By Ben Horne
May 28 2003

How do you know when to put a player in to the first team?

Well generally it will be when he has had a run of success in the second team and scored runs regularly or bowling well and taking wickets on a regular basis if he is a bowler. So that he is as confident in his game as he can naturally possibly be. When he makes the step up.

Do the players in the second team find it hard to motivate themselves because of the small crowds?

Well it depends. Some of the more experienced players, who have played a fair bit of first team cricket and are playing second team games because they are coming back from injury or can’t get in to the first team at that particular moment they will struggle for motivation in that respect. But the younger players who are trying to impress and score enough runs to get in to the first team and make a career of it will not worry about it.

Which young players should we be looking out for in a few years?

There are a few. James Benning is hopefully going to be an exciting player in the Alister Brown mould. There are some good young bowlers in Neil Saker who has played in a couple of our first team practice matches already this season. He is still under 18 and he has already got a second eleven five-wicket hall. Jade Denbach I think will turn in to a quality player.


Do you help coach the first eleven?

Yes. Certainly at this time of year (pre-season) I will be involved in coaching all the players. That is on going throughout the season. But sometimes I don’t see players for two or three weeks at a time and so it is not easy then. That is not easy then if you see anything it is not easy to mess around with player’s techniques. When you’re only going to see people for a limited period of time.


Do you think there is a big quality between the first eleven and the second eleven?

Yes there is a gap in quality. But there are certainly players who have the ability to make the step up and make the grade. You have to accept that there are people in particularly in the first team by large who are already established crickets. Where as in the second team you might have trialist’s, youngsters who you are just trying to have a look and so there are players who will never make it. So there is always going to be a difference in quality.

Do thew senior players help you coach the younger players?

Yes they do. This winter Mark Ramprakash, Ian Salisbury and Martin Bicknell helped out in the academy. In general terms they are always willing to give advice, to help they’re games all the way thorough.

Does it help having lots of internationals in the team?

Well it certainly helps because you have learn from being around good players. But the other side of the coin is that it makes in hared to get in to the first team and get a game. But it centrally helps in terms of gaining experience and knowledge from the people who have been at the top level and been successful.