Cricket: Howzat for a boost to cricket?

Nov 30 2007 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

THE growth of cricketing excellence in Liverpool will receive a fresh boost in the new year when the Lancashire Cricket Board appoints the borough’s first ever full-time community cricket development coach.

The new post, which carries a salary of £17,000, is currently being advertised by the LCB and is being financed by the board’s £150,000 sponsorship deal with Barclays Wealth.

Lancashire president Lord Steinberg was instrumental in securing this financial help for the LCB and he explained the rationale behind the move.

“Youngsters need the opportunity to play sport irrespective of cost, where they live and facilities,” he said. “Building on the already solid foundations that the Lancashire Cricket Board has put in place, this deal will ensure that most youngsters can access cricket in all boroughs throughout Lancashire.”

Such sentiments look likely to receive an appreciative hearing in Liverpool’s cricketing community where coaching sessions at a number of clubs are already well attended.

The successful applicant for the new post will have a wide-ranging brief but will focus on the coaching of boys and girls in specific areas of the city and will also be charged with developing sustainable links between schools and clubs.

He or she will work closely with the Liverpool Cricket Development Group and will be line managed Merseyside’s cricket development manager Paul Bryson.

The Liverpool appointment is only one of a number which the LCB looks to make in the next few months as it seeks to make good use of its new resources, and LCB Director and former Lancashire all-rounder Andrew Hayhurst was understandably appreciative of Barclays’ help.

“To receive such support from a well-respected player on the corporate scene is a major step forward for the LCB,” he said. “Not only does it give us the opportunity to provide a career pathway for some of our most able coaches but it also gives us the opportunity to provide every youngster with the chance to access sport in Lancashire through cricket.”

The impact of the LCB, which was only formed 11 years ago, was also highlighted by its treasurer Bill Robinson.

“Before 1996, if we had £3,000 a year to spend on cricket coaching, we thought we were doing well,” he said. “Next year, with the additional funding from the ECB and other agencies, our turnover will be over £700,000 providing we meet all our Key Performance Indicators.”

For Liverpool’s youthful batsmen and bowlers, understandably untroubled by the details of KPIs or the minutiae of revenue streams, the importance of the development of the LCB is that they now have few excuses not to pursue their enthusiasm and hone their skills.

Either at clubs or at cricket-minded schools, or maybe at both, the coaching will be available.

It is a great time to be a talented young cricketer.

Anyone wishing to apply for the post of Liverpool community cricket development coach is encouraged to contact Tony Potter at Old Trafford (0161 282 4021 or tpotter@lccc.co.uk). Applicants should possess a minimum of a Level II coaching qualification. The closing date for applications is December 7.