Young player scores cricket grant
Funding helps cover playing gear and registration
Eleven-year-old Hastings cricketer Sam Griffiths can now play the game he loves without his family worrying about the financial cost. Sam was surprised when he was awarded an ANZ cricket grant, which subsidises the cost of his registration fees for the upcoming season.
The young player was also awarded a gear grant for a bat, ball, pads, gloves and bag to ensure he had a great season.
ANZ cricket grants made $100,000 available to young cricketers who would benefit from the support of registration fee subsidies.
This helped to take the pressure off families and ensure kids didn’t miss out on cricket this summer.
ANZ also surprised several lucky cricketers from around the country with a cricket gear pack to fuel their dedication to training and the game.
Sam, who is set to join the Cornwall Cricket Club this season, was happy to be awarded the ANZ cricket grant.
“I couldn’t believe it. I thought dad was joking at first,” the 11-year-old said.
The young cricketer is a keen bowler, like his favourite Black Cap Trent Boult, and is excited to try out the new gear and use it to practise more.
“Bowling is a position that I’ve been really good at, so I always enjoyed it more than others,” Sam said.
“I’d love to be a bowler for the Black Caps one day.”
Currently in his last year of primary school at Mahora, the Year 6 pupil originally got into the sport while joining in on a game taking place at the school.
“I kept playing and started really liking it, and I kept getting better,” Sam said.
At Mahora School, cricket is popular.
Sam says his school has quite a few really good cricket players.
One of the teachers, Ben Stoyanoff, has played for Central Districts and coaches the school’s team.
The young cricketer looks up to his coach, and says Stoyanoff knows a lot about cricket.
“I remember watching his games a couple of times; it was quite intense.”
Sam has had a few awesome games, including a hat-trick he’ll never forget.
“My first hardball hat-trick was my most deserved; the batsmen got out in three different ways,” he said.
The first one Sam bowled out, the next one he caught out, and then the last batter was stumped by his wicket keeper.
It’s not only cricket — Sam is sportsmad and plays five sports — but cricket is in his top three, along with canoe polo and hockey.
“I really enjoy cricket, it’s one of my favourite sports.”
He signed up for club cricket this season because he thought it would be an opportunity to play more cricket.
“In other sports there are only a
couple of positions to play, but in cricket, there are heaps of different positions and ways to play, and that makes it more exciting.”
The young sportsman’s canoe polo team remained undefeated their entire first season to take out the Hawke’s Bay Championships.
His team did so well, they’ve been moved up a grade.
Sam said cricket helped to prepare him for canoe polo.
“In polo, throwing is a really important skill, and it’s a bit harder than [in] cricket because you’re sitting down with your legs out in front of you.”
ANZ Bank New Zealand CEO Antonia Watson said paying club fees is one of the first barriers families face
when deciding if they can register their child to play.
Sport is an essential part of a child’s wellbeing, so ANZ is pleased to provide support to ensure Kiwi kids can keep playing the game they love, the CEO explained.
The increased cost of living can put families in a challenging position managing the household budget.
ANZ hope these grants will help to ease some of that pressure and keep more kids playing cricket.
“We were so impressed by Sam Griffiths’ dedication to keep training — we hope this new gear helps him to reach his goal.”