It’s hard to imagine that a decile one school from Mangere in South Auckland – with no cricket tradition and no clubs nearby - would produce some of the top primary school cricketers.
But Viscount School is riding a wave of success when it comes to developing top class girls cricket teams, appearing this week in their fifth MILO Shield finals in Palmerston North.
Viscount School is made up of primarily Polynesian students. Starting from scratch in 2000, school principal Keith Gayford set up bowling nets and organised a bowling machine so the girls could practice the skills, and as they say, the rest is history.
However Gayford said the girls’ team has overcome some huge obstacles to be successful. “We don’t have cricket anywhere near us and it’s not available to our students except at school,” he said. “In 2000 when we decided to start cricket at school the girls team went on to become the Auckland champions before attending the 2001 MILO Shield finals which we won.”
The team has been Auckland champs seven out of the last nine years and 2009 is the third year in the row the school has been part of the MILO Shield finals. The team are hoping to beat their second place at last year’s tournament. But what makes these players so special and so successful? “It’s all about skills, attitude and aspiration,” Gayford said. “We also transfer success from cricket into other areas at the school and take the lesson learnt and apply them to everything we do.
“These kids are also bigger, faster and stronger than other kids their age. They are agile and co-ordinated. Cricket is slightly out of our comfort zone and people don’t expect us to do well.”
However because of this under-dog status, the players are even more determined to beat the odds and bring home the silverware this year. “We don’t take success for granted. The best thing about the high expectations is that it’s driven by the kids,” Gayford said. “They want to be a successful group. They want to do better than the kids last year.”
The most important thing about the MILO Shield for the players ultimately isn’t the cricket. It’s about meeting new people and forming new friendships. “They have met some great kids through the tournament and the email and keep in touch,” he said. “Long after cricket is gone, those memories and friendships will stay.”
