On tour with the Vikings: Don’t tell Joey he can’t!
JOE CANT is touring England playing cricket with an invitational Vikings team.
Some may say he couldn’t do it but take the “t” out of his surname and Joey sure CAN!
The 15-year-old Year 9 student at St John’s College, who plies his off-spinners with the South Dubbo Hornets, removed the apostrophe and last letter and turned an invitation from Mosman first grade captain-coach Brendan Lyon into an experience of a lifetime.
Joe’s “Can Do” moment tops off a great year.
His first season in the top grade with the Hornets brought opportunities he’s been working for since he could first hold a bat. He played several T20 games under lights and gained experience bowling to the best batsmen in the region in Whitney Cup and regional representative matches.
His chance to tour England came after meeting Brendan Lyon during the summer school holidays when he played some Under-16s matches with Mosman.
“Brendan is Nathan Lyon’s older brother. He went right through the Western Zone system from his home in Young. He captained the Zone Bradman Cup (Under-16s team) so he really knows what a trip like this can do for your game,” Joe said before flying out on Friday.
After the obligatory walks across Westminster Bridge, through Trafalgar Square, past Big Ben, to Buckingham Palace and a bird’s eye from view from the London Eye, it was down to business and a net session at Lords.
Joe has played two games so far along with another z SWIMMERS Sam Smith and Aspen Moore are spending the school holidays putting in extra laps in the comfort of an indoor pool in Orange. The St John’s students fly to Tasmania at the end of next week for the All Schools National Championships. Their incredible preparation, swimming outdoors in a 25-metre pool in thermal suits through May and July, was AMAZING! z NARROMINE JETS players and supporters kicked off NAIDOC week in style. The club, led Western product, Ben Schofield from Young. The first match was on a picturesque village green against Tenterden Cricket Club
by captain-coach Wes Middleton who designed special jerseys, played inspired football to win their first Group XI match of the season against Macquarie.
Wellington Cowboys are now clear second on the ladder behind the unbeaten CYMS. Their win came on the back of a late try, a missed conversion from almost in front, and then a face-saving, match-winning field goal by half Adrian Davis.
The former Sydney grade player was relieved when his one-pointer went over after he had “choked” on the conversion only moments earlier! where big hitting Ben dispatched “the Duke” ball to all parts of the ground and over it! Ben smashed five sixes on his way to 64 from just 32 deliveries!
Maclean all-rounder, Oscar Pilon, the grandson of Denise and Bob – Justin’s son – chimed in with an unbeaten 23, then backed up with “a delivery reminiscent of Starc or Johnson on Pommie opener Cook and rattled the stumps of Tenterden’s top bat”!
After Oscar and the other quicks took some early wickets, the Dubbo Hornet was thrown the ball.
“Canty, show us what you can do. Put some sting in it will ya?” said the Skip.
According to Brendan’s post-match report, “Joey ‘Nice Garry’ Cant entered the fray and ripped out the middle order with a couple of spitting cobras!”
The match ended in a 249-all tie!
Joe followed it up with another two wickets and an unbeaten 39 in game two.
“Even hit my first six,” he texted his mum and dad, Ali and Greg.
His big hit was a swipe at those who might say he “can’t”, when Joe knows he can!