Cornwall U15 celebrate 30 years of touring TT

THIRTY years of touring TT was celebrated when a ceremony for the Cornwall Under-15 cricket team was held, at the British High Commission ,in St Clair, on Wednesday. The occasion was also used to launch the Adrian St John Foundation.

Among those who attended the ceremony were British High Commissioner to TT Tim Stew, former West Indies cricketer Deryck Murray and president of the Secondary Schools Cricket League Surujdath Mahabir.

St John, a Brtish citizen with TT roots, was murdered in 2016 in Trinidad during a robbery. His family returned from the UK to launch the Adrian St John Foundation in his memory, presenting a total of $11,250 to three schools including Vance River Roman Catholic Primary School, La Brea Roman Catholic Primary School and Arouca Anglican Primary School.

Stew thanked the St John family for the gesture. “To the St John family, many of whom are here today, I want to pass on my condolences at what must be a very difficult time for all you. But I also wanted to say how much I admire you for turning a personal tragedy into an opportunity to help others. Also for the hard work and determination you have shown in your efforts to set up the foundation and raise funds to support its important work.”

Hundreds of English cricketers over the years have learnt numerous life lessons, experienced the culture of TT and played cricket in unfamiliar conditions. On this one-week trip, Cornwall will play a number of youth teams in TT, before going to Barbados to play more cricket.

Adrian Noott, manager of the team, said the trip is not only about playing cricket. “It is about a life journey for them and experiencing different foods, different cultures, playing against different people and even in their cricket – different wickets. It is just so much learning, that they probably won’t realise until 20 years time when they reflect on it but it will all help them develop as humans and as adults,” Noott said.

Noott said his players will get valuable experience playing on the spin friendly wickets in Trinidad. “The challenge here will be playing against spin more than anything because it is very prominent here more so than back home where it is more of a seaming and a swinging wicket.”

Ben Bebb, 14, a pace bowler and a middle order batsman said, “It is been a really good experience playing against the teams out here.”

Bebb admitted that facing the spinners on the tour has been a challenge. He said, “It definitely turns out here, it is different to England.”

Bebb, who looks up to English cricketer Ben Stokes, has been enjoying the food in TT saying, “It is really good I loved the chicken and rice.”

Jacob Pengelly, who is an opening bowler and bats at number six or seven, discussing the weather and atmosphere said, “It is been good, but very hot. (In terms of) bowling it has been hard to adapt to the conditions. It is a good atmosphere. They are loud in the stadium with their horns when there is wicket.”

Pengelly, who is also 14, said he would look at videos of his favourite cricketer Freddie Flintoff, who he got the opportunity to meet. “I watched the Ashes in 2005 of how he bowled and he is a great guy because I met him as well.”

Tour facilitator Malcolm Broad, who has been coming to TT since 1989, said the trip has a huge impact on the Cornwall cricketers. “The reason we bring the young players here is to develop their skills playing in conditions that are new and strange to them. The side benefits of a tour like this are the life skills that they learn...they have to learn how to live in a completely different country, different culture, different food. That is such a good skill.”