Hello from Australia! I’m about to finish my fourth week here in Sydney and am absolutely loving it. I flew straight in from Bangladesh after our three-week tour with the Wolves -- a tough, but brilliant tour with a lot being learnt amongst the group.
I’m living in the leafy suburb of Randwick with John Stewart (Randwick Petersham CEO) which is about ten minutes from our home ground in Coogee and twenty minutes from the city. Pembroke pair Barry McCarthy and Andrew Balbirnie lived at the same place when they were here and both would agree in saying how good a host John is and how much he does for the Randy Petes club. Padraic Flanagan from my home club YMCA is also here studying and taking some wickets for the Randy Petes.
We train on a Tuesday and Thursday which is the same as back home, a welcome familiarity. Tuesday’s are turf nets and on a Thursday we have a centre wicket. Most Wednesday evenings, a group of us go down to the SCG indoor school, which is a great set-up with first class facilities.
In terms of competitive cricket, I had the huge honour of playing first grade cricket on my first weekend. We declared on 3/250 trying to force a result. I was batting at number 6, so wasn’t required, but it was the perfect way to get to know the various names and faces at the club, including one of Australia’s most promising youngsters Jason Sangha who scored a brilliant ton. Three weeks later he registered another hundred against England for the CA XI in the final tour match.
Last weekend I made my second grade debut away to Blacktown, and while I felt good out in the middle, unfortunately didn’t feature with many on the scorecard. I’ve also played a few T20 matches for the PG’s which is the U21 competition – a very good standard with plenty of talent on display. Most recently we played against Sydney Cricket Club, who have Delray Rawlins from Sussex amongst their ranks. He has done well in county cricket over the last few seasons, and it’s good to have the opportunity to play with and against players of this calibre. We have a 2-day fixture starting tomorrow and then a PG’s 50 over game on Sunday, making for what should be an exciting weekend of cricket.
During the week, I work for a company called Conversant Media who are part of the H T & E group and located in Surry Hills, not far from from where I live. I’m really enjoying the work and the challenges it brings, as well as it being a great way of keeping myself occupied when not on the cricket pitch.
The Ashes has brought with it a certain buzz around the place, comparable in a sense to Six Nations season in Dublin. Myself and Padraic are going to Melbourne and staying with Oliver Gunning (YM’s overseas player in 2017) for the 4th Test which will be great viewing. Olly has also invited us to his family home for Christmas dinner, so the trip is shaping up nicely. We also hope to catch up with Pembroke’s Theo Lawson, Merrion’s Tyrone Kane & Clontarf’s Eoghan Delany during that period for an Irish reunion.
Jack Tector
YMCA CC
Nov 2017