Getting Acclimatised
Mon, Oct 27, '03
(Guyanese fast bowler Reon King, who played in 14 Tests for the West Indies between 1999 and 2001, will write an exclusive diary for CaribbeanCricket.com throughout the South Africa first-class season).
After celebrating the North East Premier League championship with my teammates at South Northumberland (in England), I took a short two-week break relaxing in New York City to get my mind ready for South Africa.
At South North, I bowled very well and finished with 54 wickets. We were unbeaten in 20 matches and I was very pleased with my performance and my fitness. It was nice to get back into the groove after the way my Carib Beer season ended.
For me, it was important to play as much competitive cricket as possible. In Guyana, we barely get to play some club games on the weekends and, as usual, we're at the mercy of the weather. At South North, in between matches, I spent a lot of time coaching in the kids programme there and that's another thing I enjoyed a lot.
After two-and-a-half weeks in New York, I arrived in South Africa on September 26th for pre-season camp with the Northerns Cricket Union. As the overseas professional for the 2003-04 season, I want to be ready for the long grind and I'm glad I got a chance to arrive early and be a part of the preparations.
Reon King's Column sponsored by Social VIP Travel.
During the first week, we went on a 'team building' excursion. The entire team and coaching staff just piled into about 10 Land Rovers. I was in a vehicle with four of my new teammates during the trek and then we switched vehicles. It was different from the kind of pre-tour camps we had in the West Indies.
We got away from the traditional classroom setting and did the same preparations in a pleasant environment. We played games and competed among ourselves and it was very useful for me to meet my new teammates and develop new friendships. These are the guys I will spend the next six months with so this was very important.
I also got a chance to see a bit of South Africa. I toured here with the West Indies in 1998/99 but, when you're on tour, you usually go from the hotel straight to the cricket ground.
During the excursion, we got into discussions on different days with a different set of teammates. The entire squad, coaching staff and psychologist were involved in this trip. In between the discussions and, we did some canoeing down some rapids and saw some of South Africa's famous wildlife.
Towards the end of the trip, we spent a night at the Sun City resort, which is about two hours' drive outside Johannesburg. Sun City is one of South Africa's premier holiday resorts and one of the nicest parts of the world.
There's a system here where each contracted player must play club cricket in between first class games and I got into a match for Mamelodi, which is a club affiliated with Northerns. Mamelodi is a small township outside of Pretoria and it's known mostly for football. As a matter of fact, the Mamelodi Sundowns is one of the top football teams in all of South Africa.
During the Mamelodi club match, I got hit on my left knee while fielding so I didn't get to do too much bowling. There's some heavy bruising on the outside of the knee but it's not serious. We did a precautionary MRI which was thankfully negative.
I went into our first game against Western Province without a lot of match-practice in these conditions. My performance wasn't anything to write home about but I was pleased with how the knee responded.
Another thing I'm struggling a bit to get used to is the high altitude. I'm from Guyana, which is below sea level and it's a major difference getting acclimatised to being an athlete in a place that's 5,000 feet above sea level. I don't want to sound like I'm making excuses but it's tough getting myself acclimatised to the thin air.
I got only one wicket in the first innings of the Western Province match but I thought I bowled quite well. The match was drawn and I'm already looking forward to the next game against Gauteng. With every day, I feel there have been adjustments and improvements being made. The coaching staff has acknowledged that and my confidence is high.
We are in Pool B with Gauteng, Western Province, North West and Border. The schedule is set up where you play each other once before going into the playoffs. That's in addition to the one-day leg of the season. In between that, I have to play in club matches like the Mamelodi game so it's going to be a very long and hard season.
The quality of the facilities here is unbelievable. The net and practice facilities at Centurion are the best I've used anywhere in the world. I think that's the biggest difference I've seen between South Africa and the West Indies.
In terms of talent, I think we have equal or even better cricketers in the Caribbean. But, when you look at the facilities here, it's not even something you can compare. At Northerns, I have everything at my disposal to help me improve my game. The facilities here are absolutely wonderful. We have a big coaching staff, video and camera facilities, bowling coaches, psychologists and anything a professional cricketer would need during a long season.
Speaking of the Caribbean, I have to say congratulations to Guyana for winning the Red Stripe Bowl. I followed all the games closely and I'm especially happy for my brother Cush who produced when it mattered to help us win. Cush and I are very very close and I just had to call to congratulate him.
Congrats also to my GCC teammates Chanderpaul and Sarwan. Without Carl (Hooper) and myself, they went into the tournament as underdogs but they did the job in the end. It was no surprise to read all the comments about it being a team effort. This Guyana team has always been very good about coming together and supporting each other.
I'm glad Shiv and Sars put aside the captaincy controversy and played and supported each other as teammates. The Guyana team has to play cricket and, at the end of the day, there's a bigger picture than who's captaining the Guyana team. At the end of the day, it's about producing and winning the Red Stripe Bowl.