Exams, your time is up!

Saturday was one of the strangest cricket matches in which I have played. It very much felt like watching a highlights package through the first 15 overs, as a flurry of boundaries was followed by a burst of wickets. In the end, we actually got our bowling together and were able to limit Clifton to just over 150 on a good wicket. We then got home relatively safely, with just a little wobble, and picked up a very important twenty points.

Sunday was completely different. From the start to the finish we were superb in every department, and it was fantastic to keep our cup run going into the last 16 by winning the regional final. We now have an appetising match away at Kidderminster Victoria to look forward to in the middle of July, and with another win in the Ockbrook invitational T20 this Wednesday we are now still competing on five fronts going into the end of June.

With only a few weeks to go now until the start of the Ashes, the anticipation has really been building in the cricketing public. English hopes have certainly been lifted by the improved performance of the ODI side in the last few weeks, and it will be interesting to see if they can carry that momentum into the Test side which has a number of different players.

As part of the build up, I was reading this morning that Mike Gatting has been touring schools to promote the game. He has also made some very interesting and pertinent comments regarding the demise of summer sports in school due to examinations.

Working in a school myself, I know that Mike is definitely onto something. Schools are under increasing pressure to meet examination targets, and inevitably things that do not fit in with this objective can too easily be moved to one side. This is not a problem that is solely that of state schools. Independent schools too have been finding increasing challenges balancing the needs of sport and examinations. With the movement of all exams to a completely linear system where they are all sat at the end of the year, this will only add further to this problem.

The difficulty is that there is no easy solution or remedy. One option might be to move examinations to another time in the year, but that would probably mean changing the school calendar completely, something that would be difficult and controversial. In all reality, summer sports, forever the poorer relation, will just have to find a way to continue to thrive in the difficult environment. Let’s hope they can.

Ignore youth at your peril

Having been away at a wedding this weekend, I thought I had chosen a good one to miss. After the terrible weather on Saturday, it looked like there would be no cricket for Kimberley Institute this weekend, but with the clouds clearing and the sun shining on Sunday, we were able to go out and play in the qualifying round of the Nottinghamshire Twenty20 Competition.

I have been thinking all season that this is a tournament that our side is well set up for, and the boys didn’t disappoint. Tom Rowe’s blistering innings of 126* not out off 75 balls set the tone for the first game against Ordsall Bridon and this was then supplemented by some sensational figures of 6 for 6 from George Bacon. The lads, then had a much tighter game against Radcliffe in the final, but pleasing pulled through in a tense last over.

It is great that we now have a finals day to look forward to in July, and we hope to add to our Sunday success this week, when we take on Caythorpe in the regional final of the Royal London Cup. We would really welcome a large crowd to support us this weekend, so if you are in the area come on down.

This week, I have been able to watch some the remarkable ODI series that has been taking place between England and New Zealand. The way the cricket has been played has really gripped the English cricketing public, and for the first time in my memory, there is a real buzz around our one day side.

I suppose the key question is, what is the biggest difference between the team that played in the dismal World Cup campaign and the one that has been breaking records for fun over the last two weeks? Well there has been a lot of talk about, the intent and ambition of the way they have wanted to play their cricket. This is without doubt a big factor.

For me, the biggest sea change has come from the willingness to select young exciting players, and not be too ‘safe’ with selections. Ric Charlesworth the great Australian hockey coach, who built Olympic winning hockey teams over a long period, said that one of the key blends of any successful team was to include up and coming talent. He said that you should ignore youth at your peril. In cricket this is most true. Too often, we can be cautious with selections and not be willing to give young talent the opportunity to come through. This England side is brimming with young lads who want to make a point. What makes it better, is that they are really hungry for success. The atmosphere looks relaxed. Jump back a few months to the World Cup and the team looked like they were carrying the weight of the world. Not now. This happy-go-lucky England are playing with a smile on their face, but also real intent.

