LOCAL cricket star Ryan Yates has recently returned from a tour of New Zealand with the Northern NSW Emus under 21s side.
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The 18-year-old met most of his team mates at the airport prior to flying out on the 13 day trip which involved nine days of cricket. The team travelled to Christchurch and from there they went Westport before returning to Rangiora to play games in the Christchurch area. Of the seven games (five one-day and two two-day matches) that the Emus played they won six of them.
Yates, who plays for the Cavaliers in Gloucester, experienced some issues early in the tour.
“My gear, along with Tom Burley’s (of Taree), was lost in transit. It took three days, in which we played two matches, before our cricket bags were returned to us. It was driving me insane! Not using your own cricket gear is like not sleeping in your own bed, it just doesn’t feel right,” Yates said.
Following the adverse start to the tour which lead to some low scores, Yates finished the tour with scores of 65 and 30. Yates was the wicketkeeper for the team and produced solid performances with the gloves throughout the tour.
Yates is uncertain if there will be more matches with the Emus in the near future.
“Some of the New Zealand teams may look to come over here and play us again, but at this stage we aren’t 100% sure as to when or if we will play.”
With Yates being the youngest player in the team (he met the cut off for age by a couple of days) he will look to return to New Zealand on the tour again in two years time.
Asked about his future plans, Yates had this to say.
“I would like to further my cricket but at this stage I’m not completely sure where or when I will do that. I just want to finish my apprenticeship, and then I will see what happens from there.”
Yates will look to continue his form this weekend when the Cavaliers face Nowendoc on Number 2 at 12.45pm.