More Than 1600 Somerset Young Cricketers Attend Autumn Trials
During Autumn half-term over 1600 boys and girls in five different age groups, from under 10 through to under 14 years old, attended trials throughout Somerset. The sessions were conducted at four centres, Taunton, Wells, Writhlington in North East Somerset and Wraxall in North West Somerset
These young people were nominated by their school or club and assessed by 20 England & Wales Cricket Board coaches. Each young cricketer took part in a three-hour assessment involving “fundamentals warm-ups”, fielding drills and two net sessions. Some will be county trained and approximately 320 children will be invited to district (corner) coaching during the period between January and April 2007.
District squads will be selected to play in the summer festival and most young cricketers at the trials will play regular competitive cricket next summer in one of the five youth leagues operating throughout the county.
Every young person attending the trial was offered advice on improving their game and Somerset County Cricket Club hope they will all continue their enthusiasm for cricket within a school or club environment.
The assessment days are sponsored by Taunton leading law firm, Foot Anstey, through a £3,000 sponsorship which attracted a matched award of a further £3,000 from “Sportsmatch”, the Government’s business sponsorship incentive scheme for sport.
Peter Bowler, a lawyer at Foot Anstey and former Captain of Somerset County Cricket Club, took an active interest in these assessments. He is sure some of these young cricketers will eventually play professionally for the county team. “I was very impressed with these young cricketers and am looking forward to seeing how they develop. I want to encourage the boys and girls to listen to the coaches’ advice. Not everyone will make it through to the festival stage of the programme, but it is more important they continue playing and enjoying the game, whether they play at their school or join a local club”.
Cricket Development Manager, Andrew Moulding said “The Somerset Cricket Board is delighted that Peter Bowler is showing such a keen interest in the development of young cricketers through the Foot Anstey cricket programme. This sponsorship by Foot Anstey, together with the “Sportsmatch” award has enabled over 1600 young people in Somerset to attend the assessment days and to demonstrate their skills to the Somerset team of coaches.”
Published 30/10/2006
