Kent’s Performance Squads

Tuesday 18th September 2012

Kent’s Performance Squads

Towards the end of the 2012 season, glued to the excitementof Kent’s superb CB40 victory over Yorkshire were Kent Cricket’s Performance Squads; the players who played in this year’s county youth teams.

Duringthe interval of the CB40 match they were presented to a packed crowd as Kent Cricket’s way of thanking them for the huge commitment that they and their parents show and emphasizing that Kent’s age grade teams are very much a part of the Kent Cricket operation.

David Turner, High Performance Team Chairman, makes it clear that the programme for these youngsters has been and will remain integral to Kent’s future: “It’s easy to forget that 13 of the current playing staff progressed through the system and that a lot of the boys who didn’t progress to be professionals have formed the next generation of fine club players – sustaining Kent’s leagues.”

Simon Willis, High Performance Director commented: “Just two years ago, at this event, Adam Ball, Daniel Bell-Drummond and Adam Riley paraded the U17 National Championship and One Day Trophies around the ground – now they are not only young professionals with growing First Team experience, but Ball and Bell-Drummond are in the England U19 team. I’m confident that there are embryonic stars hidden in our current performance squads; they just need to work hard to turn potential into performance!”

The players aren’t the only ones to work hard: Completing the High Performance Team is Jason Weaver, High Performance Manager, and he has the considerable task of making it all happen:

  • To scour the county for talent there were over 150 district matches
  • There were 246 hours of winter coaching / assessing
  • That led to 103 boys and 80 girls playing in county squads
  • 130 days of county matches were arranged – sadly, 25 were savaged by the weather
  • All this involved 31 experienced coaches and managers – including Geraint Jones, Simon Cook and James Tredwell of the current staff and past players Martin Saggers, Vince Wells, Neil Taylor and Min Patel.

Jason: “This is what Kent Cricket does for its aspiring youngsters – but it can not happen without the ongoing support of clubs, schools, districts and parents for which we are extremely grateful.”

During the interval Adam Riley presented the 2012 Performance Squad awards.

For each team there are awards for batting, bowling and fielding and these are generally based on performance in ECB competitions

U11 Boys

  • Batting: Julian O’Riordan – Tunbridge Wells CC
  • Bowling: Hugh Scott – Elham Valley CC and Tom Nicholls – Tunbridge Wells CC
  • Fielding: Edward Laslett – Sandwich Town CC

U12 Boys

  • Batting: Alex Moen – Marden CC
  • Bowling: Callum Gallagher – Holmesdale CC
    Tyler Dockray – High Halstow CC
  • Fielding: Jack Woodward – Sibton Park CC

U13 Boys

  • Batting: Nathan Baxter – Old Colfeians CC
  • Bowling: Ralph Taylor – St Lawrence & Highland Ct CC
  • Fielding: Oli Robinson – Sidcup CC

U14 Boys

  • Batting: Ed Hyde – lives in Cambridge, at school in Kent
  • Bowling: Asama Chaudhry – Bromley Common CC

Ashleigh Cox – Old Hartsdonians CC

  • Fielding: William Heywood – St Lawrence & Highland Ct CC

U15 Boys

  • Batting: Zak Crawley– Holmesdale CC
  • Bowling: Piers Richardson – Whitstable CC
  • Fielding: Ryan Davies – Sandwich Town CC

Piers and Ryan, along with Michael Waller played for London and East Region in the Bunbury Festival. They played against the three other regions and all made match–winning contributions

U17 Boys

  • Batting: Angus Dalgleish – Bexley CC
  • Bowling: Sam Weller – Hartley Country Club CC
  • Fielding: Shaun Piesley – Lordswood CC

As part of the process Shaun and Sam, along with Jack Laraman all gained experience in Kent 2nd XI games

U11 Girls

  • Batting: Jodie Hobson – Holmesdale CC
  • Bowling: Kitty Perry – Medway Girls/Leeds & Broomfield
  • Fielding: Maddie Salama – Greenwich Junior Academy

U13 Girls

  • Batting: Isobel Cloke – Castle Hill CC
  • Bowling: Rochelle Beeson – Bexley CC
  • Fielding: Lizzie Neal – St Lawrence & Highland Ct CC

U15 Girls

  • Batting: Hollie Summers – Sandwich & Holmesdale CC
  • Bowling: Megan Belt – St Lawrence & Highland Ct CC
  • Fielding: Sarah Martin – Bells Yew Green CC

U17 Girls

  • Batting: Katherine Long – Hayes Hurricanes
  • Bowling: Emma Waters – St Lawrence & Highland Ct CC
  • Fielding: Grace Gibbs – Hayes Hurricanes