England squad to undertake four-day training camp at Desert Springs Resort in Almeria, Andalucía, Spain concentrating on fielding, fitness & team bonding in the build up to the Champions Trophy in June.
Fifteen (15) members of the England Cricket Squad, accompanied by fourteen (14) Management, staff and coaches will be stepping up their preparations for the forthcoming Champions Trophy during a 4-day pre-tournament fitness, training and bonding camp between Tuesday 16th – Friday 19th May at Desert Springs Resort, Europe’s only international award-winning luxury family resort and championship desert golf course with its very own dedicated Cricket Academy, in the Almanzora region of Almeria, Andalucía in south-east Spain.
The pre-tournament training camp at Desert Springs Resort, will attempt to recreate the intensity of the teams inaugural visit to the resort which took place ahead of the 2015 Ashes, when the players had their first opportunity to become acquainted with their new head coach, Trevor Bayliss and resulted in the quality of their slip catching helping Alastair Cook’s team to Ashes victory.
England Coach Trevor Bayliss has been disappointed by some of England’s fielding since that summer – so much so that the squad will leave their bats and pads behind for the four-day trip.
England will make fielding and fitness a priority as they bid to lift a first global 50-over trophy when the Champions Trophy starts in June.
Trevor Bayliss has always accepted that his side is not blessed with as many natural athletes as several of their rivals, but dropped catches became a regular feature of their Asian winter in Bangladesh and India.
Trevor Bayliss regards fielding as non-negotiable, and wants it to keep pace with the remarkable progress England’s white-ball teams have shown with the bat.
Facilities at Desert Springs will allow the bowlers in the 15-man squad to get a workout, and there will be time for bonding on the golf course.
The focus will be on making sure Eoin Morgan’s side are in the best possible shape – not just for the Champions Trophy, but also for the three-match series against South Africa beginning at Headingley on May 24th.
The camp has been designed to be a relaxed affair, to provide an opportunity for the players to both work seriously on their fielding skills and fitness levels, whilst at the same time having the opportunity to benefit from the extensive resort facilities with planned bonding activities.
A 14km round- trip to the local beach along private tracks from the resort, a couple of rounds of golf on the highly acclaimed Indiana course, team meetings held at the Resorts Private Reserve and social evenings at the Crocodile Club restaurant will be par for the course!
Simon Coaker, Sales & Marketing Manager for The Almanzora Group Ltd. remarked;
“Since the introduction of the cricket academy facilities at Desert Springs Resort in 2013 we have been host to numerous professional cricket teams; Lancashire CCC, Sussex CCC, Glamorgan CCC, Somerset CCC & Yorkshire CCC to name but a few, as well as numerous amateur university and school teams.
In cricketing terms, the greatest accolade that we could receive was to be host to the England Team, and in 2015 Desert Springs Resort was delighted to achieve that very feat by having been selected to host the England Pre-Ashes Camp. To have been selected to host the England team again this year, in preparation for the forthcoming Champions Trophy in June, is a great honor for all at the resort, and an event that will allow the Resort to continue to grow in terms of its reputation for quality, a factor of benefit and prestige to the Resort, its members, property owners and the local area.“
- For details of Cricket, Golf & Sports Training Camps, Corporate Golf Events and Meetings at Desert Springs call 01242 680 116 or visit the Desert Springs Resort official website,desertspringsresort.es
- To find out more about the Desert Springs Cricket Academy click here.
Additional background Information
Warm weather winter training camps at Desert Springs
Desert Springs, Europe’s only international award-winning luxury family resort and championship desert golf course, is already known as a resort specialising in family holidays, however it has rapidly gained popularity as a centre for warm-weather training for cricketers, athletes, and footballers, as well as golfers and is proving to be one of the most popular destinations for sports warm weather winter training camps.
All sports camps to Desert Springs are bespoke. If desired, the programme can include time away from the resort for some local sightseeing in what many regard as ‘the real Spain.’
During their stay attendees have opportunities to swim, play tennis and use the gymnasium, trim trail, jogging tracks, paddle tennis and beach volley ball courts.
