Gavera off to UK

THE British High Commissioner David Dunn has congratulated PNG cricketer Willie Gavera on securing a contract with the Scottish cricket club, Aberdeenshire.
The 150-year old cricket club have selected the PNG right-arm fast bowler as their overseas amateur for the upcoming 2010 Scottish premier league season, in a deal that will see the Hanuabada cricketer being provided with boarding and lodging (with host family), a fitness programme, a training and playing kit, medical and travel insurance and a weekly allowance.
Gavera’s participation in the upcoming Scottish cricket season will mark another milestone in his career that already includes stints with Australian-based Townsville Wanderers and the South Brisbane cricket clubs.
He debuted for the PNG Barramundis in 2008 and in January, represented the East Asia compsite team at the Australia Country Championships.
“Gavera’s continued participation in international cricket will be a bonus for the code’s development in PNG.
“Cricket continues to set pace for other local sporting codes with its excellent development programme which ensures PNG continued its dominance in the region when it comfortably won the Twenty20 final of the East Asia-Pacific trophy in Samoa last year.
“Exposing PNG talent can only help progress the sports in PNG and I look forward to the day when PNG are competing and winning the top flight of world cricket,” Dunn said.
Gavera, Cricket PNG manager Bill Leane and Andy Bichel, the former Australian fast bowlers and PNG current national coaching director visited the high commission last week and presented it with an autographed bat and a Queensland Bull cricket jumper.
Deputy High Commissioner Colin Glass thanked Gavera, Leane and Bichel for the bat and the jumper and urged the PNG paceman to enjoy his stay in the United Kingdom.
Gavera is the first PNG cricketer to play in Britain, where there is growing number of PNG sportsmen and women.
The other PNG exports include eight rugby league players, young British tennis sensation and US Open junior girls champion Heather Watson, whose mother Michelle is originally from East Sepik province.