Van Beek to play in world champs for second code

Logan Van Beek's sporting dream of playing in two world sports championships within seven months is about to be realised after his selection for the New Zealand under-19 cricket team for the world event in January.

Van Beek, who was 19 in September, was yesterday named in the team with three other players from Canterbury – wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Latham, all-rounder Corey Anderson and off-spin bowler Tim Johnston.

Van Beek's selection comes just six months after he played for the New Zealand Junior Tall Blacks at the Fiba world under-19 tournament at North Harbour in July. Ironically, the world youth cricket event will also be played in New Zealand with Christchurch as the headquarters.

Van Beek, who stands 1.83 metres, was always a likely selection for the 15-man cricket squad after making the national under-19 team last season.

He has an excellent cricketing pedigree, being a grandson of former double international cricketer Sam Guillen, who represented the West Indies and then New Zealand in the 1950s.

Guillen, 85, follows his career closely and regularly attends Van Beek's premier grade club matches for Old Boys-Collegians.

Van Beek gives new meaning to the word all-rounder. Not only is he one of the quickest bowlers in the country for his age group, he is an aggressive middle order batsman and can keep wicket more than capably if required, which he did at St Andrew's College.

Evidence of Van Beek's exceptional skills came in Canterbury's match at the national under-19 tournament last weekend in Auckland when he took three for 35 against Central Districts from his bowling stint then rescued the batting with an unbeaten 60 to steer Canterbury to victory.

"He really is quite a remarkable athlete," said Canterbury's high performance manager, Richard Hayward.

"He is very fit, a bundle of energy and a great team man. When he gets it right he is as quick as anyone around for his age group."

Van Beek could easily have progressed down the basketball path, making his national league debut for Auckland last season, while he was also played in the piviotal point guard position in the starting five for the Junior Tall Blacks. A scholarship in America beckoned but Van Beek decided to devote his energies to cricket with plenty to play for.

Hayward was more than happy that Canterbury had four players picked in the team while another two seam bowlers, Matt Henry and Peter West, plus left-arm spinner Theo Van Woerkom, made the reserves list.

Hayward said that Anderson, who has already played at one world youth tournament in Malaysia two years ago, and Latham, a son of long-serving Canterbury player Rod, had been expected to make team along with Van Beek.

He was pleasantly surprised that Johnston, from East-Shirley, was selected. Johnston enhanced his prospects when bowling well for the national under-19s when they played against a Sri Lankan youth team in Christchurch last month.

Johnston's older brother, Nick, narrowly missed selection as a wicketkeeper-batsman two seasons ago.

Anderson, Michael Bracewell and Harry Boam are part of the side that finished third in Malaysia last year. The squad will play a three-match warmup series against Pakistan in Blenheim from January 3-7.

For the group round of the World Cup, New Zealand will be based in Christchurch, where they play their first game against Canada on January 16. The other teams in the pool are Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

NZ U19 SQUAD

Corey Anderson (Canterbury), Tom Blundell (Wellington), Harry Boam (Wellington), Doug Bracewell (Central Districts), Michael Bracewell (Otago), Craig Cachopa (Auckland), Dane Cleaver (Central Districts), Jono Hickey (Northern Districts), Tim Johnston (Canterbury), Tom Latham (Canterbury), Jimmy Neesham (Auckland), Bevan Small (Central Districts), Mattie Thomas (Northern Districts), Logan Van Beek (Canterbury), Ben Wheeler (Central Districts).

- © Fairfax NZ News