Tasmania University Cricket Club

Latest News (26th. April 2004)

Kingo Jnr. dives headlong into English cricket.

(The article below is reproduced from the Oxford Times).

An Australian, a nurse and two companies are cricket club's heroes.

'It felt like being stabbed!
An Australian cricketer, a local nurse and two generous Witney companies were the heroes of Minster Lovell Cricket Club as they helped salvage covers and sightscreens from the River Windrush .
The Gazette reported last week that Minster Lovell had been the victims of an attack of vandalism on Easter Monday, when equipment had ended up in the river, which runs alongside their ground.
Tasmanian, James Kingston, 22, who is in England for the summer to play for Shipton-under-Wychwood, volunteered to jump into the waters to assist with the recovery operation, tying chains and rope around the equipment, as a car transporter with a winch and giant forklift carefully removed everything from the water.
The Australian was provided with a pair of waders from local nurse, Peter McGrane, but Kingston, who has only been in the country for three weeks, said "The water was really cold. It was so painful - but I was happy to help out".
"It all went really well, but it didn't help when the water went down inside the waders I had been provided! It felt like being stabbed - and I had a few choice words to say, but at least we managed to get most of the stuff out without too much damage".
The transporter and winch, provided by West Oxfordshire Motor Auctions, salvaged all four covers, with only slight damage to the wheels, whilst the giant forklift from Witney Plant Hire, provided free to the Club, plucked the sightscreens from the Windrush, before carefully placing them back on the river bank.
Vandals are believed to have wheeled all of the equipment from one side of the ground to the other, and dumped it into the river. The incident has been reported to the Police, who said they were investigating.
The Club's pitch is part of the Wash Meadow recreation ground, which is open to the public.
The Club only bought the equipment, costing £10,000, two years ago. Club Chairman, David Lewis, described it as 'mindless vandalism'.



(picture courtesy of James G. Kingston)

The website would love to report the exact details of Kingo's interview with the press (especially his real comments on the water temperature that day) but, for legal reasons, are unfutunately unable to do so.

Following his heroic exploits Kingo was, obviously, selected in 1st. Grade next week and scored 52* and also took a wicket.

Cold water in a pair of waders will become part of Uni's training regime for next season.

You can follow the (on-field) exploits of Kingo at Shipton-under-Wychwood C.C.


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