During the recent term break, I was the team manager for the South Island U15 Girls’ Invitational Cricket team which traveled to the UAE to compete in the inaugural R66t Dubai Cup to which your students Camryn Linton, Izzy Power, Sophie Kelly, and Ruby Laming were members. Camryn and Sophie were part of our leadership group within this team and led from the front.
We had the most incredible time on and off the cricket pitch. We experienced the opportunity to play cricket in a different country, in very different conditions, and what it is like to travel and play sport. We were able to immerse ourselves in the local culture and experience what life in the UAE has to offer. It was brilliant.
We are very proud of our results as we finished runner up in the tournament to the Desert Vipers. As their name suggests they were accustomed to playing the game in the heat. We competed well and right to the end but came up short by 29 runs. It was a fantastic team effort. Our final was played at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai which was a fabulous experience in itself. Our matches were livestreamed and our final even had commentators!
Camryn was presented with the tournament's Spirit of Cricket award which was a fabulous achievement and a real testament to the way she led our team and spoke on behalf of our team at the appropriate times. She was brilliant.
This tour was bigger than cricket and the team gained so much from the time away. I saw so much growth in the girls not only as cricketers but also as good humans. Their interactions with their teammates, team management, opposition teams, officials, organisers, hotel staff, bus drivers and the locals they came in contact with were so positive and fantastic to see in action. The strength of these connections I know will continue to grow and be some of the most fond memories they reflect on from this tour.
Our tour was amazing in every sense and was capped off with some extreme character building and resilience at the end as we navigated the challenges of the Dubai flooding to get home. I am very proud of each of the girls’ within our team. They adapted to what was in front of us and never once complained. Some even commented that it wasn't so bad sleeping on the floor at the airport! We became affectionately known as the 'blue sardines'.
The girls represented the South Island of New Zealand, their families, their schools and cricket associations, and themselves brilliantly. They were all fantastic ambassadors for girls' cricket here in New Zealand and the women’s game in general.
I look forward to watching their continued development in the season ahead. It is an exciting time for girls who love cricket and have the opportunity to play.
Ngā mihi nui
Amanda Hardy
SI Team Manager
Amanda Hardy | Teacher of Physical Education and Health, Rite Journey, ScienceRite Journey Curriculum LeaderHead of House - KōniniConvenor CricketSt Margarets College
