Day 7

Despite the dust that is liberally sprinkled everywhere, the sky remains the bluest of blues, day after day. At the end of day six, we actually did see some clouds, however it didn’t come to anything and we were greeted with blue skies once more on day seven.

Friday in Gaborone means three things. Coach Education, festivals and T20 finals. However with the trip progressing as it has, something had to change from the plan. This time it was the festival that had to go. Despite plans being in place, checked and double checked, schools found that they were unable to commit to the festival after all. Hurried plans were put in place and an alternative afternoon event was successfully scheduled for the afternoon session.

Firstly though, we needed to handle a planned and confirmed coach education appointment with the local university candidates plus a few volunteers. Therefore it was with some trepidation that we arrived at the Gaborone Oval for a 930am start with at least 24 candidates. However, as we had already anticipated, 930 doesn’t always mean 930.

By approximately 945am, the candidates numbered just five. However within the following ten or so minutes, we were swamped with students from the university desperate for knowledge. To add a little spice to the coach education session, my “assistant” for the morning was none other than the Coach of the Botswana national team.

However things went spectacularly well with about 25 candidates completing the course over the two hours of the programme. Non playing volunteers were soon hitting balls and bowling at targets like pros. It was probably one of the best coach education sessions that I have been party to in all my time of tutoring. Certificates were signed, t-shirts handed out and photos of successful candidates were taken for posterity.

The afternoons events consisted of a couple of hours at the orphanage at Gamadubu. Being presented in front of the school as a guest is a challenging occasion. When the audience of the “assembly” are children whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS, it becomes a bigger challenge. When the same children sing you a song as a welcoming gift, it is a challenge not to shed a tear.

Throwing a few balls for children to hit, handing out a few balloons and lollypops are the least that you can do. However when a child asks if they can come with you back to England with you, there isn’t anything that you can say in response.

Being in the Southern Hemisphere, we are in the spring with the temperatures increasing by the day. At this time of the month, as the sun starts to set, the moon starts to rise from the east. The crescent moon hangs over the top of us while we coach and it reminds me of home and the people we have left behind.

The sun had long gone by the time we arrived at the Gaborone Oval for the second time that day. The floodlights were on for the first time this week, with both sides already at battle in the local league T20 final. We weren’t guests of honour for the BCA, but we held the key position right at the front of the pavilion. With a mutton biryani and a cold beer in the other, it was a good end to another great day Of CWB cricket in Botswana.