Chris Rattue: South Africans pad up for new homeland

A clunk echoed round the empty Eden Park arena shortly after Carl Cachopa wandered out for his maiden first-class innings for Auckland this week.

The 18-year-old had ducked into a delivery from Wellington paceman Iain O'Brien, catching the ball smack on his helmet.

Cachopa took a breather, then resumed the battle, avoiding another false move as O'Brien sent down a series of short-pitched deliveries at the rookie. O'Brien and Wellington - who were in a commanding position - could smell blood.

They had to wait a while to taste it, though. Two-and-a half hours later, the flaxen-haired O'Brien - one of those provincial lionhearts you have to admire - finally got his man.

But even then, Cachopa did not give his wicket away. After 123 deliveries, just one boundary, and 17 runs that had claw marks all over them, he fell to a misjudged defensive shot.

Jason Mills, the former Auckland wicketkeeper who coaches at Cachopa's Takapuna club, chuckles about the teenager's Auckland debut.

"It's a bit of a South African trait to grin and bear it, and get on with it," he says.

Cachopa, a Free State junior representative before his family shifted here three years ago, is a batsman who also bowls medium pace.

And he might be the first of a clutch of promising young migrant South African cricketers to crack senior provincial ranks.

Cachopa was in the national under-19s facing provincial A teams before his Auckland call-up. Mills believes the South Africans will become a powerful force in New Zealand cricket, and probably the Black Caps.

North Shore is a popular destination for the wave of South African migrants, and their mark on sport, and cricket in particular, is immense.

The South African influence helped North Harbour to win the Auckland regional under-17 title and push for honours in the other grades.

Cachopa was in the Westlake Boys High first XI who won a second successive Auckland schools title last season. Seven of the squad of 14 and the school's top two coaches are South African.

Cachopa's parents - Joe, of Portuguese descent and once a top club soccer player in South Africa, and Margie, whose sport was gymnastics - teach at the school.

Joe manages the first XI and is the master of cricket.

Among the young South Africans making a mark are Cachopa's brothers, Brad and Craig.

Brad, a New Zealand under-17 representative, made the Takapuna seniors this month.

The family arrived from Bloemfontein in 2002 after deciding as a group to escape what Carl hesitantly but firmly portrays as a lawless land.

Even as a youngster, he dreamed of moving overseas, and a three-week school cricket trip to England when he was 13 fuelled this ambition.

"I felt there wasn't much opportunity in South Africa and times were getting tough," he said after Auckland's comeback State Championship win.

"Touring England let me experience a First-World country, and South Africa is a Third-World country, as you would know - most African countries are.

"We came here for safety and opportunity ... just being able to, how can I say, just live in an environment where you don't feel threatened.

"South Africa is life-threatening in that you could be robbed, or held at gunpoint. Friends of friends have been, and a few have died, although we were quite fortunate that nothing serious has happened to us or our friends.

"It was tough here, the first two months at a new school and making new friends. We were living in a house with no furniture because ours hadn't arrived.

"But sport helped us a lot in making friends. We always say if we didn't have sport, we don't think we would have been able to make it through.

"The family is very happy here and we won't ever move back."

While Auckland's South African community has built new bonds here, Cachopa's family - who have permanent residency and will apply for citizenship - are not regular attenders of social events.

"We might go to a South Africa day now and then and eat the South African food." says Carl.

Mills believes the South Africans see sport as a key to fitting in.

"They throw themselves in the deep end and with their attitude and hardness, they show through quickly," he says.

"North Harbour is trying hard to accommodate the South Africans ... they've been a godsend.

"Everyone has been impressed with Carl's maturity; his demeanour at the crease. He doesn't get rattled and has great powers of concentration, which puts him ahead of most others.

"I think the South Africans have played a lot more cricket than our young guys and are tougher because of that.

"Most of the ones I've seen are batters, and they are willing to guts it out to get the result.

"It's only a matter of time before they become more dominant in the first-class scene and then it will be up to them to take it a step further," says Mills. "I'm sure they are going right to the top."