Talented teen earns passage to India
Samuel Bruhn selected for two week tour
Ayoung Levin cricketer is about to embark on a dream trip to India. Samuel Bruhn, 16, has been selected for a two-week tour of India with the Kiwi Caps, a composite team of young players with former New Zealand international Jacob Oram on the coaching staff.
Bruhn’s selection was just as much about his playing potential as it was his love and commitment to the game. When tour organisers got in touch with coaches, club officials and teachers, they couldn’t find anyone to say a bad word.
He had earned respect within his Weraroa club as a young man willing to help out. For years he has been involved in coaching younger players at primary school age, and was a familiar site at the pavilion behind the vacuum cleaner helping out with clean-ups, working bees and putting covers on.
Bruhn plays for the Weraroa senior B team and last year was awarded the trophy for the team’s best bowler, while he had made various Horowhenua-Ka¯piti age-grade teams and last year was awarded Year 9-10 Player of the Year.
He also served on the Weraroa club committee as junior liason officer and was voted club member of the year last season, and also received the president’s award for services to junior cricket.
His father, Danny, said it was only at the suggestion of a family friend that the off-spin bowler put his name forward for the Kiwi Caps tour because they knew nothing about it at the time.
“He said to me ‘don’t be silly Dad, it will cost way too much’,” Danny said.
Each player selected was expected to contribute $7000 to the cost of the tour, plus personal expenses. Not to be swayed, his father said, “Apply anyway and if you get in we’ll worry about the money then.”
“I just said to him you’ll never know unless you try,” he said.
Cue Samuel’s mother, Libby Bruhn, a member of the Levin Performing Arts Society who has organised a fundraising Variety Night of entertainment at the theatre on February 24 with a licensed bar open and supper supplied.
The Bruhns were a family known to support a cause themselves so the card for the night was filling fast with comedians, singers and performing acts putting their hand up to help, with prizes donated for raffles and an auction on the night.
A load of firewood had been donated while a builder had offered three hours’ labour, and a painter 10 hours of work to be auctioned. Tickets were $25, available at levinperformingarts. com
“He just loves his cricket,” his father said.
The team of young players aged 15-17 leave New Zealand for India in April, near the end of spring and start of summer there. They will play a total of eight games — six T20 matches and two 50-over games.
It was the third tour organised by Kiwi Caps. It won’t all be about the cricket either. The team will visit the Taj Mahal and attend an IPL T20 cricket game in Dehli.
The full squad: Rian Hocken, Lucas Kempthorne, Archie Amon, Billy Condon, Hayden Stewart, Charlie Ward, Samuel Bruhn, Timothy O’Leary, Sam Harper, Thomas Inder, Kurt Ward, Hogan Ward, Caine Vanderweil, Neil Thakar, and Harry Stokes.