Ollie Molins is at school in South Africa as part of Cricket Leinster Youth Exchange programme. He is spending a term at St Stithians where cricket coaching is provided by former Pembroke CC professional Wim Jansen. Here is what he has to say. Also staying at the school is Balbriggan’s Ryan Keenan.
I arrived to Cape Town on the 20th of December, much earlier till school started and so I got a great chance to learn about the area, sight see and watch a bit of cricket ( the SA 20 ). So, I had already been very accustomed to the culture but I have to say, it still was a bit of a shock when I started at SACS high school on the 14th of January. I had already taken part in a great warm up festival with the second side, playing a lot of 50 over cricket against the other southern suburbs, such as rondebosch and bishops. It is a whole new side of cricket that I had not yet experienced, 50 overs on bouncy grass pitches, using a red ball and whites, in the hot summer sun. It was a great opportunity to meet my new teammates and get back into the cricket season after coming off a quiet winter in Ireland, and it got me ready for the season to come.
I am now a few weeks in, and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. The people have been friendly and welcoming, and I got the opportunity to be invited out and leave the boarding house on the weekends ( which I was very grateful for as it is very quiet ) and see the city, as well as watch the stormers vs sharks rugby game, which to my delight and no one else’s saw the sharks come out with a comfortable win. I have also spent time in the Gary Kirsten academy, working with the great Jimmy Cook, as well as spin coaching from Jake Lintot, a county player in England. I am now into the thick of the season, playing games every Saturday and training non stop throughout the week, which I can hopefully bring back to the Irish cricket summer when I leave after the hockey season in June
