It was something of a sporting pilgrimage when the Women’s USA XI came to Bowral’s Bradman Oval on Friday.
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Hailing from a land where the name ‘The Don’ conjures images of a mafia boss and the greatest batsman that ever lived was Babe Ruth, the team, which is on a development tour of Australia, learnt a little on the history of the game and Bradman himself before going up against a team of Cricket NSW’s emerging talent.
Player Sara Farooq, who hails from New Jersey, said it was an amazing opportunity to visit Bradman oval, especially having grown up in Pakistan where the legend of Bradman is well known.
“It really feels amazing and I want to take this inspiration and really put it into my game,” Ms Farooq said.
The team, which arrived in Australia on Monday, has already played matches in Queensland and New South Wales.
While Baseball may have a greater following in the USA than Cricket, playerr Neha Anand said she delights in informing people that Baseball evolved from Cricket, not the other way around.
Ms Farooq said when she explains the game she associates it with baseball to make it easier to explain.
“A pitcher is a bowler, a catcher is a wicket keeper and bases are the two ends; striking and non striking end,” she said.
“Eighty per cent [of people] don’t know what it is.”
Mrs Anand said many of her colleagues and friends have gotten into the sport through following her and her team’s progress.
“It is promoting the game so now people are getting excited to go back and watch cricket and understand the game,” she said.
When asked if they knew of Don Bradman before they came to Bowral, i the answer was a resounding ‘of course’.
Earlier on in the week the players visited the Melbourne, where they all delighted in rubbing the nose of the MCG’s Bradman statue for a bit of good luck.
Ms Farooq said one of the most interesting things she learned from the museum was about the infamous bodyline series.
While the team hails from all different parts of the United States, Mrs Anand said they often get together for regional tournaments and camps,.
"Most of the team team play witt men in co-ed competitions,” she said.
Coach Anand Tummala said that while the tour was one they were doing for “development”, the hope is to qualify and compete in the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 to be held in Australia in 2020.
Bradman Centre Executive Director Rina Hore said she was delighted to have the team visit Bowral.
“The US team management especially requested to tour the internationally renowned Bradman Museum and Oval, seeing first-hand the game’s heritage and the values Sir Donald Bradman upheld,” Ms Hore said.
The USA XI will play a squad of U18 Cricket NSW at 1:30pm at Bradman Oval.