NEWS
A 20-DAY TRIP OF A LIFETIME
UK TOUR BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN CRICKET AND CAMARADERIE
THE 16-MEMBER 2023 SCOTCH COLLEGE UK
CRICKET TOUR PARTY . STANDING , LEFT TO
RIGHT ; ALL BOYS OF YEAR 11 UNLESS
OTHERWISE INDICATED : HARRY JONES , NED
MACMILLAN , CHARLIE WARNER ( YEAR 10 ) ,
HUGH HASKER , HENRY
STEELE , JAMES SPARKS , TOM FARRER , CHARLIE SMITH ( YEAR 10 ), SAM EDNEY , MAX BODON , TOM HUCKER . KNEELING : TOM GROOM ( YEAR 10 ), ADAM RIXON
( YEAR 10 ), FLYNN O ’ BRIEN ( YEAR 10 ), ED
WINNEKE ( YEAR 10 ), HENRY RATHJEN
The 2023 Scotch College UK Cricket Tour ( 24 June to 13 July ) featured 13 games of cricket , day trips and rest days for other leisure activities or sightseeing . Among the boys ’ opponents were Eton and Harrow Colleges , and their sightseeing included visits to Windsor Castle and a tour of the home of cricket , Lord ’ s .
Among the touring party of 16 boys and three staff were Year 10 boys , Charlie Smith and Charlie Warner . Their impressions of the tour appear below .
I will forever remember the 2023 UK Cricket Tour as my favourite time as a Scotch Collegian . The tour was a 20-day trip of a lifetime , filled with new memories created each day . The cricket and landmarks we went to each day only scratch the surface of what this tour meant to me , as my fondest memories will be around the camaraderie among the boys that was created and shared , with moments on and off the field .
The team had a very strong tour , with eight wins , four losses and a tie , giving the squad great confidence for the upcoming season . Off the field , we had the privilege to experience some of England ’ s finest landmarks , going inside Windsor Castle , and visiting the outside of Buckingham Palace and Arundel Castle , just to name a few .
The England tour was the perfect trip , and was well worth the wait . I could not recommend high enough doing your best to be selected for this tour , as it ' s something I ' ll remember for the rest of my life . CHARLIE SMITH – YEAR 10
Sixteen individuals left Melbourne Airport on a frosty evening at Tullamarine , but no one knew of the mateship that would be formed over the next 20 days . Year 11s and Year 10s fused seamlessly , as though we had been living together for years . We smiled together , laughed together , and most importantly , played cricket together with an incredible spirit .
We gained form and momentum as we got further into the tour , along with a genuine hope for the success of our peers . Milestones were celebrated for everyone , through lots of singing and dancing on the bus rides home from games . The high morale was deflated as we arrived home , and we missed the company of each other more than we missed the actual country of England .
Overall , I had the great opportunity to go overseas and get close to some boys who I don ’ t doubt I will remain good friends with throughout the rest of my life . CHARLIE WARNER – YEAR 10
42 Great Scot Issue 169 – September 2023