It must feel good to be wanted - eh, Jack McVey?
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With his face flush from another lion-hearted bowling performance, the good-natured opening bowler shed some light on his life, as a low-hanging sun lit up quaint No 1 Oval.
And he did that while copping a ribbing from his City United teammates during the interview for this article.
On Monday morning, McVey may get another ribbing - this time from the students in the special-education class he oversees at Peel High: "Hey, Mr McVey. Nice story in the paper this morning. We didn't know you were a superstar!" Or something like that.
!["They have their off days, but on the whole they're just nice kids and they try their guts out." Picture by Mark Bode "They have their off days, but on the whole they're just nice kids and they try their guts out." Picture by Mark Bode](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/KUhQizDbwW8WqAyPP4x5yp/59848359-a0aa-42a2-a2e7-b193f8af7e1d.jpg/r0_0_3816_2856_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
McVey is passionate about his job. He finds it rewarding. "I'm lovin' it," he said, adding that he has a good relationship with his students.
His small class size allowed him to "get to know the kids", the 29-year-old said.
"The kids are really good," he also said. "The kids try. They listen. They're nice to deal with.
"They have their off days, but on the whole they're just nice kids and they try their guts out."
It's probably safe to say that they want him as their teacher.
However, Jack McVey - Jacko to his mates - was not supposed to be a special-education teacher. He studied PE teaching at uni in Newcastle, where he played first-grade cricket for Stockton and Northern Districts before returning home to Tamworth.
Teaching the special-education class, which he has been doing for two years, "just kinda happened out of chance", he said
"I'm still learning, certainly, because I didn't have the training in it."
On a cricket field, McVey mirrors his students by trying his guts out. He redlines it on his run-up, hurling himself down the pitch as if his life depends on him leaving nothing on the field.
That's why City United want him in their side each week. And it is why Cookley Cricket Club want him to return to England for a fourth season with them next year.
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He last played for the village club, located near the town of Kidderminster in Worcestershire, in 2019. His dedication to teaching will likely result in him rebuffing the overture.
In a one-dayer against fourth-placed Old Boys at No 1 Oval on Saturday, McVey claimed the last wicket to finish with 3-43 off 7.5 overs as the competition leaders won by 58 runs.
After winning the toss, City finished on 5-219 off 40 overs. Aaron Baker (66) and Charlie Henderson (47) had an 118-run opening stand.
![Tait Jordan searches for a scalp. Tait Jordan searches for a scalp.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/KUhQizDbwW8WqAyPP4x5yp/8e2b5db4-ad14-46e9-af31-1864ea852a67.jpg/r0_0_3199_2346_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
No 3 Richard O'Halloran (33) and No 4 Patrick Dwyer (30) kept the momentum going.
Old Boys spinner Ben Middlebrook took 3-41 off eight overs. The in-form skipper then made 65 opening the innings before Old Boys were dismissed for 161 in the 39th over.
"Very good," McVey said of City United's performance. "We're building nicely for this season, and today was another step in the right direction."
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