Desert Springs is easy to reach from the UK, thanks to three international airports. They are: Almeria Airport, around 40 minutes away by road; Murcia Airport, 80 minutes by car, and Alicante Airport which is a drive of less than two hours. Airlines currently flying to the region from the UK include British Airways, easyJet, Monarch, Ryanair, Jet2, Jetair Fly and Thomas Cook.
Accommodation is provided in the apartments, townhouses and villas available for holidays and short breaks at Desert Springs. Meals are served in the resort’s Croc Restaurant, part of the family-friendly Crocodile Club that is geared up for a wide variety of leisure activities and the award winning El Torrente Restaurant at the Club House.
Desert Springs Resort & Golf Club
Facilities already completed and in use at Desert Springs include:
- The Indiana course, a par 72 -18-hole USGA specification golf course, designed by former Great Britain and Ireland Golf Team Captain Peter McEvoy who was inspired by the desert courses of Arizona and California;
- a golf academy whose PGA qualified teaching professionals cater for several international teams, for the women’s elite squads of the Golf Union of Wales and for many of the English County Union’s elite squads; PGA European Tour, PGA Europro Tour and LET players.
- two hard tennis courts, two paddle courts, beach volley ball and two football pitches – one is a full-size grass pitch; the other is designed for five-a-side games;
- a Cricket Academy with facilities that comprise; twenty-four (24) grass wickets and run up with nets, one artificial wicket with nets, a full length artificial grass wicket, a Professional Bola Bowling Machine with 28 ball feeder, slip catch cradles and a specific hard standing area, which provides outside space for facilities such as a free weights gym, stretching mats and a medical area
- a Spanish colonial style Golf Club House with a lounge, bar, restaurant, locker rooms, TV and reading rooms, and a Ralph Lauren Golf Boutique;
- The Crocodile Club which provides family fun at the heart of the resort with pools, equipped sand play areas, a kid’s battery powered John Deere Gator circuit and a games room as well as a Jacuzzi, sun lawns and a pool bar;
- a health and fitness club and spa.
Awards
Desert Springs Resort was awarded Best Golf Resort for Groups in Europe by the 2016 European Group Travel Awards (EGTA). The Indiana Course at Desert Springs Resort has also been recognised as the 6th Best Golf Course in Spain, based on the reviews of players who rated the course on the Leading Courses website. Out of the 345 courses present on this ranking the Indiana Course at Desert Springs occupies 6th place with a score of 8,8/10, and awards Desert Springs Golf Club with the “Outstanding” badge. This distinction is only given to the best 10 courses in the country.
Desert Springs Resort has been awarded the Daily Mail Best Almeria Award and the Bentley International Property Awards for the Best Spain Development and Best Architecture, as well as the Spanish National Madera Verde Prize for Environmentally Sensitive Development & SICTED award for the distinction of “Commitment to Tourism Quality”.
El Torrente Restaurant has received the New Millennium International Gastronomy Award for the Tourist, Hotel and Catering Industry. This award was created by the Trade Leaders Club with the aim of distinguishing companies from all countries, for the outstanding quality of their products or services.
The climate of the Almanzora coastal region
Desert Springs Resort takes it name from the region’s desert microclimate, which is unique in Europe. It has the warmest winter weather on the continent with an annual average of more than nine hours of daily sunshine and maximum daily temperatures of between 16°C (60°F) and 30°C (86°F) throughout the year. Annual rainfall is less than 200 mm. The Almanzora’s coastal waters are among the cleanest and warmest in Europe, attracting both fish and diving enthusiasts.
Reader enquiries
NOTE: High Resolution Images available upon request. Simon Coaker
Simon Coaker
The Almanzora Group Ltd
The Manor, Boddington,
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL51 0TJ
Tel: +44 (0) 1242 680116
Email: tag@almanzora.com
England Squad Members with Management and Officials at Desert Springs Resort
‘Close Fielding Practice Sessions’ will be held at the Desert Springs Cricket Academy
Strength & Conditioning sessions will be held at the Gym at the Sierras Sports Club at Desert Springs Resort
Joe Root on the 1st Tee of the Championship Indiana Course at Desert Springs Resort
A typical example of a privately owned Villa at Desert Springs Resort where England players and team officials will be accommodated
