- Eddie Moore, Western Province’s opening batsman, has moved from the Eastern Cape to Cape Town to advance his cricket career.
- Inspired by legends like Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis, Moore hopes to make a significant impact with WP while aiming for bigger goals, including representing South Africa.
- Beyond cricket, Moore has a vibrant bucket list and a strong support system that fuels his ambitions.
After playing for Eastern Cape Warriors for many years, Eddie Moore, the opening batsman of Western Province, took the opportunity to further his cricket career in all formats of the game in Cape Town.
Born and bred in Uitenhage and now residing in Durbanville, he started playing at the age of five and is still a student of the game.
“My father is a sports fanatic and he supported me in trying all sports, especially cricket. I attended primary school in Uitenhage before pursuing my high school career at Grey College in PE (Port Elizabeth). I played tennis, badminton, rugby and chess. I was also a sprinter, high jumper and long jumper but cricket was my favorite sport,” says Moore.
As a child, he admired Graeme Smith, Proteas and WP captain, for his leadership and the manner he led the team as one of the youngest captains in South African history.
Smith was also the force behind the Proteas being the best test side in the world during his tenure.
“As a batter, I admired Jacques Kallis because in my eyes he is the best batter in the world and could play any shot in the book. But Smith stands out because he led a team of big names and still performed as an individual. Without my coaches from school until now I won’t be able to do on the pitch what I am currently doing without their input. At school, Fred Swarbrook, a former English cricketer who played for Derbyshire (1967 – 1979) and Griquas (1972 – 1988), and Rob Mclaren were my coaches. After school, Piet Botha, currently in the Proteas setup, coached me and is still supporting me today mentally and physically.”
Being in his prime, he still has a lot on his bucket list. He would like to travel and would like to experience a lot of destinations firsthand.
“Skydiving is definitely one for the adrenaline junkie in me. I’ve done bungy-jumping but would love to run a marathon, climb a mountain and do spear-fishing. To play at Lords in London, the home of cricket, is every cricketer’s dream and is on my bucket list.
“I am a left-handed opening batsman and righthanded part-time off-spin bowler. Everyone is familiar with the fact cricketers have a lot of superstitions but I am trying to break that hoodoo not to allow the superstitions to influence my mental state. I do have certain routines when I prepare for a match by the way I pad-up to get into my mental-zone where I am focussed and prepare for when I walk onto the pitch to face the first ball,” Moore says.
Support
A support system is crucial for any sportsman and he is lucky to have his family “200%” behind him.
“I am fortunate enough to have my parents, sisters and the rest of my family in my corner as my support system.
“They went out of their way to support me when I started and I don’t have any complaints, whether it is mentally or physically. My hobbies include relaxing with my family and friends, enjoying a braai and going to the beach.
“I like being competitive, whether it is with a board game or on the pitch. My short-term goal is to win trophies with WP, the second year running and bring silverware back to the Western Cape. I would like to be part of the SA20, especially playing in the T20 which is now done and dusted by my contributions for WP. We fell short in the play-off and the competition was won by the Lions. I would also like to play for the Proteas one day but for now, I would like to make a contribution to WP and help the team and myself grow, while reaching my own personal goals for 2024/25 at the same time,” he says.
If he could choose someone to bat with it would be AB de Villiers.
“In today’s cricket, he is an absolute hero and someone to admire. The way he plays cricket by dispatching the ball wherever he wants on the pitch, his shots, and his knowledge of the game is second to none and you can just watch from the other side while he is doing his thing. It would be nice to bat with him, learn from him and I am sure he’ll definitely make you a better cricketer.
“My motto in life is to live life without regrets. Overall I like to learn, to explore certain options and I don’t want to regret it one day that I didn’t take the chance when it presented itself or regret something I’ve done. I like to make a bonfire with family and friends to be at peace with myself,” Moore says.
Clearing his head
When things are not going according to plan on the pitch, he prefers to be at home, put music he enjoys on, light candles and make a fire to be at peace.
“All this helps to clear my mind and I like to chat to people about things that bothered me in my game and this is special to me after a tough game.
“My message to young cricketers who wish to play for their province or country is to dream big, not to be scared to dream big, not to be scared to share your goals with someone as it keeps you accountable. Be prepared to learn every day, work hard, grow in the sport and to be one of the 1% fortunate enough to play professional sport, be prepared to make a lot of sacrifices. This takes a lot of energy, concentration a certain lifestyle but at the end of the day it is all worth it,” he says.
