Bluff cricketer ready to take on upcoming season

FOR cricketer Heath Manicom, the upcoming season will give him the opportunity to showcase and improve his skills.

Heath (21) who lives on The Bluff, is a batting all-rounder for the Harlequins Cricket Club’s first team. The first matches of the season are expected to kick off in early September.

“I can’t wait for cricket season to officially begin as the break has been too long. My goal for this season is to reach new heights when it comes to my batting, hopefully improve my bowling, and to show what I can do and just enjoy it.”

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Heath, a third-year Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) student at Varsity College, said his passion for cricket started at a young age.

“My passion stemmed from playing cricket with my dad, Shane, in our backyard from the time I could walk. He always encouraged and supported me to fulfil my passion. I started playing for my school team when I was in Grade One, and by the time I was eight years old, I really loved the game. When I was nine years old, I started club cricket and joined the ‘Quins U11 team. The passion has never died,” he said.

Heath, who is the cricket and hockey coach at St Henry’s Marist College, said he loves all aspects of the sport.

“There is nothing better than playing a sport with a united team. However, there is a lot that goes into cricket, the most important being having the physical and mental strength and being able to adapt and work in a team. You also need to have respect for the sport,” he said.

Heath said there were also many benefits of playing cricket.

“It gives you an opportunity to socialise and have fun both on and off the field. It allows you to take a break from your daily life,” he said.

Heath said that while he has faced many challenges, he has been able to overcome them.

“There are always new challenges, and I will always be working to improve my skills. One of my challenges last season was spraining my ankle in the pre-season game. However, I overcame it and played in the final match of the season.”

He added that his biggest highlights so far were scoring his first 100 and winning the Kingsmead Cup T20 final with his team last year.

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Heath, whose favourite team is the Royal Challengers Bangalore, said he was inspired by former cricketer Jacques Kallis.

“I admire the way he played; he was just amazing. He is the best all-rounder to ever play, and the best moments of the matches for me were when I watched him bat. Kallis also played for my favourite team when the IPL [Indian Premier League] first started,” he said.

Heath said his goal is to keep growing as a cricketer.

“I want to grow myself in this sport and to help my team win all the upcoming matches, so we become the team that no one wants to play against. It feels awesome to be playing for this long and not miss a year,” he said.

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