College sport: Duo ready to polish skills

By JENNI RUTHERFORD

Two years ago, 14-year-olds Siliva Ahio and Mavaega Iosefa were playing cricket on the streets of Mangere with an old bat, a dog-chewed tennis ball and a bread tin for the stumps. Now they are off to England for 12 weeks at the end of this month.

The Wesley College fourth-formers will spend the New Zealand winter at Woodhouse Grove School in Leeds under the watchful eyes of former English cricket internationals.

The small Pukekohe college is best known in sporting circles for its rugby pedigree. One of its most successful old boys is All Black wing Jonah Lomu.

Now the predominantly Pacific Island student school - with just three cricket teams - is working to show its students that rugby is not the only professional sport open to them.

It is the first time Wesley have sent students to England for cricket, but the school has had a rugby exchange programme in place since 1995.

Ahio and Iosefa, who have been in the school's first XI since the end of the third form, are also members of the college under-15 rugby team.

Ahio, a fast bowler, and Iosefa, a spinner, are excited about their first trip to England, but apprehensive about the level of cricket they will encounter there.

"I'm a bit panicky because we've only just started playing," Ahio said.

Iosefa is looking forward to honing his all-round skills.

"We'll be playing proper cricket and learning from the experts of the game," he said.

Their first obstacle will be mastering the grass pitches, having only played on artificial ones.

The Wesley College trust board and Woodhouse Grove will foot most of the bill, leaving the boys to contribute $500 each.

Wesley College deputy principal John Henderson sees the experience for the young pair as the perfect opportunity for them to build an appreciation for the game, as well as seeing the world and returning to New Zealand wiser about cricket and life.

"They will come back with cricketing skills, life skills and leadership skills that they and the school will benefit from."