Saturday Dec 8th - Namibia day 4

Match today v Windhoek Technical High School.

Faiz did the right thing when he won the toss and chose to bat. Ari went early flashing outside the off stump but failing to move his feet, a fault brepeated by Rishabh who had looked entirely comfortable scoring 30 until his error. Faiz Khan and Nigel Jacob competently sxupported Anand Patel who was beginning to move his feet at the other end, a big improvement on his first shot when he gave first slip a comfortable catch which he obliged by dropping. Faiz got out when he tried to launch a ball from Namibia into Botswana only to find Long off who took an excellent catch. Nigel Jacob played well until he sacrificed his wicket in the search for quick runs. He was followed in quick succession by Tom Kopleman and Jack Lewis who both got out using the long handled approach -the minnings closed with a not out cameo from James Tuplin.

However at the other end throughout was Anand Patel who played ever more fluently and competently and who finished with a superb 126 not out. It was an outstanding innings. Not only did he carry his bat but in the five tours Bancroft's have made to the African continent he became the first Bancroftian to score a century (98 fom Faiz Kahn on the last trip being the closest.) He was a tired man when the 50 overs were up and was rightly applauded off the pitch by both sides. Bancrofts ended on 256 for 6.

Tom Kopelman took and early wicket when the opposition started batting but the opposition scored quite freely until Abhi Bothra came on to take control from one end in an excellent spell of controlled spin bowling . His figures of 10 0vers, 4 maidens 16 runs 2 wickets do not do justice to such an outstanding spell of bowling. He will bowl a lot worse in future spells and claim 5 wickets. Faiz Khan, Akash Sikka and Visakan Balakumar each took 2 wickets and the 10th was an entertaining run out with both batsmen at the same end. The opposition scored 122 so Bancroft's won by 135 runs. A second excellent victory. In the evening we were entertained to a Braii by the opposition at which a number of presentations were made and speeches given. The main thrujst of the speeches from the opposition side being how grateful they are to Bancroft's for coming to Namibia, they do not get many touring sides at all and how excellent the matches have been for their cricketers and they felt for the Bancroftians, both for their cricket and for the experience of mixing and meeting many Namibian people.

Tomorrow we travel 200km south east of Windhoek deep into the Namibian desert to play on an isolated farmstead. The coach leaves at 07.00 and we are picking up the opposition on the way - the boys of Windhoek HS. It is a major occasion in the area and families will travel from Windhoek and all the farmers from a wide area will be at the match, it is quite an experience. Sadly there will be no internet there so the next post will be probably from Woodridge College on Monday or Tuesday. Thed team will leave the Blumfelde farmstead on Monday morning at 05.00 to catch the pane to Jo'burg and then on to Port Elizabeth and Woodridge College. They will be sad to leave this special country.

We apologise for the absence of photographs. There seems to be a technical hitch. Maybe some IT experts in the team will be able to work on this at Woodridge.