Ric Charlesworth believed in bringing in youth

I can draw similarities from the new England set-up to our young team at Kimberley (with myself as an exception!). We must continue to play with no fear, be positive and impose ourselves on each match. Yes, at times, it might not work and we might get well beaten. However, with the talent we have in the dressing room, if we continue to back ourselves, I know that success is not that far away. 

Prosperity in dexterity

After the excitement of last Sunday’s victory against the West Indian Cavaliers in the National Knockout, this Saturday’s defeat to the same opposition was very much a heavy bump back to earth. However, on some occasions you need to hold your hands up and say that you were well and truly outplayed, and that was very much the case this weekend. Cory Collymore may no longer play Test cricket, but in his impressive opening spell at the 2bm Private Ground on Saturday, you could see why the Bajan played 30 Test matches and 84 One Day Internationals.

His control of the ball and skill in moving it both away and back in to the batsman, made him a tough prospect to face, and along with able support from Kafeel Shafique, they took the game away from us within the first 90 minutes of the match.

It takes many hours and years practicing to develop the kind of skill level that Collymore was able to exhibit at the weekend. Those who have been following the recent celebrations of James Anderson reaching 400 Test wickets will know that it took him many years to develop his full repertoire of deliveries. Yet another story on this theme, really gripped me this week and it may be one that might have passed you by. If I say the name Pat Venditte it might not mean a lot to you. However, this week he became first pitcher in 20 years to pitch with both arms in a Major League Baseball game.

It is quite a remarkable story. The guy can pitch a full range of deliveries with both his left and right hand, and he will switch which way he pitches depending on the dexterity of the batsman. Yet he is no young spunk. At 29, Venditte has been selected by the Oakland Athletics (famous for their willingness to choose the unfashionable for those who have read or seen Moneyball), after 8 years trawling through the minor leagues. He started throwing with both hands as a young child at the encouragement of his father when he first started to play baseball.

Pat Venditte throws with both left and right arms when pitching (c) Getty Images

Inevitably this got me thinking, could we at some stage see a bowler at the top level of the game offer deliveries not just of different pace, swing or spin, but even of different arms? It would certainly provide a levelling up to the switch hitting, and it would allow the bowler an opportunity to provide an additional string to their bow. I have played with a few people who throw with one hand and bowl with another, so why couldn't this develop further? One thing is for sure, you would need to start young, so I think my chance of developing a right arm over variation might have sailed!

Play smart and park the bus!

Last weekend was one of mixed fortunes at Kimberley. After a disappointing result on Saturday away at Radcliffe-on-Trent, where we twice failed to capitalise on excellent positions within the game, Sunday saw us complete a very polished display against a strong West Indian Cavaliers side in the third round of the Royal London Cup.

This is the first time I have reached the fourth round and regional final of the National Knockout despite numerous attempts, so it is pleasing to finally get a run together in the competition. We were very much indebted to a superb innings by Sam Johnson on Sunday where he carried his bat through our innings scoring 95 not out in the process. Sam really showed his class on Sunday, and while he has not scored quite as many runs as he would have liked so far this season, despite some very good contributions, he will now hopefully use that innings as a springboard to really kick on.

Sam Johnson was in great form on Sunday showing great discipline

If we are to have a successful season, we must now do our best to eradicate the poor performances, such as Saturday’s, as developing greater consistency is obviously the key to challenging.

There was no doubt that Saturday was always going to be difficult with the pitch offering a lot of help to the bowlers. What we failed to do was to react the situation, and learn about the conditions while we played. We have many talented young players within our side, many of whom have a dazzling array of scoring shots. Saturday however, was a day for playing within yourself to get the job done.

Jose Mourinho famously described opponents who defend deep as 'parking the bus', ironically a criticism that has at times been aimed at his current team.

