ONE of Bathurst’s greatest cricketing products, Trent Copeland, was back in his home city on Wednesday to watch the next generation of players take part of the Bathurst Milo T20 Blast School Cup.
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Former test cricketer and NSW Blues spearhead Copeland, along with Sydney Thunder squad member Nathan McAndrew, were around to give students tips and even lend a helping hand in the field at Learmonth Park.
Copeland said it was a wonderful feeling to be back at home.
“It’s nice to see so many happy faces and so much energy around the game that I know and love,” he said.
“I played the game a lot here at Learmonth Park, and even looking over at the hockey fields, where I played a lot of hockey, it’s bringing back a lot of great memories.
“This is where it all started for me. We could be seeing one of the next Australian cricketers here and from what we’ve seen there could be a couple on the way.”
Copeland’s tour took him through Lithgow on Monday and Orange on Tuesday before arriving in his home city.
Along with his tour through the Central West, Copeland is busy gearing up for a new season of cricket for NSW.
“We’re in the thick of pre-season at the moment. We’ve got the JLT One Day Cup coming up,” he said.
“We’ve got a week away in Brisbane coming up, which will be an intense camp, and then it’s right into the season.
“The Aussies are over in Bangladesh and everyone is over here working towards the One Day Cup and then the [Sheffield] Shield season, which starts shortly after.”
It’s nice to see so many happy faces and so much energy around the game that I know and love ... It’s bringing back a lot of great memories.
- Trent Copeland
McAndrew made his debut for the Thunder last year and is looking to crack into the team again.
He said the format has been excellent for cricket players of all skill levels.
“Twenty20 has been a bit of a revelation over the last few years and has been great for getting people interested in the game. For myself it’s been a nice platform to get into professional cricket,” he said.
“This is my first time getting out on the Country Blitz. It’s great getting out and seeing these smiles on the kids’ faces because I remember doing these kind of things as a kid growing up in Shellharbour.
“Any time you get a professional sportsman down, no matter what the sport, and for the kids it certainly beats a day at school.”
The JLT Cup starts on September 27.
