Eleven Leinster schoolboys are currently residing in South Africa taking advantage of their school Transition year spending time in schools and playing cricket at a high standard.
Over the past 12 years Cricket Leinster has assisted young cricketers to find appropriate schooling arrangements at various venues around the country. The experience gained is invaluable with most returning as better players and having experienced first-hand the strong South African schools cricket set-up.
Ireland youth internationals Max Neville (29 runs), Rory McGovern (18) & Ian Anders (20) made their debuts for Muir College 1st XI in their game against St. Andrew's in Uitenhage last weekend. The other Leinster boys, Aaron O’Neill and Eoin Barron played on the school 2nd XI with their game being played at Grahamstown. Next Saturday’s 1st XI fixture will be against York in George in the South West District (Garden route) area of South Africa.
Fixtures in the coming weeks will involve games against other strong Eastern Cape cricket schools like Woodridge, Grey High, Union High, Brandwag, Queen's College, Daniel Pienaar and Sterling High.
Capped players at senior level Andrew Balbirnie, George Dockrell along with Durham CCC player Barry McCarthy 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. Of the Irish U19 squad currently in Bangladesh Rory Anders, Jack Tector, Lorcan Tucker and Tom Stanton have also spent time at the school.
Below is a list of the Leinster players currently in South Africa:
Muir College, Uitenhage, Eastern Cape
St Stithians College, Johannesburg (Nov 2015)
Menlo Park school, Pretoria
St Alban’s College, Pretoria (CUS school programme)
Kearsney College, Durban (CUS school programme)