Superovers and Stunning Views: A Cricket Tour to Remember

During the half term break, our senior Boys’ Cricket trip to South Africa took place, with 15 pupils travelling to compete against some of the toughest cricketing schools in the Western Province and South Africa as a whole. Their reputation certainly preceded them, as our boys experienced an incredibly high standard of cricket throughout the tour, alongside adapting to some sweltering conditions.

Upon landing, the tour party headed for Somerset College for an early training session to shake off the travel fatigue, ahead of a T20 game against The Leading Edge Academy on day 2. The first T20 game saw WCCC make 123-7 off their 20 overs, which was a respectable total for their first outing. In reply, The Leading Edge Academy also made 123, resulting in a tied game, with Rory (Bl) taking 4 wickets and Tom (Hl) 3 wickets. The game went to a Super Over, which WCCC won, courtesy of two towering sixes hit by Eddie (Bd) and Toby (S). Day 3 of the trip saw the group entertained at the Newlands Cricket Ground, watching the SA20 final, which provided inspiration for more cricket to come.

The team took part in a T20 Festival at Somerset College on Day 4, securing two wins from three games. Leading performers with the bat included Toby (S), who scored 50+ and a magnificent 101* off 41 balls, Eddie (Bd) with 47* against Somerset College, and Hugo (Bn) with a score of 57. Hughie (Hl) scored 44, and Sam (R) made 39*. Wickets on the day were largely shared around, but notable performances came from Sam (Bd) taking 4 wickets and Eddie (Bd) 3 against Outeniqua, and Alex (R) taking 4 against Somerset College. The team finished second overall, but Toby (S) received the player of the tournament award for his magnificent century.

Tougher games followed against Rondebosch and Bishops, under their floodlights, representing for many a real one-off opportunity, albeit all the grounds played at are stunning with the backdrop of Table Mountain. The group was unable to record wins against the likes of Rondebosch and Bishops, but in the final game against Wynberg, they showed they were learning and beginning to adapt to the tough conditions, with the team bowling and fielding the best they had on tour, despite a late onslaught from Wynberg, resulting in them reaching 265-3 off 35 overs. In reply with the bat, the team again showed they were moving in the right direction ahead of the upcoming English season, reaching 174-6 with strong knocks at the top of the order from Toby (S) and Hughie (Hl), and good lower-order scores of 30 and 20 from Rory (Bl) and Sam (R), respectively, with Hugo (Bn) holding the innings together with a score of 55*. Hugo (Bn) also received Cricket Colours following this game.

Despite tough fixtures, the team won 3 T20 games out of 7 in total, with one of these wins coming from a Super Over decider. All in all, this was a great trip for all and a successful but challenging return to the Western Cape. Everyone on the trip will have learned much about their cricket, ahead of the upcoming season in England, which is something for the group to build on too. Special congratulations go to: with the bat, Toby (S) for scoring a hundred and a fifty in two T20 games and Hugo (Bn) for two scores of fifty, and with the ball, to Sam (Bd) for taking six wickets and Eddie (Bd) for eight.

A hugely enjoyable experience for all involved.