Aniket Parikh will use the $15,000 scholarship for university next year. Photo / Nick Reed
Aniket Parikh will use the $15,000 scholarship for university next year. Photo / Nick Reed
All-rounder receives inaugural Crowe scholarship.
As a youngster whacking cricket balls around mates' back yards, Aniket Parikh wasn't too different from any other kid from Sandringham.
Certainly, he never saw himself stacking up to one of his biggest heroes and arguably New Zealand's finest batsman, Martin Crowe.
But that dream is becoming closer to reality, with the softly spoken 18-year-old winning the first annual scholarship offered by the family of the legendary former Black Cap skipper, who has been battling cancer.
Aniket, tipped as one of Auckland's hottest young cricket prospects, told the Weekend Herald the game had been a passion since he first swung a bat as a 5-year-old.
"There were a lot of Indians in my neighbourhood, and we played it together," he said.
"Back then, it was just for fun - but lately it's become more of a reality that I could be going further in this sport."
He was still a Year 10 student when he joined the Mt Albert Grammar School 1st XI, a side he now captains when he's not out on the pitch with the Auckland under-19 side.
The all-rounder with a top batting score of 130 and top bowling figure of 7/41 has become well known for his right-arm off-spin.
Aniket was also recently named as a finalist in the ASB Auckland Young Sportsperson of the Year Awards, to be announced this month.
Martin Crowe (left) - pictured in February with former test player Mark Greatbatch - is Aniket's hero. Photo / Nick Reed
The $15,000 scholarship ties together the Crowe family's connections with Aniket's Cornwall Cricket Club and Auckland University, where he'll study engineering next year.
Crowe, who has been battling lymphoma, has not yet been able to congratulate Aniket and yesterday was unable to be interviewed.
The head coach of Mt Albert Grammar's cricket academy, Tony Sail, said the teenager was impressively diligent in balancing his studies with sport, finding time to excel at both without skipping training or homework.
Mr Sail described Aniket as polite and a "really good leader", despite not being too gregarious.
"As for cricket, he just loves the game.
"He'd play every minute of the day if he could, you just know that," he said.
"When he came back from the Under-19 tournament last year, I asked if he wanted to have a couple of days off, and, nah, he just wanted to play, he just wanted to be there."
If Aniket sticks at it - and he has every intention of doing so - Mr Sail expects he has a bright future in the game.
"He's already being targeted for the [New Zealand men's] Under-19 team and he's a potential first-class player for the Aces."
Mr Sail, who knows Crowe well, had no hesitation in recommending Aniket for the scholarship.
"Aniket's a guy who really understands the history of the game, he understands the legacy the Crowes have left, and how important it was that when he gets this award, he acknowledges that," he said.
"But the thing is he doesn't have to be reminded of how special this is," Mr Sail said.
Aniket reckoned his hero's name being stamped on the scholarship made it that much better.
