Morne Bauer announced himself to himself to the Irish cricket circuit in 2004 with a stunning 136 not out for the Munster Reds against The Hills in his very first match in the country.
Morne has been Cork Harlequins star performer over the last number of seasons. Since joining from Midleton, 26-year-old Morne has gone on to establish himself as one of the best all-rounders to have graced the Munster Senior League with his unrivalled pace and devastating batting. His dedication and passion can be summed up by his effort against Brigade in the Bobb Kerr Irish Senior Cup in 2008 where Morne ripped through the North Westerner's top-order, despite nursing a broken hand.
Last season, Morne batted himself into the Cork Harlequins record books by scoring 199 not out against UCC in last year's Munster Senior Cup quarterfinal, beating the previous best of 175 held by Sangram Sawant.
His efforts on the field haven't gone unnoticed and Morne has caught the eye of the Irish management and was recently invited to train with the Ireland 'A' squad. Morne is qualified to play for the Irish team, so to further his international ambitions Morne has decided to seek opportunities at the highest level of domestic cricket in Ireland.
This season Morne will travel to play with Phoenix in the Leinster league in order to gain as much exposure to top quality cricket as possible; while still being available for Cork Harlequins to help them retain their league and cup titles.
Name: Morne Bauer
Born: 10th August 1983
Birthplace: East London, South Africa
Role: All-Rounder
Bat: Right-hand Middle Order
Bowl: Right-arm Fast
When and why did you come to Ireland?
I came to Ireland in the summer of 2004 to be the Munster Reds cricket pro.
How long did you originally intend on staying in Ireland?
I was only intending to stay for the summer of 2004.
What made you stay?
Well, I made a lot of friends and really like Cork and all the culture within it.
What was your impression of Munster cricket when you first arrived?
The standard of the league wasn't great at all. There were only one or two good teams and all the rest were below par.
How has it changed since?
I do not think it has changed much, to be honest. The only difference is that there are a lot of young cricketers coming through who are definitely going to improve the standard of the league in years to come.
What could Munster do to improve?
I think that all the clubs need to invest a lot of time in developing the youth in the game. They need to all set up proper structured sessions to keep the kids interested and to ensure that progress can be made. A lot of good work is being done at the moment by Jim Doran, Ted Williamson, Kingsley Jones and Ross Durity. If this work is kept up the standard will only get better and then we will be able to compete with the clubs in Leinster and the north.
You recently trained with Ireland A, how did that go for you?
I think it went really well, I enjoyed challenging myself against other good cricketers.
What do you hope to achieve out of it?
I'm hoping to get in the Irish 'A' squad and be able to perform and earn my spot in the team.
What is your aim for the coming season with Cork Harlequins? Phoenix?
My aim is to average 40+ with the bat and go for under 3.5 per over with the ball. It doesn't matter if I'm playing for Phoenix or Harlequins I just want to give my all. My aim for the teams is to make sure that that Cork Harlequins retain the Munster senior cup and League; and for Phoenix is that we win the B section so that we can be promoted into the A section.
Favourite memory in Irish cricket?
My favourite memory has to be the 136 not out I got in my first game for the Reds against the Hills. My favourite memory for the Irish team would be their win over Pakistan in the world cup.
What are Morne Bauer's interests outside cricket?
My hobbies would be DJ-ing, watching sport, going to gym and of course spending time with my beautiful wife.
