Tredwell: a man for all seasons

Benefits and testimonials first came into being as a way of helping ‘bread and butter’ players as they approached retirement from the professional game – but former captain James Tredwell represents way more than that to the county of Kent, writes Mark Pennell.

An indomitable batsman with four first-class centuries to his name, a fly-paper slip fielder and the wiliest of foxes when it comes to off-spinning, Tredwell is Kent’s quintessential club stalwart. Our man for all seasons.

At 35, and 16 years since his first-team debut at Grace Road, Leicester – where Aftab Habib and Shahid Afridi became the first of his 400-odd first-class victims – Tredwell remains quietly determined in all that he does.

Utterly intent on adding to his tally of 177 first-class matches and 431 white-ball appearances, Tredwell steadfastly refuses to rule out a return to the international stage, where he won two England Test caps and played 45 one-day internationals.

“I guess it appears like the bird has flown England-wise, but I haven’t totally written off international cricket just yet.

“You never know, other people might suffer a dip in form or pick up an injury, so I’ll just keep doing my bit, enjoying the game, continue performing and see what comes of it.

“Playing for your country is a great thing to do and if you said to me at the start of my career that I’d play 70-odd games at the various levels and formats for England, then I’d have probably bitten your hand off. To have had that opportunity has been amazing.”

Though he has clearly loved his time in the professional game so far, Tredwell isn’t one for over-sentimentality when it comes to cricket.

He added: “Generally in life I look forward to the next day, believing what’s gone is gone, but sure, once the dust has settled I’ll have fond memories of my time in the game as well as a few lingering ones that I won’t really want to remember.

“I do look back on my good days and use those positive thoughts and memories to drive me forward, be it the next session or the next match.

“But I don’t linger on the past too much, although I dare say that, at the end of it, I will look back fondly and take some pride out of what I’d like to think has been a decent career.”

Tredwell has played under half-a-dozen first team coaches, bowled for several skippers and taken the field with hundreds of county team-mates.

He has witnessed the inception of two-divisional cricket and the introduction of Twenty20 – challenges he met head on with his own blend of naggingly accurate off-spin.

He explained: “The white-ball game is vastly different now to when I started. For instance, 300 is a par score in the 50-over format these days and, as a bowler, you can sometimes be on the wrong end of some hard times.

“Personally, I’ve enjoyed being able to focus on one format at a time this season and I think, as a rule, most players feel that way. I think it’s hugely beneficial.”

He is already a ECB Level 3 coach as he prepares for a life after playing cricket.

“My aspirations have changed as I’ve gone through my career and had you asked me at the start if I’d wanted to be a coach I’d have probably said no.

“But, as I’ve matured, I’ve started helping out more with our age group sides and at the Academy and that’s something now that I can look forward to doing more often.

“I’d like to think I’ve a few years left in me playing-wise, but my interest in coaching has grown year-on-year, and hopefully that combined with all my experience will stand me in good stead moving into coaching in the future.”

In recent weeks, left-arm spinner Imran Qayyum has emerged as a regular feature with the red or white ball and fellow off-spinner Adam Riley returning to form in the second XI and club cricket.

“As sportsmen, you need pressure from below, youngsters pushing you for your place in the first team. That’s what drives you on, brings out your best, and to be able to help that process in terms of coaching and helping our youngsters is something I enjoy.

“In fact, at times I think it’s just as important as putting in your performances out in the middle.”