NSW Blues Luke Doran (left) and Gurinder Sandhu with Tamworth juniors (from left) Kyle Cullen, AJ Pretorius, Egan Dunn and Blake Murphy yesterday. Photo: Rob Chappel 191012RCC03
LUKE Doran and Gurinder Sandhu know what it’s like to be an aspiring cricketer.
Even now they are aiming for greater things in the game, like playing regularly in the NSW side.
So it was appropriate that the two young Blues players were called on to “blitz” the region this week.
Cricket NSW’s regional blitz tour is about encouraging young players who are just starting their cricket lives, as well as giving a few tips to local junior rep players who are on their way up.
“It’s been great,” Doran said.
“It’s crucial for cricket as Australia’s national sport that we get out to these smaller places.
“So we’ve been to Moree, Narrabri, Gunnedah and Tamworth and it’s been a great three days.
“Gurinder and I are really thrilled to be able to come out here and help out these kids and have some fun.”
The boys visited Moree and Narrabri and ran school clinics and played some short games with local players.
On Thursday night they were involved in a Super 8s game at Collins Park in Narrabri in which Sandhu’s side beat Doran’s team, even though Doran belted a quick 50.
Yesterday they dropped into Gunnedah High School and ran a clinic with rep players from various local schools before heading to Tamworth for another clinic with Tamworth rep players.
Also involved were a few Milo In2Cricket kids who are signing up for that program.
Today the boys are back in Sydney for grade cricket and have a NSW Second XI game coming up, which will help prepare them for the KFC Big Bash and hopefully some games in the Sheffield Shield or Ryobi Cup.
“We’ll play club cricket and we both play for the same club (Fairfield/Liverpool) so we play Mosman this weekend,” Doran said.
“Then on Sunday at lunchtime we fly to Melbourne for a second XI game for four days.
“We both play for the (Sydney) Thunder – Gurinder is in his first year and I’m in my second.
“That will be a good experience and hopefully we’ll do better than last year.
“We had a good pre-season with the NSW side and hopefully we’ll get some first team fixtures.”