Young club cricketer Steven Reingold played a key role in preparing English all-rounder Ben Stokes for his epic innings of 258 in the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town at the weekend.
After Stokes was among the top English batsmen dismissed by off-spinner Dane Piedt during the first Test, Reingold, 17, interrupted a family holiday in South Africa to answer an SOS from England batting coach and Stanmore CC colleague Mark Ramprakash.
Ramprakash wanted an off-spinner to bowl to England's frontline stars in the nets and Reingold bowled to seven of the team during an "amazing" 40 minute session. “To be with 11 famous people who I look up to was absolutely something that doesn't normally happen,” he said. “It was like a dream.” And although nervous, he even got world ranked number three batsman Joe Root out lbw.
"They concentrate very hard, so you don’t really speak to them," Reingold added. "But they're very nice guys. If you bowl well, they’ll tell you.”
