Aspiring professionals from Zimbabwe, Netherlands and England will link up with locally based players for a unique experience to be staged in Cape Town.

Now in its third year the HPA boasts a stringent schedule and will see players train for six hours a day and play club cricket at Premier League level on weekends.

It has been specifically designed by Gary Kirsten himself along with a group of dedicated coaches to assist cricketers to achieve their dream of playing first class cricket.

“It is a programme which is growing from strength to strength and this year we are delighted to welcome a great bunch of players,” GKC Coaching Director, Ryan Van Niekerk said.

The HPA is multifaceted in its approach and will give players a chance to develop steadily through the weeks.

“Players will get every chance to enhance and improve their skills as well as share their experiences with fellow cricketers both through intense practices and competitive matches,” Van Niekerk said.

The first week will see the athletes put through a number of tests to ascertain their current physical and mental states.

“Each player’s physical condition will be assessed, followed up by an individualised training programme. They will also have regular interventions with a qualified mental conditioning practitioner.”

“A personal development plan which includes best practice in leadership across sporting codes is also a hallmark of the programme.”

Developing life skills is a major part of the HPA and players will get the opportunity to experience the Mother City in all its splendor.

“In addition to excursions around the city, we will also get the players involved in the GKC Foundation Township coaching programmes,” Van Niekerk said.

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The 20-year-old has made a seamless transition from amateur to professional cricket over the past three years after an impressive junior career which saw him turn out for South Africa Under-19.

The former Rondebosch Boys High pupil who is a graduate of the Gary Kirsten Cricket, First Team 2 First Class (FT2FC) Programme is now all set to mix it up at the first ever, T20 Global League.

Galiem was picked by the Cape Town Knight Riders alongside superstars like JP Duminy, Dale Steyn and England spinner, Adil Rashid.

GKC Head Coach, Ryan Cook praised Galiem’s hard work over the past few seasons and backs the youngster to grab the opportunity with open arms.

“It is great that he got picked up. As a youngster it is an amazing break,” Cook said.

Having worked with Galiem during his school days, National Academy and at GKC, Cook believes he has all the attributes to succeed.

“He is a very talented individual with a great work ethic and tactical nous. He is able to bowl quite skillfully, bat in various positions and is also a very handy fielder,” Cook explained.

Galiem’s work at the First Team 2 First Class Programme saw him attend sessions twice a week over a two and a half month period in Cape Town in 2015.

“The programme is about trying to bridge the gap between top school and club players and the first class game. Dayaan has managed to make that jump very quickly,” Cook said.

“I am sure that the FT2FC programme was one of the contributing factors to his success. He has worked closely with our GKC coaching team over the last few years and still comes in for regular one-on-one coaching. We wish him all the best for the tournament and the season ahead,” he concluded.

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Training Camp:

We had a nine day training camp before we left for England. It gave us a chance to work on the culture of the team and the way we wanted to approach the series. We tweak technical aspects and had plenty of middle practices and net sessions. I was really proud of the player’s efforts.

Friendly Games:

Wet weather reduced our playing time significantly. Our first game against Yorkshire was rained out after we had batted for 25 overs.

While rain also affected the second game. We looked good for the first 15 overs before we the players were forced to come off.

I was a left bit frustrated that we didn’t get a chance to bowl or field.

Three Match ODI:

We batted first in our first ODI in Nottingham and managed to set a target of 269. The England Lions openers, Ben Duckett and Dawid Malan took the game away from us however with a solid opening stand. In the end they won by nine wickets.

The second game took place in Northampton. Our opponents batted first and set a huge total of 349. We had a fairly good start with the bat but then lost wickets at regular intervals. We were eventually bowled out for 205.

We saw very little action in the third game. The match was rained out after just a few overs.

Role: 

I certainly think that in a short space of time the players exuded great energy and effort. For me it was about creating some awareness around the players fielding, what techniques they needed to use and what attitudes they needed to bring and the skills that are expected at this level.

I feel that the players are much better equipped now to really affect the match and create chances in the field which is often a neglected part of the game.

Personal development:

Being involved in different environments both in the High Performance space at GKC as well as Cricket South Africa has produced growth for me. I think this tour was no different working with a coaching staff that was very professional. They showed great work ethic which always good to see. From a fielding side I definitely learnt that there is much to be learnt in this space and hopefully more emphasis will be placed on this going forward. The players reacted well to the different intervention that came to them but it must be understood that these players do not make mistakes on purpose but there will be mistakes that creep in here and there. Just because they have a higher standard of excellence doesn’t mean they are immune to error. Trying to minimise those errors was something that I focused on and something that I can take into the different spaces that I go into.

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A number of players prepared for the current campaign with Kirsten and GKC Head Coach Ryan Cook.

These players went through vigorous one-on-one sessions in our High Performance Programme in the pre-season.

Port Elizabeth born, Mike Richardson scored a brilliant 116 for Durham at Chester-Le-Street last weekend. While Dawid Malan also got a century against Cambridge.

Proteas wicketkeeper-batsman, Dane Vilas registered scores of 72 and 92 for Lancashire.

