PG Academy Director - It's Time to Perform

28 June 2009

In his new blog, the Pemberton Greenish Academy Director Gareth Townsend talks about a crucial time in the season for the Club's young players, his work with schools in the county and the impressive sights he has been taking around Surrey.

Where do I start? Both individually and collectively there has been much to be positive about over the past week or so.

Last weekend all our representative age group sides from U10 to the Pemberton Greenish Academy and Girls’ Under 13 side that played won heir respective matches, which is great example of the ability and strength of our youth cricket.

With the amount of cricket being played it is physically impossible for me to see everything but with David Court, Richard Bedbrook and the rest of our support coaching teams, all of our matches are monitored and reported on.

At this time of year, it is crucial that I meet and talk regularly with our Performance Manager and Performance Officer (Richard Bedbrook and David Court) to discuss how our players and coaching teams are operating.

This is replicated with Ian Salisbury our Second XI Coach, whom I work with to ensure that the best young players are fed into the second eleven as they become available from school. We plan and look at the players we feel need to be brought into the squad and ensure that all those players pushing into the County set up get a chance to play at that level.

Obviously that depends on the selection and injury issues with the County First team as that has a knock on effect to second team cricket.

It was a pleasing moment at Wellingborough School this week when our County Second XI played Northants in a One Day game, which boasted 11 out of the 12 Surrey cricketers for Surrey being home grown players through our youth system.

The youngest of these players, George Edwards took four wickets and at sixteen years of age, impressed many. George has just been selected to play for England Under 18’s in a match against Bangladesh Under 19’s next week, which is a tremendous achievement for a lad at his age.

Matt Dunn has also been selected for this match but due to a School Cricket tour to the Caribbean is unable to play. Both bowlers are outstanding prospects and are both ‘made in Surrey’.

Rory Burns in the match at Wellingborough played very well for 58 and almost won Surrey the match, but importantly for him showed people what he has been doing for Banstead and the PG Academy this season.

As I write we are well placed in the three day match against Northamptonshire (Surrey eventually won this match) and Laurie Evans has been finding more consistency with the bat. Laurie has much ability and is working hard to put consistent scores together in the Second XI that will hopefully put his name in the frame for a First Team spot.

However as for all of our younger players the key is to keep executing their skills to the highest standard over long periods. In doing this they can then put together performances that will catch the eye of Chris Adams and Mark Butcher.

Players in the first team need pressure put on them by sheer weight of runs and wickets from the players coming up, when this occurs we can put a strong case forward for their selection. Also I feel it makes the First team squad aware that they need to remain at the peak of their game to maintain their spot in the team.

Away from the County for a moment, Ebony Rainford Brent collected another World Cup medal after the terrific achievements of the women in the ICC World Twenty20.

Ebony has been disappointed not to play regularly for England over the past twelve months but has been ever present in their squad, however that should be the drive and impetus she needs to be a first choice pick. It was pleasing to see she played this week against the Aussie’s in a Twenty20 match and scored 23no at a quick rate.

Hopefully Mark Lane may give her a run in the team, as the timing to put her in may be ripe as players around her have enjoyed such success, it might be difficult for them to maintain such drive and energy to continue. Come on Laney ..... play her more regularly!!!!!!

Away from the cricket pitch, I am currently visiting some of our schools who have Academy players to discuss the possibility of having these players come out of school during the week to train and practice at the Brit Oval this winter.

At present the PG Academy train twice a week in the evenings at the Surrey Cricket Centre, which does not allow us as much contact time as I would like. Working with ECB we are trying to establish a way in which players can come out of school for an afternoon or two a week and integrate that into their school timetables.

It will require the School, parents and ourselves to work together to achieve what I believe is invaluable time for our best players to work on their cricket skills. In other sports the contact time is greater than is presently the case in cricket and we must look to change this.

This is hopefully something we can develop over time and in the future have schools that are ECB Accredited as official cricket schools where our best players attend. This would allow us to fully integrate their cricket training programme, whilst also ensuring they had a full education.

On a personal note, I spent a day watching our County Under 14`s play Sussex at Sunbury Cricket Club. It was a glorious day, but what was striking was the excellent facility that Sunbury CC now boast. The pitch and outfield were of a high standard and the whole venue impressed me.

I know there has been an immense amount of work at the Club and Sunbury’s Penny Hughes – one of our own district managers – has worked extremely hard with many at the Sunbury CC to take the club forward.

Another impressive day was spent was spent at Horsley and Send CC which on a Sunday morning, like many clubs throughout the county, boasted a great colts and mini cricket structure. Hundreds of 6-10 year olds were practicing and playing cricket and with volunteer parents and club members – it was a site to behold. The efforts that these clubs put in are outstanding and highlight the strength of club cricket and its development of the game.

I also saw a young eight year old from Stoke D’abernon CC smash the ball around. His name was Alfie Bloomfield and hit the ball to all parts in his match against Horsley and Send Under 9 !! A Twenty20 star of the future.

The fixture programme for me and the staff at the Brit Oval is now full on, and I hope to see strong performances from all our players over the coming weeks.

Much is up for grabs and for our best young players, possible First team cricket beckons, but only if our players show the necessary determination, drive and ambition to be the best that they can be, this isn’t easy but without it the quality we need won’t surface... Come on guys its time to perform.