Fergus benefits from Indian adventure

Fergus Lellman on debut for Bay of Plenty. Photo: Chris James.

The usual pre-season preparation for club cricketers is a few outdoor nets and a warm-up game or two in wintry conditions on a team-bonding weekend away.

But 17-year-old Fergus Lellman had the opportunity of a lifetime to play cricket in India for two weeks with the Hutt Hawks team.

The Year 12 Aquinas College student and Otumoetai Cadets opening batsman made the most of his chance to claim the title of best allrounder for his team at tournaments played in Bangalore and Anantapur.

Fergus scored more than 350 runs in 10 innings while up against challenging bowlers on surfaces a world away from his home pitch at Tauranga Domain.

'It was really great to get the volume of cricket and time in the middle,” says Fergus. 'I had 15 matches under the belt before the season started here, which is pretty nice.”

He attracted the attention of the Hutt Hawks through former Wellington and New Zealand rep Evan Gray, who is a Tauranga resident. He arranged a place for Fergus on the eighth trip to India by the Hutt Hawks.

Facing Indian spinners in their own unique conditions was a huge learning curve, Fergus says.

'They bowled a lot quicker and flatter through the air, but it still spun. Their control was harder to deal with and you got a lot less bad balls.

'Our spinners had to adapt quickly because if they floated it up they got smoked. Their pace bowlers seemed to have this uncanny ability to get one to skid and then the next ball to pop and there was a lot of variable bounce.”

A highlight off the field was being part of the Hutt Hawks opening 22 small houses as part of the Rural Development Trust in Anantapur.

Fergus says it was great to be able to see the joy on the faces of the people when they saw their new homes.

Describing it as an 'eye-opening” place to visit, Fergus and his young team mates saw plenty of unforgettable sights while travelling between games, which is all part of the experience of being in India.

On his return to Tauranga he was delighted to gain his senior debut for the Bay of Plenty over Labour Weekend against Hawke's Bay. He has started his second Baywide Premier season for Otumoetai Cadets with some encouraging innings with the bat.

'I was pretty happy with that debut for the Bay,” he says. 'I didn't get a bat but it was great to be around the team and it is a goal of mine to grab a spot in the team.

'I want to go well with Bay Development this year and see how far I can get.”

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