*Official* Training Camp (West Indies Tour)

Tom Halsey said:

kept ignoring Liam's posts,

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I think thats the one that did it. Ignored the CWBCC questions.

Haha Marc. Lone soldier

Part 1 of Day 3 of the camp

Today saw some intense time invested in fitness drills, nets.

The fitness drills

We started with warm ups, went ahead with catching in pairs (a great drill to test hand eye co-ordination), slips catching, outfiled catching. There were drops from every one right from Butler to DeSilva initially. It improved after the initial jitters though and the drops became minimum.

Next, The Triangle was formed. Its an effective technique for players to practice a range of fielding techniques, including underarm throwing, backing up the stumps, and throwing to the wicketkeeper.

There was a 30 minute football game played as well with the same line up as the previous match. I took the place of Marc in the Pickup XI. In the end Goff XI won 6-1 with a hatrick by Wright. Rose, Cunningham and Kearsely got one each. The solitary goal for Pickup XI came from DS Singh (who isn't even in the squad to the Windies). Pickup, also known as garfield for his excellent goal keeping this season (a long story) was shown up.

The nets

There were some rash shots played by the Goff XI 1-6 again in the nets. We tried to rectify that by taping it on video. We held a 15-20 minute session discussing that reason why such strokes were occuring. The basic reason, we concluded, was the need to keep runs flowing even when good balling occurs. A tactic we decided to focus more on was to take quick singles when a vacuum of runs occurs during an inning. We will see how this tactic works in real match situations in the future.

We also focussed on the bowling in aiming at a small area (different for different bowlers). There were a few loose deliveries from Halsey, Wright. Marcus and Pickup were again an example for every one with their disciplined bowling. Hoy was specificly told not to restrict his pace and was asked to bowl at a wider area than others.. He was very difficult to face after a while and I was pleased by the same. Thompson, who was also pasted yesterday, showed signs of recover.

Part 2 of Day 3 up next!

An interactive session where senior players can give talks and players can ask questions to go indepth into areas the players speak on is now underway..

I was asked by Coach Agarwal to make a speech to the camp, so i have written up something short on the Pride of playing for the CW XI...

When I was a young boy, I dreamt that one day I could play for my country. After years of heartache in my homeland, my family packed up stumps and moved to the small island of CW land.

At first I was shattered as my dream of playing cricket for my country was gone as at that time CW was not a member of the ICC and were only playing in the associate tournaments. However the day that CW Land were granted full test status was a dream come true. The whole country found something. A group of new heroes, people the youngsters could look up to.

My dream was alive again. The day I was selected in my first ever CW XI I could not hide the excitement. My hometown held a huge celebration and I almost missed my first training session.

The thought of representing my homeland was daunting; I didn’t want to let my fellow countrymen down. However I knew that myself along with my teammates we could make a difference in this small little land.

Playing for this country is different than any other. The land is so small, the people have come from all over, and we have all banded together to try, as one, become the best in the World.

The Pride in playing for CW, playing for our teammates, and the people who support us, gives us the inspiration and the belief that we can match it with the super-powers of the world.

A fine example of the difference we make was shown when we arrived home from our first ever adventure to the World Cup of Cricket. Taking on the best in the World in South Africa we defied the odds and made it all the way to the final only to fall to one of the greatest countries in the history of the game, the West Indies.
However on arrival home, the people of CW Land gave us the biggest welcome home, and from that moment on we knew we had made a difference.

When you walk out on that field with the Baggy Grey on the head, there is no prouder moment, No better place to be. Deep in the trenches whether it be facing the pace of Lee or Akhtar, the Tweaking of Warne and Murali, or bowling them down to the likes of Flintoff and Symonds, We are representing our country, its people and ourselves and we should all be proud of that…

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marc71178 said:

Absolutely disgusted that I can be sacked for maintaining a position that I have always held when a "coach" was introduced in the past. How come last time I wasn't sacked?

And what about others who have also criticised such a role?

As per usual there's a scapegoat, and as usual I'm the one that fills the role when I was far from alone in being critical.

The allegations couldn't be proved when I asked people to show where I'd criticised the person directly, so just sack me instead.

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You can't be part of a team when you don't show some respect for the coach and the Board. It's basic in all sports. At least Dave Watt had enough respect for the CWBCC to pull out of the squad on the basis of his opinions and attitudes.

I think you'd be surprised at how few people support your opinion that you're a scapegoat.

When can we expect Robbins' replacement to be named?

Two replacements will be named - one for each squad.

Discussions currently ongoing.

