Two of England’s top county cricket sides, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, found themselves in unfamiliar territory this week when they played a pre-season training match in glorious South African sunshine at the Witrand Oval in Potchefstroom.
This is a far cry from the usually mild and overcast English conditions during their traditional summer cricket season and gives both sides the perfect platform for training.

According to these county sides, the world-class facilities at North West Cricket and NWU as well as the friendly hospitality in and around Potchefstroom have been perfect for their pre-season training ahead of the challenging 2018 County Championship season that starts in April. Naturally, some of the top players in world cricket also made the trip, including current and former England test cricketers like Gary Ballance, Tim Bresnan, Adam Lyth and Liam Plunkett.
While soaking in every bit of glorious sunshine, Yorkshire captain and England cricketer, Ballance explained the purpose and his expectations for the duration of his side’s visit from 8–20 March.

‘The grounds and net facilities have been fantastic and it’s just what we need. Back home, the weather is not great and we train indoors. It’s the perfect opportunity for us to train outside with the season only a month away. The idea is to get the most out of these two weeks. We are also playing two further 50-over matches against Nottinghamshire and the NWU,’ he added.

Nottinghamshire’s head coach, Peter Moores, who led his county to division one this season and the white ball double in the 2017 season, shared the same sentiments regarding the excellent facilities.

‘The combination of good weather, facilities and an understanding of elite preparation is what makes Potchefstroom a preferred venue. We were looking for somewhere to have the right facilities to prepare for white and red ball cricket. The staff has also treated us tremendously and the facilities have been great.’

Moores also sees his side’s pre-season training in Potch as a chance for experienced pros and some of the young guns to put their hands up ahead of the season.
‘We have a mixture of staff, first-team players and some of the academy’s boys here on the trip.
‘It is a great opportunity for the younger players to see how the senior players work and we, as the coaching staff, also get a good look at them at the same time.’