Nine Leinster schoolboys are currently residing in South Africa taking advantage of their school Transition year to spend time in schools and playing cricket at a very competitive level.
The Leinster Union has over the past ten years assisted young cricketers to find appropriate schooling arrangements at various venues around the country. The experience gained is invaluable with most returning as better cricketers and having experienced first hand South African culture and their love of sport.
Thomas Anders (Phoenix) made his debut for Muir College 1st X1 in their game v’s St Andrew's College in Uitenhage last weekend. Fixtures in the coming weeks will involve games against other strong Eastern Cape cricket schools like Woodridge, Grey College, Union High, Brandwag, Queen's College, Daniel Pienaar and Sterling High School.
Capped players at senior level Andrew Balbirnie and George Dockrell, along with U'19's players Barry McCarthy and Hugh McDonnell have spent time at Muir College recently and it is hoped that the current crop of players spending time there can follow in their footsteps and gain higher honours in the years to come.
Below are a list of players and their schools:
Thomas Anders, Jack Balbirnie, Michael Hogan and Benn Hoey at Muir College, Uitenhage, Eastern Cape.
Iarlaith Doherty & Jamie Farrell (CUS school programme) at St Alban’s College, Pretoria.
Matthew Butler, Thomas Newman & Gary Power (CUS school programme) at Kearsney College, Durban.
Other Leinster youth cricketers currently abroad include Ireland U'19 allrounder Hugh McDonnell who is in Melbourne with the St Kilda club while Railway Union's Dhruv Kapoor is spending time in India training alongside members of Essex CCC at the Global Cricket School in Pune.
Meanwhile St Mary's College and Leinster CC youth players Johnny Delany and Jack Mullen will travel shortly to Girton College, Bendigo, Australia for a six-week period.