By Neto Baptiste
Two young cricketers will spend up to eight weeks in England where they will attend, train and play with the Harrow School, a sporting and academic institution based in London.
Matthew Miller of the Antigua Grammar School and the Jennings Tigers team, and Tanez Francis of the Jennings Secondary School and Empire Nation, are set to leave for England at separate times. Miller is scheduled to leave on Monday and Francis in June.
Minister of Sports, Daryll Matthew, said the opportunity arose following a trip to England last year and also though the efforts of the country’s High Commissioner to the UK.
“Our High Commissioner in the UK [Karen-Mae Hill] has been very active on the scene in England building these networks and so we had the opportunity to meet with Harrow and we actually visited Harrow, and following our discussions it was agreed they would extend the opportunity for scholarships for two of our young men to attend the school.
“The opportunity to go to a school like Harrow, which is not just a sporting institution but an actual academic institution that plays a lot of sports, and so this is really a once in a lifetime, life-changing type of opportunity for the young men who will be attending,” he said.
The minister also clarified how the two players were chosen, adding that there was an extensive interview process with a number of candidates.
“They have to be very strong academically as well and, so between, maybe last October/November and last month, there was an extensive interview process done with the administrators at the Harrow school, Senator Govia who I asked to spearhead the programme here in Antigua and Barbuda, the principals, parents and, following the end of that extensive process, these students were chosen,” Matthew said.
Miller, in the recently completed ABCA Two Day Competition, had a good all-round performance, scoring a total of 242 runs in 15 innings with a highest of 116. He also claimed 21 wickets at an average 12.1 in 14 innings. Francis amassed a total of 251 runs with a highest of 94 at an average of 15.69 and strike rate of 45.39.
Government will foot the bill for airfare and travel while the Harrow School will provide the scholarships and accommodation.