Greig Vardy (Project Leader)
I am a 39 year old father of 3 who has now been married for 14 years (I think) to my wife Tracy . My children are Max 15, Ben 14 and Olivia 9. I currently run my own Electrical Contracting firm which I have done for the last 12 years.
I have been coaching cricket at Portslade Cricket club for about 6 years where I have gained my level 2 coaching badge. I am also a keen player (although no world beater) and have just gained our third consecutive promotion with 3rdXI.
This is my second trip after visiting Kenya last autumn. That trip was a great experience and one that I know this will be on par with. The memories I will never forget along with the friends I made on the way
I am sure this trip will be no different!!!!
Name: Ali Goddard (Tutor)
Nickname: Godds, G, AliG
Team Role: Finance and M&E
I have been Cricket Development Officer for Wiltshire Cricket since 2009. His role includes being Head of Women and Girls Cricket for the County as well as leading on Schools Cricket at all levels.
I run Chance to Shine for County which involves co-ordinating almost a dozen coaches working across 48 primary schools. So I should be ok with just three others on this team.
In the past I was the National Camp Manager for the MCC Spirit of Cricket programme, so travelling around and setting up cricket sessions should be right up my street.
I am also an ECB Level 3 Coach, Tutor, Assessor and Field Based Trainer. So as you can see, I am pretty happy to put my hand up to volunteer to do most things.
I have been coaching for 15 years, including County Boys and Girls sides during that time. The only time I have left mainland Britain coaching was to travel to the Isle of Wight. So I am completely out of my depth travelling half way across the world to make a start on my international coaching career.
The biggest challenge for the Botswana trip…..my weakness for expensive coffee!! I am sure that I will have to resist the urge for a cappuccino for a couple of weeks.
It is going to be a huge challenge and I can’t wait to start working with my great team of coaches.
Nicholas Cliffe
I am development director, player and lead coach at Thriplow CC, just outside Cambridge. I have been coaching since 1998 and have held a Level Two qualification since 2004.
In 2010 I was lucky enough to win a Sky Sports award for the Eastern Region “for services to coaching and local cricket”, culminating in a presentation dinner in the Long Room at Lord’s.
Away from the club, I am a director of Cambs Cricket, vice-chairman and finance officer of ECBCA Cambs and finance director, so I do wear quite a few cricket hats!!
I run my own chartered accountancy practice just outside Cambridge and in a previous life did an economics degree at Emmanuel College Cambridge, as well as playing football and cricket for the college (two years as captain) and cricket for CU seconds. Never played at first-class level, though!!
Outside of work and sport, I have been married to Amanda for more years than she would probably care to remember!! We have two children – Annabelle, now based in London and Alastair, on a post-grad course after Leaving Loughborough University this summer. Ally played junior county cricket for Cambs for six years and is probably the best bat at our club.
Whilst the Botswana trip promises to be “challenging”, it also promises to be extremely rewarding. I am greatly looking forward to getting a taste for the beautiful country of Botswana and meeting its people and I hope I can have a positive, if small, impact on their lives.
Malcom Pressley-Smith
I am a maths teacher & sports coach, mainly cricket & hockey, living in the cider county of Somerset on the outskirts of Taunton. I had worked in Sports Centre management for 18 years before taking the plunge and became a teacher and also increased my coaching roles.
Most of my week is spent tutoring maths on a 1 to 1 or small group basis to students who struggle to understand maths – so lots of patience required but also lots of fun & satisfaction gained.
I have been junior head coach at Taunton CC, worked for several clubs in many schools on the Chance to Shine project
and this year have been manager for Somerset Girls U17 & U19 teams.
Over the last 4 years have become increasingly involved with hockey coaching ranging from junior club players to working in the Somerset county set up.
Years ago I played cricket for the Midlands region where a team mate was Gary Lineker, and hockey for England U19s (on grass then). i have 2 wonderful children who both love their sport although my son, Ben, announced this season that he didn’t like cricket !!!. Meg, who’s currently in last year of school, has played in the Somerset Girls teams from U13 to U17 level. She’s currently looking at Universities – a condition being that they play girls cricket!
Really looking forward to the trip to Botswana and hoping that it will be my trip of a lifetime whilst enabling me to make a small contribution.