The intake for the ‘II Tom Maynard Academy’ has been confirmed, comprising twelve professional cricketers from ten of the UK’s first class counties.
The 2015 intake will spend ten days from 19th – 28th February 2015 at Desert Springs, working on a carefully planned programme covering technical skills, strength and conditioning and both individual and group activity.
Somerset Director of Cricket Matthew Maynard will head the delivery of the programme. As with the inaugural intake in 2014 he will be assisted on the coaching by former Leicestershire, Kent & England wicket-keeper/batsman Paul Nixon and former Gloucestershire, Yorkshire & Australia all-rounder Ian Harvey.
Head of Elite Coach Development at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Gordon Lord and former Middlesex, Glamorgan & England all-rounder Jamie Dalrymple are among those delivering specialist sessions to the players; former England Head Physiotherapist Dean Conway is overseeing the fitness and physical work while the group is in Spain.
Once again the 2015 programme is being funded in its entirety by the Tom Maynard Trust.
After a nominations process, the twelve successful players are:
Alexander Barrow (Somerset); Bradley Erasamus (Surrey); Alex Wakely (Northants); Basil Akram (Hampshire); Andrew Umeed (Warwickshire); Mark Adair (Warwickshire); Matt Taylor (Gloucestershire); Liam Norwell (Gloucestershire); Barney Gibson (Yorkshire); Jack Murphy (Glamorgan); Jamie Porter (Essex) and Adam Tilcock (Nottinghamshire).
Matthew Maynard said:
“We are delighted again to have had such fantastic support from the counties and I’m really looking forward to working with another group as we seek to establish the Tom Maynard Academy as an integral part of the ECB’s and the counties’ player development pathways. Desert Springs has excellent facilities for the players to work on their games and on their fitness and we’re pleased to be partnering with them. We have a great mix of talented players and some very knowledgeable people involved in delivering the programme and I have no doubt it will be of real benefit to the lads involved as they approach pre-season.”
The Academy is one of four main areas of work covered by the Tom Maynard Trust, each with the aim of providing support for aspiring young sportsmen and women who may not otherwise have the opportunity to live their dreams.
For more information on the Trust, visit the website.