Sport can be like that sometimes. There are certain days you need to operate in a certain way to get the result you require. It might not always be the most aesthetically pleasing or the purest of performances, but you do what you need to , and play to the limitations the game and the opposition allow you to. Perhaps we are more familiar with this with invasion games such as football. We often refer to Jose Mourinho and his phrase of ‘parking the bus’, where teams operate a low defensive block (or defend deep to avoid tactical jargon) to limit the space and room for opponents to attack. You can then attack on the counter, playing to your specific strengths.  On Saturday, we needed to ‘park the bus’ more with the way we played. Showing caution and patience was the way we needed to go about chasing 160 on a difficult wicket. With the exception of a superb innings from Alex King, too often, our attacking flair overpowered our defensive discipline. That is why Sam Johnson’s innings was so important on the Sunday. It demonstrated someone had learnt the failings of the previous day and applied themselves with steadfast dedication to singlehandedly set up a winning position.

New Zealand played smart by attacking hard at the right times (c) Getty Images

Playing the situation is not always parking the bus. Sometimes you come out and press hard in a footballing analogy. If you think about the way New Zealand played their cricket over the last week you saw a team who set up a winning position from attacking the game. Were they gung ho though? Nope. They attacked smartly. Not when the ball was new, but when it was old and the change bowlers were on. Teams that win on a regular basis play smart, and play the situation. That is where we need to get to in order to be consistent.

Time to turn to youth

Well what a good weekend that was for Kimberley Institute! On Saturday, all four teams won their respective league games, something that doesn’t happen very often. Then on Monday, the 1^st XI followed it up with another excellent win against a strong Welbeck Colliery side to make it three wins on the bounce in the Nottinghamshire Premier League. Winning is a habit, so they say.

We now have a fantastic opportunity this weekend to build up that momentum by winning again on Saturday at Ratcliffe-on-Trent. Then on Sunday we face West Indian Cavalliers for a place in the group final of the ECB National Club Championship. It would be great to see as many people down as possible at Newdigate Street on Sunday to cheer us on in what will no doubt be a tough match.

It was also very pleasing to see the England cricket team win the first Test Match against New Zealand at Lords on Monday. The team, and captain have taken a lot of stick recently, much of it slightly harsh in my opinion, so it was great to see them come out and play such excellent cricket in the second innings despite being up against it.

England still have a major problem however, with their choice of spin bowling. Moeen Ali is clearly a good all round cricketer. He can bat in the top or middle order as required, and within the current structure of this England team, is capable of holding an end up with his bowling. If however, England are going to be capable of winning Test Series regularly abroad, in particular in the sub continent, they must look away from Ali.

Moeen Ali can hold up an end but will he win tours away from home?

When I watched him bowl last summer at Trent Bridge, I was struck by how little he offered variation in flight and pace, such an important facet of any spin bowlers armoury. For all the variations Shane Warne had in terms of delivery, many of his wickets were down to deceiving players in the air, something Ali does not do often enough. In fact, I actually think that Joe Root has more potential as an international spinner than Ali as he has a better variation in flight and pace and can actually turn the ball more. If you invested more time into developing Root’s bowling, it could then allow you to bring in a young spinner in place of Ali who has more of what it takes. It was great to see England give young Mark Wood a chance this week, and no doubt people will be pleased with what they saw. 

Simon Kerrigan was given just one Test in the heat of an Ashes series.

Yet how many times have they given an opportunity for a young slow bowler to establish themselves? The last player they gave a chance to was Simon Kerrigan who struggled with nerves. But, the lad continues to do well in county cricket, this week spinning them to victory with another young finger spinner Arron Lilley, and maybe it is time for them to give one of these boys a chance. People often say, that there are no spinners in county cricket, and they are definitely correct in that there is a limited pool. However, until English cricket starts to take the role of spinners seriously, and works with counties to ensure that they get the right pitches and thus opportunities to bowl, we will always be left with ‘a batsman who bowls a bit’ and our chances of success limited in wider formats rather than just Test Matches in English conditions.

