Issue 154

Player's locker

12th March 2007

While most of the AU sports seasons are drawing to an end the University cricket team is just getting started. Their first match takes place on Sunday before we return to university for our third and final term of the year.

This year's cricket team is following the leadership of James Mugnaioni. James is a second year student studying International Business Management and French at the university. He has had such a positive effect on the cricket team that this year the membership numbers have almost doubled with over 90 people signing up at the start of this academic year.

Obviously two of the main problems facing James in his quest to captain a successful cricket team are the British weather and the university term dates. As we all should know, cricket is very much a summer sport and unfortunately when the sun is shining university term has usually ended. However this is an obstacle that James along with his team members Gethin Smart and Matthew Gurd are attempting to overcome.

They have seven matches lined up for the next term and they have made sure that they are one hundred per cent ready for their fixtures this season.

The organisation that James has brought to the team this year is something that he can be extremely proud of. He has made it his target to win the division this year which will allow the team to push themselves by playing universities of a higher standard. The preparation for achieving this goal started way back in September 2006 when the team got together to train for the first time. This has allowed the team to work together for over six months before their first match.

They get together every Sunday to train from 12pm until 2pm in the Sketty Lane sports hall. In these training sessions once a week the team uses the hall to practice bowling and batting in the nets in one half and fielding in the other.

While James has shown such a massive commitment to the men's cricket in Swansea he has also been at the forefront of the creation of Swansea University's first ever women's cricket team.

The girls train alongside the men during their Sunday sessions. At the beginning of the year 15 girls signed up and although they are not going to manage to play any matches this year they are busy building the foundations of a strong women's team.

James has a strong belief that the way to get the best out of people in a match situation is to form a strong team bond. Therefore getting together for regular socials seems the best way to bond off the pitch. James has recently organised the first ever cricket initiation.

Although it is nowhere near as harsh as many other initiations, it does allow the guys to have a laugh and get to know each other in a more relaxed atmosphere. James organised for the boys to take part in a game of night cricket followed by drinks in Vodka Revolution. The main event in the Swansea University cricket team's calendar is their first ever official Varsity match.

Never before have the cricket team taken part in this annual event. James stated that "even though we are the underdogs, the team has never been so prepared to take part in such a competitive match". This year Varsity is being held in Cardiff however James has worked hard to establish a good working relationship with the St Helen's Rugby and Cricket ground, where he is in negotiations to hold a follow up match with Cardiff later in the term.

James' motivation to join the university team came from a background of playing cricket in school since a young age. Being captain of his school team provided him with the skills that are needed to be a university team captain. Also having played for Oxfordshire County is evidence of his skill and commitment as a player.

While it was a shock to him that he was voted in as captain he has not let this faze him. Over the past six months James has managed make Swansea Cricket team larger than it has ever been before, with a better chance than ever if achieving his goal of winning the division. If you would like to join the Swansea University cricket team please contact the AU office for details.

Cali Smith