Top secondary schoolboy cricketers take to the field in the third annual Twenty20 Tournament, in Hagley Park over 26 – 27 January.
Sponsored by Lincoln University and featuring 11 Canterbury teams, the Secondary Schools Twenty20 Tournament takes on an international flavour this year with the presence of a touring grammar school team from Perth.
Teams are - Christchurch Boys’ High School 1st XI, 2nd XI, and C; Christ’s College; Lincoln Ellesmere; North West Cricket; South West Cricket; Shirley Boys’ High School; St Bede’s College; St Thomas’ College, Timaru Boys’ High School, and Guildford Grammar School, Perth, Australia.
The defending champion team is Christchurch Boys’ High School 1st XI.
Round One starts at 10.30am on Wednesday 26 January and the tournament finishes the following afternoon at 5 o’clock with the closing ceremony at 5.30 at the Polo Grounds, Hagley Park.
Lee Germon, CEO of Canterbury Cricket, says the tournament is an excellent pre-season opportunity for teams.
“It also enables players to develop friendships with our cricket community,” he says.
The Vice-Chancellor of tournament sponsors Lincoln University, Professor Roger Field, says sport is an incubator for leadership and the combination with education is a powerful one for human development and the good of society.
“Since 1999 Lincoln University has been delighted to have had cricket as one of the sporting codes in its Sports Scholarship programme.”
Among former secondary school Twenty20 Tournament players who have been accepted into the Lincoln University programme are Tom Latham and Gerrit Roux. Tom deferred his scholarship in order to play in the UK and Gerrit is now entering the second year of degree studies.
“We look forward to other players from the tournament progressing on to tertiary study and applying for Cricket Scholarship places on our Sports Scholarship Programme,” says Professor Field.