Gavin Ewing, a 28 year old former Zimbabwean international all rounder has been appointed as Carrickfergus Cricket Club's professional/coach for the 2009 season. An aggressive top order batsman and accurate off-spin bowler, he was a proven performer at first class level before he fell out with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union at the beginning of the 2005/06 season. He played 31 first class matches in all, scoring 1960 runs at 37.69 including four centuries and a highest score of 212 in addition to taking 96 wickets at 32.25. He comes from a keen cricketing family, and it was his father who was a former Eastern Province off spinner who was a big influence in developing his spin bowling, which first drew the attention of national selectors, having finished in the top 10 wicket-takers at the 1999 U19 World Cup in Sri lanka.. Four years earlier he had represented Zimbabwe in the Under 15 World Cup in England, where he had finished in the top 5 wicket takers.
Only nine months after his first class debut, Gavin was selected in the national squad to play the touring Pakistanis in the 2002/03 season, however he did not feature in the series. Nevertheless after a number of appearances for Zimbabwe A, the following season he debuted for Zimbabwe on the tour to Australia. He went on to play 3 Tests and 7 ODIs, with a highest score of 71 against Bangladesh and best bowling figures of 3-31 against New Zealand. Gavin was one of the original 15 "rebels" who fell out with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union in mid-2004, but he settled his differences with the Board and returned to the national side when England toured in November. However, further issues at the beginning of the 2005/06 season resulted in him turning his back on both international and domestic cricket in Zimbabwe.
Not content to finish his career in Zimbabwe, Gavin returned to the UK for three more seasons, having enjoyed two highly successful seasons with Orrell in the Liverpool League in 2000 and 2001, and again performed with great success. In the 2006 season for Beccles Town in the Norfolk Alliance Premier League, he averaged 62.86 with the bat and 9.53 with the ball. In 2007, for Devon ECB Premier League club Paignton, he scored 383 runs at 34.82 in addition to taking 27 wickets at 17.85. Gavin then headed for New Zealand, taking Taranaki Club side Inglewood to the finals with over 600 runs and 30 wickets. In 2008, he was a hugely successful player/coach for Poloc in the Scottish National Premier League. He scored 650 runs at 50 (highest score of 149*) and took 18 wickets at 22. Gavin is also an experienced and well qualified coach, and this winter he returned to New Zealand where as well as playing top league cricket, he took up the position of Director of Cricket at one the country's leading schools, New Plymouth Boys' High School, and they reached the semi finals of the main New Zealand schools competition.
Gavin comes highly recommended by a number of “profile” cricketers including former West Indian captain Jimmy Adams who provided the following reference “His cricket is of a very high standard having played at international level for his country. He has shown himself to be a team oriented person who is also very keen on the development of those around him. His club cricket in the UK and at home in Zimbabwe has been characterised by a willingness to participate fully in club life, and he has shown a particular passion for coaching both at senior and junior levels. I have no doubt that Gavin will bring added value to any environment, cricket or otherwise”. Gavin Ewing should be a great asset to Carrickfergus Cricket Club both on and off the field, and the club looks forward to welcoming him in April.