Bouncing back

Last weekend proved to be a very successful one for us at Kimberley. After a frustrating start, things started to click for both the 1^st XI and the 2^nd XI which resulted in two excellent wins. I was given the chance to have a good run out in the 2^nd XI this week, where I got the rare opportunity to open the batting, something I really enjoyed. Although, by Sunday I was regretting it as I was struggling to get up the stairs!

The first team game was dominated by a superb innings from Dominic Brown. Dom is a young man who works extremely hard on his game, and I was delighted to hear that he has scored his maiden 1^st XI century. Any hundred is special, but the context of this one in chasing down a big score of 270, after the results we have had in the first couple of games, makes it all the more impressive. I know Dominic has high ambitions with his cricket, and every season I have played with him I have seen improvements. This year he looks to be really blossoming, and I am of the opinion he could do something very special.

Dominic couldn’t have reached the target on his own though, and Kimberley were indebted to a superb supporting knock from Tom Rowe. Tom has really started to build up a head of steam, scoring 150 runs in two innings a fortnight ago, and then a good 70 on Saturday. If he can continue in that vein, with the positive way he bats, then our middle order starts to look very strong.

This coming weekend we face two league matches. Firstly, Attenborough away followed by Welbeck at home. Both will provide different challenges but they will be stern tests, and it is important we now build on the good batting display from Saturday.

Our success this season will be dependent on how well our young side are able to cope with pressurised situations. Performing well when your backs are up against the wall, and having the determination to turn around situations is a vital component for any successful side. Saturday was hopefully a big step in proving that we have the quality, but perhaps more importantly the shrewdness not to panic when things are not going for you. Here’s to another successful weekend. C’mon Kimberley! 

Can you smell it?

Can you smell it? If you just open your window a little bit you might catch the distinctive smell of freshly cut grass mixed with over cooked sausages on the neighbours BBQ. That’s right the summer is finally here! Well OK then, maybe not wall to wall sunshine, but it looks as though we are finally going to get some weather that is set fair for a period of time, which means for me, the cricket season starts in earnest.

The early weeks of a cricket season are always a funny time of year. It can often be tricky to build up any momentum as the training schedule and early fixtures are interrupted by inclement conditions. Down at Kimberley Institute, the winter has seen us continue the process of building a side which we hope can start to challenge for honours over the coming seasons. We are fully aware that the method we are using may take us time to fulfil the potential we think we have. However, this must not be an excuse for the fact that we have not yet in the league managed to put together an all round performance. Anyone who knows Nottinghamshire cricket, will know that the Premier League is an unforgiving place when you make too many errors. So we will continue to work hard to get the detail right. It is this approach of focusing on getting the smaller details right which should help us put together some stronger performances over the coming weeks.

In the week after a historic and unexpected election result, you would expect the headlines to be full of news of David Cameron fine tuning his new cabinet, which includes our local MP Anna Soubry who I would like to congratulate on her new role, especially as she is a keen supporter of our local Kimberley sports clubs.

Yet there is an enigmatic maverick who has been stealing the headlines once again (and I am not talking about Boris Johnson). Kevin Pietersen has once again split English cricket down the middle. Even within our changing room this week I have seen keen supporters of ‘KP’ arguing passionately with those who were happy to see the back of him. He is very much a marmite character.

However, this is all a real distraction from the serious business of how best to organise the governance of the national cricket team. The problem over the last two years, and especially since the Ashes whitewash, has been who is accountable for the performance of the England set-up. In my opinion, the new role of Andrew Strauss must be all empowering. It should be he who chooses the coach, the captain and the squad for each match. From here, he can select a squad for each match which gives the coach and captain the flexibility to use whichever blend they want. It is a naive view that players do not need technical coaching at international level (a criticism levelled at Peter Moores). They still need the environment from which to practise, develop and improve. However, they do need to be able to hone their skills in different environments, and I would like to see more of our top players encouraged where possible to play in tournaments such as the IPL and the Big Bash. There are some really talented players in the English game, but it is only when this happens that it will be possible to really start to change the brand and style of cricket that England play, something people have been asking for now for a while.