present Black Caps Tom Latham, Matt Henry, Henry Nicholls and Ben Wheeler toured India and Oman.

The team departs for the tour from Christchurch Airport on April 13.

They stop over in Singapore on the way and will then head to Colombo, Sri Lanka.

SIMON.KNYVETT@alliedpress.co.nz

 

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