Cricket - Wicket Keeping Development Programmes

The Trust funds two wicketkeeping development programmes. The Surrey programme is in its second year, and a new initiative with Hampshire was launched in March 2009. The two programmes have different emphases but complement each other well.

Hampshire Wicketkeeping Development Programme

Hampshire Cricket Board's wicket keeping programme, funded by the Ben Williams Trust has now come to the end of its first phase. Throughout the winter and in preparation for the season Bobby Parks, Hampshire Cricket’s Wicketkeeping Coach, delivered a specialist coaching programme which aimed at standardising 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, which involved wicketkeepers from both boys and girls county squads was a huge success, with all players benefiting from 9 hours of specialist coaching. As this is the first time many of the players have received specialist wicketkeeping coaching, county coaches have seen a vast improvement in performance during the first few games of the season.

The second phase of the programme will help to standardise the approach to wicketkeeping coaching even further and will involve Bobby working with the head coaches and wicketkeepers from each District within Hampshire. This phase of the programme will start in October and by the start of the 2010 season Bobby will have passed on his professional experience to approximately 40 young keepers.

Trust Chairman Phil Williams said: “We are attracted to the Hampshire Board proposal because it will involve 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 Trust funded an intensive 2007/8 winter training programme for two young Surrey wicket-keepers. You can see film of one of the sessions on this website, and a further interview on the Surrey Cricket website – just click on the Surrey TV link and enter “Ben Williams Trust” in the search box.

Rory Burns and Michael Burgess attended a winter programme that saw them receive a full technical, tactical, mental and physical training regime that was delivered by the Surrey Academy coaching staff.

The most beneficial part of the programme was the two young players receiving their technical wicket-keeping coaching from Surrey first team keeper Jonathan Batty and the former England captain Alec Stewart. Said Michael “I am very grateful for the coaching I have received during the winter. 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”.

Michael Burgess and Mathew Stiddard were selected to attend 2008/9 programme. This winter they had a greater exposure to Jonathan Batty as the lead wicket-keeping coach, which has proved beneficial to both of them. Both wicketkeepers were given a full supporting programme in strength and conditioning in addition to workshops on `mental toughness` and `self confidence`. These sessions will help compliment the skill based training they received with Jonathan.

Rory Burns who benefitted from the previous years programme spent the winter in New Zealand and has since returned and is playing for the Surrey County Second Eleven.

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 will see him spending a week with the full England squad at Loughborough in 2010. He has also been selected for the England U15 squad.

Michael is seen here collecting his award from David English.