Cricket Australia Masters (CAM) O55 South Africa Tour March 8th – 25th : by Paul Bennett (ACT Rep)

With great excitement we boarded our plane at Canberra airport to Sydney at 6.30am on Sunday 8th March. This was to be one of the the highlights of the first week..! After waiting almost 3 hours for our flight to Perth (myself and three NSW based players) we were informed the plane had an “engineering fault” and the flight was cancelled. This resulted in an overnight stay at the IBIS Budget Hotel (not recommended!) and a new onward flight direct from Sydney to Johannesburg (an almost 14 hour journey) the next day.

We finally arrived in Cape Town and our hotel at 8pm Monday night, just 14 hours before the first Masters O55 Test Match commenced… not ideal prep!

Despite the disruption there was a tremendous sense of anticipation at our cap presentation that night. Three of the 14-man squad were debutants, and I received my baggy green in a fantastic ceremony, celebrated by family (both present and from afar) and teammates. An emotional event that will be treasured and a great reflection on the spirit in which CAM treats these tours and our Australian representatives.

Unfortunately for me the additional wait and long flight plus lack of sleep combined to present a sore throat and loss of voice the following morning… Still with excitement I jumped on the tour bus and arriving at Claremont Cricket Club was full of nervous energy as we inspected the pitch and met our South African (SA) rivals. I will note here the SA team was full (literally) of ex-first class cricketers, including some who had played many one-day internationals, like their Captain Louis Koen and Steve Palframan and even a handful of Test matches (Steven Jack). An impressive lineup…

The three days were played in unseasonally hot weather….38+ degree heat (day two reached 43 degrees!!). You can find the scores online, but what I will say is we played to their resumes rather than the ball when we batted, and dropped catches off their two big scoring batters… The post-game ‘fines’ session with both teams alternatively taking the piss out of, then complimenting, each other reflects the wonderful camaraderie in which we play our Masters game! A lot of fun regardless of the result…

A rest day included a trip to the famous Table Top Mountain, a must do when in Cape Town with spectacular vistas of the Atlantic & Indian Oceans.

That night brought a further challenge… a gastro ‘norovirus’ had infected the group and 17 of the 21 touring party became ill to varying degrees. For me (and a few others) it meant lying in bed throughout Saturday and our team manager, Andrew ‘Wheels’ Wheeler had to play in the friendly game that day! A few eye-watering stories are available from the day for those with strong dispositions…

Another rest day (fortunately!) and a visit to Robben Island (sometimes you have to do these things, unwell or not, having travelled so far). This was the island prison used by South Africa to incarcerate ‘political dissidents’ for several hundred years, most famously including Nelson Mandela for 18 years.

A brief T20 “competition” followed the next couple of days. Needless to say we did not perform well given most were suffering some kind of illness still. For me I had recovered quite well and finally found belief & confidence in my ability against the USA, hitting 48 not out.

The one-day tournament started after our next rest day, where we travelled to a private game reserve 3 hours outside of Cape Town (Aquila Safari). A great day with a fun atmosphere amongst the group and what turned into a useful ‘bonding’ event!

The One-Day “Spirit of Cricket” Tournament had been organised by the ‘famous’ Roger Moult, a long-time cricket nut, entrepreneur and all-round good bloke. Eight teams, including six countries and two ‘world elevens’ participated.

With the Safari and start of week two, most of the group were in recovery mode from the virus and for me, although I continued to carry cold symptoms, a much better physical feeling & outlook emerged. We kicked off our games with an emphatic win against Wales. They had played well in the T20s, winning both matches, so we expected a tough game at the beautiful location of Groot Drakenstein (in the Stellenbosch wine region). This ground is home to the oldest wicket in South Africa, laid by a wealthy landowner in 1895. Batting first we dominated and they never looked like getting close to our score of 270 (we won by 71 runs). A solid performance all-round, delivering some much-needed confidence to our group.

The inevitable (at our age!) injuries started to appear and selection was a simpler affair for our Captain, Clint Keble, with 12 players being available (the individuals varied!) for the whole tournament. Next up was Canada at Green Point Cricket Club, in the shadow of the new international Rugby ground and, of course, a wonderful view of Table Top Mountain…

An early flourish from their openers was the highlight of their batting lineup, as they struggled to 175 in their allotted 45 overs. In reply we passed them one wicket down and 15 overs to spare… I am proud to say I scored my first 50 for Australia (finished with 75) but against a mediocre bowling attack… the real test of where the team (and I) were at was to come in the next game, against the undefeated South Africans.

A rest day took us to Groot Constantia, the oldest winery in the southern hemisphere. Ordinarily I would not suggest drinking alcohol at 11am in the morning, but the wine tasting was fun, paired with chocolate variations and immediately followed by lunch..! Highly recommended when you are in Cape Town.

Our game versus South Africa was back at the beautiful Claremont Cricket Club (venue for the Test Match and T20s). The club, like many others in SA, is based on the traditional English model of a pavilion/clubhouse centred between two grounds, effectively a top pitch for 1st & 2nd grade (known in SA & England as 1st & 2nd elevens) and a ground for lower grades. This allows a great vantage point to enjoy watching cricket whilst watering oneself in warm (or any!) weather…

Scoring at a run-a-ball in Masters cricket is considered a winning position, so South Africa’s total of 284 (45 overs) batting first was a formidable total for us to chase. A belter of a wicket had been prepared and this literal “road” allowed us to bat with freedom & aggressiveness. Having been elevated to open the batting for the one-day series, this was a perfect pitch for me and with a quick outfield our opening partnership of 97 in just 14 overs set the scene for our best batting effort on tour. Winning with 3 overs to go, we dominated the strong SA attack and deserved our place in the final of the tournament!

The Western Province Cricket Club facilities (where the final was held) are amazing! Two cricket grounds, lawn bowls, squash courts, paddleball courts, hockey pitch, bars & restaurants spread across a two-storey clubhouse and a swimming pool!

The final against one of the ‘Spirit of Cricket World XI’ sides was not much of a contest. Restricting them to 227 on another ‘road’ of a wicket and a short (50m behind square!) boundary on one side looked likely to be a simple run-chase and it proved to be the case. Winning with almost 10 overs to spare, we were convincing & deserved winners of the O55 International tournament 😊.

A fantastic presentation event held in the Oak Room at the Newlands Cricket ground (the Cape Town test match venue) was a wonderful culmination of a challenging & thoroughly rewarding two weeks. Being presented the trophy by two of South Africa’s cricket legends (Barry Richards & Peter Kirsten) was a thrill for the whole squad…

We had played ten days of cricket in a 14-day period with unforeseen circumstances, sickness & injuries all overcome… a tough schedule for any ‘Masters’ squad. We grew from a bunch of strangers to a group of mates and I will remember this wonderful experience always.

On a performance note, I want to highlight the support & encouragement a couple of team-mates (and my wife!) afforded me after the first week; belief in yourself is required to achieve ‘success’ in any sport and our game absolutely requires us to have faith & confidence in our own ability. I would not have completed the tour with 300+ runs (3 x 50+ scores) & averaging over 45 (after an ordinary first three innings) without the belief that I was good enough to perform at International level. Thankyou to those team-mates and all of Cricket ACT and CAM for the opportunity to return to and continue to be involved in, the game I love… Looking forward to seeing you on the cricket field again soon 😊.