Corner Competition Reaches Climax
The Somerset Cricket Board ‘Corner’ Cricket Competition reached its finale when 200 boys played cricket after a year long selection and training programme.
As this year’s programme finished the process of selecting players for next year is just beginning.
The Corner competition gives a large numbers of young players an opportunity to experience representative cricket in Somerset and selection to the county age group squad.
The Corner Competition, sponsored by Taunton law firm Foot Anstey, is now in it’s 12th season and is dedicated to the late Tony Corner, who was a great supporter of youth cricket in Somerset.
The competition was the culmination of a process that began over a year ago when 180 clubs and 400 schools nominated girls and boys aged between 10 and 14 years old for selection to the training squads of 16-18 players. 350 players were chosen to train over the winter with coaches from Somerset Cricket Board.
Players for last week’s matches were then selected for four teams of under 10s, the 11s, 12s 13s and 14 years. The teams were designed to be as evenly matched as possible to make the games keenly competed.
Pete Sanderson, Somerset Performance Director of Youth Cricket said: "We are just starting the process all over again. The aim of the matches is to give as much opportunity as possible to all the players and to see how they perform in a representative game. It also gives the best players from clubs and schools a chance to play out of their comfort zones in a longer format of the game, a format which is far more indicative of the type of cricket that is played at county youth level but which is rarely played at club and school youth level."
Duncan Sykes, Partner at Foot Anstey said “This year 10 players were selected to join the county squads and who knows we may see them playing for Somerset County Club Cricket in the future. For the others it was a great opportunity to have fun participate, keep fit, and develop an appreciation of the game.”
Girls and boys wanting to enter the competition for next year should contact their local cricket club or school who have nomination forms
Published 31/07/2008
