Pretoria - Having just returned from his second visit to Dennis
Lillee's Bowling Academy in India, David Townsend, one of two
South African players to attend the academy this year, was thrown
straight into the MTN National Club Cricket Championships held in
Pretoria and Centurion, by his Northerns Groenkloof club side,
CBC Old Boys. Bowling with rhythm and pace the future looks very
bright for this young fast bowler.
The local interest shown in David is born out by the fact that
The United Cricket Board of South Africa sent David to the
Bowling Academy for his second term to receive further training
following the improvement shown in the 1998/99 season after his
first visit.
Having completed the 1998/99 season with 41 wickets at an average
of 19.12 and a best analysis of 6-36 he is sure to play a major
role in any success that Northerns Titans might have in the
coming domestic season.
David comes from a sedate cricketing background. Having learnt
some of his skills at Willowridge High School, where his team
played in a schools 'B' league, he joined the CBC Old Boys Club
in 1992, aged 15 and still in standard seven, and was almost
immediately drafted into the clubs first team. Playing club
cricket with Rodney Ontong and Steve Elworthy helped his career
on to where he is now considered as a future international fast
bowling prospect.
In 1994 he played for the Northerns 'B' School side and followed
this up with a full Northerns Schools cap the next year. From
there his career took off making his first class debut in 1997/98
opening the bowling with Fanie de Villiers for a Northerns
President XI against the West Indies 'A' team at Centurion. David
ending the second innings with 5-68.
With a slight problem in his delivery stride and action the fast
bowler was once again sent back to the Academy this year. "I was
blocking my follow through and so lost a bit of pace and
direction. My feet just were not in the right position," David
said.
"The Academy helped me a lot. After fitness sessions in the
morning we would go into the nets, bowling to Indian first class
batsmen, on what I can only describe as very flat pitches, for
about 30 to 45 minutes, being captured on video from all angles.
Dennis and Danny Morrison spent time with each pupil watching,
analysing, and making suggestions. They would then spend time
with each bowler individually, using the videos, and going over
the areas that they felt each pupil should work on. They helped
me improve my angle into the delivery stride, which helped my
set-up for the pace and away swing I was striving for," David
related. "Dennis and Danny would also give us various scenarios,
with different field settings, and we had to develop a mind
process of where to bowl and what variations of pace and swing
bowling to use to suit the conditions set. The intense training
should assist me in attaining the goals that I have set for
myself this season," he added.
David would love to be rewarded with a call-up to the South
African 'A' team. The 'A' team have a series against the touring
Sri Lankan 'A' team and a match against the England team. Hard
work and success in the domestic season together with the help of
the Northerns squad system, where Peter Kirsten and Chris van
Noordwyk are the coaches and Steve Elworthy, Greg Smith and Rudy
Bryson his bowling partners his dream could be realised.
One thing that is certain is that this pleasant young cricketer
has the determination and support to one day reach his ultimate
goal of wearing the green and gold South African cap.