New Zealand: Twins deliver double trouble at crease (25 November 1998)

25 November 1998

New Zealand: Twins deliver double trouble at crease

The Christchurch Press

Which ever way their opponents turn, the cricket-playing Driessens twin brothers, Nick and Simon, from Christchurch Boys' High School are in their path.

The brothers are two key performers in the front-running Boys' High first XI which is finalising preparations to attend the Gillette Cup national schoolboys' championships in Palmerston North next month.

The brothers are not identical but hereditary twins, which still means double trouble for their opposition.

Simon bats right-handed at No. 5 in the first XI and bowls nagging right-arm slow-medium pacers, while Nick, the elder by 10 minutes, bowls left-arm orthodox spinners and bats left-handed at No. 6.

Many is the time the pair have combined their talents at the batting and bowling crease to thwart the opposition.

"I guess they can't get away from us one way or another," said Simon.

One school well aware of their skills is St Bede's College which has regularly been on the receiving end of the Driessens' run-getting or wicket-taking feats.

"They must hate playing against us,"said Simon.

Playing methods apart, the brothers have followed a largely similar path up Canterbury cricket's age group ladder in recent years.

Both have played at primary school level for the province followed by age group tournaments.

Simon made the first XI at Boys' high in Year 11 (Form 5) and is in his third and final year while Nick, who is the captain, is completing his second year with the side.

Simon is optimistic the side can win the four-team national final, after having experience of the tournament for the first time last year.

On that occasion, two leading Boys' High medium pace bowlers were injured, which seriously affected the team's chances, but the Driessens believe if all the players are fully fit, the team will make a strong tilt at the title this time.

The consistent performances of the brothers is reflected in their statistics this year, Simon scoring 833 runs at 38 ,including a century and six 50s. Nick has made 483 runs at 37, with two 50s.

With the ball Simon has taken 20 wickets at 15.4 runs apiece, while Nick has captured 37 wickets at 13.4.

The boys' early development was nutured by East-Christchurch-Shirley's Bill Duncan with whom many leading players have begun their careers.

Backyard battles gave way to more formal matches and in recent seasons the brothers have been members of the New Zealand under-17 tournament team, Simon for the last two seasons and Nick for one.

Father Frank Driessens, who can keep a close eye on their progress as a teacher at Boys' High, knows well the legacy of their playing prowess around home, with three broken windows in the garage testimony to that.

Simon says Nick is the more reliable player of the pair, a Chris Harris-type of batsman who can adapt to whatever batting situation is required, with Simon perhaps the more bolder hitter.

The good news for Canterbury cricket is that the talented brothers are expected to remain in the province after leaving school this year, with Nick heading to Canterbury University and Simon hoping to attend Lincoln University.

Source :: The Christchurch Press (https://www.press.co.nz/)