Patel strikes well-known figure at regional event

 Dipak Patel will coach the Papua New Guinea team for the East Asia-Pacific Under-19 Trophy in Blenheim, New Zealand.

Fifty-six international cricketers will be playing in Blenheim in under a fortnight, but it will be their coaches best known to the Marlborough public. 

Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Samoa and Fiji will contest the East Asia-Pacific U19 Trophy in Blenheim from February 24-28. Three of the coaches have had first class cricketing experience. 

Best known to New Zealand and Marlborough cricket followers will be PNG coach Dipak Patel. 

He played for New Zealand from 1987-97 in both tests and one-day internationals, starring at the 1992 World Cup. 

Since retiring as a player, the off-spinner has turned his hand to coaching, guiding both Central Districts and the New Zealand U19 teams before taking up his present job. 

Fiji will be coached by another former player who has spent time in New Zealand coaching. 

Shane Jurgensen, an Australian, was New Zealand bowling coach from 2008-10 before taking up a similar role with Bangladesh the following year and then becoming their head coach until 2014. Before that Jurgensen played first class cricket in Australia for nine years from 1998-2006, going from Western Australia to Tasmania before securing a spot with Queensland, his home state. Coaching Vanuatu is Shane Deitz, who played 66 matches for South Australia between 1998-2008 before taking up a development role with Cricket Wellington and moving into coaching fulltime.  Samoa’s coach is Uala Kaisara, a former Samoan international. 

Each team is scheduled to play the three others once in 50-over matches at Horton Park in Blenheim, with Feb 26, a designated rest day. 

The team with the best record will qualify for the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup.

PNG is the defending champions having won the last three tournaments. – The Marlborough Express