Dolphins relish international winter experiences

ALL-ROUNDER Calvin Savage is one of a group of seven Sunfoil Dolphins players to have taken full advantage of the opportunity to hone their skills abroad this winter ahead of the upcoming 2015/16 South African domestic cricket season that gets underway on 11 October.

While their team mates are put through their paces courtesy of a rigorous off-season strength and conditioning training programme and slowly get back into the nets, Savage, together with Daryn Smit, Cody Chetty, Prenelan Subrayen, Jonathan Vandiar and Craig Kirsten and Durban North resident Keshav Maharaj, have been racking up the runs, wickets and time in the field in the United Kingdom.

“The standard over here is pretty good and is fairly similar to that in Durban. I’m also quite fortunate to be playing for a really good club. I’ve got quite a few runs whilst I’ve been over here and it’s been going pretty well with the ball as well,” he added shortly after notching up his second hundred of his trip abroad, a season best 151.

With 430 runs under his belt already, to go with his 38 wickets at an average of just 7.00, Savage has embraced the responsibility associated with being the club’s overseas professional, something he believes will stand him in good stead ahead of the upcoming local season.

“I definitely feel I’ll benefit from having learnt how to take some responsibility and hopefully that will help me become a match winner back home,” explained the former Maritzburg College pupil.

“Sometimes it can be quite easy to fall into the trap of leaving it up to someone else to do the job when you’re batting in the middle order however over here, being the senior pro, you have to make sure you bat for the team rather than just for yourself.

“I’ve learnt to give myself a chance by getting in first – often through just looking to bat a little slower and not playing quite as many shots – before then looking to catch up a bit towards the end.”

Sunfoil Dolphins captain Morné van Wyk believes the time a large number of players have spent abroad this winter won’t only benefit the individuals themselves but the entire Dolphins team as well.

“For young players in particular, going over to the UK at some stage in their career is an absolute must,” explained Van Wyk. “Having been to the UK six or seven times myself I know just how important it is for every player to go over there and experience a different cricketing environment, develop new skills and work on your game in a less pressured environment,” he said.