The decision to organise a first tour to South Africa was taken in late July 2001 and clearly much needed to be done in a relatively short period of time. It would be tedious to recount all that happened prior to departure but a meeting at Edgbaston with Nabeal Dien of Western Province was to prove crucial to the success of the tour. A discussion with Geoff Evans during a County game at Mount Wise led to contact being made with Roger Newman at Warwickshire CCC who was generous in passing on his own experiences from a recent tour as well as hosting the meeting with Nabeal.

On February 8th 2002 the party duly left Heathrow aboard Virgin Atlantic Flight VS603 bound for Cape Town and it is pleasing to record that the time and effort put into pre tour preparation proved worthwhile. Everything happened pretty much as planned.

Our first ten days were spent in Cape Town staying at The Breakwater Lodge (An excellent venue for a tour) and six games were played against representative sides. Amongst the highlights was a trip to Langa to play against a Development X1 and included a visit to the township area. Charming and happy people with very little but who I am sure left a big impression on our young tourists.

The second part of our trip took us to Skukuza in the Kruger National Park (a two hour flight to Johannesburg followed by a seven hour coach journey) where a match was played against a Lowfeld Invitation X1 and the players had the opportunity to experience some of Africa’s superb wildlife. It was the first time we had seen a game interrupted by warthogs on the outfield.

The final leg took us back to Johannesburg and days 1 and 2 of the First Test Match between South Africa and Australia at the Wanderers. Some excellent cricket which included 200 from Adam Gilchrist and an illustration by Australia of why they are at the top of world cricket. We met up with Peter Roebuck who took time out from his reporting duties to talk to the players.

Of the seven games played two were won and two others should have been won (where have we heard that before!)

To evaluate success purely in terms of team results would reflect poorly on those responsible for developing our best young players. Reflective assessment should focus primarily on the performance of each individual. What problems did he encounter? What further help does he need? Who can best provide the help? Can he make the next step up?

Whilst a few players found the standard very demanding some coped well. There were particularly pleasing performances from Marc Bettiss a talented keeper who is part of the Somerset Academy, Tom Bowring and Adam Parker.

It would be sad indeed if we did not learn something from our experience that could inform future activities.

In every game played the general standard of our opponent’s medium/quick bowling was markedly better. Without exception their bowlers had a balanced, rhythmic approach and drove through the crease at delivery. Ours generally didn’t and it is clear that much more thought and attention needs to be given to the development of our young bowlers.

Perhaps it is comforting to note that we did not come across spinners of an appreciably higher quality than our own (which is not to suggest that the standard was generally high).Their batting tended to be more mature with better shot selection and a greater reluctance to throw their wicket away. Having said that our batting lacked little in technique and our running between wickets was generally better. The one aspect where we anticipated being inferior was fielding. We were not and this reflects well on the work that is done in the squad practice sessions. In Marc Bettiss we had a keeper appreciably better than anyone else we saw during the tour.

I do believe that a cultural difference exists in that many South African have a greater desire to practice hard and strive to maximise their potential. Though it would not be true of most of our tourists, many youngsters in England appear to lack the concentration skills to work at a task for a sustained period.

They also have two other significant advantages. Climate and the fact that most gifted young games players in South Africa see cricket as an attractive option.

The people we met in Western Province and Kruger provided a wonderful welcome. I would not wish to be charged with reciprocating their generosity of spirit in the UK!

The assistance we received prior to the tour suggested that this might be the case and ideas of how we might respond were discussed. I am pleased to say that we were able to make a contribution of kit to help youngsters in disadvantaged communities which was handed over at a reception held at Newlands test ground the night before departure. Old T shirts (and blocks of soap) were packed into luggage and handed over for use by children at an aids orphanage near to Kruger.

I have little doubt that future tours should be arranged and the excellent relationship established with WPCA should be cultivated.

The selection of the squad needs attention. There is no point in simply inviting members of an age group en bloc because this will probably result in players travelling who have neither the ability to cope nor the potential to succeed at a higher level. In February 2003 we will be taking a squad of 13 to 15 players based essentially on this years U14 team together with any outstanding U13s and probably two from the U15s.  Western Province have shown themselves eminently sensible and can be relied on to select opponents of an appropriate strength.

As regards the itinerary and accommodation there is little reason to make many changes, as I said earlier everything worked exceptionally well. The only concern is the long journey to Kruger and the option of flying needs investigating if this desirable ingredient is to be retained.

Thanks to all who contributed. The various sponsors for their generosity. Devon CCC, Devon Cricket League and Devon Cricket Board for their support. Kingfisher Print & Design for their help in producing the tour brochure, together with Vic Marks and Peter Roebuck for their valued contributions. In particular I would extend a personal thank you to the other members of the management team for their hard work in ensuring the success of this first tour.

In conclusion a wonderful experience for all involved. Whilst the principal objective is development of cricket ability (Western Province certainly provides a suitable location for this) there is no doubt that our young players received a much wider education.

After months of preparation I, along with the rest of the Devon squad touched down in Capetown on 9^th February. It was nine in the morning and, already, the temperature was thirty degrees, and still rising. This blistering heat was to cause serious problems for some members of the team who, in the course of the tour, suffered from sunburn, heat stroke and dehydration.

When we drove out of the airport complex and into the suburbs of Capetown itself, it was immediately noticeable how vast the margin between black and white in South Africa is. To the right were high‑rise buildings, shopping complexes and swimming pools. To the left were miles of ragged shanty towns, compiled of rotting timber, corrugated iron and polythene sheeting Although apartheid is no longer in existence, it is clear that South Africa has a long way to go before racial inequality is a thing of the past. Later in the tour we were to enter into a township called Langa, and the consequent events had a very profound effect on my attitudes and way of thinking, which I'm sure will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Shortly after the start of the match versus this township side, we were invaded by a large number of young, black children who had come from a nearby sports day involving young people from all parts of Langa. As we were batting, we were able to talk to, and play with some of these poor, unprivileged children. The thing that had a huge impact on me was the fact that they were all so happy; they had nothing yet they if seemed completely content with their li e, and their unfortunate situation. Hundreds of games of 'mini‑cricket' broke out all around the boundary, as they played with the team kit that they had found in the dressing room. We gave them piggybacks, played catch with them and had almost forgotten about the serious game of cricket that was underway in the middle of the pitch. Roughly an hour later all the children had gone home, and when checking the changing rooms for missing kit we discovered that all the practice balls, bibs and markers had disappeared! But, as the coach put it, "it all went to worthy homes".

When the game finished we ventured into the township itself, which really put a lot of things into perspective. I remember feeling a huge sense of guilt when we were driving through the dirty streets of Langa. I felt that things that meant very little to me could have made such a big difference to these peoples' lives. It made me think how lucky I really am to have the privileges that most people take for granted in my everyday life, and 'I promised myself that I every time 1 eat decent food, or sleep in a clean bed I will remember my visit to Langa. We gave one lady 50 rand (about three pounds) for letting us look around her house; she immediately burst into tears and went to hide this money. The look on the face of that woman, and the joy in the eyes of the children at the cricket match is something that I will never forget, and I'm sure the rest of my team feel the same way.