Once a Bear, Always a Bear - Kiel van Vollenhoven

In the latest instalment of the series, we had the pleasure of catching up with Kiel van Vollenhoven– a South African leg spinner who represented the Bears in 2 matches during the 2021 Royal London One Day Cup - to speak about his early cricketing memories in Gauteng, the highlights from his playing days at Warwickshire as well as his latest venture into the wonderful world of cricket broadcasting.

Here’s what he had to say:

So Kiel, seeing as it’s our classic opening question here at The Bear, what are your earliest memories of cricket, either playing or watching the great game?

My earliest memory of cricket is playing and winning a ‘Dads and Lads’ tournament back home in South Africa when I was 6.

Who would you say inspired you the most to continue playing cricket in those early years?

Yeah, it would definitely have to be my dad!

And out of interest, why did you choose to become a leg spinner?

Haha, I had no choice really, every time I tried to bowl fast it either came out as a leggie or out the back of the hand.

What’s your favourite delivery to bowl as a wrist spinner?

For me, it’s got to be a big spinning leg break that catches the edge and gets caught at slip!

A nice choice there if I may say so myself! And before we talk about your journey with the Bears in more detail, which other cricket clubs have you represented over the years?

There’s been quite a few actually… I started out playing school cricket every Saturday and then when I was 15, I started playing club cricket for the Wanderers Cricket Club on a Sunday. At that point, every weekend was school cricket on the Saturday and then prem cricket in Joburg on the Sunday. In addition to those, I’ve also played for: CBC Old Boys, Irene Villagers, Northern Titans, Balbriggan, Bilton, Shenley Village, MCC Young Cricketers, Clifton Village, Wollaton, the MCC and, of course, Warwickshire.

Speaking of the Bear and Ragged Staff, how did the opportunity to play for Warwickshire in 2021 first materialise?

I got a message from my agent saying that he had got me a trial for the Warwickshire 2nd XI in a 4-day game at Derby in early May. I actually knew the Brookes brothers beforehand, so I immediately sent them a message to tell them that I’d be involved, which was really nice. Unfortunately, the 4-day game got rained off but we ended up playing a white ball 50-over game on the Thursday and it went really well. I guess you could say the rest is history!

What would you say was the highlight from your time in Shakespeare's County?

The call I got from Westy [Ian Westwood] to let me know that I was going to be playing in the One Day Cup! The feeling was something that I can’t describe.

With the power of hindsight, how do you reflect on your time at Edgbaston?

I look back on it with mixed emotions, to be honest. I loved my time there and what a privilege it is to say that I represented the Bears alongside some amazing players. It was a fantastic experience! However, at the same time, I also wish that I‘d performed better from a personal perspective and that would have allowed me to have a better chance at playing more games at that level.

What are you getting up to nowadays, in both a cricket and a wider career-capacity?

I captain and play for Wollaton cricket club in the Notts premier league, and I also commentate on Notts in the Vitality Blast for BBC Radio Nottingham. My main day job outside of cricket though is working in tech Sales.

Do you have any hobbies/interests outside of cricket?

Like most cricketers, I love playing golf and being very active in the gym! I also really like photography and reading.

Are there any other interesting facts about you, cricket-related or otherwise, that people might not know about?

People might already know this, but my grandfather, Tom van Vollenhoven, is in the rugby league hall of fame for St Helens. Also, during lockdown, I went viral on social media for playing pool cricket with my dad and hitting him in the head with a bouncer!

And finally Kiel, it’s a rather profound question to round out today’s chat, but what’s been the proudest accomplishment of your life to date?

I’ve had many proud moments in my life so far in a sporting capacity, however my wedding day this past October is by far and away the proudest moment!