January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Cricket is child’s play for Kelly
But for 17-year-old Stefan Kelly it's child's play.
The youngster, who took five wickets against Namibia in England last year, followed that amazing debut by claiming three scalps against the Emirates Cricket Board yesterday.
Playing in only his second match for Bermuda and defending a total of just 122, Kelly took three for 33 in seven overs.
His performance lit up an otherwise gloomy match for Gus Logie's men.
The three wickets he took were the only ones to fall as the Emirates ran out winners with 20 overs to spare.
The youngster, currently on a cricket scholarship at Oakham School in Leicestershire, England, said: “It was a pretty good day for me.
“I was a bit stiff from a thigh injury but other than that, when I was bowling things felt really good.”
He said the bowlers had to work hard for their wickets, particularly in the afternoon when there was not much life in the pitch.
“That's just my assessment from the one match,” he added.
He said he had been trying to think batsmen out a little more - something he had learned to do at school in England.
In this match, he said, he had exploited the Emirate's batsmen's tendency to play off the front foot and had managed to pick up a couple of wickets through mis-timed drives.
Kelly, who is rooming with spin bowler Hasan Durham at the team’s makeshift headquarters at the Holiday International Hotel in Sharjah, said the tour so far had been a fascinating experience for him.
“I've really enjoyed it. It's been really beneficial to come out here and to see what the team's doing and try and get up to speed with the other players.'
He said the coach had been through the plus points and the negative points from the previous matches and the team, as a whole, needed to improve their concentration.
“We know where we've been going wrong and we have a good chance to get back into the series.”
Coach Gus Logie said he wanted to have another look at Kelly during the tour, but would not risk injury by picking him for every game.
“Young Kelly did well to pick up three wickets. He was a little bit expensive, but I was pleased with the way he bowled.
“It's important that we make sure he's always fit and ready to bowl.
“He's a young man, 17, and we don't want to overuse him. The last thing we want is for him to pick up an injury.”
Janeiro Tucker, stand-in skipper for Bermuda, added that he had been impressed with Kelly and fellow young seam bowler Jim West.[[In-content Ad]]
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