MCC Young Cricketers: season review

Date released: 23 September 2008

"Frustrating." A word to sum up the MCC Young Cricketers season for 2008, and one freely offered by the veteran Head Coach, Clive Radley.

Radley: Head Coach for MCC since 1991 Radley is overseeing his penultimate season in charge of the MCC Young Cricketers - he took over from Don Wilson in 1991 and will retire in 2009.

‘Rad’ saw plenty of promising cricket from his young professionals during the season. However, a combination of terrible weather and some understandable inexperience at crucial times resulted in a 'so-so' campaign for the YCs.

Respectable

In their fourth season of participation in the three-day Second XI Championship and the one-day Second XI Trophy, MCC Young Cricketers finished 16th out of 20 in the longer format of the game and achieved mid-table respectability in the shorter form.

Two of the squad were signed to professional contracts during the season: wicket-keeper/batsman John Simpson moved dressing rooms at Lord’s, joining Middlesex; and all-rounder Lee Hodgson moved south of the river to sign up with Surrey.

Hodgson: Half-century on Surrey debut Hodgson went on to impress on his first-class debut, scoring 63 against title-chasing Nottinghamshire, despite a disappointing defeat for his new team.

Furthermore, Radley and his Assistant Coach, Mark Wright, could point to some other notable ‘ticks in the box' throughout the summer.

Batsman Rob Woodman was prolific in all formats, scored over 800 runs in the Championship and 300 in the Trophy, beating Dan Vaan Bunge’s previous YCs record.

The talented left-hander celebrated an excellent season by signing for Gloucestershire CCC and making his LV County Championship debut in the last round of matches in 2008.

Cockbain: Brace of centuries in debut season Solid first-season returns from batsman Ian Cockbain, wicket-keeper/batman Michael Richardson and seam bowlers Jonathan Miles and Oliver Saffell hinted at greater things to come in 2009.

Cockbain and Richardson will most certainly be hoping so, with the aim being to follow their fathers into the professional game: Ian Cockbain Snr played for Lancashire in the 1980s and David Richardson, now the ICC’s General Cricket Manager, kept wicket for South Africa in 42 Test matches in the 1990s.

Incentive

"It was disappointing to have so much cricket rained off" explained Radley.

"The rain was a major disruption for us all, and it really affected the rhythm of the bowlers in particular. It was difficult to get going.

"We came up against some strong sides, such as an impressive Durham outfit and sometimes we played good cricket without forcing a win, as against Gloucestershire last week.

"Plenty of our guys have trialled with the first-class counties, which is a great positive for us and the two signings this season has provided plenty of incentive to the rest of the squad to train harder and work at their game."

Highlights

Hat-trick hero: Hodnett The season highlights were beating Surrey twice out of three matches (the other game was drawn) and a thrilling four run victory over Glamorgan in the Championship.

The individual champagne moment was provided by Kyle Hodnett when he took a first-ever MCC Young Cricketers hat-trick against Northamptonshire II.

Women YCs

For the six MCC Women’s Young Cricketers, it was a season of solid progression.

Askew & Morgan: called up by England Lynsey Askew (opening bowler), Beth Morgan (top order batter) and Steph Davies (all-rounder) have all been involved with the increasingly successful England Women’s side, while Jenny Halstead (opening batter) has improved as the season has progressed.

With a burgeoning fixture list the Women’s YCs are training and playing more than ever before.

MCC Women’s coach Alan Duncan’s use for the first time of strength and conditioning sessions was a welcome introduction to the squad, as was the involvement of an overseas cricketer for the first time.

Alex Blackwell, the Australian opening batter, brought her vast experience, a positive attitude and a strong work ethic to the squad.

Most of the Women YCs played in the flagship fixture of the year against India and will have learnt a lot despite the 100 run defeat.

Continuing development

For all the Young Cricketers - men or women - the post-season period will bring a change of venue.

Each player will leave the Lord’s ‘office’ to continue their cricketing development in the winter or pursue a career outside the sport.

Saffell: Heading for Kingston Saints CC Those that will be travelling ‘Down Under’ to work on their game include Ian Cockbain, Rob Woodman and Oliver Saffell.

Saffell, a late developer, will try to fine tune his raw potential as part of his Crusaders Scholarship in Melbourne, where he will open the bowling for Kingston Saints Cricket Club.

Pursuing cricketing opportunities elsewhere, but keeping the MCC connection, will be all-rounders Stuart Ransley and Charl Malan (the younger brother of Middlesex’s Dawid) who will be enrolling on courses at Loughborough University, one of the six MCC University Centres of Cricketing Excellence.

Leaving the professional game will be Mark Tomsett, who has taken up an excellent teaching opportunity in Eastbourne. He will maintain his links to MCC though by playing out-match cricket for the Club in 2009 and beyond.

Half-century of pre-seasons

There will be busy winters for the coaching team as well.

Mark Wright will return for his second stint as Head Coach of Hong Kong Cricket Club, where his remit will be to develop the youth and junior sections as well as oversee the numerous men’s teams.

Alan Duncan will work towards his ‘Level 4’ coaching badge, the highest such honour in the domestic game.

Finally. Clive Radley will spend his last winter at Lord’s finalising his squad for next season, coaching in the MCC Indoor Cricket School and accompanying a tour operator following England’s Test series in the West Indies.

Come April next year ‘Rad’ will be hoping to select from a squad packed full of talent, having enjoyed a good pre-season - one of nearly 50 that he has prepared for!