An unexpected (huge) plus from this season has been how much I have enjoyed my coaching and it is certainly something that I hope to repeat next season.
I applied for the ECB Advanced Coach Programme (Level 3) and no surprise I have neither the experience or profile (60, white, middle class) that they are after I would love to have been accepted and believe that there is room for some senior coaches to coach senior players and I probably have far more mentoring skills and experience than most. The whole process, like everything in cricket these days was done online via a form which was reviewed ‘blind’. All about quotas and being seen to do the right thing rather than actually talk to people. Of course over the coming months the ECB will email me asking to spend money on coaching clothing, courses and other such things so that I a can feel ‘part of the team’ and as ever they will be forwarded to the trash.
I am trying to arrange weekly indoor nets for both the Unicorns and Church Eaton and to set up specific sessions based on skill and ability so that players get quality sessions with specific goals. I have found that coaching has helped me with my own game as well.
Church Eaton v Market Drayton
Another loss, but a step in the right direction! We had a stronger set of players out this week and we bowled and fielded well (8 overs at 2.33 for me, backed up with a strike rate of 140) but once again we didn’t get out of the blocks and batted ourselves to a standstill. Game management, or should that be awareness and action seems to be lacking across most teams I play for at the moment. If Plan A isn’t working then more of Plan A is not the answer.
Personally my body is far too tired to be doing anything else at the moment, but over the winter I am going to work on three batting roles: dynamic opener, building an innings and closer. I have hit over 60 4s this season in all cricket, am averaging mid 20s and have a strike rate of around 130. I have tended to let captain decide how to use me as I am far from fully fit but next season I need to push myself forward morew.
NBCC v Hospital Services
Another great day of ‘old school’ Sunday Cricket playing Win, Lose, Draw (we drew) with a proper cricket tea and then a curry and beers with the opposition afterwards.
A few of us stayed down overnight (Bournemouth) and it was good to get to know some of my Staffordshire Seniors better.