UK Archives - Gary Kirsten Cricket

Ben Bounces Back

Gary Kirsten Cricket — Wed, 12 Sep 2018 13:53:27 +0000

Upon arriving the shores of Cape Town in January 2018. Ben Curran’s cricketing career seemed to be on a knife edge. After joining Wellington College to complete his education, he found himself playing for the U17s and 2^nd XI cricket for Surrey. Since then he was contracted to the MCC Young Cricketers and trialing at various counties. Whilst there he played along Saf Imtiaz, who had attended the GKC High performance Academy in 2017. “Saf had such high praise about the program and the coaching expertise, I knew attending the GKC would stand me in good stead going forward”. It wasn’t only that he was seeking by joining up with GKC, “I wanted a fresh perspective from new coaches who could provide me with new ideas and learning points that I could implement in my game”.

Ben returned to the UK in March to resume his time with the MCC YC’s having ironed out some chinks in his technique and in his game plans. “I came away feeling like I had a great understanding of how I wanted to play which put me in a good place for the season ahead”. Ben started off the season scoring runs in both red and white ball cricket, this included a 161 vs Worcestershire 2^nd XI in the championship, 80 against Leicester in a 50 over game and 94 against Yorkshire in a T20 in the first month and he has not looked back.

Midway in the season, he was given an opportunity to join Northantamptonshire CCC 2^nd XI and through trusting his processes started to return some great performances. He was rewarded by being selected for the 1^st XI to play against Derbyshire in the NatWest Blast and has recently been selected to play in the County Championship opening the batting alongside Ricky Vasconcelos who is a long term attendee at the GKC. With 3 games left to go in the season Ben has been awarded a contract with the county for next season and hopes to end off the year with a bang.

Ryan Cook, the High performance Director at GKC said, “We are so proud of Ben’s accomplishments this season. He arrived very determined and motivated to take his game to the next level and I am glad to see him starting to fulfill his potential. To be a part of any players journey is special and this is marks the beginning of another road.” Ben reflected these sentiments, “I hope to return to the GKC next year to continue the strides we made at the start of the year, I felt the balance between training and down time was perfect as it allowed me to focus hard on my cricket and keep me refreshed going back into the new season”.

We will keep tracking his progress and providing updates on his performances. For more information on the GKC High performance Academy go to www.garykirsten.com/highperformanceacademy

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Making Moves – Dan Moriarty

Gary Kirsten Cricket — Fri, 06 Jul 2018 11:41:10 +0000

Dan Moriarty left the shores of South Africa in seek of a new challenge and a learning experience to play cricket in the UK in April and at the midpoint in the season, the 19 year old is not only learning but excelling as well. Daniel attended Rondebosch Boys High School and represented Western Province and South Africa at both under 17 and under 19 age groups. Just before leaving, the tall left arm spinner also represented the Cobras Cubs and Academy and believes all these experiences have stood him in good stead as he sets his sights on contributing to winning performances for his club, Aston Rowant, who have catapulted to the top of the league.

Dan attended the GKC First Team 2 First Class program in 2015 and was impressive amongst some of his elder peers. This 10-week camp aimed to bridge the gap between First Team school and club cricketers and the first class level. He has continued his work with the GKC High Performance coaching team and attended many of the High Performance Academy sessions with an eye on improving not only with ball in hand but also the bat., “Dan has worked tirelessly on his batting over the past few years to transform into an allrounder, his work ethic and strong belief in his ability are starting to reap rewards” said Derek Mitchell, GKC High Performance Coach.

Dan has also joined up with the MCC Young Cricketers as part of their development squad and has represented the Club Cricket Conference during mid-week fixtures. These have been particularly fruitful for Dan as he took a 5 wicket haul against Essex 2^nd XI to complement an allround 4fer and 96 against the British Police Force the week before. For his club, Dan’s figures have been impressive taking 20 wickets at an average of 15 including a devastating 6 for 26 in 20 overs against Horspath CC.

“I am seeking to bring more consistency to my game with bat and ball and am grateful for the opportunities to play lots of matches which is helping me adapt to the conditions and grow my game to a new level”, Dan said. “To this point in his career, Dan has been an asset to any team he has played for. His competitive nature mixed with his insatiable desire for growth is a combination which will stand him in good stead as he moves up the ranks” said Ryan Cook, Head Coach of GKC High Performance.

His stocks as an allrounder are rising and there are exciting prospects on the horizon if he continues on his development curve, but for now Dan is focused on his “process of improvement and contributing with match winning performances in any team I play for”. We will be tracking his progress with a keen eye.

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University of Portsmouth SA tour

Gary Kirsten Cricket — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 06:35:37 +0000

Gary Kirsten Cricket will be hosting 25 students from the University of Portsmouth in April. The students will not only have the opportunity to enjoy in-depth cricket sessions and matches with Gary and GKC coaches, but they have offered to assist with the Gary Kirsten Foundation as well. The players have committed to assisting with a variety of general maintenance at the schools as well as interacting with and coaching the GKF players in Khayelitsha. Matt Blandford, a student at the university, completed 10 triathlons during January to raise funds for the Gary Kirsten Foundation! The GKF players cannot wait to meet Matt and the rest of the cricketers.

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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