Line ups for tomorrow's match -

*Brendon Goff XI*
T Mamesh
AP Chaulk (wk)
BJ Goff
DA Kearsley
CP Thompson
BC Cunningham
GKK Dobson
NS Hoy
TC Halsey
XPA Rose
KS Wright

*Neil Pickup XI*
H Moerk (wk)
AP Cloete
MW DeSilva
CR Butler
LA Camps
I Markus
DS Singh - available rookie
DM Kennett
NL Patrick
NS Pickup
Pratyush Agarwal

Continue with the talk session people. Others free to add their own comments, experiences apart from posting questions on topics brought up.

Should be fun opening the batting.

Watch out for that Cloete, He'll run you out

KennyD said:

I think thats the one that did it. Ignored the CWBCC questions.

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I missed it once, then it was repeated.

I then asked for proof of the allegations, which were never given...

marc71178 said:

I missed it once, then it was repeated.

I then asked for proof of the allegations, which were never given...

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What allegations? They were questions, Marc. Not allegations. Questions require answers. Simple answers were required. Yes or no. Simple answers.

Training Camp has gone swimmingly of late and to be honest... due to the lack of competitive cricket I've actually found my time here rather fun and advantageous.

To be honest there was a secret behind the beep test result.... As a fat man you'll find with momentum all you have to do is lean forward and let your weight carry you... However this normally isn't conjusive to beep tests where you have to turn around lots. So I hit the town the night before with some local ladies and met up with DeMeza. I told him he should come along as my helper. So as soon as he got out he'd stand at either end of the laps and give me a huge push at the start of each lap and then I'd just be like a runaway train.

The form in the practice game was good. The Goff XI had absolutely nothing but!!!

It first hit me when I returned to Pickford, the morning after the plane touched down at Nixonstown International. The train journey back to Pickford was awkward - late at night, changing at Edfield, but the reception when we pulled into Pickford Central was something that will live with me for the rest of my life.

Cricket is so deeply ingrained into the consciousness of this country. I don't think there is another thing that can draw out almost a thousand people to greet the 0338 from Edfield Interchange. Being the first International cricketer to hail from Pickford was an unbelievable honour - spending that hour and a half on the station concourse signing autograph after autograph and shirt after shirt confirmed that.

Every time I walk down the High Street, I see the grey and gold of the CWLand replica shirts. Pickup - 11. Goff - 1. For some reason Young - 0. Each of these children, and adults, live for the fortunes of the XI. Victory, and the land is a better place. Defeat, and the next day at work feels like an eternity. It is these hopes and these prayers that we carry on our shoulders every time we go into battle for the country.

It is for every boy with posters of Håkon Mørk on his walls, immaculately practising the forward defensive stroke in the mirror each night. It is for every boy and girl who spend their breaktimes clustered around a litter bin, plastic bat and tape ball, vultures circling for a catch and a turn in bat. It's for every boy spinning a tennis ball against a wall, searching for the perfect googly. It's for every father surfing the Internet whilst they should be working, scouring for the latest score, and every family waking at half past four in the morning to track our progress from some far flung corner of the world.

We are their idols. We are their role models. We have a terrific privilege, and a terrific responsibility. Every time we wear the grey and the gold, we are CWLand. Every shot we play, every delivery we bowl, every diving save on the boundary we make. The passion of the fans never fades - any visit to any ground in the land tells you that - and we must make sure we never fall short of the same.

The first steps have been taken to show we can mix it with the big guns. Now we have to prove we're here to stay.

Neil Pickup said:

It is for every boy with posters of Håkon Mørk on his walls

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Oh dear. Poor kids.

Word out.

Respect

Neil Pickup said:

It is for every boy with posters of Håkon Mørk on his walls,

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I don't which boys you been talking to, but most i know have posters of Resha playing her ***y cut shot.

Camps and Wilson called up

Allrounders Liam Camps jr. and Mike Wilson have been called up to the Test and ODI squad respectively, as the Cricket Web XI prepares to tour the West Indies. The announcement comes as Marc Robbins was released from both squads yesterday, following a turbulent relationship with coach Pratyush Agarwal.

There was mass speculation that Sean Fuller would make his way into the One Day International team, but instead Black allrounder Wilson gets the call. Reportedly, Peter Young and Simon Fitzsimmons made the short list of discussion for the Test match replacement, whilst Sean Bennett featured in the One Day International discussion.

A little disappointing to miss out, but I'm happy enough to go back and try and keep performing for the Blues and aim for the World Cup.

Wilson certainly deserves his place anyway. He is a quality player.