Bowled over
A new dimension to cricket practice arrived this week, in the shape of a BOLA Professional Bowling machine, as used by the current England Test team and all County Cricket Clubs.
Provided through the generosity of parents who donated to the purchase of the machine through the 2005/06 Annual Fund, the success of the fundraising effort means that not only has the bowling machine been purchased, but the sum remaining will be put towards the purchase of a set of roll-on covers to protect the precious wicket from the rigours of the British weather.
Forty-one parents have so far donated more than £5000 to cricket through the Annual Fund, and with three months still remaining for further donations to be collected for this year’s Fund, Mrs Crosswell is hopeful of announcing further good news for cricketers before the end of the season.
Master in Charge of Cricket, John Wake, is shown taking delivery of the bowling machine from Lindsey Crosswell, Director of the Oundle Society, which administers the Annual Fund. The boys then wasted no time in getting down to batting practice: the machine will be used indoors during the Easter Quarter and in outdoor nets during the Trinity Quarter.
Mr Wake is confident that the bowling machine will help our cricketers to improve their batting technique against any type of delivery - it can feed a batsman with balls that swing, and spin, and can deliver balls at 95 m.p.h., simulating the speed of the fastest bowlers in the world.