Four cricketers bound for Australia academy

MUMBAI, May 20: Four local cricketers — Santosh Saxena, Simon D’Souza, Vishal Tawde and Machindra Bamne — would be sent to the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy, Adelaide in Australia for a one-month stint under former Australian Test wicket-keepers Rodney Marsh and Wayne Phillips.

The players would also be accompanied by two coaches Mohan Savalkar and Vidyadhar Paradkar. All the players are employees of the Orient Ship Agency, agents for Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd, Japan, who are sponsoring the training programme.

The six-member team comprises three medium pacers — Saxena, Tawde, D’Souza– and a wicket-keeper, Bhamne.

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While Saxena is a member of the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team, the 20-year-old Bhamne, 21-year-old Tawde and 25-year-old D’Souza have played lead roles in Orient’s four title triumphs this season.

Orient’s successes came in the Shipping Shield, Thane-Vaibhav, Tata Special Steel tourney at Boisor and the JNPT SHield.

They, however, could only make the semi-final grade in the Times C Division.