Cricket - Wicket Keeping Development Programmes
© 2007-2011 The Ben Williams Trust - Charity Registration No: 1116627
The Trust funds two wicketkeeping development programmes. The Surrey programme is in its third year, while the Hampshire programme was launched in March 2009. The two programmes have different emphases but complement each other well.
Hampshire Wicketkeeping Development Programme
Hampshire Cricket Board's wicketkeeping programme, funded by the Ben Williams Trust, aims to standardise the approach to wicketkeeping development across the County. 
When the programme was launched, Hampshire’s Performance Cricket Development Officer, Raj Maru, explained: “Wicketkeeping is a specialist position which has been much overlooked in the past, but the appointment of Bobby Parks as the County’s wicketkeeping coach and the funding from The Ben Williams Trust will enable us to standardise the manner in which keeping is coached, and give all cricketers within the District and County squads the opportunity to benefit from Bobby’s professional experience. Bobby running these sessions will mean that all our coaches and players would be coached in a similar fashion with no confusion when players move up through the age groups and (hopefully) to the County First XI.” (Picture with acknowledgement to the Hampshire Cricket Board.)
The programme has been a huge success. In its first phase, all wicketkeepers from both boys and girls county squads benefited from 9 hours of specialist coaching. As this was the first time many of the players had received specialist wicketkeeping coaching, county coaches saw a vast improvement in performance during the 2009 season.
In the second phase, wicketkeeping development skills were cascaded into district cricket in the County through head coaches. Bobby delivered hands on training to the coaches for the 10s to 17s age groups, before running three sessions for the district keepers themselves. By the start of the 2010 season Bobby had passed on his professional experience to approximately 40 young keepers. The programme’s success was evidenced by the number of keepers who won fielding awards for the 2010 season.
Trust Chairman Phil Williams said: “We are attracted to the Hampshire Board programme because it involves children across a broad range of age groups, and we feel that the coaching of coaches is a particularly good way to make the most of our financial support. We are delighted to be able to support this initiative and help raise the profile of wicketkeeping in Hampshire Youth Cricket.”
For further information see the Hampshire Cricket Board website.
Surrey Wicketkeeping Development Programme
The Surrey programme has a different emphasis, and aims to provide high level one-to-one coaching for keepers with the potential to play in the First Class game.
Attendees include Rory Burns and Michael Burgess. Rory was awarded a two year contract with Surrey in December 2010. Although he is yet to make his first-class debut, he made three centuries in Second XI Championship cricket and was awarded the 2010 Walter Lawrence Trophy in honour of the 230 he scored for MCC Universities against Oxford MCCU in April this year.
Michael Burgess was awarded the Graham Kersey prize for the best 'keeper in the 2009 Bunbury Festival at Charterhouse, together with one of the four David English scholarships which saw him spending a week with the full England squad at Loughborough. He was also been selected for the England U15 squad.
Michael is seen here collecting his award from David English.
Said Michael “I am very grateful for the coaching I have received. I have benefitted hugely from the expertise of the Surrey keepers and this would not have been possible without the help and support of the Trust”.