Two talented young girls are set for a trip of a lifetime when they tour South Africa with a boys’ team from the Bermuda Cricket Board National Academy.

LeiLanni Nesbeth and Kayla Raymond are named in a 14-member squad for the trip to Cape Town from February 6 to 20, the first girls named in a boys’ team. The team will play six matches against school teams in the South Cape area. The players are mainly from the BCB under-13 programme, but with no girls’ league both Nesbeth and Raymond find themselves playing with the boys.

“I started playing cricket at St George’s Prep with the boys after I watched my brother play in the neighbourhood,” said Raymond, a medium pace bowler who now attends Mount St Agnes. “I like cricket because I just like to run. I’m very much looking forward to going to South Africa.”

Her favourite players are Lasith Malinga, the Sri Lanka bowler and Keiran Powell of the West Indies, while former Cup Match player Charlie Marshall at the St George’s Community Centre gives her lots of encouragement.

Like Nesbeth, who also plays footballer, Raymond is multi-talented and plays hockey for Longtails B, competed in mountain bike racing, plays volleyball and is starting to play basketball. Then there is the running, which she admits is her favourite sport.

She competes in the 100, 400 and 800 metres for Pacers Track Club and took part in the Front Street Mile last week.

“She’s very busy, she also played soccer at Prep,” said her mother, Kim, a runner in her school days. “I’m a PE teacher so I always encouraged her, she’s naturally active so I don’t have to do much encouraging to be honest.

“She has a lot of potential, eventually she will hone her skills in one or two sports but basically any sport she has picked up she has been successful at. It depends on what the women’s [cricket] team in Bermuda is doing, because I’m sure she will want to play with an all girls’ team when she becomes a teenager. None of these sports are cheap, but I think it is worth it.”

Father Deryck, who obtained his Level I coaching certificate recently, is one of 15 parents who will be travelling with the team to South Africa where they will also will also participate in three coaching sessions at Boland Academy and the famous Newlands Cricket Ground.

Other highlights on the trip involve cultural experiences such as a visit to Robben Island where former South Africa President Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years during the height of Apartheid, and a full day experience at a local school. The young cricketers will also watch a match at Newlands, visit Table Mountain and the Botliershop Game Reserve and enjoy a full day excursion to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve.

“On the tour if I see some kids playing cricket I might give them some tips,” said Raymond who turns 12 at the end of the month.

Nesbeth, 12, fits right in with the boys and even captained the St David’s under 11 team.

“The boys treat me like they would treat anybody else, I fit in well with them.” said Nesbeth, also a medium pace bowler. “I’m looking forward to the trip and playing with people I don’t usually play with.”

Added the Saltus student: “I’m looking forward to the nature stuff and seeing where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet which will be a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Nesbeth, who lists football as her favourite sport, was encouraged to play cricket after going down to St David’s Cricket Club where OJ Minors, Richard Carlington and Sammy Robinson gave her the opportunity to play.

“I already play junior county and played the first time when I was 10,” she revealed.

Nesbeth’s aunt, Tara Burchall, is proud of her niece, even if she is a bit nervous about seeing her travel all the way to South Africa.

“She is happy about it and we trust they are in good hands,” said Burchall. “I’m a bit worried about the safety aspect.

“She said she was surprised that she got picked but I’m not, not in the least. She was born with this particular talent and she is very humble which we love. She is good in sport and a good kid overall.

“She said the group that she is going with has already made her feel at ease and not just because she is a girl. We’re just proud that these two girls can stand up against boys and play with them in their sport. It’s a nice accomplishment for them.”

Neil Speight, CEO of the Bermuda Cricket Board, says the trip will be a good learning experience for the youngsters who are being rewarded for the hard work they put in during almost a year of fundraising.

“Fourteen children, including two girls, have shown the necessary dedication and commitment to fundraising for the last 10 months to enable them to participate in a development cricket tour of a lifetime,” Speight said.

“It is important to recognise the amount of work these youngsters [and parents] have done over the last 10 months to fundraise for this tour,” Speight said.

“The work began with punch cards being issued last March, included taking gates and providing security at the World Cricket League [matches], taking gates at Eastern County games, fish fries, tag days, movie nights, etc.

“The opportunity was open and equal to any player in the Academy but these 14 assumed the burden and have made the time to collect a significant amount of funding for this tour.”

To ensure that the players reap maximum benefit from the tour, all squad members are required to write three short essays on Bermuda traditions and how they impact their personal culture, in addition to a short essay about their school experience in Bermuda.

These will be used as background to promote the culture exchange component when speaking with South African schoolchildren and opposition players.

Under-13 coaches Cal Waldron and Lorenzo Tucker will head the tour party which also includes Richard Austin, secretary of the Bermuda Cricket Umpires Association.

Squad to South Africa: Cameron Jeffers (Warwick), Faheem Swan (Willow Cuts), Jade Morrissey (Devonshire Rec), Jahdae Wade (Devonshire Rec)

Justin Bascome-Dickinson (Bailey’s Bay), Kacy Greene (PHC), Kameren Mason (PHC), Kayla Raymond (St. George’s Prep), Kristian Singh (Warwick),

Sancho Jackson (Bailey’s Bay), Sean Tucker (Warwick), Torleair Caines (Warwick), LeiLanni Nesbeth (St. David’s), Isaiah Greaves (Cleveland).