15-year-old Macneil Hadley Naronha has created history in Dubai as he scored 1740 runs in a year. A boy, of the Indian parentage, is termed as a run machine by his coach at the Desert Club Cricket Academy.
Naronha represents The Millennium School in Dubai and Mangalore district in the Under 16 zonal tournament in Karnataka.
He is already recognized as a special talent when he scored his first hundred in India against Udupi district back in 2014.
“I scored 114 not out on May 5. That’s actually memorable because in India there are a lot of turning pitches. Scoring a hundred is very good unlike in Dubai where you get flat pitches. It gave me the confidence to play in India on spinning wickets,” Macneil said, as reported by Emirates247.com.
Since then he has undergone of coaching of Samuel Jayraj Muthu, a coach from Karnataka Institute of Cricket in Bangalore. Naronha credits the improvement in his game to his coach.
“That’s where I got all my techniques properly and I thought if I come to Desert Cubs I would advance my technique. I started scoring runs and in every tournament, I score at least a 50,” he said.
Naronha after returning to Dubai smashed a 72 ball 102 when Dave Whatmore chose 16 teams for a tournament at Skyline University in 2014.
He since then never looks back only got better in batting. He already bagged three hundred and 12 half centuries to his name and vowed to score more big innings.
Naronha said patience was vital for anyone who wants to play a long innings at the crease.
“It’s about patience and technique. If you stay at the wicket, runs will come automatically. I don’t think like some people who go impatiently to the wicket,” Macneil, who idolises RCB’s Indian duo of Virat Kohli and Lokesh Rahul, said.
DCCA head coach Presley Polonnowita considers Naronha to be a special talent and is in awe of the maturity displayed by the youngster that goes beyond his age.
“When somebody joins it is difficult for him to get highlighted inside our big academy. But I heard a lot of good things about him, especially his commitment at the nets. I understood his free-scoring pattern, hunger to score runs and passion for the game,” said Polonnowita who saw his immense potential when the academy toured Australia last year.
“He was playing Under-15 but we wanted someone to play for Under-19 as well because we were running short of players. He came up and faced the challenge. From there onwards I have seen a big change in him and saw how committed his parents were to reduce his baby fat,” recalled Polonnowita.
Naronha’s father is an affluent businessman in Dubai, endorsed the coach’s words and said that as parents they will always support their child as he aims to take the next step in his career.
“I’m expecting his God-given talent to come out. Whatever step he reaches, we are there to support him. We are not putting more pressure on him. He is a special talent, a natural player. He is prepared to play any shot because his body can adjust,” he said.