Kent Cricket Performance Squads

Glued to the excitement of Kent’s Bank Holiday Yorkshire Bank 40 game against Nottinghamshire were Kent Cricket’s Performance Squads; the players who played in this year’s county youth teams.

In the interval 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 12 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 three years ago, at this event, Adam Ball, Daniel Bell-Drummond and Fabian Cowdrey paraded the U17 National Championship and One Day Trophies around the ground – now they are young professionals with growing First Team experience and Ball and Bell-Drummond have played 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 160 district matches

·         There were 260 hours of winter coaching / assessing

·         That led to 106 boys and 90 girls playing in county squads

·         140 days of county matches have been played

All this involved 31 experienced coaches and managers – including Geraint Jones and James Tredwell of the current staff and past players Martin Saggers, Vince Wells, Neil Taylor, Min Patel and Mark Ealham.

Jason said’; “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 Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sam Billings presented the 2013 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:   Harry Houillon (Blackheath CC, Eltham College Junior School)
• Bowling:  Tom Nicholls (Tunbridge Wells CC, Yardley Court School)
• Fielding:  Ed Scrivens (Hollingbourne CC, Roseacre Junior School)

U12 Boys

• Batting & Bowling: Isaac Dilkes (Whitstable CC, Wellesley House School)
• Fielding: Ed Laslett (Dover Grammar School, Sandwich CC)

U13 Boys

• Batting:  Julian O’Riordan (Tunbridge Wells CC, Holmewood House School)
• Bowling: Shaun Evans (Bexley CC, St John’s RC School)
• Fielding: Sohayl Ujoodia (Blackheath CC, St Olave’s & St Saviour’s Grammar School)

U14 Boys

• Batting:   Lewis Bedford (Nelson CC, Cranleigh School)
• Bowling:  Jack Conlon (Folkestone CC, The Folkestone Academy)
• Fielding:  Matthew Barker (Tunbridge Wells CC, The Judd School)

U15 Boys

• Batting:  Ed Hyde (Cambridge Granta CC, Tonbridge School)
• Bowling: Jan Gray (Elham CC, Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys)
•  Ashley Cox (Old Hartsdonians CC, Felsted School)
•  Fielding: Marcus O’Riordan (Tunbridge Wells CC, Tonbridge School)

The team was losing finalist in the Yorkshire Bank County U15 Cup.

Marcus, along with Nathan Baxter and Zak Crawley played for London and East Region in the Bunbury Festival.

U17 Boys

• Batting: Ryan Davies (Sandwich Town CC, Sandwich Technology School)
• Bowling: Hugh Bernard (Folkestone CC, The Archbishops School)
• Fielding: Rob Sehmi  (Sutton Valence School)

After the disappointment of losing to Durham in the final of the ECB U17 County Championship (2 days) at Arundel the team travelled to Kibworth where itt became national one day champions, beating Warwickshire in the Yorkshire Bank U17 Cup (50 overs).

As part of the process Ryan Davies (U16), Jack Laraman (U17), Michael Waller (U16), Piers Richardson (U16), Rob Sehmi (U17) and Zak Crawley (U15) all gained experience in Kent 2^nd XI games: And Jack and Ryan Davies played for the England Development XI against England U19s.

U11 Girls

• Batting:  Grace Scrivens (Hollingbourne CC, Roseacre Junior School)
• Bowling: Grace Scrivens (Hollingbourne CC, Roseacre Junior School)
• Fielding: Alice Thompson (Whitstable CC, St Faith’s at Ash School)

U13 Girls

• Batting:  Isobel Cloke (Castle Hill CC, Marlborough House School)
• Bowling: Sophia Long (Whitstable CC, The Archbishop’s School)
• Fielding: Molly Davis (St Lawrence & Highland Court CC)

U13 Emerging Spitfires

• Batting: Georgina Hill (Marden CC, Bethany School)
• Bowling: Freja Craik (Tunbridge Wells CC, Bennett Memorial Diocesan School)
• Fielding: Lucy Goodfellow (Tunbridge Wells CC, Sevenoaks School)

U15 Girls

• Batting: Megan Belt (St Lawrence & Highland Ct CC, The Charles Dickens School)
• Bowling: Sakshi Sharda (Sidcup CC, Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar)
• Fielding: Zoe Moyler (Leeds & Broomfield CC, Maidstone Grammar School)

U17 Girls

• Batting:   Anna Healey (St Lawrence & Highland Ct CC, Beechwood Sacred Heart School)
• Bowling: Megan Belt (St Lawrence & Highland Ct CC, The Charles Dickens School)
• Fielding:  Lottie Bryan (Hayes Hurrican Ladies CC, Langley Park School for Girls)

U17 player Tash Farrant played in the full England women’s team.

Photo David Purday