Picture the scene: we are in the beautiful north country of Rwanda, surrounded by lush, green hills just outside the town of Ruhungeri at the University of Agriculture. A competitive match of 10 a side cricket is taking place on the basketball court and a young man walks up to the crease with a stance so elegant Jack Hobbs himself would have been proud of it. He motions towards the umpire and asks for a middle and leg guard, before preceding to stroke the ball through the covers.

It’s a eureka moment for many of us and bearing in mind many of these players have been playing for a matter of weeks an incredible achievement. Much of this is down to Roger their inspirational coach. CWB first met this enthusiastic man 18 months ago and then six months later we helped him gain his ICC Level One coaching certificate. Since then his evangelical fervour for cricket has rubbed off on his students and he is undoubtedly one of the new heroes of Rwandan cricket.

As you can tell from the interview we did with him, Rwandan cricket will be in safe hands if people like Roger are involved. Not only was he keen to promote the sport, Roger had also pressed on his team the importance of HIV awareness and the boys
were all keen to share their knowledge of the ABCs (Abstain / Be faithful / Condomize).

A traditional coin toss, bowlers informing the umpire they were right arm over and a sense of fair play that was infectious. Perhaps our determination to teach them the phrase ‘corridor of uncertainty’ is not so fanciful!

All in all it was a lovely day and worth everyone one of the three hours spent on the cramped surroundings of our bus. The views were spectacular and this stunning country continues to amaze and delight.