Meanwhile Chris Nash made a 103 for Sussex.

“It is fantastic to see these guys do well. They each had at least 10-15 one-on-one sessions with Gary and Ryan Cook in the summer before they left for England,” GKC Coaching Director, Ryan Van Niekerk said.

“They have stayed in touch with us and have given us positive feedback. They are keen to come back at the end of the season to continue working so that they can develop their game and take it to the next level,” Van Niekerk concluded.

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When approached for a comment about how he feels after the grueling month of triathlons, Matt said, “I feel a lot fitter but my legs are very heavy, although I am sure that it is nothing that a few days of rest won’t fix. I’m excited to get out to South Africa and see the great work that is being done through the Gary Kirsten Foundation!”

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During the middle of July (2015), the Gary Kirsten Cricket Academy (GKCA) successfully conducted three training camps in England.

These cricket training camps were notable as this was the first time that GKCA had offered coaching of this nature in the UK. The aim of the camps was to improve the skill level of high-school age cricketers, as well as to inspire and boost the confidence of these young players.

Overall, the camps were characterised by high levels of enthusiasm from the participants, intensive training from Gary Kirsten and the other coaches, and venues of an extremely high standard.

The training given was a mixture of theory (lectures and Q&A) and practical (drills and techniques).

The first camp was held at Wellington College in Berkshire, the second at Abingdon Vale Cricket Club in Oxford and the third at Hurstpierpoint College in West Sussex.

The GKCA team thoroughly enjoyed coaching the three small groups of passionate young English cricketers and hopes to do further camps at some point in the future.

Want to be informed about future coaching camps and other events arranged by the Gary Kirsten Cricket Academy?

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About GKCA

The Gary Kirsten Cricket Academy is based at the Claremont Cricket Club in Cape Town, South Africa, and offers high-performance coaching to players of diverse ages and skill levels, from school level cricketers to professional players.

The management team of the academy consists of; Gary Kirsten (Academy Director), Ryan van Niekerk (Coaching Director), and Ryan Cook (Head Coach).

The post Gary Kirsten Cricket Academy High Performance Camps in England a Resounding Success appeared first on Gary Kirsten Cricket.

This is the first time GKCA is running a High Performance coaching clinic in England. Demand is high and space is limited. Avid cricketers aged between 15 and 18 that want to improve the standard of their playing would be wise to make sure they do not miss out on this unique opportunity.

The coaching clinic will be held on the 16^th and 17^th of July at the prestigious Wellington College in Berkshire.

During the clinic, participants will receive theoretical training (lectures), practical training (batting, bowling and fielding) and feedback about their playing standard and style (video analysis and one-on-one discussions with Gary Kirsten and other GKCA coaches).

Quick Facts about the Clinic

•  Date:                                     16/17 July 2015 (2 days)
• Location:                             Wellington College, Berkshire
• Target age group:            15-18 year old cricketers wanting to improve their game
• Type of clinic:                    Mixed, theory and practical (with performance feedback)
• Cost:                                      £250 per participant

Please note that participation in this clinic is limited to a maximum of 50 players. Sign up ASAP to avoid missing out on this opportunity to radically improve your game and playing standard.

To Book Your Place Now or request more information: email coaching@garykirsten.com

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The Gary Kirsten 275 Supporters Tour gives you the opportunity to spend New Year’s Eve in Cape Town, one of the world’s tourism hotspots, and then watch the second test (2-6 January 2016) of the 2015-16 England/South Africa series at Newlands cricket ground, the most picturesque sporting arena in the world.

This special tour is hosted by legendary cricket player and coach Gary Kirsten, and runs from 30 December 2015 to 8 January 2016. There are four booking options to suit the needs (and budgets) of different English cricket supporters.

All packages include 9 nights bed and breakfast accommodation at a premium three or four star hotel in Cape Town, seating in the Member’s Pavilion at Newlands cricket ground, Airport transfers, transport to and from Newlands on all test days, and access to a representative of Gary Kirsten Travel and Tours at all times.

Tour participants will also receive a special Gary Kirsten 275 golf shirt and tour bag, as well as a print of a painting of Newlands by Richie Ryall, South African painter and former professional cricketer, signed by the artist and Gary Kirsten. These items add to the fun of the tour and will take you back to this once in a lifetime opportunity every time you see the painting, use the bag or wear the shirt.

Click Here for more package details.

The “275” in the tour name refers to Gary Kirsten’s best ever test batting result, scored while playing against England in December 1999.

Playing against highly-competitive rival teams helps to shape a cricket player’s style and motivates him to dramatically improve his skills and standard of play.

His fond memories of playing many tough games against England, coupled with the fact that Newlands is his home ground (and Cape Town his home town), make this an extra-special test for Gary.

Join in the magic of this special occasion and have the opportunity to see some of the sights in and around spectacular Cape Town during your stay.

England has not toured South Africa since 2010 so there will be high demand for test match tickets, as well as a possible shortage of suitable accommodation. Make your booking ASAP to avoid disappointment and the risk of losing this opportunity.

To Book Your Place Now or request more information: email travel@garykirsten.com

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