Spending a month in quarantine and being locked up in his Johannesburg home for over three months wasn’t quite what Lymington’s Gareth Schreuder had in mind back in March as he prepared for his second season in ECB Southern Premier League cricket.
He had been training regularly, was feeling pretty fit and was practising hard with his Solent University team-mates in the Ageas Bowl indoor school.
But on March 23 everything changed. An alarming increase in coronavirus cases led to the UK being plunged into lockdown. Solent University (along with virtually everything else) closed – and Gareth was headed hot foot on the first available plane back to his native South Africa.
“Stay at home, only leave your house to shop for basic essential necessities and exercise for an hour each day” was Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decree at the time.
The 20-year old, who was barely halfway through his second term at Solent when the pandemic spread, was understandably relieved to be headed home to be with his parents, but found life a great deal tougher (than in the UK) directly he touched down in South Africa.
He explained: “I immediately began a 14-day isolation period, as did my parents as we all live under the same roof.
“I’d been home barely a week when Covid-19 struck in the western cape and the whole of the country went into a total Level 5 lockdown.
“The severity meant everyone, except emergency services, having to stay at home 24 hours a day seven days a week, with a total ban on all alcohol and tobacco.
“We live in a complex with 40 properties and were not allowed to even walk within the complex around the houses. We were literally locked up in our house 24 hours a day.
He had been training regularly, was feeling pretty fit and was practising hard with his Solent University team-mates in the Ageas Bowl indoor school.
But on March 23 everything changed. An alarming increase in coronavirus cases led to the UK being plunged into lockdown. Solent University (along with virtually everything else) closed – and Gareth was headed hot foot on the first available plane back to his native South Africa.
“Stay at home, only leave your house to shop for basic essential necessities and exercise for an hour each day” was Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decree at the time.
The 20-year old, who was barely halfway through his second term at Solent when the pandemic spread, was understandably relieved to be headed home to be with his parents, but found life a great deal tougher (than in the UK) directly he touched down in South Africa.
He explained: “I immediately began a 14-day isolation period, as did my parents as we all live under the same roof.
“I’d been home barely a week when Covid-19 struck in the western cape and the whole of the country went into a total Level 5 lockdown.
“The severity meant everyone, except emergency services, having to stay at home 24 hours a day seven days a week, with a total ban on all alcohol and tobacco.
“We live in a complex with 40 properties and were not allowed to even walk within the complex around the houses. We were literally locked up in our house 24 hours a day.
“It was essential I carried on with not only my university studies but also continue to work on my fitness, so I designed daily exercise programmes using body weight and 10 litre water bottles and exercised on our patio. It was a hard, painful slog, but it got me into good shape.”
Schreuder, a star on rugby field during his time at Hilton College, is at pains to emphasise how strict the South African regime was.
“My mother was only was only allowed to travel within a 5 km radius once a week to the nearest shop to buy groceries.
“There was a night curfew and the army was bought in to assist the police in ensuring that the Lockdown was strictly enforced. Break the law and you were arrested.
“Almost 300,000 South Africans have been arrested and charged by Police for breaking Lockdown conditions - most of whom will now have a criminal record – so you can see how essential it was to stay indoors.
“I’m an outdoor person who simply loves his sport, so being cooped up like that was totally alien.
“I’m not entirely sure how I coped because until the Premiership resumed and later the West Indies Test Series began, there was no live sport to watch on television, only repeats.
“But I did manage to study and wrote three essays in support on my sports coaching degree course at Solent.
“After six weeks (early May) we moved to Level 4, but were still not allowed to leave our home. I managed some back garden throw downs and wicket-keeping practice with my dad, but other than exercising there was little to keep me active, besides which there was no way I could see all my pals as everyone was in the same boat, so to speak.”
Restrictive
It was only a month later, in mid-June, that South Africans could return to work, again under restrictive conditions.
“I was able to leave home to exercise and go for a run around the block, but that was restricted to a three-hour period each morning, between 6 and 9am – and I’m not really a morning person !” he laughed.
Directly the Southern Premier League announced they were launching a league cup competition to start in mid-July, Schreuder was packing his bags for a return to his Southampton home, at the same time dreading the prospect of sitting on a plane for 19 hours wearing a protective mask.
“Again, I had to quarantine for 14 days and being stuck at home wasn’t able to play in Lymington’s win over Andover. I got a t20 game in and then last Saturday’s match against Bashley (Rydal) was washed out, so its all been a tad frustrating,” he continued.
“Like everyone else, I’m desperately keen to make the most of our remaining four matches and just hope we get some dry weather and be able to play through to mid-September.”
Schreuder will be behind the stumps in Lymington's 'Old Firm' showdown with New Milton at Fernhill on Saturday, 12.30.
Schreuder, a star on rugby field during his time at Hilton College, is at pains to emphasise how strict the South African regime was.
“My mother was only was only allowed to travel within a 5 km radius once a week to the nearest shop to buy groceries.
“There was a night curfew and the army was bought in to assist the police in ensuring that the Lockdown was strictly enforced. Break the law and you were arrested.
“Almost 300,000 South Africans have been arrested and charged by Police for breaking Lockdown conditions - most of whom will now have a criminal record – so you can see how essential it was to stay indoors.
“I’m an outdoor person who simply loves his sport, so being cooped up like that was totally alien.
“I’m not entirely sure how I coped because until the Premiership resumed and later the West Indies Test Series began, there was no live sport to watch on television, only repeats.
“But I did manage to study and wrote three essays in support on my sports coaching degree course at Solent.
“After six weeks (early May) we moved to Level 4, but were still not allowed to leave our home. I managed some back garden throw downs and wicket-keeping practice with my dad, but other than exercising there was little to keep me active, besides which there was no way I could see all my pals as everyone was in the same boat, so to speak.”
Restrictive
It was only a month later, in mid-June, that South Africans could return to work, again under restrictive conditions.
“I was able to leave home to exercise and go for a run around the block, but that was restricted to a three-hour period each morning, between 6 and 9am – and I’m not really a morning person !” he laughed.
Directly the Southern Premier League announced they were launching a league cup competition to start in mid-July, Schreuder was packing his bags for a return to his Southampton home, at the same time dreading the prospect of sitting on a plane for 19 hours wearing a protective mask.
“Again, I had to quarantine for 14 days and being stuck at home wasn’t able to play in Lymington’s win over Andover. I got a t20 game in and then last Saturday’s match against Bashley (Rydal) was washed out, so its all been a tad frustrating,” he continued.
“Like everyone else, I’m desperately keen to make the most of our remaining four matches and just hope we get some dry weather and be able to play through to mid-September.”
Schreuder will be behind the stumps in Lymington's 'Old Firm' showdown with New Milton at Fernhill on Saturday, 12.30.