Something that is significant is that I am the SA representative for the Broadettes - so whenever England is down in Cape Town (my hometown) I'm at Newlands spreading some Broady love! The last time they were here, in fact, I got to work in the England WAGs' suite as a hostess, which is why I support the WAGs as much as the players.
My first experience with the English cricket team was way back in 2004, when they toured South Africa. I went to the Johannesburg test (which I think England may have lost?) and lucky me (at the time this would be sarcastic) my ticket was somehow in the middle of the Barmy Army's block. I was surprised, to say the least, and a bit scared. Honestly, I'd been a victim to the anti-England propaganda, and had half expected to be murdered (which, I guess, some of the people who had trekked from England for the tour could also say). Anyway, I found myself sitting behind a gentleman with no other name but 'Cat' written on the back of his England ODI shirt, and he introduced me to the wonders of the English team. Freddie Flintoff, Michael Vaughn, Ashley Giles - all names that I'd come into contact with, having grown up in a family of cricketers - were shown to me through the eyes of an avid supporter. I was hooked. At the end of the test, I thanked Cat for educating me and he gave me his England flag, with cigarette burns in its corner, so that I "would never forget my love for English cricket" and, clearly, I never did.
Since then, I've had the same English flag and it's been to every England game - including the T20 World Cup, where my two best friends and I left school early to see them play (in our horrible, brown school uniforms). I will always support English cricket, and we can all thank Cat for that.
Wanna learn more about me?
@ameeraconrad on twitter
