Promising cricketers Jekon Edness and Jacobi Robinson have successfully completed a gruelling two month cricket course in South Africa.

The local pair were put through their paces at the prestigious University of Port Elizabeth International Cricket Academy under the watchful eyes of English County Sussex player Mark Davis and former South African Test skipper Keppler Wessels.

Both local players are due to return to the Island tonight.

Edness, who is following in the footsteps of father Anthony (Porky) Manders at Western Stars, described his experience in South Africa as ?one he will never forget?.

?It was a great experience. It was very worthwhile and I really enjoyed it. It was extremely physical, waking up early in the morning to go running or lifting weights,? he told

?I found it hard but it will only benefit me in the long run.

?The guys out here are pretty cool. The first couple of weeks I encountered difficulties sleeping because of the big time difference. But after the first two weeks things got back to normal.

?Mark (Davis) is a good coach... perhaps a bit tough at times, but he?s a good coach. He just wants you to work hard and do the best you can do, that?s all he asks of you. And he helped me a lot with my batting,? Edness added.

The Stars wicketkeeper reckons he?s now more confident ?playing off the pads? which will come as welcome news to his skipper Albert Steede who might have to rely on the player to fill the void left by Dwayne (Sluggo) Leverock in the team?s middle order.

?My batting has improved and now I have better balance and I play the ball with my head straight,? said Edness, adding: ?I have also been putting a lot of emphasis on my overall concentration because if your concentration level is high then the results will come.

?I have a lot of notes that I am going to bring back to Bermuda to remind myself of the mental aspects of the game and try to keep my batting consistent. And I am going to try my best to continue with my fitness and train hard.?

As for Robinson, who at one stage pondered a possible early return after academy staff detected a potential career-threatening injury to his lower back, Edness said his compatriot was doing ?just fine?.

?Jacobi is OK,? Edness explained.

?He has been bowling just off a couple of paces. He knows what he has to do with his action and the risks he faces if he doesn?t adjust his bowling action.

?He (Robinson) has been trying his best and understands that things aren?t going to happen overnight. It is very difficult to change a bowling action that you have become accustomed to over the past 19 years. But he will be alright.?

Robinson?s injury was first detected during a musculo-skeletal test. A subsequent medical report conducted by leading expert in bio-mechanics Dr.Richard Stretch, indicated the injury was most likely a result of the player?s bowling technique.

The Somerset medium-pacer had cited escalating medical costs as reason for aborting his studies and returning home early.

The son of former Stars spinner Wayne (Spike) Richardson, Robinson eventually elected to stay, undergoing physiotherapy, lower-back strengthening and receiving technical advice on how to modify his bowling action.

?All I am allowed to do is walk through my bowling action in the nets and it is really frustrating,? he told early last month.